On One Foot: Joshua Hammerman's Blog

Author of "Embracing Auschwitz" and "Mensch•Marks: Life Lessons of a Human Rabbi - Wisdom for Untethered Times." Winner of the Rockower Award, the highest honor in Jewish journalism and 2019 Religion News Association Award for Excellence in Commentary. Musings of a rabbi, journalist, father, husband, poodle-owner, Red Sox fan and self-proclaimed mensch, taken from essays, columns, sermons and thin air. Writes regularly in the New York Jewish Week and Times of Israel.

Friday, October 12, 2001

Shabbat-O-Gram, Oct 12, 2001

Shabbat Shalom

This is Shabbat B'reisheet, as we return to the beginning of the Torah and the Beginning of the universe. We'll also be inaugurating officially the new Conservative Torah text, Humash Etz Hayim (Tree of Life). During the service on Shabbat morning, I'll be distributing materials and discussing how this Torah commentary is the first that truly incorporates that uniquely eclectic Conservative approach to textual study.   The first time you pick up this book in our services, you will notice a difference. The Torah reading, and therefore the service as a whole, will instantly become more accessible and engaging to you. You'll find yourself becoming absorbed by the commentaries, as well as the numerous provocative essays in the back.   We'll be comparing it to the texts of other movements (which all happen to be unique in their own way, and very good) and to the old Hertz Humash. You can preview the Humash at http://www.etzhayim.com/.

AND SPEAKING OF THE NEW HUMASHIM....(and the old)
Yes, the new ones are in and yes we are already enjoying them and making good use of them. If you would like to dedicate one or more, please contact our office. While we say hello to the new, we also say good bye to the old. Our collection of Hertz humashim are being stored in our library for ONE MORE WEEK. If you would like to rummage through them to find one that you've dedicated in the past, or if you simply wish to take one home (it's still a very nice, though not-too-contemporary commentary), please stop by. In a week, we'll be sending them along to new homes in needy congregations. One of the congregations we're assisting is the new Conservative shul in Wilton, which we are helping to get off the ground in this manner.

SPIRITUAL JOURNEY ON THE WEB: War and Terrorism, Creation and Destruction

Yesterday I began my fall "Lunch and Learn" series at the JCC with a timely discussion of Jewish laws of warfare. BTW, I've received a number of requests to do a version of that program in an evening, and we're going to do just that, on Thursday, Nov. 1 at 8:00. But you can do much of the research on your own. An EXCELLENT, comprehensive, though somewhat academic source is http://www.jlaw.com/Articles/war1.html. Jlaw.com has a number of superb articles on other topics too. If you are really into the history of warfare, you might want to check out http://www.bible-history.com/resource/ww_war.htm, "Weapons and Warfare in the Ancient World." (The home site, http://www.bible-history.com/index.htm, Bible History Online, is a superb research tool for ancient studies)

But really, all you have to do to learn about the Jewish way of war is to open any Humash commentary to Deuteronomy 20. Or, for the true foundation, go to this week's reading (translated at http://www.jhom.com/torah_portion/index.htm). For it is in the Creation account that we read how humanity was created "in God's image." To destroy a single human life, then, is to diminish the divine imprint on the universe. It was from the rabbinic discussion of this portion that the famous "Save one life -- save the world" equation was derived, found in Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5 ( http://www.learn.jtsa.edu/topics/quote/archive/070599.shtml). The sages were asking why God says to Cain that the bloods (plural) of his brother Abel are screaming out from the earth. They conclude that not only was Abel killed, but an infinite number of potential descendents.   That passage from the Mishnah should be memorized by all religious school students, not to mention the rest of us. To understand that is to understand why Jews hate war, but why we'll fight fiercely to protect the innocent.

While Judaism is not by nature pacifist, it is supremely reverent of innocent life. An interesting source along these lines is the material offered by the Jewish Peace Fellowship, at http://www.jewishpeacefellowship.org/jpfpublications1.htm. It may be slightly out of step with what is happening now, but that might be precisely the right time to be reading material like this.

Right now, with accurate information hard to come by, the Internet helps us to substitute quantity for quality. There are a number of pretty reputable places for us to be scanning, some with points of view, others with points of view but claiming to be objective. Some that have been recommended to me include http://www.debka.com/, with the inside scoop on terrorism,
and, from the University of Michigan, http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/usterror.html. If you are looking for news from Afghanistan, the Afghan News Network comes closest, at http://www.myafghan.com.

For an Israeli perspective, I recommend that you sigh up for the daily updates at http://ipserve.com/go/web/to/actionisrael/signup.htm. And to see the latest critique of news media double standards on terrorism, read, "When Terror is not “Terror” by Alex Safian Associate Director, Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America http://www.camera.org. Also an interview with Daniel Pipes, by Bob Warner,Philadelphia Daily News, October 8, 2001, on "Islam" vs. "Islamism," is found at http://dailynews.philly.com/content/daily_news/2001/10/08/local/PIPE08C.htm. Finally, go to http://www.thejewishweek.com/top/editcolcontent.php3 for an interesting perspective from The Jewish Week's Gary Rosenblatt on how ill-prepared younger American Jews are to be fighting this battle in the trenches of college campuses, and why.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“…You do not make weaponized anthrax in Afghan caves. For that you need serious scientists and serious laboratories…Richard Butler, the former chief arms inspector in Iraq, tells us that Iraq has weaponized anthrax and VX gas. Syria has chemical weapons. Iran is developing nukes. They all sponsor terrorists. Now is the time to go after state-sponsored terrorism. This does not mean invading every country. It means getting some regimes to change policies and others to fall—whether by economic and diplomatic pressure, internal revolt or, as a last resort, military action…”—Columnist Charles Krauthammer (Washington Post, Oct. 5)

SHABBAT SERVICE AND EVENT SCHEDULE

Friday Night:
Candles: 6:00 PM
Shabbat Shalom Service: 7:15 PM
Kabbalat Shabbat: 8:00 PM (NOTE THE RETURN TO OUR LATE FRIDAY NIGHT SERVICE SCHEDULE)

Shabbat Morning:
P'sukey d'zimra: 9:15
Shacharit (Morning service): 9:30
We celebrate the Bar Mitzvah of Gregory Schneider. Mazal tov to Greg and to his family. BTW, if you want a good laugh (which we all need), read about a recent Bar Mitzvah that was nothing like Gregory's will be, featuring the rapper Emenem.   I'll let this one speak for itself.
http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2001/10/11/LatestNews/LatestNews.36044.html

Children's Services: 10:30, with Nurit Avigdor (through grade 2) and Bert Madwed (grades 3 and up). this week we'll be implementing something brand new -- our upper grades will be "hosting" the older service periodically, with their teachers present. This week's hosts will be the third grade. Religious school and Bi-Cultural students of all grades are naturally invited.

