The phrase ‘Close, but No Cigar’ is used to indicate that you have fallen just short of a successful outcome and have received no reward for your efforts. How does that apply to today’s parshah?

No one has been as influential over the history of the Jewish people than Moses – the man who confronted Pharaoh, announced the plagues, brought the people out of Egypt, led them through the sea and desert and suffered their multiple ingratitudes for forty years. He brought the word of God to the people and prayed for the people to God. Moses was the man whose passion for justice and receptivity to the voice of God made him the greatest leader of all time.

According to today’s parshah, the Israelites were complaining about the lack of water in the wilderness after Miriam died. God instructed Moses to speak to a rock and command it to yield water for the people. However, Moses, in his frustration with the Israelites and while grieving for Miriam, struck the rock twice with his staff instead of speaking to it as commanded.

This act of disobedience was seen as a lack of faith and a failure to uphold God’s holiness before the people. As a consequence, God told Moses and his brother Aaron that they would not lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. Aaron died shortly afterward, and Moses, though he could see the land from Mount Nebo, was not allowed to cross over into it himself. Instead, God appointed Joshua to lead the Israelites into Canaan

Few passages have generated so much controversy among the commentators. Each offers his own interpretation for what Moses’ main offence was and challenges the other explanations. There were so many hypotheses that a nineteenth century Italian interpreter R. Shmuel David Luzzatto wrote, “Moses committed one sin, yet the commentators have accused him of thirteen or more – each inventing some new iniquity!”

Moses’ inability to understand the distinction between striking vs. speaking was not a failing or a sin. It was an inescapable consequence of the fact that he was mortal. What he failed to understand was that time had changed in one essential detail. He was facing a new generation. The people he confronted the first time he struck a rock years ago were those who had spent much of their lives as slaves in Egypt. Those he now faced were born into freedom in the wilderness. A figure capable of leading slaves to freedom is not the same as one able to lead free human beings from a nomadic existence in the wilderness to the conquest and settlement of a land. There are different challenges, and they need different types of leadership. Indeed, the whole biblical story of how a short journey took forty years teaches us this truth. Great change does not take place overnight. It takes more than one generation – and therefore more than one type of leader The fact that at a moment of crisis Moses reverted to an act that had been appropriate forty years before showed that time had come for new leadership for this new generation

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks writes that each age produces its leaders, and each leader is a function of an age. There are certain timeless truths about leadership. A leader must have courage and integrity. He must be able to relate to each individual according to his or her distinctive needs. Above all, a leader must be able to constantly learn and adjust to change. These are necessary, not sufficient, conditions. A leader must be sensitive to the call of the hour – this hour, this generation, this chapter in the long story of a people. And because he or she is of a specific generation, even the greatest leader cannot meet the challenges of a different generation. That is not a failing. It is the existential condition of humanity.

There is one critical difference between slaves and free human beings. Slaves respond to orders. Free people do not. They must be educated, informed, instructed, and taught. If not, they will not learn to take responsibility. Slaves understand that a stick is used for striking. That is how slave-masters compel obedience. But free human beings must not be struck. They respond, not to power but persuasion. They need to be spoken to. What Moses failed to hear and understand was that the difference between God’s command then and now, i.e. “strike the rock” and “speak to the rock” was of the essence. The symbolism in each case related to the mentalities of two different generations. You strike a slave but speak to a free person.

As a leader of the people for 40 years, Moses failed to educate a new generation that was ready for a relationship with God.  This generation of Israelites speaks the same scripts as their fathers and mothers. But Moses has not transformed their destructive attitudes or values. He has not successfully refashioned the Israelites’ loyalty and the incident at the rock emphasizes his failure of leadership. This event at the rock showed it was time for new leadership that might be successful in inspiring new loyalties to the God who had taken the people out of Egypt.

Great leadership is about successfully orienting change. Leadership involves developing a vision of the future and implementing strategies to achieve that vision. Leadership means motivating and inspiring people to change habits, attitudes and values that might have prevented them from achieving their goals. When a leaders’ style and approach are outdated, their teams and colleagues stop responding.

Letting go is one of the hardest parts of effective leadership. An effective leader sets a clear vision to help their teams see what matters most. It is to clearly communicate their vision and establish shared, explicit expectations. Effective leaders identify who, what, when, where, and why. Responsibility entails the strategic and purposeful passing of the baton from one person to the next at the right time. Effective leaders provide support and praise. Effective leaders follow up on met and unmet expectations.

Sometimes being a good leader means knowing when it is time to step down and let others lead. How do you know when it’s time to step down? There are some areas to consider:  Is the organization in a strong position? Do you have good potential replacements on board? If you have good succession planning, then you should have individuals ready to move forward into the leadership position. This allows you to step down with confidence. Is there a different skill set needed? Can someone else do it better? Being a good leader means recognizing your own strengths and weaknesses and letting someone else lead when it is best for the organization. Every organization needs to evolve and grow. If you can’t allow that, then you need to go. New leadership brings innovative ideas, experiences, and energy to an organization that can increase its impact.

Many leaders today don’t belong in leadership positions anymore.   The success factors for leadership have changed drastically because of the demands of a new global marketplace. Leadership is what defines a company’s success and long-term sustainability.    Just ask Blockbuster, Blackberry and MySpace.   Their leadership obviously didn’t think, act and innovate enough to anticipate and keep up with the leadership activities that were taking place at Netflix, Apple, and Facebook. 

Leadership is about seamlessly being able to reinvent yourself, your organization and the people who serve it – all at the same time.  If you or your organization’s leaders lack this ability – it’s time for a refresh. People and organizations deserve the best leadership and it is your responsibility to change it when it no longer works.

