Scrollers Preview
Parashat Vayechi
January 7, 2012
Rabbi Rachel Goldenberg
“Vayechi” means “he lived.” Interesting title for a parasha mostly about death and burial! But this is also a parasha about blessing the next generation.
As we wrap up the book of Genesis, Jacob is on his deathbed, and we have two scenes of blessing, one as he blesses his grandchildren Ephraim and Manasseh, and the other as he blesses of each of his sons. Jacob recalls where the ancestors are buried, in the Cave of Machpelah, and he instructs his sons to bury him there. Earlier, he also recounts to Joseph how he buried his wife Rachel on the road to Bethlehem. At the end of the parasha, Joseph dies, and the last words of the book of Genesis are that “he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt.”
As we finish reading this book, it is as if we are attending a funeral, or multiple funerals. Every single dead ancestor is mentioned, up to and including Joseph. What is the Torah trying to tell us here? What is the impact on the reader of recounting all of these deaths and burials and burial plots at the end of Genesis? What and who is really dying here?
Next week as we begin the book of Exodus, we will no longer tell the story of individual ancestors and their families; we will begin the story of a nation. What needs to be buried in order to begin this new phase? What will be the continuous thread? How will the blessings manifest themselves in the future?
Friday, January 6, 2012
Friday, December 30, 2011
Scrollers Preview - Parashat Vayigash
Scrollers Preview
Parashat Vayigash
December 31, 2011
Rabbi Rachel Goldenberg
This week as the Joseph drama continues, the tension builds to its climax as Judah passes Joseph’s test. As he intervenes on behalf of Benjamin, the youngest brother, and the only full brother of Joseph, Judah reveals how profoundly he has changed since the day when he sold Joseph down to Egypt. The last sentence he utters, “Let me not be witness to the woe that would overtake my father!”, is so powerful for Joseph to hear that he can no longer control himself. Through his sobs, Joseph tells his brothers, “I am Joseph.”
Chapters 45 and 46 recount how Joseph’s family comes down to Egypt, marking a shift in the paradigm of brothers in the book of Genesis. And here, I must give credit to David Tilles’ for helping me see how in this generation, in contrast to the generations of Abraham/Lot, Isaac/Ishmael and Jacob/Esau, the brothers reconcile and decide to live together. The brothers do not go their separate ways. We’ll explore this shift together and ask what the Torah is trying to teach us.
While the happy reunion of this family is taking place, in Chapter 47 we are brought back to the Egyptian reality. The famine continues and is very severe to the point that the people first sell their grain, then their livestock and finally their land and themselves as serfs to the Pharaoh. There is a stark contrast between the plight of the Egyptian people and the last line of the parashah, “Thus Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the region of Goshen; they acquired holdings in it, and were fertile and increased greatly. We’ll explore the question of the meaning of this contrast.
In the midst of this story of huge revelations and moving an entire clan from Canaan to Egypt, we have a small, quiet scene that I don’t want to allow to go unnoticed. When Jacob comes down to Egypt, he has an audience with Pharaoh. In their time together we hear Jacob’s frustration as he shares , “Few and hard have been the years of my life, nor do they come up to the life spans of my fathers during their sojourns.” And then Jacob “blesses” Pharaoh (47:9-10). The Women’s Commentary includes a beautiful poem by Amy Blank that takes us deeper into this exchange, imagining these two old men understanding each other’s very different lives and very different hopes.
Parashat Vayigash
December 31, 2011
Rabbi Rachel Goldenberg
This week as the Joseph drama continues, the tension builds to its climax as Judah passes Joseph’s test. As he intervenes on behalf of Benjamin, the youngest brother, and the only full brother of Joseph, Judah reveals how profoundly he has changed since the day when he sold Joseph down to Egypt. The last sentence he utters, “Let me not be witness to the woe that would overtake my father!”, is so powerful for Joseph to hear that he can no longer control himself. Through his sobs, Joseph tells his brothers, “I am Joseph.”
Chapters 45 and 46 recount how Joseph’s family comes down to Egypt, marking a shift in the paradigm of brothers in the book of Genesis. And here, I must give credit to David Tilles’ for helping me see how in this generation, in contrast to the generations of Abraham/Lot, Isaac/Ishmael and Jacob/Esau, the brothers reconcile and decide to live together. The brothers do not go their separate ways. We’ll explore this shift together and ask what the Torah is trying to teach us.
While the happy reunion of this family is taking place, in Chapter 47 we are brought back to the Egyptian reality. The famine continues and is very severe to the point that the people first sell their grain, then their livestock and finally their land and themselves as serfs to the Pharaoh. There is a stark contrast between the plight of the Egyptian people and the last line of the parashah, “Thus Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the region of Goshen; they acquired holdings in it, and were fertile and increased greatly. We’ll explore the question of the meaning of this contrast.
