RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: FOUR SHABBAT SERMONS ON PRINSENDAM: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL

RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: FOUR SHABBAT SERMONS ON PRINSENDAM: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL;

 

FROM 'A SPIRITUAL AND ETHICAL COMPENDIUM TO THE TORAH AND TALMUD' , PAGES 108 - 125. http://www.jewishspiritualrenewal.org/books/a-spiritual-and-ethical-compendium-to-the-torah-and-talmud/

 

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Parasha Mikeitz: Genesis 41:01-44:17

"More Games With Masks" (Life is a Masquerade)

In this Torah portion we find Joseph and his brothers in Egypt, still caught in the ugly family dysfunction that has plagued their clan for generations. Could we for a moment imagine this family sharing a Hanukah meal with the kids, deciding who gets to light the first candle or pick their favorite color from the box of candles? Who would decide the place seatings? Would we sit Tammy next to Judah? Would he even recognize her? Which mom gets to sit across from pappa Jacob? Whose recipe for latkes would we use? Oy! Luckily, this Hanukah scene will not be played out by this family's descendents for about 1,500 years, although the first Pesach is only a about 400 hundred years away.

In this parasha the recurring theme of hidden agendas and lack of assertive communication is replayed. Wearing the mask this time is Joseph, who does not reveal himself to his brothers. These poor guys are squirming and in fear for their very lives. And Joseph drags the game on and on, pulling the brothers, and then his father Jacob, closer into his net. And why not? Has Joseph had training in assertiveness?? Has Joseph had training in observing a normal family life where he could have learned trust and unconditional love?

Joseph, as we read in the previous parasha was a gifted, bright young man. But he was also was a tattletale and spoke loshan ha ra. He was proud, flaunting his new coat and his award as most favored son in front of his older brothers. He told them of his dream that one day they would bow to him. Joseph knew that his brothers could be cruel and bloody, as the massacre of the men of Shechem was only in the recent past. He indeed was a dreamer but his interpretation of dreams helped save him from Pharaoh's dungeon.

And so Joseph deals with his brothers as he saw his brothers and father and mother(s) and grandfather and grandmother deal with their family and others...with masks on. Tamra masquerades from Judah. The brothers hide Joseph's demise from Jacob. Jacob dresses up as Esau to fool Isaac. Rebbekah insists that he do it! Laban masks Leah to fool Isaac. We are taught Talmudically that Rachel helps Leah fool Isaac. Rachel lies to her dad about his missing idol, masking it under her skirt. Abraham masks the true reason he and Isaac are taking their pilgrimage. God's angels as men are masked whenever they appear. God speaks to man through angels, and through dreams, and in riddles, and rarely if ever assertively and open. Joseph has had some lousy role models.

As we light the Hanukah menorah, at home or at Temple, and look around the room, do our friends and loved ones see the real us, or do they see the masks we wish to wear? Are we honest and assertively kind with our friends and family or do we beat around the bush, speak in half-truths and riddles, keeping up the 3,700 year old masquerade? Do we pray to God honestly, with kavenah, and with true intention, or just perfunctorily work our way through the Shabbat service? Do we mask our own true feelings from our own selves, going through life with a cloudy hidden sense of self that makes it impossible to truly know and love another?

As the glow of the Hanukah menorah and the weekly glow of our Shabbat candles light up our faces, may we all resolve to lift off the masks and facades that hide us from each other, to make our lives and our loves meaningful and wonderful, and to pray that God continues to show His face to us and that we can successfully be able to smile back at Him.

Parasha Vayigash: Genesis 44:18-47:27

"United Brothers" (Brother, bring some lovin' here today)

 This Shabbat we read: "then he (Joseph) fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck. He then kissed all his brothers and wept upon them" (Gen 45:14-15). When Joseph finally removed the mask behind which he was hiding and revealed himself to his brothers his joy could not be contained. He had already forgiven them and saw that they indeed had learned compassion and tolerance by the way they were concerned about Benjamin and their father Jacob.

