Strong and Resolute

This Shabbat when we finish reading the book of Shmote/Exodus, we will offer the b'al koreh the traditional blessing that is said upon the completion of any of the 5 Books of Moses, Chazak, Chazak, V'Nitchazek which means "may we be exceedingly strong and be strengthened through each other's strength."  These words come from the words with which God blessed Joshua, Moses' attendant, after Moses died and Joshua took on the mantle of leadership. (Joshua 1:6-9)  Three times in those three verses God blesses and enjoins Joshua to be chazak v'amatz, strong and resolute. Joshua's strength came not just from his marshal power, but also from his Torah study and obedience to God. Strong refers to the might within his body, while resolute refers to the emotional courage that he needed to faithfully discharge the duties to which God set him in the conquest of The Promised Land.

Years later when King David's general Joab and his brother, Abishai, split their forces in battle against the Ammonites and Arameans Joab says, "Let us be strong and resolute for the sake of our people, and the land of our God, and the Lord will do what he deems right." (2nd Samuel 10:12)  It is always appropriate to wish someone who is called to the Torah yasher koach as is the custom in Ashkenazik congregations, which means, straight and strong.  The proper response is Baruch tehiyeh meaning, may you be blessed.  In Sephardic congregations the traditional blessing to the Oleh is hazak uvaruch which means strength and blessings. And in this case, the proper response is chazak v'amatz, be strong and resolute

It took a communal effort to read and study and teach this book of the Torah and I pray that we have the strength to keep on learning and growing as a community.

Chazak, Chazak, V'Nitchazek

Rabbi Shalom Plotkin

Chancellor Eisen

This past Monday night the chancellor of the Conservative. Movement, Dr. Arnold Eisen, visited Congregation Ohev Shalom in Richboro, PA in honor of Rabbi Eliott Perlstein's 36th year at the temple.  There was a delicious catered meal to honor donors to the Jewish Theological Seminary.  Following diner the chancellor spoke lovingly and movingly about the bright future of the Conservative Movement in North America.  As the titular head of 600 synagogues, a dozen Ramah Camps, and a slew of other organizations, he has a unique perspective on our country's quickly changing Jewish community.  One positive trend he noted is that hundreds of thousands of American Jews flock to conservative synagogues every week in order to add meaning to their lives due to our spiritually uplifting services, family focused communities, and passionate Torah educators.

Yesterday before teaching our weekly Talmud class, I was honored to be part of the Bet Din (rabbinic court) which met to convert a woman to Judaism.  I asked her why she chose a conservative synagogue over the reform and Chabad.  She replied that while the other synagogues were very eager to have her join them, she wanted to be part of a community where the observance of mitzvot is valued, but that she couldn't see herself living an orthodox lifestyle.  She is so excited to be called to the Torah this Shabbat for an Aliyah by her new Hebrew name.  She has pledged to continue to increase her Shabbat observance, her Torah studies and to increase her observance of kashrut.

Chancellor Eisen asked all of us in attendance to explore the new JTS website for dozens of opportunities per day to study Judaism  He has also been blogging and tweeting on a daily basis and just uploaded a new YouTube video click Dr. Eisen on YouTube.

Siyyum

This coming Wednesday, April 4th, our Talmud Class will be completing the study of the first chapter of tractate Shabbat Yitziot haShabbat, which means Sabbath boundaries.  The final mishna or teaching of this chapter concerns the prohibition against roasting meat on Friday unless there is sufficient time for it to be cooked before sundown.  The exception to this rule is the Passover sacrifice of the Pascal lamb.  When we conclude the study of one chapter we immediately begin the study of the next, so this is a great opportunity to join the Talmud class.  Chapter 2, Bameh Madlikin, concerns the laws of lighting Shabbos candles. 

Our Talmud class has been studying this chapter for a few years and the completion of this powerful text calls for a celebration.  We will be holding the siyyum (celebration of completion) this coming Friday morning at a special morning minyan beginning with tallis and tefilin at 7:30.  Everyone is invited to join us, especially if you are the first born in your family.  In which case, attendance at this seudat mitzvah (commanded feast) will absolve you from the requirement to fast the day before Passover.  The reason that first born Jews fast before Passover is because we recognize the suffering God inflicted upon the Egyptians during the tenth plague in order to secure our liberation.  We will also be joined by our friends from the Kol Emet minyan.

