Superstitious

October 31-November 1, 2014 / 8 Heshvan 5775

Shabbat Lech Lecha

Torah Portion: Genesis 12:1-17:27 / Haftarah Portion: Isaiah 40:27-41:16

“Superstitious”

Dear Friends,

It’s unusual, but this year our Shabbat coincides with Halloween, the pagan festival of witchcraft and death that captures so much of the American psyche.  Halloween is clearly not a Jewish festival in any way.  Its obsession with the occult and the mysterious and terrifying forces that govern life and death is not part of Jewish life and thought.  None of this is in our sacred texts, our worship, our traditions, or our festivals.  It is just the opposite. We call tending to the deceased ‘kavod hameit – honoring the dead.’  We call our cemeteries ‘beit chaim – place of life.’  Beyond this, as Reconstructionists, we proclaim our pride at pursuing scholarly and well-reasoned consideration of our Jewish tradition.  And so, there is no place for superstition in Judaism!  Or is there?

Certainly Askenazi Jews from Poland, Eastern Europe and Russia lived for many centuries in a world that was very superstitious and fearful.  Because of that, we say “Kunnah hurrah (Properly pronounced: Ken ayin harah)” – to ward off the evil eye.  We spit three times – tfu, tfu, tfu - so that good wishes will not be disturbed.  We throw salt.  We hang red ribbons over cribs for protection from the evil spirit.  We name our children after those who have died, to protect them from the angel of death. Lately, we have been hanging up chamsah charms, representing God’s presence in our lives, as signs of good fortune and protection. Yet, through it all, we have a sense that this is all for fun and amusement.

Nevertheless, as Halloween and Shabbat coincide, I urge you to think about all the ways that Judaism avoids any obsession with, or celebration of death and superstition.  Rather, focus on how Judaism can be a pathway from fear to faith to life!

Shabbat shalom.

Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow

Vote, Vote, Vote

October 24-25, 2014 / 1 Cheshvan 5775

Shabbat Noach

Torah – Genesis 6:9-11:32 / Haftarah – Isaiah 54:1-55:5

“Vote, Vote, Vote”

Dear Friends,

In last week’s Torah portion, Adam ate the apple, God found out, and Adam hid saying, “It wasn’t my fault.”

In this week’s portion, Noah was told about the upcoming flood that would destroy the world, and he quietly built an ark to save his family, some animals, and himself.

In next week’s portion, Abraham will learn of the impending annihilation of Sodom and Gemorah, and he will voice an opinion and push back.  Abraham will argue with God to save the cities if there should be 50 or 45 or 30 or 20 or even 10 righteous individuals present.

Adam concealed himself.  Noah went along with the program.  Abraham spoke up.  Thus, our tradition honors Abraham, the founder of our Jewish tradition, because he argued and was willing to confront even God in his pursuit of justice.  Abraham voted!

Democracy is not a value found in the Bible, Talmud, or traditional Judaism.  Moses, Joshua, King David, King Solomon and the great rabbinic sages never called for a referendum.  They never consulted with the people on issues of governance.  Only recently have democratic principles entered into Jewish life and practice. Citizenship first came to the Jewish world when Napoleon’s armies defeated monarchies across Europe in the early 1800’s, effectively ending the Middle Ages.  Voting came to Jews here in America after the great Jewish immigrations in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.  It is a sacred right to be exercised with honor and great respect.

Adam hid and Noah went along.  Yet our tradition teaches that each of us has the responsibility to be like Abraham and express our opinion on matters of principle and justice.  Vote.

Shabbat shalom.

Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow

One More Holiday – Simchat Torah

October 15-16, 2014 / 22 Tishrei 5775

Simchat Torah

“One More Holiday – Simchat Torah”

Dear Friends,

What!?  Another Jewish holiday!?  How is this possible!?  We just finished with Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur and Sukkot!?

That’s right!  We still have Shemini Atzeret (which follows the last day of Sukkot) and Simchat Torah – Celebrating with our Torah scrolls.

The Jewish calendar is very special and is sending us a powerful message.  Through our concentration of holidays, we are taught to ‘begin life anew.”  On Rosh Hashana we rejoice in life itself and celebrate the creation of the world.  On Yom Kippur we atone for our sins and begin again with a clean slate.  On Sukkot we give thanks for the abundance of the natural world and begin a new agricultural cycle.  On Shemini Atzeret we give thanks for the dew and celebrate the beginning of the rainy season.  On Simchat Torah we give thanks for our Jewish tradition of wisdom and learning and begin reading the Torah from the beginning.

Our Jewish tradition is telling us to grow more, learn more, pray more, and help others more.  It is telling us to make peace with ourselves, renew our relationships with family and friends, strengthen our connection with God and speak out for justice.  Now is the time to begin that process anew.  And what better way to celebrate the conclusion of the High Holiday season and the start of a wonderful year, than by coming to our Shir Hadash Simchat Torah service this Thursday morning and/or Friday evening?  We will dance with the Torah scrolls, roll one out and read the end and beginning, and finally enjoy delicious taffy apples and terrific oneg refreshments to celebrate a sweet and prosperous New Year.

Chag Same’ach everyone – I wish you a joyous Simchat Torah and a wonderful beginning to a New Year!

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow

Praying and Working for a Rainy Year - Sukkot

October 10-11, 2014 / 17 Tishrei 5775

Shabbat Chol HaMo’ed Sukkot

Torah Portion:  Exodus 33:12-43:26, Deuteronomy 16:13-17

Haftarah Portion: Ezekiel 38:18-39:16

“Praying and Working for a Rainy Year - Sukkot”

Dear Friends,

Many of the prayers and rituals that surround Sukkot focus on the prayer for abundant rain during the coming winter months. According to one Talmudic teaching (Sukkot 37b), we shake the Four Species (Palm, Myrtle, Willows, and Etrog) in all directions “to prevent harmful winds…and harmful dews.” Another tradition suggests that we shake the Four Species to indicate that God is everywhere and to pray that God will provide us with rain, abundance, and blessing in the coming year.  Now is also the time of year when we make an adjustment in the recitation of the Amidah/Standing prayer.  Throughout the spring and summer, we have been praying for dew.  With Sukkot and the start of fall and winter, we pray for rain – masheev haru’ah u’moreed hagashem.

Numerous Sukkot customs and prayers focus on the critical need for water in Israel and around the world. Yet, in addition to offering prayers, an innovative Israeli has created a system designed to conserve valuable water resources.

Israel is the leading nation in recycled wastewater, repurposing over eighty percent for agricultural use, far outpacing second place Spain, which reuses twelve percent. Besides the water we send down that drain, what about all the clean, drinkable rainwater that gets wasted when it is washed into storm sewers? Israeli high school teacher Amir Yechieli, founded Yevul Mayim in Jerusalem, and is developing a large-scale rooftop rain collection system. Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports that in Israel alone, Yechieli’s water collection systems save about 100 days of water use a year at the schools where 120 of his systems are in operation. When installing a system in a school, he not only saves the school’s needed resources and Israel’s precious water, he also uses the system to teach students about water conservation and environmentalism. A number of African communities and schools have expressed interest in Yechieli’s simple system that uses small drums to filter rainwater and store it for future use. He hopes to install his systems in schools in Uganda and Haiti.

As we pray on Sukkot for an abundant, rainy winter, we also laud the efforts of a dedicated Israeli whose innovation is helping to conserve precious water resources in Israel and around the world.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Eitan Weiner-Kaplow