And There's Nothing Left To Do But Count The Years (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia -"Black Muddy River")

          My wife and I approach our children’s milestones differently. Normally, when our children reach a milestone, my wife will reflect not only on the child’s achieved milestone, but will explain that the milestone is also an indicator of her growing older and feeling older. I don’t need my children’s milestones for me to feel old. I feel old. However, we both agree, that when we experience our children’s milestone moments, we can’t help but reflect. So earlier this week, we celebrated our youngest daughter’s 18th birthday. We had a zoom birthday party for her. Her classmates lined up in their cars, honking and singing happy birthday. A birthday video was made by her siblings that included birthday messages from family and friends. During dinner, as we sat around the table and talked about our daughter, she pointed out that turning 18 meant that she could vote. I reminded her that she now had a responsibility to be informed and educated about both types of issues: issues that matter to her and issues that matter to other people. Then, for a moment, I waxed philosophical by reminding her that turning 18 is all well and good but what matters is the quality in which one lives or the context of those years.
          This Shabbat we read from Parsha Emor. In the four chapters that comprise Emor, the first deals with the Kohanim and their very different way of striving for holiness as compared to the rest of the B’nei Israel. For example, because of the Kohen’s function within society, he must remain in a perpetual state of purity. lHe is restricted in terms of who he can marry. He is restricted in terms of whom he mourns. He cannot go to a cemetery. He cannot make sacrificial offerings if he as physical abnormalities. The second chapter reminds B’nai Israel that all animal offerings must be blemish-free. These offerings must come directly from the individual making them and not from “the hand of a stranger” (Lev. 22:25). Both chapters deal with the holiness of certain people, the Kohen and his family, and certain animals, those designated for sacrificial offerings. The third chapter of the Parsha deals with the designation of Holiness in regards to seasons and the calendar including Pesach, Shavuot, Sukkot, Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur. Then the fourth chapter offers a narrative in which the son of an Israelite woman and an Egyptian man gets into a fight with another Israelite. During the fight, the son pronounces the forbidden name of God and is charged with blasphemy.
          Since the second night of Pesach, the Jewish people have been counting the Omer. The commandment to bring the Omer and count the days in which the Omer is brought occurs in Lev.23:9-16. The first five of the seven total verses explain what an Omer is, how it is prepared, and how the offering is made. The final two verses, 23:15-16 actually discuss the Mitzvah of counting the Omer. וּסְפַרְתֶּ֤ם לָכֶם֙ מִמָּחֳרַ֣ת הַשַּׁבָּ֔ת מִיּוֹם֙ הֲבִ֣יאֲכֶ֔ם אֶת־עֹ֖מֶר הַתְּנוּפָ֑ה שֶׁ֥בַע שַׁבָּת֖וֹת תְּמִימֹ֥ת תִּהְיֶֽינָה׃ And from the day on which you bring the sheaf of elevation offering—the day after the sabbath—you shall count off seven weeks.עַ֣ד מִֽמָּחֳרַ֤ת הַשַּׁבָּת֙ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔ת תִּסְפְּר֖וּ חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים י֑וֹם וְהִקְרַבְתֶּ֛ם מִנְחָ֥ה חֲדָשָׁ֖ה לַיהוָֽה׃ you must count until the day after the seventh week—fifty days; then you shall bring an offering of new grain to the LORD. The counting occurs in terms of days, fifty days “from the day in which you bring the sheaf offering”. That counting is represented by an absolute number: “Today is 3 days”, “Today is 12 days”, “Today is 30 days”. We also count in terms of weeks, “you shall count off seven weeks” reflected in “2 weeks and 3 days” or “4 weeks and 2 days”. The first method of counting reflects a raw number with a starting point and ultimately and ending point. However, the second method suggests that the number of days appears within the context of a week. The HaKtav VeHaKabbalah, a 19th century German Torah commentator explains that the counting is לָכֶם֙ (for you), for your benefit; that is to say an opportunity for introspection. Introspection requires context.
          Sefirat HaOmer focuses on two aspects of counting. First, we are always interested in numbers, in data, in the idea of the linear. There is a starting point and there is an endpoint. Regarding counting the Omer, we started on the second night of Pesach and we conclude on the fiftieth day. We do the same thing with a milestone birthday. Our daughter turned 18 a few days ago. Someone turns 50 or 70 or 100. The number has merit. The number in it of itself is important. Numbers tell us how many have been infected with Covid 19 and numbers tell us how many have died. However we also count in terms of context, we take stock, we reflect. We count Omer in terms of Shabbat because the context of a week, the context of our day to day lives is always measured in terms of Shabbat. All those infected had a context and a narrative. All those who died leave loved ones. All those who died lived lives within a context, a narrative. It’s not only that our daughter turned 18. Eighteen means something; she can vote. Eighteen means that my wife and I can appreciate the context of her 18 years in terms of her growth and development into a young woman who is off to Israel for her gap year. Eighteen means that she is a University student and as we reminded her, eighteen means she is a high school graduate and is now starting on a path, and that path comes with responsibilities, privileges, and expectations. There is a context to her age and she began to appreciate it after the zoom birthday party after her friends drove by and honked their car horns. She began to appreciate it when we sat together and looked at her pictures over the years and recognized the context of her life.

