Sunday, March 17, 2024

Readings for Saturday, March 23, 2024: Fast of Esther; Purim; Shushan Purim

 Readings for Thursday, March 21, 2024 (11th of Adar)

Fast of Esther - Shacharit (Morning Service)

32:11-14; 34:1-10 Shemot (Exodus)

This is the standard reading for minor fast days.  During the year, this material is part of the weekly portion called Ki Tissa.  The reading from chapter 32, which is the first of the three aliyot, relates to the Sin of the Golden Calf - specifically the plea of Moses that the Lord not destroy the Israelites.  “Turn from Your blazing anger, and renounce the plan to punish Your people…And the Lord renounced the punishment he planned to bring upon His people.”  The readings from chapter 34, which comprise the other two aliyot, describe the creation of the second set of stone tablets which replace the first set - the ones Moses shattered against the Golden Calf.  The reading actually ends with a statement by the Lord renewing the Covenant, “He said, ‘I hereby make a covenant.…’”  This is an appropriate reading for a fast day.  It concerns itself with the worst sin of the Israelites - the episode of the Golden Calf.  The first reading shows that God does hear us when we repent and is willing to “avert the evil decree.”  The second two readings are a reminder that from something bad - the Golden Calf - something good - the renewal of the Covenant and the second set of tablets - can come.

Fast of Esther - Mincha (Afternoon Service)

32:11-14; 34:1-10 Shemot (Exodus)

These are the same readings and reasons as the morning service.

Fast of Esther - Mincha (Afternoon Service)

Haftarah

55:6-56:8 Isaiah

The reading is from the Second Isaiah, the Isaiah of the Exile.  In moving, poetic terms, the prophet offers a vision of forgiveness for the truly penitent.  First the penitent person must accept that the Lord is calling the shots, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord.”  And then the penitent person must change behavior, “Keep ye justice, and do righteousness…Happy is the man that does this…that keepeth the Sabbath from profaning it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.”

 

The Fast of Esther normally falls on the 13th of Adar and is observed in memory of the fast mentioned in the Megillah Esther.  Their fast was a three day fast.  Ours is only a one-day affair.  This fast also reminds us of a theme that runs throughout Judaism - the bitter and the sweet or darkness always gives way to light.  The Fast of the 13th gives way to the Feast of the 14th.  In other words, we should not be too disheartened by moments of defeat because, with the help of God, they are merely the prelude to an even greater joy.

 

There are exceptions when it comes to observing the fast and this year is one of those exceptions.  According to Rabbi Shraga Simmons, “If the 13th falls on Shabbat, we don’t fast that day, due to the honor of Shabbat.  The fast is not even held on Friday, since this would adversely affect Shabbat preparations.  Rather, we observe the fast on Thursday, the 11th of Adar.”


Readings for Saturday, March 23, 2024

Shabbat Zachor - Two scrolls are used on this Shabbat.  The first is for the regular weekly portion.  The second is for the special reading for Shabbat Zachor.


First Scroll

Vayikra (He called)

1:1-5:26 Vayikra (Leviticus)

 

This week we begin the third book of the Torah, Vayikra or Leviticus.  Much of this book concerns material that seems foreign to our modern world.  It is a world of sacrifices; a world of animals and blood and fire.  It is a world that seems far distant from our so-called civilized 21st century practices.  So why study this text at all?  For several reasons; it is one of the Five Books of Moses and we have been reading it for centuries.  The sacrificial system was important to our forefathers and understanding it might give us greater insight into our origins.  The sacrificial system and the activities in the Temple provide much of the origin and motifs for the worship services in the Synagogue as well as various home-based customs and ceremonies.  Some of the material is very technical so some of the guides may contain large segments of material taken directly from various sources.  Don’t worry, unlike a few famous historians, I use quotation marks.  Having stated the caveats, let's begin.

 

Vayikra, both the book and the first sedrah take their name from the first word of the book, which literally means, “He called” as in “He called to Moshe.…”  The “He” refers to God.  The English name for the book is Leviticus, referring to the Levites, the tribe to which the Kohanim or Priests belong.  In the Mishnah the book is referred to as the “Torat Kohanim” or “the Law of the Priests” since much of the book deals with the sacrificial system and the duties of the Priests.  Vayikra is dense with laws.  If my math is correct, the book contains 247 of the 613 Commandments.  However, since many of the commandments involve the sacrificial system, they cannot be performed at this time since there is no Temple.

 

There are those who contend that Vayikra was written by the priestly class in Jerusalem long after the events in the Wilderness.  According to them Vayikra was inserted in the Torah to justify and ensure that the Temple in Jerusalem would be the only place to bring sacrifices and that the sacrificial system would be controlled by the tribe of Levi and specifically by the Kohanim, the Levitical family descended from Aaron.  If this were true, one has to ask why there is no mention of Jerusalem in Vaykira.  Furthermore, when the Jewish state split after the death of Solomon, Jeroboam established sanctuaries at Dan and Bethel where, according to archaeologists, a sacrificial system along the lines described in Vayikra was followed.  Finally, we have evidence that there was a Temple at Elphantine where the Jews of this Egyptian outpost offered sacrifices in the third century before the Common Era.  Regardless, the sacrificial system ended in 70 of the Common Era with the destruction of the Second Temple.