AN ADDED NOTE ON CHILDREN'S SERVICES AND SHABBAT REQUIREMENTS
There's been much healthy discussion here on the importance of children's services lately. Our Board of Ed has recently taken the courageous step of formalizing a policy that had been practiced all-too casually in the past: the linkage of Shabbat morning attendance with our Bar/Bat Mitzvah program, both for Religious School and BCDS students.   Yes, we are saying, we believe that a vital component of any Jewish child's education is the development of skills related to participating in Shabbat morning services, as well as a solid "comfort level" in attending these services.   The policy has nothing to do with how families choose to observe Judaism in their homes, and everything to do with setting minimal standards of Jewish education for children. If we don't take that task seriously, we'll be nothing more than a Bar Mitzvah mill, and at such meaningless services we might as well replace the clergy with Emenem (see above). Learning about Shabbat on a Tuesday but rarely experiencing it on a Saturday gets us right back to the world of the shoe box Sukkah, a world we need to leave behind.

I am very pleased to note that Shabbat morning attendance has increased significantly thus far this fall. I thank all the parents who have demonstrated such commitment to the partnership between family and synagogue that can help us all to achieve our goals.   This was especially evident over the Sukkot holiday and Simhat Torah, both evening and morning. On Simhat Torah night we had over 250 here, and over 100 the next morning -- on a weekday, that is remarkable. What's more, in the morning, about 30 kids led parts of the service. It was sensational, and the "ruach" (spirit) level as we danced with the Torahs has never been so high. It was just what we needed during these troubled times.

I am aware of the sacrifices that many of our families have to make in order to be here with children and am sensitive to the fact that some feel that we have not communicated our goals and policies adequately. I personally apologize to those who have felt that way and invite you to contact me so that we might discuss these important matters personally. We wish to work with families so that everyone will end up a "winner" in this. The Shabbat morning attendance policy has an inordinate amount of built-in flexibility. As of this week, my children and several others already have fulfilled their requirement for the year! (dating from Sept. 1 to now). No family will have to alter their lifestyle in any significant way to fulfill the minimal goals of the policy. Of course, I hope that people will want to do much more. Because ultimately, we all want our kids to love being here. Our youth and education program is so good that almost all kids do -- all we have to do is escort them through the door a few times to make that happen.

I also take full responsibility in making sure that our adult services are as accessible, warm, welcoming and engaging as possible for those parents who might choose to attend. If they are not (or if they are) for you, I need to know. Parents, of course, are also welcome to attend the children's services.

In the end, as your rabbi, I answer to three different sets of bosses (aside from the one Upstairs). One is you, all of you. The second is the Jewish people, past, present and future. And the third is our children. Not our children now, however, so much as our children 25 years from now.   When today's fifth grader is in his thirties, I want her to be able to say to me, "Thank you for helping me to love being Jewish and for helping me to feel at home in any synagogue anywhere." Our Shabbat attendance policy is a small but symbolically important part of a comprehensive program filled with content and overflowing with joy. Without one, the other cannot stand. Without minimal standards of commitment, we can never get to the fun part. If you are having difficulty seeing this big picture right now, I appeal for your patience and support. If you are beginning to see some of the fruits of our labors, as I believe most are, I thank you for the confidence you've placed in your professional staff and Board of Ed.   It is a trust that we do not take lightly.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Mazal Tov to Matt Field and Gale Greenstein, who are to be married this Sunday morning, and to Barbara and Joe Field, Matt's parents!
Shiva Minyan -- at the home of Ron Gross, Sunday and Monday at 7:30. Condolences to Ron on the passing of his mother, Pear Gross.

.
1) "Is Tragedy Required for Jewish Unity?" Sunday, Oct. 14, 5:00-7:00, at the JCC; co-sponsored by the JCC, Beth El and other local synagogues. Speaker: Rabbi David Geffen, chairman and founder of "Common Denominator," bridging the differences between Jews in Israel and here. Find out more about him and his work at www.unity.org.il.

2) Red Cross: to donate blood, call 1-800-GIVE LIFE; for other donations; 1-800-435-7669,  Americares: 800-486-4357

3) Scholar in Residence Weekend: October 26-28: "The Shape of the Human Spirit: Bringing Kabbalah into the 21st Century" with Rabbi Andrea Cohen-Keiner.
Friday, Oct 26, at 8:00 PM: "What's All This About Jewish Mysticism?" (lecture after services)
Shabbat morning, Oct. 27 during services: "Learn Torah Like a Mystic," followed by lunch
Shabbat afternoon at 4:00 PM : "Meditative Mincha," featuring niggunim, chant and contemplation to enjoy the quirt day of rest; followed by seudah shlishit (a traditional third Shabbat meal). RSVP 322-6901 X307 for this program
Sunday morning at 10 AM: "A Contemplative Service."
KABBALAH IS IN!!! TELL YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT THIS PROGRAM AND FIND OUT WHY!

5) New Program for Pre-schoolers!
Mechina, with Nurit Avigdor, begins this Sunday. For 3 and 4 year olds, an hour filled with singing, arts and crafts. Two sessions available -- call our education office for info (322-6901 X306). Open to members and non-members of Beth El. SPREAD THE WORD!

