Monday Monday (La Da, La Da Da Da) - A Normal Monday for Fall Semester

In this second installment of my "normal" days, I'll provide some insight into my normal Monday. In the States, the work week begins on Monday. In Israel, it starts on Sunday. So while I am at school on Sunday, I have to reconcile the changing dynamic of starting the week after Shabbat, as well as pay attention to the idea that the rest of the world is still having a weekend. Mondays are the day that it feels like it begins to feel like we are not so far removed from the rest of the world, except that we're already on the second day of the week already. It's confusing. But it works.

More Hebrew

Monday is a BIG Hebrew day. We have a double portion of Hebrew class (with a very different emotional feeling than the double portion of manna for Shabbat). I wrote about this class in the post about Sunday, but suffice it to say that Mondays feel more like the summer session because of the quantity of Hebrew lessons. 

More Grammar

Yup. More biblical grammar. Fun times. More fun moments with Sima.

Bible

This is, by far, my favorite class. The class is taught by the same person who taught my Intro to Biblical History class, Joel Duman. We take a section of Torah, create our own translation from the Hebrew text, and in doing so, learn about what the text is really saying. For example, in Genesis 28:12, the JPS (Jewish Publication Society) translation reads, "He had a dream; a stairway was set on the ground and its top reached to the sky, and angels of God were going up and down on it." However, a translation that is more loyal to the text would read, "So he dreamt and, lo and behold, there was a stairway was placed towards the ground and its head arrived at the heavens and, behold, Angels of God went up and down on it/or through Jacob." I could go into the specific differences in our translations, but the thing that Prof. Duman brought in is that historically, the "staircase" that Jacob could have been imagining was not necessarily a staircase as we understand it. Instead, it was more likely a reference to a Ziggurat, which was a Babylonian sanctuary with, wait for it, a STAIRCASE in its front that the priests would walk up to enter the center altar of the temple. This is just one example of how this class has opened my eyes to look at the Bible as a piece of literature and in a whole new way. Further, It has inspired me to really look at a more linear translation so that the power of the Hebrew words can become clearer. This class always ends too early for my liking, but it's a lovely "dessert" after a full hebrew "meal."

On Any Sunday Morning - A Normal Sunday for Fall Semester

Yeah, it's November. We're more than half way through the semester. But unlike my recent summer session review, how about a review of a normal week for Fall Semester written DURING Fall Semester?! Of course, no week is normal. There are always special programs, speakers, etc. Hopefully, though, this will provide a taste of a relatively normal week in my life.

Grammar

We begin with biblical grammar. This is a class where we learn the nuts and bolts of the Hebrew language as it is used in the Bible. The class is taught by an incredible woman named Sima. She's the kind of person who will say things like (and these are all real quotations), "Oh I'm so sorry I just made that mistake. I will go to the Kotel after class." or in reference to the letter ayin (which is usually silent in modern pronunciation), a student said, "You don't tend to hear it." To which she replied emphatically, "You don't tend to PRONOUNCE it!" Or "Sarah Imanu (our matriarch), Rachel Imanu, Tovah…she wasn't imanu." Or while discussing whether the city Beer Sheva is masculine or feminine in Hebrew, "Have you ever been there? There's no way Beer Sheva is feminine." Or "If the text is not vocalized, only the context will help you. Or God." Or "There are flying chickens, okay. There are flying students when they're not with me." Suffice it to say, she keeps the class interesting! I'm learning a great deal, though, even though it is one of the more challenging classes I'm taking.

Hebrew

This class is the same as the summer Hebrew ulpan. Same teacher, same class, mostly a continuation of the same material. The hours have gone down, though, to make room for other classes. Instead of about 16 hours a week of Hebrew, we now only have about 7. It's still intensive Hebrew, though, don't you worry!

2nd Temple History

This is a class I just cannot sink my teeth into. Yes, this is a really important time in Jewish history (but really, isn't EVERY period of Jewish history important?), but history is just something I have difficulty getting motivated to accomplish. If I have learned anything in the process to get to this point in my life, however, it's that it doesn't matter whether or not I'm passionate about the material; sometimes the task just needs to get done. That's how I'm approaching this class. Don't get me wrong, the teacher is incredible and extremely well learned. But do I really care about Menelaus? Not really. (Just in case you're wondering, I did properly ID him on my recent mid-term… He replaced Jason as High Priest in 171, changed position of High Priest to be representative of the crown in Judea instead of the Jewish nation, and helped Antiochus plunder the Temple’s treasury. He was also seen as a puppet by the Jewish community. Boo yah.)

