Parshat Kedoshim; Leviticus 19:1 -20:27 By: Rabbi Denise L. Eger

The Torah portion this week, Kedoshim, describes many pathways to holiness. Particularly in chapter 19 of Leviticus there are many examples of the high moral ground we must take in dealing with others in society. We are reminded that our call to live holy lives flows directly from God’s holiness. “You shall be holy for I Adonai your God, am holy” (Lev.19:3). Kedusha, holiness is a divine attribute according to the Torah. This is an attribute that we are called to aspire to and live by as Jews. In chapter 19 many of the mitzvot are those dealing with society as a whole. We must treat our fellow human beings with the same sanctity that we imagine in our relationship to God.

One of the admonitions in chapter 19 reminds us to “rise before the aged and show deference to the old’ (Lev. 19:32). As the baby boomers enter retirement and people live longer lives the number of senior citizens continues to grow. Many people are called now not just to care for their own children but many are called to also be the main care providers for the elderly in their families. It is often difficult for the “sandwich” generation to be able to manage the strength, stamina, patience and caring required to care for both ends of the life spectrum. So too, even as the baby boomers themselves become senior citizens many are caring for even older and maybe frail elderly parents or aunts and uncles as life span increases.

But this week’s Torah portion and in particular verse 32 of chapter 19 is an important reminder of our obligations to the elderly. It is easy to lose patience. It can be difficult at times to delicately manage the care of an elderly parent. We must be sensitive to the fact that although they may be in declining health they are not children and cannot be treated as such. But they are adults. They have lived lives and experienced the ups and downs that go into such a life. We have to sometimes be reminded that they won’t see eye to eye with us and that they want to maintain their own self-worth and independence as long as possible. Even though it might be easier, or less expensive or less aggravating for us to manage their care differently, they elderly must be consulted and listened to.

Indeed it is a delicate balance to make sure elderly parents and aunts and uncles are cared for properly without taking away their dignity. There is no harder conversation to have with an elderly parent than when it is time to take the car keys away. There is a loss of independence and it is a tremendous blow to a person’s ability to care for his or her self. And yet, the consequence of someone behind the wheel that is confused or unable to react in the right time frame is deadly for many. It is sometimes a painful discussion to have to tell an elderly aunt or uncle that they may not be able to stay in their own home unless they sign up for meals on wheels. But we must consider their perspective and gently and deftly be able to consider an alternative point of view.

We may at times be forced because of health care, finances and/or other issues to have to make decisions about those seniors that conflict with their own wishes and desires. But our Torah portions words remind us to do so gently and with kindness and compassion in our hearts and hands. Showing deference means hearing them out. Rising before the aged is showing honor. But sometimes to “honor mother and father” means that we have to ensure their well-being and it may mean a solution to a problem that might be a bitter pill to swallow.

That is why this week’s Torah portion and in particular this verse that reminds us to “rise before the aged and show deference to the old” can help us treat our seniors with proper respect and honor. There is holiness in the relationships we forge with our seniors and the elderly. How we treat them, how we speak to them and value the contributions and wisdom that they have to share with us matter.

Our society at large is so focused on youth culture. But Jewish culture reminds us that the elderly and seniors among us have value, worth and wealth of life experiences –wisdom, to share and to teach and we, their children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews ought to take the time and caring to hear them out!

Torah Reading For the Seventh Day of Passover; Exodus 13:17- 15:26, By: Rabbi Denise L. Eger

With the arrival of the seventh day, a Yom Tov, the end of Passover will soon be here. In Israel and for the Reform Jewish community the seventh day is the last day of the holiday while outside Israel in the Conservative and Orthodox communities one additional day is observed. But for all of the people Israel, on the seventh day of Pesach we read and study and celebrate one of the greatest miracles our people have ever witnessed: The splitting of the Sea. The Exodus that we prepared for and sang about at our Seder is not yet complete. We might have recalled the 10 plagues by pouring out ten drops of wine but the Israelites were not yet free from the Egyptians until the seventh day. Though the Children of Israel left, Pharaoh changed his mind and sent his army after our people into the desert. Caught between the Sea and Pharaoh’s army, what were we to do?