6) Karov
A very special program for developmentally challenged students, ages 5-10, meeting from 10-11 each Sunday morning, beginning this week. Taught by Special ed. specialist Marcy Nirschel, this entry level Jewish enrichment program will include stories, arts and crafts, music, holiday celebrations and a weekly Shabbat experience. Class size is limited to 10. Please spread the word about this to your friends. Open to the entire community. For more information, contact the education office (322-6901 X306)

7) Shabbaton reservations are coming in, fast and furious! I expect the demand to be greater than the "supply" this year, given the enthusiasm shown by those who attended last year, when we were sold out. Don't be left out in the cold this MLK Weekend! Sign up now!

8) Lunch and Learn at the JCC -- no class next Thursday. On Oct. 25, I'll be discussing "Cloning, Bioethics and Judaism"

9)  As many of you know, our congregation is involved in the exciting new STAR-Tech project for Synagogue transformation through technology. I'll be attending a meeting of STAR Tech next week. Meanwhile, take a look at what's coming up (and mark your calendars!!!)

STAR--Synagogue Transformation and Renewal Announces LIVE WEBCAST

Don’t miss an exciting opportunity to join in a national discussion from a Jewish perspective with other members of our congregation and well-known panelists without ever leaving your home or office.

“A Discussion of Fear and Courage: A Jewish View,” featuring well-known Rabbis, Irving “Yitz” Greenberg and David Wolpe, moderated by Nessa Rapaport.

Monday, October 29, 9:00 p.m. Eastern

Log on to http://www.starsynagogue.org/ and participate in this interactive dialogue about fear, courage, mourning and other issues related to the September 11 tragedy.
Immediately after the webcast, please follow the links on your screen to our chat room so that we may continue the conversation within our synagogue community.
* You will need Microsoft Windows Media Player version 6.4 or higher, and Microsoft Internet Explorer version 5.0 or higher. If you do not have these programs, a free download link is available at http://www.starsynagogue.org./

10) Our Sisterhood plans to send out Chanukah packages to all college freshman. Laura Markowitz is in charge of this effort. Names and addresses of students should be forwarded to Laura at:
lmarko@optonline.net or call 968-2598. I also would LOVE to have the e-mail addresses so that I might include them on my college e-mail list.

11) I'll be teaching a class on "Judaism and Jihad: Jewish Laws of Warfare," Nov 1, at 8:00 PM

12) If you are interested in some basic information on Jewish customs, history and prayers, why not take our Judaism 101 class, taught by myself and Barb Moskow. The class meets as part of the B'nai Mitzvah group curriculum, but it also can be audited independently. Meets Thursdays from 7-8. Also see the Adult Ed brochure that was sent ouit this week for material on other offerings, including Hebrew classes, upcoming classes with our rabbinical student Greg Harris and opportunities for home group study.

13) LAST CHANCE TO JOIN OUR ISRAEL GROUP -- NOV 4-11. Never has it been more important to show solidarity with Israel. Our community pilgrimage of about 20 people will be hearing from Israelis from all over the political and religious spectrum. We'll be joined by a reporter from the Advocate, making a significant statement for the community as to the bond of democracy, decency and humanity that ties all Americans to all Israelis. You can be a part of this, but you need to contact the UJF pronto (321-1373). Sadly, I believe Beth El's laity is underrepresented on this trip. Please give it some more thought -- this weekend!

14) I PROPOSE A DEAL: You don't talk about the Red Sox, and I won't talk about the Yankees. Agreed?

This Shabbat-O-Gram goes out weekly to hundreds of Beth El congregants and others. Feel free to forward it to your friends, and if you know of anyone who might wish to be included, please have them e-mail me at rabbi@tbe.org. To be taken off this e-mail list, simply click on "reply" and write "please unsubscribe" in the message box.
For more information on the synagogue, check out Beth El's Web site at www.tbe.org. To check out some previous spiritual cyber-journeys I have taken, see my book's site at www.thelordismyshepherd.com.

Shabbat-O-Gram, Oct. 12, 2001

Shabbat Shalom

Friday, October 5, 2001

Shabbat-O-gram for October 4, 2001

Shabbat Shalom and Happy Sukkot

It's very hard to fulfill the commandment of Sukkot that it be a time of rejoicing ("z'man simhataynu"), given the state of things. What's foremost on my mind today is how the world is attempting once again, to declare that Jewish blood is not worthy of being called innocent, and that Jewish victims of terror are not victims of terror. Speaker after speaker at the U.N. seems to be spreading this great lie, trying to make legitimate acts of terror perpetrated in Israel ( http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2001/10/04/News/News.35672.html). At the moment, it appears a flight bound from Israel to Russia was shot down by a missile, which ultimately may be proven to be a terrorist act. The idea that it was an error of Ukrainian war games seems far fetched. There was also an attack on our sister city, Afula, which we'll be visiting. Will the world excuse this incident because many of the victims are Israeli? We need more than ever to be repeating to the world the words that American leaders were saying so clearly a few weeks ago. There can be no compromise with terrorism. True to his calling, Rabbi Avi Weiss has organized a prayer vigil for America and against terrorism for Sunday, Oct. 21, at 11:00 AM, close to the US Mission to the United Nations, on 45th St and 2nd Avenue. Concerned Americans will gather in prayer and solidarity with the victims of both countries, and shofar will be sounded, the traditional "wake-up call" to action. For more details, call 718-796-4730.

Our community journey to Israel takes on even greater importance now. Americans and Israelis feel a real affinity right now, joined in a common destiny, a common victimhood. The more that can be reinforced on a human level, the stronger that bond will become and the better it will be for both countries. To that end, it is very gratifying that there will be extensive local media coverage of our November trip. If you would like to journey to Israel with the leadership of this Jewish community's congregations and major agencies, it is still not too late (but it almost is). The safest place in the world right now just might be aboard an El Al plane -- it is important to note that El Al shifts its flight patterns and schedules and takes other precautions so that what might have happened to the Russian plane today, if it was a terror attack, could simply not happen on El Al.. The group will be taking all necessary precautions and will not be taking public transportation on the ground in Israel. Call or e-mail me with any questions you may have about the trip.

And one more point: Pardon me if I don't say "Shehechianu," but that blessing is almost appropriate in CNN.com's report on today's attack in Afula. And I quote: "The Afula bus station, not far from the West Bank, has been targeted for terror attacks several times in recent years." Yes, they used the word "terror" in describing the attack; not "militant," not "violent," not simply "attack." Must have slipped through. Or maybe, just maybe, something is getting through. CAMERA, are you listening?