Peace,
Rav Yitz

Lotta Pretty Vanity, No Not Me; Glorified Insanity, No Not Me - (John Barlow & Bob Weir - "Heaven Help The Fool")

Raising three daughters has made me extra sensitive to issues concerning self-image, peer pressure, social cliques, and body image. Over the years,  their mother and I have tried to create an environment where our daughters acquired the tools to deal with the perils of social cliques and peer pressure; all the social network apps that our daughters “must be on” has made our job that much more difficult. Over the years, their mother and I have tried to create an environment where deeds, substance, effort and the content of character receive more praise and are held in much higher regard than the superficiality of physical appearance and fashion. However, television, fashion magazines, Twitter, and all the social networks, podcasts, and peer pressure has made our jobs more difficult. Thankfully, we only have one teenage daughter remaining in High School that demands our vigilant attention. So what did our Grade 11 daughter do last week that heightened her parents’ concern over the tumultuous nature of teenage girls, their self-image, popularity and sense of self-worth? She decided to run for Student Council Treasurer. All week, she and several friends made posters and videos, created slogans and developed a campaign. With the advice of her older sister, a political consultant currently managing a presidential campaign, our the declared candidate spent ten days speaking to as many of the students as possible, faculty and school administrators.  All of us, parents and siblings alike, helped on this campaign. So from that perspective, it was nice to see our children working together for a common goal.  On the other hand, I am aware that running for office in Student Council is not exactly the same as running for office at the municipal, provincial/state or federal level.  Running for office at the student council level is far more brutally honest. It is strictly a popularity contest. There are no real issues per se. And certainly one can’t “buy” the election with Super-Pac money or millions of small online donations. Student council politics can be a brutal endeavor precisely because it remains a popularity contest. So who are the teenage girls that tend to be the most popular? That’s right, the girls with the most pleasant and appealing appearances tend to be considered popular, the girls that keep up with popular culture and all that is trending. They might not necessarily be well-liked, but everyone knows who they are. Needless to say, I can’t help but notice the irony of the week. Our daughter, who we raised to have a positive self-image, participated in a school activity that focused upon those very qualities that can demean self- image.

This Shabbat we read from Parshat Emor. The four chapters that comprise Parsha Emor focus on the various aspects of Perfection. First, the Torah focuses upon the importance of the spiritual perfection and purity of the Kohen. He must remain in a perpetual state of purity. He is restricted in terms of whom he can marry. He is restricted in regards for whom he can mourn. He cannot go to a cemetery. He cannot make sacrificial offerings if he has physical abnormalities. Second, the Torah reminds B’nai Yisroel to be in a state of ritual purity when approaching God with a blemish-free offering. These offerings must come directly from the individual making them and not from “the hand of a stranger” (Lev.22:25). Third, the Torah focuses upon the perfection and the purity of time. Perfection in time is manifest in the prescribed order of each season and their timely commencement and conclusion. Each corresponding Festival acknowledges that perfection. Shabbat acknowledges the perfection of Time in the context of the Week. That sense of order and Timeliness is both pure and perfect since the designation of “Sacred” time comes from God. Fourth, the Torah concentrates on maintaining purity and perfection of physical space as embodied by The Mishkan. The Torah even deals with perfection and purity of human relationships and the punishments meted out when that perfection, purity, and holiness is violated. In a sense, this last chapter reminds us of God’s charge to B’nai Yisroel.

