A message from Rabbi
Eliezer Ben Yehuda
Ponte Vedra, Florida

Kedoshim

Kdoshim 5756

This week’s Torah portion is a combined portion, Akharey mot-Kedoshim, from Leviticus 16 to 20. The first portion contains the verses that are read on Yom Kippur afternoons, concerning the purity of the family and proper family relationship, and the second portion, Kedoshim, begins with the words, “The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. You shall each revere your mother and father, and you shall keep my Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God."

This seemingly simple passage is actually a revolutionary world outlook articulated by Moshe Rabenu at Sinai to the People of Israel. It is beautifully simple and streamlined, free of extraneous protocols and cult rituals. “You shall be holy because I am holy." You want to relate to me -- be holy, be lofty, idealistic, seek to rise above yourself. How will you do it? All of you, the adults, must have true reverence to your parents, and you must set aside time to study and improve your minds -- keep My Shabbatot, my Sabbaths. Don’t run after false idols, don’t sell yourselves short. Be considerate of the orphan the widow and the stranger. Live by the rules of common decency -- and you will do fine. The Book of Psalms gives us the following conclusion, "O that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways! Then I would quickly subdue their enemies, and turn my hand against their foes. Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him, and their doom would last forever."

Kdoshim 5757

This week’s Torah portion is Kedoshim, from Leviticus 19 to 20. The portion begins with the words, "The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: 'You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. You shall each revere your mother and father, and you shall keep my Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God. You shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God. Turn you not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the Lord your God. And if you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the Lord, you shall offer it at your own will. It shall be eaten the same day you offer it, and on the morrow: and if ought remain until the third day, it shall be burnt in the fire. And if it be eaten at all on the third day, it is abominable; it shall not be accepted. Therefore every one that eats it shall bear his iniquity, because he has profaned the hallowed thing of the Lord: and that soul shall be cut off from among his people. And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, neither shalt you gather the gleanings of your harvest. And you shall not glean your vineyard, neither shall you gather every grape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the Lord your God. You shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another. And you shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt you profane the name of your God: I am the Lord. You shall not defraud your neighbor, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with you all night until the morning. You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but shalt fear your God: I am the Lord." [Lev. 19:1-14]

This seemingly simple passage is actually a revolutionary world outlook articulated by Moshe Rabenu at Sinai to the People of Israel. It is beautifully simple and streamlined, free of extraneous protocols and so called cult rituals. "Kedoshim Tih'yu ki Kadosh ani --You shall be holy because I am holy."

More often than not people get stuck on the first Hebrew word, which is the fourth in the English. "Kedoshim – holy" -- what a strange and mysterious word! It was made so by generations of manipulative shamans, witch doctors and charlatans who sought to enslave people by the power of their own imaginations, by their fears and secret desires. 'Holy' was the unreachable, the unobtainable, the superior -- which was dubbed supernatural. The rationalists, the champions of human rights and civil liberties, like to tell us that there is no God. They claim that man created God. That man has fashioned God after himself, giving him a generous helping of all that is negative and ugly in us. If we are petty and quarrelsome -- God should be even more so. If you are hateful and destructive -- surely God can do so better and more thoroughly. If we are capricious and malevolent -- woe be to him that raises the anger of God. If we love gifts and can be bought with a shiny trinket or a false word -- how much more so can the supersized ego of a manlike god! Holy, holy! Holy Cow, holy mackerel, holy gizmo and whatnot!

Not so the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Here is a God who was most certainly not fashioned by man -- to represent the worst that is in man. This God, who motivates the great teacher, Moshe Rabenu, is a unique God, El Kadosh – a holy God. Because He is holy, His qualities are, indeed, qualities -- not quirks! What He demands of man is not blind fear but learned reverence. Should one wish to relate to this God -- one should be holy, be lofty, idealistic, seek to rise above oneself. You do not bring God down to your level, to the "lowest common denominator" -- you rise to His level, aspiring to the highest and loftiest possible communion with Him. How will you do it? The text tells us, "You shall each revere your mother and father," all of you, the adults, must have true reverence to your parents. Why should this be the first 'sign' of holiness? Because it is seemingly so simple and self explanatory. One 'honors' ones parents. Of course. Well -- this is true when one is very young. Kids honor their parents -- if they know what is good for them. This "honoring" will assure them continued well-being in the household of their parents. But what of the question of grown children and elderly parents? Do we still take it for granted that the 'honor' will be there "naturally?" I believe that we know enough of the real world today to admit that the answer is by no means automatically "yes."

