I'll Get A New Start, Live The Life I Should ( Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia "Wharf Rat")

This is the time of year known as March Madness, a cultural phenomenon based upon participating in and watching the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball tournament. Over the course of three weekends 68 university teams, their students, their boosters, and their respective alumni all begin the tournament with dreams of a national championship. For people who like watching basketball, it is a glorious time of year, a sacred time of year. It is a time of year that has sacred locations: the arenas in which these games are played culminating in Dallas where the Final Four and the Championship game will be played in a couple of weeks. It is a time of year marked by sacred time: from the opening tip of the first game to the final buzzer of the last game. In our home, our kids have learned about United States geography (learning the location of numerous universities) as well as team colors and mascots (guiding principles in determining our daughter’s tournament bracket picks). During the course of these basketball games there are usually several human interest stories at play which contribute to the drama of the game. Sometimes these human interest stories lead to incredibly touching moments that take on an aura of holiness and sanctity which transcend the game itself. One such moment occurred at the end of Creighton University vs. Baylor University basketball game. With Baylor leading by approximately 30 points and only a couple of minutes to play; Doug McDermott was taken out of the game. Dougie McDermott (aka Dougie McBuckets) is the best player in Creighton’s history, is one of a handful of university basketball players in the history of the game to finish his college career with more than 3000 points, and it so happens that his father is the Creighton head coach. So when his dad took Dougie out of the game, he wanted his son to receive the recognition due to one of the “best ever”. Sure the standing ovation was nice, even touching but not sacred. When Dougie walked off the court to the standing ovation, he walked over to his father with his head held high and tears in his eyes. Then father and son hugged the kind of hug that every father and son wish for themselves.  For all those who saw it, this was a special hug, this was a significant hug, and this was a hug that evoked sanctity and holiness. After the game, the son was asked about walking off the court and hugging his father, the head coach. The son offered a poignant response, alluding to the idea that this was the last time that he would ever walk off a basketball court with his father waiting for him on the sidelines. Clearly, both father and son were aware that this hug was going to occur at some point during March Madness. Despite this awareness; when the moment finally arrived, the hug was neither diminished in warmth, in emotion nor in its sanctity. Like anything that achieves holiness, even in the most physical of moments, such as a hug between a father and son at the conclusion of college basketball career, that sacred moment has the power to remind us of our own mortality, our own fragility and our desire for sanctity.

This week’s Torah portion is Parsha Tazria. Parsha Tazria concentrates upon how impurity, spiritual impurity is passed between people. The majority of the Parsha focuses upon Leprosy as it was considered to be a very physically contagious disease. Parsha Tazria puts the diagnosis, the treatment and the convalescence in spiritual terms rather than physical terms. We learn that the while this Tumah, this spiritual impurity is present, the stricken individual cannot reside within the camp. After all God dwells in the camp and we cannot tolerate any impurity near God.

However, prior to its discussion of Leprosy, Parsha Tazria outlines the somewhat troubling laws concerning impurity in childbirth. Fundamentally, the notion of impurity relates to coming into contact with that which is dead. In Parsha Shemini, Torah outlined impurities that come from dead animals. In this Parsha we are reminded that a Mother is touched by death during the miracle of childbirth.  Isha Ki Tazria V’Yalda Zachar V’Tamah Shivat Yamim Kimei Nitdat Dotah Titmah – When a woman conceives and gives birth to a male, she shall be contaminated for a seven day period as during the days of her separation infirmity shall she be contaminated. (Lev. 12:2). Imagine becoming spiritually impure after being blessed by the miracle of childbirth. Yet, this new mother lost blood; she lost some aspect her life force during the birth process. As a result, while simultaneously being touched by a new life, she is also touched by her own mortality.

Perhaps there is no more an intense moment than when a new mother, physically exhausted and spent, holds the newborn. The Rabbis of the Talmud teach that surviving childbirth is an equivalent to a near death experience and saying Birkat HaGomeil is therefore required.(Praised are You, Lord Our God, King of the universe who graciously bestows favor upon the undeserving, even as He has bestowed favor upon me.) Inherent to surviving a near death experience is the notion that the individual as come precipitously close to death. Even in miracle of life, we are reminded of its fragility.  Even in death, we are reminded that we are forever striving towards elevated levels of holiness. In the most physical moments, and certainly childbirth is quite a physical endeavor, we are reminded that it is our spiritual task to elevate that physical moment into a spiritually holy moment as well. As we bless our children on this Shabbat, may we be reminded that in every moment, we have the opportunity to strive towards spiritual purity, and spiritual holiness.

