What happened to the tortoise? One little goat, one little goat.

Remy Ilona, author of the upcoming The Igbos and Israel, sent us the words to a traditional Igbo song to consider:

What happened to the tortoise? (The tortoise, the tortoise)

A breadfruit fell on the tortoise (The tortoise, the tortoise)

What happened to the breadfruit? (The tortoise, the tortoise)

A staff pierced the breadfruit (The tortoise, the tortoise)

What happened to the staff? (The tortoise, the tortoise)

Termite ate up the stake (The tortoise, the tortoise)

What happened to the termite? (The tortoise, the tortoise)

A fowl ate the termite (The tortoise, the tortoise)

What happened to the fowl? (The tortoise, the tortoise)

A kite/hawk carried the fowl (The tortoise, the tortoise)

What happened to the kite/hawk? (The tortoise, the tortoise)

A gun killed the kite/hawk (The tortoise, the tortoise)

What happened to the gun? (The tortoise, the tortoise)

Fire burnt the gun (The tortoise, the tortoise)

What happened to the fire? (The tortoise, the tortoise)

Water quenched the fire (The tortoise, the tortoise)

What happened to the water? (The tortoise, the tortoise)

The ground soaked up the water (The tortoise, the tortoise)

What happened to the ground? (The tortoise, the tortoise)

The Lord (Chukwu Abiama) created the ground (The tortoise, the tortoise)

What happened to Chukwu Abiama? (The tortoise, the tortoise)

Nothing happened to Chukwu Abiama (The tortoise, the tortoise)

The song's progression through a chain of events - causes and consequences - which finally ends with the direct actions of God, brings to mind another traditional song, one sung in Jewish homes across the world every Passover:

One little goat, one little goat

Which my father bought for two zuzim (One little goat, one little goat)

The cat came and ate the goat

Which my father bought for two zuzim (One little goat, one little goat)

The dog came and bit the cat that ate the goat  

Which my father bought for two zuzim (One little goat, one little goat)

The stick came and beat the dog  

that bit the cat that ate the goat  

Which my father bought for two zuzim (One little goat, one little goat)

The fire came and burned the stick

that beat the dog that bit the cat that ate the goat     

Which my father bought for two zuzim (One little goat, one little goat)

The water came and extinguished the fire

that burned the stick that beat the dog  

that bit the cat that ate the goat  

Which my father bought for two zuzim (One little goat, one little goat)

The ox came and drank the water  

that extinguished the fire that burned the stick  

that beat the dog that bit the cat that ate the goat

Which my father bought for two zuzim (One little goat, one little goat)

The slaughterer came and killed the ox

that drank the water that extinguished the fire  

that burned the stick that beat the dog  

that bit the cat that ate the goat  

Which my father bought for two zuzim (One little goat, one little goat)

The angel of death came and slew the slaughterer

who killed the ox that drank the water

that extinguished the fire that burned the stick  

that beat the dog that bit the cat that ate the goat   

Which my father bought for two zuzim (One little goat, one little goat)

Then came the Holy and Blessed One

and smote the angel of death who slew the slaughterer

who killed the ox that drank the water  

that extinguished the fire that burned the stick  

that beat the dog that bit the cat that ate the goat     

Which my father bought for two zuzim (One little goat, one little goat)

Overcoming Our Trials: 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 (our translation follows):

La perashá de esta semana se titula Wayishalah, "Y envió".(Gen. El sentido simple del texto da entender que Ya'aqob envió mensajeros a su hermano Esaw/Edom con la intención de apaciguar la enemistad entre ellos. Hacía mas de 20 años que ellos no se veían y Ya'aqob aún tenía miedo que su hermano lo matase. Uno podría deducir de esta situación que Ya'aqob se sentía culpable por haber tomado la bendición de su hermano. Por esta razón él ofrece una porción de sus ganancias, como para darle a Esaw lo que le correspondía como primogénito. 

Antes de encontrarse con Esaw, Ya'aqob tuvo otro sueño en la Tierra de Kena'án, como lo tuvo cuando salió de ahí. En este sueño, él luchó con una persona, quien él identificó como un mal'akh (angel). Al luchar con él, se quedó cojo al recibir un golpe en su muslo. Esta experiencia es muy parecida a lo que uno siente cuando sueña que está batallando y se despierta dando patadas o puños. Los psicólogos concluyen que las experiencias nocturnas pueden causar efectos físicos al cuerpo; pueden manifestarse como dolor en la espalda, piernas, calambre, hasta asfixia. 