Like running for student council places an emphasis upon physical appearance as it relates to popularity; the Torah places an emphasis upon the physical appearance of the Kohen as it relates to his spiritual purity and eligibility of serving as the Kohen Gadol.  The last eight verses (21:16-24) explain all the physical abnormalities that exclude the Kohen from assuming the position of Kohen Gadol. Blemishes, blindness, being lame, having any broken bones, bad skin, abnormally long eyebrows, a blemish in his eyed, are but a few of the physical attributes that make a Kohen ineligible for the position of Kohen Gadol.   How can the Torah, with its primary focus upon Mitzvot (commandments) and the importance of deeds and the Kavanah, the intentionality behind those deeds, now focus upon something as superficial as appearance? Sefer HaChinuch, a13th Century Spanish commentary, explains: “At the root of the precept lies the reason that most actions of people are acceptable, appealing to the heart of those who see them, in accordance with the eminence of those who do them. For when a man is distinguished in his appearance and good in his actions, he will find grace and good understanding (Prov. 3:4). With all that he does in the eyes of all who observe him. Should he be, however, the opposite of this- inferior in his form, or peculiar in his limbs then even if he is correct in his ways, his activities will not be so attractive to the hear…” (Emor 275). As upsetting and politically incorrect as that sounds, the comment and the Torah text infer a keen understanding of human nature. While watching the physically flawed Kohen conducting the ritual slaughtering in a perfectly correct manner; our attention would be upon the flaw in appearance, our Kavanah (our intention) would be lacking and the sacrificial process would fail.

            This line of reasoning doesn’t offer any solace to the Kohen with the physical flaw or abnormality.  I don’t for a second agree with it. However, it is important to remember that the Torah’s goal was to make sure that the offerings were accepted and the Kavanah (the intention) behind the offerings was both pure and focused. Thankfully, we don’t have a Third Holy Temple. We have evolved beyond animal offerings as a means of engaging God in a sacred relationship. However, human nature has remained fairly consistent.  All these decades later, the Home Coming King and Queen are still very good looking and popular, and running for Student Council remains a popularity contest as well. Maybe what really matters is not winning a popularity contest but rather, putting oneself out there as the offering, showing external physical flaws and all, and showing people the goodness and purity and authenticity within. Maybe having the courage to run and be exposed to the vulnerability of losing truly is a measure of the content of character. Thankfully, as election night drew to an end, our daughter won her campaign by being as authentic as possible and avoiding the social cliques and drama.

Peace,

Rav Yitz

Once In A While You Get Shown The Light In The Strangest Of Places If You Look At It Right (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Scarlet Begonias")

Our third child, and youngest daughter, just turned 15. Of our four children, she is the blonde. She is the most artistic, and seems to appreciates the creative process that art embodies. Her school had its annual “Art Exhibit” this week, so we attended. Immediately I could pick out our daughter’s work. I could tell her work by the content, and by her use of color. She definitely has an “eye”. When she looks at something or someone, she sees color, shape, lines, mood, and character. She expresses this in her drawings as well as her photographs. The subjects of photographs are not only of family and friends, but also includes pictures of landscapes, sunsets, sunrises, and animals. She could spend hours looking at a fashion magazine and appreciate the colors, lines and the movement of material. Certainly she has an affinity for physical appearance. Ironically, she is hardly superficial nor is she mesmerized and in awe of beauty and perfection. Actually it is quite the opposite. Her eye is drawn to that which is interesting, to the juxtaposition of color, of shade, and line.   For example, while her older sister will comment that my beard, which is now essentially white, makes me look old; she notices my white beard in the context of the wrinkles around my eyes when I smile or squint. She is the daughter that sees the wrinkles  around my eyes juxtaposed  to my still “youthful” twinkle in my eyes when I smile. Because of her artistic eye, she is able to find beauty everywhere.

This Shabbat we read from Parshat Emor. The four chapters that comprise Parsha Emor focus on the various aspects of Perfection. First the Torah focuses upon the importance of the spiritual perfection and purity of the Kohen. He must remain in a perpetual state of purity. He is restricted in terms of whom he can marry. He is restricted in regards for whom he can mourn. He cannot go to a cemetery. He cannot make sacrificial offerings if he has physical abnormalities. The second of the four chapters reminds B’nai Yisroel that when approaching God with an offering, the individual must be spiritually pure and perfect and so must the offering. These offerings must come directly from the individual making them and not from “the hand of a stranger” (Lev.22:25). The third chapter of the Parsha deals with the perfection and the purity of time. Time is define as perfect in the season follow an order, the holidays such as Shabbat, Pesach, Shavuot, Sukkot, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are designated to come in a particular order. That order is both pure and perfect since time and the designation of “Sacred” time comes from God. The fourth chapter speaks about maintaining purity and the perfection of physical space in this case the Mishkan, and all that is in the Mishkan. The Torah even deals with perfection and purity of human relationships and the punishments meted out when that perfection, purity and holiness is violated. In a sense, this last chapter reminds us of God’s charge to B’nai Yisroel.

