War & Forgiveness | The Derusha Update

The Derusha Update

From around the world of books and blogs - 

Thoughts on the weekly Torah portion and more / 

Enjoy!

This Week's Portion:

 "When You Go Out To War..."

  [ Deut 21:10-25:19 ]

read on Sat Aug 21, Shabbath Elul 11

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The children of Israel are still camped across the Jordan River, on the plains of Moab just outside the promised land. This week's portion opens with Moses nearing the end of the first section of his farewell address to the assembled people. Moses repeats the laws of Israel which aim at instilling the "good faith" in which the different social relationships (familial, economic, and legal) between members of Israelite society must be maintained.

This week's concluding reading from Isaiah records God's emphatic promises of reunion with the people of Israel, God's beloved "wife," and God's exuberant instructions to prepare for a future restoration and expansion.

Looking for something good to read?

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF LIFE by Marino

"Murderers dressed in sunday's best commit thought-crimes inspired by divine bureaucrats while obscure patterns radiate from an overdose on reality. I try to mean it when I smile." 

WE ARE ALL GOD'S CHILDREN by Joseph Haddad 

"Though we may have different languages, cultures, beliefs, and faiths, human beings remain fundamentally related to each other, members of an extended family." 

THE NAKED CROWD by Jose Faur 

"Hence, the Tora or Law of Israel involves both spiritual enlightenment and political freedom: one without the other strips Judaism from its significance." 

GOY by Ranjit Chatterjee 

"I am not a poet, much as I admire poets, like Milton who absolutely baffles me with his prodigious blind creativity and puritan sensuality, or Walt Whitman with his unabashed American confidence and grandeur that in a sane man would be called lunatic. Ah, sanity." 

THE MISHNE TORAH ed. Yohai Makbili, et al 

"The first of the positive precepts is to know that there exists a God, as it is written 'I am the LORD, your God' (Exodus 20,2; Deuteronomy 5,6)."

Questions and Commentary

"If you no longer desire [the woman you captured], you must release her; you may not sell her for money or treat her harshly, for you have violated her." [ 21:14 ]

Her captor is told by the Torah, "you have violated her." That in itself was no doubt news to men's ears. "What do you mean I violated her? I just did what any red-blooded male would do," one can just hear these men protest. The root of "violated" isanat, which is the name of the vengeful Canaanite goddess raped by her father and her brother. It is the same verb used to describe the rape of Dinah (Gen. 34:2) and the Egyptian oppression of the Jews (Ex. 1:11-12, 3:7). Judith Antonelli

"You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together." 

[ 22:10 ]

...the Torah forbids us to plow a field with an ox and donkey together. Can you think of any logic behind this law? Menachem Leibtag

"You shall not abhor an Edomite, for he is your brother; you shall not abhor an Egyptian, for you were a stranger in his land." [ 23:8 ]

...Let us try to extract some relevant principles from among the Mosaic imperatives regarding certain peoples who were unfriendly to Israel....The descendants of Esau had inherited the hostility of their ancestor toward Jacob with such intensity that the king of Edom refused the Hebrews simple passage through his country. Nevertheless, Moses instructed his people not to hate the Edomites, for they are our brethren. And in order to make clear that this injunction is not due to the kinship between Esau and Jacob, he amplifies it in the same verse: "You shall not abhor an Egyptian, for you were a stranger in his land" (Dt 23:8). Why is this said? Could it be claimed that Egypt lavished a benevolence upon Israel beyond what she received from other peoples? To the contrary, indeed, the Jews were so ill treated there that they had all the more reason to be grateful to the other nations. If the text, then, invokes the memory of Egyptian hospitality, it must be an acknowledgement that the generous reception which Israel was initially granted in that country ought to be more remembered than the severe suffering which came later. Elijah Benamozegh

"Since God, your Authority, walks in the midst of your camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you, let your camp be holy; let [God] not find anything unseemly among you and turn away from you." [ 23:15 ]

These words caution us about the types of destructiveness which are known among soldiers when they are away from their homes a long time. God therefore instructed us about actions which bring upon consideration the resting of the Divine Presence among us, so that we will be saved from those [destructive] actions....In order that it will be rooted within everyone that the camp is like the sanctuary of God, and is not like the camps of the nations - in regards to destructiveness and negligence, interpersonal injury and the taking of wealth, and nothing more - rather our goal is the rectification of human beings towards God's service and the regularity of their circumstance. Moses Maimonides

"God called you, like a brokenhearted and abandoned wife - a young wife that was rejected, declared your Authority; for a brief moment I abandoned you, but with great compassion I gather you back. " [ Isaiah 54:6-7 ]

