RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: 9 WENT TO HEAVEN WHILE STILL ALIVE: JEWISH SPIRITUAL...

RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL: NINE WENT TO HEAVEN: DEREK ERETZ




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RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL: PLURALISM: NINE WENT TO HE...

RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL: DEREK ERETZ: PLURALISM

NINE WENT TO HEAVEN WHILE STILL ALIVE

RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: ALL EQUAL IN GOD'S EYES, NEED TO BE EQUAL IN OUR EYES

RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: ALL EQUAL IN GOD'S EYES, NEED TO BE EQUAL IN OUR EYES

 

RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: GOD WANTS OUR HEARTS: RICH, POOR, JEW, GENTILE, MAN, WOMAN, SLAVE, FREE, CHILD OF THE PIOUS, CHILD OF THE REBELLIOUS, BLACK, WHITE, ENUCH...WE ARE ALL EQUAL IN HIS EYES AND NEED TO BE EQUAL IN EACH OTHERS EYES

 

 

Jewish Spiritual Renewal: Derek Eretz Zuta + Rabbah:

 

Shabbat 03/26/11

 

(aka Derech Eretz )

This class is dedicated to my beloved father, Albert Z. Segal, known in Israel as, Abraham Zachariah ben Pinchus ha Levi ha Rav, on his 86th birthday this Shabbat. Ad me'a ve-esrim ...May you live to be 120 years in gladness and health.

 

It is also the 46 anniversary of my becoming a Bar Mitzvah at Adath Israel Synagogue, then of Trenton, NJ, now of Lawrenceville, NJ. Paraphrasing from the Haftarah for Shabbat Parah, I thank God with every strength of my body, heart, mind and soul for  giving me '' a new heart and putting a new spirit into me: He removed the heart of stone from my body and gave me a heart of flesh;  and He  put His spirit into me. ''(Ez. 36: 26-27)

 

 

The JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL class list is hosted by Shamash: The Jewish Network a service of Hebrew College/Yeshiva

 

Shalom my dear Chaverim, Talmidim, v' Rabbanim, friends, students and fellow rabbis:

 

An oneg, joy-filled, Shabbat, Sabbath, this weekend.. 

 

We continue with our exploration into the Talmudic Tractates of Derek Eretz Zuta and Rabbah. (aka Derech Eretz Zuta, aka Derech Eretz Rabbah. As was mentioned, zuta is Aramaic for 'small', and rabbah is 'large'). Remember that Derek Eretz is not about Jewish ritual. It is about how we are to treat one another and what traits of character, middot, we are to try to develop. The lessons are universal and ecumenical.

 

For those new to the class, Baruch ha Ba! Welcome! You can access last week's class  at  http://rabbiarthursegal.blogspot.com/2011/03/rabbi-arthur-segal-jewish-spiritual_7711.html or Rabbi Arthur Segal: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL; DEREK ERETZ: SEVEN COVENANTS

From there you will find links to preceding classes in this  series.

 

So,  together we continue:

 

TALMUD BAVLI

 

 

TRACTATE DEREK

 

ERETZ ZUTA

 

(aka Derech Eretz)

 

CHAPTER I.

 

Talmud Bavli Tractate Derek Eretz Zuta Verse   1:6

 

OK. As I wrote in our last classes, before I show you the next verse from Talmud Bavli Tractate Derek Eretz Zuta Chapter One, which is verse 6 and the last verse of this chapter, let me advise you that it is a long one, and on first read can be a confusing one for those not intimately familiar with Jewish History, or the entire TaNaK, as well as Midrash.

 

I will guide you through it and it will open up some exciting doors for you, hopefully not an "Exit Door.''  ;-) .  As we have done in other long verses in this class, we will parse it sentence by sentence, or in some cases, by phrases or even words. This is the last verse in Chapter One and today we will finish this verse as well as Chapter One.

 

''Love the Law, and respect it; love all creatures, and respect them.'' Subject your will to the will of others, as was done by Leah for Rachel and by David for Saul. But ignore your will, and even the will of others, for the will of Heaven, as we find by Jacob that he did not kiss Joseph (because he was engaged in prayer). Love doubtfulness (i.e., everything shall be doubtful to you until you convince yourself of it), and hate the expression: "And what of it?" (i.e., even of the most unimportant things you should not express yourself thus). Keep aloof from everything that may bring to sin, and from the abominable, and from what is equal to it, that you should not be suspected by others of transgression. Do not slander your neighbor, because he who does so has no remedy. Keep aloof from grumbling, for by grumbling you may come to growl at others, and it will be added to your transgressions. With seven patriarchs covenants were made, and they are: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Pinchas, and David. Seven patriarchs are resting in glory, and worm and maggot do not affect their earthly remains, and they are: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Amram their father, and, according to others, also David, as it is written [ibid. xvi. 9]: "Therefore is rejoiced my heart,and my spirit is glad; also my flesh shall rest in safety." Nine entered the Garden of Eden when they were still alive, and they are: Enoch (Chanoch) the son of Jared, Elijah Messiah, Eliezer the bondsman of Abraham, Hirom the king of Zor, Ebed-melech the Cushi [Jer. xxxviii. 7], and Jabetz the son of R. Jehudah the Prince, Bothiah the daughter of Pharaoh and Serech the daughter of Ascher, and, according to others, also R. Jehoshua b. Levi.''