Peace

Rav Yitz

You Say It's a Living, We All Gotta Eat (Robert Hunter & Mickey Hart - "Fire on The Mountain")

One of the things that I enjoy about being a parent is that “teachable moments’ occur all the time. As parents, we just need to be aware of them and then take advantage of the moment. We had such a moment this past Sunday during Purim. While we were assembling the Mishloach Manot that we were preparing to deliver, our kids were singing a song from a movie that they had just finished watching.  Everyone was very happy, and excited and singing loudly when they sang the following lyric. “How bad can I be? I am doing what comes naturally. How bad can I be? I am just following my destiny.” I admit the singing was kind of loud, I was tired, and I would have rather been taking a nap rather than preparing for the 2 hours of driving around Toronto delivering Mishloach Manot. So when I hear my children screaming those lyrics I asked them to stop and think about what the words meant. Finally they were quiet. Then I began asking questions. Is it really OK for us to do what comes naturally? At first each child thought that doing what comes naturally is perfectly good. They even suggested that of course doing what comes naturally is good since it is all part of God’s creation. Now I had my moment. I asked them if Judaism holds by that line of thinking. I asked them what happens when you are hungry. “We eat.” If you are observant and you are hungry what do you do? Do you just eat?” Little lights went off above their heads. We eat only certain foods. We make a blessing before we eat. We make a blessing after we eat. Sometimes we even need to think about what we are about to eat because it may affect what we are able to eat at a later (milk before meat). After a couple of minutes they realized that the Mitzvot, the commandments, are a means that we can elevate ourselves above “what comes natural” and infuse it with Kedushah, with Holiness.

This week’s Parsha is Shemini. It is comprised of three chapters. The first chapter tells us how sacrificial offering are supposed to work. While receiving instructions from Moshe, Aharon, his brother and the High Priest, makes sacrificial offerings on behalf of the people. Following every instruction down to the minutest detail, and remaining in the highest state of spiritual purity, Aharon slaughters the animal, sprinkles the blood, and burns the animal. Once finished, Moshe and Aharon leave the Mishkan, and come out to bless the people. V’yeirah Kavod Adonai El Kol Ha’Am-“And the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people” (Lev 9:23). Obviously we can see how sacrifices are supposed to work. We see how god’s pleasure is displayed and the people response to witness such glory. They bow their heads. This chapter essentially explains God’s response to the sacrifices. When everything is appropriate and in the proper spirit, God accepts our approach. The second chapter concentrates much more upon the priests and what happens when things are not appropriate or not conducted in the proper spirit. Aharon’s eldest sons die for their inappropriate approach toward God. Moshe reminds Aharon and his remaining sons that one must be physically and spiritually pure when offering sacrifices both on their own behalf and on B’nai Yisroel’s behalf. However what do either of these chapters half to do with Kashrut?

The discussion of Kashrut is confined to the last chapter of the Parsha, chapter 11. In it we read a list of animals that we are forbidden to eat. Some of which I probably would not eat even if it was kosher. However the answer to why we keep kosher is provided “For I am Adoshem your God-you are to sanctify yourselves and you shall become holy; and you shall not contaminate yourselves…For I am Adoshem  who elevates you from the land of Egypt to be a God unto; you shall be holy, for I am holy. This is the law of the animal, the bird, every living creature that swarms in the water, and for every creature that teems on the ground; to distinguish between the impure and the pure, and between the creature that may be eaten and the creature that may not be eaten.” Kashrut is merely a physical expression of our purity. God accepts offerings of all kinds. Priests purify themselves in order to make offerings acceptable to God. What about the rest of us? What everyday activity do we engage in which allows us to demonstrate our sense of purity and our own sense of holiness?  We eat! We separate animals as acceptable for consumption and unacceptable for consumption. We separate milk from meat. We separate the time from when we eat by the time when we do not eat with a blessing. We remind ourselves everyday of our own sense of holiness and our relationship to God through Kashrut.