In the midst of this story of huge revelations and moving an entire clan from Canaan to Egypt, we have a small, quiet scene that I don’t want to allow to go unnoticed. When Jacob comes down to Egypt, he has an audience with Pharaoh. In their time together we hear Jacob’s frustration as he shares , “Few and hard have been the years of my life, nor do they come up to the life spans of my fathers during their sojourns.” And then Jacob “blesses” Pharaoh (47:9-10). The Women’s Commentary includes a beautiful poem by Amy Blank that takes us deeper into this exchange, imagining these two old men understanding each other’s very different lives and very different hopes.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Scrollers Preview for 12/24/11 - Parashat Miketz
Holy Scrollers Preview
Parashat Miketz
December 23, 2011
Rabbi Rachel Goldenberg
Happy Chanukah, and Shabbat Shalom!
This week’s parashah opens with Pharaoh’s dreams about the seven fat cows being consumed by seven gaunt cows, and seven healthy ears of corn being eaten up by seven dry ears of corn. The cupbearer remembers Joseph as an interpreter of dreams and Pharaoh brings Joseph up out of the dungeon to interpret his dreams.
The word for dungeon here in Hebrew is “bor,” the same as the word for “pit.” This is the first ascent of Joseph out of the original pit into which his brothers cast him. He is now 30 years old – 13 years have passed since his brothers plotted against him and stripped him of the colorful tunic. Now he is shaved, bathed and dressed in order to be presentable to Pharoah. This is the 3rd costume change for Joseph in the story so far.
Joseph, whether we understand him to be inspired by God or by his own ambition, finds a way not only to interpret the dreams but to offer policy advice to Pharaoh. Joseph understands the dream to be predicting seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine, and he suggests storing up all of the food from the 1st seven year in order to distribute it in the 2nd seven year period.
Pharaoh elevates Joseph to vizier of Egypt, in charge of collecting and then distributing grain. This is his 2nd ascent, then his 4th costume change, as he is dressed in garments of royal authority. And not only that, a name change – an Egyptian name. Oh, and there’s a 3rd ascent – he gets to ride in the chariot of Pharaoh’s 2nd in command.
Then we have the accounts of Joseph’s brothers’ travels back and forth between Canaan and Egypt, procuring rations and interacting with Joseph, whom they don’t recognize. The parashah ends with a cliff-hanger – Benjamin is caught with Joseph’s goblet in his bag, and Judah is pleading their innocence.
As I read the Parasha this year, the theme that emerged was that of trust. Pharaoh so easily hands the reins of power over to Joseph, a Hebrew who was in prison. What is it about the dreams and Joseph’s interpretations that lead Pharaosh to trust Joseph so quickly and give him so much power? On the flip side, it takes a lot for Joseph to ever trust his brothers again, and it remains an open question as to whether the brothers ever really rebuild full trust with each other. What does this lack of trust say about our ancestors –the children of Jacob? What does it say about the Jewish people today? What does it take to trust each other?
Parashat Miketz
December 23, 2011
Rabbi Rachel Goldenberg
Happy Chanukah, and Shabbat Shalom!
This week’s parashah opens with Pharaoh’s dreams about the seven fat cows being consumed by seven gaunt cows, and seven healthy ears of corn being eaten up by seven dry ears of corn. The cupbearer remembers Joseph as an interpreter of dreams and Pharaoh brings Joseph up out of the dungeon to interpret his dreams.
The word for dungeon here in Hebrew is “bor,” the same as the word for “pit.” This is the first ascent of Joseph out of the original pit into which his brothers cast him. He is now 30 years old – 13 years have passed since his brothers plotted against him and stripped him of the colorful tunic. Now he is shaved, bathed and dressed in order to be presentable to Pharoah. This is the 3rd costume change for Joseph in the story so far.
Joseph, whether we understand him to be inspired by God or by his own ambition, finds a way not only to interpret the dreams but to offer policy advice to Pharaoh. Joseph understands the dream to be predicting seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine, and he suggests storing up all of the food from the 1st seven year in order to distribute it in the 2nd seven year period.
Pharaoh elevates Joseph to vizier of Egypt, in charge of collecting and then distributing grain. This is his 2nd ascent, then his 4th costume change, as he is dressed in garments of royal authority. And not only that, a name change – an Egyptian name. Oh, and there’s a 3rd ascent – he gets to ride in the chariot of Pharaoh’s 2nd in command.
Then we have the accounts of Joseph’s brothers’ travels back and forth between Canaan and Egypt, procuring rations and interacting with Joseph, whom they don’t recognize. The parashah ends with a cliff-hanger – Benjamin is caught with Joseph’s goblet in his bag, and Judah is pleading their innocence.
