Today’s Torah portion tells the story of Korah the cousin of Moses and Aaron who questions the ‘spirtual leadership’ of the Israelites. Moses defends the divine appointment of Aaron as Kohen Gadol  and clarifies the wearing of Tallit.

Like Moses, Korah was a Levite and born in Egypt and a witness to the miracles of the Exodus.

Different than Moses, Korah was a disruptive ‘dis-believer’ of  all that G-d had planned for the Israelites and questions the authority and leadership of the day.

Why was Korah considered a ‘rebel’?

Let’s start with Korah’s general disbelief illustrated by attempts to discredit Moses and Aaron. For example, how could the chosen people’s path to freedom be completed by a shepherd cousin and his brother Aaron who Korah believes was anointed (by way of nepotism) as the high priest of the ‘Chosen People’. 

Another example of Korah’s attempts to discredit Israelite leadership were found in his views and personal  challenge to Moses (and G-d) regarding the Mitzvot of Tallit and specifically tizitzit. 

Well, the rest (as ‘they say’) is history or at least it’s a gripping Torah story we will read about today regarding the demise of Korah, his family (with the exception of his sons) and followers so stay tuned.

Now let’s turn to the virtue of humility and leadership. Why? 

Different than Korah, and throughout the Torah and this parsha, Moses continues to demonstrate his leadership using humility.  Maybe in one of the only examples that comes to mind when Moses loses his humility in Torah appears in next week’s Parsha Chukat, when out of anger and frustration, he strikes a rock to bring calm and quench thirsts of parched Israelites.  

Unfortunately, as we will read next Shabbat, we know how this will turn out for Moses. But hey, Moses was human, and while ‘strong of character’ was also vulnerable.

As John Baldoni points out in a 2009 Harvard Business Review article, “A sense of humility…authenticates a person’s humanity.” He goes on to write that “humans are frail (‘vulnerable’)  and we all have our faults. Recognizing what we do well and not so well is key to self-awareness and paramount to humility.”

As we will read, Korah’s life and his followers literally was turned upside down when he/they failed to acknowledge belief in his cousin’s sincerity, humility and leadership for the practices and ‘path/direction’ of the Israelites.

Maybe if Moses had given Korah a role or responsibility it could have tempered Korah’s frustration and impatience with the direction the Israelites were taking (or maybe not so much).

While all of us are not leaders, or perhaps choose to selectively lead when appropriate, we often need reasons for people to believe in leaders and leadership. In summary humility breeds humility.

Let’s remember this lesson on the virtue of humility in this parsha with a quote from Alabama coach Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant:  “If anything goes bad I did it. If anything goes semi-good, we did it. If anything goes really good, you did it. That’s all it takes for people to win football games for you.”  And get you through the desert to a land flowing with milk & honey.

Good Shabbos!

In this weeks parasha Shelach (which means to send, send to you, send for yourself)  God commands Moses to send 12 men (SPIES) – to check out the promised land before the Israelites enter the land.

As we find out the expedition was less than remarkable for 10 of the ‘SPIES’ – perhaps due to a lack of belief, inspired leadership, and a lack of faith. 

The Torah explains that a plague kills 10 of the spies except for Caleb and Joshua who had faith and a vision of what God wants for the Israelites. In fact, G-d selects Caleb to replace Moses to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land along with Joshua. 

Due to spy transgressions caused by fear and risks associated with entering the promised land G-d commanded an entire generation of Israelites to wander for 40 years and all men who were 20 years and older would die in the desert  until the new Generation of men younger than 20 years of age were ready to enter the promised land.

So the spy ‘project’ failed, and G-d’s expectations/consequences of what failure meant to the spies and Israelites was not communicated from the start.  Seems like G-d was resetting or renewing expectations for the Israelites by assuring theirs would be a land flowing with milk and honey.  However a land flowing may have been hard for the Israelites to imagine after so many centuries of mental and physical oppressive slavery.

The ‘long game’ for the spies and Israelites was the purpose, cause and belief to evaluate the promised land and begin to inhabit the land. 