How wonderful! Parsha Shemini teaches that we all have a means to approach God. Priests make sacrifices, and the rest of us eat. By engaging in such physical activity in a manner that consists of limits to that physical activity, we remind ourselves of our relationship to God.  We are reminded that our natural state of existence is entirely physical, only when we infuse our existence with spirituality are we able to embody the sacred. However the object is to be able to elevate every aspect of our physical existence and infuse it with holiness, even something as physical as eating. Just like God was able to make things holy, so too, are we able to make things holy as well.

Peace,
Rav Yitz

And Touching Makes The Flesh To Cry Out Loud ( Bob Petersen & Phil Lesh - "New Potato Caboose)

Last week, we drove to New Jersey and attended a Bat Mitzvah. It was a bit of a re-union for me, my wife and children as the Bat Mitzvah was in a Synagogue where I served as the Rabbi seven years ago.  The Bat Mitzvah girl is a very close friend to my daughter so it was very nice watching the two of them remain inseparable over the course of last weekend. The Bat Mitzvah girl invited both boys and girls to her party. Although both boys and girls attended the party, were actually in the banquet room sharing space, and breathing the same air; I was amazed by the lack of interaction between the boys and the girls. As an overprotective father, I was also quite relieved to see that there was a lack of interaction between the boys and the girls. They girls sat with the girls; the boys sat with the boys. The girls talked with the girls; the boys talked with the boys. While there was no physical barrier separating the boys and the girls, there might as well have been because neither group went near the other. It reminded me of my childhood. We didn’t go near the girls. Maybe we were scared of them. Not for the nothing, the girls didn’t go near us either. They probably thought we were “gross” and “disgusting”.

This Shabbat we read from Parsha Tzav. While the previous Parsha, VaYikra spoke of the various rules and regulations for the number of offerings; the Parsha focused upon Bnai Yisroel, the types of animals that are brought for Korbonot (usually animal offerings) and what happens to the animal at the time of the Korbonot. In Parshat Tzav, the first two chapters, focus is upon the role of the Kohanim, the priests, their entitlements, their privileges and the responsibilities in the sacrificial process. Some offering are to be burned completely and the Kohen is not entitled to anything, and some other offerings are NOT to be burned completely and the Kohen is entitle to the food that is left over.

Two consecutive chapters remind us of the importance purity, for both the Kohen as well as Bnai Yisroel. The Torah text suggests that the transfer of purity and impurity is similar to our “little boy” perceptions of girls. All we needed to do was touch or be touched and we could be rendered as pure or impure, or have “girl germs”. Kol Asher Yigah Bivsarah Yikdash Va’Asher Yizeh Midamah Al Beged Asher  Yizeh Aleha T’Chabeis B’Makom Kadosh – Whatever touches its flesh becomes holy; and if its blood is sprinkled upon a garment, whatever it has been sprinkled upon you shall wash in a holy place (6:20).  The area of the clothing that is stained with blood needs to be washed. Physically that area is stained and needs to be cleaned. Spiritually, if the offering itself touches the Kohen, the he and his clothing retain their purity. Later on we read V’HaBasar Asher Yigah B’Chol Tamei Lo Yei’Acheil BaEish Yisareif V’Habasar Kol Tahor Yochal Basar – The flesh that touches any contaminated thing may not be eaten, it shall be burned in fire; but of the uncontaminated flesh, any uncontaminated person may eat the flesh (7:19) Both the meat that was offered, and the Kohen must be in a spiritual state of purity in order for the Kohen to partake of the meat.

Unlike the children at the Bat Mitzvah party, or the children of my childhood”, we adults have a difficult time with this notion of purity and impurity. Yet from a spiritual perspective it makes complete sense. If we touch things that are not holy, we are rendered unholy. If we touch things that are holy, we have become holier. There are certain behaviors, certain foods and certain people we avoid because it we may be harmed. The same holds true in the spiritual realm as well. It is nice to know that if we are indeed receptive to it, when sacred moments touch us: a life cycle event, a holiday, Shabbat, a beautiful sundown, an inspiring word, a moving piece of music, or the peaceful slumber of our children, we achieve a higher degree of holiness, a holiness that washes away all the mundane aspects of weekly life and allows us a taste of spiritual life.

