Adas Israel - Mason City, IA

Torah Thoughts Ki Tavo 26 August 2021

Welcome back to Torah Thoughts from Adas Israel the Jewish Congregation of Northern Iowa and based in Mason City. Before we get into this week's parsha a reminder that we'll hold services on Erv Shabbat (Friday Evening) at 7:00PM at the shul. In addition our Midrash will begin at 10:00AM on Shabbat (Saturday) also at the shul. Finally, due to lingering concerns over COVID19 we will require everyone who joins us to have been fully vaccinated and we will practice social distancing and masks.  We simply can not take a chance friends. More about our Midrash below.

This week we read Parsha Ki Tavo (Deut. 26:1 - 29:8) "Ki Tavo" means "when you enter" as we read in the opening line, "It will be when you enter the Land which Hashem, your G-d, gives you as an inheritance and you possess it, and dwell in it..."

First Fruits & Tithing

Right away we learn about the commandment of the "first fruits". This was first mentioned in Exodus 23:19. The commandment is that after the land was conquered and allocated, farmers where to take their ripened fruits to the Temple and present them to the Kohen. It is a ritual that is a declaration of gratitude  to G-d for His eternal role as the guide of Jewish history. Reminding us that all we have we owe to G-d.

To this day we express our gratitude by tithing. Often I'm asked, "OK, how much should I tithe?" The answer, from tradition, is that one-tenth of your income should be given as a tithe to charity. It is called maaser kesafim, ‘the money tithe’ or ‘wealth tax.’  Just as some tip food servers more than 10% there are those who, when tithing, give more.  Of course those who can ill afford to tithe are still encouraged to do something for others be it volunteering or some activity that helps others.

Does It Matter?

There is an interesting passage in Malachi about tithing. And, it is, to my knowledge, the only time that we are told we can "test" G-d. You can find it in Chapter 3 verse 10: "Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, and let there be food in My House, and thus put Me to the test - said the Lord of Hosts. I will surely open the floodgates of the sky for you and pour down boundless blessings..."

So, yes...it does matter. From many personal experiences I've been witness to this miracle. Once in a very profound way. We were walking down the main street of Geula, a "neighborhood" in the center of Jerusalem. The area is full of shops and is a mixed neighborhood of both secular and religious Jews. It was after we had prayed the Marriv (Evening) Service. The three of us came upon a man who, like many in the area, ask for charity. Dressed in black with a long grey beard he had the kindest face. Jingling a few coins in his hand he would call out, "Tzedakah, tzedakah..." (Charity).  We stopped and I took out what change I had in my pocket...about three or four shekels...and put them in his hand. He looked at me and said, "May you be blessed ten times over." 

I thought that was nice and we walked about eight feet and there under a small tree was no less than twelve shekels...just lying there. I scooped up the coins and turned to go back to the old man but he was...gone.  To this day it gives me the shivers when I retell that story. My friends Mayer and Yitzi looked at me with their mouths open. It was Mayer who said, "Michael, we have just witnessed something remarkable! You think that was...Elijah?" 

The Jewish People

We go on to read about how the Almighty designated the Jewish people as His treasured people (Deut. 26: 16-19). There is the commandment to set up in the Jordan River and then on Mount Ebal large stones that had the Torah written upon them in 70 languages. The goal was to be able to have others come to the knowledge of the Jewish people.

The commandment to have a public ratification of the acceptance of the law from Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal. Then the Torah then sets out the blessings for following the law and the curses for not following it, and concludes with Moses’ final discourse. Verse 28:46 tells us the importance of serving the Almighty with “joy and a good heart.” The last verse of the portion instructs us, “You shall fulfill the words of this covenant and do them so that you will succeed in all that you do!”

Those are not just words...that is a life lesson for us all.

Shul News!

Once again Services will be held in person on Friday the 27th at 7:00PM and the Midrash starting at 10:00AM on Shabbat. Once again, the Board has said that we will welcome only those who have been fully vaccinated and we will do social distancing at both the service and Midrash. 