Los Sabios de Israel dicen que los pensamientos humanos, como deseos, fantasías y temores aparecen en los sueños. (Berakhoth 55a). Sabiendo esto, se podría inferir que Ya'aqob tenía miedo volver a su casa, ya que su hermano podría asesinarlo, y por esto fue que el tuvo la visión con el angel. Algunos comentan que este angel era el angel de Esaw, mientras otros dicen que era el Satán. 

La Torá relata la experiencia de Ya'aqob más que a cualquier patriarca. De hecho, algunos Sabios comentan que Ya'aqob nunca murió. Claro está, él murió y descansa en la cueva de Mahpela, pero ellos quisieron enfatizar que la experiencia de Ya'aqob es la experiencia de sus descendientes que están en el exilio. Aún más, los profetas se refieren al pueblo de Israel con el nombre de Ya'aqob para demostrar este concepto. 

La vida de Ya'aqob está repleta de pruebas, decisiones, frustaciones y achaques. ¿Qué más podría pasar después de la violación de su hija Dináh? ¿Porqué es que Ya'aqob sufrió más que su papá o abuelo? Podríamos responder, más grande el hombre, más fuerte su yeser hará (instinto al mal). El sufrió mucho porque él tomó decisiones sin pensar en las consecuencias de la vida. Mi madre, que tenga larga vida, me enseñó, "Uno paga por todo lo que uno hace en esta vida". La perashá de la semana que viene muestra que Ya'aqob inclinó por Yosef, descuidándose de los demás hijos. Talvéz fue por esto que Dináh fue violada.

Ya'aqob es una demostración de que el ser humano es capáz de superar cualquier problema y elevarse. Como dijo el mensajero nocturno, "Has luchado con los hombres y con el Dio, y has vencido...no serás llamado más 'Ya'aqob', sino 'Isra'el'". Así mismo será con los descendientes de Ya'aqob cuando hayan salido de este largo exilio de más de 2700 años. Entonces, seremos dignos de ser llamados "Isra'el".

-------

The Torah portion this week is entitled Wayishalah, "He sent" (Genesis). The plain meaning of the text implies that Ya'aqob sent messengers to his brother, Esaw/Edom, intending to defuse the enmity between them. It was more than 20 years that they were not together and Ya'aqob was still afraid that his brother would kill him. One might infer from this situation that Ya'aqob felt guilty for having taken the blessing of his brother. That is why he offers a portion of his profits, and gives his due to Esaw as firstborn.

Before meeting with Esaw, Ya'aqob had another dream in the Land of Kena'án, as he did when he left there. In this dream, he fought with a person, whom he identified as a Mal'akh (angel). To fight him, he was crippled by a blow to his thigh. This experience is very similar to what you feel when you're struggling in dreams and wake up kicking and with fists. The psychologists conclude that the nocturnal experiences can cause physical effects to the body that can manifest as back pain, leg cramps, choking up.

The Sages of Israel say that human thoughts, and desires, fantasies and fears appear in dreams (Berakhoth 55a). Knowing this, one might infer that Ya'aqob was afraid to go home because his brother would kill him, and this was why he had the vision with the angel. Some say that this angel was the angel of Esaw, while others say it was Satan.

The Torah describes the experience of Ya'aqob more than any patriarch. In fact, some sages say that Ya'aqob never died. Of course, he died and rests in the cave of Mahpela, but they wanted to emphasize that Ya'aqob experiences the experiences of his descendants who are in exile. Moreover, the prophets refer to Israel by the name of Ya'aqob to demonstrate the concept.

Ya'aqob's life is full of tests, decisions, frustrations and pains. What more could happen after the rape of his daughter Dinah? Why is it that Ya'aqob suffered more than his father or grandfather? We could answer, the greater the man, the stronger your yeser hará (instinct to evil).  He suffered a lot because he made decisions without considering the consequences of life. My mother, bless her, taught me, "You pay for everything you do in this life." The Torah portion of next week shows that Ya'aqob inclined toward Yosef, neglecting other children. Maybe it was because of this that Dinah was raped.

Ya'aqob is a demonstration that humans are able to overcome any problem and rise. As the night messenger said, "You have fought with men and with God, and have overcome ... you will no more be called 'Ya'aqob' but 'Isra'el'." It will also be with the descendants of Ya'aqob they have come out of this long exile of more than 2700 years. Then, we will be worthy of being called "Isra'el."

Boas entradas de Sabá! Shabbath Shalom!