 

The Midrash teaches something else as well. It says that Joseph, the dreamer, wept not only tears of joy, but of sadness. He could foresee that the exile in Egypt, which his family was now beginning, would not be their last exile. He could foresee, the Midrash says, the future suffering of our people.

Our ancient rabbinic sages expound that Joseph wept over the destruction of the Temples and that he could also foresee the time when his brothers again would fight and break up into two kingdoms (after Solomon's reign). The Zohar takes this even a step further. Joseph also foresaw the scattering of ten of the brothers' tribes to be lost forever (after the Assyrian battles).

In this Parasha's Haftarah from the Book of Ezekiel (Ez 37:15-28), our prophet speaks of the reunification of the 12 tribes of Israel. Ezekiel prophesized the first Temple's destruction and the exile of Judah to Babylon. Ezekiel was himself one of the refugees. Out of the despair of galut (exile), he said that God told him that He would "take the Children of Israel from among the nations to which they went, and I shall gather them from around and I shall bring them to their soil." (Ez. 37:21) and "I shall seal a covenant of peace with them." (Ez. 37:26).

As a people we have always been stiff-necked and quarrelsome. But we are commanded to not be like Korach, fighting among ourselves. We were at our zenith when we accepted our differences and believed that despite them, we were all Jews.

The Talmud is replete with different opinions of rabbis spanning the centuries. We can relate the story of how Rabbi Hillel wanted the Hanukah menorah lit as opposed to the way that Rabbi Shamai wished it to be done. But the rabbis accepted the fact that different groups from different areas did things differently. They jested about these groups, sometimes in unkind ways, but the minhags (traditions) were accepted.

Talmud Beracoth says that kavenah (spiritual intention and concentration) is the most important part of prayer and that praying in one's vernacular in an abridged version with true kavenah is better than rushing thru a prayer service in Hebrew and not understanding it. Talmud Kiddushin says a Torah service where just three lines are read completes the mitzvah of reading the Torah. Talmud Sanhedrin relates how Rabbi Hillel was not a believer in the messiah from scriptural references. Rabbi Akiva thought that General Bar Kochba was the messiah. And Rabbi Judah ha Nasi, the redactor of the Mishna, did not wish to codify the celebration of Hanukah into our halacha (Jewish law) as he wanted us to live in peace and not be constantly reminded of our past wars. He also wanted to do away with Tisha B'Av and Purim as well. Yet we were great and survived because we respected our differences to the point that we carefully recorded them.

There are so many ways and paths to reach God. Many gain closeness to God by doing ritual and all its minutia. Others gain a spiritual closeness by doing the mitzvoth of visiting the sick, tutoring a student in an afternoon program, helping the elderly or raising a family. Many others enjoy a festive Shabbat meal or singing joyous songs of praise to God. Still others gain spirituality by quiet study and reflection or through individual prayer.

We are all made in the image of God, and His emanations are as different as the sands on the earth's beaches. Man is equally varied. The time has come to universally realize that no one group of Jews has the right and only path (halacha) to reach God. Each of us approaches God differently, and hopefully He reaches us in different ways at different times in our lives.

An important message from this parasha it is that we are all brothers with different strengths, weaknesses, customs and traditions. Yet, like Joseph's siblings, we have the same Father. "Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us all? Why do we deal treacherously with one another?" (Malachi 2:10). Let us all strive to relish our differences, customs, rituals or lack thereof, and even modes of dress. Let us try to banish loshan ha ra from our lips and ridicule from our hearts. Let the "covenant of peace among the people of Israel" prophesized by Ezekiel come to pass. We can then "behold how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity." (Psalm 133:1).

Parasha Vayechi: Genesis 48:01-50:26

"Blessings and Determinism" (When I woke up this morning I could've sworn it was the Judgment Day.)

This parasha ends the book of Genesis. We find our people in the Land of the Pharaohs. We find that Jacob dies at the conclusion of this Torah portion. Before his death, Jacob blesses the two sons of Joseph as well as his own twelve sons.

