Rabbi's thoughts on High Holy Days and a Blessing

High Holy Days

We are entering the period of the High Holy days.  The dates are probably already on your calendar:  Wednesday, September 24^th is Erev Rosh Hashanah, Thursday and Friday, September 25 and 26, are the first and second days of the Jewish New year;  Friday evening, October 3^rd is Erev Yom Kippur, and Shabbat, October 4^th  is the Day of Atonement.

Have you ever asked why they are most often not called Holidays, but rather bring our attention to the root of that contracted word, and written as Holy Days?  And why are they called “High?”

Passover in the spring is also very holy, and certainly has elements of causing us to feel elevated, stirred, rising through the centuries of our history, approaching the path to Mt. Sinai on Shavuot.  We have so many festivals that bring us UP, that give us all an opportunity to connect with community, to relate personally to our people’s history, to renew our covenant of faith and ethics.  So why is it that in English these days have come to be given that description, that title, of High Holy Days?

Well, let’s go back to the original Hebrew names for the Jewish New Year and the Day of Atonement:

Rosh Hashanah - the Jewish New Year -  is called in the Torah Yom Teruah, the Day of sounding the shofar, a sign of judgment, the day on which it is said we are written in the Book of Life for the coming year.  It marks the beginning of the Ten Days of Awe, of prayer, self-examination, repentance, and forgiveness, culminating on Yom Kippur – the Day of Atonement - a day of fasting on which we are hopefully sealed into the Book of Life, and start again, purified, cleansed, reborn to the gift of another year of life. 

If those two days are the primary focus of what we call the High Holy Days, then we need to zoom out to a wider view of this season, as it actually begins at least a month earlier, in the Hebrew month of Elul, during which we are encouraged to reach out to family and friends and ask for forgiveness for offenses we might have committed, even unknowingly.  If we are asked sincerely, we are also supposed to forgive others (We will have a much more detailed discussion of this process of forgiveness at the Elul Workshop on Sunday, September 7 at 2 p.m.).    On the Shabbat before Rosh Hashanah, we observe Selichot, a service containing the melodies and some of the prayers of repentance to get us into the mind-set of the upcoming holy days. The Torah mantles are changed to white ones to symbolize for us a return from sin to purity.  By the time we reach Yom Kippur, we have done the work as much as possible regarding person-to-person relations, and so are ready to ask for forgiveness from God for our own failings when we “missed the mark” of fulfilling our soul’s purpose (Chet, the Hebrew word for one kind of “sin”  is an archery term and denotes missing the mark for which we have been aiming).

Let’s zoom out even farther for an even more expansive view of this season of the High Holy Days.  Four days after we break the fast at the end of Yom Kippur, we enter into the harvest festival of Sukkot, the time of inner transformation likened to a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly during its enclosed period in a chrysalis.    This joyous festival, at the conclusion of the autumn harvest of the year in Ancient Israel, was called He-chag, The Holiday, as it had such vital importance for an agricultural society.  Even though we live in modern times, and many Jews live in an urban environment, we still give thanks for our “harvest” to the Source of our bounty.  The American holiday of Thanksgiving was based on Sukkot!  For seven days (or eight days outside the Land of Israel) we enter into a small decorated hut with a leaf-covered roof through which the stars can be seen, we eat and “dwell” there as much as possible, and integrate the inner work we have achieved during the previous weeks of prayer and renewal.

When we emerge, we are ready to fly as our best selves, rededicating ourselves to our highest goals, and committing ourselves to doing mitzvoth, both in our personal lives, and as good work in our community.  Then… and we are not done yet!... comes Simchat Torah, the “Joy of Torah,” when we conclude our reading of the Five Books of Moses, and roll the scroll of the Torah back to Bereishit, Genesis, and begin our reading and study all over again, a portion a week for the entire yearly cycle.

These two months of Elul and Tishrei are filled with layers of meaning – the yearly cycle of nature, the intensity of repairing relations, reliving the lessons of Jewish history, and reconnecting with the Creator, the Holy One, the unnamable Essence of All Life.

If you would like to follow a day-by-day source on instruction and meditation, I suggest “60 Days: A Spiritual Guide to the High Holidays [sic]”  by Simon Jacobson. You will be immersed in the sensations and personal journey throughout the series of holidays that comprise our High Holy Days.

