The Shabbat After The Insurrection - January 8, 2021

In Pirkei Avot 1:2 we read: Al shlosha d’varim haolam omeid. Al haTorah, al ha’avodah, v’al gemilut chasadim. The world stands on three things. Upon Torah, and upon worship and and upon acts of loving kindness. This Mishnah, this passage, has become an overused trope. It is used in the mission statements of hundreds of synagogues across America, including our own. We sing it to a simplistic melody without thinking about the import of the words. The overuse of this trope has stripped its meaning of any depth.

What we never or rarely read is just a few mishnayot later in 1:18. Al shlosha d’varim haolam omeid. Al hadin, v’al ha’emet, v’al hashalom. The world stands on three things. Upon justice, and upon the truth and upon peace. This Mishnah, in America, has been forgotten just at the moment when we need it most.

The insurrection, the rebellion, the seditious, traitorous invasion of our Capitol, called for and supported by our political leaders, whom we allow to be there, they are our political leaders, weighs heavily on me, many of you, and as it should, on every American. Seeing these traitors who adorned their bodies and clothing with Nazi symbols, anti-Semitic and racist slogans, carrying the battle flag of the Confederacy, the ultimate symbol of treason against America, still tears at my soul. How could any of this have happened? Because, I have allowed, you have allowed, we all have allowed the pillars of justice, truth and peace to be shattered. It feels as if our world is tumbling out of control.

The time has arrived for us to rebuild and shore up these most important pillars.

Justice: We need to move beyond just doing gemilut chasadim, acts of lovingkindness and build a society that is just. A just society is built to ensure that all have equal opportunity, that wrongdoers are punished to the same standard across the board, and the good have the opportunity to benefit from what is good for all. We need to challenge ourselves to work toward that world, and to hold our leaders, formal and informal, to the same standard to which we would hold ourselves, if not higher.

Truth: Parsing what is true and what is fiction has become harder. We lie easily. We believe lies even more easily. When the surest truths of science are called lies, how much easier it is to discount and disbelieve historic and current truths. We need to find the truth by using that most ancient, and often annoying, Jewish practice, questioning. We question and when we find the truth based on fact, test it again, then hold on to it, promote it, cherish it.

Peace: How many times have you heard me define peace as inner wholeness. When we are whole within ourselves, we can be at peace with ourselves. When we are at peace with ourselves we can be at peace with others. But, as we are taught by Maslow, unless our basic needs are met, we cannot find peace within ourselves. To ensure peace in the world, we have the obligation to ensure every human being has their most basic needs met and has the opportunity to strive for more. In other words, we need to create a world held up by the other two pillars, justice and truth.

This week, our American peace, our inner individual peace sustained blows that threaten to shatter us. Tonight’s service is designed to help us begin to heal, to rebuild our inner peace. There are no slides tonight. Just one video of our children lighting candles. I want us to see each other as we pray. So please turn on your cameras. I want us to feel the connection with each other letting the words and melodies calm our souls so we can find that Shalom on this Shabbat. Why then have the one video? Simple, what is more healing than seeing our young people carrying on our most positive traditions.

I want us to find rest and peace this Shabbat, rebuilding our inner strength to be able to heal our country and our world, for there is no harder work than to establish justice, truth and peace.

Rosh Hashanah Morning 5778

Rabbi Harry Rosenfeld

Congregation Albert

Albuquerque, New Mexico

While procrastinating writing this sermon, I calculated that over my six year tenure at Congregation Albert I have saved 85,000 emails, deleted 10’s of thousands more and received about 22,000 junk emails for a total close to 150,000 - 200,000 emails or about 25,000 - 35,000 emails a year. That does not count the 10’s of thousands I received and read on my personal email accounts. I am not citing these numbers to whine about how busy I am or brag about how hard I work. I know that the vast majority of those emails are from you and contain the important details of your lives, your families, your hopes, and your dreams. I also know that most of you receive at least that many emails each year and many of you far more.

Before email, none of us received 1/10 of the number of phone calls and letters combined as we do emails today. Email is the greatest time suck ever invented.