"The Best is Yet to Come": Jurriaan Kamp and Matt Ridley's New Book

Ode Magazine's editor-in-chief, Jurriaan Kamp, makes the historical case against pessimism in his e-newsletter, the Intelligent Optimist:

Predicting the future is hard, but it's impossible if you're too pessimistic.

Humankind continuously exceeds its own expectations when it comes to the development of new technology. However, we are really bad at one thing—predicting that development. And that's a problem that leads to a lot of unnecessary pessimism. For example, in almost all future scenarios of climate change, clean and renewable energy advances little by little. As a result, the earth keeps getting warmer and warmer. But these kinds of scenarios are always based on known facts. Yet, as history shows, it is the unknown that revolutionizes the world again and again.

Humanity has a lifetime subscription to defeatism. Every era has had its own preachers of doom and impending doom scenarios. Around 1880, a group of entrepreneurs and scientists gathered in Paris to discuss the future. The question was what the French capital would look like in 50 years. The conclusion was dark: With continued growth of the population and the economy, these French visionaries foresaw that the Parisian avenues would be buried under several feet of horse manure. A dozen years later at the Chicago World Fair of 1893, visitors were asked which invention would define the coming new century. Nobody answered: the car. But in 1903, Henry Ford began building his car plant and in 1908 he launched the Model T. And Paris has never experienced the horrific horse manure scenario.

The horse carriages were not replaced little by little by the automobile. And the advances of television, the Internet, and mobile phones were never gradual. You do not have to be a prophet to predict that the clean energy revolution will surprise the world in the same way.

The following list of quotes should silence the widespread pessimism about the future (for more click here or here):

 "The abdomen, the chest and the brain will forever be shut from the intrusion of the wise and humane surgeon." —Sir John Eric Ericson, Surgeon to Queen Victoria, 1873

 "Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible." —Lord  Kelvin, mathematician and physicist, 1895

 "It is an idle dream to imagine that automobiles will take the place of railways in the long distance movement of passengers." —American Railroad Congress, 1913

 "Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?" —H. M. Warner, co-founder of Warner Brothers, 1927

 "There is no hope for the fanciful idea of reaching the Moon because of insurmountable barriers to escaping the Earth's gravity." —Forest Ray Moulton, astronomer, 1932

 "There is not the slightest indication that [nuclear energy] will ever be obtainable. It would mean that the atom would have to be shattered at will." —Albert Einstein, 1932

 "Television won't be able to hold on to any market it captures after the first six months. People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night." —Darryl F. Zanuck, Head of 20th Century-Fox, 1946

 "The world potential market for copying machines is 5,000 at most." —IBM to the eventual founders of Xerox, 1959

 "There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in their home." —Ken Olson, President of Digital Corporation, 1977

 The human race is a "collective problem-solving machine," writes the British biologist Matt Ridley in his recent book The Rational Optimist. Nobody knows now how and by whom we are going to be saved from the impending explosive growth of Chinese CO2-spewing, coal-fired energy plants. But if history is any guide the inventors with radical innovative solutions are already living somewhere on the planet. Not decades but years from now a coal-fired energy plant will be a hopelessly old-fashioned solution, much like the computer that some 40 years ago occupied the entire basement of an office building. This is an almost inevitable outcome as more and more people trade and do business together, a process that continuously feeds new ideas and new solutions. Make way for optimism!

Jews in America - "Intermarriage"

Our identity as Jews living in America is influenced by many factors - cultural, historical, communal, environmental - which have left their mark and their legacy for us today. One particular element of Jewish identity, often passed down through the generations by parents to their children, through their words and actions, is an existential awareness. This is an awareness of life when viewed in sum, a singular existence comprised of beliefs, relationships, and deeds. This awareness is the backdrop for any thoughts of destiny and purpose I can have, any confidence in my origins and ability. Children raised with an awareness of this dimension of themselves can benefit from the autonomy it provides when cultivated to maturity. Communities of families espousing this awareness can thrive materially and spiritually, as they work together in developing a group identity which elevates and enhances the individual members alongside the members of other groups. I might say that this element of Jewish identity - a timeless intimation that there’s a “big picture” - is tied to the treasured notion, equally timeless, that there’s one really real reality that includes all else - all of us along with it - and that’s the reality we should be looking for. No settling for the icon or the image. The real thing.

