Rabbi Philip Weintraub
Congregation B’nai Israel
March 7, 2020
This week’s parsha, Tetzaveh, continues the conversation from last week about the preparations for the mishkan, the Tabernacle in the wilderness.
Rashi clarifies that Tamid is not just regularly, but continually. We already knew that the light was lit all day, here we discover that it must also be lit all night.
להעלות נר תמיד TO CAUSE THE LIGHT TO BURN (lit., to ascend) CONTINUALLY — he must enkindle it until the flame ascends by itself (Shabbat 21a).
תמיד CONTINUALLY — doing something every night, as is described here, may be termed תמיד, continually…
In our own shul, we have not one, but two eternal lights--in our sanctuary and in our chapel. We keep them continually lit to remind us of the presence of Gd. Elsewhere in Exodus, we read about the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire at night. We need the constant reminder of the presence of Gd.
In our lives, we do many things regularly, continually, to keep feeling the presence of Gd. Through our daily minyan and our personal prayers, we regularly offer our gratitude for the gift of each day. Through blessing for food, we recognize the holiness in our lives. Through regular study, we connect ourselves to our history and to GD.
Since the beginning of January, a number of congregants have been studying Tractate Brachot. They have learned about the proper time for Shema and the Amidah, the proper blessings for waking up, the order of prayers, what blessings do we say when we eat specific foods or see someone after a long time. This past week we were reminded that everything is Torah--even the way we relate to our spouses or how we go to the bathroom! Every single moment is an opportunity for blessing.
While some of the experiential blessings require a month’s wait, if we see a rainbow, we reaffirm Gd’s covenant every single time.
Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, zocher habrit v’ne’eman biv’reetoh v’kayam b’ma’amarav.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who remembers the covenant, and is faithful to His covenant, and keeps His promise.
This past week, I went to the AIPAC policy conference. With several members of our community, we heard from politicians on the left and the right. We saw people from all walks of life, including more than 4000 students. We heard about new Israeli technology that allows people with paralysis to stand and walk again. We saw a full hospital, with a surgery suite and ICU, that can be transported anywhere in the world and set up in less than a day. We tasted chocolate with a sugar variant that amplifies the sugar taste so you need only a fraction of it. Finally, we met with our senators and representatives to discuss the importance of the relationship between Israel and the United States.
I have been to the Policy Conference for several years. I know what Senators Melendez and McConnell have to say. I have heard Vice President Pence and former VP Biden speak enough times that I might be able to give parts of their Israel speeches. Why do I continue attending?
I keep going for the same reason that our parsha opens as it does. We cannot rest on our laurels. The Memorandum of Understanding that President Obama signed still must be approved in each year’s budget. If we do not show up, than our congresspeople and senators won’t know we care! Every year, I have the opportunity to study with colleagues, to hear from innovative speakers, to learn more about what is going on in Israel and America. Yet if I am not there, I miss out. I do not have the reminder.
Next to the Ner Tamid, over the ark, many synagogues have a phrase Da Lifnei Mi Atah Omed, Know before Whom you stand. When we come to pray, we need to remember to whom we are praying. In our community, the Aseret Hadibrot, the Ten Commandments serve the same purpose.
As we studied Talmud Brachot the last few weeks, we were reminded of this over and over again. Coming together to pray, offering our thanks when we eat, when we see the world, is not just for Gd--it is for us. Our world is so much more powerful when we feel Gd’s presence. Our world is so much better when WE recognize that we are not alone.
Going to AIPAC, standing with 18,000 people, we see that the love for Israel is not only among us. It is with so many others. It is with Christians and Jews and Muslims. It is with secular people and religious people, wealthier and poorer, Republicans and Democrats and Independents. We do not agree on everything, nor would we want to, yet we all came together to share our love for Israel.
The same is true in this community. We do not all agree about politics, our even the right way to pray, yet we come together in service of Gd, Torah and Israel. CBI is a blessing to us all.
Today is my almost final reminder to vote in the WZC elections. Go to Mercaz2020.org and vote. This week I saw ads against religious pluralism, against men and women praying at the KOTEL from some of the ultra-Orthodox slates. If we want to see a pluralistic Israel, we must do our part. On Purim I will be happy to help anyone vote, but the last days are approaching!