When you step back and look at the big picture an internal belief leading to confident, deliberate and strategic decision making related to the risk/reward of entering the Promised Land was what this story was about.

What if the spies and Israelites had asked: “How can we make this land of milk and honey OUR society?”

A society that is a safe and healthy, where our people will be treated not as slaves but rather with humanity, dignity and respect. 

A society without petulant, autocratic and demigod rulers and instead with laws that are fairly administered to all.

Rather than having an inspired vision from God for creating a just and verdant society, one with social, economic, education and welfare based systems, 10 spies were overwhelmed with fear associated with moving on to the Canaanite land.

Perhaps if G-d or Moses re-framed the spies initial task as an INSPIRED vision that the Promised Land is actually safe and would bring laughter, hope, health, happiness AND that this Israelite society was one they could create and develop by and for the Israelite Community, the Chosen People so the Community could continue to learn Torah, pray to one God, create an economy, raise families, livestock and crops,  build homes live in peace and expand the surviving generation of people who had been through so many life changing experiences. 

OH Yes and by the way there is this community of Canaanites and we can figure out a strategy to extricate them since their beliefs are antithetical to ours.

With a little inspired leadership would or could that vision have changed perspectives, attitudes, fear and uncertainty for the Israelites?

Caleb from the tribe of Judah  and Joshua from the tribe of Ephraim were
the optimists who believed a story like this.

They had vision, belief, cause and purpose perhaps because they held personal beliefs and hope for future generations of Israelites and
they remembered clearly what G-d had done for the Israelites by bringing
the Chosen People out of oppression.

Caleb and Joshua  saw a glass that was not only half-full but perhaps they thought it was important to have a larger glass for a vast society inspired and envisioned by God for the Israelites. For Caleb and Joshua moving into the Promised Land was the best option for the Israelites.

Here are four take away’s to consider from today’s Parasha when it comes to making important decisions:

1) be vulnerable enough to share what is known and what is not known and
ask WHY- for example – Why are we going into the promised land? Why is this important and why should anyone care?

2) ask questions of ourselves and others like: How can we better care for ourselves and others in our community so we know where we are going and what our purpose, cause and beliefs are about?

3) listen closely and humbly to questions others ask and listen carefully for  
answers that make sense to our hearts and minds and are consistent with
our personal values and beliefs

4) share knowledge to discover new questions/answers that will inspire us to move forward.

Let me leave you with this final thought from Simon Sinek who has stated in his presentations and books: “We (should) follow inspired leaders not for them – but for ourselves.”  

Picture this – you are Moses (for the moment) you know the prophetic leader of the Israelites who was blessed with a stutter (or so we have read in Exodus).  Also consider – that you have just received a directive from G-d  to ‘get the word out’ about the recently published laws or ‘commandments’ and how to live as Jews in the world.  So there’s a couple of things to consider:  1) how does one get the word out?; and 2) how will everyone in the community remember and follow the commandments?

First, of course, let’s get the ‘logistical stuff’ out of the way. You stand in front of hundreds if not thousands of people reciting the laws as handed down by G-d about how everyone is to live in the world.  Obviously there’s no save the date invites sent out, the only  ‘media’ are ‘the tablets’ and of course no phones, nor recording devices  or any of that jazz.  This was serious specific content communicated orally for a chosen people that provides guidelines/boundaries/pro-scribed rules for how to get along and live in the world as a community with common interests and moral codes.

Next – what about remembering the details of the commandments?  Think about this – these rules, laws, commandments cover a broad number of topics within a variety of areas.  You know, like ALL the rules (there are many) about the high priests (the Kohanim). 

Perhaps the most memorable commandments for the Israelites were those related to the celebration of holidays such as Passover and Sukkot.  Admittedly I’d probably be just as excited about these holidays/festivals since  G-d commands us not to work and instead celebrate by eating Matzah, building leaf covered booths and shaking Lulav’s. 

