Parshat Chaye Sarah; Genesis 23:1-25:18 By: Rabbi Denise L. Eger

After Sarah’s death Abraham worries for the future. Abraham is very advanced in years. He has just bought the family burial plot at Machapelah (now Hebron) and buried his wife, Sarah. Abraham’s attention now turns to his heir and he is concerned about Isaac and the future of the covenant. How will the covenant be fulfilled if Isaac is alone? Abraham has a dilemma on his hands. He does not want Isaac to take a wife from among the locals but he also doesn’t want Isaac to return to the land of Abraham’s ancestors. Perhaps Isaac might stay there and thwart the covenantal efforts and promises that Abraham made to God. Certainly after Isaac’s terror provoking experience with his father at the top of Mt. Moriah where he became a near sacrifice, we can imagine Isaac not wanting to have much contact with his father and his father’s covenant with God.

But in a different scenario, the traditional view is that Isaac was a willing participant in his near sacrifice. We can imagine him giving thanks that God provided a ram for the sacrifice and stayed Abraham’s hand. In this reading Isaac also wants to ensure the viability of the covenant.

In either case Abraham wants Isaac to have heirs and thus ensure that his line—Abraham’s line, continues and flourishes in the land that God has shown him.
In this week’s portion, Chaye Sarah, Abraham sends his servant, Eliezer back to Haran, to the city of Nahor to find a wife for his son Isaac.

Abraham does what most parents do. They worry for their children’s future. They want grandchildren. And in the eyes of those grandchildren— a grandparents see beyond the grave. They see hope and a future even as their own eyes dim and perhaps their own strength wanes. Abraham sees in Isaac, his heir, the opportunity for their family to fulfill the covenantal promises made with God to stake out this Promised Land. Certainly with the death of Sarah, Abraham’s wife, we can imagine that Abraham becomes aware of his own mortality. Thus these kinds of questions about heirs and progeny come to light.

In a time when many people choose not to have children or are unable to have children these questions about family and progeny might seem archaic. Certainly in our world today there is an emphasis on finding the right spouse, partner, husband, or wife. Abraham doesn’t want Isaac to be alone. This is a concern of most parents of their children.

While few of us have a servant Eliezer to find us the perfect mate, we can learn something about how to choose a partner from this week’s portion. Abraham’s insistence that Eleizer return to Haran and choose a partner for Isaac from his own people is not just a rejection of intermarriage with the local Canaanites. But rather it is a question of values.

A marriage or long term partnership is not just about sexual attraction, chemistry, lust and/or love. But it is about sharing a way of looking at the world. Sacred relationship and partnership is about creating a deep intimacy that binds the partners together through a common bond of values, ideals and principles for living life in the day to day. When seeking a partner for the long term, it should also be about a commonality of purpose, a commonality of vision of life’s unfolding, a commonality of caring and a commonality of ethical precepts.

Just as in ancient time there was an economic component of marriage—so too today there is an economic component as finances and material support matter in being able to care for each other. These were concerns for Abraham and ostensibly for Isaac as well.

Perhaps that is part of the popularity of JDate, Eharmony and Match.com. Internet dating websites help a person also articulate the values and vision for their future. A good exercise for those of you who are seeking a mate is to take the time to write a letter to yourself outlining these various things about what you are seeking, not just in the attraction department but the values that are important to you. Then perhaps you will have a better measure to help you with your choices. Eliezer articulates these values of kindness and generosity as paramount when he seeks a wife for Isaac. What values are paramount to you?

Parshat Vayeira; Genesis 18:1 - 22:24 By: Rabbi Denise L. Eger

As the wildfires rage here in Southern California there are many people who are now displaced from their homes. By some estimates there are over 300,000 people who have had to evacuate their homes and neighborhoods because of fire and smoke damage and the threat of fire creeping toward them. Firefighters are working tirelessly to combat the ferocious flames that have been whipped up by the Santa Ana winds in Los Angeles County, San Diego County, San Bernardino and Riverside counties. Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have died or been injured, have lost their homes and businesses, those who combat the fires and the many volunteers who are working to meet the needs of the newest refugees here in Southern California. At many shelters across Southern California, there are volunteers who help make the evacuees comfortable and calm in this time of chaos.

