Shavuot; by Rabbi Denise L.Eger

This week Jews around the world observe the sacred festival of Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks. For 50 days we have been counting off the time from the second night of Passover until Shavuot. From the time of our liberation from Egyptian slavery, which we remember and ritually reenact at Pesach, we have with great anticipation looked toward this holy day of Shavuot. This festival marks the moment at Sinai that we became a people. Shavuot is “Zman matan torateinu” – “the time of the giving of our Torah”. We remember and indeed we reenact that moment at the base of Mt. Sinai when God called out to us the Ten Commandments and we in turn accepted the gift of Torah as a sign of our relationship.

As we read the Ten Commandments on this holy day we are reminded that these ten basic rules of morality call to us to a higher plane of existence. Many explain the Ten Commandments as divided into two sections: the first five being our obligations to God and the last five being our obligations to our fellow human beings. But in this is a false dichotomy. The Ten Commandments in truth are our obligations to both God and human beings. Observing the Sabbath Day is no less an obligation to our fellow creatures and to our planet than it is to God. “Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy.” We do so because God rested on the seventh day and God does command us. But we also honor our fellow human beings when we create a world that honors rest and renewal. Imagine if indeed our society didn’t run at such break-neck speed 24/7. Imagine if we allowed time for workers to recharge. Imagine if we allowed for true family time and meditation and prayer time. Our world would be a much different place. The rising tide of anger that seems to swirl about us as expressed in the violence on the screen, the road rage of the freeways, the brokenness of the family unit might indeed be reversed!

The commandment, “Thou shall not steal,” is not merely a commandment that deals with our fellow human beings but of course it starts there. But by respecting property of our neighbors we honor God because in Jewish tradition, God is the source of our material wealth. We are but leant it for a time. “Thou shall not steal” helps us to learn that loving our neighbor and respecting our neighbor’s property brings honor to ourselves and yes, to God.

Shavuot can and should be the time where we re-affirm our place in the covenant of the Jewish people. We must imagine that we stand again at Sinai each and every Shavuot, hearing God’s voice anew. We have the chance on Shavuot to say with fervent faith, “Naaseh v’Nishmah” – “We will do it and we will listen” just as the Children of Israel did once so long ago.

May you be inspired this holy Shavuot to pledge your loyalty to our covenant with God and to our people once again.

Parshat Behar-Behukotai; Leviticus 25:1 – Leviticus 27:34 by Rabbi Denise Eger

We come to the end of the book of Leviticus with this double portion, Behar-Behukotai. It begins with a discussion of the sabbatical year for the land of Israel. These laws are applicable only in Eretz Yisrael. It moves from the sabbatical year to a discussion of the Jubiliee year—the 50th year—a cycle of seven –sabbatical years. The jubilee year is most interesting because part of the jubilee is a redistribution of the land. Even if the land has been sold to someone else. The land reverts back to its original owners. This is an amazing ideal. The original land of Israel was divided into tribal territories. Thus the land even if sold, belongs to the original tribe. This teaches us a very powerful lesson. The land doesn’t really belong to us but to God! The Torah portion states, “But the land must not be sold beyond reclaim, for the land is Mine; you are but strangers resident with me. Throughout the land that you hold, you must provide for the redemption of the land.” (Lev. 25:23-24). How many of us today attribute our wealth to God? God is the ultimate Real Estate Developer and we are but tenants! Just as God redeemed us from slavery in Egypt—so we must redeem the land for God.

Another interesting issue connected to the Jubilee is the freedom granted to Hebrew slaves. If they are Israelites who had to sell themselves into slavery because of debt, then they go free in a Jubilee year. “You shall proclaim release throughout the land.” (Lev. 25:10). The voice of God in the text is very clear. God didn’t free us from servitude and slavery in Egypt to be enslaved to another person. “For they are My servants, whom I freed from the land of Egypt; they may not give themselves over into servitude.” (Lev. 25:42). And the Israelite who had a Hebrew slave or servant is also commanded to let him go free.

Further if you know of an Israelite who is enslaved or is an indebted servant, his family members must try to redeem him from the servitude. But even if his family can’t, he goes free in the Jubilee year in the land of Israel! God emphasizes in the text. “For it is to Me that the Israelites are servants; they are My servants, whom I freed from the land of Egypt, I Adonai your God. (Lev. 25:55).”\

This portion makes clear our relationship to God. We have an epecial duty to serve God and put God at the center of our lives. Our covenant and way of life demand this. If we are serving others, God can hardly come first. This is no than less idol worship.

Today most of us put so many other things and people at the center of our lives. God takes a huge backseat. Judaism takes a huge back seat. But perhaps that is one reason our lives our more complicated and more difficult than ever. Our priorities are perhaps not in the right order. We work to buy more things, rarely giving a thought to the question of what God wants from us? We don’t attribute God’s presence to the successes in our lives. We serve our bosses, our families but rarely do we serve God.

This Torah portion challenges us to put God back at our core! As we approach the holiday of Shavuot, that commemorates the giving of Torah at Mt. Sinai, this might be a good season to imagine ourselves there, receiving the Torah into our own lives and hands. Perhaps when we can truly see ourselves at the foot of the mountain then God might be central once again.