In our Scriptures, and in Judaism, 'holiness' is achieved through knowledge, in wisdom. Thus we read in the book of Psalms, "Reshit khokhma yir'at Adona'y, sekhel tov lekhol oseyhem – The reverence of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do it..." [Psalms 111:10] This week's text tells us, "and you shall keep my Sabbaths," for Shabbat is the day that was set aside as a time of study and reflection, a time to spend with one's God, with oneself, with one's old parents. It is very easy to find excuses why we don't and can't do all the things we know full well we need and must do. It is quite a different matter to make the time and do what needs to be done. That is "reshit khokhma -- the beginning of wisdom." Shabbat was given to us to enter into the realm of holiness for ourselves, with our families, our children and our elderly, our parents. Through the interplay of the generation we come closer to God -- for He is in all the generations -- no more in the parents than in the children -- no more in the (grown) children than in the (elderly) parents. Thus the exhortation repeats, "You shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God."

In a side issue, it is interesting to note in the text that our Torah is not sexist in its approach. The reverence for parents is one of the basic teachings articulated at Sinai. There we read, "Honor your father and your mother; that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God gives you." [Ex. 20:12] Some have suggested that there is something wrong with this statement, because it places the father before the mother. Well, in this week's portion, twice in one breath, practically, we are told "every man his mother, and his father." Ladies first!

Going back to our theme -- God wishes us to become 'kdoshim -- holy,' and another text, in Proverbs, tells us, "Reshit khokhma kne khokhma uvkhol kinyankha kne vina -- The beginning of Wisdom is: Get Wisdom; therefore use all your means to acquire understanding." [Prov. 4:7] Wisdom is nothing if it does not lead to understanding. You must set aside time to study and improve your minds -- keep My Shabbatot, my Sabbaths. Don’t run after false idols, don’t sell yourselves short. Learn to share what God has given you in His goodness. If you offer a 'gift to God' in the form of a sacrifice (as was done in ancient times), be aware that it needs to be shared with others -- with the priests and the Levites and the poor. Don't hold on to it beyond two days -- and thus you shall not feel bad about parceling it out. the last verse I read to you at the beginning is a good 'clincher' for the whole lesson: "You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind" -- which means that we need to recognize the fact that some people have handicaps that make them sensitive to certain human foibles. You cannot fault a blind person for his inability to see, but neither can you pretend that he or she are normal. Learn to recognize each person for who he or she is. Be considerate of the orphan, the widow and the stranger. Live by the rules of common decency -- and you will do fine. The words of the prophet Micah are a good conclusion to this week's lesson: "Higid lekha adam ma tov uma adona'y doresh memkha; ki im asot mishpat v'ahavat khesed vehatzna lekhet im eloheykha. -- It has been told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you, only to do justice, and to love loving mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." Amen

5760

This week’s Torah portion is Kedoshim, which meams Holiness, and it is found in the book of Leviticus, chapters 19 to 20. The portion begins with the words, "The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: '’Kedoshim tihi’yu ki kadosh ani Adona’y eloheykhem -- You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.”" [Lev. 19:1-3]

This seemingly simple passage is actually is a most mysterious and difficult concept that was articulated by Moshe Rabenu at Sinai to the People of Israel. It seems beautifully simple and streamlined, free of extraneous protocols and so called cult rituals. "Kedoshim Tih'yu ki Kadosh ani --You shall be holy because I am holy." Before the time of teaching this passage, there was always a middle man between a people and their God - a priest or shaman, a ‘diviner’ or a seer. Now Moshe says to the people that by their covenant with God they all have not an option but a duty to become holy - as they had been told before the Sinai experience, “Now therefore, if you will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then you shall be my own treasure among all peoples; for all the earth is mine; And you shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. ” [Ex. 19:5,6]

This week’s portion is most essential to the Jewish experience. Rambam, in his “Book of Mitzvot” lists 51 mitzvot in this portion, 38 ‘negative’ and 13 positive. The ‘negative’ mitzvot are not negative in their nature, but only in that they inform us of what should not be done. Allow me to mention just three to illustrate to you how very central these mitzvot are to Judaism today as throughout the generations and times yet to come.