Our people still feared their Egyptian taskmasters and were very frightened by the approaching Egyptian army and in their fear they cried out bitterly to Moses and God “Was it for want of graves in Egypt that you brought us to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us (Ex. 14:11)?”
But this was an opportunity for the Children of Israel to begin to break their slave mentality. The splitting of the Sea was one of God’s ways of teaching faith to our people. So Moses did as God told him and lifted his staff over the sea. And it divided so that the Children of Israel were able to cross safely on dry ground, escaping the wrath of Pharaoh and his army. And just as Moses on the other side lifted his arm with his staff again and closed the sea, Pharoah and his army were trapped in the sea bed and drowned.
The splitting of Sea was a way for the slaves to make their own divide from the past centuries of enslavement. A new beginning for the Israelites on the far shore was about to begin—and they did so in dance and song and poetry. The impact of their true freedom began to dawn upon the people.
Even as we read and study and sing Shirat HaYam on this seventh day of Passover, we should not forget this powerful idea. This sacred week of observance is to teach and remind each and every generation about the true impact of our freedom and faith that we find in the Holy Divine One. From the first taste of matzah at our seder to this seventh day reading of the Song of the Sea, this Festival teaches us once again to treasure our human dignity. It teaches us to treasure that human dignity in others. It teaches us that our freedom flows from our history as people and our faith in the Eternal and our tradition. On the seventh day of Pesach, even as we begin to bid adieu to our Pesach celebration, we can like our ancestors of old, cross into a new place, escaping the enslavements of the past and crossing into a new place of hope for the future. Then we can sing and dance and rejoice as did Miriam and Moses and all of Israel on the far side of Sea’s shore!
You see, that is the miracle of the Splitting of the Sea for our time. We can learn from our past as people and re-commit ourselves to a new way of being. Each of us has had moments of such great fear and panic and feeling as if there was no place to turn. The Children of Israel learned to turn not just to Moses but to the Holy Divine One and each other. From that turning freedom flowed. From their turning their own dignity was reborn from the degradation they had known in Egypt. In that community of Israel they gained strength in their journey and celebration. So as we reach the seventh day of Pesach and the final moments of the Festival, this Torah reading reminds us to turn more closely to our community of Klal Yisrael. No matter if we celebrate seven day of Passover or eight our strength as a People comes from God and one another. It is my hope that we draw closer together.

Parshat Achrei Mot; Leviticus 16:1 -18:30 By: Rabbi Denise L. Eger

The name of our portion this week, Achrei Mot, makes reference to the fact that previously two of Aaron’s sons, Nadav and Avihu both priests, died because they came into the Tent of Meeting and offered some type of offering on the altar that was not called for. The tradition teaches that they were inebriated and made a mockery of their sacred duties. Other teachings state that they were trying to co-opt the power of their father, Aaron. While yet other interpretations say that Nadav and Avihu violated the sacred boundary of the Holy of Holies which was only for the High Priest to come to once a year and offered a sacrifice that was not called for and was not in proper form or time. For this they died.

Thus this portion begins by with warning to Aaron the High Priest and clarifies his duties in regard to the Tent of Meeting and sacrifices and specifically the Holy of Holies. The text states he just can’t come in to the sacred Holy precincts of the Tent whenever he desires but only when summoned or at a specific time. God will summon Aaron by a sign of a cloud that will appear over the cover. This cloud is of great debate among the commentators. Some believe it is the same cloud that guided the Israelites by day. A pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night guided the Israelites through the desert. Some of our interpreters like Rashi and Rashbam hold that God’s presence was known in the cloud that descended upon the entire Tent. Yet other commentators teach us that this cloud was a cloud of incense smoke that was created when the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies. This is according to the teaching of Ibn Ezra.

But the teaching of our portion is that even the High Priest, Aaron, who communes with God and expiates the sin of the entire people doesn’t have the privilege of entering into the Divine Presence whenever he wishes. He must wait to be summoned and he must be prepared. He has to wear special garments and take ritual baths before entering and leaving and he even changes his clothing several times in the course of some of the rituals. These serve as symbolic moments of change and purification. But they also serve to remind the High Priest of his own mortal status. Our tradition does not want the priesthood or the High Priest to see itself as an extension of Divinity. They must bathe, they must change their clothes. They can not simply whisk in and out of the Holy of Holies and think that somehow they will control or change the “program” because of convenience or because it is somehow expedient to do so. The right attitude, the kavannah of the priest in this case Aaron is a critical part of the formula for meeting with the Holy Divine Presence and offering the sacrifices and performing the rituals.

