Rabbi Jim's Podcast

Shalom, it has been a long time.  Recently we arrived in our new home in Northeast Ohio and at Temple Beth Shalom in Hudson (www.tbshudson.org).  We also celebrated our oldest becoming Bar Mitzvah at his camp.  In this podcast are some reflections about our journey to this new place...

Happy Hanukkah! Let us pause for a moment and consider one element we often take for granted. 

Before our president speaks, I wanted to offer some Jewish perspective on the situation in Syria.

Remember the TV show Alice?  Apologies for swiping Flo's second most famous catch phrase, but it seems to fit with this week's Torah portion.  On the road to curse the Israelites, the pagan prophet Balam rides his donkey and encounters an angel.  His treatment becomes a cautionary tale for how we treat animals, yet what happens when bills are introduced to prevent people from reporting on such treatment and what might we do to further the words of our ancient teacher?

This week's Parasha tells of Moses' final 'sin' that will excluded him and Aaron from entrance into the Promised Land.  Yet, Moses' response this week was his response to a similar problem before.  What changed?  When in our lives do our same answers lead us to unintended consequences and, when does our Bible invite us to new answers? This week... The Last Time Moses Struck a Rock Another Moment of a Repeated Answer

This weeks Torah portion carries the name of a person.  I always teach that if you have a name for a Torah portion, either the person did something very good or, well, not.  Pirkei Avot makes a direct mention of this Torah portion when it comes to disputes, and Jewish tradition has a rich history when it comes to recording the winners... and losers of debates in the Talmud....

The Torah portion this week speaks to the episode in the wilderness when the Israelites are ready for their first attempt to enter into the Promised Land.  Things do not proceed according to plan and the ancient community is split by the choices before them.  While the circumstances may be different, the choices we make in our lives and in our society also are based on this fear/faith paradigm. Numbers 13

Looking at B'ha-alotkha we find an observance from the Torah that might drive many of us to plan long trips during a certain Spring holiday.  The Torah speaks of the situation when one cannot observe Passover due to being ritually impure from contact with a dead body, or if one is on a 'long trip.'  This second Passover existed so that one could remain tied to the community's holiday of Jewish identity.  Ironically, the Haftara (reading from the prophets) for this Torah portion is shared with the haftara for the Shabbat during Hanukkah, another holiday that was also...a 'do-over.' Numbers 9 Zechariah 4

For all of us affected by the storms in Oklahoma, a reflection, a biblical reminder and a prayer. II Kings Chapter 2

In the aftermath of the recent shootings in our country, I felt that we needed to rethink how we react/respond to these horrible events.  As Jews we are familiar with the face of evil whether it be Pharaoh, Haman, or Hitler.  A natural response can be to become angry, yet this may actually get in the way of how grief really unfolds in our lives.  Perhaps we need to learn how to be with such events first, then try to figure out what we do to respond.

With the events in Newtown, Conn. in hearts and minds I wanted to look to Torah.  There in the portions that surround parashat Miketz, the Torah portion of Hanukkah, we find two emotional moments echoing the events in Newtown.  In Genesis 45 we read the episode when Jacob is told that Joseph is still alive.  Think of the families who had this moment yesterday in the middle of this tragedy.  Consider what it meant to hear their son or daughter was, "...yet alive."  Then turn to Genesis 37:29-35 and we find the moment where Jacob is told the lie by the sons that Joseph was dead.  In the middle of the biblical story, are Jacob's daughters.  I believe as a nation we are Jacob's daughters today, we are those who witness the grief of devastated parents who mourn the loss of their children. Genesis 45 - JPS Old Genesis 37 - JPS Old

I delivered this sermon at Kol Nidre this year.  It was sparked by several events including the scandal at Penn State during this past year.  We wonder how such events could happen, especially at a school known for academic integrity.  Yet, this is a lesson, and even the members of the Penn State football team are a lesson for us as we wrestle with our own efforts to forgive and become better. Freeing David Sports Illustrated - 3/17/1980

Is it just in our nature to be fearful of the stranger or the 'other' in our society?  What happens when Jews forget acceptance and understanding and even begin to create strangers out of fellow Jews in our midst?  This sermon examines the 'otherness' we experience in the world and in ourselves with a reminder that Nehemiah read before both men and women at Jerusalem's Water Gate. The Wedding that was not German Ban on Circumcision Salt, Without a Blue Image No Women Allowed... Nehemiah Chapter 8

Shannah Tovah U'Metukah! A sweet and happy Jewish New Year to all of you.  This podcast is my Rosh Hashannah evening service and in it we will explore the meaning of the phrase, V'Ani Tefillati, I am my ... Tefillah. I would invite you to give to the cause mentioned in this sermon and add your piece of Tikkun, of repair to our world through your Tzedakah (charity). I have included the link below. We Are Sikhs Sikhs Donate to Wisconsin Officer Shot at Temple

Shalom and thank you for listening.  This week we are going to look at Parashat Shoftim, a Torah portion that speaks to the qualities  we are supposed to look for  when appointing judges.  Perhaps this parasha also has some lessons for those of us who are the chief justices in our court of personal opinions...

