The Real Meaning of Hanukkah

What is the real meaning of Hanukkah? Hanukkah has two different “real meanings” which compete for our attention. We can see this competition in the descriptions of HanukKah offered in two well-known Hanukkah songs. Maoz Tzur and Mi Yimalail present contradictory explanations of Hanukkah.

 

Maoz Tzur which describes God saving us, emphasizes the rededication of the Temple, Chanukat HaMizbei’ach. The Hebrew version of the song does not mention the military struggle or the Maccabees.

Mi Yimalail describes heroes saving us. It emphasizes the victory of the Jews over the oppressing enemy. It says, “In every age a hero or sage comes to our aid.” It contains no mention of God or of the rededication of Temple.

The contrast between these two songs expresses an ongoing debate in our tradition over the meaning of Hanukkah. In our time we may not be aware of this battle. But it has been going on for centuries.

It began in the ancient world. The Rabbis were in conflict with the Hasmoneans. After their victory, the Maccabees installed themselves as the rulers. Beginning with Jonathon, Judah’s brother, they created what is known as the Hasmonean dynasty. They became the High Priests with political and religious authority.

The rabbis viewed the Hasmonean claim to the position of High Priest as illegitimate. And the Rabbis believed that these Hasmonean High Priests misused their power. They became corrupt and too concerned with maintaining power and acquiring wealth. The rabbis did not want to honor the Hasmonean rulers or draw attention to the victories of the founders of the dynasty.

In addition the rabbis wished to distant themselves from the zealots of their own who had led a disastrous rebellion against the Romans.

The rabbis’ view of Hanukkah can be seen in the contrast between how they handle Hanukkah and Purim the other late Jewish Holiday.

In our minds Hanukkah and Purim have similar status. But the rabbis treat them differently. Purim is discussed in detail in the Mishnah. But Hanukkah is not even mentioned in the Mishnah. The Book of Esther is included in the Tanach, the Hebrew Bible but The Book of the Maccabees are not in the Tanach.

The attitude of the rabbis toward the Maccabees can be seen in the Haftarah they selected for the Shabbat of Hanukkah. Did they pick a section in praise of the struggle of the Maccabees? Maybe something from Joshua concerning the conquest of the land?

Or maybe stories from Judges like Gideon or Samson? No the rabbis pick a section containing the most anti-war line in the prophets.

In the Haftarah for Hanukah the prophet Zachariah declares, “Not by might, not by power, but by my spirit.”

I believe that the ancient rabbis really wanted to eliminate Hanukkah altogether. But because of the attachment of the people to the holiday, the Rabbis concluded that they could not get rid of Hanukkah so they transformed it.

The Gemora does mention Hanukkah. The military victory is given short shrift. The emphasis is on the rededication of the Temple. The rabbis tell the story of the miracle of the oil which is not mentioned in the Books of Maccabees.

 

In our time there has been a return to identification with the Maccabees. Zionism and the Rise of the Jewish State have created a greater connection to the ideas of Jewish self reliance, self-defense and strength typified by the Maccabees. The images of the Maccabees are often used in Israeli popular culture. Army units use terms from the Maccabees. Sports clubs have made use of the Maccabee name.

Israel’s leading Basketball team is Maccabi Tel Aviv. International sports competition for Jews are called Maccabiah. In Israel today you can order a “Maccabee.” It comes in bottles or cans.

So for us today, what is the central moment that Hanukkah commemorates? Do I sing Maoz Tzur celebrating the rededication of the temple? Or do I sing Mi Yimalail, celebrating the victory of the Maaccabees? I sing both songs.

In our time we need the strength of the Maccabees. Again the world seems hostile to Jews. We are under attack around the world. Jews in Europe feel the pressure. We need to be strong. In our time we need the holiness of the moment of rededication to give our lives a sense of purpose and meaning. Hanukkah can be a holiday of strength and Holiness.

As we light the candles of Hanukkah to recall the strength of the Macabbees, let us commit ourselves to strengthening the Jewish people. As we light the candles of Hanukkah to recall the rededication of the Temple let us rededicate ourselves to leading lives of holiness.

Two Cultural Opportunties

This month I want to recommend two cultural opportunities. The Chicago History Museum recently opened its first exhibit focusing on the history of Jews in Chicago. The exhibit called, “Shalom Chicago,” tells the story of the arrival and growth of Chicago’s vibrant Jewish community. The exhibit combines actual artifacts and contemporary technology. The museum draws upon stories of a few families to present the differing threads of the story. I was very impressed with quality of the exhibit and care that went into the presentation of the material in an engaging manner. I imagine that many of our members have never visited the Chicago History Museum. This exhibit should provide the encouragement to discover one of Chicago’s hidden jewels. You can read more about the exhibit here.