These volunteers embody the spirit of the opening verses of our weekly Torah portion, Vayeira. This week’s portion begins with a story of kindness and hospitality. Abraham welcomes three weary travelers into his home. In truth there is some confusion as to whether these three people who came to his tent at the Oaks of Mamre were angels, humans or a manifestation of God’s self. The Torah says, “And God appear to him (Abraham) at the oaks of Mamre….. And he raised his eyes and saw, and here were three people standing over him.” (Gen. 18:1-2). Some commentators say that God appeared first and then it was three angels. Others say that since you cannot see God and live, God allowed Abraham to see three divine aspects of the Eternal embodied in three people.

What is notable is that these three travelers are welcomed by Abraham even though he doesn’t really know who they are. Abraham runs to greet them and extends to them enormous kindnesses by washing their feet and providing respite and food. “Let a little water be gotten, and wash your feet and relax under a tree and let me get a bit of bread and satisfy your heart.” (Gen 18:4). Abraham offers them comfort and compassion in the heat of the day.

Abraham’s kindness and thoughtfulness is truly a model for us. Whether in times of crisis like the wildfires that rage this week or in times of calm, when one human being to another reaches out the hand of kindness, welcome and friendship and hospitality, we transform ourselves and the world. No one likes to be ignored. Even the shyest amongst us is hoping to be noticed, to be counted and to have their humanity affirmed. When we offer hospitality to the traveler or bring comfort to one who has just lost everything in a natural disaster we help to restore faith in the world. We as a species are called “human –kind.” But too often these days—kindness is fleeting. Just coping in our world sometimes causes human beings to be brusque and self absorbed. But by emulating Abraham’s kindness to these travelers we can elevate and sanctify the name of all humanity and restore the “kindness” factor to human beings!

To Donate funds to help those affected by the Southern California fires:
San Diego Red Cross www.sdarc.org/donate.

Los Angeles Red Cross :
Call 1-800 HELP NOW (1-800-435-7669) or Donate online

For local donations and fund-raising inquires, call (310) 445-2685

Parshat Lech-Lecha; Genesis 12:1-17:27 By: Rabbi Denise L. Eger

In this week's portion Abram, the chosen one of God, is called to service and relationship. He begins the journey towards the Promised Land. From the east in the land of Ur of the Chaldeans, Abram goes first toward Haran and then on to the land of Canaan as God told him to. Abram and his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot and a whole entourage of people go with him on this adventure.

This journey to a new land is filled with promises by God to Abram and his family. God promises great things. God promises blessings and progeny and nation building. God promises land and wealth. God enters into a special relationship with Abram and his family. This unique covenant is built upon the faith and dedication of this servant of God, Abram. Abram recognizes the Unity of the Divine Name in a time with idols and idol worship filled his universe. This Unity of the Holy One is the thread of connection that brings together Abram and his descendants-the Jewish People with God.

The midrash teaches us in Bereshit Rabba that Abram was 48 years old when he first recognized God in the universe. Slowly over many years Abram was shaped to hear and build the inner strength to heed God's voice and message. Finally at the age of 75 according to the Torah, Abram is ready to receive the call and is ready to tune in to God's message of relationship. This is no different than many of us. Sometimes we get an inkling or hint, a revelation of a truth. We might even acknowledge it but we are paralyzed by circumstance to do anything about it. It can take us many years to really actualize this truth in our lives. With this week's Torah portion, Abram is ready to put the truth and faith in one God in a central place in his life. Abram is ready to finally receive in fullness God's love for him!

Even as we read the Torah portion Lech Lecha, we too, must be ready to receive God's love for us! We are on that very same journey as Abram and Sarai were on so many generations ago. The promises made to him are remade with each one of us as a part of the Jewish people. But like Abram and Sarai, we must reciprocate that love and dedication with our hearts and our faith in the One God, the One Divine Source of All.

So how do we show our love for God in this time and day?

We show our love and faith when we celebrate Shabbat. We show our love and our faith when we take time to pray. We show our love and faith when we honor our friends and family and act in ways that are gentle and fair. We show our love and faith when we give tzedakah and perform acts of loving kindness. We show our love and faith in God when we acknowledge and celebrate Jewish Holy Days. We show our love and faith in God when we welcome the stranger and extend a sense of hospitality to those visitors in our midst just as Abram and Sarai always did. We show our love and faith in God when we support the synagogue and Jewish community and participate actively. We show our love and faith when we give our children and ourselves a Jewish education!