This podcast is a reflection on our trip to Washington, DC with our confirmation class.  While we were there we had a chance to tour the Supreme court and while it was nice to see an image of Moses among the 'law givers' in the court, maybe one very important image was missing...

The Torah portion this week continues with God's charge to Moses to continue to mission of freeing the Israelites.  Even after speaking from the heart of the Burning Bush, Moses continues to protest God's call.  Perhaps the question for us, like Moses, is not whether or not God calls to us, rather it is the question, "will I be ready for that moment?"  Are any of us ready for God to reveal the divine self and respond with, 'hineini?'

Recently I had the honor to write the Devar Acher for the URJ's 10 Mintues of Torah.  I want to share my reading of this passage with you this week.

I'd like to have an argument... Among the things we don't know about the Torah we can include what the dispute was about in the week's Torah portion. Maybe in our Torah, Monty Python, and in our nation we are so use to the argument, we have forgotten why we disagree, and why we must get along. PYTHONS

So the bad guy is dead...now what?  While several rush to attach a meaning to bin Laden's death, what does it really mean or is his death meaningless when the liberties we thought were promised to us as Americans are...denied...stolen...or treated as anachronisms?

The images from this week were truly amazing.  Royal weddings, massive destruction, and this week we read the Torah portion concerning how God defines holiness in our Torah.  Funny thing about holiness and nobility, at least God's definition, it is not what we usually associate with such words, rather it involves the actions of all...will it include you? DONATIONS TO HELP RELIEF EFFORTS IN TUSCALOOSA: Compassionate Coalition PO Box 1507 Tuscaloosa, AL   35403-1507

I was not alive for the McCarthy hearings, but they seemed to have the effect of turning Americans against Americans which is something most would consider un-American.  Our country has put itself forward many times as one of the places that upholds freedom and justice, thus I found it disturbing to hear about the proceedings conducted by Rep. Peter King this week.  Even more ironic that most scientific data shows that such hearings are not focusing on the real threat as was reported on NPR's Hear and Now.  So why do we need to have such hearings?  Are they about facts...or is there something deeper at work...and what might that have to do with a Torah portion about sacrifices?

When we think of our sacred structures, (synagogue, mosque, church) we often think of them as ends in and of themselves.  This week's Torah portion comes to remind us that religious structures are really vehicles for the greater connection to God we all strive to achieve.  That ability to connect to something greater seems to have been lost in the Middle East this week as we have seen a wave of riots and instability sweep across the region.  Why does God command that a Tabernacle be built so that God may dwell among the people...why do previously 'stable' governments find their people at odds or almost completely disconnected?  What might this mean for Israel and America?

The Empty Chairs we have in our lives can signal many things.  For Jacob it must have been difficult to see a place empty of Joseph every time the family gathered together.  In our day, an empty chair can be both a symbol of loss...and of hope.

When we hurt we often don't focus on the choices before, rather we focus on the pain.  Jacob is wounded in this week's Torah portion, yet at the same time he is also blessed by the 'Eish' he wrestles in the middle of the night.  So, is it our wounds that define us, or is it the decisions that we make after we survive the wound?  These scars are not just to be found on our bodies, but even within our social fabric. Beyond anger, there are many choices regarding how we respond to the wounds and scars of life.  How we respond to them is how we find our way to the blessings we might be.

I grew up in Monroeville, Alabama.  The only claim to fame that Monroeville has is that it is the setting for the fictional town presented in the book To Kill A Mockingbird. The question for us today is are we, too becoming mockingbirds?  Do we become all too ready to repeat the answers that we think that are right, but fail to think about what is truly correct?  Do we often admire and believe that our admiration will make a difference, but find that we are only the audience to those who make a true difference?  It is time to think, consider...and reflect.

When it comes to the issues facing the United States on the topic of religion, it has become very difficult to have conversations without emotions.  Even survivors of the events of 9/11 argue over what is the correct course of action regarding the proposed Islamic Center in New York.  When it comes to the proposed burning of Korans by a Florida minister, we all held our breath, hoping that such an act would never happen.  Oddly, that moment has a connection to my first student pulpit in McGehee, Arkansas.  Maybe,... just maybe, McGehee had something to teach our country about how religions should act towards each other.

It is hard to imagine, but at several points in history Jews and Arabs have managed to come together and do sacred work.  It started when Isaac and Ishmael went to bury their father Abraham.  What seemed natural then appears to be almost impossible today. This summer I began to be worried when read an article by Peter Beinart about the state of Zionism among American Jewish liberals.  It was followed by a sharp attack by Noah Pollack in Commentary Magazine. These two gentlemen were then interviewed on Radio Times and it was weird to say the least.  The stalemate in the Jewish conversation about peace and the problem with Iran may be creating more danger by sending the wrong message to our enemies.  At this point in time, we need a new paradigm, a different way of thinking about the problem that is new, innovative, and changes the landscape of the issues.