The Torah places an emphasis upon the physical appearance of the Kohen as it relates to his spiritual purity and eligibility of serving as the Kohen Gadol.  The last eight verses (21:16-24) explain all the physical abnormalities that exclude the Kohen from assuming the position of Kohen Gadol. Blemishes, blindness, being lame, having any  broken bones, bad skin, abnormally long eyebrows, a blemish in his eyed, are but a few of the physical attributes that make a Kohen ineligible for the position of Kohen Gadol.   How can the Torah, with its primary focus upon Mitzvot (commandments) and the importance of deeds and the Kavanah,(the intention behind those deeds), now focus upon something as superficial as appearance? Sefer HaChinuch, 13th century Spain, comments: “At the root of the precept lies the reason that most actions of people are acceptable, appealing to the heart of those who see them, in accordance with the eminence of those who do them. For when a man is distinguished in his appearance and good in his actions, he will find grace and good understanding (Prov. 3:4). With all that he does in the eyes of all who observe him. Should he be, however the opposite of this- inferior in his form, or peculiar in his limbs then eve if he is correct in his ways, his activities will not be so attractive to the hear…” (Emor 275). As upsetting and politically incorrect as that sounds, the comment and the Torah text infer a keen understanding of human nature. While watching the physically flawed Kohen conducting the ritual slaughtering in a perfectly correct manner; our attention would be upon a perceived flaw in appearance, or a perceived imperfection. As a result, our Kavanah our intention would be lacking and the sacrificial process would fail.

We are now thousands of years removed from a Beit HaMikdash (Holy Temple), the institutions of sacrificial offerings, and a Priestly class upon which we relied as a conduit between the people and God. The Beit HaMikdash has been replaced by Synagogues, shtiebles or wherever a community gathers to pray. Sacrificial offerings have been replaced by the words and music of prayer. The community no longer rely upon the Kohanim to serve as a conduit between it and God. Rather, the person leading the community in prayer and the community itself connects to God. Over thousands of years, there has been a maturing of humanity, of God’s children. While a physical characteristic of a person may have once appeared as a flaw or an imperfection to spiritually immature eyes, now those perceived flaws and perceived imperfection are sources for interest and wonderment as we recognize that we are created in God’s image. As a result of spiritual maturity, what once were considered perceived physical flaws and perceived imperfections are testimony to a more spiritually mature relationship we have with God. Because, we have become more spiritually mature; we are capable of appreciating God’s presences in every aspect of creation including what was once perceived as flawed and imperfect. As I look at my daughter’s art work, and see her use of color, light and line, I see her maturing into a confident, thoughtful, intelligent free spirit.

Peace,

Rav Yitz

Delilah She Gained Old Samson's Mind When First He Saw This Woman, She Looked So Fine (Learned from Rev. Gary Davis - "Samson & Delilah"

Raising teen-age girls has made me extra sensitive to issues concerning self-image, peer pressure, social cliques, and body image. Try as we might to create an environment where are daughters will learn the tools to deal with the perils of social cliques and peer pressure; all the social network apps that our daughter “must be on” make our job that much more difficult. Try as we might to create an environment where deeds, substance, effort and the content of character receive more praise and are held in much higher regard than the superficiality of physical appearance and fashion; television, fashion magazines and the desire to fit in and be socially accepted makes our job more difficult. So what does our fifteen year old do this week heighten my concern over the tumultuous nature of teenagers, their self-image, popularity and sense of self-worth. She decides to run for Vice President of Student Council. All week, she and several friends have been making posters and videos, creating slogans and putting together a campaign. With the advice of her older sister who is actually in the political campaign business, the candidate has spent the week speaking to as many of the students as possible.  All of her siblings have been helping on this campaign. So from that perspective it is nice see our children working together so that one can accomplish something. On the other hand I know that running for office in Student Council is not exactly the same as running for office at the municipal, provincial/state or federal level. Running for office at the student council level is far more brutally honest. It is strictly a popularity contest. There are no real issues per se. And certainly one can’t “buy” the election with Super-Pac money or millions of small on line donations. What makes student council politics a brutal endeavor is the fact that is a popularity contest. So who are the teen age girls that tend to be the most popular? That’s right, the girls with the most pleasant and appealing appearance tend to be considered popular. They might not necessarily be well liked, but everyone know who they are. Needless to say, I can’t help but notice the irony of the week. Our daughter who we raise to have a positive self-image spent the week participating in a school activity that focuses upon those very qualities that can demean self- image.