 

Let us work only with this last sentence today.

To avoid making this last class extremely long, I will summarize the last part of the verse, but give you all the details, which are fascinating, in two essays I have written on this part of verse 6:1.

 

NOTE: Since I will be  out of the USA until Mid May, being invited to lead Seders, as well as Shabbatons, and teach Jewish Spiritual Renewal, I ask of you, to take your time with this class, and use the links provided so that you will truly learn some fascinating Jewish History as well as Midrash and Talmud.

 

We noted with interest that of these 9, which gets expanded in the text to ten, and in the Midrash to 13, six of them were not Hebrew/Jewish. One of them was an African Eunuch, and two were women. Five were Hebrews. Two were Jews. Two were converts. Three were servants. Three were Ba'alim Teshuvah. They were Asians and Africans.

 

This of course reminded us of Judaism's pluralistic view of other religions, and the Jewish concept in the Talmud Bavli Tractate Sanhedrin 105a, that ''the righteous of all nations, i.e. religions, have a share in the world to come.'' This of course is in direct opposition to religions which teach that their's is the only way for eternal salvation and entrance into heaven, while everyone else is going to hell. Rabbi Arthur Segal: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL:RIGHTEOUS OF ALL NATIONS HAVE A SHARE IN THE WORLD TO COME .

 

Enoch was the father of Methuselah. You can read the details of Enoch and all of the people in this sentence,  in these two  essays,   Rabbi Arthur Segal: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: Nine entered Gan Eden while alive #1: Derek Eretz Zuta  or    http://rabbiarthursegal.blogspot.com/2010/08/rabbi-arthur-segal-nine-entered-gan.html

AND

Rabbi Arthur Segal: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: Nine entered Paradise while alive # 2: Jewish Renewal  

or http://rabbiarthursegal.blogspot.com/2010/08/rabbi-arthur-segal-nine-entered.html .

                                      ,

What did Enoch do to merit his going to Paradise without dying? Enoch did righteousness, helping people do teshuvah, (spiritual renewal), and bringing about peace among people.

 

Elijah whose name (El-i Yahu) means "Yah is my God," was a prophet in Israel in the 9th century BCE. He appears in the TaNaK,, Talmud, Mishnah and even in texts of other religions.  According to the Books of Kings, Elijah raised the dead, brought fire down from the sky, and ascended into heaven in a whirlwind (either accompanied by a chariot and horses of flame or riding in it). In the Book of Malachi, Elijah's return is prophesied "before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord," making him a harbinger of the Messiah .

 

In Judaism, Elijah's name is invoked at the weekly Havdalah ritual that marks the end of Shabbat, and Elijah is invoked in other Jewish customs, among them the Passover seder and the Brit milah (ritual circumcision). He appears in numerous stories and references in the Haggadah  and rabbinic literature, including the Babylonian Talmud.

 

So what were Elijah's merits to enable him to cheat death and go to Paradise alive? He was a proponent of God, and of God's justice. He is to be the harbinger of the Messiah.  He fought against injustice.

 

Eliezer, the '' Servant of Abraham.'' mentioned by name only in Gen. xv. 2. So what was Eliezar's merit? Loyalty in the Torah, but this trait was tarnished in later Rabbinic literature. We see that he developed all the virtues and ethics and spirituality of Abraham. We see him defending the 'little guy' in Sodom, but discussing with Ishmael who would inherit Abraham's lot if Isaac was sacrificed. Obviously in the case of Eliezar, his good deeds have over come his less attractive traits.

 

Hiram I (Hebrew: חִירָם, "high-born";) according to the Bible, was the Phoenician  king of Tyre. (Now Lebanon).  He reigned from 980 BCE to 947 BCE.

 

During Hiram's reign, Tyre grew from a satellite of Sidon into the most important of Phoenician cities, and the holder of a large trading empire. He suppressed the rebellion of the first Tyrean colony at Utica, near the later site of Carthage (Against Apion i:18).

 

The TaNaK says that he allied himself with King Solomon of Israel, the upcoming power of the region. Through the alliance with Solomon, Hiram ensured himself access to the major trade routes to Egypt, Arabia and Mesopotamia. The two kings also joined forces in starting a trade route over the Red Sea, connecting the Israelite harbor  of Ezion-Geber with a land called Ophir (2 Chronicles 8:16,17).

 

So what was Hiram's merit? He aided Solomon in building  the first Temple and praised God in doing so. While this was not an altruistic gesture, as he accepted Solomon's fees, and got trade routes, Hiram was not an enemy to the Hebrews.

 

Ebid- melech's name literally means servant of the king. He was an African eunuch.