This existential awareness, which we inherit and pass on, is not determinative - it doesn't directly tell us who we are. The awareness of my life from the perspectives of observer, planner, and doer, simply opens the door to seeing my life this way. Over thousands of years, Jews and other Israelites have considered their lives’ purposes and meanings in a kaleidoscope of different ways. Sometimes we have considered our lives as existentially secure, guided by a relationship with reality that precluded crimes against us so long as we committed no crimes against others. Other times we have considered our lives as existentially threatened, open to violation, abuse, and destruction, oppressed and disadvantaged through no product of our own doing. As American Jews living in the fabled “land of choices,” we are afforded the opportunity to choose the purposes and meanings with which we build our Jewish identities from quite a range of options. Knowing that there is indeed a foundation, I can build the foundation of my life on premises of security and trust, or premises of threat and mistrust - among many others.

The word “intermarried” is often used to describe the marriage of someone who identifies as a Jew and someone who does not, and to the family which they start together. These individuals, and their children, are included or excluded to differing degrees by members of Jewish communities, often due in part to the existential premises of those who either welcome or reject. To some of us, the choice of someone who identifies as a Jew to start a family with someone who does not identify as a Jew is seen through the prism of existential security: my own Jewish identity is unaffected by anyone’s choices and actions but my own, and someone else’s choice in life partner in no way affects the amount of basic compassion and respect either should be shown as human beings. To others of us, such a choice is seen through the prism of existential threat: my own Jewish identity is affected by others’ choices and actions, and someone else’s choice in life partner changes the amount of basic compassion and respect I should show them. Once we are aware of the choice we can make in the prism through which we view life, the choice is ours to make.

Jewish law is often cited as justification for the rejection and exclusion of “intermarried” families by members of Jewish communities. Yet is there really a basis in Jewish law for such action, or are such justifications the result of imaginative or ideological co-options of Jewish law? While formally proscribing the union, marital and/or sexual, of someone born to a Jewish mother and someone who was not, the rabbis of the Mishnaic and Talmudic eras acknowledged such families and accepted them into the greater Jewish community, under the protection of the law - and certainly beloved by God - like everyone else. Maimonides’ comprehensive guide to Jewish law addresses the non-Jewish spouses of Jews in many legal scenarios and situations, taking their participation in the community of Jews who follow Jewish law (and certainly their humanity and dignity) as a given. The rabbis of the Talmud, and those who lived within their tradition, did not view the choice of someone who identifies as a Jew to marry someone who doesn’t, through the prism of existential threat; they were secure enough in their own relationship with reality to tolerate and sincerely respect the personal choices of other human beings. Trusting in the faithful direction of all things yet acknowledging that such trust is a choice, they coined the saying - “all is in the hands of Heaven, except for one’s awe of Heaven.”

My acceptance of an “intermarried” family probably stems from the sense of a “big picture” that my parents raised me with. I don’t have to make the same personal choices as someone else; I can accept another person as a human being and as a member of my community irregardless of his or her personal choices. In fact, I trust that such a union is, at some universal level, the will of God - reality at its best. It is an opportunity to learn about human beings’ lives and cultures, to share what we’ve learned about our own lives and culture, as we welcome them to the table. As American Jews, we have the freedom to choose - the choice of approach is ours to make.

Zionism vs Militarism: "For Not By Force Shall Man Prevail"

Here's a timely quote about militarism and the use of force in national "self defense," taken from The Prophets, a masterpiece by Avraham Yehoshua Heschel z"l illuminating the inner world and perspectives of the prophets of Israel:

The prophets were the first men in history to regard a nation's reliance upon force as evil.  Hosea condemned militarism as idolatrous.

Israel has forgotten his Maker
And built palaces;
Judah has multiplied fortified cities....
You have trusted in your chariots
And in the multitude of your warriors,...
[Israel has] gone up to Assyria,
A wild ass wandering alone;...
They hire allies among the nations....
When Ephraim saw his sickness,
And Judah his wound,
Then Ephraim went to Assyria,
And sent to the great [?] king.
But he is not able to cure you
Or heal your wound.

Hosea 8:14; 10:13; 8:9-10; 5:13

Having anticipated Isaiah's vision of enduring peace, Hosea proclaimed in the name of the Lord: "I will not deliver them by bow, nor by sword, nor by war, nor by horses, nor by horsemen....I will make for you a covenant on that day with the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the creeping things of the ground; I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land, and I will make you lie down in safety" (Hos. 1:7; 2:18).

"The gods are on the side of the stronger," according to Tacitus.  The prophets proclaimed that the heart of God is on the side of the weaker.  God's special concern is not for the mighty and the successful, but for the lowly and the downtrodden, for the stranger and the poor, for the widow and the orphan.