Of course along with the good or ‘fun’ commandments are those laws that promise to punish people (by stoning them or sending them away from the community) if they  take G-ds name in vain – you know blasphemers or if an individual commits murder. 

So how did we manage to absorb, adopt and live the laws G-d told Moses to deliver to the Chosen People? Maybe the Israelites embraced the laws simply due to the passion or charismatic (or dogmatic) way that Moses expressed the laws when reading and speaking to the Israelites long ago. Those laws that outlined how we were to live our Jewish lives. It’s been said that there is a certain ‘spiritual magic’ that can affect us when someone delivers a message from the heart.

So while it may appear on the surface that Moses is simply speaking words because after all G-d said ‘Moses – EMOR’ – this parasha is more than ‘lip service’. So Parasha Emor is about Moses speaking about festivals and how they work, punishment and reward, and about building community. So while it may have been daunting and or possibly over-whelming to listen, understand and embrace the laws, it would also seem that many were excited about the adventure of a new life they were to build. Parasha Emor is a reminder of the rules, laws and guidelines for a Jewish life. How life was to be lived centuries ago and today as well.

Good Shabbos! 

Of the messages in this week’s Parasha (which is the parasha that is located actually in the very center of the entire Torah),   Acharei Mot literally means, ‘After the Death’ in reference to the deaths of Aaron’s sons Nadav & Avihu.  

It is said that after one hears the title of the Parasha the intent is for us to reflect upon our own mortality (perhaps something some of us engage in daily or maybe around the high holidays).

Specifically, it may inspire us to think about how we have been living our lives, and prompts us to ask if we have we made the right choices  and do we continue to make the right choices in our life or perhaps should we be making different choices?

This is about self reflection. The type of ‘self-inventory’ we are to consider during Yom Kippur.

The Torah portion is about discipline. G-d demands this from everyone following the deaths of Aaron’s sons.  G-d also has expectations that all Israelites follow proscribed rules related to three areas of the Tabernacle:  1) Meat, (presumably due to sacrifices) where, when and how to eat it; Sex, (the complete guide of where, who/who not to have it with); and finally, 3) Atonement-the how and when to clean up your ‘act’ (you know from those ‘oops moments’ from meat, sex and other human foibles) for inclusion in annual inscription for another year.

So to assure this parasha is as relevant today as it was when first published, laws/commandments governing meat are still relevant (for the moment, vegetarians and vegans get a pass). For example, no eating blood, no eating corpses (night of the living dead-zombies excluded) and meat should be slaughtered under supervision (the Levites were often under watchful eyes when providing Kohanim with sacrificial expiated animal parts for burning at the altar of the Tabernacle though Levites were entitled to a portion of the meat involved with the communal sacrifice).

Sex is also covered in Acharei Mot. Essentially the Torah directs us to have healthy loving relationships and avoid detestable practices like sleeping with your sister or animals or….well cultural behaviors that emerged from say the Canaanite clan/tribe that may have practiced/endorsed (one of which was the sacrifice of children for the idol known as Molech).

What about Yom Kippur- the Day of Atonement? As we know this religious observance is marked with particular diet and clothing requirements, along with moment by moment reflections upon aspects of our lives that  need fixing all of which takes place over 24 hours.  Centuries ago, rituals included a single Kohane that stood in the Tabernacle with much blood and animal sacrifice. Today, we are each individually responsible for considering how we atone for our past, and plan for our present and future.

Essentially the purpose of this parasha is its emphasis on the importance of discipline, order, rules and regulations for what a well lived life should ‘look like’. Generally this portion of Leviticus was about the establishment of specific boundaries of acceptable behaviors that G-d wanted everyone to follow.  Of course some of these rules established centuries ago have changed/evolved over time and are no longer relevant though let’s leave this for another D’var.

So whether it’s about eating meat or fasting for Yom Kippur or how we love, G-d wants us to apply the required discipline and self regulation outlined in Torah to our daily lives for a life well lived.

Good Shabbos!