 

While sacrifices were common to ancient man, the Biblical commentators have cast the material in Leviticus in a uniquely Jewish mold.  For the Jews, the sacrifices exist as a way for us to express our adoration of God.  They do not exist because God needs to be fed or because God needs our sacrifices.  This is a topic we explored when we studied the Golden Calf.  Also, unlike with other ancient people, the description of the sacrificial system was public knowledge.  By making it part of the Torah, all Israelites were to know how the system worked.  Among most other peoples, the sacrificial system was part of the secret knowledge known only to the priestly and/or ruling class.  The entire system of sacrifices described in Vayikra and the “Holiness Code” that comprises the last nine chapter of the book, were intended to reinforce the notion of Kedoshim, the notion of holiness.  Vayikra is written to truly make us “a nation of Priests.”

 

Vayikra, the first sedrah, contains a series of commands from God concerning a variety of sacrifices.  Using the notes from Etz Hayim, we find the following:

 

Olah or Burnt Offering (1:1-17)

The olah or burnt offering “was burned to ashes in its entirety (except for its hide) on the altar of burnt offerings.  It was brought on various occasions, often together with other offerings.  Neither the priests nor donors ate any part of it.  The Olah could consist of male herd cattle, male flock animals or certain birds.  This range of choices - from expensive to inexpensive - enabled Israelites of modest means to participate in religious life because they could present less costly offerings at the sanctuary.”

 

Mincha or Grain Offering (2:1-16)

“Appropriate for a variety of occasions, the grain offering (mincha) often served as a less costly alternative to animal sacrifices.  Both the mincha and olah were regarded as ‘a most sacred offering,’ a status that imposed special restrictions.”  It would seem that the grain offering was for those who were too poor to afford any of the animals that would have been used in the olah.

 

Zevach Sh’lamim or The Offering of Well-Being (3:1-17)

“This category of offering was brought by a person who had something to celebrate.”  “Some of the same animals used for the olah could also be used for the Zevach Sh’lamim.  The same altar was used for both types of offerings as well as for the grain offering.”  Unlike the olah or mincha, “Zevach Sh’lamim was a sacred meal shared by the priests and by the donors of the offerings.  Only certain fatty portions of the animal were burned on the altar as God’s share.  The mincha could be eaten only by the priests.  Thus Zevah represents a distinctive mode of sacrifice, affording worshipers the experience of sharing a sacred meal with the priests.”  According to Plaut, the three sacrifices just described were of a voluntary nature.

 

The next series of sacrifices - Chatat and Asham - are obligatory sacrifices.  For the modern reader, the reasons for bringing these sacrifices are probably more meaningful than the ritual itself.  The reasons for bringing sacrifices provide us with a guide as to what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior in the sight of God.

 

Chatat or Sin Offering (4:1-35)

This offering covers sins that are committed “unwittingly.”  The miscreant may be a priest, the whole congregation, a leader or just an individual.  The Chatat takes on slightly different forms depending upon who the offending party is.

 

The sedrah then continues with four more special cases when Chatat must be offered (5:1-13).

 

Asham or Guilt Offering (5:14-26)

Unlike with the Chatat, only a ram may be used in performing Asham.  Asham was brought as part of the atonement process for a variety of transgressions, including “unintentional misuse or destruction of sanctuary property,” fraud, robbery, or lying under oath.  In the case of the last three, before one could bring Asham, the transgressor had to make restitution to the victim.

 

Themes:

 

Commandments

115. The specification of the burnt-offering sacrifice known as olah (1:3).

116. The commandment to bring the meal offering known as mincha (2:1-3).

117. The prohibition against offering up leaven and honey on the altar (2:11).

118-119. A negative and positive precept:  Not to offer a sacrifice without salt, but to salt all offerings (2:13).

120. The specification of the sacrifice the Jewish High Court offers when it makes an erroneous ruling that causes the entire people to sin (4:13-14).

121. The commandment that an offering known as Chatat is brought for unintentional sins (4:27-28).

122. The duty to offer testimony if one has pertinent knowledge about a crime (5:1).

 

From Biblical Literacy by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin

 

Study

When a child began to study Torah, he began with the book of Vayikra.  I can find no definitive reason for this well-known and often mentioned practice.  Maybe one of you has found it among your resources.

 

Customs and Ceremonies

The Mincha sacrifice was offered after mid-day or what we call Afternoon.  Mincha is now the name given to the Afternoon Service, which may not begin before 12:30 p.m.  The custom of dipping bread in salt before eating is a reminder that sacrifices in the Temple were salted.

 

Sin and Repentance

According to Plaut, Chatat (the Sin Offering) takes its name from the verb “chata” that means, “to miss the mark.”  In other words, the person who commits a sin is not necessarily evil.  Rather, he or she may have tried and missed the objective.  Chata is an admission of that failure along with a commitment to try and not miss the mark next time.  But as we can see from the requirements surrounding Asham, bringing a sacrifice is not synonymous with atonement.  In requiring the miscreant to make restitution, the authors of Vayikra are driving home the very Jewish concept that forgiveness begins with apologizing to those whom we have wronged and changing behavior.  Forgiveness is not gained through ritual alone.

 

Justice

Once again, we are reminded that the Jewish concept of justice is higher than the one we find in civil society.  As we read in 5:1, those who withhold evidence because they are not asked or who do not come forward to testify voluntarily are considered to be sinners.  When they have had a change of heart and rectify their behavior they must bring Chatat to gain expiation.

