Parshat Chukah: Numbers 19:1 – 22:1 By: Rabbi Denise L. Eger

We learn about Miriam and Aaron’s death in this week portion. The council of leadership –the three siblings, Moses and Miriam and Aaron is no more. Miriam’s death is reported first in this week’s portion. The people mourn for her as befits a leader. But soon after her death the people complain about their thirst. They cry out for water. How ironic that soon after the death of Miriam that the people thirst so greatly! Miriam has long been associated by the rabbis with water. First her name comes from the word for bitter waters. It was Miriam who arranged to have baby Moses floating in the Nile discovered by Pharoah’s daughter. It was Miriam who celebrated so freely leading the people in song and dance after the crossing of the Yam Suf-the Sea of Reeds.

One midrash teaches us that Miriam’s association with water is even deeper than these. Miriam had a magical well that followed her and watered the people of Israel. She was the protector and guardian of this Divine and holy and mystical well. The Midrash teaches us that this well was one of the special items created even before the creation of the universe itself. And Miriam’s leadership brought this well to the generation of the desert wanderings. Rashi, the great Torah commentator, noted this connection between Miriam’s death and the people crying out for water in our Torah portion. The rabbis teach us that upon Miriam’s death the well went dry. Thus the Children of Israel are worried and anxious and complain to Moses and Aaron. How will their thirst be quenched?

Moses and Aaron must be saddened and filled with grief at the death of their sister. But our portion is silent as to their feelings of loss. But we get a glimmer of their confusion. In an effort to stop the complaints of the Children of Israel—Moses and Aaron go before God. God tells them to speak to the rock and out of it will come water and provide drink for the community. This is reminiscent of the story early in Exodus after they have crossed the Red Sea. In Chapter 17 of Exodus, the people were thirsty and God tells Moses to strike a rock and water will come forth. And so he did.

But now in this chapter in the book of Numbers, God tells Moses to speak to the rock. Instead he strikes the rock twice as he did once before. The water still comes pouring forth—but God is displeased by the violation of the directive. Could Moses have just been so tired and so filled with grief about the death of his sister that he was distracted from his duties? Miriam had always been there to protect him. But now she was gone. Could his response and failure to follow the sacred details have been the response of a brother who was wishing and missing his sister? He was missing her because this had been her job to bring water to the people.

How human! How frail is Moses and his brother Aaron! They have led the children of Israel for now some forty years through many trials and tribulations. But the hardest work is yet ahead as they come to fulfill the covenantal promise of settling in the Promised Land. But God will deny both of them, Aaron and Moses the chance to see this part of the promise fulfilled. The complaints of the people annoy them. Perhaps their own grief overwhelmed them and they are tired.

God tells Moses to take Aaron to the top of Mt. Hor and there he will die. And so Aaron and his son Eleazar who will inherit the mantle of the High Priest from his father along with Moses ascend Mt. Hor and their Moses takes the High Priest’s vestments from Aaron and installs Eleazar as the High Priest and their on Mt. Hor Aaron dies. Again we know the people mourn Aaron. For thirty days, they give voice to their grief. But Moses is silent about the death of his brother. His true partner, his voice when words would not come forth is gone. And Moses is silent.

And soon it will be Moses’ time as well. Parshat Chukat is the beginning of the major transition to a new generation of leadership for the Children of Israel and a major transition from wandering people and tribes to an army and force to be reckoned with.

We begin to understand with Parshat Chukat- that the tasks before this nation is about to undergo a great shift and with that will come the necessity for new leadership to lead the People safely to the Promised Land. Moses and Aaron and Miriam have led well. There have been difficult moments for each of them but they have brought God’s message of holiness to the people. But now the people need transformed into a fighting force filled with faith in the Eternal. New leaders like Eleazar and Joshua will emerge to transform this people and the nation.

For each generation—leaders are called to service. What is the task in our own generation? This is a week to consider the idea of sacred leadership and what it takes to lead and to know when to step aside as a leader. For Moses and Aaron and Miriam, they led so long, it would only be through their own deaths that the leadership transition would take place. And so we mourn Aaron and Miriam this week. Grateful for the leadership and their abilities to bring God’s Divine Presence into the midst of the people.