Judaism and "Holy War" -- Lunch and Learn

In light of current events, we've adjusted the schedule of the lunch-and learn "Moral Flashpoints" series that I'll be teaching beginning next Thursday, Oct. 11, from 12:30 - 1:45 at the JCC. The topic next week will be "Terrorism and Holy War: The Jewish View." The cost of the session is $15.00 for Beth El and JCC members, which includes a scrumptious "Thyme for Kosher" lunch. I apologize for some misinformation on the details that appeared in last week's O-gram and am deeply grateful for the JCC's partnership in co-sponsoring and hosting this program. Future sessions will take place on Oct. 25, November 1 and another date to be determined (no session on Oct.18), with future topics including genetic engineering and cloning, abortion and the death penalty.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

"If it makes sense to call on religion in times of trouble, it is not because religion abolishes spiritual pain, but because religion acknowledges spiritual pain. When all the political and military and economic and psychological and cultural analyses of the slaughter are exhausted, there remains the question of the justice of the world. Whether or not it has a religious answer, this is a religious question. About this question it is not easy to be brilliant. Silence is often a surer sign of mental progress than is articulateness.
For some people, a house of worship is useful for such a reflection because it is God's house; but there are those who repair to a house of worship because it is Job's house, and therefore the natural setting for their objection to the order of things."
-- Leon Wieseltier, writing about Sept. 11

SHABBAT AND FESTIVAL SERVICE AND EVENT SCHEDULE

Friday Night:
Candles: 6:11 PM
Tot Shabbat: 7:15 PM
Kabbalat Shabbat: 8:00 PM (NOTE THE RETURN TO OUR LATE FRIDAY NIGHT SERVICE SCHEDULE)

Shabbat Morning: Family Service, followed by lunch
P'sukey d'zimra: 9:15
Shacharit (Morning service): 9:30
Services include Hallel, Hoshanot and the reading of part of the book of Ecclesiastes. Lunch follows.
We also celebrate the ufruf of Matt Field and Gale Greenstein (and Matt's birthday!) Mazal tov to them and Joe and Barbara Field on this simcha for our entire community.
Children's Services: 10:30

Shabbat Mincha-Havdalah: 5:30
Molly Aronica becomes Bat Mitzvah -- Mazal tov to her and to her entire family (Molly is descended from a founding family of the temple, and of the family she is the first girl to become Bat Mitzvah!)

Saturday Night: 6:30 USY Sukkah sleep-in

Sunday:
Regular Religious School sessions
Minyan: 9:00
Youth Programs:
ATID (grades K-2) will enjoy a Sukkah lunch at 1:00 PM and then travel on to Silverman’s farm. KESHER (grades 3-5) will have an overnight on Sunday, October 7 at 7:30 PM, including dinner and breakfast in the Sukkah.

TBE Senior's Group kickoff program: 4:00 PM

Monday:
Hoshanah Rabbah services (morning minyan): 7:30 AM
Columbus Day. No special additions to the liturgy, although, as we all know, Christopher Columbus WAS Jewish. See http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/Shokel/911014_Columbus.html for more.

Tuesday:
Shmini Atzeret festival services (featuring Yizkor and the prayer for rain): 9:30 AM
(there is no early morning minyan on Tues. and Wed. and our offices are closed for the holiday)
Children s services: 10:30 AM
Simhat Torah services: 7:00 PM, with Hakkafot (circles round the sanctuary dancing with the Torahs) and other goodies.

Jews of Silence No More: A Simhat Torah Plea

We always have lots of kids at our Simhat Torah service -- here's a special call for everyone else! Teens! Young couples! Singles! Seniors! Everyone in between! In the Soviet Union, Simhat Torah was the one time when Jews celebrated a heritage they knew almost nothing about. Defiantly they paraded in front of the Moscow Synagogue. Today (and especially today), the Russian Jewish community of Israel has been very hard hit. We are all in despair. But so were they in 1965, when Elie Wiesel saw them dance in Moscow and was inspired to write "The Jews of Silence." Wiesel himself was born on Simhat Torah (read more about him at http://www.brasstacks.org/elie-wiesel/elie-wiesel-essay.htm and http://xroads.virginia.edu/~CAP/HOLO/ELIEBIO.HTM). Now, like Wiesel and the Jews he "discovered," we show that the only proper Jewish response to tragedy is to dance with the Torah. As they say "davka" this year, we must dance. All ages! Be here, please, on Tuesday night AND Wednesday morning.

Wednesday:
Simhat Torah services: 9:30 AM
This year many of the parts for the Hakkafot and other prayers are going to be led by our Bi Cultural students on Simhat Torah morning. The Hakkafot will begin just after 10 AM -- so be here early! We'll have children's services concurrent with the Torah reading and Musaf.

Thursday:
THE HOLIDAYS ARE OVER!!!!

TORAH STUDY:
The Torah portion for this Shabbat morning is special for Sukkot. On Simhat Torah we read both the last and first portions of the Torah as start the cycle all over again. As a celebration of Torah, this is a good time to choose study resources that suit your needs for the upcoming year. With that in mind, a great site to bookmark is http://www.vbs.org/religious/divre.htm, the Divre Torah link site of Congregation Valley Beth Shalom in Encino, CA. Many of the sites listed there have been cited in previous Shabbat-O- Grams; here they are in one nice, neat package.

HAFTARAH:
Reading this week's haftarah in light of world events, is going to be a positiviely eerie experience. It's about the mythic apocalyptic battle of Gog and Magog, from Ezekiel 38.   There is a nice introduction to it in our new Humash, Etz Hayim: "The haftarah is a spectacle of disaster wrought against the enemies of Israel. In hordes, they swoop down on Israel from the northlands -- only to be destroyed in a surge of divine fury that shakes the earth with quakes, pestilence and bloodshed. IN the end, the Holy land will be strewn with the bodies of the dead, and squadrons of Israelite searchers will scour the Land to bury the slain. After seven months of searching and burying, "the land shall be purified."

