On Leadership: Lessons from Charleston, SCOTUS, and Chukat

Friends, I wanted to share the words I delivered during Temple B'nai Torah's Erev Shabbat service last night. I spoke these words with regard to our annual installation of all new boards (Board of Trustees, Sisterhood, Brotherhood, Chai Club, Circle of Friends, PTA, and BNTY). Installation coincided, of course, with the tragedies of Charleston as well as the victories of the #SCOTUS ruling. Please enjoy.

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This past week has generated a roller coaster of emotions for so many of us. We wept with grief and horror following the murder of 9 Bible-studying members of the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC. We condemned the act of terror and hatred that ended their lives too soon, while pondering issues of race, bigotry, violence, and guns. We wondered how a man like Dylan Roof comes to be - how is his hatred allowed to fester, grow, and evolve to such a place that he would walk into a church and callously take lives? His action was founded in fear, intolerance, and, frankly, pure evil.

Many of us wept again today - but these were tears of pride, relief, and happiness. We celebrate as our Supreme Court bravely allowed same-sex marriage to become the law of the entire nation. We can now breathe easier, knowing that our gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender friends and family members are now one enormous step closer to equal rights. GLBT rights are one of the most pressing issues of our time, and, soon, we won't have to refer to same-sex marriage. Rather, it will just be marriage. We are alive at a time of change, where we can be witness to a decision founded in love, inclusion, and, frankly, pure goodness.

In Parashat Chukat, we witness the transition of power from one generation of leaders to the next. We are towards the end of the forty years of wandering in the desert. Miriam the prophetess dies, and, simultaneously, the Israelites find themselves without water. They are scared, they are thirsty, and many of them long to go back to Egypt, where, forgetting they were slaves, they only remember that they had plenty of water to drink and food to eat.

God tells Moses to lift up Aaron's rod in front of all of the people, and to speak to a large rock, commanding it to bring forth water. Simple - lift rod, command rock. Yet, in the moment of action, Moses instead hits the rock twice, demanding that it bring forth water. Water does indeed flow forth. But this action, founded in fear, greatly disappoints God. God tells Moses that his public act of disobedience and lack of faith will result in his death. He will not be allowed to enter Israel with the rest of the Israelites, and he will instead die in the wilderness.

Moses and Aaron's roles as our leaders are retired, and the new leaders are selected in this week's text. Joshua takes the mantel from Moses, and Eleazar from Aaron. These new leaders are the ones who will enable the Israelites to continue their development into the civilization, culture, and people that we will one day become. Moses and Aaron will never see their people truly live in freedom and security in the promised land.

Tonight, we mark the transition from one group of leaders to the next. Our tenures always end before we have a chance to complete all the work, or to see all our ideas through to fruition. Yet we carry on, we dream, we visualize a future that is fruitful, dynamic, and holy.

In light of this past week's roller coaster, I ask you an important question - what kind of leader will you be? Will you make decisions that are brave, that are forward-looking, that are based in righteousness, Jewish values, and goodness? Or will you default to ideas based in fear, assumptions, or the mistakes of the past? Will you have faith to get through the hard times? Or will you strike the rock publicly, and reveal a lack of groundedness or trust? Will you have the heart to be self-reflective and self-aware as a leader, or will you charge forth without thought for others and their feelings?

You all have the power to lead Temple B'nai Torah into the next chapter of our lives. We have been in existence, lest we forget, for only seven years. You will help us as we enter our eighth year of life. I encourage you to be courageous, to be a mensch, to be kind, to be strong. Don't be afraid to defend what you believe in, and to be confident in your choices to make this community the best that it can be. Your participation is a holy act, please don't ever forget it. It has an impact on all of the people around you: your partners and spouses, your families, your friends. They see that you have taken upon yourself a leadership role in a religious organization. This is a role to be taken seriously, with respect, and with honor.

After the events of the past days, I hope we will one day look back on your leadership with pride. Make us proud, do right by us, and help us on our journey toward the future of Temple B'nai Torah. 

Ken Y'hi Ratzon - May this be God's will. 

Amen. 

The Lesson's of Lot's Wife

The Lessons of Lot's Wife

How should we act when we stand at the crossroads? Do we look back or move forward?

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In the meantime, I wish you all a Chag Shavuot Sameach!!

Chag Shavuot Sameach - Happy Shavuot!!

Wishing you all a Chag Shavuot Sameach - a Happy Shavuot.

Shavuot (meaning "weeks") is the Jewish holiday that celebrates the giving and receiving of Torah - the Five Books of Moses - on Mount Sinai. Why "weeks?" Shavuot falls on the day following the counting of 7 weeks (a week of weeks) since Passover.

So, theoretically, the Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt 50 days ago, and they have been on a journey all this time towards the foot of Mount Sinai. These have been their first tastes of freedom in 400 years, and I would imagine that they were scared, elated, confused, and traumatized. Now, they stand as a community and as a new people,below the mountain, and Moses has ascended to receive Torah.

In these few weeks, we move between two of God's greatest acts: the redemption from slavery, and now the revelation at Sinai.

I will be attempting an all-night study session tonight - there is a tradition of "Tikkun Layl Shavuot," in which Jews study texts and learn together all night, until sunrise. I will be attending a terrific session at the local JCC, which is offering study, dance, meditation, learning, and plenty of food and coffee.

Wishing you meaningful moments of learning and revelation in your own lives!