Parshat Korach: Numbers 16:1 – 18:32 By: Denise L. Eger

This is a week of great rebellion and challenge of the leadership and authority of Moses and Aaron. For several weeks now as the story of the Children of Israel in the desert has unfolded, there has been unrest, mutterings, and strife among the people. They have complained about everything. The food isn’t good enough. They long for some romanticized version of their lives in Egypt that was never real. Now on the edge of the Promised Land their fear and lack of faith has kept them from entering and the generation that left Egypt will end their lives in the desert without crossing over. There is turmoil in the encampment. Moses and Aaron even had to intercede with God on behalf of the people for God is impatient as well with the Israelites lack of faith and their constant complaints.

Thus in this week’s portion, Korach, we find that this disorder and mayhem reaches a new pitch. Korach, a cousin of Moses and Aaron along with Datan and Abiram take advantage of this instability and openly challenge Moses and Aaron’s leadership of the People. “They combined against Moses and Aaron and said to them, ‘You have gone too far! For all the community are holy, all of then and Adonai is in their midst, Why then do you raise yourselves above Adonai’s congregation?’ (Num. 16:3).”

Korach gathered more than 250 additional leaders and chieftains as part of his challenge. This is an attempted coup d'état. Indeed the whole household of Israel is holy. That is what the covenantal relationship is about. All of Israel is holy and a treasured people. But the descendants of Aaron, the Cohanim, the priesthood, have been elevated additionally to offer the sacrifices. The Levites also were given special duties for the Tabernacle. But now Korach wants to overthrow the order that has been selected by God. This is something that Korach forgot as part of the formula. Moses and Aaron have not just selected themselves. But they were placed into their leadership roles by God.

Moses rather than just quash the rebellion with his own forces is confident that God will reaffirm his leadership. “Come morning, Adonai will make known who is God’s and who is holy and will grant that one access to Adonai. God will grant access to the person God has chosen (Num. 16:5).” And so a great duel is proposed. Not of course with counted off paces and guns or swords but this is duel none the less. Moses tells Korach and his followers to take the instruments of their Tabernacle service, their fire pans, (after all they are Levites who serve) and place an offering of incense upon them and they will see whose offering God chooses.

Moses can’t resist however a further admonishment to Korach and his followers. “Is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has set you apart from the community of Israel and given you access to God, to perform the duties of Adonai’s Tabernacle and to minister to the community and serve them…..yet you seek the priesthood too? (Num. 16:9-10). Moses forces Korach and 250 followers to face their egos, their hubris and their yes, their sin in not recognizing their special and sacred role but wanting to supplant Aaron and his descendants.

The next day, the offerings are laid out and Korach has gathered the whole community at the Ohel Moed. His own blind ego does not let him see clearly. God’s Divine Presence appears not just to Moses and Aaron but to everyone in the community. And God sees the community’s presence as an affront—as a lack of faith. Moses and Aaron must intercede on behalf of the people so that God doesn’t take them along with the ringleaders.

And so there is an offering that is consumed. The ground opens up and Korach along with Datan and Abiram are swallowed up. The earth takes back the challengers and the coup d’état is averted not by Moses’ but by God’s hand. And a fire offering does go out from God and the fire pans with the incense are consumed but the 250 followers become part of the offering.

Thus the rebellion is quashed. God reaffirms Moses’ and Aaron’s position among the people in a dramatic fashion. Korach asserted the holiness of all the people. In this regard he wasn’t wrong. We are a holy people. But he failed to understand the sacred call that Moses and Aaron were fulfilling. They had been picked not by election of the people but election by God. Aaron’s sons were chosen to be the priests. This was not a case of nepotism but this was according to our Torah God’s plan. Moses and Aaron were called to this sacred service.

Korach failed because his own faith was weak and his ego overflowing with self-righteousness. He did not embrace his own sacred calling as a Levite who was called to sacred and holy duty in the Tabernacle. Korach ignored his sacred calling. He took advantage of a situation and played upon the fears and unrest that filled the encampment. Korach did not seek to build up the people of Israel and the Divine Holy One, but rather he sought to tear it down. Korach didn’t walk with God but sought to build up himself at the expense of others.