The point is to be in relationship with God. Like Abram who can even question God and demand answers, we too must ask questions and seek answers with our tradition, with God and with one another. This strengthens our people and makes this journey we are on truly an adventure!

Parshat Noah; Genesis 6:9 -11:32 By: Rabbi Denise L. Eger

At the very end of the Parasha at the beginning of Chapter 11 of the Book of Genesis is a brief story that tries to explain the many different languages of the world. You may know this as the story of the Tower of Babel. Briefly recounted, the people who settled in the valley of Shinar (located in what is now N. Iraq and was then Babylon) decided to build a city and a tower of bricks that reached the heavens. They wanted to “make a name for themselves and not be scattered over all the earth!” (Gen. 11:4). And so they built a city and its tower. This was a unifying moment. These wanderers from the east came together to build up not only their village from a small town to a place with a grand tower but they sought to build themselves up! They wanted their renown and their reputation as those that harnessed the earth and turned it into building material that could perhaps master the heavens above. They wished to consolidate their power and build their empire and their egos.

God came to see what they were doing. God is shocked not at their building but at the way they acted. Their inflated ego is related to their speech. They want the bragging rights of best builders who build all the way to the heavens, to the throne room of God. Thus God “confounds their speech …and scattered them from there over the face of the whole earth.” (Gen. 11:7-8).

While this tale is an earl, mythic explanation for the many languages of the earth, it is pointing out a very important lesson about how we use our language to speak of our strengths and talents. The building that the people of the valley of Shinar were doing was not to glorify God, not to unify the people, but instead was to boost their image, ego and make their name great. They wanted to be famous. They were seeking fame and fortune and power through their building of the city and the tower. One of the points is that this kind of building is nothing more than emptiness and babbling. It is not filled with holiness nor humility.

They had to stop building the city and the tower because they could no longer communicate with each other. But in truth they weren’t communicating their real needs and real essences earlier. Thus God’s judgment upon them was nothing more than fulfilling in an ironic way their desires. They became famous for their egotism and for their babbling, empty language and lives.

In our day when everyone wants their own 15 minutes of fame as Andy Warhol said, it behooves each of us to examine our motives and motivations for any project we undertake. In the era when people become famous for becoming famous ala reality television, the values of humility are in scarce supply. Perhaps the story of the Tower of Babel is trying to teach us that humility matters and perhaps if the people had exhibited humility in their efforts instead of being scattered their community would have been strengthened. When we build our egos without regard to our intentions, when we demonstrate hubris rather than holiness and humility we lack true inner power and strength. The real building is the building of our souls, our spirits and our communities based on these foundations.

Bereshit; Genesis 1:1 – 6:8 By Rabbi Denise L. Eger

We begin the cycle of the Torah over again this week with the celebration of Simchat Torah. In Reform Tradition we celebrate it on the eighth day along with Shemini Azeret. In Conservative and Orthodox tradition they celebrate it on the ninth day following the beginning of Sukkot. But as we end the cycle of reading of the Torah from Deuteronomy, we begin immediately again. And this week the Shabbat is Shabbat Bereshit.

It is this week we read of the origins of the universe and the origins of humanity. It is our pre-history of Judaism. When God creates the unique garden called Eden, we read of its bounty and beauty. Adam, the first human being has a run of the garden and can enjoy its wealth of food and shelter, animals and plants. They are for his use. And yet, we are also told in Genesis 2:15, “The Eternal God took the human, placing him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” This Garden was a place that was ours to reap and protect.

It is from this very verse that we must understand our role in caring for our planet. Our blue planet is indeed a garden. And all gardens take tending. This has been humanity’s task but we have shirked our duties of late. Our garden planet has been speaking to us loud and clear that all is not well in the garden. We who are supposed to work it and protect it have not taken care of our air, the ground or the water. We have spewed forth so many fluorocarbons and green house gasses that our atmosphere is heating up our globe.

Even this past week, leaders of nations from around the world met at the United Nations to discuss the serious problems our garden planet is facing from global warming and pollution. The time has come for all of us to act with great speed in guarding and keeping and tending to our garden. As we read the accounts of creation we must be reminded of the unique role we human beings have as stewards of the garden. And we must rise to the occasion if we want our garden to thrive.

Then we will be able to say with the Eternal, “This is very good.”

For more information about what you can do to help the environment and stem the tide of global warming. Check out this link. www.coejl.org to find out more about Judaism and the environment.