This will be your last opportunity to sell me your chometz before Passover, which begins with the First Seder at sunset. Forms are available in the office or you can download one by clicking 2012 Sale of Chometz.  If you are planning on bringing your leftover chometz to me, please place it in a paper bag (which is easy to burn) so that we don't get any crumbs in the synagogue.

End of Passover

     Hope everyone is having a happy and healthy holiday. As we prepare for the end of the hag I have the triumphant melody of the Song of the Sea, the romantic melody of the Song of Songs, and the hauntingly poignant melody of the Yizkor memorial service running through my head. Please make every effort to join us for services Friday morning, Friday night, and Shabbat morning as Chazzan Winter leads us in these beautiful yuntif and Shabbat services. 

     Moses Maimonides, perhaps our nation's greatest Jewish philosopher, emphases in his seminal work, Yad Hazaka: The Mighty Arm, that it's not enough just to sit back and enjoy the chazzan's davening; rather that the words of our inspirational liturgy are intended to move us to action.  It's not enough just to remember our loved ones at Yizkor this Passover but we're also intended to light a memorial candle, attend services, and make a donation to a worthy cause in their memories.

Heavenly Fire

In the parsha I'll be chanting tomorrow, we learn about the death of the sons of Aaron.  Nadav and Avihu have been trained to be priests in God's tabernacle by their father the High Priest. However we learn that they were burnt by a fire sent from Heaven for the sin of making a "strange offering" to God.  Was it a sin of hubris or drunkenness or misplaced enthusiasm?  Did the punishment fit the crime?

This weekend at the synagogue we will be learning and discussing what it is to be a holy people, mamlechet kohanim - a nation of priests.  The theme will continue on Sunday with the discussion following the screening of the holocaust film "Sarah's Key."

Pesach Sheni

This weekend we're given an opportunity for a "mulligan".  In golfing terms, that's a do-over. But in Jewish terms, it's a second chance to do a mitzvah.  Most of us had an opportunity to celebrate Pesach last month, however Moses asked God "What happens if someone didn't celebrate Passover due to personal or professional exigencies? Is their soul to be cut off from the Jewish People and left unredeemed?" The answer was Passover Sheni, which comes a month later, i.e. this weekend. Most congregations don't take advantage of this opportunity at a second chance to perform mitzvot, however at CBOI we have set aside this weekend for a full range of immersive Jewish educational experiences.  This Shabbat our members have an opportunity to study with our visiting scholar Shoshana Cohen about "Three Reasons to Pray", with Hazan Bob on the Ah-ME-dah, with Bert and Rabbi Plotkin on "Paradigms in Prayer", and with the rest of school faculty on the Ten Commandments, the gift of Torah, and honoring your parents.

Parashat Emor

Moses faced a challenge this week in Parshat Emor, when he was confronted with the question about what to do with the man who publicly cursed God.  How could Moshe Rabbeinu protect his spiritually young congregation from this sudden existential threat to their growing relationship with God?  Would God, who had just redeemed them from Egypt and shared his precious Torah, become alienated from them and withdraw his divine protection and sustenance?   Fires and plagues could break out, the Shechinah might depart, and the Manna might stop falling!  Moses had the man held, and then he withdrew to ask for guidance from Hashem.  He returned with a plan for radical action (they stoned the blasphemer to death) and even the rebels and scoffers were satisfied with the process and solution.  They learned that maintaining a spiritually whole community and aspiring to become a blessing to God's Holy name was of paramount importance.  The trials in the wilderness tested everyone's faith, but 40 years later, the children of those former slaves crossed the Jordan as a numerous, ably-led, God-fearing Israelite nation.
     We have inherited a valuable tradition that contains within it the keys to ultimate redemption from generations of Jews who dedicated their lives to entrust it into our loving arms; it nourishes our souls.