Minchah/Text of the Week

This is always a treat. Every week, two students (sometimes just one, but usually a student will lead and another student will serve as "Cantor") lead our community in an afternoon service called Minchah. I led the service once (blog post here), I served as "Cantor" for another classmate, and other students have started calling on me to play guitar for their services (which I am thrilled to do!). I love these moments because I get to learn from and am inspired by my fellow classmates. Even today, my classmate Rebecca led the service and encouraged us to stay focused and find the intention in our seemingly rote practices. When I felt my phone vibrate during the Amidah, I told myself, "Don't pay attention to it. Stay focused." And sure enough, it worked! Thanks Rebecca!

After the service, we get to learn a text from one of the incredible faculty on campus. Sometimes the text is from Torah, sometimes from Talmud, and sometimes it's a collection of texts towards a certain end (such as when one of the Hebrew teachers brought in a collection of texts about freeing the captive shortly after Gilad Shalit was released). However it's presented, it is always fascinating.

Rabbinical Elective

This is another really cool class. After a day of lots of Hebrew, some history, and some praying, this is the chance to help tie it all together. This is, in fact, the only class that we have where we are broken up into programs. For the Rabbis, we get two 6 session mini-courses from four different Rabbis on our campus. The first mini-course was taught by Rabbi Michael Marmur, the VP of Academia for HUC-JIR. He is an INCREDIBLE teacher and I loved every minute I spent with him in the class. The course was about what it means to be a Reform Jew. We had to read at least 150 pages of texts about Reform Judaism and then write a paper. The paper title had to include some variation of the theme of "Why I am a Reform Jew." Some people changed the title to "Why, I AM a Reform Jew," while others wrote, "Why am I a Reform Jew?" My friend Michael titled his paper, "Aw Crap, I AM a Reform Jew." It was fascinating to see my development from my admissions essay to this paper, since I covered a similar topic in the former. It was a fantastic class. This half of the semester, we are learning about text study with one of the other Rabbis here. He has a very different approach, but I am still learning a lot. More importantly, I'm also learning about what it means to be an editor when putting together text studies in order to teach a certain lesson.

And that's a "normal" Sunday! It's long, but no longer than any other day. It's engaging and spiritually fulfilling. It is the most rounded day of the week based on what we do in the various times. It's a wonderful way to start the week.

Reflection on Summer Session

What did we do after our first day of class? Saw Harry Potter..

Since it's November, and the rain has been falling for almost a week now, I'd say it's time for me to actually write a reflection on the summer session. 

On the whole, the summer was filled with 75% Hebrew ulpan (literally, "studio" but used normally as a class to learn modern Hebrew) with 25% other fun classes. It was a great introduction to the year ahead, and a fantastic way to start getting to know my other classmates and the city we're sharing. 

There were four basic elements to the summer session: T'filah (prayer) on Sunday morning, Torah Cantilation (how to chant from the Torah), an Introduction to Biblical History, and of course, Hebrew Ulpan.

Sunday starts with T'filah

I previously wrote about our first morning t'filah experience together as a class, but it's different to write about it now, after the fact. The summer services were their own ulpan t'filah where we learned how to engage with prayers. We learned the difference between weekday and shabbat melodies, and now, all of my classmates and I can chant the weekday nusach (chanting melodies). Sometimes, I wish we still had that and learned more during t'filah, but that's a post for another day :).

Cantilation

In this class, we learned how to chant from the Torah. We learned all about the different signs and now, I can chant from a chumash (book of Torah) with about 75% confidence (there are still some sign combinations that trip me up). It may seem like a basic thing, but learning things like this is why I wanted to come to Rabbinical school. I didn't learn it as a kid, it's a skill I'm going to need to use a lot in the future, and now I'm learning it. Full circle, and success!

Biblical History

This was one of these classes where if you were previously firm in your belief that the whole Tanach (Torah, Prophets, and Writings) was written by the hand of God, after this class, you probably no longer held that opinion. I was lucky enough to be in a section with an incredible scholar named Joel Duman. I wrote about this class earlier in the year as well, and the message is still something I ask myself long after the class ended: How important is history for us? The take-away from this class was that when I read the Tanach, nearly every line needs to be followed with, "well, maybe." The Jews were actual slaves? Well, maybe. Josiah was the best king the Israelite nation ever had? Well, maybe. God didn't want David to build the Temple? Well, maybe. It was an incredibly fascinating class that has opened my eyes to the question of the purpose of Tanach. At the same time, though, my faith in its lessons, and my disdain for those that dismiss those lessons just because the Tanach is not 100% literal truth, has grown exponentially.