Have a nice day.

Roughly translated, "Gog of Magog" is the Mother of all Battles of good vs. evil, the Bible's version of the "Thrilla in Manilla." The Sukkot tie in relates to this Haftarah's similarity to battles described in Zachariah 14, read on the first day of Sukkot, as well as the notion of renewal and the messianic overtones of this cataclysmic battle. For me it's just plain scary, especially if, as my sister recently suggested, you add an apostrophe to the Hebrew "gimel" in "Gog," thereby turning it into "George."

AND SPEAKING OF THE NEW HUMASHIM....(and the old)
Yes, the new ones are in and yes we are already enjoying them and making good use of them. They will be dedicated as part of our services on Oct. 13, Shabbat Bereisheet. If you would like to dedicate one or more, please contact our office. While we say hello to the new, we also say good bye to the old.   Our collection of Hertz humashim are being stored in our library for two weeks. If you would like to rummage through them to find one that you've dedicated in the past, or if you simply wish to take one home (it's still a very nice, though not-too-contemporary commentary), please stop by soon. In two weeks, we'll be sending them along to new homes in needy congregations. One of the congregations we're assisting is the new Conservative shul in Wilton, which we are helping to get off the ground in this manner.

REQUIRED READING

http://www.jewishworldreview.com The War: A Roadmap, by Charles Krauthammer

http://abbc.com/islam/ How the other side sees us, courtesy of Radio Islam. Featuring the good old "Protocols of the Elders of Zion," and other anti-Semitic classics

http://www.gametec.com/poemdujour/Sept1.1939.html - A prescient and chilling Auden poem.

http://www.house.gov/reform/statement_of_netanyahu.htm -- Netanyahu speech before U.S. Govt. Reform committee. The Great Communicator communicates.

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/30/magazine/30ISRAEL.html?searchpv=past7days - Rabbi Daniel Gordis moving diary entries from Israel, reprinted in last Sunday's NY TImes Magazine

http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2001/10/04/News/News.35667.html -- New poll: US Israel ties stronger then ever

http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2001/10/04/News/News.35732.html -- On today's "accidental" downing of a plane from Israel bound for Russia.

A PLETHORA OF SUKKOT SITES (For your Sukkot Surfing Pleasure)

http://www.bjeny.org/two_stories.htm - two stories for kids

http://www.jewish.com/search/Holidays/Sukkot/ - JComm's exhaustive Sukkot links page

http://www.karaite-korner.org/sukkot.shtml - a different view of Sukkot customs (discussed here on the 1st day)

http://www.nishmas.org.il/minhagim/sukkah.htm - traditional perspective, background on the Sukkah and the 4 species

http://www.mishpacha.org/sukkotlulav.shtml - Mystical, meditative lulav movements

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/citron.html - What is an etrog, really?

http://www.sichosinenglish.org/cgi-bin/calendar?holiday=tishrei8 - Tishrei Guide

http://www.torahcc.org/mishna/9-7-00/monday.htm - Mishnaic material on Sukkot (more advanced, but in English translation and fascinating)

http://www.jajz-ed.org.il/festivls/tish/30.html - Sukkot through the ages. Nice historical overview from WZO

ANNOUNCEMENTS
.
1) "Is Tragedy Required for Jewish Unity?" Sunday, Oct. 14, 5:00-7:00, at the JCC; co-sponsored by the JCC, Beth El and other local synagogues. Speaker: Rabbi David Geffen, chairman and founder of "Common Denominator," bridging the differences between Jews in Israel and here. Find out more about him and his work at www.unity.org.il.

2) Red Cross: to donate blood, call 1-800-GIVE LIFE; for other donations; 1-800-435-7669

3) Americares: 800-486-4357

4) Scholar in Residence Weekend: October 26-28:  "The Shape of the Human Spirit: Bringing Kabbalah into the 21st Century" with Rabbi Andrea Cohen-Keiner.
Friday, Oct 26, at 8:00 PM: "What's All This About Jewish Mysticism?" (lecture after services)
Shabbat morning, Oct. 27 during services: "Learn Torah Like a Mystic," followed by lunch
Shabbat afternoon at 4:00 PM : "Meditative Mincha," featuring niggunim, chant and contemplation to enjoy the quirt day of rest; followed by seudah shlishit (a traditional third Shabbat meal). RSVP 322-6901 X307 for this program
Sunday morning at 10 AM: "A Contemplative Service."
KABBALAH IS IN!!! TELL YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT THIS PROGRAM AND FIND OUT WHY!

5) New Program for Pre-schoolers!
Mechina, with Nurit Avigdor, begins this Sunday. For 3 and 4 year olds, an hour filled with singing, arts and crafts. Two sessions available -- call our education office for info (322-6901 X306). Open to members and non-members of Beth El. SPREAD THE WORD!

6) Karov
A very special program for developmentally challenged students, ages 5-10, meeting from 10-11 each Sunday morning, beginning this week. Taught by Special ed. specialist Marcy Nirschel, this entry level Jewish enrichment program will include stories, arts and crafts, music, holiday celebrations and a weekly Shabbat experience. Class size is limited to 10. Please spread the word about this to your friends. Open to the entire community. For more information, contact the education office (322-6901 X306)

7) Shabbaton reservations are coming in, fast and furious! I expect the demand to be greater than the "supply" this year, given the enthusiasm shown by those who attended last year, when we were sold out. Don't be left out in the cold this MLK Weekend! Sign up now!

8) Lunch and Learn at the JCC -- see above

This Shabbat-O-Gram goes out weekly to hundreds of Beth El congregants and others. Feel free to forward it to your friends, and if you know of anyone who might wish to be included, please have them e-mail me at rabbi@tbe.org. To be taken off this e-mail list, simply click on "reply" and write "please unsubscribe" in the message box.

For more information on the synagogue, check out Beth El's Web site at www.tbe.org. To check out some previous spiritual cyber-journeys I have taken, see my book's site at www.thelordismyshepherd.com.