“Lo ta’asu avel bamishpat - You shall do no unrighteousness in judgment; Lo tisa fney dal - you shall not respect the person of the poor, velo tehader pney gadol - nor honor the person of the mighty; betzedek tishpot amitekha - but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor. Lo telekh rakhil be’amekha - You shall not go up and down as a slanderer among your people; lo ta’amod al dam re’ekha - you shall not stand against the blood of your neighbor; Ani adona’y - I am the Lord.” [lev. 19:15,16] Concerning justice we read a triple negative leading to a great positive. You must NOT pervert justice, you must NOT (1) take the side of the poor just because he is poor and the poor usually are taken advantage of; (2) you must NOT show partiality to the powerful. This triple negative will result in the positive fact that “ in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.” The next verse relates gossip to murder or at least the threat of death. You shall NOT go places to spread gossip. This particular way of phrasing the case tells us that it make reference in particular to those who actively pursue talebearing, going out of their way to meet others and tell the dirty little stories that will do harm. We know that this is so because the issue is tied in to the second half of the verse without an “and.” So the message is not ‘don’t do this and don’t do that – but rather, “don’t do this as you don’t do that.’ And the second half of the prohibition is “ you shall not stand against the blood of your neighbor;” which means that you should not allow your neighbor to endanger his/her life. This second half of the verse is the root of the halakha (rule) that ‘piku’akh nefesh’ preservation of life defers even the Shabbat.

Finally, let us look at another of the mitzvot that we have in this week’s portion, and it may be called the quintessential mitzvah - the one the world calls “the Golden Rule.” Yet in our text it actually starts with a negative: “18. You shall not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord.” [Lev. 19:18] To create in yourself the condition that will make possible loving your neighbor you must first learn to subdue the evil inclination that is in you: do NOT think of revenge and do NOT feel that others have wronged you. Love yourself, have a good self-image. Learn to project the love you have for yourself and for your God upon others, and love your neighbor even as you love yourself.

A story is told of Rabbi Hillel, who was approached by a heathen and asked to “teach the whole Torah while I stand on one foot.” Other Rabbis dismissed the heathen out of hand. Rabbi Hillel answered with the negative presentation of our Golden rule verse: “What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor.” The heathen asked, “is this the whole Torah?” Hillel replied, “All the rest is commentary. Go and learn.”

May God grant us sufficient wisdom and understanding to make our nature loving and accepting as the teachings found in the Torah this week. And may we all understand that we need to learn the commentary all of our days.

Amen

Akhrey-Mot/Kdoshim 5761

This week’s reading in the Torah is a double portion -- Akharey Mot - Kdoshim, from the book of Va’yikra, Leviticus, chapters 16 to 20. The portion’s first words are, "And the Lord spoke unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the Lord, and died; And the Lord said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the veil before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat." [Lev. 16:1-2] Then, the second ‘half’ of the reading begins with this passage, "And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel, and say to them, You shall be holy; for I the Lord your God am holy. You shall revere every man his mother, and his father, and keep my Sabbaths; I am the Lord your God. Turn you not to idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods; I am the Lord your God." [Lev. 19:1-4]