Moses was a great leader. The nobility of his character and his capacity for restraining himself from reacting to insults and his desire to unite people and see to their welfare all comprise the unique nature of his leadership. Yes, Moses is a hero of legendary proportions who can calm an angry God yet chastise and redirect his people when they panic. But his ability to be the leader of the Israelites crumbled with the incident at the rock.

He was the ideal leader for the desert, the only one who could give direction and purpose to the wanderings. But he is not the leader for the new free generation, the one to build a covenantal community in Eretz Israel.

Close, but no cigar.

It says in Parsha Behar that the land shall have a Sabbath every 7th year. It shall be a complete year of rest for the land. The 50th year shall be sacred, and it shall be a jubilee year. God also says: “The land must not be sold in perpetuity for the land is mine.” Tucked away in the parshah, almost as an aside in the course of explaining the laws of the year of release in which debts are canceled, is one of Judaism’s most important institutions, the principle of tzedakah.

Jews are certainly familiar with the idea of giving tzedakah. As Jews, giving money to charity is a fundamental value that we are encouraged to practice from a young age. Many Jewish homes have a tzedakah box for collecting coins for the poor. Some traditional Jews give at least ten percent of their income to charity. Giving to charity is an almost instinctive Jewish response to express thanks to G-d, to ask forgiveness from G-d, or to request a favor from G-d. 

 A 2010 study at the University of Indiana found that Jewish philanthropy in the United States exceeds that of any other group. In January 2023, the Times of Israel reported that half of America’s most generous philanthropists are Jewish.

Although giving tzedakah and giving charity might seem similar on the surface, the two have different origins and meanings. In Jewish tradition, tzedakah is an obligation, whereas charity is typically seen as a voluntary act. The roots of the two terms illustrate the distinction. Charity comes from the Latin word which means love or dearness, suggesting that charitable acts are motivated by love. In contrast, tzedakah is connected with the word tzedec, meaning righteousness or justice. More than just generosity, it carries connotations of an ethical obligation.

Additionally, although we often associate tzedakah with giving money, tzedakah isn’t limited to monetary gifts. It can also include offerings of food, clothing, time, or expertise.

Tzedakah is a constituent of Jewish community life, the moral bond between Jew and Jew (though it should be noted that Jewish law also obligates Jews to give tzedakah to non-Jews). It is foundational to the concept of a covenantal society which is an ethical enterprise constructed on the basis of mutual responsibility.

What are the other differences between Tzedakah and charity? As mentioned, charities are voluntary contributions while tzedakah is a religious duty. Some sages have said that tzedakah is the highest of all commandments, equal to all of them combined, and that a person who does not perform tzedakah is equivalent to an idol worshipper. This is probably hyperbole, but it illustrates the importance of tzedakah in Jewish thought. Tzedakah is one of the three acts that gain us forgiveness from our sins. The High Holiday liturgy repeatedly states that G-d has inscribed a judgment against all who have sinned, but teshuvah (repentance), tefilah (prayer) and tzedakah can alleviate the decree. The Jewish law describes the act of giving tzedakah as a mitzvah, a religious duty to perform a good deed. Tzedakah is all about doing what is right. Unlike regular charity, which is free of any rules, there are a few tzedakah guidelines that need to be adhered to. These guidelines help bring structure and make this practice even more effective in curbing poverty. By announcing it as a way of serving justice, it also ensures the donor remains humble and not boastful.

Charity, simply put, is giving to others simply because they asked. A person with a charitable nature is one who freely gives of his own money or belongings to others, regardless of how much the other person deserves what he is getting. There is no ulterior motive other than to help out another person who is in need. If someone gives for some kind of personal gain, it is hard to call that person charitable. Tzedakah is all that, with one exception. With tzedakah, the giving has little to do with what a person feels about being charitable and everything to do with being righteous. You give to others in need because it is the moral thing to do, because it is what God wants you to do, as expressed in Jewish law.

Maimonides describes eight different levels of Tzedakah. The lowest level is when one gives unwillingly. The greatest level, above which there is no greater, is to support a fellow Jew by endowing him with a gift or loan, or entering into a partnership with him, or finding employment for him, in order to strengthen his hand so that he will not need to be dependent upon others.

This is why the greatest act of charity is not simply giving money to a stranger. It is to help someone get on their feet, to do whatever you can, in whatever small or large way, to point them in the direction of self-sufficiency. You’re not simply giving them a job, but self-dignity, the most important human asset.

Dignity is crucial, as is a certain amount of personal independence, and nothing provides both better than being a responsible person.

Jewish tradition generally hold that everyone has an obligation to give tzedakah, including those who are themselves in need. Why would a poor person be obligated to give tzedakah? According to Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, it is because giving imparts dignity to the giver. “Tzedakah is not only directed to people’s physical needs, but also their psychological situation,” he wrote. “The paradox of giving is that when we give to another, it is we ourselves who are lifted.” While physical needs can be met by others or the community, psychological needs are just as crucial. Therefore, those dependent on tzedakah should still give to others, ensuring no one is stripped of the dignity that comes from giving.

However, what is the halacha for giving Tzedakah if the person in need is lazy? What if the person collecting Tzedakah is someone who could be working to make his own living but has chosen to live off the consciences and free handouts of generous others. Halacha says it is forbidden to give anything to such a poor person. This is because, whereas charity is a means to financially help the poor, either with money or something else of value,  Tzedakah a way to give a person what he really needs, and what he would really want if he knew better.