To Judah, Jacob said "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a scholar from among his descendents until Shiloh arrives, and his will be an assemblage of nations." (Gen 49:10 Art Scroll Edition). Other translations (Plaut) read: "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, so that tribute shall come to him, and the homage of peoples be his." Still others (Hertz) read: "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, as long as men come to Shiloh, and onto him shall the obedience of the peoples be." The King James version states: "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes: and to Him shall be the obedience of the people."

Why are there so many translations? What has been read into this passage by so many over the centuries? What can we derive from this verse for ourselves?

In Talmud Sanhedrin, Chapter 11, the sages argue about the validity of the Messiah in Judaism, who he will be, how he will arrive, if he already arrived, and when he would arrive. One of their proof texts is this very verse. On daf (folio) 98B, Rav Shela's student interprets Shiloh as referring to the Messiah on the basis of the verse from Isaiah 18:7: "a gift (tribute) shall be offered to God," which the Midrash renders into "all nations are destined to bring a gift to Israel and the Messianic king." The word Shiloh is formed by the two Hebrew words for gift and "to him." The Ramban (Nachmonides) says that Jacob promises Judah in this verse that the kings of the Jewish people will emerge exclusively from his tribe, until the advent of the Messiah, who will rule not only over all of the Jews but of all the nations.

By the scepter not departing from Judah, Jacob is predetermining that our kings will be from the Tribe of Judah. (Of course our first king was Saul, from Benjamin's tribe). However, it set up the "divine right" of the Davidic line from the tribe of Judah to be not only our kings, but also our Exilarchs in the Diaspora in Babylon. Many of the Rosh yeshivas during the time of the writing of the Mishna traced their lineage to King David. According to Talmud Sanhedrin (daf 5A), Hillel and Judah ha Nasi were from the Davidic-Judah line.

Onkelos' Aramaic Translation of the Torah (Targum) renders "until Shiloh arrives" as "until the messiah arrives, to whom the kingdom belongs." This Torah version was written in 90 C.E. This verse is the primary Torah source for the Talmudic belief (and it was not a unanimously held rabbinic belief at the time) in a Jewish messiah. The rabbis consistently referred to it in their debates with the church leaders in the Middle Ages.

The lines that follow (Gen. 49:11-12) make allusions to the messiah as a man of peace (the Talmud says one of his names will be the prince of peace) by the symbols of the donkey and the vineyards.

We can see that this verse pushes some hot topical buttons. The Talmudic sages, living under the harsh Roman thumb in the centuries following the destruction of the second Temple and the total loss of independence of Judea, looked for hope in a redeemer. There were no new prophets. They had to work with the texts that where available to them. Their background was Pharasitic, as the Sadducees denied the oral law (Mishna-Gemorah-Talmud) as divine and did not believe in any bodily resurrection.

The rabbis in Sanhedrin grappled with these issues. They tried to justify the suffering of our people and of the martyrdom of our great sages by speaking of the world to come and of the bodily resurrection. They also debated the idea of a messianic leader to come and save us. They even agreed upon the idea, that in every generation, a great sage will be martyred and will die for the sins of those in his generation.

These rabbis were not just dealing in the time of a few Jews who were following a cult of Jesus. They were writing the Talmud up to 500 C.E. from 586 B.C.E. The sages had to contend with forces of Christianity combined with the power of Constantine's new Rome in what is now Istanbul. While the written Mishna was still being discussed from 200 to 500 C.E. in what we call the Gemorah, the Nician creed (which delineated the Trinity) went into effect less than a hundred years after Judah ha Nasi redacted the oral tradition.

We therefore can see how different people at different times translated this verse to meet their philosophical needs. The Traditionalists via the Art Scroll edition are very Moshiac oriented. Rabbi Plaut, representing the post World War Two Reform movement, set his translation up to completely mirror the Davidic line of flesh and blood kings, but to delete references to a divinely sent messiah- savior.