 

[Jer. 38; 7- end of chapter], ''Now when Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin; Ebedmelech went forth out of the king's house, and spoke to the king saying, My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the city.''

 

''Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with you, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.So Ebed-melech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence rags and worn-out garments, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah.And Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, Put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags under your armholes under the cords. And Jeremiah did so. So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon.''

 

So what was Ebed-Melech merit? He saved Jeremiah, allowing Jeremiah one more chance to warn the Hebrew king of Judah, the last one, to report to Nebedchadnezar and allow Jerusalem, the people, and the Temple to live on. But as most Hebrew kings , King Zedekiah , did not listen to prophecy. Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed, and all of King Zedekiah's household was killed, and the king blinded and taken captive. And Jeremiah was freed by Nebedchadnezar. God rewarded Ebed-Melech with saving him from death by the Babylonians.

 

Jabetz the son of R. Jehudah the Prince; There is no Talmudic reference to a son of Rabbi Judah Ha Nasi, Rabbi Yehudah the Prince, named Jabetz or Jabez. This is probably an error which happens a lot with names in oral transmission.  It should be  Jabez the Yahudahite.

Jabez was prominent, particularly after the Exile, among those Kenite clans that embraced Judaism, becoming scribes and teachers of the Law. Rabbinical tradition identifies Jabez with Othniel the Kenezite, the head of the bet ha-midrash after the death of Moses (Talmud Bavli Tractate Temurah 16a  ).

 

So what was Jabez merit? He was a righteous convert. His ancestor was Moses' father -in-law Yitro. He was a Kenite that joined the tribe of Judah. And like many converts, he was more spiritual than those born Hebrew or Jewish. He taught Torah, and was a scribe of Torah. And he had faith in God. He is only mentioned in two verses of the entire TaNaK, yet his faith and his deeds of teaching, gave him the privilege to see Paradise while still alive. He was honorable and honest.

 

Bothiah {Bithiah} the daughter of Pharaoh :(I Chron. 4; 17- 18) '' The sons of Ezrah were Jether, Mered, Epher and Jalon. (And these are the sons of Bithia the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered took) and she conceived and bore Miriam, Shammai and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa. (His Judean wife gave birth to Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah.) These were the children of Pharaoh's daughter Bithiah, whom Mered had married.''

 

She saved Moses from his floating basket in the Nile and raised him. She gave up her father, the Pharaoh's ways, and converted to Hebraism.

 

She was so privileged because she cared for Moses (i.e., rescued him and raised him) [Midrash Eshet Chayil -- Woman of Valor-- 31:15)  .  Another exegetical tradition has God saying: "Since this one brought salvation to Israel and brought them forth to life, I shall prolong her life. I shall reward this one, who left her father's royal house and adhered to Israel"   [Midrash Kallah Rabbati 3:23] . This Midrash attributes the salvation of all Israel to the daughter of Pharaoh, because she saved Moses from death, and thereby facilitated the redemption of Israel from Egypt by means of their leader Moses.

 

So what was Bithia's merit to enter Paradise without dying? She showed the ultimate in ahavath chesed, loving kindness. She saved a child and adopted it and raised him. That this child, Moses, would grow to become the leader and law giver of Israel, was not truly known to her. Further, she put life, pekuah nefesh, over the royal decree of her father, the Pharaoh.

 

 Serah, the daughter of Asher, as mentioned in Talmud Bavli Tractate Soṭah 13a and in the Chumash.  Asher was one of the 12 sons of Jacob. Hence Serah was Jacob's granddaughter.

 

Serah daughter of Asher is mentioned in the Bible in the count of the Israelites who went down to Egypt (Gen. 46:17) and in the enumeration of the Israelites at the steppes of Moab (Num. 26:46). Aside from this, she takes no part in any narrative, nor is anything said about her.

 

In contrast, there are a plethora of Midrashic traditions about this woman and thus the faceless Biblical character becomes a fascinating personality. Her history is intertwined with the story of the migration to Egypt and enslavement, and also with redemption and the return to Eretz Israel. She lived to an extremely old age and accordingly was blessed with much earthly wisdom and knowledge, which she used to help the people of Israel as needed, even during the time of the Rabbis.

 

In the Midrashic account, Serah helped Moses to fulfill the oath sworn to Joseph, to carry up his bones. When the Israelites were ready to leave Egypt they were occupied in taking booty, and Moses was the only one who was engaged with Joseph's bones. He searched for his coffin in all the land of Egypt, but could not locate it. Serah was the only one of that generation still alive.

 

Moses went to her and asked: "Do you know where Joseph is buried?" She answered: "They placed him here. The Egyptians made for him a metal coffin and sunk it in the Nile, so that its waters would be blessed." Moses then went to the Nile, stood on the bank and shouted: "Joseph, Joseph, the time has come for the oath that God swore to our father Abraham, that He will redeem His children. Give honor to the Lord, the God of Israel, and do not delay your redemption, because we are delayed on your account. If you show yourself, it will be well; and if not, then we are free from your oath , if you will not raise your coffin, we will go forth from Egypt and leave you here."