The heart of God goes out to the humble, to the vanquished, to those not cared for.

I will restore health to you,
And your wounds I will heal, says the Lord,
Because they have called you an outcast:
It is Zion, for whom no one cares.

Jeremiah 30:17

The Lord has founded Zion,
And in her the afflicted of His people find refuge....
The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the Lord,
And the poor among men shall exult in the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 14:32; 29:19

"For not by force shall man prevail" (I Sam. 2:9).  "The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might" (Mic. 7:16).  "Not by might,...says the Lord of hosts" (Zech. 4:6).

Some boast of chariots, and some of horses;
But we boast of the name of the Lord our God....
His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
Nor is His pleasure in the legs of a man.
But the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him,
In those who hope in His steadfast love.

Psalms 20:7; 147:10-11 

This is the man to whom I will look,
He that is humble and contrite in spirit,
And trembles at My word....
For thus says the high and the lofty One
Who inhabits eternity, Whose name is Holy:
I dwell in the high and holy place,
And also with him who is a contrite and humble spirit.
To revive the spirit of the humble,
To revive the heart of the contrite...
Zion shall be redeemed by justice,
And those in her who repent, by righteousness.

Isaiah 66:2; 57:15; 1:27

Powerful words to heed, as we address some of our challenges: extreme militarization in Israeli society and the marginalization of apolitical diplomacy independently conducted on a popular level.  Bringing Zionism into the 21st century, as a living social movement that remains holy and meaningful to Jews across the world, may entail some thoughtful reconsideration of suppositions and premises that underly the attitudes and policies we've supported thus far. May this be a year of looking beyond brawn and bullets for safety, security, and peace!

David Shasha on the Prophets: Alienated Jews?

David Shasha, director of the Sephardic Heritage Center, discusses our perceptions of the prophets of Israel, and the way we relate to their message today:

Prophetic self-criticism is the engine which has allowed Judaism to survive and flourish over the course of time.

As we begin the period of the High Holy Days, it would behoove us to open our Bibles and re-read the stories of the great Hebrew Prophets -- rebels all -- who spoke truth to power in the name of God and would not relent even in the face of death and personal destruction.

Their powerful faith in God has served us with a shining example of personal responsibility and integrity. Over the many generations of Jewish life, this faith demands social justice through fidelity to the Sinai Covenant, which teaches us who we are as Jews. It is a faith that demands the dignity of every single human being to live unmolested and free of oppression.

Those who have chosen the ways of Ahab have found worldly success and power. They have crushed their enemies and silenced the voices of those who dare to oppose their wicked guardianship of the earth. They belittle and humiliate those who look to the "still, small voice" of God that Elijah heard so many centuries ago. But we must not forget that security in the Jewish mind is to be found in the good works of humanity and not in the cruel depredations of the rich and powerful.

Read the whole article at the Huffington Post.

It Belongs To All Of Us | The Derusha Update

The Derusha Update

  [ print out this newsletter to share it on Shabbath ]

From around the world of books and blogs -
Thoughts on the weekly Torah portion and more /
Enjoy!

This Weekend's [Double] Portion:
 "You Are All Standing Today..."
 "And Moses Went..."
  [ Deut 29:9-31:30 ]
read on Sat Sept 9, Shabbath Elul 24

  [ get candlelighting times for your home ]

Moses continues his farewell address to the children of Israel, who are gathered together in their encampment on the plains of Moab, across the Jordan River. Recalling the wondrous deeds that God has done on behalf of them, Moses describes their relationship with God in terms of sovereignty and loyalty that are familiar to them. In no uncertain terms, Moses declares the Torah - the Law of Israel which is the foundation of Israelite culture - to be eternally valid, freely accessible to each and every child of Israel, and not just a "priviliged few." Moses finally begins the preparations for his coming death, which include appointing his student, Joshua, as his successor and instructing the priests to write down the laws and the people to assemble every seven years "before God" and read them together.

This week's concluding reading from Isaiah asks us all to seek out God and observe the terms of the covenant which God contracted with us, for God's promises and commitments are always kept, no matter what. Special mention is made of the non-Jewish "foreigners" who lovingly keep the Sabbaths and the covenant, and will be gathered in and accepted in God's house alongside the Jews.

Looking for something good to read?

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF LIFE by Marino
"I've seen godly men full of morals sit idly in their homes while the paper boy brings news of murder most foul in the back of death bringing vans and coughing pits."