If a person is pursuing a life of charity because he refuses to take responsibility for his life, then the godly thing to do would be not to give him a handout, in order to force him to take responsibility for his life. Of course, this is hard to know about strangers, especially when they show up at your door for the first time or approach you while you are in your car at a stoplight. There is no question that today there are lots of frauds, making it very difficult for real people, but it is very hard to tell those who truly need tzedakah from those who do not.

The Israelites were charged with creating a society in which everyone has a basic right to a dignified life and equal worth as citizens in the covenantal community under the sovereignty of God.  To repeat,Tzedakah concerns not just physical needs but psychological ones also. Poverty humiliates, and a good society will not allow humiliation. Protecting dignity and avoiding humiliation was a systematic element of rabbinical law.

By recognizing that our wealth and property are part of something greater, we are reminded to cherish and not take them for granted. Such an understanding reinforces the principle that we should not let money dominate our lives but be continually grateful for what we have. Giving tzedakah doesn’t merely support others; it cultivates gratitude and humility within us.

Traditional Jews observe the dietary laws derived mostly from today’s Parsha, Shemini. Thousands of years before the 19th century saying, “You are what you eat” came into being, Judaism recognized the essential significance of food in the Jewish and human experience. Originally, without explaining why we should eat some but not all types of food, the Torah laid down a lengthy list of culinary do’s and don’ts, the textural foundation of kashrut. Subsequently, the laws of kashrut were expanded by the rabbis to include food preparation in general and, especially on the Shabbat, the full separation of milk and meat products, methods of slaughter, and a whole range of food regulations during Passover. The dietary laws constitute a way of sanctifying the act of eating. 

However, in this, as well as other matters of the Jewish religious law and custom, the degree and manner of observance differs among contemporary Jews.  As mentioned, the Torah does not give specific reasons for most of the laws of kashrut. However, a number of explanations have been offered, including maintaining ritual purity, teaching impulse control, encouraging obedience to God, improving health, reducing cruelty to animals and preserving the distinctness of the Jewish community. Many modern Jews think that the laws of kashrut are simply primitive health regulations that have become obsolete with modern methods of food preparation and storage.

The short answer as to why Jews observe these laws is because the Torah says so. For the Torah observant, traditional Jew, there is no need for any other reason. Some have suggested that the laws of kashrut fall into the category of chukkim, laws for which there is no reason.

Keeping kosher isn’t meaningful for everyone when it means following seemingly arbitrary rules. Keeping kosher is about our relationship with the sustenance God gives us. Just like our body is a gift, food is a gift.

According to a national Jewish population survey, 24% of self-identified Conservative Jews keep Kosher at home. 17% of all American Jews report they keep kosher in their homes. Part of that 17% keep kosher at home but eat nonkosher food out of the home to one degree or another. Some will eat food in a restaurant or nonkosher home, as long as the meal is either vegetarian or uses only kosher meat and no dairy products. Some will eat nonkosher meat in restaurants, but only if the comes from a kosher animal and is not served with dairy products. Some will go all out and eat bacon cheeseburgers out of the home while keeping strictly kosher in their home. Even within the home, standards of kashrut that people employ vary. Some are very strict; others are more lenient in what they accept as reliable certifications. This flexible practice emerged in the 1920’s amongst Jews assimilating into American society, who sought connection with their heritage without fully observing dietary laws.

 Rabbi and humorist Jack Moline noted,” Everyone who keeps kosher will tell you that his version is the only correct version. Everyone else is either a fanatic or a heretic.”

All of this all of this brings up questions I have to ask myself. Since I don’t keep kosher, does that mean I am a bad Jew? Does it mean I am not religious?  Should I tally up how many of the 613 commandments I observe to determine if I am religious?  What is the difference between being religious and being observant? Religious refers to beliefs and values, whereas observant involves ritual practices and carrying out daily mitzvot. Though many religious Jews are also observant, there are also many who are not. One author who I read feels that religion is your relationship with God and observance is your relationship with other people. There is no modern Hebrew term for someone who is religious but not observant. In Jewish life today, there are many who fall in this category and are often referred to as. “Cultural Jews.”  The complexity and totality of what it means to be Jewish can’t be condensed into a litmus test of what you eat.

To assess myself, I asked: what are the characteristics of a good Jew. Rabbi Stewart Weiss suggests a top 10 of qualities that define a “good Jew.” First, is Humility. “A person wrapped up in himself makes for a very small package.” Next, is Chessed which combines the features of compassion, kindness and charity. Then there is Justice, Truth, Modesty, Scholarship, Courage, Faith, Optimism, and Israel.

I decided to ask Chat GPT the same question. It’s answer: “A good Jew can mean different things to different people, as Judaism is a diverse religion with various interpretations and practices. However, there are some common principles and values that Jews consider important for leading a meaningful and fulfilling Jewish life. Here are some aspects often associated with being a “good Jew.”  Observance of mitzvot, Study and education, Prayer and spiritual practice, Community engagement, Ethical behavior, Tikkun Olam, Connection to Jewish identity and heritage, personal growth and reflection.”

In thinking what is the “right” way to be Jewish, I accept that there are many valid Jewish backgrounds and lifestyles. You are a good Jew if you are a good person.

Most Jewish people I know are religious in that they hold values and beliefs that are derived from the Jewish tradition and nurtured by our own culture. Our task is to encourage them to set up a discipline of religious practices that are compatible with their personal views, thus ensuring the continuity of our tradition and culture.

 It is essential to recognize that there is diversity within the Jewish community, and individuals may prioritize different aspects of Jewish practice and belief. At the end of the day, religiosity is a personal experience, and while guidelines may help, they can guarantee no outcome. Just as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so, too, is how religious one is.