For us, the scenario of the rejected woman reconciling with her husband may resonate all too well with the familiar domestic reality of battered wives rejoicing in a reunion with their abusers. Such an association strips the prophecy of all redemptive promise. In order for the metaphor to hold its power, its readers must go along with the unspoken assumption of the prophet/poet, which is that, in this scenario, the man is completely righteous in his anger toward his woman; that she has, in fact, betrayed him...This metaphor reflects the way the Israelites viewed themselves in relation to God. It was their sin that caused their exile. Israel, though powerless and exiled, sees itself as the one whose actions drive the situation...Forgiveness and liberation comprise the ultimate theme of this haftarah. God's love endures beyond all physical existence. The expression of such love through a sexist metaphor is simply an affirmation that complete redemption is imaginable, describable, if even from a limited perspective. For us, it is comforting to know that we don't have to be able to perfectly envision the fully redeemed world in order to believe that it is possible.Vivian Mayer

News and Views

Who's Selfish Now? 

[ economics @ YUTOPIA ]

Tony Judt 

[ eulogy @ A Perpetual Pilgrim ]

Desert crossroads 

[ follow-up @ Lazer Beams ]

The Treifa Big City 

[ review @ Hirhurim-Musings ]

New translation of Isaiah for Yom Kippur 

[ haftarah @ Velveteen Rabbi ]

Kosher Veganarchy in the UK! 

[ progress @ The Jew and the Carrot ]

Kosher Food but non-Kosher Behavior 

[ opinion @ Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals ]

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Oil Spills, Global Hip-Hop, and the Soundtrack to Social Progression

Over at Shempseed, our good friend Y-Love is single-handed saving the world in-between shows and recording sessions:

TWO HOT NEW SINGLES FROM EVERYONE'S FAVORITE REVOLUTIONARY MC, Y-LOVE

August brings two hot new single from "the soundtrack to social progression", Y-Love. Y-Love's first single from his hotly anticipated forthcoming record This is Unity, ‘Move On’, produced by Diwon and featuring DeScribe, is the beginning of the era of "global hip-hop" -- where global social consciousness combines with pop for the kids on the street. The single will be released worldwide on August 10th. The second single, "If Not Now, When?" is an audio fundraiser for the Gulf Restoration Network (GRN) and could be downloaded as a name your own price download now.

MOVE ON

Y-Love's first single from his hotly anticipated forthcoming record This is Unity, ‘Move On’, produced by Diwon and featuring DeScribe, is the beginning of the era of "global hiphop" -- where global social consciousness combines with pop for the kids on the street. The club-friendly track is the first off the upcoming album, takes a page out of the Young Money playbook while keeping with Y-Love’s signature anti-prejudice message -- 'unity builds the world, all divisions destroy the world'.Y-Love, "the soundtrack to social consciousness", (as URB Magazine called him) keeps This is Unity’s tracks ready for the mainstream while still pushing positive and constructive energy in a world often content with misdirected rage. Israeli superstar Sabbo (of Soulico fame) was feeling the track and went in on the remix - bringing the world-changing party atmosphere to a whole new level

IF NOT NOW, WHEN?

Since the times of the civil rights movement, slavery and time immemorial, the call for justice has often found its voice in music.  From the oldest spiritual to the singer-songwriter movement of the '60s to the politically-charged hip-hop of today, the voice of the oppressed have often been heard on the stage from an artist on a stage hoping to change the world through his art. 

Today, the BP oil spill, the worst environmental disaster in our nation's history, is the headline on our minds.  Millions of gallons of oil poured into the Gulf of Mexico for week after week, ruining delicate ecosystems, poisoning waterways, and devastating entire communities whose livelihoods revolve around the sea.  America watched as BP tried to downplay the tragedy, before turning to accountability and resolve to fix the crisis they were responsible for.   

Brooklyn Hip-Hop artist Y-Love (Yitz Jordan) drove to Louisiana in early July to see the devastation first-hand and was deeply moved by his experience in the South.  He echoed the call for justice for the Gulf by writing his new song, "If Not Now, When?"  The powerful track features an inspiring cinematic Hip-Hop beat produced by Diwon (Erez Safar), the world music mastermind behind Shemspeed Records. The lyrics are hard-hitting recounts of the Gulf oil spill, and how the region is still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Katrina over 5 years ago.  Y-Love launched the site Hip-Hop Activist (hiphopactivist.com) soon after returning from the Gulf, designed to be a "blog to motivate social change," empowering the urban music communities to create positive change in the world.

