Adas Israel - Mason City, IA

Torah Thoughts Parsha Beshalach 29 January 2021

Welcome back to Torah Thoughts from Adas Israel, the Jewish Congregation of Northern Iowa and based in Mason City. Technology is wonderful, when it works....right? If you missed Torah Thoughts last week it's because there was a problem with the payment system for Typepad, the blog host. For some reason, even though the credit card information was correct, the system wouldn't take it. But we were able to get it out via our email system. If you would like to get Torah Thoughts in an email put your address in a comment and we'll add you.

This week we read Parsha Beshalach (Exodus 13:17 - 17:16). The word "beshalach" is Hebrew for "and (he) sent out". "It happened when Pharaoh sent out the people that G-d did not lead by the way of the Philistines..." Why? Because G-d was worried that if the people saw war they might turn back and return to Egypt so He took them on the long route and toward the sea. Interesting, isn't it, that G-d knew of the weakness of the people and as we know they, time after time, displayed that weakness of faith.

It took a bit but Pharaoh decided that he really didn't want the slaves to leave so he mounted his troops and went after them. And now we have that famous moment where the Jews see the war chariots coming for them from the rear while in front of them is the sea and they panic. They say to Moses, "What there were no graves in Egypt and you take us out here to die in the wilderness?"

Moses then does an interesting thing he says, "Do not fear! Stand fast and see the salvation of Hashem that He will perform for you today; for as you have seen Egypt today; you shall not see them ever again! Hashem shall make war for you, and you shall remain silent."  We all know what happened as the sea devoured Egypt but let's focus on that aspect of being silent.

"...you shall remain silent."

It is so very difficult to be silent. Our world today is full of interruptions all demanding that we not be "silent". We are always engaged. Cell phones go with us everywhere and they now connect us with everything. There is Facebook, Instagram, We Chat, text messaging, the television the radio all competing for our time and attention. How can we be silent when there is so much noise?

G-d has given us a way to disconnect and yet...connect.

It is called Shabbat.

G-d has given the Jew this one day of the week to take a breath. When we choose to observe Shabbat and turn off the phone avoid the laptop and leave the TV off we can enjoy the silence and recharge ourselves. Is it difficult? Yes but the rewards are amazing. Conversations of meaning, reading the Torah portion and pondering the wonder of life.  It's not an idle time but a time of enjoyment. And, we get to do this once a week...every week.

How do you get there?  Look, I'm not suggesting that you go "all in" but take some small steps. Avoid social media for the day. That's a start. Are those emails and texts really that important?  Can they wait a few hours?  Sure they can. To be honest, it can be difficult. Our society doesn't much honor a "day of rest" and others might think it strange that you have "shut down" for a day. So, perhaps, try it in small doses and find the reward in being...silent.

May you have a wonderful Shabbat.

 

 

   

 

Torah Thoughts Parsha Shemot 8 January 2021

Welcome back to the second post of 2021 as Adas Israel - The Jewish Congregation of Northern Iowa continues with Torah Thoughts our weekly look at the portion we've been studying all week and read in total on Shabbat.  If it feels like Passover is coming you would be correct as this week we start the Book of Exodus (Shemot) reading Exodus 1:1 - 6:1.  Shemot is Hebrew for "names" as in, "And these are the names of the Children of Israel who were coming to Egypt with Jacob, each man and his household came."

A New King

This week we recognize that new leadership was in Egypt and that new Pharaoh did not know of Joseph and how he saved the nation. And because he failed to remember history he is moved to say, "Come, let us outsmart it (Israel) least it become numerous and be that if a war will occur, it too, may join or enemies, and wage war against us and go up from the land."

Pharaoh’s soothsayers predicted the birth of a male savior of the Jewish nation, one who would free them form their bondage. Pharaoh therefore decreed that all male children born to the Jewish nation be drowned in the Nile.  The rest of the story we know. During this time Moses was born and, because of the threat to his life, his mother attempted to hide him in a basket among the reeds of the Nile river. Subsequently, Moses’ basket was found by Pharaoh’s daughter who had come down to the river to bathe. 

But, here is something you may not know: According to the Talmud, once Moses was placed into the basket in the river Pharaoh’s decree was annulled because his soothsayers told him that the savior had been placed in the Nile and there was no longer a danger. How about that?