I invite you to expand your participation this year, so that these transformational days truly are for you “high” and “holy.”

Blessing for the month of Elul  5774

(August 27 – September 24, 2014)

May you  seek and offer  forgiveness during this time of preparation for the High Holy Days, and may this season be both solemn and joyous as we are stirred by the call of the shofar  to raise up the level of our soulwork during our lifetime, that precious gift.  May you be written and sealed in the Book of Living Fully, and be you be blessed with a sweet New Year.

-         Amen.

A Heart as Big as the World: Tribute to Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, ztz"l

There are so many Jews who would not have come, or returned, to Judaism if not for Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, or “Reb Zalman” as he was affectionately called, who passed away on July 3,2014, at the age of 89.  Known as the Father of Jewish Renewal, he served as guide, mentor, and teacher to thousands of people seeking meaning and relevance in their Judaism. Hundreds of people from all across the United States, representing a wide spectrum of religions and spiritual institutions, gathered at the Boulder Theater in Boulder, Colorado on Sunday, August 17, 2014 for what had been planned months earlier as a 90^th birthday celebration, but instead became a moving, ecumenical ceremony and celebration that elicited laughter as well as tears.  

Before the actual Sunday program began, photos from Reb Zalman’s archives, housed at the University of Colorado, were projected onto a huge screen, showing him at key moments of his life, including a close-up of him and the Dalai Lama smiling into each other’s eyes.  The sound track of Reb Zalman chanting niggunim - Hassidic wordless melodies - accompanied the slides.

Those who spoke and offered reminiscences and blessings included Rabbi Tirzah Firestone as MC of the memorial program, Father Mathew Fox, Founder of the Creation Spirituality Movement; Jeremy Parnes, representing ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal; Charles Lief, President of Naropa University; Rabbi Art Green, Rector of the Rabbinical School of Hebrew College; Murshid Ottinger, Senior Dervish of the Sufi Ruhaniat International, and other distinguished leaders, musicians, and academics. Reb Zalman’s wife, Eve Ilsen, a personal friend of this writer since college, sang a very loving tribute to her beloved husband, entitled “Here’s to Life” by Artie Butler, which brought everyone to tears and a standing ovation. 

A video clip of Reb Zalman’s address at the Roundtable Dialogue with Nobel Laureates in Vancouver, Canada in 2004 on “The Emerging Cosmology” showed him at his most brilliant and yet accessible, bringing in references from philosophers and scientists, and, in his typical humorous way, also using images that would speak to computer geeks and Trekkies.

An empty chair draped with Reb Zalman’s signature “rainbow tallit” was illuminated on the stage throughout the program. In addition to stories about Reb Zalman’s huge contributions over more than fifty years both in developing what has become the Jewish Renewal Movement as well as building bridges with people of other faiths through Deep Ecumenism, there were other modes of expressing tribute:  Singing a Gnostic Gospel by Hazzan Richard Kaplan, a Toglen Mieditation, and a closing ecumenical Zhikr in Hebrew and Arabic for peace.  His oft-repeated quote, “The only way for us to get together…. Is TOGETHER,” was finished by the strong response of the audience.

Reb Zalman leaves a legacy in his writings, teachings, recordings, and in the empowerment of rabbis, cantors, rabbinic pastors, maggidim – holy storytellers – and other designations to acknowledge specific talents and levels of learning. His warm voice comes through his many books, which aim to bring people closer to prayer, devotion, and heart-connection with traditional sources. He introduced Hassidic stories in his "Wrapped in a Holy Flame: Teachings and Tales of The Hasidic Masters" and himself taught through stories, traditional and personal.  He coined the phrase “Davvenology” – understanding the technology of prayer -  through such books as” The Gates of Prayer,” and “Gates to the Heart,” and offered works that were easily accessible by someone just starting on the path to Jewish knowledge, such as “Jewish With Feeling,” “Paradigm Shift,”  and many prayers reworked into contemporary English, including recordings of a traditional prayer service chanted in English.  His huge body of work includes volumes in Hebrew and English for the advanced student and rabbinical leader, such as “The Geologist of the Soul: Talks on Rebbe-craft and Spiritual Leadership,” “Spiritual Intimacy,”  “All Breathing Life Adores Your Name,” a volume of poetry and prayer, and his own translations of Psalms, to name just a few.  His work on Eldering led to his writing “From Age-ing to Sage-ing” and, more recently, “The December Project.” 