Now, you know that the two segments are put together only because this year is not a leap year in the Jewish calendar - but many people put the three words together as though they form a sentence, "akharey mot kedoshim" - which means after the death of the holy ones. We are left to ask, "after the death of the holy ones, what?" Maybe, "after the death of the holy ones who is left?" Or maybe, "after the death of the holy ones who is innocent of blame?" Or maybe yet it is, "after the death of the holy ones, what is left to live for?" All of these questions seem to fit, particularly in our age, the epoch after the holocaust, after the sixties and the seventies with the "death of God" issue that followed the Atomic bomb and the shock of the horrendous Nazi crimes against the Jews and against humanity - and the culpability of the allies in not putting a stop to it sooner. Questions that were, for us of the Jewish faith, contemporary not only in the second half of the twentieth century but for the last eighteen hundred years ifn not longer. As the verse says, "For we are consumed by your anger, and by your wrath are we terrified. You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your countenance." [Psalms 90:7,8] Yet we did not give up, and we refused to give up hope and faith, either, even as we proclaimed, "Return, O Lord! How long must we suffer? And relent concerning your servants. O satisfy us in the morning with your loving kindness; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Make us glad as many days as you have afflicted us, and as many years as we have seen evil" [Psalms 90:13-15]

Still, this is not the message, even if it is implied in the words that come together for us by coincidence. The first part of our portion teaches Aharon a lesson concerning the need to keep a distance from the Presence of God, even for the High Priest. The second part - ah, that is where the challenge comes in. Our text (above) says, "You shall be holy; for I the Lord your God am holy." How do we do it? How do we make ourselves holy? And, while we are asking this question, we might just as well ask, is it not presumptuous to "make ourselves holy like God," for any reason whatsoever? God is holy, glorious and mighty - must we be glorious and mighty? How do we achieve glory and might? Unfortunately we may conclude that the way to do that is by developing a position and attitude of superiority. I believe the term for it is "holier than thou." Surely that is not what God wants! Surely what God wants He would instruct us!

Well, he does! All you need do is study the text, and see the beginning of wisdom appear even as you proceed from "You shall be holy; for I the Lord your God am holy" to the next sentence: "You shall revere every man his mother, and his father." Recall that the Torah was given to adults - and make note that this verse reverses the order of the parents. At Sinai God instructed Israel to Honor father and mother. Now, for the purpose of holiness, God directs the people to revere the mother and the father. Lest you think that this new society in the process of formation will be male dominated. Each parent has a role to play, and at times one walks the path before the other. But roles change, and so does the order of the actors in the human drama. The first degree of holiness is achieved by proper relations with our roots, with mother, who gave us the first shelter of our existence, who gave us unstintingly of her essence, who nursed and loved and protected us; there is also the father, who sheltered the mother, who honored her and loved her, who kept her clothed and sheltered, who provided for her sustenance and safety and who lent his support in raising the child - now grown to maturity.

The second degree of holiness is, as Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel taught, a "temple in time" rather than in space. It is "keep my Sabbaths." Shabbat is a unique and precious gift of holiness that was given to the seed of Abraham by the loving God of our patriarch’s covenant. God hallowed the Shabbat, and those who enter into its space become a part of that holiness, a covenant of peace and love. The Shabbat is a khupa, a canopy under which the participants wed God, to be His bride, His beloved. Life is made up of partings and coming together. We leave our beloved to fight the battle of life, to earn our daily bread - and we come "back home" to our tent of peace before the sun sets on Friday eve.

The third, and last, degree of holiness - so the verse teaches us, is "Turn you not to idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods; I am the Lord your God." One may say that we are getting into the very essence of holiness with this step - by recognizing that our God, the Holy One Blessed be He, is without peers and without form. This God is different and unique from all the idols that are worshiped as God by the other people of the world. This God demands total commitment - no molten gods, idols made by man in the image of that which God created or representations of the ineffable, invisible One and Only, God Almighty Himself. When we can accept and understand that which is neither visible nor touchable except in the spirit, then, and only then, will we become truly holy, as He commanded, and the words of our sweet singer of praise, David melekh Yisrael, will come true, "Viyhi noam adona’y eloheynu aleynu, uma’ase yadeynu konena aleynu, una’ase yadeynu konenehu - Let your work be visible to your servants, and your glory to their children. And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us; and establish the work of our hands upon us; O prosper it, the work of our hands." [Psalms 90: 16, 17]

Amen.

