Torah Commentary with Rabbi Laurence Rosenthal – Parshat Va'era

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Torah Commentary with Rabbi Laurence Rosenthal

Parshat Va'era - What's in a Name?!

By Rabbi Laurence Rosenthal

What should we do if we catch God in a lie? Maybe that's a bit harsh. I'll rephrase. What if we catch God sharing a mistruth? An inaccuracy? An incorrect retelling of events? We know that God carefully weighs the cost-benefit analysis of sharing the whole truth regarding the impending doom of the city of Sodom and Gomorrah with Abraham (see Genesis 18:17). Now, that is not lying, it's just withholding the truth. But what about the opening lines of this week's sidra (scriptural reading):

אֲנִי יְהוָֹה: וָאֵרָא אֶל־אַבְרָהָם אֶל־יִצְחָק וְאֶל־יַעֲקֹב בְּאֵל שַׁדָּי וּשְׁמִי יְהֹוָה לֹא נוֹדַעְתִּי לָהֶם:

I am "Yud-Hey-Vav-Hey" (the tetragrammaton), I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob by means of El Shaddai but my name "Yud-Hey-Vav-Hey" I did not make known to them. (Exodus 6:3)

Is that true? As my teacher, Dr. Richard Elliot Friedman, points out, God made known his name, "Yud-Hey-Vav-Hay," many times! (Gen 13:4; 15:2; 22:14,16; 26:22,25; 28:3). What is God trying to share by saying, "I didn't make known my name" when our patriarchs and matriarchs of Genesis seem to know it?

I believe it's not the name per se, rather it's the characteristic that was emblematic of the name. We expect different character traits or behavior from someone we might call doctor or officer versus those we call mom or daughter. It's not just the title but it's the behavior, presence and relationship that follows which really solidifies the title. Our matriarchs and patriarchs might have known the name "Yud-Hey-Vav-Hay," but their relationship with God was characteristic of the name El Shaddai.

So, what is the difference between the names?

El Shaddai:

Our Talmud offers a creative understanding of the name El Shaddai. Resh Laqish said: "What is it that is written: 'I am El Shaddai?' (Genesis 35:11) I am he who said to the world, 'Enough!'" (Tractate Hagigah 12a)

This is a play on words. "El," being one of the many names of God. "Sha," a prefix meaning "that." And finally, the word "Dai," made famous from the Passover song, Dayenu, meaning "enough." According to Resh Laqish, God is the One who saw the world coming into being and gave it its limits. Connected with this sugia (thematic chapter of Talmud) is an interesting analogy: the universe, unraveling like a ball of yarn rolling away from the center with no end to its roll, until God said, "Die!" This is the God known to our family in the book of Genesis. The creation story has its limits. God limits how much our matriarchs and patriarchs know about the Divine. God is cautious about sharing with Abraham the plan for Sodom and Gomorrah. God's presence comes and goes. Although God is the protagonist of the Book of Genesis, God's presence is limited. El Shaddai is the name of a limited, withheld deity.

Yud-Hey-Vav-Hay (the tetragrammaton):

The Book of Exodus reveals a different characteristic of God. One of awesome power and might, one of deep and limitless concern and love for God's people. A God who sees no limit in how to bring justice to the oppressed and downtrodden. The God of Exodus knows no bounds. Maybe this is the reason for the name shift. "Yud-Hey-Vav-Hey," might not be new in name but this is a new experience of God. Our tradition goes even further with this name of God, teaching us that the name itself is unpronounceable, unknown to our ears and lips. Its sound is truly limitless.

Might this be the aspect of God we are invited to see in this new book of the revelation, in the book of Exodus. A God without limits. A God whose compassion and love for us knows no bounds. A God that sees in us potential, brilliance and hope even when we fall into despair. Is it any wonder that we invoke "Yud-Hey-Vav-Hay" in every blessing we say throughout our day? Might this be a reminder that we must encounter each moment without limits, without restraint, with endless possibilities and unbound love and compassion.

Shabbat Shalom.

