Shabbat Thoughts-Temple Scholar-in-Residence- Parshat Va-era-5778

 Please remember that the Shul has been invited to attend the Temple Scholar-in-Residence weekend.
*Friday, January 12 - 6:00 p.m.
Shabbat Evening Service
with the Congregational Choir

Rabbi David Frankel, PhD will speak after service on
"When God Fought the Monster of the Sea - Mythological
Traditions and Their Transformation in the Bible and Midrash"

*Saturday, January 13
10:00 a.m. - Coffee & Doughnuts
12:00 p.m. -  Temple Anniversary Service
                          with the Congregational Choir

Guests:  Congregation Beth-El
After service Dr. David Frankel will speak on
"What Really Happened in the Garden of Eden"

**“Does the Hebrew Bible Foretell the Story of Jesus?  Jewish-Christian Polemics in the Middle Ages” - Saturday, January 13, 2018, 3:00 p.m., in partnership with the Christian-Jewish Dialogue - What are some of the classic arguments for a Christian reading of the Hebrew Bible?  How did the Jews of the Middle Ages respond to these arguments?  And how might Jews and Christians move beyond these polemics to a more fruitful form of dialogue today?
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     Some of us view God as Father and some of us view God as Creator. Some think of God as an old man with a long beard perhaps sitting on a cloud or mountaintop and others might think of God as beautiful aspects of nature. For some, God is the power of love; or perhaps the source of internal strength and resilience to withstand adversity. Early Genesis describes God as giver of life and maker of families, even as for some moderns God is definitely ‘seen’  or ‘felt’ and by others God is ‘known’.
     What we all have in common is the perspective that each of us individually chooses to understand God; an absence of belief in God reflects personal choice too. Freedom to think and feel is the essential foundational element in broaching the subject of belief.
     Imagine being raised as a child without any introduction to  God.  Some people may be uncertain as to their own perspectives concerning God and, as many of us do when confronting  difficult subjects, avoid the topic with the intent of “talking about it later”. It is a disservice to avoid bringing God into daily life. Rather than avoiding God because it’s hard we would be better served if we engaged in thoughtful discourse and struggled with one of the most pressing core elements of the human condition; how do I experience ultimate value in life?
     You might be surprised to consider that Moses may not have been exposed to ideas of God in his early years. Remembering that he was raised in Pharaoh’s household until he fled Egypt casts Moses in a different light. Likely, he did not see God as real until he experienced God at a much later point in his life. Only after Moses fled his native land while running for his life, serving as a shepherd to wed his wife, becoming a husband, father and son-in-law and contending with living as a stranger in a foreign society, did Moses encounter God at the Burning Bush. Living the comfortable status quo of a prince, Moshe did not know God. Like those of us who choose to look the other way Moses had looked the other way, or had perhaps intended to”talk about it later”,  potentially not taking seriously a belief in God. Could it be that his awareness of the Holy Creator of Everything came about because his life had not turned out the way he had expected?
       In this week’s Parshah, God informs Moses of God’s own mysterious name- the name none of us knows how to pronounce- the name we traditionally refer to as a noun which, over centuries, has become more than a nickname. Some of us are familiar with HaShem ( literally the Hebrew word for “the Name”) as a substitute for the unpronounceable identifier for God.
       Intriguingly, God introduces Godself ( Exodus 6:4-7) with four Hebrew letters which might be a condensed version of “was, am, will be.” Giving a nod to Stephen Hawking or to Albert Einstein, God’s name could be an attempt to summarize all aspects of time itself-the Past, the Present and the Future. God is the ultimate of all time and all Time beyond time.
       Just after God announces this special 4-letter code word, God promises that all of Israel will go free. God’s name becomes a mission code for the Exodus. God’s identity becomes expressed in the struggle for freedom which will demand great sacrifice and effort, appreciated by young and old alike - but appreciated differently by women, men, girls, boys, nursing mothers and elderly, shepherd and artisan, leader and commoner. In other words - God is different for any and all who choose to bring God into their minds and hearts; just as each of us views God differently. 
This week may we all open our minds just as Moses did.