Juliet Funt, yes the daughter of Allen Funt of Candid Camera, teaches:

1. Most of us who are working spend 100% of our time on exertion, i.e. doing and 0% of our time on thoughtfulness.
2. We are too busy to become un-busy
3. With ever present screens, TV, computers, phones, pads, game consoles, email, texts, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, WhatsApp, iMessage, and so much more, we have become uncomfortable with The Pause, moments of quiet, moments of reflection.

Ms. Funt reflects that at work we have lost the permission “think the un-thunk thought” and at home,  one day, we will rue the precious moments we miss because we are busy.

She shares a story she heard about a woman who turned down the opportunity to spend the day driving and picnicking with her family. Her spouse and children enjoyed a marvelous day. Two weeks later her spouse died. According to the woman’s daughter, for the rest of her life she repeated: “I didn’t take the ride.” We have all missed at least one drive because we were “too busy”. I am among the worst culprits.

We believe there are forces in this world that compel us to tie ourselves to the ground and not let our spirits and our lives soar. These forces may include our own egos or our image of what makes us important, as well as others. Yes, there are times we need to work, to struggle, to be busy. But, we also need to let go, to pause and allow ourselves the freedom to think, the freedom to grow spiritually.

My friend and colleague, Rabbi Larry Malinger, uses this example: “When we start to fly and are struggling against these forces [eg. gravity and inertia], there is a lot of noise. Sometimes, it is an external noise…. Other times it is an internal noise…. It is true, for the first ‘10,ooo feet” it is hard, it is noisy, you cannot use approved electronic devices, your seat belt must remain fastened…. Then the noise slowly fades and you keep climbing. You can now use electronic devices. Having reached cruising altitude, you can get out of your seat and move around. Nonetheless, turbulence, or other complications [occur] and you will need to refasten your seat belts just to stay safe.”

I love this analogy. Even though the noise fades it is not gone. If you let it, the noise fades into your unconscious until “we begin our descent”. The time between reaching 10,000 feet and beginning our descent is a pause. You allow yourself to simply go along for the ride. You let go of control. True, someone is flying the plane, but it is not you. “The descent” itself is a wonderful metaphor. The plane begins its descent back toward earth just as we, at the end of the pause, return to the busyness of life.

This morning we read of Abraham answering God’s call with the word “הינני, I am here, I am ready to take on the task as awesome or as awful as it may be.” Throughout Torah and the entire Hebrew Bible, our ancestors answered the call with “הינני, I am here, I am ready.”

Mostly, “הינני, I am here, I am ready” responds to an external call; whether the voice of God or, more likely, the alert on our phone. Our ancestors understood the importance of responding to that external call. They also understood the need to respond to the internal call with “הינני I am here, I am ready”. Therefore, they gifted us שבת, the Sabbath, a day of pause, a day to put aside the roar of the engine, the alert of our phone, and take control of our time.

Rabbi Maligner writes: “In a world full of distractions, the proper way to translate ‘Hineni’ today is  ‘I am fully present.’ I am fully present in my life.” Ms. Funt reminds us that the moments of creativity and insight occur when we are fully present and able to create WhiteSpace in which to consciously pause.

Let’s be honest. We all know what happens when we are not fully present, when we do not pause. We crash; we hit the wall; we burn out - pick your metaphor. We get irritable. The important people in our lives feel ignored. We lash out. We do a lousy job. And of course, we are SO much fun to be around.

Think you are different, that you do not need the pause? Think you are superhuman and able to do it all 24/7/365 (or 6)? Our ancestors knew better even if we do not. From its outset, Torah teaches the importance of the pause. Even God, whom Torah saw as omnipotent, took a break after six days spent creating the world. Continuously in Torah, Tanach and Rabbinic Literature, the importance of Shabbat is reiterated over and over and over and over. The Torah, and later the Rabbis, reiterate the punishment for ignoring Shabbat is the ultimate punishment, death. While Torah sets the sentence to be carried out by stoning, we know dying from exhaustion and stress was, and is, more often the cause of death.

As we wrote you earlier this month:

It does not have to be the Shabbat of your great-grandparents. Be creative and daring. Find a way to make Shabbat meaningful for you. A quiet dinner with family or friends, or going for a hike in this incredible place we are blessed to call home. Call friends and family to reconnect and show your caring. The possibilities are endless. This first time experimenting with Shabbat may not open new doors or create a spiritual high. But, perhaps, with time and repetition you may discover things about yourself that can only come to light in the space that Shabbat can provide...Find or create your own way of observing Shabbat. 