Talmudic Reflections with Rabbi Laurence Rosenthal – Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Ta'anit 21b

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Talmudic Reflections with Rabbi Laurence Rosenthal

Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Ta'anit 21b

By Rabbi Laurence Rosenthal

The Text:

Three people hear a heavenly voice, the Bat Kol – the small, still voice of God. According to our sages, the Bat Kol is the voice with which God speaks to us after the end of the prophetic era. In this sugia (thematic chapter), the Bat Kol doesn't seem to provide wisdom or insight, but simply a greeting – Shalom Aleichem – peace be upon you. These three people are Abba the Bloodletter, Abaye, and Rava. Abaye and Rava are well known in the Talmud, both 4th generation Amorim (contributors to the Gemara). Abaye rose to be the head of the Babylonian yeshiva, Pumbadita, while Rava continued to be his greatest sparring partner, challenging and learning with him in the study halls. Rava also has the distinction of being the most referenced Rabbi in the Talmud. Abba the Bloodletter is a strange companion to these distinguished scholars. Whereas Abaye and Rava are all over the pages of the Talmud, this sugia is where we learn the most about Abba and his profession of bloodletting. Whereas the Bat Kol only speaks to Abaye and Rava on a weekly and yearly basis, respectively, Abba the Bloodletter receives a heavenly greeting each day. The question arises: Why the disparity? And what does Abba the Bloodletter do that affords him such a spiritual connection?

Our discussion in class took many turns. Initially, we understood that being a medical professional is a higher and more holy occupation than the academic positions held by Abaye and Rava. However, this might be a modern value, superimposing our own twentieth century hierarchy. I'm not sure we could say that medicine and health care were held in such high esteem in the third and fourth centuries as it is today. Remember, it wasn't long ago in our own country that health care and medicine were seen through a skeptic's lens, sometimes considered to be witchcraft. Additionally, the Talmud, and generations of rabbis and sages to follow, are very clear about the place of scholarship and learning in the hierarchy of professions – it's on top! So, our sugia presents something out of the ordinary: two well learned sages are greeted by God less often than a bloodletter.

Within our sugia, the questions about the disparity are noticed by the characters themselves. Halsha Datay, his mind was disturbed concerning Abba the bloodletter, our text reports of Abaye. The Gemara speaks directly to Abaye answering his concern, "You can't do what he does." Wow – what a burn! That's got to hurt. The Gemara delves deeper – what does Abba the Bloodletter do? It's at this point we would expect to learn about the intricacies of relieving swelling, evacuating cysts and other sorts of medical procedures. However, we don't learn about the medical side. It's his bedside manner that is elevated. He respects people's modesty and upholds their dignity. His billing practices are equitable and seek to not embarrass people who have less. He also sees people holistically, not just offering his specialty but ensuring that other factors like nutrition, rest, and peace of mind are achievable. According to the Talmud this is the reason for God's attention and affection. Therefore, he hears the greeting each day of Shalom Aleichem, spoken by the Bat Kol.

Practical Spirituality:

In this section we seek to offer insight and guidance into our spiritual life based on the Talmud learning in this column.

Our Kabbalat Shabbat service usually begins with the prayer Shalom Aleichem. If not said during prayer services, it is recited at our Shabbat dinner table as a preface to the blessings over wine and challah. The more conventional understanding of this song is about welcoming the Shabbat Angels (Malachai HaSharet; lit: Ministering Angels) that our Midrashic tradition says accompany us throughout our Shabbat experience. What if our Friday night prayers weren't about welcoming Angels or any other sort of mystical divine entities? Could it be that the small, still voice of God is welcoming us into our synagogues or around the Shabbat table? Does it offer us an opportunity to reflect on our week gone by, asking how we conducted our business this past week? Did we offer kindness, respect, dignity, equity, and peace to those with whom we interacted? Did we seek to go above and beyond for the people in our midst? Did we conduct ourselves in a way that would invite the Bat Kol to greet us?

May our learning be found in our hands and not just on our lips.

Peace be unto you!

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This new column will share insights from our weekly Talmud class with Rabbi Rosenthal (Wednesdays at 5pm). Talmud classes seeks to unpack the many layers of rabbinic wisdom found in many streams of consciousness that pour into our sacred text of the Talmud. This course returns each week to a specific tractate (book) of Talmud, wading through the arguments, giving each participant a wider view of Talmudic learning. We do not just jump to the "greatest hits" but, instead, approach each sugia (thematic chapter) as imbued with wisdom and knowledge inviting us to darshan (expound upon). Join us any week and add your voice to our 2000-year conversation.

Va'era 5782 – The Burden of Kotzer Ruach

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MaNishma with Rabbi Arnold Goodman

Va'era 5782 - The Burden of Kotzer Ruach

By Rabbi Arnold M. Goodman

Therefore, say to the Children of Israel: I am Ado-nai I will bring you out from the burdens of Egypt; I will rescue you from servitude to them… I will take you for me as a people… and you shall know that I am your God who brings you… to the land over which I lifted my hand in an oath to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob… Moses spoke thus to the Children of Israel but they did not hearken to Moses out of kotzer ru'ach (shortness of breath, impatience or dispiritedness) and out of hard servitude (Exodus 6: 6-9).