I was surprised to find a current Israeli film on the “On Demand” feature on our cable system. The Flat, HaDira, tells the story of an Israeli man learning more and more about his grandparents’ lives before and after World War II. Following his grandmother’s death he joins the family in cleaning out her apartment. He discovers a previously hidden aspect of their lives. I do not want to give away too much of the plot, so I will just share brief comments from some leading critics.

Roger Ebert describes it as a “spellbinding documentary about family secrets.” Leba Hertz of the San Francisco Chronicle writes “The movie feels more like a thriller and a mystery than a documentary.” Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times writes, “It tells an out-of-the-ordinary personal story and examines broad historical issues of societal memory and selective amnesia, of what is hidden between generations and what is revealed.”

I found the film to be deeply engaging. It tells a moving and unusual story while raising complex questions. It is in English, Hebrew and German with subtitles for the non-English sections.

Kol Nidre Sermon 5773

 

Do you ever listen to Car Talk? Next month Tom and Ray Magliozzi will stop creating new episodes of their radio show Car Talk. For 25 years they have answered listeners questions about their cars and laughed at their own jokes. Their website includes a section,  “Features We'd Really Like to See in All Cars. “ One suggestion is an “I’m sorry button.”

 

They write: Is there anything that we need more on the roads today than a "Sorry!" button?  We often do bad or dumb things when we drive, and we have no way to communicate remorse. It might just lead to a little more civility. As it stands now, when you tick off another driver, he or she has little choice but to remind you that you're a moron. Then you have to retaliate with a clever retort like, "Oh, yeah? Well, you're a moron, too!" Say you're sorry, though, and you break the cycle. A "Sorry!" button could defuse a lot of otherwise explosive situations not to mention, it would generate a good deal of karma.

 While we're at it, we'd like to have two buttons, "Sorry!" and "You jerk!" Except when you press the "Jerk" button ... your car still says, "I'm sorry!"

 

Tom and Ray’s suggestion should not be limited to ours cars. We need other ways to say I am sorry. How about a “I am sorry” ap for our phones. Then I could ask you to take out your phones, turn them on nd press the button at the same time. In truth saying “I am sorry” is more complicated than pressing a button.

 

We face many challenges in sincerely saying, I am sorry. First we have to recognize that we have done something wrong. Often we would rather rely on rationalization to justify our action rather

than facing the truth of our error. The second step is to accept the fact that our deed harmed somebody else. Too often we delude ourselves by claiming, “No harm no foul.” Finally we have to summon the strength to turn to the person we have harmed and sincerely say the words and make amends.

 

On occasion it takes some time to complete this three step process. We get hung up on one of the steps and it takes a while to conclude the process. 

 

Let me tell you a story. 35 years ago as I was completing my rabbinic studies  at the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, my classmates and I entered the world of placement. After spending five years as rabbinic students at HUC, after four years of college, we were finally entering the adult world of work. We were more than a bit anxious about the placement process. Here is how it worked. The senior rabbis came to Cincinnati to interview us over a period of two weeks. Then they went on to New York to interview the students graduating from the New York branch of HUC. As the process began we had no idea where we would end up.

 

We all wanted the right job. We all wanted to work with the right senior rabbi. While the senior rabbis were trying to learn more about us, we were busying trying to learn more about them. They were in contact with their friends on the faculty to get the scoop on the students. We were talking with our professors to get the real truth about the Senior Rabbis. It was my impression that the faculty enjoyed being in the middle.

 

One of our most respected professors was talking up a particular senior rabbi. This Senior Rabbi, from a large eastern city was younger than most of the other senior rabbis. Our teacher told us he would be great to work with. We all signed up to interview with him. He arrived in Cincinnati on the very first day of the two week interview process. Over two days he met with 20 of us. At the end on the second day he called me. He asked, Could he come over to our apartment that evening to talk some more with me?

 

I was chosen. I felt I had won the lottery. He came over that evening. We had a long conversation about the congregation and me. I thought I had the job.

 

The next week he went to HUC in New York. He hired one of the New York students. I would have understood his decision if he would have chosen one of my talented, exciting classmates. But the classmate he chose was not a very exciting guy. I did not understand why he did what he did. But I never understood why he had chosen this particular rabbi over me.