Ulpan

Here was the most oft-asked question I received from friends and family back home: So, has your Hebrew improved? My response: Well, imagine working on a skill fro 5 hours a day, 5 days a week. If my Hebrew isn't better, I'd better get a refund! The class was great and I did learn a great deal. I think my Hebrew has improved, but there is still a great deal of work to go. While we still do take Hebrew, the summer was great because of how much time we got to spend just working on Hebrew. 

As for my normal Fall schedule? Well, you'll just have to stay tuned! :)

Shavua tov!

What Do You Keep in Your Pockets...on Shabbat?

Not me. But he's happy that has empty pockets on Shabbat. Like me.

What is in your pockets right now? My normal pocket contents include keys, a cell phone (or since we've been in Israel, an Israeli cell phone and an iPod Touch), and a wallet. They are necessary things for every day tasks.


But what about on Shabbat? Shabbat is a time to refrain from the mundane, separate yourself from the every day tasks, and engage with holiness. 


Every Friday, I take stock of what is in my pockets. For the last few months, I've given thought to every thing that I carry with myself. Do I really need a wallet to walk to shul? Nope. Do I really need the iPod? Nope. Do I really even need the cell phone? Usually, no.


Since I have started this practice, I find myself better able to enjoy the peace and serenity of Shabbat. I take the time to disconnect a bit from the everyday, the mundane. 


Will I continue doing this when we're back in the States? Probably. Of course, I'll likely need to have a drivers license to get to shul, so I will bring a wallet, but only with the things I really need inside. 


Can you do this too? Absolutely! Just take stock of the things you carry with you every Shabbat. Hopefully, it will allow you to also open yourself up to the joys and rest of Shabbat.

The True Meaning of "Regel Achat - On One Foot"

Today, I gave my first d'var torah (literally, "word of Torah" although usually translated as "teaching" or "sermon") as a Rabbinic student. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out! Special thanks to Rabbi Yoshi for mentoring me during the writing process, Cantor David Berger for his guidance in its delivery, and Todd & Vlad, who led the service today and encouraged me to give this teaching in front of the pulpit. I hope you enjoy, but more importantly, I hope you learn something. 

We’re all familiar with the story. Most of us have probably even done text study with the story. In fact, if I asked, you could probably even tell me the story - while standing on one foot.

But what is the REAL lesson from the story?

The Talmud in tractate Shabbat 31a teaches that a heathen once came before Rabbi Hillel, saying, “Teach me the whole Torah while I stand on one foot.” Hillel responded in Aramaic:

 דעלך סני לחברך לא תעביד. זו היא כל התורה כולה. ואידך פירושה הוא. זיל גמור! 

Da’a’lach s’nei l’chav’rach la ta’aveid. Zo hi kol haTorah kulah. V’idach peirushah hu. Zil g’mor! “What is hateful to you, do not to your neighbor. That is the whole Torah, while the rest is the commentary thereof; go and learn it.” 

A simple approach to this text would, indeed, imply that this heathen intended to learn the entire Torah while standing before Hillel on one foot. But Rabbi Marcus Jastrow suggests that the phrase, “רגל אחת” could also mean “one reason” or “one basis” or (PAUSE) “a foot to stand on.” In other words, perhaps the heathen was saying, “Teach me the one most important tenet of the Torah while I stand before you.” Hillel then responded appropriately: the most important principle in Jewish tradition is to treat others the way you wish to be treated. 

So what does that REALLY mean? How can we see this lesson in action? 

In this week’s parashah, it’s a hot day and Abraham sees three men who appear near his tent. When he sees them, he runs up to them, bows to them, offers them water and invites them to sit in the shade. He then offers to bring them “a morsel of bread.” They accept, but instead of just bringing out some bread and water, Abraham has Sarah bake cakes with the best flour, he goes and chooses a really good looking calf from the flock and instructs a servant, possibly Ishmael, to prepare a calf roasted in curds and milk, a local delicacy, and then he waits on his guests while they enjoy this feast. The Torah goes into exceptional detail of Abraham’s hospitality, possibly to set the stage for a similar story in the same parashah.

Later, Lot is visited by two angels. He greets them and bows; invites them to spend the night and rest, but they say they are more interested in spending the night in the square. Lot refuses this idea and urges them strongly to come to his house. So they do and they have a feast.

One of these characters gets a message from his guests of an impending birth. The other has his city destroyed. 