Shabbat-O-Gram, October 4, 2001

Tuesday, October 2, 2001

From shepherd to weaver: seeking God in cyberspace

From shepherd to weaver:
seeking God in cyberspace

Joshua Hammerman

This essay is composed of extracts from Rabbi Joshua Hammerman's Thelordismyshepherd.com (2000), where he takes the reader on a virtual pilgrimage through cyberspace and presents a Jewish perspective on age-old questions of good and evil in a contemporary environment, as well as tackling rather newer questions such as the nature of the web we are weaving. The text has been edited for inclusion in Mots Pluriels. Full publication details of the book can be found at the end of this article.

Over the centuries, people of all faiths have employed countless metaphors to describe that which is both Ultimate and ultimately indescribable. The Hebrew Bible alone contains dozens of different images of God, envisioning the sacred as everything from a male warrior to a mother eagle. Each of these represents not only a view of divinity, but also a way of looking at the world - and ourselves. Those who composed the book of Exodus' triumphant Song of the Sea, who called God a "Man of War," had a worldview that was decidedly patriarchal, where an active God with human features could take sides in wars against lesser gods and humans. It was a world where justice prevailed. At the other extreme we have Job, to whom God was a voice out of the whirlwind, distant, terrifying and beyond understanding, reflecting the unjust world in which the righteous Job suffered so horribly.

As each generation has struggled to understand its place in the cosmos, it has fashioned a God to facilitate that process. Some might claim that this process makes a mockery of Western religions, which typically see the fashioning of divine images as idolatrous behavior. But the second commandment, the one that says "Make no other Gods before me," says nothing about making other metaphors.[1] Idolatry is when you point to a rock and say, "That's God." When you point to the Grand Canyon and say, "My God!" you are not saying that the canyon is God, but that the awesome spectacle of that huge carved-out rock is helping you to experience God. We experience God in many different ways, whenever we sense awe or profound gratitude, order, serenity or wonder. As new technologies take hold, these transcendent feelings are evoked in new ways and become more commonplace and accessible. It is no surprise that the popularity of books, music and films with spiritual themes has increased markedly in recent years.

While the latter part of the twentieth century had no monopoly on turbulence - and it is true that through all of history the only constant has been change - the pace of change has increased dramatically over the past three decades. At least it feels that way. Some could claim that the first part of this century was even more tumultuous, what with the inventions of the airplane, automobile and modern mass warfare. But that is of little solace to so many today who feel so lost and detached, reeling with displacement.

Perhaps this alienation stems from organized religion's inability to keep up. In the past, religion has been at the forefront either of opposing change (as with the condemnation of "rebels" like Galileo and Spinoza), or promoting it (as with the eventual embrace of great religious figures like Paul and Isaiah). But right now we hear few powerful voices of faith and very little direction from the pulpit. Our clergy seem bent on clinging to old metaphors that have no relevance to people whose worldview has been altered radically. Our churches and synagogues seem curiously out of touch with how most of us are feeling about religion, to the point where many people have become far more comfortable not using the term religion at all, replacing it with the more generic word "spirituality." Yet religion is not dead, just as God was not really dead in the 1960s, despite all claims to the contrary. What is dead is the prime metaphor of God that sustained Americans throughout the middle of the twentieth century.

What's dead is "the Shepherd."

I can recall the one time I tried to use a new translation of the twenty-third Psalm at a funeral. Immediately afterwards, I was verbally decapitated by an angry mourner for turning the "Valley of the Shadow of Death" into the "Valley of Deepest Darkness" and for changing that cup that "runneth over" into one that "overflows." But my greatest transgression was to tamper with the prime metaphor of that seminal psalm. "The Shepherd" provided the key image of God that sustained American Christians and Jews through the horrors of the Great Depression and cataclysmic wars. That tranquil image of calm certainty allowed people to submit, to accept a lot that might easily include premature loss and tragedy, to resist despair in stoic confidence that right would triumph and that their side was right. The shepherd metaphor presented God as a loving (male) caretaker, not as intimate as a parent, nor as demanding as a teacher, king or judge. Americans were suffering, but the Shepherd was in complete control of our destinies and, most importantly, He was a God who took responsibility for us. Americans needed to believe that God had a stake in us.

So this was the one time that I changed "shepherd" to "companion," an alternative translation of the same Hebrew word. "The Lord is my Companion." Sounded good to me.

Big mistake.

That mourner, who not coincidentally came from that wartime generation, was looking for the soothing stroke of a shepherd's staff. The last thing he wanted at that moment was a "companion."

Since that day I've stayed with "shepherd" at funerals, but I've abandoned that metaphor in every other sense. For I have come to understand that precisely that which galvanized my parents' generation is now numbing my contemporaries and our children. The shepherd metaphor does not comfort me anymore, if it ever did. It has nothing to do with what provides me with the spiritual sustenance I need to make sense of my life. It simply doesn't resonate, for a number of reasons.

As a Jew, I cannot imagine myself in the role of sheep, especially when six million of my fellow Jews were led like sheep to the slaughter. Although many resisted and most were heroic even in passive resistance, the image of sheep-to-the-slaughter remains, nearly six decades later, the pervasive nightmare of the Jewish people. Sheep are passive, plump and witless sweaters-in-waiting. The idea of being a sheep sickens me.

As a human being, I can not trust a God who, on His shepherd's watch, would allow His sheep to die. The shepherd God might already have been on the critical list before World War II, with new technologies and urban sprawl already rendering this metaphor obsolete. But the Holocaust was the final blow. If the wolves eat the sheep, how can we not fire the shepherd?

As a pastor, I find the shepherd-flock image stifling to my ministry and to the congregation. New models of spiritual leadership placing the pastor in the role of a companion provide fertile ground for me. As a fellow seeker, I am able to lead by example, without prodding, with room for my own experimentation, with allowance for an occasional failure. I've found most pastors have great difficulty coming down from the pasture, but once they do the effect is liberating, for them and their former flock.

And finally, as a participant in the technological revolution currently changing the way we look at everything, I have found new metaphors that are much more appealing, new ways of organizing my universe that connect me to that which is Greater than myself.

So I've been searching for God online.