This week's reading in the Torah is a double portion -- Akharey Mot and Kdoshim, from Leviticus 16 to 20. The .first words of the "first half" of the portion that we read are, "And the Lord spoke unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the Lord, and died; And the Lord said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the veil before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat." [Lev. 16:1-2] Then, the second half of the reading has this passage, "And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel, and say to them, You shall be holy; for I the Lord your God am holy. You shall revere every man his mother, and his father, and keep my Sabbaths; I am the Lord your God. Turn you not to idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods; I am the Lord your God." [Lev. 19:1-4]
There is a very important lesson in this combination of the first subject that the Torah deals with in the first and second segments: you may recall that the two sons of Aaron died because they misunderstood God's teaching and exceeded their obligation to serve God. They brought a "strange fire" to the altar. When they perished Moshe forbade his brother and his remaining sons to stop their holy work to mourn -- they had to stay in the Tent of Meeting -- the first "synagogue" – and continue to function as priests. They had to live with their loss, mourn in silence and learn to get over it while "life went on." It was a priestly obligation, since "the show must go on," even when the show is the honor and service of God.
Then, in the second part of the text we are told that the entire people Israel, in a manner of speaking, must consecrate themselves before God. Because He is holy. What God demands of man is not blind fear and sheep-like obedience – but rather learned reverence. Should one wish to relate to this God – one should be holy, be lofty, idealistic, seek to rise above oneself. You do not bring God down to your level, you rise to His level, aspiring to the highest and loftiest possible communion with Him.
How do we consecrate God? Since the days when the Temple stood, we have had a concept called "kiddush hashem" - the consecration of God's name. It was a teaching that when you are pushed to the limit, you are going to willingly put your life on the line for His glory and for the honor of the people Israel. In the difficult times of the battle against Rome, our brothers raised the banner of God's love high and died to keep their faith alive. It may sound like a contradiction – but it is not! They died, and with the hindsight of history we know that they have succeeded.
Different times, different tactics. In the dungeons of the inquisition the order of the day was to stay alive, lest the last of the Jews would disappear off the face of the earth. Many a Jewish family accepted conversion as a feign, and maintained their Judaism alive in secret. In the ghettos of Eastern Europe, our brethren took a detour on the road to death, to attack the enemy and take some of the wicked foes into the nether world with them.
In 1948, my fellow Israelis were called on to pay the ultimate price for the glory of God and the future of Israel. They were the silver platter upon which the nation was offered a homeland. Danny and Yitzkhak, Shim'on and David, who was called Dudu, paid the highest price. They gave their lives to make the state a reality. The rest of us lived on, and continued to consecrate His name day after day. We engaged in reviving the desert, building cities, inventing new ways to bring bread from the earth, and taught ourselves to be the best soldiers, too, to defend our young, our women, and our elderly. I am not sure who paid a higher price!