 

Joseph's coffin immediately rose to the surface and Moses took it (Talmud Bavli Tractate Sotah  13a). This led the Rabbis to state that Serah delivered "the faithful one to the faithful one," since she gave Joseph over to Moses when they departed from Egypt ( Midrash Genesis Rabbah 94:9) 

 

According to the Rabbis, not only was Serah among those who came to Egypt and one of those who left it, she also entered Eretz Israel; they use as a proof text for the latter claim Num. 26:46, that includes Serah among the names of those entering the land (Seder Olam Rabbah 9) .

 

What are Serah's merits to deserve to see Paradise without dying? She had extreme ahavath chesed. And her actions helped bring Jacob to Egypt, helps Moses find Joseph's bones, and keeps the Exodus on track. She had faith and taught of God's redemption and saved many lives.

 

Rabbi Joshua ben Levi is  the hero of nearly all the paradise legends. He often met Elijah before the gates of paradise (Talmud Bavli Tractate Sanhedrin 98a) and he obtained permission from the angel of death to visit paradise before his death and to inspect his assigned place. He reported the result of his investigation to Rabban Gamaliel (Seder ha-Dorot). The original accounts are in the Zohar, which contains all the elements in fragmentary documents (Zohar Beresheit, 38a-39b, 41a, and Zohar Leka 81a, b). One of these accounts is credited to Enoch. Midrash Konen is probably the first compilation and elaboration of these fragments.

 

Rabbi Joshua ben Levi was a favorite hero in legend. He was often made to be the companion of Elijah in the latter's wanderings on earth. (Midrash Pesikta 36a.)    He also had legendary dealings with the Angel of Death. (  Talmud Bavli Beracoth 51a.) While yet alive, he was permitted to visit paradise and the nether world, and he sent a description of what he saw there to Rabban Gamaliel through the submissive Angel of Death. (Derek Eretz Zuta 1.) Many of the legends relating to Joshua have been collected in separate small works entitled "Ma'aseh de-Rabbi Yehoshua' ben Lewi" and "Masseket Gan Eden we-Gehinnom."

 

So what was the merit of Rabbi Joshua ben Levi to deserve being allowed to see Paradise while alive? His rulings always had to do with chesed, loving- kindness. At a time when many rabbis wanted to curse Jews who were belonging to the sect of Rabbi Yeshua ben Yosef, (now called Christians), he taught of getting along with them. His comment of Jewish pluralism of the righteous of all nations have a share in the world to come, contrasted with other religions 'admission process' to heaven, was pure love.

 

Messiah :This class is long enough to write about the Jewish Messiah. Anyone that can bring peace among Jews, and among everyone in the earth, has more than enough chesed to earn himself a place in Paradise without dying.

 

Three sons of Korach (not mentioned in Derek Eretz Zuta, but in the Midrash Kallah Rabbati 3:23 ); While counting the tribe of Reuben, mention is made of Datan and Abiram who were leaders in Korach's rebellious assembly. The Torah retells the story of the earth swallowing Korach, Datan, Abiram, as well as the 250 men who joined them. Scripture then states in Numbers 26:11: "Oo'v'nay Korach lo may'too," but the sons of Korach did not die.

 

Talmud Bavli Tractate Sanhedrin 110a;  Rabbah bar bar Chanah tells the following story: I was one walking on the road, and an Arab merchant told me, "Come, and I will show you the site of the swallowing of Korach's  sons." He then went and showed two cracks in the ground which smoked. He took a ball of wool shearings, soaked it in water, put it on the head of a spear, and passed the spear over the cracks, and the wool was singed. Then the Arab told him to listen, and he heard, "Moses and his Torah are true, and we are liars."

So what were the three sons of Korach's merits to not die? While they joined with their father in the biggest rebellion known to Hebrew history, of Hebrew versus Hebrew, they realized they were wrong. They broke away and did teshuvah, amends. 

Rechab's son Jonadab (not mentioned in Derek Eretz Zuta, but in the Midrash Kallah Rabbati 3:23 ): Kenites came under the rulership of Rechab, who so greatly influenced the clan in the cause of truth, that they came to be called Rechabites.( 1 Chron. 2:55). They were known for their scribal activities. 1 Chron. 2:55.  This pursuit of truth was perpetuated by Rechab's son, Jonadab.( Jer. 35:6).  In 892 BCE, the year that Jehu ascended the throne of Israel, it was Jonadab who helped cleanse the land of idol worship. (2 Kings 10:15-28). At the time of Nebuchadnezzar's invasion of Judah in 606 BC, the Rechabites moved to Jerusalem and lived there until its destruction in 586 BC. (Jer. 35:11).  As a result of their faithfulness, they were promised a share in the temple service for the rest of their days. (Jer. 35:18-19).

 

So what did the sons of Rechab do to merit to see Paradise while still alive? They followed their father's teachings. They were humble and sober. They were loyal converts who became scribes, and teachers, and were faithful to God.