 

The next week, Rabbi Victor Weissberg of Temple Beth El in Chicago came to Cincinnati to interview and I met my future. Things worked out just fine for me. So I was not bitter just confused.

 

A few years ago, this senior rabbi and I happened to be serving on the national Board of the Reform Rabbis at the same time. During a break in the meeting he took me aside for a private conversation. He wanted to explain to me what had happened all those years ago. He told me that at the time. He was new in his congregation. He did not yet feel secure in his position. He was worried that I might out shine him in the eyes of the members so he hired an assistant who he thought would not be a threat. He told me he was sorry for what he had done.

 

I was so impressed that after all these years he felt moved to offer me this explanation and this apology. There is no statute of limitations on apologizing. There may be people we harmed in our past to whom we still owe an apology. Just because we no longer see them everyday, does not let us off the hook.

 

It my case the issue was between two people. Sometimes the situation is more complicated because the misdeed has impacted a larger group of people.

 

On Rosh Hashanah I spoke about sins of the Jewish people. Here I want to tell you about a sin against the Jewish people. December 17 of this year will be the 150th anniversary of “the most sweeping anti-Jewish regulation in all American history.”

 

Let me explain. In 1862 General Ulysses Grant led the first successful Union campaign of the Civil War. With a series of victories in Tennessee, he had pushed south into Mississippi.

 

As the Union army moved south it did not move alone. The large number of camp followers moving in the trail of the Union army troubled Grant. These camp followers were making a profit

by following the Union army. Some were meeting the needs of the soldiers. Others were buying up cotton in the areas the had come under control of the Union as a result of Grants victories. These cotton speculators sought to earn large profits by taking advantage of fluctuations in the price of cotton caused by that war. Some of these speculators were Jewish merchants who had followed Grant south from Kentucky. Grant responded to the presence of the cotton speculators. In anger his anger Grant imagined that all the cotton speculators were Jews and that all Jews were cotton speculators. He issued an order banning all Jews from the large area under his command reaching from Cairo, Illinois south to Mississippi.

 

On December 17, 1862, Grant issued General Order #11. “The Jews, as a class, violating every regulation of trade established by the Treasury Department are hereby expelled from the department within 24 hours from the receipt of this order.”

 

The order did not remain in force for long. As soon as word of it reached President Lincoln he countermanded it.

 

But the damage was done. Grant’s General Order # 11 impacted the Jews of America in two ways, directly and indirectly. The Order was only enforced for two weeks and only in limited areas and some Jews had to briefly leave their homes. But the impact was on the larger American Jewish community was deeper and longer lasting. American Jews felt their identity as Americans attacked by this order.

 

Professor Jonathan Sarna of Brandies University tells the story of this order and its aftermath in his excellent recent book, “When General Grant Expelled the Jews.”

 

When General Grant ran for President in 1868, the Jews of America were divided. Some saw Grant as the Civil War hero who defeated Robert E. Lee. Others saw Grant as the author of General Order # 11.

 

While I would enjoy sharing with you a careful analysis of how the Jewish community debated the election of 1868, I will save that for another time. The important aspect of the story for us today is, how did Grant treat the Jews after he was elected president?

 

Professor Sarna argues that President Grant spent his eight years in office making amends for that General Order # 11. Sarna writes, “Eager to prove that he was above prejudice, Grant appointed more Jews to Public office than any of his predecessors, and in the name of human rights, he extended unprecedented support to persecuted Jews in Russia and Romania.” He appointed a Jew to be the American Counsel-General to Romania Grant was the first American President to attend the dedication of a synagogue. He even stayed for the entire three hour service at Adas Israel.

 

President Grant could not undo the damage done by General Grant but he sought to make amends by appointing Jews to public office.

 

Grant advanced the proposition that Jews should be seen as full Americans. An idea not yet fully embraced in the 19th century.

 

When we cannot undo the harm we have done. We can make amends by following President Grant’s example and perform positive acts for the individuals or groups we have harmed.

 

The Senior Rabbi and President Grant looked at the damage they had done and accepted responsibility.

 

We are about to begin Yom Kippur, our time to honestly look at what we have done, what damage we have caused. We may have injured one person or we may have injured many people. We may have recognized right away the damage we have done. Or it may have taken us a while to accept responsibility for the harm we have caused.

 

On Yom Kippur we each need to find the way to say I’m sorry

to those we have harmed. There is no button to push. We have to do it the hard way.