Rabbis, cantors, and former students of Reb Zalman had gathered for the preceding Shabbat to tell stories of how Reb Zalman had impacted their lives.  Among the group were two local rabbis from Northern Arizona who owe so much to the inspirational teachings of Reb Zalman: Rabbi Sarah Leah Grafstein, of Ruach Hamidbar – Spirit of the Desert – who received Smicha (rabbinical ordination)  from Reb Zalman in 1987, and Rabbi Alicia Magal, of the Jewish Community of Sedona and the Verde Valley, who received Smicha in 2003 from the ALEPH Renewal Rabbinic Program as well as from the Academy for Jewish Religion in Los Angeles, California. 

Rabbi Sarah Leah Grafstein, a student of Reb Zalman since the mid 70's has been videotaping him and Jewish Renewal events for over 30 years. She is currently working on a documentary on the impact of Reb Zalman and Jewish renewal on mainstream Judaism and other traditions. Some of her videos can be viewed on You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/user/jewishrenewal

"It was my good fortune and to have met Reb Zalman at a major turning point in my life. When I came out of the yeshiva world in Jerusalem I was seeking a way to serve G!d in holy and meaningful ways. Reb Zalman was the first Rebbe that looked into my soul and saw my potential.   He was the first Chassidic Rebbe to give smicha to women and he felt that it was a tikun/fixing that needed to be done in this generation. 

Reb Zalman said: "When the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Schneerson was asked about the role of a Rebbe, he said that a Rebbe is like a geologist of the soul. There are so many treasures in the earth. There is gold, there is silver, and there are diamonds. But if you don't know where to dig, you will only find dirt and rocks and mud. The Rebbe can tell you where to dig, and what to dig, but the digging must do yourself." Thank you Reb Zalman for teaching me where to dig."

I [Rabbi Magal] spent time at Reb Zalman and Eve's home over the past decades, for Shabbat, Passover, or just visits, and each time felt inspired by his deep knowledge, expansive warmth, caring, and humor.  He had a gift for making each person feel personally seen and appreciated for his or her unique gifts.  He empowered each of us to bring our light and joy to those we taught and touched.  Part of my rabbinic mission and vision is “Ivdu et Hashem b’simcha.”  Serve God with joy” from Psalm 100.  Reb Zalman nurtured that joy and encouraged my teaching, my wearing flowers in my hair, and my bringing expressive dance and movement to my rabbinate.

Reb Zalman had “A Heart as Big as the World” and we pray that his legacy lives on, continuing to empower people to deepen their study and prayer within Judaism, and to work for compassionate social action in the world among all peoples.

  A Heart as Big as the World: Tribute to Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, ztz"l

There are so many Jews who would not have come, or returned, to Judaism if not for Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, or “Reb Zalman” as he was affectionately called, who passed away on July 3,2014, at the age of 89.  Known as the Father of Jewish Renewal, he served as guide, mentor, and teacher to thousands of people seeking meaning and relevance in their Judaism. Hundreds of people from all across the United States, representing a wide spectrum of religions and spiritual institutions, gathered at the Boulder Theater in Boulder, Colorado on Sunday, August 17, 2014 for what had been planned months earlier as a 90^th birthday celebration, but instead became a moving, ecumenical ceremony and celebration that elicited laughter as well as tears.  

Before the actual Sunday program began, photos from Reb Zalman’s archives, housed at the University of Colorado, were projected onto a huge screen, showing him at key moments of his life, including a close-up of him and the Dalai Lama smiling into each other’s eyes.  The sound track of Reb Zalman chanting niggunim - Hassidic wordless melodies - accompanied the slides.

Those who spoke and offered reminiscences and blessings included Rabbi Tirzah Firestone as MC of the memorial program, Father Mathew Fox, Founder of the Creation Spirituality Movement; Jeremy Parnes, representing ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal; Charles Lief, President of Naropa University; Rabbi Art Green, Rector of the Rabbinical School of Hebrew College; Murshid Ottinger, Senior Dervish of the Sufi Ruhaniat International, and other distinguished leaders, musicians, and academics. Reb Zalman’s wife, Eve Ilsen, a personal friend of this writer since college, sang a very loving tribute to her beloved husband, entitled “Here’s to Life” by Artie Butler, which brought everyone to tears and a standing ovation. 

