Rabbis Rice: Cast Aside Stones

"I am your brother Joseph!"

     They enter the gates of the cemetery at Congregation Micah and dutifully place stones on the gravesite. They recite the tradition's prayers and/or just stop to consider a few memories; savoring the sacredness of the space and moment. The stones they carry home are so much bigger than those they leave behind. Tiny pebbles are left on the headstones, but whole rocks remain in their hearts: rocks of bitterness, betrayal, and rage. Some of them are people still arguing with their parents, still longing for their approval. Others are alienated from a brother or a sister, the loved ones who know us our whole lives. Still others mourn for a cousin, a child, a friend.

     Commenting on this week's Torah portion, Rabbi Ed Feinstein points out the entire book of Genesis is now coming to a dramatic climax. It is not an epic battle, no momentous act of state, but rather it occurs in the heart of one man. Joseph sits next to Pharaoh, controlling the life of all Egypt. He is haunted by his memories: The brothers who cast him into a desert pit and then sat to enjoy an afternoon meal while plotting his murder. He recalls the days in the pit of Egypt's prison - alone, abandoned, forgotten. Why was there no rescue sent by Jacob to recover his favored son?

     Joseph's eldest son is named Menashe -- "for God has made me forget all my tribulation and the house of my father." Still, he remembers. And then, one day, the brothers show up. He delays them, toys with them, as he struggles with himself. If ever there was a man who deserved permission to turn his back on his family and his past, it is Joseph. But something won't let go. And when he hears his brother Judah offer himself in the place of the youngest, Benjamin, Joseph cannot hold back. "I am your brother Joseph!"

     There are times, as Ecclesiastes writes, to cast away stones. To let go. Not to forget but to forgive. Among all the ancestors of Egypt, Joseph is given the unique title of Tzaddik, the righteous one. To be a tzaddik is to vanquish bitterness and rage and find a way to love. To enjoy the release and renewal that comes with casting out the stones and becoming one again. So as the secular new year approaches, and we begin to close the book of Genesis and open the book of Exodus, let us all learn to leave the rocks of resentment and anger behind.

From Rabbis Rice: Season of Rededication

Rabbi David Wolpe teaches:  

When the Israelite spies enter the land of Canaan, they grow afraid. Returning to Moses, the spies report that after seeing the giant inhabitants of the land they looked to themselves as grasshoppers and so they must have looked to the inhabitants. (Num. 13:33) Was their sin fear, lack of trust in God's power? The Kotzker rebbe suggests that the sin was not. Their sin was in caring how they appeared to the inhabitants of the land. Drawing their self-image from these giant strangers negated their own identity. Rather than see themselves as God instructed, a sacred people, they saw themselves as they imagined the Canaanites saw them.

     Theolgian Thomas Merton diagnoses the same malady, still alive in us, in his autobiography The Seven Story Mountain:

"The logic of worldly success rests on a fallacy: the strange error that our perfection depends upon the thoughts and opinions and applause of other men! A weird life it is, indeed, to be living always in somebody else's imagination, as if that were the only place in which one could at last become real!"

     Are you real because you are on Twitter? Only alive on Facebook? Is your image of yourself a feedback loop, or do you know, deep in your soul, who you are, and how you stand before God?

     How do we stand before God? One way is by rededicating ourselves to ourselves and to our Judaism, our community, and our spirit. Chanukah is the holiday that celebrates this rededication. Just as the Holy Temple was saved and rededicated by the Maccabees, so too do we invite you to join us for our annual Chanukah dinner this Saturday evening at 6:00 pm to light the Chanukah lights and rededicate yourselves to Micah and to yourself in a new way. Bring your homemade Chanukiot and come celebrate the Festival of Lights with Micah!

Rabbis Rice: To Wrestle with Oneself

"Everything depends on the way a person measures him or herself."  

Kelim 17:11

      It is the middle of the night and you are alone with your thoughts. You cannot sleep. You toss and turn endlessly in your bed. Clearly you are worried about something, something that will happen in the morning. In this week's Torah portion, our patriarch Jacob cannot sleep either. Preparing to reunite with his brother after years of estrangement, Jacob lies awake in bed, all alone. And then all of the sudden the text tells us that, "a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn." (Genesis 32:25)
      Who is this person with whom he struggled? Take your pick: An angel? A thief? A reflection of God? Was it Jacob himself, wrestling with his own self-doubts? Perhaps it is the dark parts of Jacob himself. To overcome his brother's hatred and his concern for his own welfare, Jacob has to fight the evil inclination that is part of his very essence. One midrash suggests it was the angel of Esau, his brother, representing all of Jacob's fears and worries about the vengeance he might rightfully expect from him. Whoever you think the wrestling partner is, one thing is certain: Jacob is no longer the same man that he was before the wrestling match! For the first time in his life, Jacob has refused to run away from his responsibilities. He is ready to confront his own weaknesses.
        Who among us does not have doubts about ourselves? Our future? About what will happen in the morning? To be a member of the Jewish people is to constantly wrestle with ourselves, with others, and with the world. To be a member of the Jewish people is to recognize that there are no proxies for religious participation. No one can study for you; you must do it yourself. No one can rest on Shabbat for you; you must do it yourself. No one can give charity for you; you must do it yourself. And yet Judaism is also a world-wide community, where you need not be or feel alone.   