 

In a few minutes we will hear the Kol Nidre melody calling us to begin the process of Teshuva, repentance. Teshuva is a three step process. First, we have to recognize that we have done something wrong. The second step is to accept the fact that our deed harmed somebody else. Finally, we have to summon the strength to turn to that person we have harmed and say the words and make amends.

 

Now is the time to begin. Now is time to look inward and honestly examine our deeds.

 

The Forbidden Fruit

This week's Torah portion tells us that the serpent speaks to the woman. He persuades her to eat the forbidden fruit.

 

The woman eats the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. She gives it to the man who also eats it. Their eyes are opened. They saw they were naked. Then they made garments of fig leaves. What did they eat?

The text itself does not say what fruit they ate. Most people would quickly say an apple. It is from the Latin translation of the Hebrew Bible. The Latin word for evil is malus and the Latin word for apple is malum.

Nowhere in the Jewish sources do we find it described as an apple.

 

Rashi says it was a fig. After Adam and Eve eat of the unidentified fruit, they realize they are naked. They use fig leaves to cover themselves. Why fig leaves? They were already standing next to a fig tree!

 

This interpretation was also popular in some Christian circles. In his fresco on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo depicts the forbidden fruit as a fig.

 

Some of the ancient rabbis argue that the forbidden fruit was an etrog. The Tradition says that the Etrog is the fruit of the beautiful tree. Its fragrance was enticing and the woman could not resist it.

Rosh Hashanah 5773

Each night Sportscenter features the ten greatest plays of the day. On Rosh Hashanah we can ask what are the greatest sins in Jewish history? Not the greatest sins committed by individual Jews. That would be too long a list. It would include Arnold Rothstein fixing the 1919 World Series. My questions is, what is the greatest sin committed by the Jewish people as a group? I think there is no question about it. It is the Golden Calf.

 

The generation of our people which witnessed the ten plagues, the generation which crossed through the divided sea, the generation which collected manna every morning built a Golden Calf to replace God. While Moses was on the top of Mount Sinai receiving the Torah, the people turned away from the God who took them out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an out stretched arm.

 

The Torah describes God responding to seeing the people worshiping the Golden calf with anger and frustration. God tells Moses, I am going to destroy this entire people.

 

Recently I learned from Rabbi Rick Jacobs an interesting Talmudic interpretation of this story. Rabbi Eliezar taught that God said to Moses, “Now that Israel has sinned, what are you to me?” All at once Moses became weak and had no strength to answer. He felt he had failed as the leader of the people and no reason to go on. But when Moses heard God say, “Let me alone that I may destroy them,” Moses said to himself, “D’var zeh Taloui Bi, This thing depends on me, D’var zeh Taloui Bi.”

 

At once Moses regained his strength. He stood up and sought mercy for the people of Israel. Moses understood that only he could act to save the people. The continued existence of the people of Israel rested on his shoulders. That thing depended on him and Moses convinced God to spare the people.

 

Today we can each ask ourselves, what depends on me? About what should I say, “D’var zeh Taloui Bi, This thing depends on me?”

 

Some people feel that everything depends on them. In our families or at work, we may feel this way. We may live or work with people who feel this way. It is no way to work or live.

 

It is important to know that some specific “thing” depends on you. There can be joy in being able to select, to choose, to identify that thing. To say this is me, this is happening because of me.

 

People need to feel purposeful. I recently learned that despite the fact that our nation is at war one of the branches of our armed services has a waiting list. Which one? The Marines! The Marines have a waiting list for boot camp. Young people want part of the sharp end of the spear. They want to be one of the few, the proud, the brave.

 

Movies are filled with stories of individuals who felt themselves to have no purpose, finding their purpose, discovering there place and time to shine. We could list countless sports movies in which the once rejected athlete emerges as the star and takes the last shot in the key game against the dreaded foe.

 

In action movies the key good guy always ends up in one on one combat with the key bad guy. It could be the sword fight on the stairs between Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone in the Adventures of Robin Hood. Or it could be Obi Wan Kenobe and Darth Vader dueling with light sabers in Star Wars.

 

In the real world individuals face key moments. In one month it will be exactly 50 years since Cuba Missile Crisis. Some of us clearly recall this turning point in the cold war. I realize that for those of you under 60, it is history. So let me provide a brief history lesson.

 

On October 16th, 1962, the American government discovered that the Soviet Union was placing medium range, surface to surface nuclear missiles in Cuba aimed at the heartland of America.