There is a custom that when one finishes a tractate of Talmud, we have a siyyum, a celebration. We read the end of the tractate and then say a special kaddish.
הדרן עלך הרואה וסליקא לה מסכת ברכות
May we return unto thee : He who beholds! And finished is the Tractate Berakot.
I pray that we see a day when both the children and the scholars are builders. Our world desperately needs both. By showing up and participating in our community, you are helping make our lives and our world a better place!
I invite those who have completed the tractate to rise.
We will return to you, Tractate Brachot, and you will return to us; our mind is on you, Tractate Brachot, and your mind is on us; we will not forget you, Tractate Brachot, and you will not forget us – not in this world and not in the next world. May it be Your will, our G-d, and the G-d of our fathers, that we should be loyal to Your Torah in this world, and it should be with us in the next world.
Now I invite us all to rise for a very special end of a Talmud masechet kaddish. We’ll then continue with Musaf.
Congregation B’nai Israel
March 7, 2020
This week’s parsha, Tetzaveh, continues the conversation from last week about the preparations for the mishkan, the Tabernacle in the wilderness.
וְאַתָּ֞ה תְּצַוֶּ֣ה ׀ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל וְיִקְח֨וּ אֵלֶ֜יךָ שֶׁ֣מֶן זַ֥יִת זָ֛ךְ כָּתִ֖ית לַמָּא֑וֹר לְהַעֲלֹ֥ת נֵ֖ר תָּמִֽיד׃
You shall further instruct the Israelites to bring you clear oil of beaten olives for lighting, for kindling lamps regularly.Rashi clarifies that Tamid is not just regularly, but continually. We already knew that the light was lit all day, here we discover that it must also be lit all night.
להעלות נר תמיד TO CAUSE THE LIGHT TO BURN (lit., to ascend) CONTINUALLY — he must enkindle it until the flame ascends by itself (Shabbat 21a).
תמיד CONTINUALLY — doing something every night, as is described here, may be termed תמיד, continually…
In our own shul, we have not one, but two eternal lights--in our sanctuary and in our chapel. We keep them continually lit to remind us of the presence of Gd. Elsewhere in Exodus, we read about the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire at night. We need the constant reminder of the presence of Gd.
 |
| Contemporary blown glass ner tamid (eternal light) by artist David Ascalon. |
In our lives, we do many things regularly, continually, to keep feeling the presence of Gd. Through our daily minyan and our personal prayers, we regularly offer our gratitude for the gift of each day. Through blessing for food, we recognize the holiness in our lives. Through regular study, we connect ourselves to our history and to GD.
Since the beginning of January, a number of congregants have been studying Tractate Brachot. They have learned about the proper time for Shema and the Amidah, the proper blessings for waking up, the order of prayers, what blessings do we say when we eat specific foods or see someone after a long time. This past week we were reminded that everything is Torah--even the way we relate to our spouses or how we go to the bathroom! Every single moment is an opportunity for blessing.
While some of the experiential blessings require a month’s wait, if we see a rainbow, we reaffirm Gd’s covenant every single time.
Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, zocher habrit v’ne’eman biv’reetoh v’kayam b’ma’amarav.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who remembers the covenant, and is faithful to His covenant, and keeps His promise.
This past week, I went to the AIPAC policy conference. With several members of our community, we heard from politicians on the left and the right. We saw people from all walks of life, including more than 4000 students. We heard about new Israeli technology that allows people with paralysis to stand and walk again. We saw a full hospital, with a surgery suite and ICU, that can be transported anywhere in the world and set up in less than a day. We tasted chocolate with a sugar variant that amplifies the sugar taste so you need only a fraction of it. Finally, we met with our senators and representatives to discuss the importance of the relationship between Israel and the United States.
I have been to the Policy Conference for several years. I know what Senators Melendez and McConnell have to say. I have heard Vice President Pence and former VP Biden speak enough times that I might be able to give parts of their Israel speeches. Why do I continue attending?
I keep going for the same reason that our parsha opens as it does. We cannot rest on our laurels. The Memorandum of Understanding that President Obama signed still must be approved in each year’s budget. If we do not show up, than our congresspeople and senators won’t know we care! Every year, I have the opportunity to study with colleagues, to hear from innovative speakers, to learn more about what is going on in Israel and America. Yet if I am not there, I miss out. I do not have the reminder.