 

The Little Aleph

Aleph is the last letter in the Hebrew “Vayikra.”  When the word Vayikra is written in the Torah at the start of this sedrah, it always ends with a small aleph.  According to Rabbi Weisblum, the reason for this is as follows.  The sedrah concerns itself with the offerings in the Temple.  “The small aleph symbolizes that all donations, contributions or offerings, of whatever size, were acceptable.”  There are other explanations including ones that have to with structure and spacing of letters in the original text and the humility of Moses.  The text is spare; the explanations are varied and dense.

 

Prayers In Place of Sacrifices

Since the Temple has been destroyed we cannot bring sacrifices.  Therefore, we offer prayers in the place of sacrifices.  This is an example of how interpretation has allowed us to survive for the past four thousand years.  This change is based, at least in part, on a verse from the prophet Hosea “So will we render for bullocks the offering of our lips” (14:3) which is taken to mean, “Let our lips substitute for the sacrificial offerings.”  The word “bullocks” refers to the sacrifices.

 

Chametz

Rabbi Artson notes that the prohibition against Chametz or leavened grain is connected with observing Pesach.  But in Vayikra we find that no offering containing Chametz was to be brought to the Tabernacle or the Temple.  “No grain offering that you offer to the Lord shall be made with leaven (Chametz), for no leaven or honey may be turned into smoke as gift to the Lord.” (2:11).  One explanation for this ban is offered by the Rambam.  In ancient times, idol worshippers used leaven and honey in their offerings.  Since our practices were so different from those who worshipped idols, our sacrifices would not use the leaven and honey that they used.  But what is the connection between the ban on Chametz in sacrificial offerings and the ban on Chametz at Pesach?  Pesach marks the holiday of our freedom from bondage, which was the first step toward making us a holy nation, a nation of priests.  With the destruction of the Temple, the ceremonials in our homes stood in place of the sacrifices.  When we ban Chametz from our table for the week of Pesach, we are, in effect, elevating our table, to the level of the altar in the Temple where Chametz was banned at all times.

 

Sacrificial Selections

One has to wonder how the different types of animals were selected to be included in the sacrificial system.  What was so special about pigeons and turtledoves?  Why weren’t other birds acceptable?  Why couldn’t goats be used interchangeably with sheep?  Yes, there are practical reasons - sociological, historical and agricultural.  But it would appear that the real reason will be like all other “Chukat” apparent only with the coming of the Messiah.

 

Vayikra Moshe

According Everett Fox, the phrase “Vayikra Moshe” (And He called unto Moses) appears only twice in the Torah.  The second time is in Chapter 1, verse 1 of the book of Vayikra.  The first time is in Chapter 24, verse 6 of the Book of Shemot (Exodus) in the weekly reading of Mishpatim.  In Shemot, the term “Vayikra Moshe” separates the end of a torrent of laws relating to personal and social behavior from the rules dealing with the building of the Mishkan, the utensils to be used by the Kohanim and the clothing to be worn by the descendants of Aaron as they perform their holy duties that make up the balance of the second book of the Torah.  Since nothing is in the Torah by accident, what is the significance of this unique way of God calling out to Moses and why is it found only in these two places?  Could it be that God is connecting the laws of Leviticus with the purpose of the Tabernacle?  Could it be that we are reminded that by obeying the laws of Leviticus we are figuratively entering into the Mishkan, that portable symbol of the presence of God?  Today we have no Mishkan or Temple in which to offer sacrifices.  Our prayers serve as substitute for those sacrifices.  Could it be that by offering our prayers we are building our own Tabernacle in which we can find a closer connection with the Divine?  This is but one possible explanation.  The reason we study this year in and year out is to find the meaning behind the meaning.

 

Vayikra Quiz

  1. List two characteristics of the sacrificial animal mandated by God?

The animal must be a male without a blemish (1:3).

  1. According to Moses, what aspect of the sacrifices pleases God?

The aroma of the sacrifices is pleasing to God (1: 9, 13.17).

  1. What happened to the part of a grain offering that was not mixed with oil and incenses?

It was given to Aaron and his sons to be eaten (2:3).

  1. What two foodstuffs were forbidden to the Israelites for all time?

Blood and fat (3:17).

 

Second Scroll

Special Reading for Shabbat Zachor

25:17-19 Devarim (Deuteronomy)

 

Shabbat Zachor or the Sabbath of the Remembrance always comes on the Shabbat before Purim.  It is the second special Shabbat that precedes Pesach.  On Shabbat Zachor we remove two scrolls from the ark.  The first scroll is for the regular weekly reading.  The second scroll is for the special reading Shabbat Zachor that comes from Devarim 25:17-19.  This reading begins with the words “Remember (Zachor) what Amalek did to you on the way, as you came out of Egypt!”  The two sentences recount the attack of the Amalekites that was made without provocation at the rear of the column of the Israelites, the weakest place, when we had just left Egypt.  Because of the nature of this unprovoked attack we are commanded to “eradicate the memory of Amalek from beneath the heavens.…”  This reading comes just before Purim, because traditionally Haman is supposed to be a descendant of Amalek.  Also, tradition tells us that we are to eradicate the memory of Haman just as we are commanded to eradicate the memory of Amalek.  Although women are exempt from most time-driven commandments, they must fulfill the command to hear the reading for Shabbat Zachor.  The command to “Remember Amalek” is of such importance that it is part of the Six Remembrances that are recited daily.