 

The slave of Judah ha Nasi (really the slave of Rabbam Gameliel II, ha Nasi) (not mentioned in Derek Eretz Zuta, but in the Midrash Kallah Rabbati 3:23 ):

 

This slave, whose name was Tavi, was the slave of Rabbi Gamaliel II ha Nasi. He was the first to lead the Jews,  as Nasi, after the fall of the Temple by the Romans in 70 CE. he became Nasi in 80 CE. The text has confused between him and Judah ha Nasi, of circa 200 CE.

 

In Talmud Bavli Tractate Beracoth 16b, we read in the Mishna portion of how Rabban Gamaliel  II [2nd Century CE], seemed to have contravened a halachic ruling and his students query him on this.

 

''When Rabban Gamaliel's slave Tavi  (aka Tabi, Aramaic for 'good') died, Rabban Gamaliel accepted condolences for him. (As was the custom, Gamaliel stood and his friends walked by him giving him words of condolences). His students said to him:"You, our teacher, have taught us that one may not accept condolences for the loss of a Canaanite slave. Why have you done so?'' Rabban Gamaliel answered:'' My slave Tavi is not like all of the other Canaanite slaves for he is a worthy individual.''

 

Hopefully, you will read the full account of Tavi in the links for the essays above. Tavi, a non-Jewish slave, was a better Jew and a wiser one, than many of the Talmudic rabbis of his time. This was his merit.

 

So what have we learned from these 13 groups and/or individuals  that were allowed to go to Paradise, Olam ha Ba, the Garden of Eden, ha Gan Eden? They were Hebrews and Jews and non-Hebrews and non-Jews. They were men and women. They were of high stature in society and of low stature. They were rich and they were poor. They were Asian and they were African. Some were converts.

 

What they had in common is righteousness, helping others come to spirituality, peace-making, fighting for the common person, loyalty, got along with others, they did teshuvah when wrong, humility, they went beyond the letter of the law, and they had extreme ahavath chesed, loving kindness.

 

As the Talmud teaches, the righteous of all nations, all religions, have a share in the world to come. Judaism is pluralistic. We are taught the God gave Moses the path for the Hebrews to God, but the God gave an equal prophet to all the other nations, religions, with a different but equal path to the Divine.( Talmud Bavli Tractate Sanhedrin 105a).

 

This is the lesson of this last section of verse 6:1 in Derek Eretz Zuta Chapter One, a book, along with Derek Eretz Rabbah, teaches us how to live day by day, with our fellow humans on this spinning  blue marble we call Earth.

 

Next week, Baruch ha Shem, we will begin chapter two of of Derek Eretz Zuta.

We discuss the aspects of this verse of loving kindness and altruism,  throughout the majority of chapters in  The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew  as well as in most chapters of A Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and Talmud  .

What are your ideas about leading a life where you do not see people's skin color, or origins, but only the content of their character? How has learning that Judaism is pluralistic and that God is not playing favorites helped you in getting along with others? How has understanding the spiritual and ethical teachings of Judaism and helped you live a happier life?

Next class, Baruch ha Shem, we will continue with Derek Eretz Zuta,  continuing  with the start of Chapter Two. Thank you for joining me.

As mentioned above, this next class will not be until mid May, 2011.

Have a Happy Passover!!

  

For those who want a d'var Torah on Parasha Shemini from A Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and Talmud  or http://www.jewishspiritualrenewal.net/index.html#Compendium2  please click on:   Rabbi Arthur Segal: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL:JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL:JEWISH RENEWAL:SHEMINI:BE HOLY   or http://rabbiarthursegal.blogspot.com/2009/04/rabbi-arthur-segaljewish-spiritual_10.html

 

Shalom:

Rabbi Arthur Segal www.jewishspiritualrenewal.org
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^ "And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him." (Genesis 5:24).

 Elijah the prophet   >  

Ebed Melech ^ ///

Eliezar, the servant of Abraham, and Rebecca, at the well... V

 

 

 

 

RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL: SHEMINI: BE HOLY: REMOVE CHAMETZ

 

RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL: SHEMINI: BE HOLY: REMOVE CHAMETZ

RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL:JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL:JEWISH RENEWAL:SHEMINI:BE HOLY

RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL:JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL:JEWISH RENEWAL:SHEMINI:BE HOLY

 

Parasha Shemini: Leviticus 9:01 To 11:47

Rabbi Arthur Segal
Via Shamash Org on-line class service
Jewish Renewal
Jewish Spiritual Renewal
Hilton Head Island, SC, Bluffton, SC, Savannah, GA
 

"I see the bad moon arising! I see trouble on the way!"

This Torah portion deals with the rules of the priestly service and then the commandments concerning kashrut, the kosher dietary laws. I will not dwell on either of these two groups of laws in detail but will refer to them metaphorically, with one exception. This slight deviation comes on the heals of Purim a month ago, with its mitzvah to drink wine until one cannot distinguish between Haman and Mordechai, is that Aaron and his sons cannot be drunk while doing the Temple service (Lev. 10:09).