Shabbat Shalom.

Shabbat Thoughts-Parsaht Vayigash-5778

Chanukah has departed. As we begin to clean up the wax and put our Menorot away,  I imagine that we are still seeing the bright glow of flames in our mind’s eye. For eight nights we kindled flames in the manner of 2,200 years of tradition. Any passerby has been prompted to ask “What are those flames?” and “What is Hanukkah?”.  We all know the Hasmoneans put themselves in great danger in order that their descendants be free to live as Jews. Now, as we share the last remaining gelt with any chocolate-lovers, we look forward in time with the hope that all people will be able to live in freedom. Chanukah epitomizes our fundamental value that everyone be able to celebrate the greatest of human aspirations; freedom. 

      Tomorrow, the Shabbat associated with a well-known confrontation between brothers, begins. Parshat Vayigash is as famous as any holiday reunion. Just as you and I are are well- aware of tensions which may occur as many different relatives gather around holiday tables, so, too, do we remember that Judah was the mastermind of originally selling Joseph as a slave to a caravan bound for Egypt. If not for Judah’s initiative, Joseph might have died in the wilderness. On the other hand he may have been able to escape from his brothers and return home.

      20 years later Judah and ten brothers are standing before Joseph and are, in effect, slaves to him. The turnabout is stark.  If you were Joseph how would you react to Judah’s offer to voluntarily accept a life of slavery in order that Benjamin be allowed to return home?  Perhaps it is this selfless act of concern, both for brother Benjamin and for father Jacob who may die of a broken heart if Benjamin goes missing, that eventually breaks down Joseph’s resolve.

       Each family has its own dynamic. Every family bears its own twists and turns. Joseph and Judah made choices 20 years ago. How they will interact now, decades after their last hostile encounter, will be dependent upon how they view the future and the present. May we learn life lessons from our ancestors, both from recent generations and from those who lived during the days of Torah. May we make our future a time of freedom and peace for our families and for each other.

Shabbat Shalom.

Happy 8th night of Chanukah -5778

 In a few hours we will kindle our 8 candles. Joyous Chanukah is in full swing and now we reflect upon all that we have shared and learned over this past week. Chanukah, our Jewish holiday, is the first recorded war fought for religious freedom, a lesson for any freedom-loving community. Miracles abound; the oil lasted for an extra 7 days, the Hasmoneans FOUND the oil, the Hasmoneans triumphed over a superior foe, Jewish people looked inside themselves and found a special reserve of courage and were willing to enter into combat for the sake of making better future for their children. Let us not forget that Israel, known by the name JUDEA, was a small state and completely under the power of the Greek- speaking Syrians. We must remember that after the battles of Chanukah, Judea came into its own as an independent state and Jews lived freely for 80-100 years. Gradually, Roman influence began to increase throughout the Middle East and eventually Judea succumbed to Roman control. The fact remains the Judeans were independent for about 3 generations. Independence of a small nation for even this brief period of time should be added to the list of ancient miracles. In our own lifetime we have seen a free Israel emerge.  This upcoming April 18( 5 Iyyar 5778) we mark the 70th anniversary of Israel’s life. 

        We can never take Israel for granted and we must appreciate the significance of a free, democratic, modern Jewish homeland. Tonight, as we light our candles, say a special blessing of gratitude for our homeland's being free.

        Click on the attached link and enjoy some Israeli Chanukah experiences. Enjoy a view from above the Kotel and imagine seeing a ChanukIAH made out of torches.

https://www.itraveljerusalem. com/article/hanukkah-in- jerusalem/

Happy Chanukah and may we all continue to celebrate!