A video clip of Reb Zalman’s address at the Roundtable Dialogue with Nobel Laureates in Vancouver, Canada in 2004 on “The Emerging Cosmology” showed him at his most brilliant and yet accessible, bringing in references from philosophers and scientists, and, in his typical humorous way, also using images that would speak to computer geeks and Trekkies.

An empty chair draped with Reb Zalman’s signature “rainbow tallit” was illuminated on the stage throughout the program. In addition to stories about Reb Zalman’s huge contributions over more than fifty years both in developing what has become the Jewish Renewal Movement as well as building bridges with people of other faiths through Deep Ecumenism, there were other modes of expressing tribute:  Singing a Gnostic Gospel by Hazzan Richard Kaplan, a Toglen Mieditation, and a closing ecumenical Zhikr in Hebrew and Arabic for peace.  His oft-repeated quote, “The only way for us to get together…. Is TOGETHER,” was finished by the strong response of the audience.

Reb Zalman leaves a legacy in his writings, teachings, recordings, and in the empowerment of rabbis, cantors, rabbinic pastors, maggidim – holy storytellers – and other designations to acknowledge specific talents and levels of learning. His warm voice comes through his many books, which aim to bring people closer to prayer, devotion, and heart-connection with traditional sources. He introduced Hassidic stories in his "Wrapped in a Holy Flame: Teachings and Tales of The Hasidic Masters" and himself taught through stories, traditional and personal.  He coined the phrase “Davvenology” – understanding the technology of prayer -  through such books as” The Gates of Prayer,” and “Gates to the Heart,” and offered works that were easily accessible by someone just starting on the path to Jewish knowledge, such as “Jewish With Feeling,” “Paradigm Shift,”  and many prayers reworked into contemporary English, including recordings of a traditional prayer service chanted in English.  His huge body of work includes volumes in Hebrew and English for the advanced student and rabbinical leader, such as “The Geologist of the Soul: Talks on Rebbe-craft and Spiritual Leadership,” “Spiritual Intimacy,”  “All Breathing Life Adores Your Name,” a volume of poetry and prayer, and his own translations of Psalms, to name just a few.  His work on Eldering led to his writing “From Age-ing to Sage-ing” and, more recently, “The December Project.” 

Rabbis, cantors, and former students of Reb Zalman had gathered for the preceding Shabbat to tell stories of how Reb Zalman had impacted their lives.  Among the group were two local rabbis from Northern Arizona who owe so much to the inspirational teachings of Reb Zalman: Rabbi Sarah Leah Grafstein, of Ruach Hamidbar – Spirit of the Desert – who received Smicha (rabbinical ordination)  from Reb Zalman in 1987, and Rabbi Alicia Magal, of the Jewish Community of Sedona and the Verde Valley, who received Smicha in 2003 from the ALEPH Renewal Rabbinic Program as well as from the Academy for Jewish Religion in Los Angeles, California. 

Rabbi Sarah Leah Grafstein, a student of Reb Zalman since the mid 70's has been videotaping him and Jewish Renewal events for over 30 years. She is currently working on a documentary on the impact of Reb Zalman and Jewish renewal on mainstream Judaism and other traditions. Some of her videos can be viewed on You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/user/jewishrenewal

"It was my good fortune and to have met Reb Zalman at a major turning point in my life. When I came out of the yeshiva world in Jerusalem I was seeking a way to serve G!d in holy and meaningful ways. Reb Zalman was the first Rebbe that looked into my soul and saw my potential.   He was the first Chassidic Rebbe to give smicha to women and he felt that it was a tikun/fixing that needed to be done in this generation. 

Reb Zalman said: "When the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Schneerson was asked about the role of a Rebbe, he said that a Rebbe is like a geologist of the soul. There are so many treasures in the earth. There is gold, there is silver, and there are diamonds. But if you don't know where to dig, you will only find dirt and rocks and mud. The Rebbe can tell you where to dig, and what to dig, but the digging must do yourself." Thank you Reb Zalman for teaching me where to dig."