One person might feel extremely close to God and believe religion inspires his or her life, but never attend religious services. Another person may attend religious services regularly, and yet feel distant from God or not prioritize religion over other dimensions of life. Not everyone would agree which of these two individuals is “more religious”.

When we let go of the self-conscious idea of being a “good” or “bad”, Jew and accept ourselves for who we are, we are better able to truly connect with our faith. This open outlook welcomes all kinds of Jews, removing the boundaries that history has created in helping our diverse and multifaceted community create a more beautiful Judaism.

So, what are we to make about all of this? Although I may not be the most observant Jew, I definitely have a personal relationship with God in my life and, therefore, I feel I am religious.  I believe in God just as much as many of those who might be described as “more religious” than I am. In keeping with our commitment to Judaism, we should choose practices that elevate our spirits and move us to ethical action. We should not criticize our fellow Jews, who also study and make decisions, even if their choices and practices are very different from our own. And, above all, we should renew our commitment to making the world a better place, whatever we do or do not eat.

To paraphrase a couple commercial sayings “Jew it your way” or “Just Jew It.”

Summary: In Ki Tissa, we read about Moses descending from the mountain with the tablets only to find the people celebrating the Golden Calf which they built in his absence. In his anger, Moses smashes the tablets, and he chastises the people; he then pleads with God to forgive the people and ascends the mountain a second time to receive the second set of tablets.

As I first started preparation of this dvar, I was troubled by Aaron’s instruction and encouragement of the people in constructing the Golden Calf. It doesn’t make sense to me that Moses left Aaron ‘in charge’ and Aaron essentially encouraged idolatry! What was he thinking? Was he just trying to placate the masses as a diversion technique… sort of ‘keep the children busy’ while the parents are away?!

I decided to leave that wonderment alone and found 2 other themes to explore:

• The benefit of a do-over (with forgiveness in between)
• The benefit of engaging the process

Moses pleads with God to forgive the people for so rapidly turning their thoughts away from God and toward an idol. The people are simply human – they were bored, they were uncertain, they were weak and easily swayed – and yet, this is no reason to annihilate them. Moses pleads with God to tame his anger and to remember his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

But Moses implored the Lord his God, saying, “Let not Your anger, O Lord, blaze forth against Your people, whom You delivered from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand.  Let not the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that He delivered them, only to kill them off in the mountains and annihilate them from the face of the earth.’ Turn from Your blazing anger, and renounce the plan to punish Your people.  

Remember Your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, how You swore to them by Your Self and said to them: I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven, and I will give to your offspring this whole land of which I spoke, to possess forever.”  And the Lord renounced the punishment He had planned to bring upon His people.

Wow – Moses persuaded God… that’s a dvar in itself… for another time.

Forgiveness and then a second set of tablets – this is a do-over. God and Moses are giving the people a second chance to learn and follow God’s commandments.

Think about times when perhaps you lost your temper and said something that you later regretted, or a time when you promised to do something but didn’t get it done. Did you apologize and ask for forgiveness? Did you correct your errors?

The lesson here is that the Golden Calf is the greatest sin in the history of the Jewish people and yet, God allows the people a second chance. All is not lost.

What happened to the smashed pieces?

The two sets of tablets, the broken ones and their replacements, are stored together in perpetuity in the Ark of the Covenant.

There is the notion of keeping the broken pieces because they are a reminder of our frailties; they are a reminder that we break, but we can heal. They are a reminder that we can make mistakes and we can recover – all is not lost.

Things that break and heal are often stronger than the original. Building muscle requires tearing first; scar tissue and healed bones can be stronger than before injury. And we can even make something beautiful out of the broken pieces… such as a lovely mezuzah made from the broken glass gathered from the chupah.

From Chabad teachings online, I found that Yossy Goldman commented that:

“G‑d gave us a perfect Torah. The tablets were hand-made by G‑d, pure and sacred, and then we messed up. So is it all over? Is there really no hope now? Are we beyond redemption? After all, what could possibly be worse than idolatry? We broke the first two commandments and the tablets were shattered into smithereens because we were no longer worthy to have them. It was the ultimate infidelity.

So Torah teaches that all is not lost. As bad as it was — and it was bad — it is possible for man to repair the damage. Moses will make new tablets. They won’t be quite the same as G‑d’s, but there will be Tablets nonetheless.”

What does that mean – that the new tablets are not quite the same. How are they different??

For the first set of tablets, Moses ascended the mountain to receive the commandments from God. It is written

When He finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the Pact, stone tablets inscribed with the finger of God.

After God agrees to give the people a second chance,

The Lord said to Moses: “Carve two tablets of stone like the first, and I will inscribe upon the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you shattered.”  

So Moses carved two tablets of stone, like the first, and early in the morning he went up on Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him, taking the two stone tablets with him. 

And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he ate no bread and drank no water; and he wrote down on the tablets the terms of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.

Why is the first set inscribed by God and the second set is inscribed by Moses?

Did God do a bait and switch?! He said if Moses would bring the second carved tablets, God would inscribe upon the tablets the words that were on the first tablets… but then we read that it was Moses who spent his 40days and nights with the Lord writing the tablets himself. Why did Moses write the second set?!

I think this exemplifies a second theme which is the benefit of engaging in the process. God kind of says – you broke them, you fix them. Why is that helpful? It is taking responsibility; it is a different level of commitment when you do the work yourself. It is also an opportunity to embed human understanding into the commandments.

Think back to when you were in school or perhaps advice you have given young people to take notes while you are listening to a lecture or writing notes after you have listened to a lecture. The act of writing in addition to listening creates a second neural path in your brain and helps you remember the information better than if you only listened.