Tu B'Shevat Parable

Talmudic Reflections for Tu B'Shevat

A man was journeying in a desert. He was hungry, weary, and thirsty. He found a tree whose fruits were sweet, its shade pleasant, with a stream of water flowing beneath it. He ate of its fruits, drank from the water, and rested under its shade. When he was ready to continue his journey, he said, "Tree, O Tree with what shall I bless you? Shall I say to you, 'May your fruits be sweet'? They are already sweet. That your shade be pleasant? It is already pleasant. That a stream of water may flow beneath you? Lo, a stream of cool water flows already beneath you. Therefore, I say, May it be God's will that all the shoots taken from you will be like you."                         Bavli Ta'anit 8a-b

Much like the man in the parable, we are on a journey through the desert. The Israelites found sustenance from God and faithfully collected manna from Heaven six days a week. It is not always easy to recognize the oasis in the desert; sometimes it appears to be a mirage. On this holiday of Tu B'Shevat, I pray that with God's help we can open our eyes to recognize the blessings in our lives and that like the well watered, shady fruit tree in the parable, that our saplings continue to enjoy and share those blessings.

May you and yours have a restful, and fruitful, and enjoyable New Year of the Trees.

Penn turns tables on BDS

  Last weekend while many of us were preparing to celebrate Tu B'Shevat and watch the Super Bowl, there was a BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions against Israel) conference on the U-Penn campus. Many of us were happy to hear Professor Alan Dershowitz speak last Thursday night about Israel's strong track record on human rights. In fact Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East and she supports a robust press. In fact nowhere will you find more freedom of expression than in Israel.

     I want to thank my friends for helping to facilitate the live stream presentation of Professor Dershowitz interview on the large screen in our sanctuary. We would have attended the interview in person, had it not been sold out. In fact while 200 people, including 30 students, attended the BDS conference thousands of people heard Professor Dershowitz and 300 hundred student supporters packed the Invest in Israel Party the next day (at Smokes) where $5,000 was raised for the One Family Charity. In addition, 48 students hosted 800 guests for a Shabbat Dinner last Friday night featuring a D'Var Torah focused on Israel.

     Because the college campus environment is a place for the free exchange of ideas, that is where some of the most passionate debates about Israel take place. Even though the BDS movement's leaders were able to exercise their freedom of speech and slander Israel, the Jewish community lead by Penn Hillel and the Philadelphia Federation were able to tell the truth about Israel without resorting to confrontational debates. This might not be the case on another campus. Every university has its own unique culture and a constantly changing student body.

     In our religious school and Israel Forum classes we help our students to understand why Israel is unique and has a right to exist. We seek to become knowledgeable about Israeli current events and conversant with her culture, language, and history. That doesn't mean that we necessarily have to agree with every decision that the democratically elected government makes and that doesn't mean that we deny the Palestinians their culture or history. In fact we seek to peacefully coexist.

     One of the best ways that we can support Israel is by making friends, creating bridges of understanding, and finding common cause with our non-Jewish neighbors and with diverse peoples of other backgrounds. Please set aside the afternoon of March 25^th for our second annual Salute to Israel program at the congregation.  

Princeton Exhibit

This anti-Semitic drawing of helicopters and bombs painted with a blue Magen David falling on the mosque in Gaza went on display at Princeton in the student union building yesterday. Guess if there are pictures drawn by Israeli children sheltering in bunkers in Sderot included in the exhibit? Israel needs our support. Please make plans to attend our salute to Israel rally on March 25th from 2-4pm and help us contribute to another ambulance for Magen David Adom.

Be Happy

You may have heard Bobby McFerrin or the even more "laid back" Bob Marley singing, "Don't Worry, Be Happy."  But the "original" Hebrew song has been sung at Purim celebrations for years in Synagogues around the world.  "Mishenichnas Adar Marbim Besimcha," goes the snappy jingle, meaning, from the start of Adar our joy increases.  But did you ever wonder why we are commanded to Be Happy during the Hebrew month of Adar?  Rashi explains that just as our joy is reduced in the month of Av because of the destruction of the Temple and exile, our joy is increased in Adar because of our salvation by God, first on Purim and then on Pesach. (Ta'anit 29A). 

This Wednesday night from 4:30-7 PM we'll be reading the Megillah and enjoying the Purim shpiel from"Diary a Wimpy King" performed by our students.  Not to mention the goldfish, games, hotdogs, and hamentashen.  In chapter 9, the reason for our joy become clear.  We are told that we should transform our grief at almost being annihilated by Haman into rejoicing.  We are to make the 14th of Adar a holiday celebrated "in every generation, by every family, in every province and city.  It is a day of feasting and merrymaking; a time to send gifts to one another and presents to the poor.  These days of Purim shall never cease among the Jews, and shall never perish from amongst their descendants." 