WE ARE ALL GOD'S CHILDREN by Joseph Haddad
"Why are we here? Where are we headed? A serious reading of the book of Genesis will help us understand the answer to these questions."

GOY by Ranjit Chatterjee
"One gets here into the tangle that if everything is an illusion then the statement too is an illusion. Yet only a fool or a naif does not recognize the limpid and irrefutable paradox that a thing can not be known as it is, only through a means of knowing, and the means of knowing is no use at all without a means of communicating what has been learnt."

Questions and Commentary

"You are all standing today before God, your Authority - your representatives, your elders, your officials; every person of Israel." [ 29:9 ]

Review the first pasuk of the Sedra (i.e. 29:9), noting the meaning of the word 'nitzavim'. What is the 'shoresh' [root] of this word, and why do you think that Moshe Rabbeinu chose this word to describe this 'setting'? In your opinion, does the noun 'matzeva' [a monument] stem from the same root? If so, explain why. Menachem Leibtag

"God, your Authority, will bring you to the Land that your ancestors possessed, and you will reposses it. [God] will be good to you and make you flourish even more than your ancestors." [ 30:5 ]

If there is indeed any "covenant" of a shared destiny, it...is between Jews and Native Americans. Many similarities can be seen between these two groups. For both, the basis of religious beliefs and practices is an attachment to a specific pice of sacred land. The Jews regained their indigenous homeland after 1,878 years of exile. In the last twenty years or so, Native American nations have become more aggressive in reclaiming land, fishing, and hunting rights. In some cases, significant strides have been made. Judith Antonelli

"It is not in the heavens, that you should say, 'Who among us can go up to the heavens and get it for us and impart it to us, that we may observe it?" [ 30:12 ]

Israel had its priests, but unlike those of Egypt's temples or of Greece's oracle places, their knowledge of God's law was not exclusive....Israel's priests dealt at all times with a law and a tradition available to all....In the religious traditions of antiquity, such a commitment to universal accessibility was unique, and it had an even more profound effect on the Jewish people as the centuries passed. The study of Torah became the supreme preoccupation of the Jew; none was too humble to be excluded from the mitzvah of learning and none too prominent to be excused from it. W. Gunther Plaut

"And God said to Moses: Your days are drawing near to death - call Joshua..." [ 31:14 ]

For every person needs to diminish one's own honor and to increase the honor of the Omnipresent; for whomever chases after honor does not merit the honor of God but rather the honor of rulers, as was declared regarding it, 'The honor of rulers is a matter of investigation' - everyone investigates after him and questions, 'Who is this and what is this, that they apportion him this honor?' And they divide against him, declaring that he is unfit for this honor. However, whomever flees from honor, diminishing one's own honor and increasing the honor of the Omnipresent, then one merits the honor of God, and then people do not investigate his honor, if he is fit or not, and regarding this it was declared, 'The honor of God is a hidden matter' - for it is prohibited to investigate [God's] honor. Nahman of Breslov

"A wicked one will leave that path and a person filled with sin, those thoughts; let these turn to God who whill have mercy on them and to our Authority who is abundant in forgiveness. 'Because My thoughts are not your thoughts, and My ways are not your ways,' says God. 'As far as the heavens are above the earth, so are my thoughts above your thoughts.'" [ Isaiah 55:7-9 ]

God doesn't hold grudges the way we do, even after we seem to "forgive and forget." This is a reminder to treat other people as we hope God will treat us. We want to be completely forgiven. We must remember to extend that same unqualified forgiveness to otherse....We cannot see the whole pattern of the universe, or know what part our piece plays in it. But we do fathom what it might mean to be near to God, nearer than we are. By striving to make God's will central to our lives, we increase the possibility of calling God nearer to us, which will nourish us and keep us on the path of righteousness. Susan Gulack

News and Views

Land of Confusion – A Response to R. Broyde on Women Leading Kabbalat Shabbat
[ opinion @ YUTOPIA ]

A Time to Ban, A Time to Defer
[ reflection @ Hirhurim-Musings ]

Rethinking 'stam yeinam'
[ opinion @ Jewschool ]

New article on the Hazon Ish by Yakir Englander
[ review @ The Book of Doctrines and Opinions ]

The Best Insurance
[ gratitude @ Lazer Beams ]

Drink Your Honey This Rosh Hashanah – Mead and Hard Cider Cocktails
[ alcohol @ the Jew & the carrot ]

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

get candlelighting times for your home

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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