I think there is also an enormous benefit to engaging in the process and learning from your mistakes. I know in my current job that the lessons that stick in my mind the best are the ones I have learned while recovering from ‘stepping in it’.

For me, the key takeaways from parsha Ki Tissa are:

• We’re only human. If God can forgive the people for this immense infidelity, we should be able to forgive ourselves as well for our human frailties.
• We make mistakes, and we have opportunities to be forgiven and repair those mistakes.
• It is incumbent upon us to take those opportunities.
• It is incumbent upon us to engage in the process of healing/repair with thoughtfulness and intent.

Shabbat Shalom

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Sources and Inspirations:

https://www.jtsa.edu/torah/ki-tissa-torah/

https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/157695?lang=bi

https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/27764?lang=bi

https://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/367485/jewish/Why-Keep-the-Broken-Pieces.htm

https://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/259732/jewish/Picking-Up-the-Pieces.htm

In this parshah there is mention of many colors as required for mishkan, the tabernacle, the altar, the Torah covers, and their garments.

Sash of linen in turquoise, purple and scarlet wool, of an embroiderer’s craft.

Robe’s hem they made with pomegranate design of turquoise, purple and scarlet wool, twisted.

They made bells of pure gold amid the pomegranates on the hem of the Robe.

Colored stones

Breastplate made of chains with gold settings and gold rings placed on the ends of the Breastplate.

Copper Altar

Gold, turquoise, purple and scarlet wool and linen twisted.

The colored stones were encircled in gold.

They made shohan stones encircled with gold settings like the engraving of a signet ring according to the names of the sons of Israel.

The color purple may have is place in the Mishkan and clothing of the ancient Priests, so people notice it.

Purple is a mix of red and blue. Perhaps indicating how we seek G-d. We view colors separately and comgined symbolizing ourr

Torah covers can be blue, maroons, texture, with braided gold trim. What does that add to our shul experience.

On the HH they are white, is white no color, or deliberately white, is that heavenly, ethereal, what does it mean to us?

When in mourning we wear black, does wearing black make us sad, feel solemn, does it make us feel better. What does that add to the experience of loss and mourning to wear black?

When we dress for shul, do we chose one color over another with any kind of meaning? We usually dress casual, yet often dress up for shul. Wearing a dress, different attire than the rest of the week, I feel different, better when I dress up. It makes shul a special event and it is.

What color is your shabbat? Things to think about. There is a biblical significance to colors and textures. We feel differently when wearing linen, cotton. Or wool. Perhaps the shabbat experience is different if we dress in turquoise, purple, scarlet and gold. There may be a different experience of spirituality when dressed in these colors or a white experience and a black experience, different with each color or a blend of colors,  let’s enjoy a colorful shabbat. Is there a color that will bring peace?

When I feel blue, should I wear blue? Would everyone know I was feeling blue?

Let us continue to pray for peace in The Ukraine and in Israel.

Wishing you a colorful Shabbat shalom

Helen Keller said: “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” Andrew Carnegie said: “Teamwork is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.” I think we can all agree with these statements. Both apply to today’s parshah. In parshah Terumah, God says to Moses,”They shall make for me a sanctuary, and I shall dwell amongst them.” On the summit of Mount Sinai, Moses is given detailed instructions on how to construct this dwelling for God so that it could be readily dismantled, transported and reassembled as the people journeyed the desert. Many chapters in the torah are devoted to the fine details of this task.

The building of the Mishkan is the Israelites first great constructive and collaborative act after crossing the Red Sea, leaving the domain of Egypt and entering their new domain as the people of God. The tabernacle, small and fragile though it was, was an event of huge significance. It brought the divine presence down from heaven to earth. God came close to the Israelites through the building of this sanctuary. It was the fact that it was built out of the gifts of “everyone whose heart prompts them to give”. It was where people gave voluntarily to one another and to holy causes. That is where the divine presence rests.

Remember, it was after the occurrence of the Golden Calf that God tasked the Israelites with building a Tabernacle. The Jews compiled their resources including gold, silver, and leather, as well as their time and skill, to build this House of Worship. Up until this point, the Israelites were known for their complaining. The difference, however, between this event and others before this, was that they built the Tabernacle without complaint.

The building of the Mishkan will force the Israelites to work together in harmony and unison to construct something better than they would have constructed had they been tasked to do so as individuals working alone. It helped prepare them for a common future. The people’s participation in the making of the tabernacle will unify the nation in a different way. It will elevate the seemingly mundane work of construction into a sacred vocation, dedicated to the service of the one God who freed them from Egypt. These former slaves are no strangers to building monuments and cities. In contrast, constructing the tabernacle and all its finery will be holy work that aims to create sacred space and sacred instruments of worship.  This Mishkan became the model and prototype for all subsequent homes for God constructed on Earth.

Team building, even after a disaster like the Golden Calf, is neither a mystery nor a miracle. It is done by giving the group a task, one that speaks to their passions. You can turn even hostile factions into a single cohesive group, so long as they are faced with the challenge that all can achieve together, but none can do alone. It must be constructive. Every member of the group must be able to make a unique contribution, and then feel that it has been valued. Each must be able to say, with pride: I helped make this. That is what Moses understood and did. He knew that if you want to build a team, create a team that builds. The team in this case is not a small group, but rather the entire Israelite nation.