What can we learn from these stories? The Talmud teaches that Lot acted inappropriately, as Rabbi Eliezar said, “From here we may derive that one may refuse a lesser man, but one may not refuse a great man.” In other words, Lot should have accepted the angels’ wishes, even if welcoming them gave Lot great personal satisfaction. Rabbi Eliezar goes on to say that when Abraham says that he will fetch a morsel of bread and brings back a feast, we learn that “the righteous will promise little and do much. The wicked, on the other hand, say much and perform not even a little.”

Abraham, in this act of extreme hospitality is actuating the ideal of treating others the way we want to be treated. Whereas Lot only cared about his actions as host, Abraham maintained a guest’s mentality. He understood what these strangers would need on a hot day after a potentially long day of travel. He didn’t care that he had just had a pretty major operation, nor that the day was hot for him and his family as well. Instead, he only cared about making his guests feel welcome.

As Jewish professionals, we must have this mentality. We must constantly ask, “What are the needs of our community?” In dealing with sensitive situations or life-cycle events, we must ask ourselves, “What are the needs of this person right in front of me? Does this person really need to hear my life’s story? Or do they just need someone to talk to?”

It might be the most difficult part of our jobs. Yet it may also be the most rewarding, as sometimes, the person or community we help may respond with a nod, a hug, or a thank you. 

May we welcome our guests and each other like Abraham and Sarah. And may we remember the true meaning of רגל אחת.

Boker tov.

Gilad's Back. Nu?

It was a huge day.


It was a huge day for many reasons. We gave up prisoners. Lots of them. And in return, we got one guy. But he wasn't just any ordinary guy. He was "everyone's son." Whether he knew it or not, he was the symbol of the Israeli prisoners of war. He was the embodiment of much more than just a tank driver behind enemy lines. He was this guy:

He left a soldier. He came back a soldier.


Much has been said about the virtue in this deal. Without getting too deep into the discussion, I wish to add some thoughts on the reaction to his re-appearance, his return, and the inevitable question: what now? I do not do this to be provocative (although comments are always appreciated). Instead, my main goal is posterity. The main purpose of this blog is share our adventures in Jerusalem and to write them down for our own posterity. If we can generate some discussion, it is a lovely yet unintended consequence.


Gilad's Reappearance
Israel is really well known for their intelligence network. I mean, it's the stuff of legends. Even on a show like Royal Pains, the multi-bajillionare character has a Israeli security force. They're good. So how is it possible that they had no clue where Gilad was for 5 years? This is a HUGE question. So far, the only answer I have heard is that those who had him captured just did a really good job at making sure he never saw the light of day (clearly, by his appearance) and they also did a good job of keeping their mouths shut. Something that might instill fear in some. We may never know the real answer, but it is a question people are asking.


Gilad's Return
The above picture is the one that will likely stick in the minds of Israel forever. The first thing he does when he returns to Israeli soil is salute the PM?! Seriously?! Kid's smart. Beyond the images of his return, a lively debate occurred in Israel surrounding the other big question: was one person worth all of those other people, including murderers? I read an interesting piece in Ha'aretz (I couldn't find it again) where a Rabbi looked at the Halachah on this issue. The interesting thing is that there is strong Halachah on both sides; the inference being that some sources said he should be brought back for a more equal value, other sources saying that you never leave a soldier behind, no matter what the cost. The piece concluded that at the end of the day, this deal was the right one to make at this time. Yes, it's a heavy price to pay, but it was the right decision to bring him home. In another paper, a poll was done of Israelis about how they felt about the decision. An overwhelming super-majority (upwards of 75%) said that bringing him home was the right call.


What Now?
Many people are now skeptical about what will happen next. The pessimists will say that these prisoners will go right back to engaging in terror. I, however, remain optimistic. Here's why: THE UN VOTE. Yup. The UN vote. Right now, the world is watching Palestine with a high-powered microscope. And the question the world community is asking is "can this population create for itself some sense of security?" If the Palestinians are smart, and I hope they are, they will reign in these shmucks. The minute suicide bombers attack Israel in highly populated, more significant regions (such as Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, etc. and not just rockets coming in from Gaza and hitting S'derot and Ashkelon), the UN will crush their hopes for their own state. In short, if they want to sit at the big kid's table, they need to act like big kids. For this reason, I am optimistic about the security of Israel's citizens.


Now that the dust has settled, the tent has come down, and life is returning to normal, I look back on that incredible day just over two weeks ago. And I only have one thought:


It was a huge day.