 

President John Kennedy had to decide how to respond. Many of his military advisors wanted him to launch a surprise surgical air strike on the missile sites. Other advisors urged him to mount a full scale military invasion of Cuba. President Kennedy understood, D’var Zeh Taloui Bi. He had to make the decision. It was up to him to consider how the Soviet Union would respond to military action.

 

The world was on the brink of nuclear war. President Kennedy chose to resist the advice from the generals. And instead he established a naval blockade of Cuba. He was firm with the blockade. As days passed the pressure built for military action but President Kennedy remained committed to diplomacy and blockade. After two weeks of blockade and negotiation, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev backed down and agreed to withdraw the nuclear missiles from Cuba and the United States pledged not to invade Cuba. Months later America quietly withdrew some obsolete missiles from Turkey.

 

Our lives are generally not so dramatic. We are not called upon to take the game winning shot or duel the villain with a light saber, or save the world from nuclear war.

 

Nevertheless, we can ask, “What depends on me? About what can I say, “D’var zeh Taloui Bi, This thing depends on me?” We can ask this question about our families, our work, among our friends, and the synagogue.

 

What aspect of family life depends on you, in your small family or in your larger family? Circumstances change. We change. The needs of those around us change. Times change. Where I was once needed. I am no longer needed. We can ask where am I needed now?

 

What aspect of the life of this community depends on you? Everybody does have to be chair of the budget committee. Everybody does not have to teach kindergarten in the religious school. Everybody does not have to work in gardens but everybody needs their spot.

 

Most of what we do here began with a single person saying, “D’var zeh Taloui Bi, This thing depends on me.” Years ago one person said, we need to become part of PADS. Many people responded back then and many people continue to respond. Because one person saw the matter depending on him, we have provided shelter and meals to hundreds and hundreds of people.

 

In the mid 80s, one person said we have to have a Youth Israel Trip. As a result we have sent seven groups of teens to Israel. We are currently working on the next trip for December of 2013.

 

I want to share with you the story of two young women from our congregation taking the initiative to help others. Katie Gelman started Operation Stuffed Animals. Katie describes her project,
“Operation Stuffed Animal gives toys to kids in need. We collect new and gently used animals, and send them to mission groups that travel worldwide to help children. Most of these kids have never had any toys. The stuffed animals provide joy and comfort."

 

Julia Carter following in her brother Adam’s footsteps spent last spring doing micro philanthropy on the grassroots level in Central and South America.

 

Our two Etz Chaim teens, Katie and Julia, joined together. Julia delivered stuffed animals which Katie had collected to children in a hospital in Panama. Every one does not have to go to Panama. Part of the process is understanding one’s unique role.

 

Near the end of camp this summer, one of the Chalutzim counselors told me she was thinking about returning for a third summer as a counselor in our Hebrew immersion program. She asked me what keeps me coming back to Chalutzim summer after summer. I told her
“D’var zeh Taloui Bi, This thing depends on me.” I feel I bring something unique to the program.

 

Most people think of Frank Carpa’s “It’s a Wonderful Life” as a Christmas movie. I understand that it is really a Rosh Hashanah movie. It tells the story of George Bailey, who grows weak when he sees his life as a failure. He grows weak like Moses did after learning of the Golden Calf. George, like Moses, no longer has any strength to go on.

 

George wants to die. He declares that the world would be better off  if he had never been born. Because it is a Frank Capra movie, George’s guardian angel intervenes. George gets to see what the world in truth would be like if he had not been born. He would not have been there to save his brother from drowning. He would not been there to prevent a pharmacist from sending the poison to a customer. He would not have been there to marry his wife. He would not have been there to provide loans to help families purchase their first homes. George awakens from this vision of this alternative reality with a renewed understanding of the importance of his life. He recognizes how much does indeed depend on him.

 

In the Midrash, Moses rises from his weakness when he realizes how much depends on him.

 

God does not say to Moses, “This depends on you.” Moses says, “This depends on me.” Moses does not wait for God to assign him a task. Moses takes the initiative.

 

We cannot wait for other to invite us to act. We have to take the initiative to act. We must take charge of our own lives. As the New Year begins we should each ask ourselves, What depends on me? About what will I say, “D’var zeh Taloui Bi, This thing depends on me?”