 

Amalekites in Modern Times

The commandments to Blot out the Amalekites have the harsh sound of a call for genocide to our modern ears.  In addition to which we are puzzled by the command to both blot out the Amalekites and yet to Remember the Amalekites.  What was the great sin of the Amalekites?  For example there is no command to blot out the Egyptians who enslaved us for four centuries so why the Amalekites?  The Amalekites attacked the Israelites when they were at their low ebb, shortly after leaving Egypt in what one commentator describes as an unnecessary sneak attack.  In other words, Amalek is the archetype of the evil doer who preys on the weak, the helpless and the unsuspecting.  When the Jew remembers Amalek, he or she is remembering this kind of evil and the Jew blots out Amalek by protecting the weak from the parasites who prey upon them.  In modern parlance, Jews are blotting out Amalek when we support laws that promote honesty in the world of commerce, that protect the rights of workers and that ensure the safety and healthfulness of food, drugs and water.

 

Haftarah for Shabbat Zachor

I Samuel 15:2-34 (Ashkenazim)

I Samuel 15:1-34 (Sephardim and Chabad Chassidim)

 

The Men:  The reading centers on Samuel, the last of the pre-monarchical leaders and Saul, the first King of Israel.  Their relationship was a stormy one at best.  Samuel did not want a king and Saul was not the stuff of which great monarchs are made.

 

The Message:  The reading relates Saul’s fight with the Amalekites and their King, Agag.  God told Saul that He was punishing the Amalekites for what they had done to the Israelites when they left Egypt.  He told Saul to attack them and wipe them out - men, women, children and all of their livestock.  Saul disobeyed and kept the best of the livestock and took Agag prisoner.  When Samuel confronted him, Saul tried to deny that he had disobeyed God and then he tried to rationalize his behavior.  Samuel would have none of it.  He told Saul that God “regrets” His decision to make him king.  Saul pled, but it was too late.  God and Samuel turned their respective backs on him.

 

Theme-Link:  Usually the prophetic portion is connected to the weekly Torah portion.  On some occasions, the prophetic portion is linked to the special nature of the Shabbat or an event on the calendar.  This is one of those occasions.  The special Torah reading is about the Amalekites.  The haftarah is also about the Amalekites.  One describes the evil that they did.  The other describes an attempt to finally punish them for this evil.  For many people this is the most puzzling prophetic reading of the year.

 

This is not the last time Saul will be connected with the Amalekites.  Saul fought his last battle against the Philistines at Mount Gilboa.  When he saw that all was lost, Saul fell upon his sword rather than be taken captive.  Three days after the battle a man came to David’s camp and told him that Saul was dead.  When David asked how Saul had died, the man said he had killed Saul.  He gave David Saul’s crown and bracelet as proof of his deed.  The man identified himself as being "the son of an Amalekite.”  Why did this Amalekite lie about what had happened?  According to some, he thought David would reward him for killing Saul - the monarch who had tried to kill David.  Instead of rewarding him, David had the Amalekite killed for having killed “the Lord’s anointed.”  Some say this episode is further proof of the venality of the Amalekites.  There are those who contend that this troubling haftarah exists to remind us that Evil does exist.  This means that Right and Wrong exist; a concept that makes modern man who lives in an era of situational ethics uncomfortable to say the least.  And this leads back to Saul and David.  When Samuel confronted Saul for failing to follow God’s command, Saul equivocated and tried to rationalize his behavior.  When Nathan confronted David in the matter of Uriah and Bathsheba, the monarch admitted his sin and repented for his deeds.  For some, this explains why the House of Saul fell and the House of David did not.

 

Readings for Purim, Saturday Night, March 23, 2024

Purim

Megillah Esther

This reading fulfills the first half of the rule that “Each person, man and woman alike is obligated to hear the reading of the Megillah at night and during the day.”  This is the “central observance” of Purim.  While laws pertaining to the holiday may be found in the Talmudic Tractate known as “Megillah,” the simplest compendium of the rules is in Chapter 141 of the Kitzur Shulchon Oruch, copies of which are available in very readable English translation.

Torah Readings for Sunday, March 24, 2024 (14th of AdarII)

Purim - Shacharit (Morning Service)

17:8-16 Shemot (Exodus)

 

The Torah portion describes the battle between that Amalekites and the Israelites that took place in the Wilderness after the Exodus.  According to tradition, Haman is a descendant of the Amalekites, specifically Agag, who was an Amalekite King.  The reading is one verse short of the standard ten usually required, so the last verse is repeated.

Megillah Esther

 

The Megillah is read after the Torah has been returned to the ark and half-kaddish has been chanted.  This reading fulfills the second half of the rule that “Each person, man and woman alike is obligated to hear the reading of the Megillah at night and during the day.”

 

Purim

Purim is celebrated on the 14th of Adar.  In preparation, here are a few customs and ceremonies related to the holiday.  The emphasis is on the word few.  This is not intended to be a complete compendium of the customs, ceremonies or the reasons for the observances.  I will leave that to the professionals in the community.  The rules concerning Purim cover nine pages in Volume II of the Kitzur Shulchon Oruch (a code of Jewish ritual law).  The material is found in two chapters called respectively, “The Reading of the Magillah” and “Sending Presents of Food, Giving Gifts to the Poor, and the Purim Feast.”  These chapter headings should give you an idea as to the thrust of the holiday observances.