Parshah Tzav begins with priestly instructions for sacrifices as a sanctification and ritual to spiritually connect with G-d. Details with what to wear, time of day and who can consume the sacrifice are outlined. The parshah includes instructions for kosher eating and sanctification of priests.

As Rabbi Eve Posen points out in a 2020 message to her congregants entitled ‘It Takes All Kinds’, the entire book of Vayikra is about how our ‘spiritual’ actions connect us to G-d. Parshat Tzav encourages us to find that ‘spiritual connection’ and actually use it.

It’s important to realize that the idea of spiritual connection was reciprocal – after all G-d wanted to assure a vulnerable Israelite community of the need to connect with his spirit as well, rather than say idolatry.

It was about being ‘seen’. G-d to see and provide guidance to the Israelite people and the Israelite people to ‘see’ and follow a path that G-d provided for the Chosen People. We remember and read in today’s parshah that it was G-d who instructed the Israelites and Kohanim on the ‘best’ or ‘right’ way to perform ritual sacrifices which were carried out in a specific way by the Israelites to spiritually connect with G-d.

Obviously the Parshah points to ritual sacrifices as a connection or inflection point for a primary proscribed way to connect with G-d to perhaps reinforce fidelity to one-G-d as a means of a ‘spiritual connection’ of the day.

Connecting with G-d is a centuries old challenge different than or, perhaps for some, similar too connecting with a loved one, friend, relative or just about anyone. How do we know if we have been successful in connecting with G-d? The Torah provides examples of prophetic connection.

Some spiritual connection examples that come from Torah are not all pleasant. For example there were the punishments such as the plagues levied upon the Pharaoh and Egypt, or Israelites fleeing Egypt and crossing the Sea of Reeds and of course receiving the Torah at Mt Sinai, and as we have read, the commandments were delivered verbally, through a dark storm cloud with a booming voice that echoed commandments that are with us today.

Of course experiences of spiritual connection from Torah also point to patriarchs and matriarchs who successfully and prophetically connected to G-d and G-d with them through ‘conversation’ or ‘physicality’. Take Moses speaking to the ‘burning bush’. In one of the most blatant physical connection experiences of a patriarch, we recall Jacob. Ah yes – Jacob.

You know, Jacob (whose name means to supplant, circumvent, deceive, assail or overreach) who was born grabbing the heal of his brother Esau-now there’s a connection point!

Another connection point for Jacob was when he sought G-d’s blessing and he wrestles all night with G-d, described in Genesis as an ‘Angel’ or ‘man-like’ figure, on the shore of the Jabbok River. He also receives a broken hip (that he will keep through his life) but during his spiritual connection and physical struggle Jacob get’s his blessing from G-d. Another bonus for Jacob: he was renamed by G-d as Israel which means one who struggles with G-d. Talk about spiritual connection!

While we were not created a perfect people, Jacob is a reminder that we can always improve.

Why did we seek out connection with G-d centuries ago and still today? Were we seeking G-d’s blessing? Do some of us today still seek G-d’s blessing? Perhaps, centuries ago, it was our vulnerable position as slaves and the ‘word’ that spread about the evils of idolatry and a guy named Moses. At the time many held a myopic connection to idols and slavery – no real spirituality there to speak of.

There was however a connection through Moses to one G-D and G-d to the Israelites that provided a spiritual glimpse of hope for freedom of oppression. For us, connecting with one G-d that provided freedom in return for fidelity, belief and commitment turns out was a significant improvement over idolatry and slavery.

Why do some choose to connect with G-d today? That may depend on what ones ‘relationship’ to spirituality is all about. Today, daily prayers, Shacharit, Minhah and Maariv have replaced ritual sacrifices that provided a ritualistic spiritual connection to G-d in pre-Babylonian times.

For others, spirituality is found at Shabbat services. It can be a very peaceful and meditative experience. It is a predictable ritual that provides an opportunity to think and consider for example what we are grateful for or how to improve in coming days, weeks and months.

