A Word From the Rabbi February 2016

Shabbat Thoughts-Parshat Beshalach

How do you address your fears? It depends upon the circumstance, of course.  Being afraid of the Flying Monkeys in the film The Wizard of Oz is different than fearing ISIS or a police car in your rearview mirror with flashing lights or being audited by the IRS. Fear comes in many different packages; internal and external, familiar and terrifying. Some fears are treatable with counseling and medication. Others may be best attacked by joining a community and gaining the support of friends. No single approach successfully counters every fear.

     In this week’s Parsha (Beshalach)  the Israelites are between a rock and a hard place. Actually, they are between Pharaoh’s army and the Sea of Reeds (and afterwards a wilderness stretching out toward foreign armed tribes).

If they return to Egypt many of them will be killed and the rest will be enslaved. This fate is well-known, having been endured for 210 years. If they move forward they must ford the Sea and traverse an unknown wilderness; likely bearing many unknown threats. The fear of the unknown may even be more crippling than the fear of slavery and death.

     At least four different responses to fear are afforded the Israelites in this parshah.

      Moshe reassured the Israelites. He spoke to them and demonstrated that they were not alone, fools or delusional. He expressed human concern.

      The Israelites armed themselves. They collectively prepared for the pressing need of self-defense. The community responded together.

     G-d is described as going in front of the camp and an angel is described as being behind the camp. It is a powerful expression to assert that God and God’s angel surround you; protecting you at the fore and supporting you if you fall.

      Lastly, the Israelites are described as following an alternative route. There is nothing wrong with prudently avoiding a frightening experience.

      All of these techniques are familiar. Verbal reassurance, preparedness, faith and avoidance of a frightening experience each have a time and place in our lives. In our own lives may we have the strength to reassure others, to defend ourselves, to work together and to have the faith that God cares for us all. May we all be blessed with Shalom!

Shabbat Shalom.

 Rabbi Steven Silberman

·        Guitar Shabbat, tomorrow evening, Jan. 22, from 6:00-7:00 p.m. followed by a  delicious oneg! Please join us!

·        Tu BiShvat Festival including a raffle, cooking demonstration and outside seating for those who do not wish to dig. Also planting a tree and flowers on our campus. Sunday Jan. 24 from9:30-11:30 a.m at Shul. All ages are welcome!

·        MAJF Film ‘Deli Man’ Sunday Jan 24 at Shul  beginning at 2:00 p.m. followed by a complete kosher hot dog meal (cost included in ticket).

A Jewish Idea- ROLL TIDE!

  

Good luck to Alabama tonight! May the athletes, both of the Crimson Tide and Clemson, play safely and be uninjured. May Alabama bring home another title!

Just this past week Mimi Holberg celebrated her 100^th birthday! Amazing!  To live a century, embodying history within one’s own being, is incredible. Very few people attain such an age. As I marvel over Mimi’s longevity, I remember that a number of our people have reached and even surpassed this milestone. Celia Olensky, mother of Bernice Handwerger and her siblings, reached 103. Dorothy Korman, mother of Maddie Cohen, also reached 103. Sophie Gershfeld, grandmother of Eric Lobel, recently marked her 100^thbirthday. If I unintentionally excluded anyone please bring this to my attention.

     Over the course of our Shul’s history and that of Mobile’s Jewish community, people have contributed energy, leadership, creativity and other resources to our overall community. Taken a step further, over the course of Jewish history, we have all benefited from the energies of noteworthy and exceptional people. Seeing these women in our community nearly takes my breath away. Literally, they are witnesses to Jewish and American history, having seen society transformed. These centenarians are human testimonies to the power of will, determination, stamina, perseverance and personal strength, and their value to our shared achievements and growth is immeasurable.

      We need to see ourselves as part of Jewish history. History is not only words penned by a scholar and warehoused in a dusty volume. History unfurls one person at a time, sometimes by accident and sometimes by intention. In diverse areas such as communal enrichment through the Federation Film festival, in adding spiritual depth and intensity to our homelife by observing Shabbat and Kashrut, unknown to the world without us, in strengthening worship life by supporting the Shul, in supporting Tzedakah through Shul, Federation and many other essential organizations, in developing Jewish literacy by reading a Jewish book or joining  one of a number of study opportunities, in reaching out to Jewish people whom you do not know and strengthening Jewish relationships, in visiting Israel and talking about her beauty, strength and democracy with your neigbors, how will you shape Jewish history in the days and years ahead?

     We each have strength to share with those who are currently by our side and those yet to come. May we all write a history with our deeds of support, of caring, of insight, of activism, of learning, of generosity and of love.

Shalom,

Rabbi Steve Silberman

Shabbat Thoughts -Parshat Va-era

Yesterday, while driving to our Torah on Tap study session at the Alchemy Tavern I saw a rainbow. The clouds parted over the Interstate and I smiled as I saw the beautiful colors; colors promising beauty and hope after a bit of darkness. The rainbow took me back to the Torah portion of Noach during which the first rainbow was affixed within the clouds. As you remember, the world was overwhelmed by wickedness and corruption. God had no choice but to destroy the world, the most horrific event imaginable.

     The primary message of the text is God could not tolerate terrible behavior in a beautiful world. God saw the wickedness, responded and then placed a visible reminder of the BRIT (covenant) with all humanity as a rainbow in the clouds. Just as God saw the wickedness, God placed a rainbow for both God and us to see and to remember the covenant.

     In this week's Torah reading God hears the cries of the Israelites and God remembers the BRIT (covenant) with Abraham. Remembering the BRIT is central to God in both Torah readings but the mechanism used as a reminder is different. In Noach’s time the BRIT is for all humanity and the reminder is a visual cue. In the Moses experience the BRIT is specific to the Israelites and the cue is audible.

     What may we learn from these different elements? Perhaps timing and populace are key. In the early experience, close to Creation, which is marked by God’s seeing that everything is good, God sees many acts within a small population which does not bear any specific religious or ceremonial affiliation. In this week’s encounter, a focus is on Moses who is descended from Abraham. It is Abraham who hears God’s call on some occasions. Perhaps the auditory connection which already exists between God and Abraham serves to remind God of the covenant with the Israelites. 

     As we study this Parshah (Torah portion) which focuses on Moses and God’s sacred connection to Israel we can also remember that God is connected to all living beings in a sacred and enduring manner. May the Divine response of seeing and hearing suffering inform our daily lives so that we respond to those in need..  May we all open our eyes and our ears and remember how to better emulate God in our own lives.

Shabbat shalom,

Rabbi Steve Silberman