Peace,

Rav Yitz

Then God Way Up In Heaven, For Her One Day Did Call (Charlie Monroe - "Rosa Lee McFall")

My children love to play games with me. No I am not talking about “Monopoly”, or cards, or any of those kinds of games. My children like to play the game called “The Annoy Daddy Game”, or “Ignore Abba” game. I think most kids play some version of this game with most parents. I know that when I was a kid I would play this game all the time.  The game can be played at any time of day. However it is usually played at home and frequently it will be based on a child being reminded to put something away, pick something up. The game starts of as quiet. In a normal “inside” voice I will ask one of my children to pick something up, put something away, do a chore, or remind them to do their homework. Sometimes they are in a different room than I am and since the aforementioned child failed to respond when I said the corresponding name; I go back to wherever they are and call the name again. This time I get a faint response: “huh? Ok... In a minute.”  Having played this game with my parents, I know that the response is really code for: “I am ignoring you and I am busy doing anything but listening to you.” Having called their name nicely not once but twice; I call their name a third time. This time I don’t just call the child’s name, I yell the name. I yell it in a way that they can’t ignore. I yell the child’s name usually followed by the word “Now!”  Finally the child responds and I think for a moment that they will finally listen and do what I asked of them. However that moment is fleeting because as the child approaches me, they will incredulously look at me and say “What are you yelling about?” They know and I know that they will do what I asked; but they also know that they “got” me. They won the “Annoy Daddy” game.

This Shabbat we begin the third book of the Torah, Sefer Vayikra by reading from the Parsha with the same name VaYikrah. For all of Breishit (Genesis) and the first half of Shmot (Exodus), we read narratives. The Second half of Shmot, we read the blue prints of and then the actual construction of the Mishkan – the portable worship station that would accompany Bnai Yisroel on their Trek towards Eretz Yisroel. Now the Torah takes a break from narrative and construction. Now we begin reading the various types of offerings that Kohen Gadol, the High Priest, will make on our behalf. These offerings are the various means by which the individual or the community is able to approach Hashem. We approach Hashem for a variety of reasons, including special occasions for personal reasons: repentance, thanksgiving, and special occasions for communal reasons: seasonal festivals, or daily service.

We are familiar with the language that usually appears when Hashem speaks to Moshe. VaYomer Adoshem el Moshe Leimor – Hashem said to Moshe saying; or VaYiDaBeR Adoshem El Moshe Leimor – And Hashem spoke to Moshe sayin. Now for the first  and perhaps only time, Hashem neither ‘says’ nor “speaks” to Moshe. Instead we read   Vayikrah el Moshe -God called to Moshe (Lev 1:1). ” Imagine, God calling out to a person before speaking. The word “VaYiKRa” ends with a letter that is in smaller font size than the rest of the letters that are found in the Torah. So clearly, this type of VaYiKRa is different than the typical kind of VaYiKRA with all  the letters being the same size. Rashi, the 11^th century French vintner and commentator, explain that God speaks in a loud booming voice; a voice that can shatter trees and be heard throughout the world. However this VaYiKRa, was only heard by Moshe. The calling was done so in a loving manner. The diminutive final letter – Aleph; suggests two possibilities.  First, Hashem whispered Moshe’s name in a manner that only Moshe could hear. Second, Moshe was humble enough, as symbolized by the diminutive letter, that his soul was receptive to God’s calling. The result of which Moshe quickly and eagerly responded with Hinneni –“Here I am”.

I can’t imagine Moshe ignoring God’s calling out to him. On those rare occasions when my children don’t feel like playing their games, and they respond to my calling the first couple of times, they always seem surprised that I am nicer, easier going, and my request never seems so neither overbearing nor unreasonable. They even think that I am a good mood. Usually their acknowledgment elicits a smile from me. I explain to them that  no one likes to be ignored and that we get a long so much better when we actually pay attention to one another, especially when we hear our names being called.

Peace,

Rav Yitz