In addition, there was lots of conversation last month about faith beliefs of others.  I've asked our friend Gary Patrick to take the first hour of the Midrash and share with us his world of the Seventh Day Adventists. There were so many questions that many of you had and I think this might be a neat addition to our group.  We will also study this week's Parsha following Gary's presentation.

Also we are on the cusp of the High Holydays. Rosh Hashana services will take place starting on Monday evening the 6th of September at 7:00PM and then at 10:00AM on Tuesday the 7th for morning services. We then return to shul for Yom Kippur Wednesday the 15th at 7:00PM for Kol Nidre and Yom Kippur Services starting at 10:00AM on Thursday the 16th. Please make plans now to join us.

Finally NIACC is offering a class on Judaism - Faith & Culture each Thursday starting on September 30th. The class is virtual (so anybody can take part) and runs for five weeks. Class time is from 10:30AM until Noon each Thursday.  You can sign up for classes here. 

See you in Shul!

 

 

 

 

 

Torah Thoughts 19 August 2021

Welcome back to Torah Thoughts from Adas Israel the Jewish Congregation of Northern Iowa and based in Mason City. This week we read Parsha Ki Seitzei (Deut. 21:10 - 25:19) which is Hebrew for "When you go" the first words we read, "When you will go out to war against your enemies..." The rest is a very significant lesson in human behavior.

The Captive Woman

We kick off this week's reading with the story of a "woman of beautiful form" and the passion of a soldier. In the heat of battle a soldier sees a beautiful woman whom he will take captive. The law we now read is in recognition of "inflamed passion" and gives rational to a "cooling off" period. While complicated it does underscore the necessity to think before sinning. The basis of this law is the offer a long delay so that the captor's desire will evaporate and that he will set her free.

There is also a lesson here about conversion. If the woman converts and it is under duress that conversion is not valid. However, should the captive woman convert, of her own free will, that conversion makes her Jewish and like any other Jew she cannot renounce her Judaism. (Ramban)

While this decision might be argued I have always held to the fact that a Jew is a Jew. While he or she may decide that he/she wishes to convert to another faith and does so...there is always hope that they will return to the faith. Pushing them away only makes the decision to return more difficult.

The Rebellious Son

This is a difficult section of the parsha where we are told that a wayward and rebellious son might suffer the sentence of death. The Torah Sage Ramban comments that often small sins can become the the path to greater sins. A parent or elder must do all they can to set the feet of the wayward child back on the path but if all that fails the courts must intervene. The bottom line is that a parents love of G-d must supersede their love of their children.  Unless a society has values that come above normal human emotions, that society will crumble and children will become the enemies of what their parents revere.

Give It Back!

Let's say you find something.  Nobody knows that you found it...other than you.  Let us then say you know to whom the item belongs but you hide that fact. The bottom line is you are forbidden to ignore the opportunity to return the item. (Deut. 22 1 - 4) This is both moral and financial. It is wrong to take advantage of another person's loss especially if that loss brings with it a financial loss.  If a fellow comes to you and says an item is worth $500 but because he/she needs the money he/she is willing to sell it for $250...you should buy the item at face value so as not to bring financial hardship to the seller. Pretty astounding...right?

A Host Of Commandments

If you read on in this Parsha you'll find a host of commandments. Some clear some...not so much. Read on and you will learn about The Fallen Animal, Transvestitism, The Bird’s Nest, Guard-Rails, Mixed Agriculture, Forbidden Combinations, Bound Tassels, Defamed Wife, Penalty for Adultery, Betrothed Maiden, Rape, Unmarried Girl, Mutilated Genitals, Mamzer, Ammonites and Moabites, Edomites and Egyptians, The Army Camp, Sheltering Slaves, Prostitution, Deducted Interest, Keeping Vows, Worker in a Vineyard, Field Worker, Divorce and Remarriage, New Bridegroom, Kidnapping, Leprosy, Security for Loans, Paying Wages on Time, Testimony of Close Relatives, Widows and Orphans, Forgotten Sheaves, Leftover Fruit, Flogging, The Childless Brother-in-Law, Weights and Measures, and Remembering What Amalek Did to Us.