Incidentally, I also believe it's possible to find spirituality in my VCR instruction manual. And in my home videos, my cell phone, my beeper, my remote control, my cable box and television screen; in the Hubble telescope and the space shuttle, in my microwave oven and in a cloned sheep called Dolly. How I see God in these other technological phenomena is the subject for a broad-based book; yet in some sense, a deep search for God on the Internet, the subject of this study, is a microcosm of the larger issue.

[. . .]

For me, there is no other choice but to seek God through engagement in this world. I come from a tradition that refrains from asceticism. When the world seems to be going haywire, a Jew can't just run off and hide. Neither can we take technology and make it into yet another idol, as cult groups like Heaven's Gate have done. We are enjoined to grapple with the world and make it better, not to escape from it. Admittedly, there are some highly respected ascetic traditions, including some that have biblical roots, which do see great merit in solitude. But even the monastic life typically is not intended as an escape from material reality that surrounds it, but ultimately as a contributor to its salvation.

The death of the shepherd metaphor has brought with it the death of rugged individualism as the American ideal. For that shepherd was also, thinly disguised, the Marlboro man, the John Wayne general and the Humphrey Bogart cafe owner. The God of the past generation was a lonely sort, accepting His solitude because that's what true leadership was all about. During the Cold War, America had to stand tall in the saddle, rifle cocked, ready to ward off "evil" Indians and wolves. The God I sought and, to an extent found on the Web, is quite different, and so is the world that we live in. Today's God dances with wolves and prances with Pocahontas (at least with the Disney version). The age of individualism and Cold War wagon circling has given way to one of mystical outreach and interconnection. America's Declaration of Independence has been replaced, in a spiritual sense at least, with a more universal Declaration of Interdependence.

So now we escape the green pastures where our cup has run dry and venture boldly beyond the valley of the shadow of death, to explore the rocky terrain of our real and virtual universe, in search of the God we believe in.

[. . .]

The prevailing metaphor of this new cybervillage we are creating, the Web, is how I think we all are beginning to think of God. "The Lord is my Web" might not sound quite right just yet, but it is beginning to feel right for so many of us.

A survey of the Hebrew Bible would not lead us to believe that "web" could possibly become a front-running candidate for divine imagery. In the Hebrew Bible, the term appears fewer than half a dozen times and typically has negative connotations. In the book of Job, one of Job's fairweather friends, Bildad, lectures Job in chapter 8, saying, "So are the paths of all who forget God . . . his hope shall be cut off, and his trust shall be a spider's web." In other words, either the trust will tear apart as easily as a web or it will become ensnarled and bogged down. Either way, not good. And the next verse implies that the houses of the wicked are themselves like webs. Isa. 59:5-6 compares the evil plans of those who seek to thwart the righteous to the webs that the spider spins to catch insects. Ps. 140 mentions the spider and snake as examples of poisonous creatures.

Later Jewish sources aren't much more sympathetic. One of the more famous teachings of the Talmudic sage Rav Assi (late third century), based on Isa. 59, is that the evil inclination, though initially as fragile as a spiderweb, eventually gains the firmness of a cart rope (tractate Sukkah 52a).[2] Rabbi Nahman ben Jacob, who lived at about the same time, was known for the misogynous saying, "When a woman is talking she is spinning (a web to capture her male)" (tractate Megilla 14b). In the New Testament, incidentally, the web doesn't appear at all, either as a concept or a metaphor.

From this angle, at the root of the web's image problem lies the age-old fear of spiders. According to the Encyclopedia Judaica,[3] the Land of Israel has hundreds of species of spiders and all have poisonous glands in their maxillaries. While the poison in most spiders is far too mild to affect humans, it doesn't exactly create an aura of endearment around a creature that is rather creepy to begin with.

But through history, the web has also taken on different meanings, less associated with its spidery source. Anthropologists now claim that human beings were food gatherers before we were hunters and that the first human tool was not an axe or spear, but a basket. Knotting, tying and weaving were revolutionary discoveries, steeped in mystery and magic. In some societies, binding hair or clothing gave one control over that person's soul. In the book of Judges, Samson dares Delilah to weave his hair into a web as a means of sapping his strength. In ancient Greek mythology, the Fates (called Moerae) were three goddesses who controlled human life. They included Clotho, who spun the web of life; Lachesis, who measured its length; and Atropos, who cut it. In modern literature, webs have come to be associated with intricate plot lines. Webs are also associated with tangled tales of deceit, as exemplified in Sir Walter Scott's famous ditty,

In the twentieth century, Picasso saw artistic inspiration in the web and Antoine de Saint-Exupery "a mesh into which relationships are tied." That is exactly what Tim Berners-Lee had in mind for the world's scientists when he created the term "World Wide Web" in 1989. He likely didn't consider this quote of Seattle, chief of the Dwarmish, Susquamish and allied Indian tribes, who wrote in an 1854 letter to President Franklin Pierce:

[4]

Chief Seattle's words have become gospel to environmentalists everywhere (I even saw them on the menu of the Rainforest Cafe), and the foundation of many earth-based theologies. The second Adam and Eve, the main characters of the second Creation account, would have had little trouble relating to Seattle's passion. Most recently, the popularity of this philosophy of interconnectedness has found expression in the Gaia theory of the earth as a living system and various other systems theories in biology and physics that have moved us from an essentially mechanistic worldview to one that is more holistic. Spiritual-scientific syntheses have cropped up, such as those of Fritjof Capra, author of The Tao of Physics, and most recently The Web of Life, in which he writes:

religio

[5]

A second look at the ancient Jewish sages reveals that they, too, understood the power of the web metaphor in grasping the interrelatedness of all creation. The Babylonian Talmud is divided into sixty-three volumes, known as tractates, which were compiled and edited over the course of hundreds of years, until the collected work reached its final form around the year 500. In Hebrew, the word for tractate is Masechet. It so happens that the word also means "web." The labyrinth of collected academic discussions that make up Talmudic literature can best be described in that manner. One does not pick up a tractate of Talmud to gain quick answers to complex questions - in fact, the opposite is true. The Talmud gives us complex responses to what we might have thought were easy questions. Each Talmudic discussion brings us in to the inner world of its participants, often including rabbis of several different generations. Each argument is based on a logic process consistent with the thought processes and assumptions of that particular rabbi.