How does this battle for wording, translate into our lives in this third millennium?  Simply put, we as individuals need to pick up the scepter promised to us. We need to lead using honest and ethical values whether we are at home, at work, at play, or in the synagogue boardroom. We cannot stand idly by while we are needed to do justice. We need to be excellent parents and spouses. We also need to be kind and giving adult children to our own elderly. We are all the Children of Jacob, the People of Israel, and we have all taken the name of the tribe of Judah by calling ourselves Jews.

The royal staff is in our hands no matter what position we find ourselves. Let's all do our best to be the most honest and ethical we can be in what ever we do. This is what God wants from us. We all have sparks of our own savior inside each of us. Let us each vow to hold on to this scepter, and let its golden glow be a light unto others.

Exodus

Parasha Shemoth: Exodus 1:01-6:01

"The Name Game"

In the first lines of this Parasha, the names of Jacob's sons who came with him to Egypt are listed. Curiously, the names of his grandchildren, who were listed in Genesis (46:08), are not mentioned here. Rabbi Ovadiah Sforno of Rome, writing circa 500 C.E., says that this is because Jacob's sons were able to follow in their father's path, but the succeeding generations would have a difficult time resisting the corruption of Egyptian life.

While the second of the Five Books of Moses is called Exodus in Latin and English, it is called Shemoth (Names) in Hebrew because of the listing of Jacob's sons.

Jacob's grandchildren's generation succumbed to the pleasures of Egypt and the parasha does not name them. The Midrash speaks of the Tribe of Levi as being the only tribe to remember the covenant of Abraham, to teach the laws of the Patriarchs, as well as keep their Hebrew names and not assimilate. The Midrash also says it was the Tribe of Judah who alone established schools to keep our traditions alive during our time in Egypt.

In this Torah portion (Ex. 3:11) and Sephardic Haftarah (Jer. 1:6), we see both Moses and Jeremiah state to God that they are not suited for the tasks that God is asking them to do. We all shy away at times from challenging tasks that we know are proper to do. Although they are typically not on as grand a scale of being a great leader or a prophet, our obligations are important nevertheless.

Like Levi, we have an obligation to teach our children our traditions. As modern Jews, we may not feel we are obligated to observe (shomar) the Torah, but we are obligated to remember (zachor) the Torah. Here is a short test for you and your children to take and see how well we are doing in the task to teach our traditions.

 

A1. Name Jesus' Mother: _________________________________

A2. Name Jesus' Father: _________________________________

B1. Name Moses' Mother: ________________________________

B2. Name Moses' Father: ________________________________

A3. Name the three parts of the Trinity:

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

B3. Name the three Jewish Pilgrimage Festivals:

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

A4. Name any 5 of Jesus' 12 disciples:

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

B4. Name any 5 of our 12 tribes:

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

A5. On what mount did Jesus preach? _______________________

B5. On what mount did Moses die? _________________________

A6. What did Jesus do on the Sea of Galilee? _________________

______________________________________________________

B6. What did Joshua do on the Jordan River? _________________

______________________________________________________

A7. Name the three wise men:

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

B7. Name Abraham's three wives:

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

 

If you or your kids scored more A answers correct than B answers, perhaps it is time for more Jewish study. Take an active role in your children's Jewish education and your own. Consider attending adult education classes. Read the weekly Torah portion at home. Support your synagogue's religious school. Perhaps it is time in your life for Jewish Spiritual Renewal. Try not to be like Moses or Jeremiah and shy away from your obligations as a parent or as an individual Jewish person.

The debate over patrilineal versus matrilineal descent continues. The true answer to "who is a Jew?" is "he or she who will have Jewish grandchildren."

A SPIRITUAL AND ETHICAL COMPENDIUM TO THE TORAH AND TALMUD

A SPIRITUAL AND ETHICAL COMPENDIUM
TO THE TORAH AND TALMUD

Another thing that I've noticed over the years in my Rabbinic Counseling is that many modern Jews are not as familiar with the Torah and the Talmud as they might be.

They find it difficult to understand and interpret in a way that makes sense and has relevance to their lives in the modern world.