Today we can learn from this section of our Torah portion that our own attitude in God’s House matters. How do we enter into the sanctuary before the ark? Do we enter full of ourselves and our achievements or do we come in with humility to seek God’s Presence? Do we enter our rituals of prayer and thanksgivings with the emphasis on what can God do for me? Or do we ask how can I be of service to God in the world? Our tradition also teaches that, “You shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Ex 19:6). Today we like Aaron of old must enter into sacred space with a deep understanding that God summons us and invites our presence rather than it being us that demands God to appear. This subtle shift of emphasis is important. The more we make demands the harder it is to be in communion with the Holy One. We don’t have to wait for the cloud to descend but we do have fixed times and rituals that help us be in touch with the Holy Sacred One. Now we as the Jewish people need to get back into the regular rhythm of communing with Divine when the Holy Blessed One calls out to us to do so. Take some time on Shabbat to pray. Pray each day. Say a bracha a blessing. With Passover soon here-share and recall the Exodus from Egypt at a Seder meal. Live your Judaism and you will see—God will call out and invite you inside and you will be able to add the Divine strength to help you each and every day.

Parshat Metzora; Leviticus 14:1 -15:33 By: Rabbi Denise L. Eger

This week our Torah portion, Metzora gives the prescription for the cleansing ceremony of the individual affected by tzaarat. In many Bible translations this word, tzaarat, is inaccurately described as leprosy. But in truth tzaarat is seen by the rabbis as a spiritual malady. Many associate tzaarat as the spiritual effect of gossip and slander. Yet others see this affliction as one that affects those who do not accept God’s authority. The tradition sees this illness and scaly affection as a hardening of the outside as a metaphor for the indifference and lack of care of others and for God. Yet whatever this affliction, following a period of isolation where hopefully the person heals, the priest must come to examine the individual and make sure that the tzaarat is gone. Before the person can re-enter society a cleansing ritual must take place.

The priest acts as the ritual cleanser and helps the individual along a path toward re-entry. The first part of the cleansing ceremony takes place outside the camp where the metzora has resided during his/her healing. The portion describes a complex ceremony of cleansing for the individual that includes animal sacrifice of one bird, and a sprinkling of the affected individual with a mixture of the bird’s blood and water. A second bird is set free. This is perhaps symbolizing that the affliction of tzaarat has left and the individual will soon be set free from the imposed quarantine outside the camp of the Israelites. The person afflicted and now healed of the tzaarat must also wash clothes, and body, and shave off all hair. Only then may the person enter into the camp but not into his tent. Another week must pass before they can reside in their own home. And again on the seventh day following all hair must be shaved off—head, beard and eyebrows and clothes and body washed again. Finally on the eighth day the individual must bring a special offering to the Ohel Mo’ed for sacrifice. These will be a sin offering, guilt offering and wave offering. Combined these will finally allow the individual to re-enter society fully.
This process has many steps and is very detailed. There are stages of re-entry. The person must cleanse before entering the camp. Then they can enter the camp but not their own home. They must wait again. Then they cleanse and must wait an additional day to enter the Holy Place of Meeting to offer their sacrifices. But for someone who has been isolated from the community whether because of physical ailment or spiritual ailments finding your way back can be difficult and arduous. Ask anyone who has been sick for extended periods of time it. There are always looks and questions by others. Sometimes everyone is walking on eggshells not knowing what to say or how to ask questions about the person’s health and well being without being so invasive.
It is also difficult to for the individual who has been ill. If they have been out of the loop in their social or communal circle things have changed and relationships have sometimes moved on or been altered. Yet, others react to those who have been ill with suspicion that their illness is not really cured. Others treat him or her as still “contagious” even if whatever ailed them could never be transmitted to others!
While the ritual described in this week’s portion for purifying the person with tzaarat may seem strange and bizarre by today’s standards— the biblical mind understood that a ritual was necessary to affect the individual’s full re-entry to her/his world.
That is why I often recommend to people who have gone through a traumatic illness or spiritual crisis that the mickveh, Jewish ritual immersion is a critical and important way to help a person make their way back into their family and social circle. It has nothing to do with cleanliness and everything to do with a sense of restoring balance in a person, rebirthing, and reclaiming the individuals place among the community of Israel. This ancient custom of going to the mickveh is gaining a renewed popularity among liberal Jews. Community mikvaot open to creative rituals for healing and renewal are gaining a foothold. Our portion this week helps us to think about the ways in which we welcome back those who have been ill into