Whew! It's enough to spin your head.  But know that they are all designed to keep order and fairness and to always remember to other person before oneself. 

Shul News

A reminder that we'll meet in person for services on Friday the 27th at 7:00PM for Erv Shabbat and then on Shabbat the 28th at 10:0AM for our Midrash (Torah Study). Everyone is invited to attend and nope, we're not out to convert anybody. 

Also we are on the cusp of the High Holydays. Rosh Hashana services will take place starting on Monday evening the 6th of September at 7:00PM and then at 10:00AM on Tuesday the 7th for morning services. We then return to shul for Yom Kippur Wednesday the 15th at 7:00PM for Kol Nidre and Yom Kippur Services starting at 10:00AM on Thursday the 16th. Please make plans now to join us.

Finally NIACC is offering a class on Judaism - Faith & Culture each Thursday starting on September 30th. The class is virtual (so anybody can take part) and runs for five weeks. Class time is from 10:30AM until Noon each Thursday.  You can sign up for classes here.  And, here is a brief video to get you motivated. Feel free to share!

Thank you for reading and Shabbat Shalom!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Torah Thoughts 13 August 2021 - Shoftim

This is Torah Thoughts from Adas Israel the Jewish Congregation of Northern Iowa and based in Mason City.  Welcome! This week the Torah Portion is "Shoftim" which is Hebrew for judges and the portion runs from Deut. 16:18 - 21:9.  Why "Shoftim"? It is the first word in this week's reading, "Judges and officers shall you appoint in all your cities - which Hashem your G-d gives you..."

A Bribe?

The Torah goes on to tell us that, "You shall not pervert judgement, you shall not respect someone's presence, and you shall not accept a bribe, for the bribe will blind the eyes of the wise and make just words crooked."

What does it mean when we read, "...you shall not respect someone's presence"? Rashi tells us that the court must treat everyone equally. If a judge shows more respect to one litigant, the other feels at a disadvantage. Wise words...oh, but if only we would take that to heart today.

The Idolatrous Tree

The parsha goes on to tell us, "You shall not plant for yourselves an idolatrous tree - any tree- near the Alter of Hashem your G-d, that you shall make for yourself." 

What is THAT about?

The great Ramban this has two meanings. It is a tree that is meant for worship, even if it was meant to be worshiped by someone else at another time. It also means that a tree of any kind should not be planted near the Temple Alter, because it was the custom of idolaters to landscape their temples to attract worshipers.  Here we learn that what is important about a synagogue is not it's exterior beauty but what goes on...inside. I guess we might also take note of that regarding people and the old adage, "Beauty is only skin deep"? It's what is inside the person...that really matters.

A King

We read in Deut. 17:14-15: When you come to the Land that God gives you… and you will say, “I will set a king over myself”…;You shall surely set a king over yourself."

Let us once again visit the wise words of Rabbi Avraham Twerski z"l:

Inasmuch as appointing a king is a mitzvah, why did Samuel rebuke the Israelites sharply when they requested a king? See I Samuel 8:5.

The commentaries have given a number of answers to this question. Perhaps the most satisfying is that of the Klei Yakar, who directs our attention to a subtle nuance in the verses of Deuteronomy and Samuel.

It is a mitzvah to appoint a king when the intention is, “I will set a king over myself,” i.e., when one is willing to subordinate oneself to the king's rule and accept his authority. Close attention to the request of the Israelites of the Prophet Samuel show that they requested, “Give unto us a king,” not a king over us whom we will obey, but rather a king unto us who will cater to our wishes. It was this request that angered the prophet.

A term frequently used to refer to a rabbi is “spiritual leader.” Alas! Not infrequently, the rabbi is a spiritual follower rather than leader.