Teamwork occurs when a group of individuals work together toward a collective goal in an efficient manner. It involves the combined efforts of individual members who bring their unique knowledge and skills to the table. Rabbi Abramski suggests that the ultimate purpose of each individual is to combine his/her personality, with all of its contradictions and complexities, with the personalities of others. Thereby, the group will be composed of a multitude of individuals whose stark differences result in a harmonious and well-functioning group. Strong team dynamics enable individual members to divide complex projects into manageable tasks, which will enhance productivity and enable an organization to function more effectively. Moreover, successful teamwork creates a supportive network that can significantly enhance job satisfaction and morale. Team leaders play an important role in promoting open communication and ensuring that each member’s voice is heard which can lead to better decision making and positive effect on the desired goals.

Another interesting aspect of building the Mishkan can be found in the work of behavioral economist Dan Ariely. He did a series of experiments on what is known as the IKEA effect or “why we overvalue what we make.” The name comes, of course, from the store that sells self- assembly furniture. Most of us have been there. After we construct something, even if the item is amateurish, we tend to feel a certain pride in it. We can say, “ I made this,” even if someone else designed it, produced the pieces, and wrote the instructions.  Ariely’s conclusions of his studies were that the effort that we put into something does not change the object. It changes us in the way we evaluate the object. The greater the labor, the greater the love for what we have made.

The Mishkan was the first thing the Israelites made in the wilderness, and it marks a turning point in the Exodus. Until now, God has done all the work. He took the people out of Egypt to freedom. He gave them food. However, the people did not appreciate it. They were ungrateful. They complained. Now God instructed Moses to take the people through a role reversal. Instead of God doing things for them, he commanded them to make something for Him. This was not about God. This was about humans and their dignity, their self-respect. By making them build the Tabernacle, God taught them an important lesson about responsibility and adulthood, and that one must use the resources given to them and make something of themselves rather than wait for things to be given to them in a silver platter. One must create from what one is given.

God gave the Israelites a chance to make something with her own hands, something they would value because, collectively, they made it. Everyone who was willing could contribute from whatever they had. Everyone had the opportunity to take part: women as well as men, the people as a whole, not just the elite.

The teamwork culture empowers people, treats them as the individuals that they are and values utilizinging this power to work better. It means creating an environment where people have a voice and feel comfortable asking questions, raising concerns and sharing ideas. Individuals need to be supported and be supported for who they are, and they should be encouraged to become the best that they can be.

The word Terumah can be translated as a contribution, but it actually has a subtly different meaning for which there is no simple English equivalent. It means “ something you lift up” by dedicating to a sacred cause. You lift it up, then it lifts you up. One of the best ways of elevating our spiritual heights is simply to give in gratitude for the fact that things have been given to us. Divine presence was not in a building but in its builders, not in a physical place but in the human heart. The truth is that in giving, we actually receive more than we give. So, whenever you think you’re a big deal because you did something for a good cause, remember that you are receiving much more than you are giving.

Booker T. Washington said, “If you want to lift up yourself, lift up someone else.” May we all be lifted up, but more importantly, may we lift up others.

This weeks Parshat Bo explains how Moses was told by God to tell the Pharaoh that if he doesn’t let his people go, he will bring the 8th plague of locusts to swarm the land.

Pharaoh urged his staff to let the Hebrews go but Pharaoh would only let the men go and not the women and children. Moses then warned the Pharaoh of the coming locust plague. Soon God sent so many locusts that the land was black with them.

 Pharaoh then asked Moses to forgive him and ask God to remove the locust plague. Moses did ask God to remove the plague and God did but Pharaoh again refused to let the Jews go free.

Then came the darkness. For three days the Egyptians were plagued by complete darkness while the area where the Jews lived had plenty of light. For three days the Egyptians were plagued by complete darkness while the area where the Hebrews lived had plenty of light.

Pharaoh then told Moses that the Jews may leave but he forbid them to their animals. Moses said no, they must go with their animals.

Pharaoh said no and he told Moses to leave and the next time he saw his face Moses would die. Moses said he would never see him again.

Later God told Moses, the 10th plague will make the Pharaoh insist you leave. That night at midnight every Egyptian”s first-born will be killed. No Hebrew first-born shall die if they follow his word.

Make sure every Hebrew household has a lamb. These lambs are to be slaughtered as a community and then each family shall return to their home and place some lamb’s blood on each side of their doorposts. Then each family shall feast with roasted lamb, unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

After the death of the Egyptian firstborn, Pharaoh finally lets the Israelites go. In fact, he demands that they leave! Finally, the people have been set free, and are ready to journey to the Promised Land.

 In honor of my mother’s birthday today I want to tell you about the sections that talk about children and the duty of parents to educate them. As Jews we believe that to defend a country you need an army and the duty of parents is to educate our children. But to defend a society you need education. Unless parents share their memories and ideals to the next generation – the story of how they won their freedom and the battles they had to fight along the way they may lose our way.

One question in the Parsha that refers to a question in the Haggadah your child might have. And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony of passover mean to you?’ then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when He struck down the Egyptians.’

It is the duty of a parent to encourage his or her children to ask questions, and the child who does not yet know how to ask should be taught to ask. Encourage your children to ask, question, probe, and explore. I want to thank my mother for encouraging me to always ask questions! She always said no question in a dumb question!

Self-doubt can be defined as a lack of confidence in oneself and one’s abilities. It could be about our thoughts, beliefs, emotions, opinions, decisions, and self-views, or any truth we hold in our minds. Researchers suggest that self-doubt specifically involves questioning our own competence.