Shining the Mirror on Ourselves

An excerpt from my sermon last Friday night:

It may surprise you to learn that mirrors, and objects used for reflecting, have been such an enduring part of the human experience. In this week's Torah portion, a combined parasha entitled Vayakhel-Pekudei, Moses and the Israelites are completing the building of the Tabernacle as their continue their desert wanderings. Throughout the process, Moses has requested that the men and women bring items from their households to contribute to the building. They've brought linens, threads of various colors, gold, silver and copper, and even animal skins. In Exodus chapter 38, verse 8, when a holy wash basin is being described, the text tells us, "Moses made the laver of copper and its stand of copper, from the mirrors of the women who performed tasks at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting." These mirrors, made of copper, must have been highly valued in the Biblical world. The comment about their inclusion, seemingly minor, inspired Rashi, one of our greatest commentators, to share a fascinating midrash about women and their role in the evolving Israelite community.

Rashi brings the explanation that when the women first brought the copper mirrors as a contribution, Moses was reluctant to accept them. The reason is because, in Moses' view, they incited vanity and superficiality. God, however, told Moses to accept those mirrors and that they were indeed very special - in the following way. Those very same mirrors had been instrumental in the creation of the Israelite nation. How? You are going to love this. God told Moses that, in Egypt, the men had come home exhausted from their back-breaking work, and the women used mirrors to help them to present themselves to their husbands in an enticing manner, leading to increased procreation... Thus the Israelites continued to increase in number under the slavery in Egypt.

Because of mirrors, the people of Israel survived their enslavement!

But what about Moses' original concern – that mirrors inspire vanity and superficiality, like the story of Narcissus. Mirrors are able to disclose a kind of truth about the one who gazes into it. There are even superstitions that focus on the mirror seemingly absorbing a piece of your soul when you gaze into the glass. But, perhaps the truth telling can help us become better people.

An old Jewish legend tells of a rabbi who traveled to a village where only a single, poor Jew lived. Although destitute, the Jew opened his house to him, shared his meager meal, and apologized that he couldn't show more honor to his guest. Upon leaving, the rabbi blessed his host and wished him well. Thereafter, the poor man's lot improved so much that he soon became the wealthiest man in the village. He even hired a guard to keep away the beggars from clamoring for tzedakah (charity).

When the rabbi returned a year later, he had to plead with the guard to let him see his master,and then he was rudely ushered into the house and made to wait. When at last the man appeared, the rabbi asked him: "Look through the window. What do you see?"

"People going about their affairs," answered the man.

"Now look in your mirror. What do you see?"

"Only myself."

"The window and the mirror are both made of glass," observed the rabbi.

"The only difference between them is a silver coating. It's time to remove it."

Shocked and sobered by the rabbi's words, the man promised to change his miserly ways from that day forth.

The Israelite women teach us a very important lesson when they bring forth mirrors as their contribution to the tabernacle.

- Each of us has something to contribute to our community, and it is not up to us to judge the relative merits of the contribution.

- Mirrors, when used for selfish vanity, can keep us from seeing the world around us, but when they are used to help us create something sacred and open, they can help us make the world a better place.

In this current economic climate, these two lessons ring even more true. Each one of us has something to contribute, and it might not always be the most obvious offering. Your time, wisdom, enthusiasm, support, and love can be as valuable, and usually even more valuable, to your friends, family, and community, than your checkbook. Just because you can't give money doesn't mean that your contribution isn't important to those around you.

Also, for those among us who may not be hit as hard by the crisis, please do not let that layer of silver keep you from seeing those outside who may need your help. Open the window and share some of your silver with those who are without.

Bereshit - Back to the Beginning

Happy Friday, my friends! I hope that you had a good week, and that you are nearing the end of the work-week. Doesn't Shabbat, the day of rest, the weekend, always come at just the right time?

Tonight, we Jews have returned back to the beginning of the entire Torah. We finished reading the whole Five Books of Moses, the very end of Deuteronomy, last week during the holiday of Simchat Torah, and now we find ourselves ALL THE WAY back at the beginning, Genesis, Chapter One, Verse One.

My dear friend, Andi, has posted a beautiful post about reading the beginning of Genesis. I hope you will stop by and give it a read.

I will be leading services tonight (as I often do), and I am going to be speaking about one of my favorite characters, Lilith. Who is Lilith? She is the answer to the fact that there are TWO creation stories in the Torah.

There's this one: (Genesis 1:27): And God created man in God’s own image, in the image of God created him; male and female God created them.

Then there's this one: (Genesis 2:21-25): And the ETERNAL God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the place with flesh instead thereof. And the rib, which the ETERNAL God had taken from the man, made He a woman, and brought her unto the man. And the man said: 'This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.' Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

How do we reconcile these very different accounts of how humans were created (at least, as far as the story goes....don't get me started on creationism......)? Biblical Scholars just recognize that there are two texts, reflecting two different traditions, and they were edited together.

The rabbis of long ago, though, tried to make it one narrative - they brought in the character of Lilith: Adam's First Wife.

However, since she was created at the same time as Adam (in Genesis 1), she DARED (how could she?? Oy....) to think that she was equal to Adam. She was therefore banished from the Garden of Eden, and relegated to demon status from then on. The rabbis then state that Eve was the better choice of wife for Adam, because she knew that Adam was her master. Can you believe this?

So, gals, let's all live as proud descendants of Lilith - we can be equal, too!! Just as the creators of Lilith Magazine and Lilith Fair did, we can reclaim her as a proud feminine role model.

Shabbat shalom!