Historically the Jewish community observed Shabbat on Friday night and Saturday. My teacher Rabbi Alvin Reines, since he worked every Friday night and Saturday, observed Shabbat on Thursday night and Friday. I do not suggest you follow Rabbi Reines’ example any more than you follow your grandparents’. Find your own path. Draw from the core of our tradition, understand the purpose of Shabbat and revel in the pause. Use the WhiteSpace of Shabbat to center yourself and re-find your creative, introspective true self. Do not be afraid of the descent back to the busyness of life. Your landing will be much smoother because you took the time to pause.

Making time to pause and understanding our priorities allows for the growth of opportunities. Our own personal WhiteSpace of Shabbat helps us to know who we are, and what we are truly meant to do. We can be blessed with the luxury of identifying the path we need to take in life, realizing what is important to us and most important, who is important to us. When we know that, things fall into place.

Find the strength to pause and may you never have to say: “I didn’t take the ride.”

To Israel with Temple Beth Zion and Westminster Presbyterian Church Part 7

January 23, 2010

Shabbat in Jerusalem - what else can one say?

Shavuah Tov!

Rabbi Harry Rosenfeld

To Israel with Temple Beth Zion and Westminster Presbyterian Church Part 6

January 22, 2010

We left Jerusalem very early this morning for our day trip to the Dead Sea. Upon reaching the Dead Sea, we could see evidence of flash floods that had crossed the road days before. This is normal for winter in Israel. When the rains come the ground is often hard and dry and cannot absorb much water so it gathers in the normally dry river beds and heads to the Sea of Galilee and Jordan River, the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea.

Masada has changed for me over the years as it has for many Israelis. The message of the brave soldiers choosing death and suicide for themselves and their wives and children rather than slavery as the ultimate courage has been replaced by a more reflective understanding of "Never Again Will Masada Fall".  The goal no longer is a choice between death or freedom, rather it is ensuring life and freedom and that is a powerful message.

Nonetheless, it is always a thrill to be on Masada, especially with those who have not been there before. The granaries, the cisterns, the breach in the wall, the discussion about Josephus and his agenda, never lose their power for me.

The rest of Friday was spent in "preparation for Shabbat" and welcoming Shabbat. Our guide Julie and I have been harsh taskmasters giving little time for shopping and hurrying people out of stores to keep us running on time. Our schedule has been full and timing has been important. So by the time we reached the Ahava Factory Outlet store and gift shop at Qumran, and we gave them a whole hour for eating and shopping, need I say more?

Then it was down the road to the Dead Sea beach at Qumran. Below are several photos of people covered in mud and floating in the sea. I am under threat of death to post certain shots here but perhaps they can be a fundraiser for Westminster and TBZ. Of course all the money would go to support Mitzvah Day and other similar projects....

Arriving back in Jerusalem we changed and dressed for Shabbat, boarded the bus and drove to Kol Haneshama for Shabbat evening services. Every Jewish worship service in every congregation is unique unto itself. After a brief introduction to the service and Reform Judaism in Israel the singing began and our souls were lifted. Shabbat should be about peace and joy. The service was that and more. At the service were two of our former Institute of Liberal Jewish Studies teachers, Rabbis Elyse Goldstein and Michael Klein-Katz and of course the rabbi of Kol Haneshama, Rabbi Levi Weiman-Kelman was our Halpern Speaker several years ago. It was a blessing to see them, hug them and wish them Shabbat Shalom.

Our Shabbat dinner at the hotel overwhelmed us with food and new, deep friendships. May the extra soul we gained this Shabbat carry us through to next Shabbat and beyond.

Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem,

Rabbi Harry Rosenfeld

To Israel with Temple Beth Zion and Westminster Presbyterian Church

Shabbat, January 15 - 16, 2010

Traveling to Israel with "first timers" is always fun and interesting and we "vatikim - old timers" are expected to help lead the way.