This Shabbat follows the series of special Sabbaths.One was called Ha Chodesh, the Shabbat of The Month. With Pesach coming (and by this parasha's reading just passed), we were to be holy and pure to partake in the Pascal lamb offerings. If we could not get pure in time, we actually had another chance, a month later, with Pesach Sheni (2nd). Pesach Sheni is a month after Passover; so don't put away your good china in case some of your presently impure relatives, who become pure, drop by next month.

The Shabbat before Rosh Chodesh Nissan is the time designated for this special Sabbath. The rationale, if we remember from the d'var on Parasha Bo (Ex. 12:02), is that we were given the mitzvoth of setting up our lunar calendar and putting time into our own control. This was our first commandment as a newly freed people. This commandment was given even before the mitzvah of celebrating and remembering our liberation from Egypt in what we now call a Seder. The first twenty verses of chapter 12 of Exodus are this special Shabbat's Maftir (extra Torah reading).

During the weeks between Purim and Pesach we are traditionally to become pure, to make ourselves worthy of the redemption that our ancestors received. In biblical times, this was done with sacrificial offerings and with sprinklings from the ashes of a red heifer (please refer to the previous d'var).

Talmudically, since the rules of kashrut are included in detail in this parasha, the juxtaposition has been posited to mean that kashrut is the way a Jew in the Diaspora can show he is holy, pure, and pious and be as priestly as the Cohanim were during their Temple service. (NB: a close reading of the TaNaK shows that our priests historically were not so pious.)

I have written in the past how the rabbis saw the waxing and waning of the moon to be symbolic of the Jewish people. By declaring a new month, we have the responsibility to make holy the cycles of life and time. All of our lives are like the cycles of the moon. All of us will have periods of greatness, and all of us will have moments of depression. None of us will escape sorrow. The apex of waning is death. Hopefully all of us will experience success and joy in our lives. In the metaphorical cycle of the lunar month we will encounter, as Rabbi Simmons wrote, "the entire spectrum of human character and behavior."

In finding ways to make ourselves holy, without clinging to rituals we cannot do, or rituals we do not wish to do, we need to focus on every seemingly mundane opportunity to make the ordinary sanctified. We need to incorporate the lessons we learn when our moon is full or small, to grow to a new level through each of life's cycles. But is this enough? Since we all will go through bumps, highs and lows in our lives, do we not all have an obligation to give of ourselves when we are "riding high in April" to someone "shot down in May." (My apologies to Frank Sinatra, of blessed memory).

We must all find ways to increase our own holiness and to feel truly worthy of the Pesach redemption, which we in the free world experience every day. I invite you to consider doing a bit of litpayach tikvah, to nourish hope, to those of our friends, neighbors and congregants that are not doing as well presently as we are. It does not take much effort to bring a little simcha (happiness) and oneg (joy) into someone's life when they are down. A call, a card, or a visit can all bring some healing by the ministry of presence. When we study the rules of kashrut in this parasha we learn what we must dietarily do without. By following these rules, were we meant to learn to deal better in the austere times of withoutness?

Perhaps our modern kosher rules could be of giving some of ourselves, some of our time, to others who would benefit greatly from it. This could be an example of liberal Jews doing without.

With Pesach still here as of this writing, and past as of this parasha's reading, fill your tables with those who have less, not just financially, but spiritually. This is indeed one of the ultimate good deeds. "Ha lachma anya," our Hagaddah says. "Let those who are hungry come and eat." We are all hungry spiritually, some more than others. Let us this Nissan vow to redeem ourselves and our neighbors, friends and congregants, from the pangs in our and their spiritual bellies. All of our holidays call out to us for Jewish Spiritual Renewal.

When we swear off chametz (leavened bread) at Passover, what detrimental spiritual baggage like jealousy, cliquishness, animosity, lashon ha ra, or pettiness can we also rid from our spiritual homes? What spiritual traif (nonkosher) thoughts and behaviors can we not bring into our souls' kitchens to boil over and fester in our bodies?

We are taught that God said that He is holy therefore we too should be holy (Lev. 11:45). This means we should try to behave in the Divine Image.

When we do acts of loving kindness (gemilut chasidim), actually love kindness (ahavath chesed), we are raising our level of holiness, our spirituality, as well as our own emotional health.

All of humanity must learn finally, as the parasha teaches, "to distinguish between the sacred and the profane, and between the contaminated and the pure." (Lev. 10:10).

If we as modern Jews choose to not keep the laws of kashrut, then what laws of personal behavior will we declare to be profane, contaminated and forbidden to us?

If the laws of kashrut were chukat, laws with no rational explanation (see the previous d'var), then my explanation is that it was to teach us that we can give up some gastronomic delicacies on a permanent basis and still survive and be happy. If we could give up spare ribs and still fill our bellies with brisket, then we could make the subconscious intellectual jump to give up thoughts of an adulterous lover and be satisfied with our own spouse. After all, don't we call our spouse our kadishet, our holy one, one who is set aside and sanctified? It also teaches us that we can give up some of ourselves to help others by being extra kind. We will still retain our wholeness, and actually feel fuller, when we give. Giving of ourselves is the ultimate win-win situation!