Well now that we understand why we're to be happy during the month containing Purim, I'm left wondering what about the next month of Nisan?  We'll be slaving away cleaning and preparing for Pesach.  Songs of liberation aside, how shall we stay happy then, and the rest of the year?  Mary J. Blige gave us an answer when she crooned, "All I really want is to be happy."  She says that joy comes from loving someone, and receiving love in return.  To that Grammy worthy advice I'll add these two pearls of wisdom: Don't take life or yourself too seriously (so come in costume)  and always be on the lookout for things that make you laugh and smile (I guarantee you'll find this year's performance hilarious).

Hag Purim Samayach,
Rabbi Molash Niktolp

Mindfullness

In this week's parsha, Bo, God commands Moses to hold out his rod over the land of Egypt. God drove an east wind carrying a plague of locusts to all the crops in Egypt, which devoured everything green and darkened the land (Exodus 10:15). Pharoh, who was accustomed to ruling a country that served as the bread basket of the entire Middle East, now had to wonder where his next meal was coming from. Pharoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron saying, "I stand guilty before the Lord your God, and before you. Forgive my offense, just this once, and plead with the Lord your God that he remove this death from me." Because pharoh lived on the banks of the Nile surrounded by his agricultural lands, when he saw the locusts he knew immediately that he was doomed. However today, we are so far removed from the farm that most of us don't realize that this warm winter we're having means that certain insect populations will be flourishing this coming spring because we haven't had enough frosty nights to reduce their numbers. If you've ever been hungry, you know that we can't take food for granted.
On Wednesday when our students were leaving religious school, we saw the new moon of the Hebrew month Shevat rising over our fields, which reminded us that the new year for the trees (Tu B'Shevat) will be here in a couple of weeks. This gives us an opportunity to focus on the source of our food. We are all becoming more mindful of which foods that we eat are kosher, nutritious, organic, and harvested locally. At our Tu B'Shevat program we'll be saying our prayers to God and thanking him for the produce and fruits of the earth. Every time we put something in our mouth we have an opportunity to say a blessing. In addition to keeping kosher, many of our students have food allergies so we pay close attention to food preparation in our synagogue and school (sorry, Mr. Peanut). Recently I became a Rabbinic Fellow for Hazon, a Jewish environmental society (http://www.hazon.org/). If you go their web page you will find lots of suggestions for ways in which we can become closer to God through what we eat.

L'Chaim

I always thought of l'chaim as the classic Jewish toast and assumed that it meant to life, but it turns out it means that and more.  I toasted my family l'chaim last Saturday night over the Havdallah cup, before we went out for New Year's and then again over champagne later on in the evening as 2012 approached.  And tonight we will share a l'chaim as we always do at our 8:00 minyan when we raise our glasses and welcome the Sabbath.

It turns out the Ashkenazi Jews got the custom to say savrei maranan to which the response is l'chaim from the Sephardic Jews of the Middle East.  They in turn got it from the Jews of Spain in the Middle Ages.  In his 14th century Spanish prayer book Rabbi David ben Josef Abudarham sought to explain the province of the custom. He said that it was because Jews waiting to be executed would be given a glass of wine before their capital punishment  and we do not want to become condemned prisoners ourselves, and so we say, "to life."  Alternatively, Rabbi Abudarham hypothesized that in the Garden of Eden the forbidden fruit that Adam ate was a grape, and not an apple. After Adam ate the fruit of the vine, he was punished with mortality.  So we say "to life" before we drink as a counter measure to the Angel of Death.
While I appreciate these rather fanciful explanations, Rabbi Tigay writes in The Forward that the original source of the custom lay in ancient Babylonia, where the Jews spoke Aramaic and they said l'chayei instead of l'chaim. One Jew would raise a glass and in preparation to saying the blessing borai perie h'gofen, he would turn to his friends and say savrei maranan, "Gentleman, what do think? Is everyone ready for the blessing?" And they would answer with the archaic Talmudic expression, l'chayei. "Yes, alright fine." 

So as we prepare for this first Shabbat of 2012, let's lift our Kiddush cups and say savrei maranan... l'chaim. TO LIFE!