Thus in our own lives we must learn to listen to the Divine voice in each of us that points us to our own sacred calling. What is it that God wants of me? How can I seek to build up the Jewish people? How can I seek to praise God? Then indeed we can live the words of the prophet Micah: What does Adonai require of you? Only to do justice, love goodness and walk humbly with your God. Then will your name achieve wisdom (6:8).

Parshat Shelach-Lecha; Numbers 13:1-15:41 By: Rabbi Denise L. Eger

This week has been a week of rejoicing, justice, celebration and history as same sex couples began to marry legally here in California. I have had the privilege of officiating at many weddings as a rabbi. It is part of the “work” of a rabbi to be a mesaderet kiddushin, an officiant of the sacred rite of marriage. It is a joy to stand with every couple under the chupah, the wedding canopy; to help them through our sessions of preparation not only for their wedding day but for their married life together. It is wondrous to see their faces and hearts glow as they exchange rings and vows. It is beautiful to see the families and friends many who travel so far to be with the happy couple share in that wonder, awe, hope and joy for all newlyweds.

For many, many years, some two decades now, I have stood with many lesbian and gay couples also beneath the chupah as they exchanged vows and promises. Each time a gay couple exchange rings, said their vows, signed a ketubah (their Jewish wedding document) you could feel the chains of oppression breaking just a little.

But something was missing at those ceremonies. That was the marriage license. What was missing was the civil authorization issued by the state that would by law give gay and lesbian couples the proper recognition and legal responsibilities of the institution of marriage. But how brave to envision their lives as married when the state would not recognize or give their new family any of the responsibilities, rights nor protections. How courageous gay couples have been to have Jewish wedding ceremonies often without familial support. How daring to envision their lives and the family they made with each other as so normative, defying the stereotypes that somehow gay people couldn’t possibly form stable, loving relationships.

For those of us who are gay and lesbian we knew. We knew those stereotypes were just that. But we often lacked the access to smash those stereotypes. That is why so many of us, gay and straight together, especially in our own congregation have work so hard to transform our society and worked so hard for gay and lesbian civil rights.

And this week was the culmination of much of that hard work right here in our own state. At 5:01 pm on Monday, I had the honor of being the mesaderet kiddushin, the officiant, at one of the very first marriages in California for a same-sex couple. And what a difference that piece of paper makes! On the court house steps of Beverly Hills, the site where I had engaged in many protests throughout many years on the marriage issue, I had the honor of officiating for the wedding of Robin Tyler and Diane Olson. Robin and Diane along with many other couples had for many years applied in Beverly Hills for a wedding license and was denied each year of the annual protest on Freedom to Marry Day. Four years ago they initiated and became part of the historic lawsuit that would make its way through the courts finally to the California Supreme Court, who ruled that our state could not constitutionally deny marriage licenses to gay men and lesbians.

And so on Monday in Beverly Hills at 5:01 pm to honor their unique role in history the LA County Recorder, Dean Logan, allowed Robin and Diane to receive their marriage license at the earliest legal moment possible and I had the honor of conducting their wedding. It was like every wedding and no wedding. At most weddings I officiate at there isn’t the crush of the media and the very anti-Semitic and homophobic protesters, yelling “You will burn in Hell” or “Repent, you sinners”.

But there in the open court house steps the chupah was raised, the couple welcomed, the ketubah signed, Kiddish recited, the “I dos” said, the rings exchanged, the sheva brachot, seven wedding blessing recited over a second kiddish, and the glasses broken. And one special and unique difference for the first time as a rabbi, standing with a lesbian couple here in California, I was able to say (like my Massachusetts colleagues), “by the power and authority vested in me by the State of California” Robin and Diane were married—legally married!

It was a heart-pounding, and thrilling and a moment of true happiness: happiness for them –Robin and Diane, for our community, for the many who worked so hard to make this happen. It was a moment of thanksgiving for the Supreme Court who had the courage to speak the truth and bring justice and equality into our lives. It was a moment when the chains of oppression finally broke fully here in our world. It was a moment of tikkun—true repair and true healing. You could feel it. There was holy, electricity in the air and I knew that the Shekinah, God’s Divine and Holy Presence was with us!