I [Rabbi Magal] spent time at Reb Zalman and Eve's home over the past decades, for Shabbat, Passover, or just visits, and each time felt inspired by his deep knowledge, expansive warmth, caring, and humor.  He had a gift for making each person feel personally seen and appreciated for his or her unique gifts.  He empowered each of us to bring our light and joy to those we taught and touched.  Part of my rabbinic mission and vision is “Ivdu et Hashem b’simcha.”  Serve God with joy” from Psalm 100.  Reb Zalman nurtured that joy and encouraged my teaching, my wearing flowers in my hair, and my bringing expressive dance and movement to my rabbinate.

Reb Zalman had “A Heart as Big as the World” and we pray that his legacy lives on, continuing to empower people to deepen their study and prayer within Judaism, and to work for compassionate social action in the world among all peoples.

  

Photo by Rabbi Sarah Leah Grafstein

Commentary on Torah portion Ekev

Deuteronomy 7:12 – 11:25

printed in the Arizona Jewish News August 15, 2014

“In the Footsteps of…” 

Every year when I meet again this rich narrative, a continuation of the second of Moses' three farewell talks to Israel before his death, I delight in the poetic words of promise and continuity.  Yet, It is so hard for me this week to write of the Torah portion Ekev, while listening to the news of Operation Tzok Eitan – Operation Protective Edge – in Israel, as yet another shaky ceasefire is about to go into effect.

Ekev can mean “on the heels of,” “following,”  “because of,” “as a result of,” or even “in the footsteps of.”  Moses speaks to the young generation about to enter the Promised Land about all that happened to Israel in their forty years of wandering in the wilderness.  They must remember the Torah teachings given at Mt. Sinai, and must adhere to faith in One God. If they do, it will follow that they will maintain the covenant and enjoy good health, abundant produce from the land, fertility among their people, flocks, and assurance of overcoming enemies.  What does God require of Israel for all of His generosity?  Only that they love and serve God and live by the commandments revealed to them (Deut. 10:12).

 Last week in Ve-etchanan we heard a repetition of the Shema and the beginning of the Ve’ahavta prayer. This week’s portion includes Vehaya im shamoa, the second paragraph following Ve’ahavta in our prayer service, telling of the connection between moral, ethical, treatment of people and the environment with the result of abundant rain and crops (Deuteronomy 11: 13-21).   Moses warns (Deut. 8:10) that we shouldn’t take this gift of fruitful crops for granted and take personal credit for successful harvests, but rather must remain as grateful for the miracle of growth of our food as we were for receiving the Manna in the desert. Thus, at our tables we are to say a blessing, not only before we eat, but after we are sated, in what developed into the Birkat Hamazon, the grace after a meal.

 But this year, as we reach Ekev, I want to cry out, “It isn’t fair!” Our people have tried to keep the commandments and settle the Land of Israel, developing a flourishing, democratic society, not perfect, but filled with miraculous growth, an ingathering of the exiles, with incredible advances in agriculture.  And still, we are attacked by enemies.  Should we blame ourselves and say we have not been moral enough?  We haven’t kept our covenant strongly enough? Is there another  people that examines its own actions in a conflict instead of only vilifying the "other" and that tries to avoid causing damage and death?  Our enemies press us with rocket fire, and world opinion condemns Israel for retaliating forcefully causing unfortunate loss of life.  We wish for peace, and to enjoy the Land of Milk and Honey, sharing its bounty in gratitude with all inhabitants. 

There are layers of meaning and lessons to draw from each week’s Torah reading and the commentaries from the sages. The Torah also lives within us; its messages and teachings are intertwined with current events and challenges we face personally and as a people in the outside world.   So this week, my pain and dismay at the suffering caused by war are somewhat offset by the miracles that have abounded,  showing the Hand of God,  despite the continual red alerts and shut down of normal daily life in the Southern part of Israel.  Dan Gordon, Captain in the IDF reserves, and a JCSVV member, reported incredible stories from the border with Gaza, some of which were printed in this paper and in its online guest blog section. We so deeply aim to build, not destroy; to fulfill the promise of Ekev. 

We pray that we may walk in the footsteps of our ancestors, reaping the rewards for attempting, through many avenues, to keep the commandments, and sensing hope and faith during these Seven Weeks of Consolation leading up to the time of repentance, repair, and renewal in the Jewish New Year.