For others, spiritual connection can be found in day to day relationships and interactions. While spiritual connection maybe experienced simply through communicating the right words at the right time, the conversation may feel like a holy experience itself. For example, some may have a fear of connecting with say death, dying, illness or other emotional circumstances. We may discover a spiritual connection through the compassionate and empathetic words of a relative or care-giver which may appear divinely as guidance from G-d.

So how do we connect spiritually with G-d today?

Humility, gratitude, respect and a belief that we are all worthy of love and belonging are a gateway to connecting spiritually with G-d.

Every Shabbos we are fortunate to tell our story of evolution as a community of people that started on a journey with G-d centuries ago. We are reminded and learn weekly from Torah stories and Mitzvot of who we are and where we came from as a community.

Spiritual connection begins with our ‘compassionate-selves’. We need to have compassion and be kind to ourselves first in order to have ‘prayers heard’ by G-d and treat others with kindness (how can connect and be among others with compassion if we can’t treat ourselves kindly?). It is our compassion for others that can bring us closer to G-d.

Author and philosopher Sam Keen’s quote serves as a reminder of our capacity for spiritual connection with G-d and of G-d’s connection with our imperfection:
“You come to love not by finding the perfect person, but by seeing an imperfect person perfectly.”

Good Shabbos!

The focus of Parsha Mishpatim is a fresh start and new direction where commandments are first presented in the Torah to the Israelites. The story goes that G-d tells Moses what he needs to present to the Israelites though he does not tell Moses how he needs to communicate these laws.
Why the need for a long list of commandments? After living as slaves for years, divine guidance about right, wrong and what a just society looks like was in demand.

This Parsha is really about G-d giving Moses this long list of laws about how Israelites were to live and behave towards one another when dealing with areas of life such as slavery, ox goring, judicial ethics/corruption, sex, treatment of the poor and holiday observances. It seems like G-d was tuned into the salacious activities of people ‘sleeping around’ and neighbors killing neighbors ‘willy-nilly’ for like not returning a cup of borrowed sugar or stuff like that. For centuries rabbi’s have studied and deciphered the meanings and interpretations of these laws some of which have helped shaped various areas of our society such as the judicial system or how we provide for those who are impoverished.

The Parsha discusses how Moses orally presents these laws (initially from memory) to the Israelites. Following Moses’ ‘presentation’ and to confirm their understanding, these wayward and vulnerable Israelite survivors of slavery desperate for direction and a little hope respond by saying to Moses “nah-ah say” (we will do). So while Moses is certain he communicated this ‘preliminary’ list of laws the way G-d had communicated them to him, and he receives an oral ‘Israelite confirmation’, Moses does something out of the ordinary. He codifies and establish’s a permanent record of the commandments by writing them down on a scroll or tablet.

Back in the day many Israelites, & people in general, lacked the skills to read (weird for a group of people who have been referred to as ‘People of the Book’-you know, Torah, prayer books and Talmud). A quote from Theodore Bikel exemplifies this, “After the advent of the written word, the masses who could not – or were not permitted to – read, were given sermons by the few who could.”
Further still, the norm was not necessarily to write anything nor were Israelites necessarily capable of doing so, perhaps that is why back in the 5th century there were sofer’s or scribes (Jewish Scholars some who carry on the tradition today).

Moses reads the commandments again from the scroll/tablet that he annotates and those Israelites who were present repeat again, ‘nah-ah say’ and supposedly add,’ v’nish-ma’ (we will listen/obey). Of course as we may remember from last year’s Torah readings- some Israelites got it and understood and others maybe not so much as we will find out in weeks of Torah readings to come (not to be a spoiler but you know I’m referring to situations like golden calf’s, violence, wars, death and sexual inappropriateness – YIKES! Yep, stay tuned cuz it’s all in the line-up of 2022 Shabbat Torah readings!).
So as today’s Parsha goes, after Moses again receives oral confirmation from the People, he & Aaron along with Aaron’s son’s and 70 or so wise scholarly types from the tribe of Israel ascend Mount Sinai for another meet-up with G-d.