This is quite often the root cause of the kind of spiritual disconnection that I described earlier.

So, as a companion to "The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew," I have also written:

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A SPIRITUAL AND ETHICAL COMPENDIUM TO THE TORAH AND TALMUD Rabbi Dr. Arthur Segal dissects each of the Torah's weekly sections (parashot) using the Talmud and other rabbinic texts to show the true Jewish take on what the Torah is trying to teach us. This companion to The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew brings the Torah alive with daily relevance to the Modern Jew .All of the Torah can be summed up in one word: Chesed. It means kindness. The Talmud teaches that the Torah is about loving our fellow man and that we are to go and study. The rest is commentary. This compendium clarifies the commentary and allows one to study Torah and Talmud to learn the Judaic ideals of love, forgiveness, kindness, mercy and peace. A must read for all Jews and deserves a place in every Jewish home.Price: $29.99 494 Pages Published by: Amazon's BookSurge

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"Very informative and timely. It allows many people to benefit from Torah lessons, where many of them may not otherwise have an opportunity receive such content."

Mauricio Benzipporah
Founder, Beta-Gershom Organization

"A Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and Talmud "dissects each of the Torah's weekly sections (parashot) using the Talmud and other rabbinic texts to interpret its lessons.

"Shalom. What a blessing your insights have given me. I am interested in reading more of your writings of Talmud. I find it difficult to find good Talmudic readings. Excellent work, Rabbi!"

Rabbi Daniel Ben Shmuel

"A Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and Talmud "brings the Torah alive with daily relevance to the Modern Jew.

All of Torah can be summed up in one word: Chesed. It means kindness. The Talmud teaches that the Torah is about loving our fellow man and that we are to "go and study." The rest is commentary.

"A Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and Talmud" clarifies the commentary and allows one to study the Torah and the Talmud to learn the Judaic ideals of love, forgiveness, kindness, mercy and peace.

It is a must read for those seeking Jewish Spiritual Renewal and is the ideal complement to "The Handbook to Jewish Spiritual Renewal: A Path of Transformation for the Modern Jew."

Here is an excerpt from "A Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and Talmud":

Since each parasha is the weekly Torah portion, you may read each of the chapters in the book during the course of a week while also reading the actual Torah portion. By doing so, you will learn a modern Jewish Spiritual view of each Torah portion. At the same time, your world will be open to the ethical teachings of the Talmud.

While many read the Torah as a history book, or a deed to land, or see it as a boring book full of legalisms and ritual for a priesthood that no longer exists, this book aims to show you the spiritual ethical lessons in each parasha. In a sense this book will hopefully help you enjoy reading and understanding the Five Books of Moses, what we call Chumash from the Hebrew word for "five." You may even discover that you want to continue your study with the Talmud and other Jewish texts.

"…most insightful (Torah) essay I could find was written by Rabbi Arthur Segal."

Leslie Palma-Simoncek
Staten Island Advance

Complete your journey UP the path to Jewish Spiritual Renewal with a better understanding of the Torah's lessons through "A Spiritual and Ethical Compendium to the Torah and Talmud " for only $29.99…

…certainly a small amount to pay for the priceless wisdom contained within the Torah and the Talmud.

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Now Available for Kindle. Click Here to Order.

THE HANDBOOK TO JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL: A PATH OF TRANSFORMATION FOR THE MODERN JEW

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A SPIRITUAL AND ETHICAL COMPENDIUM TO THE TORAH AND TALMUD

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GREAT IS PEACE: A MODERN COMMENTARY ON TALMUD BAVLI TRACTATE DEREK ERETZ ZUTA

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THE PATH AND WISDOM FOR LIVING AT PEACE WITH OTHERS: A MODERN COMMENTARY ON TALMUD TRACTATES DEREK ERETZ ZUTA AND RABBAH: VOL. 1

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LOVE PEACE AND PURSUE PEACE: A MODERN COMMENTARY ON TALMUD TRACTATES DEREK ERETZ ZUTA AND RABBAH: VOL. 2

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