The pshat or simple meaning is that kotzer ru'ach prevented the enslaved Israelites from "hearing" Moses' message of impending liberation. Moses' original appearance before Pharaoh was followed by a royal edict that the quota of bricks would remain the same, but the people had to gather all the raw material on their own. The community's elders then castigated and rejected Moses for providing Pharaoh with an excuse to make their lives even more bitter. The Israelites could not focus on the Divine message conveyed by Moses. Kotzer ru'ach and the abandonment of hope go hand in hand.

Pharaoh's harsh response also caused Moses to lose hope. Hence his protest to God that coming before Pharaoh worsened the people's plight. When God assured him that He will bring Pharaoh to his knees, Moses demurred, "If the Israelites will not hear me, how can You expect Pharaoh to be responsive?" Both Moses and the people were afflicted with kotzer ru'ach; neither could focus on the possibility of a soon-to-be better tomorrow.

It is now close to two years that we have been living with the burden of COVID-19 and its variants. The high hopes that the vaccine would soon bring an end to the scourge that has affected personal health, economic stability and normal and easy socialization. Zoom and other technological advances have provided but a measure of compensation for the physical separation that has prevented loved ones being at the bedside of ill family members and physically sharing occasions of both joy and grief. Our sense of impotence in dealing with the reality of the plague is heightened by the bitter rupture in our society as a vocal minority continues to resist vaccines and masks.

The sad reality is that the glimmer of light offered by medical and scientific advances is not an assurance that we will soon see the return to life as it was before COVID-19. The challenge before us in 2022 is to resist the kotzer ruach and continue to take all recommended and logical precautions. We dare not lose hope that the coming year may ultimately be a happy one.

—

From the holy city of Jerusalem, my best wishes a Shabbat Shalom u'Mevorach, a Shabbat of peace and blessing and a wonderful and redemptive 2022.

A Moment of Torah with Rabbi Neil Sandler – Parshat Va'era

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A Moment of Torah with Rabbi Neil Sandler

Parshat Va'era - Expressing Appreciation… to the Ones We May Not Consider

By Rabbi Neil Sandler

A strange thing occurs early in this week's Torah Portion, Va'era. As the narrative of our people's travails continues, God reveals God's self to Moses differently from the divine revelations to earlier Patriarchs and Matriarchs. The Holy One has heard the moaning of the Israelites and calls upon Moses and Aaron to act by delivering God's powerful words we will eventually read, "Let My People Go!"

And then the narrative stops. It will soon return to the story of Moses, Aaron, the Israelites, and Pharaoh. But, first, the Torah has something to say about the children of the Israelites' tribal leaders.

Lots of familiar words and actions amidst the Israelites' deplorable conditions in Egypt… and then a list of names, many of whom we will never see again in the Torah. Why does the Torah pick this moment to share these names? I don't know. But it occurs to me that in this moment the "Children of Israel" become something more than an anonymous group of people. Each one of these individuals has a name. Each one moans under his own burden and, paradoxically, brings benefit to Egypt through his labor. Together, these largely nameless "Children of Israel" constituted a community. And each one of them had a name, largely unknown to us or forgotten.

I encourage you to read this brief, but beautiful, column that Rabbi David Wolpe wrote about other people who, to us, may be nameless or forgotten. Together, they represent the firm structure that allows any organization, congregations included, to exist and thrive.

COVID-19 has had a significant impact on how our congregation functions, but much remains the same. Each day, a mail carrier delivers our mail. Repair people come to the synagogue to fix whatever is not working properly. Delivery people bring supplies. These people have names, but we don't know them. While each one is carrying out a job for which s/he is paid, do we ever think about the contribution that person makes to the functioning of our congregation? Numerous congregants quietly volunteer their time to make the synagogue "work" and thrive. We might recognize their names if they appeared on a list, but who are these people? Do we offer them our thanks? Some of us know the names of the members of our congregation's facility staff. They devotedly assure the well – being of our beautiful synagogue building. How often do we express our appreciation to them for their dedicated efforts?

We will never know the names of all those people who contribute to the well-being of our congregation. But the Torah's interruption of the Israelites' narrative in Egypt mentions names of people, many of whom are otherwise unknown to us among those who together comprise the "Children of Israel." Let us take a cue to remember and thank those people of our larger synagogue community, the ones whose names we know and the ones we do not know, who contribute in ways we may seldom consider.

Thank you for the part, both big and small, you play in the life of our congregation. Without you, we would not be the same. May you continue to help us thrive. Susan joins me in wishing you and your loved one's good health and well-being throughout 2022. Shabbat Shalom.