 

The Half-Shekel

We always remember the poor at Purim.  It became a custom to give three half-shekels or in our case three half-dollars to the poor so that they could enjoy the holiday as well.

 

Shalach Monos (Yiddish)

Purim is a time for giving gifts.  Traditionally the gifts consist of two consumable items that do not require further preparation.  These may include hamantaschen, other kinds of cookies, cakes or candy as well as grape juice or wine.  In some communities the making and delivery of Shalach Monos baskets has become a Sisterhood fundraising activity.  At any rate, these treats are delivered by a third party.  Frequently children get to play the part of gift deliverers.

 

Reading the Megillah

Everybody, regardless of sex, is to hear the reading both in the evening and again in the morning.  There are numerous rules about the proper way the reading is to take place.  Interestingly, the name of G-d does not appear in the Megillah.

 

Eating and Drinking

Purim is a holiday of great joy.  Traditionally a festive meal, including meat, is to be consumed during the day of Purim.

 

Two Scrolls - Two Women - Two Outcomes

Two of the five scrolls are named for women - The Scroll of Esther and The Scroll of Ruth.  Ruth tells the story of a convert who chooses to move to Eretz Israel, who observes the commandments including caring for the widow, gleaning and chalitzah.  Her merit is such that she becomes the Matriarch for the House of David which includes David, Solomon and ultimately the Moshiach.  Esther tells the story of a Jewess who marries a non-Jew.  Yes, she does it as part of the Divine Plan and yes she does save her people.  Of course she does this by using the skills of the courtesan and the harem girl.  Furthermore, according to tradition, her son is King Darius of Persia and Darius is no Jew.  In other words, the line of the born Jew - Esther - disappears from view.  The line of the Jew by choice - Ruth - is with us to this day.  In the 21st century, questions have been raised about the on-going viability of the American Jewish community.  According to some, it would behoove us to look at the lives of these two great women for a clue as to what action steps need to be taken.  First, they would say, we must tap into the zeal of the Jews by choice, embracing them, educating them in the ways of our people while acknowledging their worth and contributions.  At the same time, we must reach out and hold on to those who feel themselves to be at the outer rim of house of Israel.  We must provide them the education that goes with being an Ashish Chayil in the truest sense of the word.  We must draw them back so that Darius will join David as Jews ensuring the future of our people.

Readings for Monday, March 25, 2024 (15th of Adar II)

Shushan Purim

In certain ancient walled cities - Jerusalem is the primary example - Purim is observed not on the 14th of Adar (the date of its observance everywhere else), but on the 15th of Adar.  This is to commemorate the fact that in the ancient walled city of Shushan, where the battles between the Jews and their enemies extended for an additional day, the original Purim celebration was held on the 15th of Adar.  The 15th of Adar is thus called “Shushan Purim,” and is a day of joy and celebration also in those places where it is not observed as the actual Purim.  (As described by Chabad Org.)

 

 

Copyright; March, 2024; Mitchell A. Levin

 


 

Saturday, March 9, 2024

Readings for Saturday, March 16, 2024 and Rosh Chodesh Adar II

Readings for Sunday, March 10, 2024

First Day Rosh Chodesh Adar II

28:1-15 Bamidbar (Numbers)

This is the standard reading for each Rosh Chodesh.  Rosh Chodesh is the name of the minor holiday that marks the start of each month.  The term Rosh Chodesh is translated as New Moon.  The first day of the month is referred to as Rosh Chodesh because the months are lunar and the first day of each month comes with the start of the new moon.  In the days of the Temple special sacrifices were brought in honor of the new moon.  With the destruction of the Temple, the sacrificial system ended.  In place of the sacrifices, Jews read a description of the sacrificial offerings, which is described in the first fifteen verses of chapter 28 in the book of Numbers.  The Torah reading takes place during the daily morning service.  There are many Jews who have no desire to return to the sacrificial system.  They use these readings as a way of providing a connection with the past which is one of the keys to our future.  Because of its connection with the moon, Rosh Chodesh is thought to have a special meaning for women.  Some sages suggest that wives and mothers should be given gifts on Rosh Chodesh.  There are other sages who think that Tzedakah should be given in the name of these women.  Once again, Jewish fund raisers would seem to be missing a golden opportunity (no pun intended).

 

Adar II is the 13th month counting from Pesach. This second month of Adar is added to the calendar during a leap year.  In a leap year all Adar related observances such as Purim are observed in Adar II.  Adar is mentioned by name numerous times in the Bible, most frequently in the Scroll of Esther but also in the Book of Ezra.  As reported in the Book of Ezra, the Second Temple was dedicated on the third of Adar.  According to tradition, Moses was born and died on the 7th of the month.  For this reason, officers of Jewish Burial Societies observed 7th of Adar as a minor fast day.  During the Maccabees’ war with the Syrians, Judah Maccabee defeated the Syrian General Nicacnor on the 13th of Adar.  Purim, which falls on the 14th of Adar, is the most famous event connected with this month.  Because of Purim, Adar is viewed as a joyful month causing the Rabbis to write, “When Adar comes in, rejoicing is increased.”