This Shabbat we read from Parshat Emor. The four chapters that comprise Parsha Emor focus on the various aspects of Perfection. First the Torah focuses upon the importance of the spiritual perfection and purity of the Kohen. He must remain in a perpetual state of purity. He is restricted in terms of whom he can marry. He is restricted in regards for whom he can mourn. He cannot go to a cemetery. He cannot make sacrificial offerings if he has physical abnormalities. The second of the four chapters reminds B’nai Yisroel that when approaching God with an offering, the individual must be spiritually pure and perfect and so must the offering. These offerings must come directly from the individual making them and not from “the hand of a stranger” (Lev.22:25). The third chapter of the Parsha deals with the perfection and the purity of time. Time is define as perfect in the season follow an order, the holidays such as Shabbat, Pesach, Shavuot, Sukkot, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are designated to come in a particular order. That order is both pure and perfect since time and the designation of “Sacred” time comes from God. The fourth chapter speaks about maintaining purity and the perfection of physical space in this case the Mishkan, and all that is in the Mishkan. The Torah even deals with perfection and purity of human relationships and the punishments meted out when that perfection, purity and holiness is violated. In a sense, this last chapter reminds us of God’s charge to B’nai Yisroel.

Like running for student council places an emphasis upon physical appearance as it relates to popularity; the Torah places an emphasis upon the physical appearance of the Kohen as it relates to his spiritual purity and eligibility of serving as the Kohen Gadol.  The last eight verses (21:16-24) explain all the physical abnormalities that exclude the Kohen from assuming the position of Kohen Gadol. Blemishes, blindness, being lame, having any  broken bones, bad skin, abnormally long eyebrows, a blemish in his eyed, are but a few of the physical attributes that make a Kohen ineligible for the position of Kohen Gadol.   How can the Torah, with its primary focus upon Mitzvot (commandments) and the importance of deeds and the Kavanah, the intentionality behind those deeds, now focus upon something as superficial as appearance? Sefer HaChinuch comments: “At the root of the precept lies the reason that most actions of people are acceptable, appealing to the heart of those who see them, in accordance with the eminence of those who do them. For when a man is distinguished in his appearance and good in his actions, he will find grace and good understanding (Prov. 3:4). With all that he does in the eyes of all who observe him. Should he be, however the opposite of this- inferior in his form, or peculiar in his limbs then eve if he is correct in his ways, his activities will not be so attractive to the hear…” (Emor 275). As upsetting and politically incorrect as that sounds, the comment and the Torah text infer a keen understanding of human nature. While watching the physically flawed Kohen conducting the ritual slaughtering in a perfectly correct manner; our attention would be upon the flaw in appearance, our Kavanah our intention would be lacking and the sacrificial process would fail.

While this line of reasoning doesn’t offer any solace to the Kohen with the physical flaw or abnormality, and I don’t for a second agree with it; it is important to remember that the goal is making sure that the offerings are accepted and the Kavanah (the intention) behind the offering is pure and focused. The common person making the offering would lose focus by concentrating more upon the physical abnormality or flaw instead of the offering to God.  Thankfully we don’t have a Third Holy Temple. We have evolved beyond animal offerings as a means engaging God in a sacred relationship. However, human nature has remained fairly consistent.  All these decades later the Home Coming King and Queen are still very good looking and popular, and running for Student Council remains a popularity contest as well. Maybe what really matters is not winning a popularity contest but rather, putting oneself out there as the offering, external physical flaws and all, and showing people the good and the pure within. Maybe having the courage to run and be exposed to the vulnerability of losing truly is a measure of the content of character. Maybe if the voters see that in a candidate, then running for Student Council isn’t so bad.

Peace,

Rav Yitz