Proceeds from "If Not Now, When?" will go to benefit Gulf Restoration Network (GRN), an organization committed to uniting and empowering people to protect and restore the natural resources of the Gulf Region for future generations.  GRN has been active in the oil disaster cleanup since the region was first threatened, mobilizing volunteers for cleanup and helping to save the already damaged wildlife.  

"We can all fix the world - if not now, when?" Y-Love exhorts in the chorus of this underground Hip-Hop tune, staying true to his message of using his music "to elevate the world, not to tranquilize minds."  Y-Love, currently in the process of recording his album , This is Unity, scheduled for release in early 2011, is working on a video for "If Not Now When?", and leading up to the release of his single "Move On" on August 10th.  Y-Love was called the "soundtrack to social progression" by URB Magazine, and his pro-unity message of positive change has been well-received globally, from Australia to Ukraine. Y-Love has been featured on the Conan O'Brien Show, BBC World TV, and in the CBS documentary, "Faith, Music, and Culture."  XXL magazine called Y-Love, "the MC making Hip-Hop kosher", a reference to Y-Love's own conversion to Orthodox Judaism.

"If Not Now, When?" is available at http://shemspeed.com/dl/grn, which allows users to donate as they see fit. Download the song to donate to GRN, and help rebuild the gulf.

Thoughts on the Torah Portion from the Dominican Republic

Yehonatan Elazar-DeMota and his wife are doing some great work in the Dominican Republic.  As they help the Dominican-Sepharadi Jewish community become sustainable and independent, hakham Yehonatan currently heads the local Jewish school he founded (Beit Midrash Nidhe Israel) while also helping to provide kosher meat and other foods for the community.

He sent out the following thoughts on this week's Torá portion:

Shalom yehidim. La perashá de ésta semana se titula Re'éh (mire). Ella comienza con una exhortación a guardar los mandamientos revelados en Sinaí. El Eterno nos ortoga la oportunidad de escojer todos los días entre bendición o maldición---la bendición si guardamos la Torá y malidición si nos desviamos de ella. Esta perashá incluye la miswáh de destruir la memoria y nombres de los dioses de Kena'an, no comer la sangre de los animales, destruir la ciudad dada a la abodath zaráh, ejecutar a los israelitas que desvían a los demás para su perdición, kashruth (leyes dietetícas), el diezmo, la shemitáh (año sabático), la caridad monetaria, servidumbre hebrea, las primicias y primogénitos y fiestas religiosas. Como vemos, todos éstos asuntos son vitales para la existencia y continuidad del pueblo de Israel. 

Cuando las naciones consideran al pueblo de Israel, muchas veces los primero que piensan es las riquezas que tienen. Esto se debe a la bendición que El Abastado, bendicho Sea, les ha ortogado, bajo la condición de mantenerse "separados" para El. Los Sabios de Israel interpretan el versículo "diezmando diezmarás...", (Deb./Deut.14:22) utilizando la flexibilidad linguistíca del hebreo, para revelar el secreto de la bendición económica. El texto dice תעשר" עשר", pero se puede cambiar la letra sin por shin, resultando en "aser teasher". De ésta manera da entender, "diezmando te enriquecerás". La Torá prohibe poner a prueba la palabra del Eterno. Sin embargo, hay sólo una cosa que está permitida poner a pruebas---diezmar y esperar la abundancia de riquezas. Considere lo que dijo el profeta Malakhí "Traed todos los diezmos al alfolí y haya alimento en mi Casa: Probadme ahora en esto, dice el Eterno de los ejércitos, a ver si no os abrolas ventanas de los cielos y derramo sobre vosotros bendición hasta que sobreabunde" (Mal 3:10).

Muchos han tomado éste pasaje para manipula y robar de personas sinceras. Sin embargo, en realidad el contexto del diezmo no se refiere al dinero, sino a los frutos y animales de la Tierra que se llevan al Templo como ofrenda. De hecho, hay 4 tipos de diezmos en la Torá : terumáh, ma’aser rishón, ma’aser shení y ma’aser oní. Todos aplican exclusivamente cuando el Templo está en pie en Jerusalén y no a ninguna institución religiosa. Por otro lado, él que acustumbre apartar una porción de sus bienes para darlo a los pobres, verá bendición de ello. El siguiente relato demuestra éste fenómeno:

Cada vez que los colectores de la caridad veían al R. Eleazar ben Birtáh se escondían de él, porque él tenía la costumbre de regalar todo lo que tenía. Un día iba al mercado a comprar un ajuar de novia para su hija. Cuando los colectores de caridad lo vieron, se escondieron de él. Él corrió detrás de ellos y les dijo: Yo os conjuro, díganme ¿a cuál misión se dedican? Y ellos respondieron: [El matrimonio de] un par de huérfanos. Él dijo entonces: te lo juro, que debe tener prioridad sobre mi hija. Y tomó todo lo que tenía y lo dio a ellos. Él se quedó con un zuz (centavo) y con eso se compró trigo que y lo depositó en el granero. Cuando su esposa regresó a casa le preguntó a su hija, "¿Qué trajo tu padre a casa?" Ella respondió: Él ha puesto en el granero todo lo que él había comprado. Ella entonces fue a abrir la puerta del granero y se encontró con que estaba tan llena de trigo que el trigo sobresalía de las bisagras de la puerta y no se abría a causa de aquello.

La hija se dirigió al Beth-Hamidrash (Casa de Estudio) y le dijo a él [su padre], Vengan a ver lo que Su amigo ha hecho por ti. Entonces él le dijo, te lo juro, serán para ti como propiedad dedicada, y tú no tendrás más derecho a participar en ellos que cualquier persona pobre en Israel. (T.Bablí. Ta'anith 24a)

La Sagrada Torá dice: "Cuando haya algún pobre entre tus hermanos en alguna de tus ciudades, en la tierra que El Eterno, tu Dio, te da, no endurecerás tu corazón ni le cerrarás tu mano a tu hermano pobre, sino que le abrirás tu mano liberalmente y le prestarás lo que en efecto necesite". (Deb./Deut. 15:7-8)

Que Adonay les otorgue el mérito de ser como el Rabí Eleazar ben Birtáh y tener las bendiciones prometidas por El.

Boas entradas de Sabá

This Week's Derusha Update: Building Community With Charity (news, views, and great weekend reading)

The Derusha Update

From around the world of books and blogs - 

Thoughts on the weekly Torah portion and more / 

Enjoy!

This Week's Portion:

"See! I Am Placing Before You..."

[ Deut 11:26-16:17 ]

Sat Aug 7, Shabbath "Menahem" Av 27

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The children of Israel are about to enter the promised land. This week's portion opens with Moses addressing the assembled people. He repeats many of the laws of Israel relating to sanctity (such as a central sanctuary, dietary discipline, and festivals) and civil conduct (such as economic laws and labor laws).

This week's concluding reading from Isaiah describes the restoration of the people of Israel to their social role as God's "witness to the world," as they gain confidence in God's commitment and dedication to them.

Questions and Commentary

"See! I am placing before you a blessing and a curse today." [ 11:26 ]

Is there any logical reason for this 'blessing & curse' to appear specifically at this point in Sefer Devarim? Menachem Leibtag

"You shall not eat anything that has died a natural death; give it to the stranger in your community to eat, or you may sell it to a foreigner...." [ 14:21 ]

The Mosaic Law accepts as legitimate the presence in the land of Israel of foreigners who do not adhere to the Mosaic religion. Such a "proselyte of the gate" or resident stranger (ger-toshav), fellow-citizen thought not co-religionist, is to be distinguished from the "proselyte of the law" (ger-tsedek), who has completely converted to Judaism. Not only are proselytes of the gate exempt from the dietary prohibitions in the Law, but Israelites, who cannot eat the flesh of an animal which has not been ritually slaughtered, are urged to give it to them rather than sell it to an ordinary stranger. This statute is valuable to us for two reasons: the charitable motive which inspires it, and its clear recognition of a legitimate though non-Mosaic category of religion. Elijah Benamozegh

"You shall set aside every year a tenth part of all the yield of your sowing...You shall consume the tithes...in the place where God will choose...." [ 14:22-27 ]

Since the tithes are of foodstuffs which can be easily accumulated in preparation for the visit to Jerusalem, and since he can probably not consume them alone, he will be compelled to give part of it away as charity. This gathering together of many people simultaneously in the same place, and their sharing possessions with others, will inevitably strengthen the bond of community and love among the people. Moses Maimonides

"Ho! All the thirsty, come for water, and the one without money; Come! Buy and eat! Buy without money, Free! Wine and milk! Why do you spend money for what is not bread, your profits for what does not satisfy?" [ Isaiah 55:1 ]

The prophet warns us not to waste our resources on objects of illusory worth. In contrast to the apparently physical riches of the first part of the haftarah, the riches of the second part are spiritual. These are true delicacies, not distracting material enticements. True food, true knowledge, and true spirituality are not material. They are not "empty calories." God's spiritual bounty here is metaphorically called water, milk, and wine. ...In the physical world, man, woman, and God are all partners in bringing forth nourishment. In the symbolism of our text, water, milk, and wine are seen as the products of this partnership. Looking again at the haftarah, we see that God is telling us that the best things in life are free. They are not the illusory treasures and toys of materialism. The best that life has to offer is spiritual. Joanne Yocheved Heiligman

News and Views

Local Journalist Speaks with the Author of "Goy" 

[ interview @ The Derusha Notebook ]

Do-It-Yourself Theodicy 

[ review @ Hirhurim-Musings ]

Where's my Jewish athletes bible? 