In this week’s parshah, God tells Moses that he wants Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, from slavery to freedom. Moses answered God’s call.  However, Moses expresses doubt is own worthiness. When called by God, Moses doesn’t question the order. He questions himself. Whether out of apprehension or humility, he quickly added several excuses for not immediately doing what God asked. Excuse one: I am not good enough. God did not accept Moses’ first excuse because it is the same excuse anyone could use. Excuse two: I don’t have all the answers. This call wasn’t about Moses-it was about God.  God was asking Moses to be His voice. Excuse three: people won’t believe me. Excuse four: I am a terrible public speaker.  It is not clear as to whether this means that he had a physical speech defect or was self-conscious and inarticulate. The only thing that is clear is that Moses thinks his condition disqualifies him from being God’s agent in the task of confronting Pharaoh. Moses felt inadequate to address Pharaoh as God’s agent. Excuse five:  I am not qualified. Moses’ final excuse is desperate.” Please, anyone but me! “God responds to this excuse in righteous anger. The excuses stop and God calls Aaron to serve alongside his brother. Aaron was a man with the abilities Moses felt he lacked.  Aaron’s role as mediator was critical to the success of Moses’ leadership. Moses needed to reach beyond his own personal experience.  As we can see, Moses was full of self-doubt, but God trusted him anyway.

We have all been there. At some points in our lives, we question whether we are doing well enough or are capable of facing all the uncertainties that might come up as we grow older. We experience feelings of self-doubt around decisions and choices we made or simply feel that we’re not good enough. Will I get into medical school?  Will I find a job? Will this D’var be good enough?  Self-doubt occurs when we lack confidence or feel incapable of doing things we need to do. A certain level of self-doubt is good because it indicates that you understand what you need to improve in order to do a better job. However, persistent fear and self-doubt can affect your life in a bad way.

Five common causes of self-doubt include:

1.  Past experience and mistakes. Past experience can make us question our beliefs. However, continuing to reference past experiences without learning from them is just a waste of time.
2. Childhood upbringing.  If you were raised by parents or teachers who constantly told that you were not good enough, you might have already internalized the habit of questioning yourself.
3. Comparisons with others. When you’re comparing too much with others about what they have or what you lack, you’ll start to lose yourself.
4. New challenges. This is a pretty normal case because we have no experience about how to react or what things we need to do. The feeling of uncertainty and insecurity will make you feel uncomfortable.
5. Fear of failure.

There are three clues that self-doubt and the fear of getting things wrong could be undermining your ability to turn thoughts into action: You’re constantly apologizing, you second guess yourself, and you would rather be in the background.

Self-doubt can leave you with anxiety, depression, procrastination or lack of motivation, emotional instability, low self-esteem, difficulty making decisions or feeling that you have little control over your life.

Theodora Goss, in an article about self-doubt, wrote the following: “We usually think of self-doubt as a problem, almost as a disease. Despite previous successes, we still have self-doubt. Self-doubt is not something anyone else can fight. It is your own personal monster. You have to fight it yourself. But there are also some good things about self-doubt. It sounds counter-intuitive, but it can be argued that self-doubt can be a source of strength. It can be what makes you stronger and better.”  Here’s how:

1. Self-doubt can make you work harder. I know, this is not always true; self-doubt can lead to giving up. But doubting our own talents and abilities can drive us to work harder to get what we want. Study harder for the exam. Prepare harder for the class.  Practice more.
2. Self-doubt means you judge yourself more harshly, which can be a bad thing. As mentioned, it can lead to despair and depression. But it can also make you hold yourself to a high standard.
3. Self-doubt gives you a sense of humility. A student who doubts his or her own abilities will listen to you, will learn what you have to teach. So, if you have self-doubt, you tend to be a good student.

How do to overcome self-doubt?

1. Practice self-compassion
2. Remember your past achievements
3. Try not to compare yourself to others
4. Be mindful of your thinking.

If negative thoughts persist, take a moment and ask yourself if you really believe that they are true. Consider how positive thinking may shift your mindset and allow you to be more confidence in your abilities.

• Spend time with supportive people.  They can remind you how talented and resilient you are during times when you’re not feeling that way about yourself
• Remember you are your harshest critic.
• Seek professional help, if necessary

The poet, Sylvia Plath said: “Your worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” Which of your dreams are you preventing yourself from achieving because there will be naysayers who will tell you that you can’t do whatever it is you hope to do in life? Don’t let those voices come from your own head.

To summarize, everyone has self-doubt. It is what we do with it that is important.  Self-doubt is easily one of the quickest things we allow to steal our joy. We all carry around this voice of self-doubt. Self-doubt goes away the more we trust ourselves. At the end of the day, self-doubt was here to teach us something, to learn and grow, and to get better.

The Bat Ayin commentary said that it was exactly Moses’s self-doubt that eventually made him an ideal messenger for God. God was not looking for a brash, confident, self-assured intermediary. He was looking for a quiet, humble, bashful messenger. He specifically wanted someone who didn’t think they were worthy. Moses’ self-doubt is what made him the ideal candidate to speak for God. God is telling the rest of us:  you must get on with your mission in life, despite your limitations, despite your self-doubts, despite all the problems that seem to be in the way. It is much easier to shrug off the task as beyond our capacities or to wish, as Moses did, that God would appoint someone else in our place. Each of us should apply to ourselves to Rabbi Tarfon’s famous challenge:  “You are not obliged to finish the task, but neither are you free to neglect it.”

In Parshah Shemot, we learn about Moses and the burning bush, which is a significant event in the life of Moses and the beginning of his mission to free the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. When Moses sees the burning bush, he approaches it and hears the voice of G-d calling out to him. G-d instructs Moses to go to Pharoah and demand the release of the Israelites.

This encounter with the burning bush teaches us several important lessons. Firstly, it demonstrates that G-d can reveal Himself through ordinary objects or situations. The burning bush was not consumed by fire, symbolizing the eternal nature of G-d’s presence. This reminds us that even in our everyday lives, we should be open to recognizing and experiencing the Divine.

