Monday, March 31, 2014

Metzora

Leviticus 14:1-15:33

By Rabbi Rabbi Steven Pik-Nathan for Reconstructionist Jewish Communities

Finding Healing in Separation

This week's parashah is Metzora. In this parashah we continue the laws concerning the person with tzara'at (skin afflictions) that began last week. We were informed in the last parashah, Tazria, that the person suffering from skin afflictions (commonly translated as leprosy) is to be kept separated from the camp until the priest has determined that s/he is healed. The person is considered ritually impure and in danger of contaminating the camp both physically and spiritually. The Torah does not distinguish physical illness as separate from the religious realm. Tzara'at is viewed as a punishment from God for sin and so the priest, as the person in charge of the religious realm, must oversee the person's isolation and reintegration into society.

In a classic interpretation of this week's parashah Metzora, the one afflicted with tzara'at, is read by the rabbis as an acronym for motzi shem ra, the one who brings forth an evil name. In other words, one who slanders or gossips is punished with this affliction. If this were indeed the case then I would venture to say that many, if not all, of us would be walking around with some degree of skin affliction at various times. However, Jewish tradition takes gossip very seriously. The Talmud teaches that to slander or embarrass someone in public is like shedding a person's blood. And so the rabbis believed that slander and gossip deserved a severe punishment that included not only the skin affliction, but the subsequent separation from the community.

In his commentary on the parashah, the Hassidic rebbe Sefat Emet focuses on the opening verse of the parashah that states "this is the teaching (in Hebrew, torat) concerning the afflicted person." He states that the Torah teaches "Peace, peace, to the far and to the near" (Isaiah 57:19) and that the "far" person refers to the afflicted person separated from the community.

In his insightful commentary the Sefat Emet states that causing the person to be far from the community and far from God is the punishment, but at the same time it is the means of bringing healing - bringing shalom/peace or wholeness. He reminds us that the Midrash teaches that though a human being is wounded by a knife and healed by a bandage God is able to heal through the same means by which God wounds. God "commands" in this parashah that the person be separated and kept far from others. This separation is a punishment that eventually brings about healing and purification. Being separated from the community and from God enables the one who gossips to think about the effects of his/her actions and to work on changing. Like a person who goes on a silent retreat or a trek in the desert, that person finds him/herself and God in the silence and the separation.

In his gloss on the Sefat Emet, Arthur Green comments that one of the ills of modernity is the separation from God (and I would add the concurrent separation, for many, from a true sense of community). He then makes the case that this separation can also be seen as the impetus for healing and bring oneself closer to God (and community). Our speech is one way by which we separate ourselves from God and from others. Speaking ill of someone, or simply wasting so much of our time talking about others rather than focusing on meaningful speech, causes a gulf to widen between us and God, as well as community. It also separates us from our true selves.

As we prepare to celebrate z'man heiruteinu (the time of our freedom), let us free ourselves from the chains of gossip and hurtful speech. Let us each assess how far we have placed ourselves from God, community and self through our speech, as well as other deeds. Let us then use the sense of separation as the impetus to bring us closer to one another and to God, and ultimately back to our truest selves.


Monday, March 24, 2014

Tazria Shabbat Hachodesh

Lev. 12:1-13:59 and Ex. 12:1-20

By Rabbi Rabbi Steven Pik-Nathan for Reconstructionist Jewish Communities

Tzara'at and Impurity

This week's parashah, Tazria, is the first of two parshiot dealing with issues of skin afflictions, purity and holiness. Tazria (which in non-leap years is paired with the next parashah, Metzora) describes how Aaron and his sons, the cohanim/priests, are assigned the duty of examining people with tzara'at/skin afflictions to determine the extent of the affliction and when they are healed so that they can return to the camp, as they must remain outside the camp while afflicted.

The classic rabbinic interpretation of tzara'at is that it is the result of some type of moral or spiritual "impurity" or immoral actions, such as gossip (this is especially true of the interpretation of next week's parashah). The idea that a physical affliction is an external manifestation of an internal flaw or impurity is anathema today. It reminds us too much of those who state that AIDS or other diseases are a punishment for immorality. However, in Biblical times and even later later it was a common assumption that everything can be viewed as either a punishment or reward from God. Diseases and illnesses were no exception.

The Hassidic master, the Sefat Emet, provides us with an interpretation that is a powerful metaphor for how we close off ourselves from the spiritual thereby bringing distress to ourselves.

In commenting on the simple verse "The Eternal spoke to Moses and Aaron saying: If a person has in the flesh of the skin a sore" (Vayikra 13:1-2) the Sefat Emet makes the link between the Hebrew word for skin ('or', beginning with the silent letter ayin) and the word for light ('or', beginning with the silent letter aleph). There is a long tradition within Judaism, especially within the mystical schools, that focuses on the belief that originally Adam and Havah (Eve) were in a purely spiritual state and were clothed in "garments of light ('or')" but that after the sin of eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil they were then clothed in "garments of skin" ('or'), which they viewed as the skin of the serpent. The corporeal nature of humanity arrived from this. From that moment on human beings consisted of a corporeal, physical element and a spiritual element. The spiritual, represented by the garment of light, still existed but it was covered by the garment of skin only to "shine through" at specific moments and would not be seen in its full glory until the arrival of the Messianic Era.

Continue reading.
 