Pharaoh’s daughter saw that he was circumcised and knew that he was born a Jew. She searched out a Jewish nursemaid for him (who was actually his mother) and she took him back to the palace where he was raised. For a few years, he was left in his mother’s care. Thus, he was raised with a dual identity, that of Egyptian and that of being a Jew.

We read this week that Moses grew and saw the misery of his people: It happened in those days that Moses grew up and went out to his brethren and saw their burdens... (Ex. 2:11)

Rashi, the great medieval Biblical commentator, notes that this verse refers not only to Moses growing into adulthood, but also to Moses growing in stature and responsibility. As Rashi explains, “Pharaoh appointed him over his household.” Pharaoh took the innovative step of appointing Moses over his fellow Jews. Remarkable but...it has happened in our time as well.

Many tyrants and despots appoint members of the victim class over the other victims. In fact, in Egypt the taskmasters were Jewish officers appointed over the other slaves to violently enforce quotas (which they resolutely refused to do and ended up suffering greatly for their disobedience). In a similar vein, cruel Jewish “Kapos” were the method used by the Nazis to control prisoners in the concentration camps.

Moses didn't merely sympathize and feel pity for them, Moses empathized with them. Sympathy is merely seeing someone’s pain and feeling bad for them, perhaps even expressing it to them. Empathy, however, is a vicarious experience of feeling what another is going through.

Moses focused his eyes and heart to see what the Jewish slaves saw and what the slaves felt; he perceived their situation through the lens of their background and their perspective. Even though he grew up in Pharaoh’s home he internalized the true plight of his brethren and his heart went out to them. Ultimately, this ability to empathize and identify with his brethren is what qualified him to be chosen as their savior.

A Message For Our Time

Oh, what a message for our time. It is so easy for us to, often, not see the pain of others because we don't, won't or can't experience it. However if we can start to empathize and start to see and FEEL the pain of others so much the better for us all.

Shul News

As I write this I received a phone call from our friend Peter Children who is in the Mason City Hospital for a "battery change" for his pacemaker. If you can take a moment and offer up a prayer for a full and speedy recovery I know our friend will appreciate that.

Have a wonderful, safe and healthy Shabbat! 

 

 

 

Torah Thoughts 1 January 2021

Welcome to a brand new secular year. Glad that you're here and welcome to Torah Thoughts from Adas Israel the Jewish Congregation of Northern Iowa and based in Mason City. This week we read from Parsha Vayechi (Hebrew for "and he lived" which is the first word in this section Gen. 47:28 - 50:26). "And he (Jacob) lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; and the days of Jacob - the years of his life - were one-hundred and forty-seven years."

As we can see, this Torah portion, opens with Jacob on his deathbed 17 years after arriving in Egypt. Jacob blesses Joseph's two sons, Manasseh (Menashe) and Ephraim. To this day it is a tradition to bless our sons every Shabbat evening with the blessing, "May the Almighty make you like Ephraim and Manasseh" .  Why is that?  The answer is that they grew up in the Diaspora among foreign influences and still remained devoted to the Torah. Meanwhile, the Shabbat evening blessing for girls is "to be like Sarah, Rivka, Rachel, and Leah". We're leaving nobody out.

Jacob then individually blesses each of his sons. Blessings are an important part of the Torah and there are many in Genesis. From the time that Abraham was given the opportunity to bless whomever he wanted the concept of giving and receiving a blessing plays an important role. Even to this day, receiving a blessing from our parents, grand-parents, the rabbi...are still considered important. The image is of the "Priestly Blessing" offered by direct descendants of the Kohan (priestly tribe).

The blessings that Jacob offers are prophetic and give reproof, where necessary.

A large number of people from Pharaoh's court accompanies the family to Hebron to bury Jacob in the Ma'arat Hamachpela, the burial cave purchased by Abraham.

The Torah portion ends with the death of Joseph and his binding the Israelites to bring his remains with them for burial when they are redeemed from slavery and go to the land of Israel. Thus ends the book of Genesis!

Shul News

We're currently working on another date for a virtual midrash and if everything goes well it could be as early as next Shabbat!  Stay tuned we'll share as soon as we know and, thank you, once again to Tracy Smith for making this possible.

Shabbat Shalom!