 

Readings for Monday, March 11, 2024

 

Second Day Rosh Chodesh Adar II

28:1-15 Bamidbar (Numbers)

 

Same as the first day; this is actually the first day of the Month of Adar.

 

Themes:

Adar Anniversaries

The Second Temple was dedicated on the third of Adar, 350 BCE.  14) And the elders of the Jews builded and prospered, through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo.  And they builded and finished it, according to the commandment of the G-d of Israel, and according to the decree of Cyrus, and Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.  15) And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.  (JPS Translation),  http://www.aish.com/dijh/Adar_3.html

 

You would think such a monumental event would rate some sort of annual observance on the Jewish calendar.  After all, everybody knows the date of the destruction of the Second Temple.  Why are we not as conversant with our successes as we are with our failures?  What was the true nature of the Second Temple?  These and other questions surrounding the generation that did and did not return from the Babylonian Exile take on a special urgency as we move from the unremembered 3rd of Adar to the lionized 14th of Adar.  Why do we make such a tumult over a group of Jews who were in danger only because they had not returned to Jerusalem; a group that had forgotten the promise that if I forget thee O! Jerusalem may my right hand forget its cunning?  Yet we turn our historical and celebratory backs on those Jews who remembered Jerusalem and went home to rebuild the Temple in fulfillment of the prophetic visions.

 

Readings for Saturday, March 16, 2024

 

Pekuday (Count or Enumerate)

38:21-40:38 Shemot (Exodus)

 

Pekuday is the eleventh and last sedrah in Shemot.  It is also the fourth and final sedrah dealing with the construction of the Mishkan.  The sedrah takes its name from the second Hebrew word in the first sentence of the portion.  “Ayleh Pekuday Hamishkan” or in English, “These are the countings (or enumerations) of the Tabernacle.…”  It is a brief sedrah.  Based on Etz Hayim Chumash and The Stone Chumash, the sedrah may be divided as follows:

 

A Tally of the Metals - 38:21-31

Moshe insists on a tally of the precious metals used in the construction.  The need for honest accounting did not begin with the financial meltdowns in the last decades of the 20th century and the first decades of the 21st century.  The author(s) of the TaNaCh understood that people were only human where great wealth was involved.  The givers need to be assured that their offerings did not stick to any fingers.  And anybody can be accused of having sticky fingers, including Moshe.  In Devarim, he will proclaim his virtue by announcing that he never took anything and that nobody ever proved that he did.

 

The Making of the Priestly Vestments - 39:1-31

·        The Ephod;

·        The Breastplate;

·        The Robe of the Ephod;

·        The Tunics of Linen;

·        The Headplate.

The message here is quite clear.  How we dress, how we appear to others says volumes about who we are and what we do.

 

Completion and Inspection - 39:32-43

According to Rashi, Moshe did not do any of the actual construction work himself.  But when the people brought the Mishkan to him, the walls were lying down.  It was Moshe who miraculously lifted the walls.  Also according to Rashi, when Moshe accepted the work of the people the blessing he offered included a prayer that God would rest in the Mishkan and the spirit of the Lord would abide among the people.

 

Assembly and Dedication - 40:1-15

Moshe is commanded to set up the Tabernacle and to anoint Aaron and his sons.  According to the text, this was all supposed to happen on the first day of Nissan, the month of the Exodus.  According to the Midrash, the work was actually finished in the month of Kislev.  In order not to hurt the feelings of Kislev, God promised that another Sanctuary would be dedicated during Kislev.  This promise came true with Chanukah when the Second Temple was re-dedicated.

 

Fulfilling the Instructions - 40:16-33

Here the Tabernacle is actually erected.  According to the text, Moshe did all of the work himself.  Earlier, we had wondered where the Tablets were kept before the Ark was built.  According to a comment by Ramban on 40:20, Moshe kept them “in a wooden box in his own tent…”  There is one difference between the instructions given to Moshe (40:1-15) and what he actually does (40:16-33).  He is instructed to anoint Aaron and his sons.  But, here at any rate, he does not do actually do it.

 

Appearance of the Divine Presence - 40:34-38

The sedrah and Shemot end with God showing his acceptance of the work of the Israelites by filling the Tabernacle with His glory.  This scene is reminiscent of the last part of the Seder called Nir’tza or Accepted.  It is a request that God accept the Seder we have completed.  For no matter how correctly we may think we have done it, without God’s approval it was for naught.  Well, the same is true of building the Tabernacle, or any other endeavor.  Until it has found favor in God’s sight, it has no real value.  God had “learned” from the experience of the Golden Calf.  The Israelites needed tangible proof of His presence.  So a cloud filled the Mishkan as a symbol of the divine presence.  When the cloud rose up it was time to move.  When the cloud stayed put, so did the Israelites.  The cloud was with them in the day and a pillar of fire showed that He was with them in the night.

 

Themes

Commandments

Interestingly enough, there are none in this last sedrah of Shemot.  Could it be that God and Moshe sensed that the Israelites needed a rest from learning and needed time to savor what had happened?