Parshat Emor; Leviticus 21:1-24:23 by Rabbi Denise L. Eger

While last week’s parasha spoke of the need for the people Israel to live lives of holiness, this week’s portion, Emor opens with special instructions to the priests to be especially careful in the execution of their duties. It is clear that the priesthood must safeguard the dignity of the office and the unique relationship that priests, the Kohanim, have with God and with the people. They must be scrupulous in their observance of the laws. The portion teaches that a priest that tries to cross the boundaries of certain limitations –be they physical ones, (like trying to enter the Holy of Holies) or spiritual ones, eating of the offering when in an unclean state that these are not just offenses in general but degrade and defame God’s Name!

Several ideas in this week’s portion relate to cases of defaming God’s name. The violations of the priesthood are one.

But a strange story at the end of the parasha brings this into fuller light.

“There came out among the Israelites one whose mother was Israelite and whose father was Egyptian. And a fight broke out in the camp between that half Israelites and a certain Israelite. The son of the Israelite woman pronounced the Name in blasphemy, and he was brought to Moses –now his mother’s name with Shelomith daughter of Dibri of the tribe of Dan and he was placed in custody until the decision of Adonai should be made clear to them. And God spoke to Moses, saying, “Take the blasphemer outside the camp and let all who were within hearing lay their hands upon his head, and let the whole community stone him.” And to the Israelite people speak thus. Anyone who blasphemes his God shall bear his guilt; if he pronounces the Name Adonai he shall be put to death The who community shall stone him stranger or citizen if he has thus pronounced the Name he shall be put to death. “ (24:10- 16)

This half Israelite in his anger didn’t just attack another—but used God’s holy name to attack! This crosses a boundary and attacks the people Israel. It is interesting to note that his mother name is recorded. Her first name, Shelomit comes, according to the rabbis, from Shalom—that she would say “Shalom” or hello easily to strangers. Evidenced by the fact that she married an Egyptian. She is also daughter of Dibri—from the word for chatterbox -someone who speaks often and easily without much content. This is meant to show the son’s character is also someone who doesn’t mind what comes from his mouth.
He spoke in haste and anger.

Granted the punishment seems harsh, death by stoning. The community must also lay hands upon him, just as the priest lays hands upon the sacrificial offering. Since he has blasphemed God by pronouncing God’s holy name aloud (using God’s name in vain) when he wasn’t the High Priest on Yom Kippur Day, he transgressed many boundaries, including intimate knowledge of God. This intimate knowledge is reserved only for the High Priest.

Perhaps, ironically though, the next verse, following this story should be included in it. For it states, “If a man kills any human being, he shall be put to death.” (24:17) Here we just read about a sanctioned killing—and yet the Torah reminds us that murder is not acceptable. Perhaps this is the way our Torah tries to dissuade any of us from capital punishment of any kind.

Certainly this worked for the rabbis of the Talmud. Even though there are capital crimes, which call for death, such as, the case listed above, the rabbis of the Talmud made it near impossible for any court to carry out the death penalty!

Judaism might have it on the books. But it is truly a suspended law.

I think this story of the blasphemer is written here to tell us more importantly—that we need to be careful in our speech, just as we must be careful in our practice. To live a holy life we must guard our actions and our words and take care to honor God and our community in the process. This brings a measure of holiness to our lives and our world.

Acharei Mot-Kedoshim; Leviticus 16:1 – 20:27 by Rabbi Denise Eger

This double portion contains within it a section known as the Holiness Code. God tells the children of Israel—“You be holy, for I Adonai your God am holy” (Lev. 19:1). What does it mean to be holy? The word Kadosh (K D SH) means to set apart or make separate. Just as God is separate, unique, and distinct, so we the People Israel are also separate and distinct. The sanctity of God is extended to us by our covenant with God and by the commandments in the Torah, which help us to maintain our sacred way of being in the world.

There are many specifics mentioned in these two parshiot that are in part the means to create kedusha, holiness in our world and lives. No one mitzvah is the fast-track to holiness. Rather each of these specifics, whether leaving the four corners of the field for the poor, or being fair in your weights and balances, or not placing a stumbling block before the blind, contribute to an attitude of sanctity and a life filled with ethical behavior and living.

One way to think of the commandments (the mitzvot) and specifically these based around ethical behaviors and decision-making, is that our traditions tries to get us to overcome the base human urges and reactions. People can be very cruel. They can be cruel and think it is funny. Just watch any reality television show. The entertainment value of Bam Magera painting his father blue while he sleeps, (See M TV) or the tears that flow from the Big Brother House in the cruel words that are used between contestants are just a couple of examples of the ways in which we human beings can ignore the call to holiness. A show like, “Date My Mother” debases the mother and daughter as well as the fellow seeking a date. All you have to do is listen to how they speak to one another, the ridiculous situations they put each other in, and the comments made towards each other based on looks, attitude and other factors.

From a Jewish perspective, these shows hardly fit our call to be holy. They do not foster the basis for holy and sacred relationships. They appeal to our baser nature and could hardly be called uplifting.

In this portion we read the ultimate advice in holiness, “Love Your Neighbor As Your Self,” (Lev. 19:18). The true measure of holiness is how we treat our neighbors. The executives of M TV, Showtime, HBO, the Networks, would do well to reconsider the kinds of programming they are feeding us. They keep holiness far from our lives by infusing their shows with such vindictive and hurtful rhetoric. Love Your Neighbor may make for poor television viewing but it makes for a much better society.

Perhaps we can and should insist that this be our guide. Certainly God calls us to this.