If the Message is Right the Prophet is True

Re’eh, the Torah portion for this Shabbat speaks about false prophets. It warns the people not to be taken in by false prophets. The key is knowing whether or not a prophet is an authentically speaking for God. How do you determine if a prophet is false? One might think that the test would be to see if he can do wonders. Moses and Aaron perform wonders in Egypt. And in the Book of Kings, the prophet Elijah attempts to prove his status through miracles in his confrontation with the prophets of Baal.

 

But Deuteronomy says, “Do not pay attention to mighty deeds. Dnot pay attention wonders and miracles. Pay attention to the message. If the message is right the prophet is true. If the message would lead you astray, the prophet is false no matter how good the wonders he produces are.

 

Over the centuries religious leaders have appeared on the scene proclaiming new ideas and offering wonders as signs of the divine nature of their truth including Jesus, Mohamed, and Joseph Smith.

 

We often evaluate what a person says or does based on our relationship with that person. We dismiss prophets as false when we do not see them as ours. We dismiss the opinion of people with whom we feel no connection. And turn to the opinion of those people with whom we feel a connection. But how do we respond when people with whom we feel a connection say uncomfortable things?

 

Most of the Biblical prophets said uncomfortable things. Amos, Jeremiah, Elijah did not deliver messages which the people and the leadership wanted to hear. They criticized the  king and the population. They spoke truth to power.

 

How does power respond to truth? Power often does not want to hear the truth. The King of Judah responds to the prophet Jeremiah by locking him in a cell. His “house prophets” tell the King what he wants to hear rather than delivering the disturbing message put forward by Jeremiah. But eventually the King goes to visit Jeremiah in his cell.

 

In American society some people in power have surrounded themselves with advisors like the house prophets of the King of Judah who tell the leader exactly what they want to hear. It takes a confident leader to listen to openly to critical voices.

 

In her excellent book, “A Team of Rivals, “ Doris Kearns Goodwin describes Abraham Lincoln placing in his cabinet the men who had been his rivals for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination. They all thought that they knew more about leading the country
than did Lincoln. Rather than feeling himself under attack,
Lincoln managed to benefit from their advice. He evaluated their advice based on the quality of their thoughts. In keeping with the approach contained in this week's Torah portion, Lincoln paid attention to the messge. As the Torah teaches, if the message is right the prophet is true.

How Does One Achieve Trust?

This past Shabbat we began reading the Book of Numbers. In this book Moses does not have an easy time as leader of our people. Again and again he encounters resistance from the Israelites. They complain. They challenge his leadership.

 

In the story of the spies in Parashat Shelach Lecha, the people tell Moses they want to go back to Egypt. In Parashat Korach some of the people openly rebel against Moses and Aaron. Korach, a Levite, like Moses and Aaron, criticizes the brothers for elevating themselves into positions of leadership.

 

Korach wants to take the place of Moses. Korach is fine with the idea of a single Levite leading the people. He just wants it to be a different single Levite, himself.

 

Korach does not understand the source of Moses and Aaron’s status. Why should the people listen to Moses? Why should the people trust Moses? God.

 

Over the centuries many political leaders have claimed that their authority to rule comes from God. They argue that God made them King, therefore the people should listen to them.

 

In a democracy individuals achieve high office because people trust them enough to vote for them trust replaces faith as the source of authority. 

 

Trust that comes with political office is easily lost. Here in Illinois so many politicians have acted so poorly that many people distrust politicians as a category.

 

Trust has to be earned. I am not pleased when people say, “Trust me.” Don’t say,  “Trust me.” Show me I can trust you.

 

Actual trust worthy people do not have to say, “Trust me.” People who have earned the trust that comes with their position, do not have to remind people of their position. During his political decline, Richard Nixon said, “I am the President.” His need to make that proclamation illustrated that in fact he had lost the trust of the American public.

 

Trust has to be earned every day, in families, in friendships and in religious settings.

 

When the faculty of the Hebrew Union College gave me the title rabbi they were in essence saying, “We trust you.” When people call me rabbi they express their trust in me. I am aware that I have to be worthy of the title every day.

 

In a few weeks it will be Father’s Day. That I am the father of three is a biological fact. The trust my children place in me has been earned.

 

Sometimes those who we thought were our friends disappoint us.We discover that our trust was misplaced or sometimes we disappoint our friends and must work to again earn their trust.

 

Moses had an advantage we do not have. God could vouch for Moses.

We have to let our deeds vouch for us.