 

Coming Attractions

All that has been described took place in the first month of the second year of the Exodus.  The next book, Vayikra (Leviticus) primarily concerns itself with laws pertaining to the Priests and the sacrifices.  The book following Vayikra, Bamidbar (Numbers), picks up where Shemot ends since its first words are “On the first day of the second month in the second year following the Exodus.…”

 

Leadership

Moshe is told to anoint Aaron’s sons as well as Aaron.  This is proof that Moshe accepts the leadership role that is passing to his brother’s house.  Moshe does not ask for special favor for his two sons.  As a father, Moshe may have been bothered by the lack of a special place for his offspring.  But as a leader, he accepted the divine plan without a hint of complaint.

 

Numbers

The phrase “that God commands” is written eighteen times concerning the building of the Tabernacle.  There are eighteen benedictions found in the Amidah.  Could it be that each time we recite the Amidah we are building our own Tabernacle, which we hope God will enter?

 

The Ark

What went into the Ark?  The text says Moshe put the Tablets in the Ark.  In Hebrew the word used is “Ay-doot” which is a plural form of the word.  From this, the commentators concluded that Moshe had put both the First (the broken) Set and the Second Set in the Ark.  In our highly disposable society it is interesting to note that our ancestor clung to the broken stones.  There is no mention of a place for the Torah.  Only in Devarim will we read of the Torah being placed in a special spot just outside of the Ark of the Covenant.

 

Limitations of Language

In Hebrew Moses puts the “Ay-doot” in the Ark.  The problem is that different authors use different English words in translating “Ay-doot.”  According to at least two sources, the word “Ay-doot” is the plural form of the word for Testimony so the Commandments can be viewed as a testimony to the relationship between God and the Jewish people.  “Ay-doot” is also the plural form of the word for a female witness.  There are those who believe that the Shechinah is a “female manifestation” of God and that it is the Shechinah that settles into the Tabernacle at the end of this Torah portion.  For those who believe this, it would be fitting to see the commandments as the perpetual witness who saw the development of the unique relationship God and the Jewish people begin at Sinai and who is always there to remind us of its timeless existence.

 

Positive Reinforcement

“And when Moses saw they had performed all the tasks - as the Lord had commanded…Moses blessed them” (39:43).  According to the Gersosnides, the 14th century French Talmudist, “We learn from this that a leader ought to bless those under his direction when they obey him so that they will be readier to do his will.”  Once again, we are reminded that one of the reasons that the Torah has been studied for so many centuries is because it speaks to the human condition without regard to time or place.  Here the Torah teaches the importance of saying thank-you and not taking it for granted when people behave in a desired manner.  Psychology majors will recognize what Moses did as the forerunner of B.F. Skinner’s concept of Operant Conditioning using Positive Reinforcement.  Since Judaism believes in the concept of Free Will, people can choose to do the right thing or to do the wrong thing; it is appropriate to thank them (in this case with a blessing) when they choose the right path.

 

Divine Revelation

The Hebrew word for fire is “aysh.”  At the beginning of Shemot God first appears to Moshe “b’lahbaht aysh,” “in a flame of fire.”  At the end of Shemot we read that “fire” or “aysh” is the nighttime sign of the Lord’s presence.  Not only that but “aysh” is the last symbol of the divine presence that is mentioned in Shemot.  In other words, God’s first and last revelation comes in the form of fire.  He begins by revealing Himself in fire to one man.  He ends by revealing Himself in fire to the entire nation.  Furthermore, in non-leap years Vayakhel and Pekuday are read on the same Shabbat.  Vayakhel begins with a command prohibiting the kindling of fire or “aysh” on Shabbat.  Fire is a symbol of the divine presence.  We are allowed to enjoy a pre-existing fire on Shabbat.  We just are not allowed to create a fire on Shabbat.  This means that by observing Shabbat we enjoy the divine presence (fire) that is with us all week long but which we can only fully appreciate on the Day of Rest.

 

“The Medium Is Not the Message” by Mordechai Beck

The best known Jewish statement of principle on art is, unfortunately, the ban given at Sinai on making graven images with a likeness of “anything in the heavens above or the earth beneath”.  Despite this prohibition, a few chapters later the same jealous God commands Moses to erect a tabernacle and fill it with objects of beauty that are described with such precise detail as to suggest Divine acceptance of the power of the visual on the imagination of His children.  How do we explain this radical change of heart?  Is art not only to be permitted but even lauded as a means of reaching the Divine?

 

The key to this riddle is found in the figure of Bezalel - or to give him his full name, as it appears when he is first mentioned and again at the beginning of Pekudei - “Bezalel, son of Uri, son of Hur, from the tribe of Judah” (Exodus 31:2, 38:22), who “made all that the Lord had commanded Moses.”  He was an artist and craftsman capable of fashioning objects that inspired awe, in the same way, perhaps, that the works of Leonardo and Michelangelo did for their contemporaries.  Does this mean that God repented His objections to the visual image?  What did Bezalel bring to his work that made it kosher?  According to Midrash Tanhuma, the answer lies in the very lineage mentioned in the Bible when Bezalel was introduced.  “What need is there to recall here the name of Hur?  Because he (Hur) gave up his soul for the Holy One, Blessed be He.  In that hour that they sought to make the (golden) calf, he stood before them - between the people and his uncle Aaron, the high priest - and rebuked them; and they stood against him and killed him.  Said the Holy One, blessed be He, to Hur:  ‘By your life, I will compensate you for this…by elevating all your progeny.’  Thus it is written:  ‘See, God has called Bezalel, son of Uri, son of Hur…and filled him with the spirit of God.’”