Secondly, the burning bush serves as a reminder of the importance of humility. Despite being raised in the palace of Pharoah, Moses remains humble and hesitant to accept his role as a leader. G-d reassures Moses that He will be with him every step of the way, emphasizing the need for trust and reliance on G-d’s guidance.

Additionally, the signs and miracles performed by Moses in front of Pharoah are also discussed in Parshat Shemot. These signs such as turning his staff into a snake and causing his hand to become leprous, demonstrate G-d’s power and authority. They serve as a means to convince Pharoah to let the Israelites go and highlight the ongoing struggle between G=d and Pharoah’s hardened heart.

Overall, Parshat Shemot teaches us about the significance of recognizing G-d’s presence in our lives, the importance of humility, and the power of divine signs and miracles. It encourages us to have faith in G-d’s guidance and to stand up against oppression and injustice, which is a theme of being an Upstander not a bystander. The Dallas Holocaust Museum has being an upstander as a message they convey quite well, to do something when seeing an injustice.

There was a beautiful and unusual sunset last night with a vibrant red color. I wondered if the unusual colors were a sign. If it was a sign, what does it mean, and what does it mean for me personally. How can I interpret it? The answer is that I will know in time if it was a sign for me and what will change in my life and for the others who saw the sunset.

Let’s continue to pray for peace in The Ukraine and in Israel.

I am in the midst of a project at home. I’m making a written record of my most treasured belongings – few in number though they may be – and deciding on what is to become of them when I die. For those of you know me, the details I’ve included in these files would not surprise you.

Like many in her generation, my daughter isn’t especially sentimental, and I want to be sure that these items stay in the family, and that is very clear in what I’ve written. All of my grandparents were immigrants, and I have very few items from them. How I wish I had more! So for these particular items, I’m being very exact as to who should receive them.

My grandfather’s tefillin is one of these items. They sat in a drawer for decades. They are extremely well worn, having been used by my maternal grandfather for decades. He was born in 1880, and they were given to him around the time of his bar mitzvah in or near Kiev in the Ukraine around 1893. He used them until his death, in 1945, 6 years before I was born.

But then they sat – from 1945 – until just a few years ago, when I started going to morning minyan on a regular basis. I’ve used Max’s tefillin since. Can you just imagine what his reaction would have been if he had been told that those tefillin would be worn by a grandson he would never know, in 2023?!

Max wore those tefillin here in the U.S. as he had done in the old country. But when he died, his sons put them away – a relic of a time gone by. A relic of the Ukraine and the shtetl. His sons were quite assimilated. Time to put the remnants of the past in a drawer. And here I am, feeling more strongly than I ever have, that it’s important to wear them again.

In today’s parashah, we read a rather extensive description of Jacob’s conferring blessings on Joseph’s children. Apparently in those times, the order in which a child was blessed by a dying relative had great significance. Jacob was near death and was unable to see well. Joseph brought his two sons to Jacob for their final blessing. Jacob put his right hand on Ephraim’s head, signaling that he would receive the first blessing, although Ephraim was the younger of the sons. Menasheh, the older son, would receive the second blessing, though by birth order, he traditionally would have received the first.

Joseph tried to correct Jacob, but Jacob was quite insistent, stating that Ephraim, the younger of the sons, would become a greater nation than would his older brother. Perhaps unwisely, Jacob once again couldn’t resist playing favorites.

We note that three times in Jacob’s life, the younger had been chosen over the older, each time with unfortunate results – Jacob himself over Esau, Jacob’s choice of wife – Rachel over Leah, and his son, Joseph, over his older brothers. Each time, tension, estrangement, and even hostility resulted. Joseph himself was the victim on one occasion. Hadn’t Jacob learned?

Well, as you might guess, the text doesn’t explain to us why Jacob insisted on granting the most important blessing on the younger child, contrary to the custom of the day. We do know, however, that Jacob knew the names of the sons, and which was which.

Without going into all the Hebrew etymology, the meaning of the name Menasheh implies that G-d made Joseph forget his troubled past and his estrangement and separation from his family. Assimilate. Just be happy in the moment. The name Ephraim suggests that he would be successful and fruitful, but it would be in the “land of his affliction.”

The names of the sons perhaps reflected Joseph’s mindset at the time of their birth. At first, he was delighted with all the trappings of success. Power, fame, nice clothes. So he named his son Menasheh. But those people were not his people. And his people, undistinguished though they may have been, were family.

And I suppose that in those times, a person’s given name reflected the experiences of their parent and supposedly helped shape the type of person one was to become. But with all of Joseph’s success, Egypt was still Egypt. And with none of his people nearby, and with none of his people’s customs followed, it was still a land of affliction. And so his second son was named Ephraim.

I’ve read a piece by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks in which he says that, in reference to our status as immigrants to America, the second generation seeks to remember what the first generation sought to forget. Certainly that is the case with respect to my grandfather’s tefillin. And maybe that was to be the case with respect to Joseph’s sons.

Perhaps by his choice of who was to receive the most important and impactful blessing, Jacob was signaling that his people’s exile would be long. That there would be constant tension between trying to forget – assimilating – and realizing the importance of remembering: remembering his people’s extended family, customs, and beliefs. Remembering that although we live in “exile,” we have another home elsewhere.

The child of forgetting (Menasheh) may have many blessings in his life, and would hopefully have a happy and meaningful life. But greater are the blessings of a child (Ephraim) who remembers the past, and that he is still a part of it. And so it is that Max’s tefillin are being put to use again, with much reverence. Wouldn’t he be proud!