Chanukah-5778- 7th Night

Uh-oh; there's a Chanukah menorah here in the social hall. One of you must have left it here last night while lighting with all who joined us for the Chanukah party. Please contact me so that you can retrieve your menorah. Nobody wants to lose an important object. In fact returning missing items is an important part of Jewish law, dating back to the Torah itself.  Missing items must be returned out of respect to the original owner. Since all people are to be treated with respect, all missing objects are to be returned whenever possible. 
     By the way, it’s  the 7th night of Chanukah. We have spoken of the beauty of light, of the Messiah’s arrival, of recognizing our soldiers, the importance of singing and celebrating and the essential need of remembering the value of dedication. What is missing from this week’s series of Chanukah messages? What could round out Chanukah for 5778? To attend to people who are not here. There are people who are missing from our community mindset- people who may be unable to attend gatherings for a variety of reasons or people who may not be able to light candles because they cannot afford them. Tonight we pledge to incorporate Tzedakah into our Chanukah awareness. Tzedakah comes in many forms. Reach out to someone whom you have not seen recently. Make a visit or a phone call or invite someone to join you for a meal. Offer a Chanukah donation to a Jewish organization. Without our thinking of others who are ‘missing’ from our lives, our tables ,our Shul, we will not be able to return to whom we truly are.


*An inspirational fund which does amazing work is the Good People Fund.
Please click on the following link. Scroll through the link for 5 minutes and you will be blown away by the caring people changing our world.
Please consider making a Chanukah gift to the world.

https://www.goodpeoplefund.org/personal-giving-tikkun-olam/program-area/

Our tzedakah will support Animal- Assisted therapy, children with cancer, caregivers who deal with loved ones suffering with Dementia, 40 different programs fighting Hunger in USA and Israel, the list goes on and on….

May this Chanukah add light and meaning to our upcoming 2018. May we make 2018 a year of 2000 + Chai.

Happy Chanukah and Shabbat Shalom

Tonight we light the 4th flame. I picture a Chanukah Menorah, named Chanukiah, half-full with candles standing straight and tall. The flames are chasing away more and more darkness. The room is becoming brighter. Tall and straight in a row as if at attention-like soldiers. The fight for freedom demanded courageous response by the ancient Hasmoneans. Warriors on our behalf in ancient times safeguarded our lives. In our modern lives our servicemen and servicewomen place themselves in hazardous circumstances to secure our lives and well-being. As a Shul we remember Alex Lichtenfeld, Jake Treichel, Dan Feirman and Lydia Losch ( and if there are any active or reserve duty personnel in any branch whom I have unintentionally excluded,I apologize and request your forbearance…and request that you contact me). And we in our lives today owe a great debt to our soldiers and sailors. Tonight, as we all kindle our flames ,say a prayer for the safety of all our armed forces and take stock of the blessings we have by living in a land safeguarded by our military services.
Happy Chanukah and Shabbat Shalom.

      ** P.S. We light Chanukah candles first and then Shabbas candles. If we light Shabbas candles then Shabbas has started and we cannot
 light Chanukah flames. 
Remember the order- Chanukah flames first and then Shabbas candles.

On Saturday night we say...

Shabbas has just ended. We kindled  a Havdalah candle- a candle of 2,4,6 or more braided wicks; a beautiful candle to accompany the arrival of the new week. Elijah (Eliyahu) the prophet, the harbinger of the Messiah, arrives at this moment. The beautiful and twisted candle serves to symbolically beautify our new week, our threshold of time wherein we anticipate the more beautiful experience of a week blessed with the potential of peace for all. May the Chanukah flames we are kindling just after the Havdalah candle go further to beautify our week and may the promise of a Messiah-present week be clearer and brighter for us and for everyone.
Shavua tov( Have a good week and Happy Chanukah)!

Rabbi Steve Silberman

Happy Chanukah -5778

Last night one lone candle sat upon my table and yours as well.  Manette and I lighted our Menorot late- against the dark night we saw two small flames -barely making a dent in the evening and the world. Tonight will bring two flames each into our world and the dark sky…a doubling of our impact and effect. Imagine our individual acts of kindness- one person’s patience or generosity against a bleak expanse of exhaustively frustrating news. And yet, the next day if each of us doubled her or his acts of courtesy, friendship and support- what an impact our actions would have. Tonight ,as you light two flames and you double your impact on our world consider how significant your touch will be upon others when you double your output of love and kindness.
Happy Chanukah! Rabbi Steve Silberman