This Rosh Hashannah I wanted to share the idea that our values are the real foundations of our homes.  As we go through life, we often take our values with us whether it is praying with our feet, to the value that we place on our Judaism, home is an interpretation of our most deeply held sense of importance.

The recent events off the coast of Israel and Gaza have bothered many.  In this podcast I will explore our moral and religious duty to the issue at hand and explore those article who may (or may not) be hitting the mark. ARZA Statement NYT - Oren Krauthammer NYT - Kristof NYT- Gordis WSJ - Halevi URJ - Yoffie

How do we wrestle with the idea of meaning?  While we all believe that we understand the concept, for many it is elusive at best.  On the holiday of Passover, we are asked to engage the idea of meaning.  What does that require us to do?

This week saw a series of horrible headlines between Israel and the United States play out on the front pages of too many newspapers.  The scary piece is what has begun to happen in our country as certain generals are calling upon Israel to change and are openly questioning the relationship between American and Israel.  Having Bibi's brother-in-law call Obama an anti-Semite did not help. Please listen, consider, and then call your representatives and share your support for Israel at this difficult juncture.

In an attempt to learn Hebrew after a trip to Israel, I found myself listening to a podcast about a Purim party.  What does a Purim party have to do with searching for who we are and who we might be?  Good question.  The answer is found in the word for costume which also may imply a search for ourselves.

Terumah is the Torah portion that describes the first call for a sacred space in the Israelite community.  Interestingly some believe that this parasha is out of order, and that the Golden Calf should come first.  Should it?  I would love to hear your take on this question!

Dear listeners, As you know, I usually don't ask for money unless there is a significant cause.  This is one of those days where I feel the need to reach out to you for help.  A group of people are going down to Haiti to help that country recover from the devestating earthquake and aftershocks that have hit the country.  Please take a minute to join me in giving what you can to support this group. "All who save a life, it is as if they have saved a world." (Talmud)

These are the comments at our last Bridges program.  Bridges is the program that speaks to the transitions in life and how we address these moments a Jews.

This podcast will focus on the the issues surrounding Laban, Iran and Israel.  How could these be connected (you might ask)?  Let's just say that nuclear threats, stealing a Nobel Prize, and executing people sentenced to ten years in prison should make us wonder about the stability (mental and otherwise) of the Iranian regime.  Additionally, when Israel arrests a woman for wearing a tallit, all Jews should pause and wonder.

This week I am going to explore the most prominent non-Jew in our Torah portion, Ishmael and ask us to consider what he teaches us about ourselves.  I am doing this because Beth David is a part of InterFaithways Shabbat, a city-wide effort to deepen our relationships and understandings with interfaith families.  I will also end the sermon with a list of 10 things we need to keep in mind when welcoming interfaith families and the challenges synagogues need to overcome.

The name for an angel and a human messenger has never been clear in Hebrew texts.  This makes some wonder why the Torah and Jewish literature did not strive for a distinction, yet maybe there is a reason for this.  Perhaps the reason lends itself to why we need to hear God's word regardless of the source.

This Yom Kippur saw the end of a 104 history of a synagogue where I once served as the 'traveling rabbi.'  Beth-El of Lexington Mississippi closed its doors at the end of Neilah, the end of the Yom Kippur service this year.  While the community was small, it always sought to include everyone which is something our synagogue and our wider community struggles to do today.  L'dor V'Dor (generation to generation) is something we proclaim in Judaism, yet when we try to live it we find that we may need to think of our community in a different way.

Kashrut, or keeping kosher, is often something we don't think about in Reform Judaism.  Yet, perhaps we as Reform Jews need to be at the forefront of teaching what it means not just to eat by this word, but to live by it.  With the horrible conditions in Postville, IA and the lack of condemnation from those who follow the dietary laws of kashrut, it is a reminded that we need to follow the moral lessons of kashrut and what it means to live by them today. UPDATE: Glad to see Richard Joel, President of Yeshiva University take a stand.  Click here for article.

Coming to terms with the reality of our lives is often difficult.  We want to believe in the fantasy of the fairytale ending, but more often than not, we find that fairytales end in disappointment.  Unataneh Tokef is often considered the most hated prayer in our liturgy, yet it is also the one that expresses the greatest truths about our lives.  We (my wife and I) live a year that seemed to mirror this prayer, yet we found ourselves able to return to life.  Returning to life, ... is this not the message of Rosh Hashannah?

So, if you have never heard of Chelm, you have missed out on laughter and on the stories that make us laugh at ourselves.  This past year we went through a rough year, yet I was touched by the response of my congregation to a request to help each other.  This year, we need to take these willing hearts and move to places where we can still make differences in the new year.

What happens when a leader sets a vision?  We can arrive at a new place.  What happens when broken maps and foolish concepts continue to contain the imagination?  This is a map that did.