To spice up today’s story, supposedly, the Midrash describes what G-d does/says in front of this austere sub-group of Israelites (for example, picture G-d standing on a perch of beautiful opals and reiterating the laws/commandments once again). This story however is not all ‘Hollywood drama’ like the thunder bolts of lightning/dark clouds and G-d speaking from a cloud or from an ornate pedestal. It’s really about the commandments and more importantly how the divine laws were to be incorporated into daily life.
Other than the most fundamental idea that writing is a means of communication, did Moses have other motivations for ‘commandment documentation’?

Were they written because of the need for accuracy and to prove to G-d that if he understood the laws it would be easier for others to comply with the laws as well?

Did Moses’ believe that written laws were something that would be passed to future generations?

Or was writing these commandments an attempt to simply place emphasis on their holy and practical importance?

Maybe Moses had difficulty expressing the emotional aspects of the commandments and believed writing them down would provide further emphasis of their importance.

Today we write out of the desire or need to communicate our thoughts/ideas. Sometimes we communicate with the written word to sanctify our thoughts, feelings, actions and creativity. Written commitments and messages are found in, well, D’var Torah’s, the purchase or lease of residential property, marriage vows (a Ketubah) or (sometimes) a Gettin for a divorce. Meaningful written words are key components of legal documents like a traffic ticket as well as children’s bedtime story.

I often need reminding that while written words are important, often it’s how words are expressed in our spoken messages that affects the recipients acceptance of the message itself.
So going forward today may we remember the moment by moment importance of our written and spoken words and how we communicate our messages for others.

May we be safe.
May we be healthy.
May we be happy.
May we be joyful.

Good Shabbos!

Today’s Parasha is supposedly the least dramatic and emotional of many Torah stories.  Personally I kinda think that Bamidbar (you know the one where the tribes are counted) is not so exciting either.  So rather than look for drama in this parasha over the deaths of Jacob and Joseph, or Jacob’s blessing of Ephriam & Manassah or….well you know,  sometimes Midrash commentaries provide inspired and expanded illustrations.

Just before he dies, Joseph get’s the Israelites and his brothers to swear/promise an oath that they will take his bones when they leave Egypt (to be buried in Shechem).  So Joseph shares expectations of what he wants done with his bones upon his death but that’s about it. No more discussion in the Torah about this except once in Exodus where Moses carries the excess bone baggage out of Egypt. No bones about it.

According to Rabbi Stephen Pearce, centuries later Rabbis imagined what preparing for the Exodus might have looked like. While Israelites crammed possessions into sacks, Moses may have searched frantically for Josephs remains to make good on the oath.  Maybe, after an initial search, Moses learns that the Egyptians hid Joseph’s remains in the Nile River, not only to allow the body/bones to consecrate the water, but more importantly to prevent the Israelites  from leaving Egypt because of the Israelites promise/oath made to Joseph. Ok – so here is some drama -Moses learns of Joseph’s burial in the Nile and raced to its shores and calls, “Joseph, Joseph, the time has come in which God swore to redeem Israel, and for the fulfillment of the oath you had Israel swear to you.  Israel is waiting for you.”  With those words, Joseph’s coffin bobs to the surface; Moses retrieves it and takes it on his desert wanderings until it could be buried in the Promised Land (Deuteronomy Rabah 11:7; Babylonian Talmud, Sotah 13a-b).

What a timely parasha. It got me thinking about how the deaths of these patriarchs were handled. Recently as you may know we have had our own experience with the passing of a matriarch, Lorraine Ruth Fenig Goldner who actually helped us make a minion during the beginning of the high holidays. Sue Kramer, Sharon Kaplan and Barry Goldner (Lorraine’s children) have collectively learned much from this experience. For example:

Her experience of death was never about anyone except Lorraine.  What were her wishes? What was in her living will/will? What about her burial? What were her terms and conditions?

Thank goodness Lorraine planned ahead to assure no surprises/no guess work. Sue, Sharon and Barry knew what their mom Lorraine wanted. No need to locate the sworn oath or pledge to this or that. Everyone was on the same page.