Like a good novel, the Talmud weaves a web of seemingly disconnected information, and by the end, somehow the strands come together to form a cohesive and meaningful whole. This finished web leads us to the conclusion that life is infinitely complex, that certainty is elusive, and that the process of searching for answers is more significant than actually finding them. More often than not, the Talmud doesn't give us the answers. The vast majority of the discussions found in its tractates remain unresolved.[6]

The word masechet is also found in a rabbinic commentary to the Psalms, known as Midrash Tehillim, and this quote, coming from around the time of the Talmud, helps us understand fully why that particular word was chosen to describe the interconnected and sacred nature of all areas of life; it also brings us to a most significant milepost on our journey: "We are the web," it states, "and You are the Weaver."

We have left the shepherd behind us, as you recall, somewhere out to pasture. Now we are introduced to God the weaver, a new and engaging metaphor that turns out to be almost as old as that shepherd one. "The Lord is our Weaver" is an astonishing image, but it gets us only halfway home. The other half will be to see God, as well as all reality, as existing within the web itself, and then transferring that notion to the Web - the Internet - itself.

The fact that the word masechet is derived from "web" does not point to a cultural phenomenon that is uniquely Jewish. There is almost certainly a connection between masechet and the Latin word textus, which comes from texere, meaning "to weave, to fabricate." All texts consist of woven strands of ideas coming together to form a whole. Fittingly, they are printed on material that is itself woven, or they appear on electronic screens that consist of interconnected lines or dots.

Look around in our society today and see the popularity of web-like images in our language, including tapestries, patchwork quilts, knots, mosaics, and labyrinths. When we see these metaphors in constant use, we must ask what the users are looking for. Most often the use of such imagery exposes a passion for interconnection and a desire for the security and order in a world that appears from close up to be such a mishmash. When former New York mayor David Dinkins called the city a "fabulous mosaic," he was looking at a city that, from close up, appeared to consist of segregated enclaves of various ethnic hues, but from a distance might be seen as an ensemble of complementary pieces. His assumption was that there was some manner of glue holding this mosaic all together. He might have considered himself that substance, though in Crown Heights the mosaic became unglued rather dramatically (just as it has more recently under Mayor Giuliani with the Diallo case and other accusations of police brutality). But on a different level, others might consider that glue to be God. A New York seemingly at peace with itself, with a lower crime rate and increased tourism, only enhances the power of the "fabulous mosaic" myth.

I remember as a teen holding an old LP of Carole King's Tapestry in my hand and how the record cover itself felt as if it were woven of wool or flax, and how good that felt to the touch. The songs only added to the sensation. For Jews, the act of holding the braided fringes of the prayer shawl (tallit) in our hands, as we are required to do for various prayers, but many do throughout the service, is a very comforting tactile experience. For me, it is the adult equivalent of holding my blankie, and indeed for many Jews, a lasting childhood memory is that of sitting in synagogue, fiddling with the fringes of a parent's tallit. Running between my fingers four sets of eight interwoven strings, knotted and wound together, I am asked by the tradition to be reminded of the cohesive nature of the divine commandments and of the unity of the Jewish people living in the "four corners" of the world. And doing this while other congregants are doing the same thing (men and women in my congregation) is an additional solidifying factor, along with the fact that the tallit's traditional blue thread reflects the underlying unity of heaven and earth.

No doubt about it: We crave webbing. One might call this the "Fruit of the Loom" generation. While our forbears craved independence above all, for us, our most heartfelt prayers are declarations of interdependence. That 1980s hit song "We Are the World" might have been unbelievably corny, but what other hymn could unite the diverse vocal talents of an entire generation? When I run the smooth tassels of my tallit through my fingers, at times I really do feel that "we are the world," that all reality is a neatly woven melange.

[. . .]

If we are to speak of the Web as holy ground, then the experience of going online has somehow got to be as comforting as running that tallit through my fingers. It has to be more soothing than a blankie, because we can't just come out of the encounter feeling safe and secure - we've got to feel profoundly connected.

Notes

[1] My teacher, Dr. Neil Gillman, has helped me to better understand the symbolic language we use when we speak of God. His book, Sacred Fragments: Recovering Theology for the Modern Jew (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1990) provides excellent background on this topic, particularly chapter 4.

[2] The Babylonian Talmud is divided into tractates as opposed to volumes and each page traditionally has two sides to it (a and b).

[3] Encyclopedia Judaica (16 vol.) New York: Macmillan, 1972.

[4] The chief's letter to President Franklin Pierce was published in Brother Eagle, Sister Sky: A Message from Chief Seattle, 1990. But it might have been a forgery. For a fascinating history of Chief Seattle's speech, and speculation as to what he did and did not originally say, check out an article from the February 1996 issue of Wild West Magazine, which can be found at https://www.thehistorynet.com/WildWest/articles/02965_text.htm.

[5] Fritjof Capra, The Web of Life (New York: Anchor Books, 1996). The quote is found on page 296 of the later paperback edition.

[6] For more discussion of the similarities between traditional Talmudic study and current online communication, see an article by Sarah Coleman in the 6 April, 2000, edition of Salon, entitled "Jews for Java." "In many ways," the author states, "the Talmud looks like a blueprint for Web design." She then adds, "On a typical Talmud page, these writings (Gemara) are placed in discrete blocks in a tree-ring formation around the Mishnah - with cross-references, links to other sections and arcane symbols and abbreviations. The effect is of a virtual discussion forum between rabbis from different centuries. 'It's actually the world's first hypertext,' says former Israeli Minister of Energy Yossi Vardi."

From the book, Thelordismyshepherd.com. (c) 2000 by Joshua Hammerman. ISBN 1-55874-821-0. Reprinted by permission of Simcha Press/HCI. 3201 S.W. 15 Street. Deerfield Beach, FL 33442-8190. USA. Email: KimW@hcibooks.com. All rights reserved.
(Extracts are from Chapter 1: "The Death of 'the Shepherd'", pp.5-11; and from Chapter 11: "The Web and the Weaver", pp.85-91 & 93-94.)

Joshua Hammerman