Rabbi Yisroel of Salant commented on the Talmud that describes the sorry state of affairs that will prevail before the Ultimate Redemption, among them, “the face, i.e., the leaders, of the generation will be similar to dogs”. He said that a dog often runs ahead of its master, but then looks back to see whether the master has turned the corner. If he sees that the master has veered off in another direction, he runs back to follow him.

“That is how the leaders will be before the Ultimate Redemption,” Rabbi Yisroel said. “They may give the appearance of leading the community, but like a dog watching its master, they turn around to see which way the community is heading, and they follow them.”

We must accept authentic leadership and defer to authority, rather than expect the leaders to follow us. Let that sink in for a bit.

Shul News!

We'll be holding services at the shul on Friday the 27th at 7:00PM and then our Midrash (Torah Study) will be held on Shabbat (Saturday the 28th) at 10:00AM. We hope to see you!

Shabbat Shalom!

 

Torah Thoughts 6 August 2021 - Re'eh

Running a bit behind today! It's always something, right?  This week we read Parsha Re'eh, Deut. 11:26 - 16:17. Re'eh (See) is the first word we...see: ""See, I present before you today a blessing and a curse." Up until now Moses has been delivering commandments like love and fear of G-d and some general expressions against idolatry.  In this parsha (and the next two) we read about the bulk of commandments that are in Deuteronomy. Let's get started with this first sentence.

See

The great Torah scholar Rabbi Avraham Twerski writes about this first word. G-d has given us the wisdom to know the difference between good and evil. We have the capacity to know right from wrong. So, we have the intelligence to make wise decisions. Yet, we often see people making decisions that are not in their best interests and could actually harm them.  They fail to use these G-d given gifts to distinguish right from wrong.

Rabbi Twerski writes, "This thought occurs to me when I see intelligent and even scholarly people smoking cigarettes, knowingly poisoning themselves. True, it would require effort and some tolerance of discomfort to break the habit, but certainly one's life is dear enough that one should willingly accept the discomfort in the interest of survival. People who readily accept the discomfort of a surgical procedure to save their lives nonetheless appear unable to do so with regard to discontinuing smoking."

Interesting....right?

The reason for this discrepancy is that one's judgment is distorted by what one would like to believe. The Torah states this very clearly: “A bribe will blind the eyes of the wise” (Deut. 16:19). One's wisdom is ineffective when a bribe has affected one's judgment capacity. A blind person would indeed wish to avoid falling into a pit, but he cannot help himself if he cannot see it.

This is true of every unwise decision. Smoking is just one stark example. We are constantly under the influence of biases that impair our judgment.

The blind person cannot make himself sighted, but we do have the ability to overcome the blindness of our biases. We just need to be on the alert and on the defensive, realizing our vulnerability.

No Bias Here!

Really? Think of that for a moment. We all, at some level, have a bias. Some are about people or cultures that can often be rectified if we only "see" those people and cultures with our own eyes. 

I'm reminded of a story a young lady told me recently. She was with a group of friends at dinner and the people at another table were making her feel "uncomfortable". Here is what she said to me:  "There was this table of black guys who were acting like jerks." I asked what they were doing and she said, "When I walked past them they looked me up and down and sort of snickered."  I then asked, "So it wasn't that they were black that made you uncomfortable?" She said, "Heck no, two of the guys I was with are black."

So why did she, in her first sentence, identify these young men as "black guys"?

I asked her that question and she sat there...stunned and said, "Oh my! You're right and I shouldn't have started out that way. I just didn't think about it."  Thinking...is critical.  And, when our bias is pointed out, gently, it can begin to make a big difference for us and for others.

Back to Moses

Moses chose his words very deliberately: “See, I present before you today a blessing and a curse.” See, indeed. You have the ability to overcome the blindness of your biases. May it be so for us all.

Shul News

We've settled on the dates for our next in-person service and Midrash.  We'll be gathering for services on Friday the 27th at 7:00PM and then our Midrash (Torah Study) will take place on Shabbat (Saturday) starting at 10AM also at the shul. 

We hope to see you there!

Shabbat Shalom!