Life changing events like death can pull families apart. Lorraine’s passing was what was needed at this very important and solemn time to bring the family closer together.

Death is both complicated and it’s not.
Medical professionals who are also the child/children of a terminal patient are faced with challenges that can make it hard to compartmentalize and separate emotions from medical decisions.
Sometimes death comes in a quiet patient room when no one is present.
Lorraine’s final peaceful breath was expelled simply from hearing the voice of her son surrounded by family.

This family is grateful for caring and thoughtful medical teams.
This family is grateful for a loving support network.
This family is grateful for a Jewish community that supports one another allowing a grieving family to focus on their emotions of many, many, memories past.

Sometimes to find our way, we all need to step back and let others do the work.

Regrets are easy to come by. Forgive yourself.
Know with humility that those who have passed with dignity are in a better place than the vulnerable suffering state where they were.

How do we maintain the dignity of our loved ones memories and honor them the way we expect they would wish to be honored? Perhaps the way the Israelites honored Jacob and Joseph.

There was hope back in the day for a brighter future where we remembered the promises to be kept and anticipation for living in a Promised Land where we would flourish.

Peace & Good Shabbos!

“Change isn’t made by asking permission. Change is made by asking forgiveness, later”   Seth Godin

As in past years, this week’s Parsha for me is all about forgiveness and loving ones-self. It starts with Judah, with all of his brothers present, who pleads with the viceroy of Egypt, that his brother Benjamin be set free after Benjamin steals a silver cup from Pharaoh upon a visit to the Egyptian palace. Judah offers to switch places with Benjamin to become a prisoner or slave (of course Judah was following through on an agreement with the brothers and dad Jacob to protect Benjamin).

The viceroy (brother Joseph) tells his brothers  not to worry about their past transgressions (you know the plot they

In today’s Parasha Moses describes the commandments of oaths and vows in ongoing oral law; the Israelites battle the Midianites; the tribes of Reuben and Gad negotiate with Moses to allow their people to dwell outside of the Land of Israel for the sake of their livestock and their families. In fact, Moses tells the leaders of the tribes that they need to put children, families and education first.

Today let’s briefly look at the commandments of oaths and vows and why G-d wanted the leaders of the 12 tribes to practice and embrace them.

According to Encyclopedia.com, a vow is a personal promise, where an oath can be a sworn promise made before an institutional authority. Oaths serve as objective guarantees of what is promised. When swearing to tell the truth, one guarantees that what one says is true.

We may think of an oath when one is sworn into a public office to protect the public or when one is sworn in before taking the stand as a defendant or witness in a courtroom or there is also an oath of enlistment for military service members. While we’re on the oath track let’s remember the Hippocratic oath: One of the oldest oaths in history, written by Hippocrates is still held practiced by physicians: to treat the ill to the best of one’s ability, to preserve a patient’s privacy, to teach the secrets of medicine to the next generation, and so on.

Examples of vows can be found from marriage to Buddhism amongst monks (just realized that this is a weird grouping – that is marriage and monks). At any rate, Monks take a vow of silence in order to create proper language and speech. A belief they hold is that not saying everything that comes to mind will help prevent expressing harmful words. As a result, monks may tend to choose words that ‘best suit the moment’ (BuddhismZone.org).

Further, observing a vow of silence can lead to promoting listening abilities. So monks train themselves through a vow of silence to speak less and listen more. By doing so, it said that they can hear others out which in turn helps create not only growth toward enlightenment but also trust in the individual and spoken words.
Today’s Parasha is about trust. As Rabbi Jonathan Sacks stated, “If trust breaks down, social relationships break down, and then society depends on law enforcement agencies or some other use of force. When force is widely used, society is no longer free. The only way free human beings can form collaborative and cooperative relationships without recourse to force is by the use of verbal undertakings honored by those who make them.”

This was true for the leaders of the 12 tribes particularly during the battles of the day (as in ‘I have your back’) as it is for those that fight to defend freedom throughout the world. And what were the Israelites fighting for? Perhaps it was enduring freedom they sought since fleeing Egypt.