 

The sudden explosion of Bezalel’s artistic activity is here seen as a response to the incident of the golden calf.  That incident proved to the hidden mysterious God that a spiritual life on earth was impossible without some visual, external props.  To this He agreed, but on one condition:  that the objects act merely as a medium, valuable only insofar as they brought greater glory and praise to God.  Said the invisible Creator of the Universe, recounts the midrash:  “Even My own children are not prepared to recognize the truth.  And if they, who saw with their own eyes all the wonders and miracles which I wrought in Egypt and in the Exodus from Egypt, do not believe, how much more so those who did not see such things!”  So God searched for someone who could distinguish between art and idolatry.  He searched and He found Bezalel.  Not that Bezalel was a born artist; rather, God saw his potential to serve the Divine purpose with his hands and heart and, given his lineage, could be presumed able to remain pure of idolatrous intent.  King Midas, of Greek myth, had hands whose touch turned everything to gold.  Everything gold touched by Bezalel turned into something holy.  Bezalel got similar results from silver, copper, ram skins, and acacia wood, as he did from stone and other materials crafted with sophisticated cutting techniques of high artistry.

 

The Torah’s extended descriptions of the objects of the Tabernacle fill chapters of Exodus, suggesting awareness of the profound need for the aesthetic in our lives.  Visual art, the Torah seems to concur, is a powerful tool.  It touches the root faculty of our humanity - our imagination.  It can be used to enhance or destroy us, depending on the purpose to which the artistry is put.  The medium, that is to say, is not always the message.  Often the artist’s technique disguises his true purpose.  The objection to idolatry is not to the materials themselves - since all material has its source in God - or to their being worked into tangible images.  The objection is to the assumption that material - or the image - has some intrinsic value.  For idolatry is when the material presence replaces the reality it represents.  This is what modern philosophers call reification, and what the Sages in their wisdom saw as a substitution of the container for the content.

 

Conclusion of the Reading

This marks the end of the reading of the book of Shemot.  Each time the congregation completes the reading of one of the Five Books of Moses it is customary to recite “Chazak, Chazak, ve-nit-chazek” or in English, “Be strong, Be strong, and let us be strengthened.”  Variants of this statement appear in several places and are tied to the study of the Torah.  One of the most common references is to the Book of Joshua where the statement Chazak ve-matz (Be strong and of good courage appears three times in Chapter one, verses 6 through 9).  In the mention in verse 7 the reference “is directly tied to importance of the observance of the Torah.”  So this Shabbat, you will have earned the right to stand and recite Chazak, Chazak, ve-nit-chazek.

 

Haftarah

I Kings 7:51-8:21 (Ashkenazim)

I Kings 7:40-50 (Sephardim and Chabad Chassidim)

 

The Book:  (Briefly) I Kings and II Kings or the Book of Kings covers the period from the Death of David through the Destruction of the First Temple.  The emphasis is on the behavior of the monarchs in terms of their relationship to obeying Jewish law and observing the commandments of the Lord.

 

The Message:  The Ashkenazic reading picks up from where the haftarah for Vayakhel ended.  The construction of the Temple is completed and now it is time to begin using the new Sanctuary.  The haftarah describes the elaborate ceremonial activity marking the opening of Solomon’s Temple.  After moving all of King David’s treasure into the Temple, Solomon brought all of the leaders to Jerusalem for the ceremony.  He had the Ark and the Tent of the Meeting brought to Temple along with all the holy vessels that were in the Tent.  Note that the term used here is Ohel Moed (Tent of the Meeting) and not Mishkan (Tabernacle).  There are those who contend that these two terms indicate different traditions or different structures.  Regardless, the Ark and the Commandments are installed in the in the Holy of Holies.  And a cloud so filled the House of the Lord that Priests had to leave had to leave he Sanctuary.  For Solomon, this was proof that the Lord now dwelled in His Temple.  The haftarah ends with a speech by Solomon.  First Solomon praises his father for having begun the work that Solomon has now completed.  And then he cites what he has done as fulfillment of the Divine promise and, by implication, that he has found favor in God’s sight.

 

Theme-Link:  Both the sedrah and the haftarah describe the completion of divine building projects - the Tabernacle and the Temple.  They are joined by the fact that both are spiritual dwelling places for God and physical homes for the Ark of the Covenant.  Furthermore, the Temple would appear to be the final resting-place for the Tabernacle.  But does the haftarah describe a joining of the spirit of the Tabernacle with the spirit of the Temple or has the Temple supplanted the Tabernacle?  The Tabernacle is dedicated in time for Pesach.  The Temple is dedicated on Sukkoth.  The Tabernacle was built by the Israelites using materials gained through free-willing offerings.  The Temple was built with Jewish and non-Jewish labor.  It was built using taxes.  And the taxes were not administered equally.  Last but not least, Moshe is content to let his labors speak for themselves, as would befit a man who, after living in pomp and splendor, had learned to lead the life of a simple shepherd.  Solomon, as befits a monarch, felt compelled to add his words of wisdom as if they were the only way to gain final approval for what he had done.  Tabernacle and Temple - they represent different strains of our customs and practices and we need them both to survive and grow.

 

Copyright; March, 2024; Mitchell A. Levin

 

3/5/19