[ suggestions @ Jewschool ]

Kiwi Confidential 

[ wine @ The Jew and the Carrot ]

Opposition mounts against lower Manhattan JCC 

[ satire @ mobius1ski ]

Looking for something good to read?

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF LIFE by Marino

The early poems of a next-generation beatnik. 

WE ARE ALL GOD'S CHILDREN by Joseph Haddad 

A religious humanist guide to the Hebrew Bible. 

THE NAKED CROWD by Jose Faur 

An introduction to the differences between Western and Jewish politics. 

GOY by Ranjit Chatterjee 

An autobiographical story of a spiritual search for God beyond language. 

THE MISHNE TORAH ed. Yohai Makbili, et al 

The entire Oral Law of the Jewish people in a single volume.

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Coming Together Through Education: P2P Diplomacy in Israel

Two articles on the efficacy of "P2P" (peer-to-peer) diplomacy, taking place outside "official" diplomatic channels and institutions:

In Jerusalem this summer, 100 Israeli and Palestinian students are learning to communicate with the "other" while mastering basic science and business skills.

MEET – Middle East Education through Technology -- http://meet.mit.edu/ -- was youth-created in 2004 by students who dreamed of inventing a "social start-up" to engage youths from both sides.

"I had to fly over oceans to meet people who lived 10 minutes away from me [in Israel]," said Anat Binur, founder and member of the executive board, who grew up in the Israeli town of Herzliya. 

"We created relationships and a feeling that changed the way I looked at the world and my ability to solve problems. It made it very clear to me that we had to create a generation for whom the reality was very different."

Fellow board member Abeer Hazboun, a native of Bethlehem in the West Bank, said the aim was not necessarily to make the students best friends, but to teach them to work as partners. 

"We wanted to create an alternative model for classical conflict resolution and try to bring students who we believe have the potential to be leaders in the future and invest in them, empower them, educate them, provide them with skills of 21st century," Hazboun said. 

"It was a great opportunity in MEET to meet Israelis and see their point of view," said Rawan Abu Lafi, a 16-year-old Palestinian junior from Shuafat, a neighborhood bordering Jerusalem and the West Bank city of Ramallah. 

"It was a great opportunity to meet Palestinians," chimed in Adam Ochayon, 17, from the Israeli town of Mevaseret and a fellow participant in the program. 

Participants come from both Arab and Jewish neighborhoods of Jerusalem, as well as the West Bank cities of Ramallah and Bethlehem and the Israeli towns of Beit Shemesh and Mevaseret. Those who live outside of Jerusalem reside in campus dormitories in rooms shared by Israelis and Palestinians.

"In the overnight it's a great opportunity to get to know each other," said Ochayon. "It really gets personal. You sleep in the same room. You can't really tell the difference. It doesn't really matter if you are Israeli or Palestinians."

The idea is to teach conflict resolution through computer science and business.  Instructors come from prestigious American technology university MIT, the primary partner of MEET.

"On the first day I walked in and I couldn't tell the difference between the Israelis and Palestinians, but I noticed there were clear-cut groups already and they seemed to be speaking either in Arabic or Hebrew and it was hard to try and figure out how to bring them together," said instructor AnnaPremo.

"But after the first week and they knew each other better and it was easier."

Read more at The Media Line.

Israelis and Palestinians joined forces for a Startup Weekend, to explore the possibilities of developing new technology businesses together.

Joining a worldwide trend, Israel last week hosted its second annual 'Startup Weekend' - an intense event when young entrepreneurs come together to pitch ideas and develop teams for new high-tech projects.  What was different about the Israeli event is that it was attended by both Jews and Palestinians who join an international community of 15,000 entrepreneurs in more than 100 cities around the world.

The July 14 to 16 event was held on the Mediterranean Sea at the new Peres Center for Peace in Jaffa.   The meeting included 20 Palestinians from the West Bank cities of Ramallah and Nablus, out of a group of 150 participants, all in their 20s and early 30s. Watching from the wings were sponsors and angel investors, scouting for the next big thing.

Read more at Israel 21c.

(Hat-tip to Libby and Len Traubman)