Rabbi Sacks also points out that, “freedom needs trust; trust needs people to keep their word; and keeping your word means treating words as holy AND vows and oaths as sacrosanct. Only under very special and precisely formulated circumstances can you be released from your undertakings. That is why, as the Israelites approached the holy land where they were to create a free society, they had to be reminded of the sacred character of vows and oaths.”
The temptation to break your word when it fits the moment is easy unless one believes in ‘their word’. That is why a basic belief in an omnipresent and omnipotent G-d who oversees all we think, say and do, and who holds us accountable to our commitments is a key element of this Parasha.

Another example of the general belief in G-d is quoted by John Locke, a 17th century English philosopher who believed that ‘citizenship should not be extended to atheists’ because, essentially, how could one trust another who did not believe in G-d?

It seems that laws about vows and oaths at the end of Bamidbar, as the Israelites approach the holy land, are intentional more than an accident or mere coincidence. A free society depends on trust. Trust depends on keeping your word. Perhaps that is how derech ertez came to be a key quality of character among us by not only our behaviors but also the ideas, language and words we used to create our culture.

Rabbi Eliyahu Saffran sums up the Parasha message best with this quote “While oaths and vows are commandments of Torah, “we would do well to remember the Jewish principle of “derech eretz kadma l’Torah” – meaning that “decency, and kind behavior should precede Torah.”.

So what can we take away from today’s Parsha? When you give your word make sure you understand the consequences or costs of not following through. Bring light to your words through actions that are urgent, sincere, generous and personal. Your words in the form of a vow or oath are like a promise. G-d did not promise stability when creating the covenant with Abraham. He promised that if we believed and followed G-d’s word he would guide and protect us and give us a land flowing with milk and honey.

May our promises vows and oaths bring peace, health and healing for ourselves, our families and our community. Amen and good Shabbos.

Today’s Torah portion tells the story of Korah the cousin of Moses and Aaron who questions the ‘spirtual leadership’ of the Israelites. Moses defends the divine appointment of Aaron as Kohen Gadol  and clarifies the wearing of Tallit.

Korah has been called the ‘rebel of the Torah’. Did you know that according to historical accounts ‘of the day’,  Korah and Haman were two of the wealthiest people in the world.  Korah supposedly had discovered one of the treasures Joseph had hidden during his reign.

Korah was also a Levite and born in Egypt and one of the Israelites that was witness to the miracles of the Exodus.

Why was Korah considered a ‘rebel’?

Korah’s rebellious nature showed up as a lack of spiritual intent and also a lack of desire to be an Israelite follower in the community at large.   Korah questions -(with great doubt and self-righteous authority) – why Moses and Aaron take on so much responsibility on behalf of the Israelites and actually asks Moses, “…is that not G-d’s responsibility?”

General disbelief, contemptuous statements and attempts to discredit Moses and Aaron appear to come from Korah’s ‘devine disillusionment’. For example, how could the chosen people’s path to freedom be completed with his retired shepherd cousin and his brother Aaron who Korah believes was anointed (by way of nepotism or self-assignment) as the high priest of the ‘Chosen People’.

He was jealous about Aaron’s role that he genuinely believed was his (or perhaps anyone else in the Israelite community). Elitzafan, another cousin of Korah, was also appointed a leader of the Levite family called the Kehot.   Korah had greivances for sure, felt like an outsider and due to his jealous values, wanted more than personal riches could provide.

Another example of Korah’s attempts to discredit Israelite leadership were found in his views and personal  challenge to Moses (and G-d) regarding the Mitzvot of Tallit and specifically tizitzit.

The Torah instructs Jews (men) to wear tzitzit (fringes, tassels, or strings) on the corners of a four-corner garment. Essentially the tallit material can be any shape as long as there are four corners where tizitzit are secured.  Another notable detail is tekhelet – the blue (or turquoise) string as noted in the Torah:

“…and they shall affix a thread of sky blue