Monday, March 17, 2014

Shabbat Parah

Shemini, Leviticus 9:1-11:47 & Num. 19:1-22

By Rabbi Rabbi Steven Pik-Nathan for Reconstructionist Jewish Communities

Strange Fire ... a Midrashic Reconstruction on Nadav and Avihu

The parashah this week is Shemini. Instead of a traditional d'var Torah I am sharing with all of you an original midrash I wrote about Nadav and Avihu. These two sons of Aaron, the High Priest, after seeing Divine fire come down from heaven and devour the first sacrifice made in the newly-dedicated Mishkan (Sanctuary), decide to take matters into their own hands. They bring a "strange fire" before God, that God had not commanded them, and their punishment was that they were then devoured by Divine fire. The rabbis have commented on this for years, questioning whether Nadav and Avihu were simply brash, arrogant upstarts, or if perhaps there was another reason.

I like to think of Nadav and Avihu as the first Reconstructionists.

Unfortunately, they were a little ahead of their time and so they suffered the consequences. Once you read my midrash you'll understand why I say this.

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The time had finally arrived. The animals had been slaughtered exactly as God had commanded. They had been placed on the altar. Now they had only to wait.

Aaron, the High Priest, and his sons Elazar, Ithamar, Nadav and Avihu had followed God's instructions as relayed to them through Aaron's brother Moses; now they were to see the results of their actions. For the first time they were making a sacrifice on behalf of the people in the newly dedicated Mishkan, the portable desert sanctuary.

As they stood waiting there suddenly appeared a blinding light in the heavens. A bolt of Divine fire descended upon the altar. In an instant the slaughtered animals were consumed. The sacrifice had been accepted by God. Enveloped by smoke, the smell of charred flesh permeating their nostrils, they could feel the presence of God within and around them. And yet as quickly as it had appeared, so too it dissipated as with the smoke from the sacrifice.

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Monday, March 10, 2014

Tzav

Leviticus 6:1−8:36

By Rabbi Rabbi Steven Pik-Nathan for Reconstructionist Jewish Communities

Olah, Zevach Shelamim and Iraq



As I write this d'var Torah I couldn't help but wonder how I might connect this week's parashah, Tzav, to the war in Iraq. The parashah is a continuation of the details concerning the various offerings and sacrifices made in the mishkan (tabernacle) in the desert, as well as later in the Temple in Jerusalem.

At first glance this seems to have no relationship to the topic of war, except perhaps to discuss the various meanings of sacrifice. However, thanks to some brilliant interpretation by our Sages I believe that there is something that we can learn from this week's parashah. In the Talmud, Ben Bag Bag says of the Torah, "turn it and turn it, for everything is in it." I believe that this is a prime example of the veracity of this statement!

In discussing the offering known as the 'olah' (burnt offering), Rabbi Levi, who lived in the third century CE, commented that 'olah' could also be read as 'alah' which can mean "behave boastfully." Therefore, "This is the law concerning the olah. It shall go up upon its burning place on the altar" can be interpreted as "the boastful person shall be destroyed by fire." He then gives examples, such as the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, who were destroyed by fire because of their excessive pride and hubris.

In analyzing this text the phrase "boastful person" can also be redefined as one who is so focused on his/her ego, or his/her own needs, that s/he only acts in ways that are meant to raise up him/herself. This person will eventually be consumed by his/her needs and ego. One could certainly apply this to Saddam Hussein and how his egotism has led him to become one of the most oppressive and tyrannical rulers of the 21st century. However, I believe we also must look at how our own leadership has been so consumed and blinded by their own sense of what is right that they too run the risk of being consumed, and causing us to be consumed, by the fires of unilateralism and self-righteousness. Though I do consider myself to be a pacifist I also consider myself to be a realist. I am aware that war is sometimes, if not often, necessary. I supported our nation's military intervention in Bosnia, Kosovo and even, to a lesser extent, in the first Gulf War. However, I don't believe that Jewish teaching or other ethical and moral teachings can support the claims that our administration is making for this war. For a much more eloquent discussion of these issues I recommend that you read Jimmy Carter's op-ed in the Sunday New York Times of March 9.

Continue reading.

Monday, March 3, 2014

Vayikra

Leviticus 1:1−5:26

by Ellen Dannin for Jewish Reconstructionist Communities

Drawing Close to Sacrifice

When Adar comes in, our happiness is increased. But when Vayikra comes in, we feel as if the Promised Land of great stories and heroes is far, far away.

Torah scholars through the centuries have tried to give us reasons to rejoice in these endless passages on the most minute and bloody details of sacrifices, but it is hard to say they have succeeded. Some point out that we are moving from a physical to a spiritual journey. After all, the book begins with the words "And God called." Called - not just spoke.

Others point out how the details of ritual sacrifice were transformed so that Judaism and the Jewish people were able to survive thousands of years without a temple. Reconstructionist prayers have embraced this break by eliminating prayers for the restoration of the temple sacrifices.

But let me suggest a wholly different way of approaching these very difficult passages. Try embracing them. Try taking on the feeling of what it means to be living in a society in which this is the form worship takes. After all, this form of worship, using sacrifices as its center, has had a long history of success. It must offer people something for this to be the case. Use these weekly parshiot to explore what that might be.

To that end, let me offer some questions to guide you in your embrace of Vayikra. Consider that this is a very physical approach to spirituality. Those of us who practice yoga know that physical practices can lead to spiritual development. These laws of korbanot (sacrifice) are regarded as hukkim (laws that for which we have no rational understanding) as opposed to the mishpatim, which are the sorts of legislative laws we think of. So pay attention to the most minute details of the practices. Notice what is a sin (pesha) versus an error (het).

Continue reading.