By acting selfishly, jealously, unkindly, with pettiness and lashon ha ra, we "become contaminated through them" (Lev. 11:43). The quote refers to eating traif. But if we continue with the homiletic interpretation, any modern psychologist or psychiatrist will agree that these non-Jewish behaviors and thoughts that we may do toward someone else will only cause our own destruction. The word contaminated is written without its aleph in the Torah scroll. Rashi says that the word could mean dulled. When we act poorly toward others either with commission or omission, we dull our spirit.

The road to holiness and spirituality does not begin with lofty ideas and detailed study. Few who left the ashrams and wats in the sixties or who did psychedelic trips came out more spiritual. We gain our spirituality by starting with doing simple, lowly things like controlling our behaviors, appetites and morality. We are commanded to love our neighbor. It's hard enough to love someone we are supposed to love all the time (like our spouses, parents, siblings), but when we say to ourselves: "that guy just rubs me the wrong way," that is the one person we must force ourselves to truly love. We only love this person with God's aid.

With this Shabbat, let us resolve to become more holy. When we say the words in prayer of "Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh" (repeating the word "holy" three times) and stand on our tiptoes reaching toward heaven, I invite you to grab some of that Divine Presence. After the service, go into the world walking humbly, doing justice and good deeds, with the Sheckinah always by your side.

Shabbat Shalom:

Rabbi Arthur Segal
Via Shamash Org on-line class service
Jewish Renewal
Jewish Spiritual Renewal
Hilton Head Island, SC, Bluffton, SC, Savannah, GA
 The SPIRITUALRENEWAL mailing list is hosted by Shamash: The Jewish Network a service of Hebrew College. To unsubscribe email SPIRITUALRENEWAL-unsubscribe-request@SHAMASH.ORG
For other options go to: http://listserv.SHAMASH.ORG/

 

RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL:JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL:JEWISH RENEWAL:SHEMINI:BE HOLY

RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL:JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL:JEWISH RENEWAL:SHEMINI:BE HOLY

 

Parasha Shemini: Leviticus 9:01 To 11:47

Rabbi Arthur Segal
Via Shamash Org on-line class service
Jewish Renewal
Jewish Spiritual Renewal
Hilton Head Island, SC, Bluffton, SC, Savannah, GA
 

"I see the bad moon arising! I see trouble on the way!"

This Torah portion deals with the rules of the priestly service and then the commandments concerning kashrut, the kosher dietary laws. I will not dwell on either of these two groups of laws in detail but will refer to them metaphorically, with one exception. This slight deviation comes on the heals of Purim a month ago, with its mitzvah to drink wine until one cannot distinguish between Haman and Mordechai, is that Aaron and his sons cannot be drunk while doing the Temple service (Lev. 10:09).

This Shabbat follows the series of special Sabbaths.One was called Ha Chodesh, the Shabbat of The Month. With Pesach coming (and by this parasha's reading just passed), we were to be holy and pure to partake in the Pascal lamb offerings. If we could not get pure in time, we actually had another chance, a month later, with Pesach Sheni (2nd). Pesach Sheni is a month after Passover; so don't put away your good china in case some of your presently impure relatives, who become pure, drop by next month.

The Shabbat before Rosh Chodesh Nissan is the time designated for this special Sabbath. The rationale, if we remember from the d'var on Parasha Bo (Ex. 12:02), is that we were given the mitzvoth of setting up our lunar calendar and putting time into our own control. This was our first commandment as a newly freed people. This commandment was given even before the mitzvah of celebrating and remembering our liberation from Egypt in what we now call a Seder. The first twenty verses of chapter 12 of Exodus are this special Shabbat's Maftir (extra Torah reading).

During the weeks between Purim and Pesach we are traditionally to become pure, to make ourselves worthy of the redemption that our ancestors received. In biblical times, this was done with sacrificial offerings and with sprinklings from the ashes of a red heifer (please refer to the previous d'var).

Talmudically, since the rules of kashrut are included in detail in this parasha, the juxtaposition has been posited to mean that kashrut is the way a Jew in the Diaspora can show he is holy, pure, and pious and be as priestly as the Cohanim were during their Temple service. (NB: a close reading of the TaNaK shows that our priests historically were not so pious.)

I have written in the past how the rabbis saw the waxing and waning of the moon to be symbolic of the Jewish people. By declaring a new month, we have the responsibility to make holy the cycles of life and time. All of our lives are like the cycles of the moon. All of us will have periods of greatness, and all of us will have moments of depression. None of us will escape sorrow. The apex of waning is death. Hopefully all of us will experience success and joy in our lives. In the metaphorical cycle of the lunar month we will encounter, as Rabbi Simmons wrote, "the entire spectrum of human character and behavior."