Last Sunday we celebrated Israel's 54th anniversary with those of Jacksonville's Jews who chose to come to the JCA to see and be seen. On Monday I took an early morning flight to the Washington DC airport, to join all those who heeded the call to come and show our solidarity with Israel. With 34 other Jews from our area, I came out of the Metro and walked the short distance to the front lawn by the steps of the U.S. Capitol. Thousands of Israeli and American flags and pro-Israel, anti-terrorism placards swelled the West Front of the U.S. Capitol Building, as supporters of Israel gathered to express their solidarity with our Jewish state and demonstrate support for the war against Palestinian and global terrorism. It was unusually warm for mid-April, the sun was bright and unobstructed by shade or clouds, and ambulances were forever removing the ones who did not plan ahead by having head-covering and water to hydrate – and fell victim to the heat of the day. The next day I read in the Washington Post that this was the largest public gathering ever in support of Israel – more than 100,000 people – from Los Angeles to New York, from Maine to Florida – who came by plane and cars, and in caravans of buses that left in the middle of the night from as far away as Texas, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kansas, Cleveland, Rochester/NY and Tennessee. Dozens of chartered flights came from Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, and Toronto. You could not charter a bus in New York – the rally took all 700 that were available!
The most amazing aspect of this gathering was the fact that it was organized in seven days! From the first idea to the moment the Hatikvah was sang by Dudu Fisher, star of Les Mis and a cantor of renoun – seven days of "kiddush hashem." The political pundits said it could not be done – but it was, and it was attended by Jews, evangelical Christians, Catholics, Protestants, Moslems – all people of conscience who wished to proclaim 'long live Israel now and forever.'
The original purpose of the rally was to show the people in Israel that the U.S. population, Jewish and Christian, is with them. The people who convened it asked for a major national mobilization of American supporters of Israel; day schools and synagogues, federations and Hillels all sent contingents. The event, attended by United States and Israeli government officials, leaders of world Jewry and representatives of Christian groups, sent worldwide a message of solidarity with the Jewish homeland as it and its citizens endure near-daily attacks by Palestinian suicide bombers with the support of the Palestinian Authority.
The historic gathering was addressed also by a bipartisan line-up of U.S. Congressional officials, including House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt (D-MO), Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), House Majority Leader Richard Armey (R-TX), Senator Arlen Spector (R-PA), and Senator Harry Reid (D-NV). The chaplains of both the U.S. House of Reprsentatives and the U.S. Senate also spoke. Other speakers included Deputy U.S. Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz; former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani; AFL-CIO President John Sweeney; Hugh Price, president of the National Urban League; New York Governor George Pataki; and Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel.
"We are here to defend a people, a democracy and a friend," Gephardt said. "Israel's strength and America's leadership have been essential in advancing our common goals . . . To join us, the Palestinians must turn, unequivocally, against terrorism."
"Israel has joined the mountains of Afghanistan as the frontline in the war on terrorism," said Mortimer Zuckerman, Chairman, Conference of Presidents. "We are here, figuratively, to be with the people of Israel in the foxhole that they are in."
Natan Sharansky, Israeli Minister of Housing, declared: "We will not compromise on our rights to live with security and in freedom. We cannot accept moral equivalence between those who use human lives to shield terrorists and those who fight terrorists ... if we let the world know that the Jews of the Diaspora and the Jews of Israel are united, we will succeed."