Next to the Ner Tamid, over the ark, many synagogues have a phrase Da Lifnei Mi Atah Omed, Know before Whom you stand. When we come to pray, we need to remember to whom we are praying. In our community, the Aseret Hadibrot, the Ten Commandments serve the same purpose.
As we studied Talmud Brachot the last few weeks, we were reminded of this over and over again. Coming together to pray, offering our thanks when we eat, when we see the world, is not just for Gd--it is for us. Our world is so much more powerful when we feel Gd’s presence. Our world is so much better when WE recognize that we are not alone.
Going to AIPAC, standing with 18,000 people, we see that the love for Israel is not only among us. It is with so many others. It is with Christians and Jews and Muslims. It is with secular people and religious people, wealthier and poorer, Republicans and Democrats and Independents. We do not agree on everything, nor would we want to, yet we all came together to share our love for Israel.
The same is true in this community. We do not all agree about politics, our even the right way to pray, yet we come together in service of Gd, Torah and Israel. CBI is a blessing to us all.
Today is my almost final reminder to vote in the WZC elections. Go to Mercaz2020.org and vote. This week I saw ads against religious pluralism, against men and women praying at the KOTEL from some of the ultra-Orthodox slates. If we want to see a pluralistic Israel, we must do our part. On Purim I will be happy to help anyone vote, but the last days are approaching!
There is a custom that when one finishes a tractate of Talmud, we have a siyyum, a celebration. We read the end of the tractate and then say a special kaddish.
אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא: תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים מַרְבִּים שָׁלוֹם בָּעוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְעל בָּנַיִךְ לִמּוּדֵי ה׳ וְרַב שְׁלוֹם בָּנָיִךְ״.
Rabbi Elazar said that Rabbi Ḥanina said: Torah scholars increase peace in the world, as it is said: “And all your children [banayikh] shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children” (Isaiah 54:13). If all the children of Israel are taught of the Lord, there will be peace for all.
אַל תִּקְרֵי ״בָּנָיִךְ״ אֶלָּא ״בּוֹנָיִךְ״. ״שָׁלוֹם רָב לְאֹהֲבֵי תוֹרָתֶךָ וְאֵין לָמוֹ מִכְשׁוֹל״. ״יְהִי שָׁלוֹם בְּחֵילֵךְ שַׁלְוָה בְּאַרְמְנוֹתָיִךְ״. ״לְמַעַן אַחַי וְרֵעָי אֲדַבְּרָה נָּא שָׁלוֹם בָּךְ. לְמַעַן בֵּית ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ אֲבַקְשָׁה טוֹב לָךְ״. ״ה׳ עֹז לְעַמּוֹ יִתֵּן ה׳ יְבָרֵךְ אֶת עַמּוֹ בַשָּׁלוֹם״.
The Sages interpreted this verse homiletically: Do not read your children [banayikh], but your builders [bonayikh]. Torah scholars are those who build peace for their generation. As it is stated: “Those who love Your Torah have great peace; there is no stumbling block for them” (Psalms 119:165); and “May there be peace within your walls, prosperity within your palaces” (Psalms 122:7), because: “For the sake of my brothers and friends, I shall say: Peace be within you. For the sake of the House of the Lord, our God, I will seek your good” (Psalms 122:8–9), and “May the Lord give strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace” (Psalms 29:11).www.sefaria.orgהדרן עלך הרואה וסליקא לה מסכת ברכות
May we return unto thee : He who beholds! And finished is the Tractate Berakot.
I pray that we see a day when both the children and the scholars are builders. Our world desperately needs both. By showing up and participating in our community, you are helping make our lives and our world a better place!
I invite those who have completed the tractate to rise.
We will return to you, Tractate Brachot, and you will return to us; our mind is on you, Tractate Brachot, and your mind is on us; we will not forget you, Tractate Brachot, and you will not forget us – not in this world and not in the next world. May it be Your will, our G-d, and the G-d of our fathers, that we should be loyal to Your Torah in this world, and it should be with us in the next world.
Now I invite us all to rise for a very special end of a Talmud masechet kaddish. We’ll then continue with Musaf.
Comments
Post a Comment