In finding ways to make ourselves holy, without clinging to rituals we cannot do, or rituals we do not wish to do, we need to focus on every seemingly mundane opportunity to make the ordinary sanctified. We need to incorporate the lessons we learn when our moon is full or small, to grow to a new level through each of life's cycles. But is this enough? Since we all will go through bumps, highs and lows in our lives, do we not all have an obligation to give of ourselves when we are "riding high in April" to someone "shot down in May." (My apologies to Frank Sinatra, of blessed memory).

We must all find ways to increase our own holiness and to feel truly worthy of the Pesach redemption, which we in the free world experience every day. I invite you to consider doing a bit of litpayach tikvah, to nourish hope, to those of our friends, neighbors and congregants that are not doing as well presently as we are. It does not take much effort to bring a little simcha (happiness) and oneg (joy) into someone's life when they are down. A call, a card, or a visit can all bring some healing by the ministry of presence. When we study the rules of kashrut in this parasha we learn what we must dietarily do without. By following these rules, were we meant to learn to deal better in the austere times of withoutness?

Perhaps our modern kosher rules could be of giving some of ourselves, some of our time, to others who would benefit greatly from it. This could be an example of liberal Jews doing without.

With Pesach still here as of this writing, and past as of this parasha's reading, fill your tables with those who have less, not just financially, but spiritually. This is indeed one of the ultimate good deeds. "Ha lachma anya," our Hagaddah says. "Let those who are hungry come and eat." We are all hungry spiritually, some more than others. Let us this Nissan vow to redeem ourselves and our neighbors, friends and congregants, from the pangs in our and their spiritual bellies. All of our holidays call out to us for Jewish Spiritual Renewal.

When we swear off chametz (leavened bread) at Passover, what detrimental spiritual baggage like jealousy, cliquishness, animosity, lashon ha ra, or pettiness can we also rid from our spiritual homes? What spiritual traif (nonkosher) thoughts and behaviors can we not bring into our souls' kitchens to boil over and fester in our bodies?

We are taught that God said that He is holy therefore we too should be holy (Lev. 11:45). This means we should try to behave in the Divine Image.

When we do acts of loving kindness (gemilut chasidim), actually love kindness (ahavath chesed), we are raising our level of holiness, our spirituality, as well as our own emotional health.

All of humanity must learn finally, as the parasha teaches, "to distinguish between the sacred and the profane, and between the contaminated and the pure." (Lev. 10:10).

If we as modern Jews choose to not keep the laws of kashrut, then what laws of personal behavior will we declare to be profane, contaminated and forbidden to us?

If the laws of kashrut were chukat, laws with no rational explanation (see the previous d'var), then my explanation is that it was to teach us that we can give up some gastronomic delicacies on a permanent basis and still survive and be happy. If we could give up spare ribs and still fill our bellies with brisket, then we could make the subconscious intellectual jump to give up thoughts of an adulterous lover and be satisfied with our own spouse. After all, don't we call our spouse our kadishet, our holy one, one who is set aside and sanctified? It also teaches us that we can give up some of ourselves to help others by being extra kind. We will still retain our wholeness, and actually feel fuller, when we give. Giving of ourselves is the ultimate win-win situation!

By acting selfishly, jealously, unkindly, with pettiness and lashon ha ra, we "become contaminated through them" (Lev. 11:43). The quote refers to eating traif. But if we continue with the homiletic interpretation, any modern psychologist or psychiatrist will agree that these non-Jewish behaviors and thoughts that we may do toward someone else will only cause our own destruction. The word contaminated is written without its aleph in the Torah scroll. Rashi says that the word could mean dulled. When we act poorly toward others either with commission or omission, we dull our spirit.

The road to holiness and spirituality does not begin with lofty ideas and detailed study. Few who left the ashrams and wats in the sixties or who did psychedelic trips came out more spiritual. We gain our spirituality by starting with doing simple, lowly things like controlling our behaviors, appetites and morality. We are commanded to love our neighbor. It's hard enough to love someone we are supposed to love all the time (like our spouses, parents, siblings), but when we say to ourselves: "that guy just rubs me the wrong way," that is the one person we must force ourselves to truly love. We only love this person with God's aid.

With this Shabbat, let us resolve to become more holy. When we say the words in prayer of "Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh" (repeating the word "holy" three times) and stand on our tiptoes reaching toward heaven, I invite you to grab some of that Divine Presence. After the service, go into the world walking humbly, doing justice and good deeds, with the Sheckinah always by your side.

Shabbat Shalom:

Rabbi Arthur Segal
Via Shamash Org on-line class service
Jewish Renewal
Jewish Spiritual Renewal
Hilton Head Island, SC, Bluffton, SC, Savannah, GA
 The SPIRITUALRENEWAL mailing list is hosted by Shamash: The Jewish Network a service of Hebrew College. To unsubscribe email SPIRITUALRENEWAL-unsubscribe-request@SHAMASH.ORG
For other options go to: http://listserv.SHAMASH.ORG/