Join us at the Chanukah Dinner!!

MASADA AND MUD by Lisa Silver

We are now sitting in the Philadelphia airport, having just arrived back in the US from Tel Aviv, drinking coffee and waiting for the last leg of our trip back to Nashville. We have a little while before boarding, so I'll try and catch you up on our last day in Israel.

Yesterday morning we drove south of Jerusalem to Masada, where we ascended by cable car to the top of the mountain where King Herod built an elaborate palace, and where a group of 967 Jews held off a Roman siege for 3 years. The architectural remains of the the palace were fascinating and the views from the top were spectacular.

On to the Dead Sea! After numerous discussions about who's getting in the water, most of us were adventurous (or crazy) enough to change into our bathing suits and slather ourselves with sticky black mud, known for its healing properties, and take silly pictures before we rinsed off and braved getting into the Dead Sea. You really do totally float! And then the salty mineral water starts to itch and burn, so one can't stay in the water too long. But It was a great way to spend our last day in Israel.

We had a farewell dinner in the German Colony-a beautiful neighborhood in Jerusalem- before packing up our many souvenirs and heading for the airport. As I watched the twinkling lights of the Israeli skyline disappear from view out the airplane window, I was sad that this wonderful trip was coming to an end.

Ask your fellow congregants to show you more pictures and share their experience with you. I'm sure they will be glad tell you all about it!

Pictures are in random order.
 

LET US ALWAYS REMEMBER by Lisa Silver

Today we visited the newly renovated Yad Vashem complex, the Jewish National Memorial to the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust. The museum is overwhelming and moving, and raises as many questions as it answers. After visiting the museum we had a private memorial service outside as it started to drizzle. The weather here changes from hour to hour!

We then went to the new Herzl Center, a very engaging multimedia museum dedicated to the life and achievements of Theodore Herzl, who laid the groundwork for the establishment for the State of Israel.
Mike Hollander and our dependable bus driver Moti, (who can drive our bus through the eye of a needle!) took us on a bus ride through and around the city of Jerusalem, allowing us to explore some of the political and diplomatic complexities of recent years.

This evening several of us walked to Ben Yehuda street, a vibrant outdoor pedestrian shopping area. It's great to see people of all ages strolling, bicycling, shopping and eating outdoors on a mid-November evening.

Tomorrow Masada and the Dead Sea, and then we are headed home!

Pictures are in random order...

THE MANY LAYERS OF JERUSALEM by Lisa Silver

We have had such action packed days that it's hard to remember what we've done each day! We spent most of the day yesterday in the Old City, on a walking tour with our wonderful guide, Mike Hollander.

We were amazed toward how much has been excavated in the past 30 years. We went back in time about 2000 years to an ancient street, walked through the Cardo, the world's oldest shopping arcade, and on through the central square of the Jewish quarter; we rounded a corner just in time to see a beautiful rainbow over the golden dome. Lots of oohs and ahs from the group! We ate lunch in the Jewish quarter (if I haven't mentioned this already - I have decided that I am on a quest to eat at every falafel stand in Jerusalem) before an incredible tour of the Western Wall Tunnel, which runs under the Western Wall alongside the Temple Mount. Our Tunnel guide was part teacher, part actress and a total hoot!

We walked through the Christian quarter, including the Via Dolorosa.

After returning to our hotel we had a most interesting dialog with scholar Paul Liptz of the Tel Aviv University and Hebrew Union College about the current state and complexities of politics and economics in Israel. Our brains and senses are full!

Pictures are in random order

JERUSALEM! By Lisa Silver

We arrived in Jerusalem yesterday after driving through Tiberias on the banks of the Kinneret (The Sea of Galilee). We paid honor to the founders of Zionism at the beautiful Kinneret Cemetery. We drove south through the West Bank, where Sue Snyder took advantage of a rest stop to run across the road to ride a camel while we got coffee and snacks!

We stopped at Mt. Scopus for our first panoramic view of Jerusalem to say a Shehecheyanu and kiddush. We arrived in Jerusalem in time to watch the hustle and bustle at the Machane Yehuda Market as everyone was preparing for Shabbat. Then a brisk walk through the old city to the Western Wall in time to join thousands of people from all around the world. We ended the day back at our beautiful Hotel Mamila for our own Shabbat dinner and some singing.

Today we had many options--some chose to get a little extra rest, some attended Shabbat services, some went to the fascinating Israel Museum to see the Dead Sea Scrolls, some went to the wild and crazy Shuk (the outdoor market), some went on a walking tour of the Old City.

The Old City of Jerusalem attracts tourists from all around the world and pilgrims from every religion who are visiting their Holy Land. It's crowded and busy and you can feel the energy.

We ended the day with a rooftop Havdallah service, followed by a fantastic dinner prepared by Michael Ochs' good friend Chef Johnny. Another full day tomorrow, walking through the old city. We will all be in need of foot massages next week!

Photos are in random order