"An enemy that sends children to die and to kill other children cannot be placated," said former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to thunderous applause by those gathered. "With such evil there can be no concessions."
I believe we have done well. We have consecrated Israel and gave glory to our God. As a follow up to the rally, there was a two-hour Special Order in the House of Representatives on April 17th, organized by Representatives Peter Deutsch (D-Fl) and Jack Kingston (R-GA). Members of the House had an opportunity to voice support for Israel by participating in this special colloquy at the conclusion of the legislative day. Laboring together tirelessly under the most challenging circumstances, we have demonstrated collectively what the American Jewish community can accomplish when we come together. Our message was heard in Washington, in Jerusalem, around the nation, and around the world.
If you have a computer, you can hear the speeches at http://www.israelrally.org/webcast.html. You can do your part by calling or emailing the president at the white house to register your support.
president@whitehouse.gov. Also call and write your legislators to thank them for their support of Israel.

Kdoshim 5763

This week's Torah portion is Kedoshim, from the third book of the Torah, Va'yikra, or Leviticus – chapters 19 and 20. The portion begins with the words, "The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: 'Kedoshim tihiyu ki kadosh ani adona'y eloheykhem – You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.'" [Lev. 19:1,2]
This seemingly simple passage, "You shall be holy, for I – the Lord your God – Am Holy," is not simple at all. In fact, it is actually a revolutionary world outlook articulated by Moshe Rabenu at Sinai to the People of Israel – and all too many people don't really understand it to this day. It is beautifully simple and streamlined, free of extraneous protocols and so called cult rituals. "Kedoshim Tihiyu ki Kadosh ani –You shall be holy because I am holy." It comes as a straight statement, without if, but, or wherefore. It is a "balanced sentence" – there is one side, God, and another side, those who follow Him. He is holy, and they need be the same.
So what's not to understand? Well, let's begin with the word ‘Kedoshim' – holy. Different people take this word to mean entirely different things, and most people think that the word is at one and the same time challenging and insulting. I am sure you know what I mean. You have surely heard the people who speak deprecatingly of someone being "holier than thou." We Jews have had a long held hatred by some who resented our "covenant with God" – which they viewed as making us have a "special relation" with Him – like a favorite son. This drives those misguided souls to great acts of terror and inhumanity – precisely to "prove" to us and to themselves that we are not under a special and preferential protection by the Master of the universe...
Why are they so misinformed? Why do they act in this inhuman manner? Because, of course, they do not understand the word "kedoshim." They think of "holiness" in terms of the religious societies that existed before Judaism. Early religions were superstitious in nature, and served the purpose of people who wanted to gain control over populations – using the unlearned people's fears of the unknown. Such power-hungry people became priests, witch doctors, and shamans. They promised to extend divine protection to the masses from the"caprices of the Gods." Because they could not really control the unpredictable they developed the concept of sin and punishment.
Judaism teaches an entirely different lesson. It teaches humanism, it teaches the concept of human dignity and human rights. Listen to some of these lessons articulated in this week's parasha:
"And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather every grape of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and stranger;" [Ibid 19:9,10] "You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie one to another. And you shall not swear by my name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of your God" [Ibid. 19:12,13] " You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind." [Ibid 19:14] "You shall not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself." [Ibid 19:18] Oh, I guess most people recognize this last one - though all too many think that it originated with another faith at a later time. That, of course, is not so! It all comes from this week's lesson in the Torah, and in every case that I mentioned above I removed the "end of line," which is "I am the Lord your God."
What is the significance of this "end of line?" It tells us that we have to do the things that the Torah teaches us for no other reason than our relationship with the Holy One. We don't do it for a reward, not in the fear of punishment should we fail to do it – we do it for a higher reason, because He is our God. Because doing it will ennoble us, make us worthy of our relationship with Him.
One of the great masters of Torah explained the passage, "Kedoshim Tihiyu ki Kadosh ani –You shall be holy because I am holy" by using an anagram of the word ‘kadosh.' In Hebrew the word is made up of just the three consonants, ‘kof,' ‘dalet' and ‘shin.' The sage teaches, "ma hashem ose? Shoked al ma'asav. – How does God conduct Himself? He is diligent in His actions." How is He diligent? The sage explains that in creation, every step was followed with an inspection, as it is said, "va'yar Elohim ki tov – and God saw that it was good." He also came down to examine the tower that the people built in Babel; and he sent the angels to examine the wickedness of Sodom. The Hebrew word the sage used for diligent is ‘Shoked' – ‘shin,' ‘kof,' ‘dalet.' Thus, how can Israel become "Kedoshim?" By being "shokdim" – diligent, fair and methodical in living by the teachings taught to us by Moshe – the Torah.
"Ki hem kha'yeyn v'orekh yameynu – for they (the teachings of Torah) are our life and the length of our days." They bring meaning to our life, purpose to our daily existence. May we never forget His path, and may He continue to bless us with His light and His truth. May holiness spread like water, and may it nourish the wellspring of human existence. Amen