So too for the weddings I was able to officiate at for our temple members on Tuesday, the first full day of issuing marriage licenses. And I know that as many of our members here at Kol Ami have wedding dates scheduled throughout the summer and fall, this same sense of tikkun and holiness, justice and equality, joy and celebration and the Shekinah will be with each of them as we say those words!

This week’s parasha reminds the children of Israel of the details about what they should bring as an offering of thanksgiving to God when they enter the Promised Land and they offer a sacrifice in fulfillment of a sacred vow that they have made. These offering are choice offerings for a vow is a special promise sworn before God.

This week-gay men and lesbians entered the Promised Land, the land of full equality and citizenship in California. For so many years gay men and lesbians have waited for this moment, to marry their partner and to protect their families legally and easily. So let us give thanks and let us give the choicest of offerings in thanksgiving for this privilege and this right. Today, we no longer make burnt offerings, we give of our heart in prayer and we give tzedakah. So in thanksgiving for this moment in history, for living to see the Promised Land give some serious tzedakah as an offering of gratitude and help us keep this new right protected for all. And let us give the deepest thanks of our heart for helping us see this and be a part of this in our lifetime, Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech Haolam Shehekiyanu, Vikiamanu, vihigianu lazman hazeh. Praised are You Adonai our God, Source of the Universe who has given us life, sustained us and brought us to this very joyous time! AMEN AMEN.

Parshat Behalotecha; Numbers 8:1 -12:16

In our weekly portion of the Torah, Behalotecha, in the book of Numbers, the nature of leadership and authority runs through it as a theme. The burdens of leadership upon Moses continue to weigh down upon him. Previously, his father-in-law, Jethro had mentored Moses to share responsibilities with the elders of Israel. Jethro taught Moses to appoint leaders to share in the judging needed by the people. But Moses still needs to share more of the duties because the constant pull of the people begins to eat away at his own relationship with the Divine. So much so that Moses’ himself complains to God much like the people who complain at every turn. “The people took to complaining bitterly before Adonai (Numbers 11:1).

Moses speaks with God, “Did I conceive this entire people, did I bear them….I cannot carry all this people by myself, for it is too much for me (Num. 11:12, 14).” Moses seems to have reached his limit. More than a year after the exodus from Egypt, Moses has brought the people safely through the Red Sea and the experience at Mt. Sinai. He has led them to build the Tabernacle and dedicate it. He has helped to set up the
Priesthood and he helped the people navigate through the treacherous terrain of the wilderness. He has followed God’s plan and adjudicated difficult cases and situations that have come up between people. He has listened to God and to the Israelites often mediating between the two and having to calm both. But now Moses needs additional help. The stress of the constant pull of both the earthly concerns and the heavenly concerns put Moses’ in a difficult position.

Thus seventy elders now will share more of the leadership responsibilities. The Rabbinic tradition identifies these seventy with those chosen by Moses to share in judging cases back in the book of Exodus (18:13-27). But now these seventy leaders from the various tribes are anointed by God in a special way. God takes some of the special “spirit” that is in Moses and places it in them. “I will draw upon the spirit that is on you and put it upon them; they shall share the burden of the people with you and you shall not bear it alone (Num. 11:17).”

There is some kind of spiritual power, spiritual blessing, divine glory that Moses has and now will be shared with these leaders. This unique and holy spirit comes from the word in Hebrew, atzilut-or emanation. In the mystical tradition of Kabbalah—the world of atzilut-is considered the highest of four spiritual worlds or realms. This is closest to the Divine reality and at one with the Divine Light. If we read our portion through this mystical lens, God transferred and shared some of the Divine Light and Glory that previously resided in Moses with each of them.

This is a profound moment for the People Israel. In this transfer and sharing it allows others to be called to a higher and divine purpose. Once the realm only of Moses (and perhaps Aaron and Miriam) this Divine emanation is now shared with many others. So too the responsibility and administrative duties as well but all are in a context of divine holiness and spirit. The elders are called into sacred service.

This gift is further shared with two more that are named in the Torah portion, Medad and Eldad. They too have an ecstatic moment that seems to go beyond the time when God enabled the spirit to rest with the seventh elders. Joshua, Moses assistant and eventual successor, seems greatly concerned by their prophesying and wishes to restrain them. Joshua interprets that this Divine gift of spirit is only for some but Moses to his credit articulates that this Holy gift of the Divine emanation is indeed better when shared and is not in the least threatened by it. He says, “would that all Adonai’s people were prophets, that Adonai’s spirit was upon them! (Num. 11:29).”