Parshat Tazria; Leviticus 12:1 -13:59 By: Rabbi Denise L. Eger

This portion in the book of Leviticus begins with some concerns around birth and spiritual purity. No greater gift is ours than the ability to reproduce. Our tradition treats the idea of having children as so important it is even the first commandment of the Torah in the book of Genesis, Be fruitful and multiply, p’ru u’vu it teaches us (Gen:1:28). And yet, in this week’s portion, Tazria, we read about the spiritual state of impurity (tumah) that childbirth renders to the mother. This state of spiritual impurity (tumah) is of a different length whether a male child or female child. But regardless of the gender of the child the mother is not able to enter sacred grounds nor may she touch consecrated or holy things. At first it seems difficult to balance these ideas—the miracle of birth and the gift of a next generation and the commandment to be fruitful and multiply and yet it is that gift and miracle that brings with it a temporary spiritual impurity. How do we balance these two ideas?

For those who have been in the birthing room during delivery it is never an easy or pristine time. Birth is hard. It is bloody and sweaty for the mother who must push the infant through the birth canal and hopefully into the loving arms of his or her family! The process of giving birth is messy and always dangerous. There is excitement, anticipation and anxiety and more often than not, grunts, groans and screams. Children come into this world full of the muck of the birthing process and must be cleaned and wrapped to create those cherubic faces that every grandmother adores!

The process of giving birth doesn’t always go so smoothly either. Even today with our hospitals and operating rooms, the delivery process can be long, arduous and fraught with problems. It is truly an awe-inspiring moment when the child emerges okay. Even with our technology, when we can “see” our child through the miracles of sonograms and we can test to make sure genetically our child to be will have no problems there are no guarantees; things can and do go wrong.

But Parshat Tazria describes the time the new mother remains in this state of impurity and thus segregated from some activities. Rather than see this time out as a negative, this time of spiritual impurity allows the new mother time to re-enter her world slowly. It allows time to bond with her child and heal from the trauma of the birthing process.

Perhaps our portion acknowledges the very fine line between life and death through these ancient rituals. The birthing process is the moment of life and so much can go wrong for both mothers and their babies. So much can go wrong during the pregnancy, delivery and in the hours and days following. Certainly child mortality was even greater in the ancient world. The spiritual impurity of the birthing process is not punishment ---but rather sacred acknowledgement of the thin strands that stand between life and death. The tumah of the mother happens because she has been in touch with the edges of life and death, her body has thrown off blood and fluids of life and all of these are things that render people spiritually impure in the tradition.

The new mother must also bring offerings to the temple to help her enter a state of purity once again. These offerings are not different than those brought by someone who accidentally eats on Yom Kippur or accidentally violates Shabbat. But these offerings help the mother to restore order to her universe. And her universe for the last nine months has been as home to her child. Now this child is in the world, we hope healthy and sound. But she has to move toward readjusting herself as she once was—but she will never be the same again. This offering helps to acknowledge the changes she has been through and atone for any regrets she may have—regrets about not being the “home” to her baby, regrets about becoming a mom, regrets about how her body now looks, regrets about how this child has taken her away from her other children and or responsibilities, regrets in relationship to her spouse. This offering she brings helps just in case these are a part of her outlook.

Today there are no offerings made in the temple, but we can be reminded through our study of this week’s portion to be more mindful of the state of our own beings as we come into contact with the mix of life and the boundaries of death. As the ancients acknowledged that very edge so too we would do well to appreciate once again the narrow lines between life and death and holy and profane.