Shavuot - The Counting of Omer

Each Wednesday at this time of the year, our Hebrew school students find pictures of a popular animated television character on the door to the sanctuary. Each Wednesday we attach pictures of Homer Simpson to this door. Today the students will see 25 pictures of Homer Simpson on the sanctuary door. Why Homer? Why 25? Each Wednesday between Pesach and Shavuot we count the pictures of Homer. This is to help the students understand that we are counting the Omer.
 

When the Temple stood in Jerusalem, on the second day of Passover an omer of barley was cut down and brought to the Temple as an offering. This grain offering was referred to as the Omer. We can no longer bring an omer of barley to the temple, but still Jews count the Omer to mark the days between Pesach and Shavuot.
 

Pesach and Shavuot are linked together. In our tradition they have equal status. I recognize that Pesach is a far more popularly observed holiday among Jews today. But Pesach is only half the story. On Pesach we celebrate freedom. We recall that God took us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.
 

The freedom we celebrate on Pesach is not freedom to go where you want to go, do what you want to do. God does not take us out of Egypt and say, "Have a nice day." God takes us out of Egypt for a specific purpose. God delivers us from slavery in order to go to Sinai and receive the Torah. Pesach commemorates the beginning of the story. Shavuot commemorates the conclusion.
 

In our congregation we have created new rituals to celebrate Shavuot. The giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai is traditionally called Ma’amad Har Sinai, standing at Mount Sinai. On Shavuot we fully unroll the Torah scroll. It encircles the congregation. Leaders of the congregation hold the scroll. We stand inside the circle. Young people who have become Bar/Bat Mitzvah since last Shavuot will stand in front of their Torah portions. In turn, they will each read their Torah portions.
 

We observe Ma’amad Har Sinai, standing at Mount Sinai by standing and hearing the words of Torah. In hearing these words read by our young people, we link ourselves to those who first heard the words of Torah. We link ourselves to those who have studied these words of Torah over the centuries. We link ourselves to those who will study them in years to come.
 

We count the Omer from Pesach to Shavuot to connect the Exodus from Egypt to the revelation at Sinai. We count the Omer to remind ourselves of the approach of Shavuot. If today is the 25th day in the counting of the Omer, we can know that Shavuot is 24 days away, on May 26th.

My Devotion to Israel

In a week Israel will turn 64. This brings to my mind the Beatles lyric, “Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm sixty-four?”

Do we need still need Israel? Does Israel still needs us? I would say yes to both questions. Maybe not precisely in the same way we as decades years ago. But Israel still needs us and we still need Israel.

To say we need Israel and Israel needs us, I do not have to say that I agree with everything every government of Israel does. I do not agree with everything the government of this country does.

I am not less of an American if I disagree with a specific act of the American government. And I am not less a friend of Israel if I disagree with a specific decision of a particular Israeli government. Neither the president of the United States nor the Prime Minister of Israel consult with me on a regular basis.

I am a devoted Israel advocate. In March I once again attended the AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington. I went to learn but more than anything else, I went to lobby our representatives in Congress. I understand that Israel needs me.

As an adult I can no longer feel about Israel as I did as a romantic teenager. But I can hope that today’s Jewish teenagers will feel that way about Israel. I do more than hope. I devote significant time and energy to creating those feelings. Every three years I lead a Youth Israel Trip for the teenagers of the congregation. Each summer I go to camp where I work with teenagers in a Hebrew immersion program staffed mostly by Israelis with the theme, “Israel and me.”

As human beings our task is Tikkun Olam B’Malchut Shaddai, repairing the world under rule of God. We want to be part of building the Jewish state to be a model for other nations.

The Prayer for Israel describes the Jewish State as “Raisheet Tz’michat Geulateinu", the first budding of the blossoming of our redemption. We understand Israel to be as the prophet Isaiah proclaimed, “Or L’Goyim", A light to the nations.”

During May of 1967 I was a junior in High School. During the last weeks in May of 1967 Israel faced possible destruction. The armies of Egypt, Syria and Jordan were poised to attack with armies that could easily overwhelm Israel. The width of the Israel was in places only 14 miles, less than the distance from here to Lake Michigan. We feared that just one generation after the end of WW II, we faced another Holocaust.

Then on June 5th Israel dramatically, surprisingly defeated its enemies in six days. Suddenly we learned that Israel was not powerless. This created a major shift in Jewish self perception. Jews moved from being powerless to being powerful. Jews moved from being the object of history to being the subject. Jewish history was no longer a tale of what was done to us Jewish history became a story of what we did.