Akhrey Mot - Kdoshim 5764

This week we read in the Torah a combined portion, Akharey mot-Kedoshim, from the third of the five books, Leviticus, chapters 16 to 20. The first portion begins with the words, "And the Lord spoke to Moshe after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they came near the Lord, and died; And the Lord said to Moshe, Speak to Aaron your brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place inside the veil before the covering, which is upon the ark; that he die not; for I will appear in the cloud upon the covering." [Lev. 16:1,2] This exhortation can be misread to appear as if serving God is a "risky occupation."
You may recall that the two sons of Aaron died because they brought a "strange fire" to the altar. When they perished Moshe forbade his brother and his remaining sons to mourn -- they had to stay in the Tabernacle and continue to function as priests. They had to live with their loss and learn to get over it -- before they took time out to think about it and draw lessons from what happened. One may ask, how did Aaron and his sons cope with their loss? How does one live on after the death of one's dear children, or one's siblings? Why did God do this to them? How could they continue to believe in Him, to serve Him? Obviously, they did not ask such questions. Obviously, they did not allow themselves to ask such questions. Life had to go on -- and the dead cannot be brought back. If we lose faith as a result of the death of our dear ones then the death becomes even more damaging. Moshe told his brother, "give it some time" and life would flow and heal you.
So, you see, serving God is not risky - actually, it is quite the opposite: given the right instruction, the priesthood, and being Jewish, is a great privilege and a positive life activity. The same "first" portion also contains the verses that are read on Yom Kippur afternoons, concerning the purity of the family and proper family relationship.
The second portion, Kedoshim, begins with the words, "The Lord spoke to Moshe, saying: Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. You shall each revere your mother and father, and you shall keep my Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God." [Ibid. 19:1,2] This passage in the text tells us that the entire people Israel, in a manner of speaking, must consecrate themselves before God to be like Aaron, priests. Because He is holy, His qualities are, indeed, great qualities – not quirks, or idiosyncracies as in the character of the idol-gods of the ancient world! What God demands of man is not blind fear and sheep-like obedience – but rather learned reverence. Should one wish to relate to our God, who is the Lord God Almighty, creator of heaven and earth, one needs to be holy, to be lofty, idealistic, seek to rise above his base, earthly qualities and character. One should not drag God down to one's level, to the "lowest common denominator" -- one must rise to His level, aspiring to the highest and loftiest possible communion with Him.
This message and lesson should not be lost on us and on all of Jewry in our own time. After two millennia of exile and persecution brought about (at least partially, we must admit) by our own divided house in the days of the revolt of the zealots of Jerusalem, Masada and Beitar – we have come back to establish an independent Jewish nation in the Promised land -- Israel. Anyone, be he an ultra-orthodox fundamentalist or a secular Jew, who thinks that the State of Israel was created against, in spite, or without, Divine blessing -- has to be a totally blind and mindless fool. No national endeavor ever came about against as many insurmountable odds and powerful oppositions and survives! When one considers the depth of hate and distrust of Jews by the people of Europe, the Moslem world and many in the New world as well, one is forced to conclude that by all the laws of nature Judaism should never have survived to arrive well and in full bloom in the twenty first century.
Our heritage taught us to hold steadfast at one and the same time the unique attributes of community and individualism. Each Jew is a universe unto himself, an individual created by and in the image of God. Each, as you all know, has at least two oposing points of view on every issue, so that one can disagree with others about every issue. You know what they say: "Two Jews, three opinions, three Jews – an unlimited number of opinions..." And yet, the sense of community has been paramount in keeping Judaism alive. So we believe in the concept of "Klal Yisrael – the entirety of Israel," one large family, not joined at the hip – but taking care of its own. These characteristics of individualism, ingenuity and a sense of community that can only be called "Yiddishkite" have made us a success whenever and wherever we were given half a chance to prosper and develop.
This sense of community, of sharing responsibility for our common roots, has brought about the building of this great sanctuary that holds us this evening, that inspires us to sing and praise our God, and give thanks to Him for His abundant kindness and goodness towards us. And if this is true for this small bunch of Jews in Ponte Vedra, Florida, how much more so for the entire House of Jacob, whose remnant was reprieved fifty-six years ago on the fifth of Iyar from exile and misery, allowed to reestablish its roots in the only place that has ever been our true and unquestioned homeland.
Two years ago, on Monday of the week of Akhrey-Mot/Kedoshim I took an early morning flight to the Washington DC, to join all those who heeded the call to come and show our solidarity with Israel. It was unusually warm for mid-April, the sun was bright and unobstructed by shade or clouds, and ambulances were forever removing the ones who did not plan ahead by having head-covering and water to hydrate – and fell victim to the heat of the day. More than 100,000 people – Jews and Gentiles from Los Angeles to New York, from Maine to Florida – who came by plane and cars, and in caravans of buses that left in the middle of the night from as far away as Texas, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kansas, Cleveland, Rochester/NY and Tennessee. Dozens of chartered flights came from Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, and Toronto. You could not charter a bus to save your life in New York – the rally took all 700 that were available!
The original purpose of the rally was to show the people in Israel that the U.S. population, Jewish and Christian, stand with them in spirit in this time of great danger. Since 9/11, we in America finally understand what Israelis are facing day after day. For Israel, every day is 9/11. And still, they must bear witness to the fact that God loves us and protects us. Akhrey not, after the death of our children, of our dear ones, here and in Israel, we are truly one people, consecrated to make life better for all.