For each of us this gives us hope! For we too might tap into this Divine and special spirit that would elevate our service to our community and our people. Just as the seventy elders of old were able to faithfully serve God and the Israelite people so too, we might share in the leadership and direction of our people. We might be able with prayer, service, mitzvot and reflection to receive that gift of spirit and engage in sacred service. The challenge is to listen to the call and to be open to receiving such a Divine and holy gift.

Volunteering for the synagogue is this opportunity to be called into sacred service and receive a special measure of this spirit. Service to the sacred community of the synagogue is at its best an opportunity to be called into a partnership not just with fellow congregants and community but into a unique partnership with the Holy One of Blessing. I invite you to share in this sacred duty and consider becoming involved in this sacred service on behalf of our congregation, Kol Ami. This privilege, this honor to serve brings with it responsibility but also great benefits of friendship, honor, the true knowledge of making a difference in the world and creating healing and justice, and yes as in our Torah portion perhaps receiving a measure of the Divine glory.

We invite you to be a part of this great enterprise. This week we are seeking new volunteers for leadership as we rebuild and renew our social action committee and ritual and adult education committee. We are seeking new volunteers who have time to come into our office and new volunteers to help with defeating the ballot initiative against marriage in the fall. We are seeking new volunteers for our membership committee and new volunteers for our marketing and development committees.

We hope you will want to be part of this sacred service.

Parshat Naso; Numbers 4:21 -7:89 By: Rabbi Denise L. Eger

Parshat Naso includes the dedication of the Tabernacle and the many offerings brought by the various chieftains representing their tribes. In a great show of equality and democracy each tribal chief brought exactly the same offering to the Tabernacle and to God. No tribe was better than the other. But each tribe had its specialized duty in relationship to the Tabernacle. As delineated in last week’s portion, each tribe not only gathered and encamped around the Tabernacle in a specific location but each tribe had specific duties in the setting up and tearing down and transportation of the Tabernacle as the Israelites made their way in the desert.

Now in Parshat Naso, as the Tabernacle is finished being set up the tribes bring their offerings and Moses consecrates and dedicates this sacred holy space. It is then that the Holy Divine One can occupy and dwell in the Mishkan. At the very end of the portion, this is affirmed by Moses entering the Tent of Meeting and God’s voice would emanating from the space between the Cherubim atop the Ark of the Covenant. The Tent of Meeting is just that—a place for the leader-Moses to meet with God and hear God’s commands and bring the concerns of the people.

Today how do we hear God’s voice? It was easier for Moses. But for each of us it can be challenging to really know and hear God’s unique call and command. That is why prayer, tefillah is such an important part of Jewish life. Through tefillah, through prayer we can gain the perspective and the quietude to help sort through and filter out the competing messages of our time. Through regular daily prayer and meditation we Jews create the space above the Ark, the place between the Cherubim-to hear God’s voice emanate into our own souls and beings. Through prayers of our tradition and of our own inspiration we can begin to listen and find a pathway to the Eternal Holy One and find our place of Meeting—our own Mishkan in our own day.

If you are not in the habit of prayer it may seem a bit awkward at first. But allowing yourself the time to reflect and meditate will change the way you interact with others and with yourself and ultimately with the Holy Divine Source of All. Prayer allows you to tap into that Holy Source and allows you to become a conduit for bringing holiness into the world and your own life. Just as Moses radiated the glory of God in his encounter at the top of Mt. Sinai, so too, in sincere prayer, we too can radiate the Divine qualities into the world.

The holy Festival of Shavuot is upon us on Sunday evening (Join us at temple for study and a Festival service at 7:30 pm June 8). On Shavuot we celebrate the giving of the Ten Commandments and our covenant with God made through Torah. We have a chance to rekindle our personal relationships with the Holy Divine One and also our communal covenant. Prayer is one way we can make this affirmation and then we too can tune in and hear the Divine voice just as Moses did in the Tabernacle so long ago. God is calling to each of us. I hope you will be able to respond.