One year later as an 18 year old I made my first visit to Israel. I lived in Israel as a student for my 1972-1973 academic year. In May of that year Israel celebrated its 25 anniversary. Israel celebrated with a massive military parade. My friends and I watched in the middle of the night the rehearsal for the parade then the military parade itself.

The mood that day was one of pride, accomplishment and confidence. It seemed Israel could do anything.

Israel provided American Jews with a sense of confidence as well. At that moment of Israel turning 25 things seemed clear. Israel needed us and we needed Israel.

Since May of 1967, I have changed and the world has changed. The world stubbornly insists on continuing to change. The claim that “the times they are a changing,” continues to be true.

Despite all the changes my devotion to Israel has not changed. Paul McCartney might say, “Israel is Mine for evermore.”

AIPAC Conference 2012

I returned last night from the annual policy Conference of AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. I saw old friends and made new friends in the Israel advocacy community. 13,000 pro-Israel activists gathered in Washington for three days of speeches, workshops, conversation, and lobbying. We heard from an incredible list of leaders of Israel and the United States. President Shimon Peres spoke movingly about his sixty years as a leader of Israel. His reflections moved from his early years as a young staff member for David ben Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister to his current work as the Israel’s president. Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu spoke powerfully of the current threat of a nuclear Iran.

We heard from President Barak Obama and three of the Republican candidates for President, Former Senator Rick Santorum, Former Governor Mitt Romney and Former Speaker Newt Gingrich. We also heard from several members of the Senate and House from both parties.

I am happy to report the leaders of the American government agree on expressing strong support for Israel. We heard from several speakers that the American-Israel relationship should not be a partisan issue. Senator Johnny Isakson Republican of Georgia said that there "should not be one scintilla of light between the positions of Republicans and Democrats on the issue of the security of Israel.”

How to respond to Iran’s quest for nuclear weapons dominated the Policy Conference. Both President Peres and Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke glowingly of the strength of American support for Israel. Several American speakers suggested specific courses of action for Israel.

The person who is actually in a position to know what Israel will do was more restrained in his public description of Israel course of action. Prime Minister Netanyahu focused on describing the seriousness of the current situation. He said, “Well, I’m not going to talk to you about what Israel will do or will not do, I never talk about that. But I do want to talk to you about the dangers of a nuclear-armed Iran. I want to explain why Iran must never be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. “

President Obama cautioned against the war speculation. “Already, there is too much loose talk of war. Over the last few weeks, such talk has only benefited the Iranian government, by driving up the price of oil, which they depend on to fund their nuclear program. For the sake of Israel’s security, America’s security and the peace and security of the world, now is not the time for bluster. Now is the time to let our increased pressure sink in and to sustain the broad international coalition we have built. Now is the time to heed the timeless advice from Teddy Roosevelt: Speak softly; carry a big stick. And as we do, rest assured that the Iranian government will know our resolve and that our coordination with Israel will continue.”

Tu B'Shevat

Today is Tu B’Shevat. The number 15 is written in Hebrew Tet, Vav. When said out loud it is pronounced Tu. B’ means "in." So today is the fifteenth day of the Hebrew month of Shevat, often called the "New Year of the Trees."

You may ask, why do trees need a "New Year?" Why can’t they just join us in the synagogue on Rosh Hashanah each fall? Halacha, Jewish law, has a need to measure the age of trees. Because a tithe can only be taken from trees once they reach the age of three years. It would difficult to measure and keep track of the day on which a tree is "born." So the fifteenth day of the Hebrew month of Shevat is the birthday of all trees. In the land of Israel at this time of year the almond trees begin to bloom.

We do not currently collect tithes. We have not done so since the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in the year 70. Tu B’Shevat has taken on new meanings.

In the middle ages, Kabbalists, Jewish mystics developed a Tu B’Shevat seder which tied eating fruits and nuts in a particular sequence with the quest for hidden wisdom. In our time this custom has been revived.

In the modern era, Tu B’Shevat has become an occasion to express our connection to the Land of Israel. The early Zionist pioneers planted tress to drain the swamps and reforest the desolate land of Israel. Since 1908, the Jewish National Fund has turned to Jewish children around the world to participate in this process.

For many years we have responded to the Jewish National Fund’s appeal to plant a tree in Israel. I recall as a child bringing dimes to Hebrew School to place in a card board holder. When I reached my goal of 20 dimes, I had enough to buy a tree for Israel.

Many Jews today observe the custom to eat produce of the land of Israel that we have not yet eaten this year. This afternoon our Hebrew school students will enjoy dates, figs, and Israeli olives.