While there were a few glitches getting everyone checked in, we finally all boarded our flight in Buffalo for JFK where we waited for our flight. There were no glitches at JFK and El Al security was lighter than I expected.

Rev. Tom Yorty and I found similar ways of amusing ourselves while we waited for our El Al flight to Israel  while others waited patiently or dozed.

Once on board, we settled in for the long flight. Most of us were seated near each other. A few were spread  throughout the plane and got to know some of the other travelers (for better or worse).

It seems every trip I think I've lost someone only to find they are already on the bus. Last trip it was HS in Jaffa, this trip it was B and G who got their luggage, cleared customs and found our bus while the rest of us waited patiently inside the terminal for them. Finally the tour agent called the bus, found out they were there and off we went.

Our guide, Julie Baretz, was waiting for us, got the rest of us on the bus and we quickly left the airport for Tel Aviv. I could not believe my eyes. Because we landed so close to Shabbat, the roads were empty and we made it to our hotel in record time! We quickly checked in, dropped off our luggage, cleaned up and within 20 minutes were on our way to Beit Daniel, the Reform congregation in Tel Aviv for Kabblat Shabbat services.



The rabbi, Meir Azari, their cantor and the members could not have been more welcoming. We even found Buffalo connections! The president of the congregation and her husband had briefly lived in Buffalo and the daughter of one of our preschool teachers was at the service. She is part of a group of students studying here. She will finish this spring with a masters degree in management.

Following the service we went down to the oneg Shabbat where Rabbi Azari invited me to say a few words about TBZ and Buffalo and a few words it was. After 10 or sentences in Hebrew they said thank you and we went on with the blessings.

Back at the hotel, we gathered for Shabbat dinner. It was such a pleasure watching the "first-timers" marvel at the variety and deliciousness of the buffet. From vegans to carnivores we all found more than enough to eat and retired fully sated.

Breakfast was equally overwhelming. We gathered and shared stories of how early everyone had awakened. Who had walked the boardwalk at 4 AM and who went running at 6.

Julie and Yossi (our driver) met us promptly at 9:15 and we began the formal part of our tour. Heading south to Rehovot and the Ayalon Institute to see the underground ammunition factory at Kibbutz Hill where from 1947 - 48 a small group of young Israelis went 25 feet underground, everyday, to make bullets for the Israeli Army in the months leading up to the War for Independence. Their story is inspiring and heroic as they not only faced danger of discovery but also working in close quarters with tons of gun powder.

As we were leaving, A and W were picked up by some friends who used to live in Buffalo and went to their kibbutz to spend a wonderful Shabbat afternoon catching up, meeting their children and getting reacquainted. The rest of us boarded the bus and drove back north to Jaffa.

The wonderful part of this trip is that Temple Beth Zion and Westminster Presbyterian are sharing it. I can't remember all the times I've been to Jaffa (although the first was the most memorable as it was there I kissed a girl for the first time) and how many times I passed the house of Simon the Tanner. Yet this time was the first time I first noticed it. Our guide Julie is an expert in leading both Jewish and Christian tours. When we reached the house, she had Rev. Tom Yorty read the passage from the Book of Acts that refers to Simon the Tanner and his home. She then explained the significance of the place and the importance of the story in the shaping of Christianity and its divergence from Judaism. As a non-Christian, I was moved by the moment. As a Jew, my soul swelled. Here we stood at a pivotal place in the divergence of Judaism and Christianity as two congregations, now secure enough in who we are to be together without fear or self-consciousness.

After a brief tour of Neve Tzedek, the first neighborhood in Tel Aviv, it was back to the hotel for a relaxing afternoon. At 6:30, we all gathered in the lobby and walked to a place where we had the city behind us and the crashing waves of the Mediterranean in front of us as we did Havdalah, the ceremony in which we end Shabbat and reenter the "ordinary" days of the week. As Tel Aviv came back to life, we reflected that while we will not have a week of Shabbat, our week will be anything but ordinary!

Tomorrow, Sunday, we begin with church services and then north to Ceasaria, Haifa and then to Kibbutz Ginosar where we will be based for the next two days.

I pray that your Shabbat was as meaningful and fulfilling as ours was here in Israel.

Shalom,

Rabbi Harry Rosenfeld