Adas Israel - Mason City, IA

Torah Thoughts 22 November 2019

"Torah Thoughts" is a regular feature of Adas Israel the Jewish Congregation of Northern Iowa and based in Mason City. Each week we take a quick look at the Torah Portion and offer some thoughts. Also today we've got our service schedule for December. Thanks for coming by!

This week we read, again, from Bereishis (Genesis) 23:1 - 25:18. The portion is called Chayei Sarah or "the life of Sarah". There is much to learn here including the Jewish practice of respect for the dead and our continued concern about the future. Let's go:

Here we read that Sarah dies at the age of 127. Avraham purchases a burial place for her in Hebron in the cave of Ma'arat HaMachpela. The interaction with the people there is striking as Avraham says, "I am an allen and a resident among you; grant me an estate for a burial site with you, that I may bury my dead from before me."

Again we see the humility of Abraham and the honesty. His purchase of a burial site is a key tradition for Jews yet today. In tiny communities and in large cities the first two things that Jews do is establish a Jewish cemetery and build a mikvah. Then they can go about the business of building a synagogue. The opportunity to honor the dead and also bless the living is a time honored tradition.

We also read that Abraham sends out his servant, Eliezer back to the "old country" to find a wife for Isaac. There are some strange conditions but Rivka (Rebecca) unknowingly meets them. 

There is a story here about what seems to be a small thing...but it is quite meaningful.

Eliezer travels and meets Rivka who gives him water to drink.  The Torah says, "And she finished giving him to drink. And she said, 'Also for your camels I will draw water until they finish drinking'" (Genesis 24:19)

What is interesting is that the Torah says that she will "draw water" rather than, "I will give the camels to drink."  What is the meaning here?

A great Spanish Rabbi, the Abarbanel, says that Rivka was careful not to say anything that would be untrue. That's why she said she would draw water, as if to say, "I don't know for sure if they will drink but I will draw water for them. If they want to drink, they can drink."

There is a story about Rabbi Refael of Bershid who was always very careful to refrain from saying anything that was untrue. One day he entered his home while it was raining outside. When asked if it was still raining he said, "When I was outside it was raining." He didn't want to mislead in case it had stopped raining.

While this might seem extreme the lesson is clear: If a person is careful with keeping to the truth in such instances, he will definitely be careful in more important matters. On the other hand, if a person is careless with the truth, he can even be tempted to lie in major ways.

What a lesson for our time.

Service Schedule at Adas Israel

We will meet for Eve Shabbat on Friday the 6th of December at 7:15pm and then our Midrash (Bible Study) will be on Shabbat (Saturday) the 7th at 10:00am.  Everyone is invited to attend and learn a bit.

Have a wonderful Shabbat!

 

 

 

Torah Thoughts 15 November 2019

Hello friends and welcome to Torah Thoughts from the Jewish Congregation of Northern Iowa, Adas Israel, based in Mason City. Grateful that you have come by. This week we read from the fourth chapter of Bereishis (Genesis) the portion called Vayeira which, in Hebrew, means "He appeared".

"Hashem (G-d) appeared to him (Abram) in the plains of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance of the tent in the heat of the day."

Mind you this is just days following the self-circumcision of Abram and the Torah is clear that it was a hot day. What happens next tells us a great deal about the character of Abram.

"He (Abram) lifted his eyes and saw: And behold! Three men were standing over him. He perceived, so he ran toward them from the entrance of the tent and bowed toward the ground. And he said, "My L-rd, if I find favor in Your eyes, please pass not away from your servant."

Let's try to unpack what we have learned and let it be a lesson for us all.

We first learn that G-d appeared to Abram just as G-d appears to us each day. But, the question is do we...see? For people of faith it's not difficult to see the work of G-d on a daily basis. Be it in nature or in the personal interaction we have with others. Just this week in a phone call I experienced how G-d works to put people into our lives. The call to D.C. was a business conversation that quickly turned to issues of faith, equality and humanity. A conversation that should have, in the normal course of business, taken a couple of minutes stretched into forty-five. I have never met Wendy, other than by phone, but we shared so much in that time and it truly made my day.

It's a G-d Thing

We hear that all the time...and it is true. G-d gives us the ability to see if we simply open our eyes. Notice that Abram "lifted his eyes". in other words seeing the divine, be it in nature or in others, requires us to do something. And then Abram does something extraordinary. After perceiving that the beings were holy he gets up and runs toward them and in true humility asks them to stay if he is so...favored.

Abram, three days following circumcision, is now rewarded by G-d for having carried out a commandment and by doing so has elevated himself to a new spiritual plateau. When people carry out great deeds G-d shows himself to them. We see it time after time after time in the Torah.

What Can You Do?

What mitzvah (commandment) can you do today that will open your eyes?  Perhaps visit the sick, give to charity, read Torah, put down the cheeseburger... When you do a mitzvah the blessing is really yours.

May you have a peaceful and purposeful Shabbat!

Service Schedule - December

I am so sorry that mechanical issues kept me from being with you this month but, I understand you had a great Midrash. Thank you to everyone who participated.

Our December services will take place on Friday the 6th of December at 7:15PM and our Midrash (Torah Study) will be held on Shabbat (Saturday) the 7th (Pearl Harbor Day - A National Day of Remembrance) at 10:00AM. All are welcome to attend and we look forward to seeing you.

Shabbat Shalom!

 

 

Torah Thoughts 7 November 2019

Each week we take a look at the Torah Portion of the week and offer up Torah Thoughts from the Jewish Congregation of Northern Iowa, based in Mason City. Thanks for coming by!

This week we read from the Book of Bereishis (Genesis) 12-17. The portion is called Lech Lecha meaning "go" as we read G-d speaking to Abram: "Go for yourself from your land, from your relatives and from your father's house to the land that I will show you."

And so we start the journey with the man and woman (Sarah) who will become the parents of our faith. The interesting thing about this first sentence is that it is a commandment to "do something". Faith, without actually doing something, fails in its call to live a life of purpose. Here we see Abram (who later would become Abraham) commanded to step out of his comfort zone. To leave all that he knew and move on to a cause.

Also in this reading we read where G-d gives to Abram, and the entire world, this message, "I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse; and all the families of the earth shall bless themselves by you."

Pretty stunning. Is it any wonder that Israel, among all the nations in what we call the "Middle East", is truly a land of milk and honey. Deserts that grew nothing are now rich with produce. Israel is a technological wonder having given the world drip irrigation, roof top solar water heaters, USB drives. In every area from mathematics to medicine to optics Israel creates. Yet, there is also hatred. And that hatred brings a curse of instability, war, famine....the list is endless.

This is not to say we, as Jews, are superior. We do, however, have a mission to do what we can to repair a broken world so that truly "all the families of the earth shall bless themselves".

It is more than a faith it is a responsibility.

In this Parsha we read about the trip to Egypt the birth of Ishmael, the Mitzvah (Commandment) of circumcision and the promise of a child to Sarah.

It is a stunning story and one we'll talk about this Shabbat and at our Midrash.

Shabbat Schedule

We will meet for Erv Shabbat at 7:15 Friday evening and then our Midrash (Study Session) on Shabbat (Saturday) starting at 10:00am where we will dive deep into this week's Torah Portion.

Everyone is welcome. See you in Shul!