As I read the Parasha this year, the theme that emerged was that of trust. Pharaoh so easily hands the reins of power over to Joseph, a Hebrew who was in prison. What is it about the dreams and Joseph’s interpretations that lead Pharaosh to trust Joseph so quickly and give him so much power? On the flip side, it takes a lot for Joseph to ever trust his brothers again, and it remains an open question as to whether the brothers ever really rebuild full trust with each other. What does this lack of trust say about our ancestors –the children of Jacob? What does it say about the Jewish people today? What does it take to trust each other?
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Scrollers Preview for 11/26/11 - Parashat Toldot
Scrollers Preview
Parashat Toldot
Rabbi Rachel Goldenberg
“V’eleh toldot Yitzchak. . .” “This is the line of Isaac. . .”
This week, we meet the next patriarch in line for the covenantal blessing – Jacob. His name, derived from the word “heel” can also be translated as, “supplanter.” He emerges from his mother Rebecca’s womb holding onto the heel of his older brother Esau. And throughout our parashah, he and his mother use deceit as a way for him to get ahead in line, to receive his father’s blessing, and to take hold of the right of the first-born.
According to the modern commentator, Nehama Leibovitch, there are at least four recurring motif words in Jacob’s life: deceit (mirmah), right of the firstborn (b’chora,) blessing (b’racha,) and name (shem.) As we study the parasha together, we’ll trace these motifs.
Using some commentaries and midrash brought by Leibovitch in one of her studies on this portion, we’ll also ask whether we can detect any trace of reluctance on Jacob’s part to play this role of “supplanter.” And we’ll see if the Torah is judging Jacob’s deceitful behavior. Are the blessings that Jacob receives in this parasha truly realized in Jacob’s life, or does he have to earn them more honestly later?
Parashat Toldot
Rabbi Rachel Goldenberg
“V’eleh toldot Yitzchak. . .” “This is the line of Isaac. . .”
This week, we meet the next patriarch in line for the covenantal blessing – Jacob. His name, derived from the word “heel” can also be translated as, “supplanter.” He emerges from his mother Rebecca’s womb holding onto the heel of his older brother Esau. And throughout our parashah, he and his mother use deceit as a way for him to get ahead in line, to receive his father’s blessing, and to take hold of the right of the first-born.
According to the modern commentator, Nehama Leibovitch, there are at least four recurring motif words in Jacob’s life: deceit (mirmah), right of the firstborn (b’chora,) blessing (b’racha,) and name (shem.) As we study the parasha together, we’ll trace these motifs.
Using some commentaries and midrash brought by Leibovitch in one of her studies on this portion, we’ll also ask whether we can detect any trace of reluctance on Jacob’s part to play this role of “supplanter.” And we’ll see if the Torah is judging Jacob’s deceitful behavior. Are the blessings that Jacob receives in this parasha truly realized in Jacob’s life, or does he have to earn them more honestly later?
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Scrollers Preview for 10/29/11 - Parashat Noach
Scrollers Preview
Parashat Noach
October 29, 2011
Rabbi Rachel Goldenberg
At a Scrollers session prior to the High Holy Days, we agreed that we would turn to the Women’s Torah Commentary this year for an additional layer to our study. For this Torah portion, the Women’s Commentary includes helpful references to Babylonian epics that parallel Noah, our flood myth. We’ll look at the role the goddess Tiamat plays in those parallel stories, and see how our Torah echoes those traditions, using the word “t’hom,” a word similar to “Tiamat,” to designate the deep primordial waters that wash over the earth.
We’ll also read an essay in the Women’s Commentary by Dr. Carol Ochs, who posits that the sin God is punishing humanity for with the flood has to do with our misuse of language. Ochs notes that Noah himself is silent for the entire story until he curses his youngest son Ham. This curse comes after they leave the ark and Ham discovers Noah drunk and exposed. After God has created the world and blessed that creation with language, perhaps the flaw in human beings is our tendency to use speech in destructive ways. This theme of the power of language continues with the story of the Tower of Babel.
As I write this on a rainy Thursday, I am looking forward to retelling the story of the rain coming down for forty day-sies day-sies (but hoping that the rain stops here sooner than that!)
Shabbat Shalom!
Parashat Noach
October 29, 2011
Rabbi Rachel Goldenberg
At a Scrollers session prior to the High Holy Days, we agreed that we would turn to the Women’s Torah Commentary this year for an additional layer to our study. For this Torah portion, the Women’s Commentary includes helpful references to Babylonian epics that parallel Noah, our flood myth. We’ll look at the role the goddess Tiamat plays in those parallel stories, and see how our Torah echoes those traditions, using the word “t’hom,” a word similar to “Tiamat,” to designate the deep primordial waters that wash over the earth.
We’ll also read an essay in the Women’s Commentary by Dr. Carol Ochs, who posits that the sin God is punishing humanity for with the flood has to do with our misuse of language. Ochs notes that Noah himself is silent for the entire story until he curses his youngest son Ham. This curse comes after they leave the ark and Ham discovers Noah drunk and exposed. After God has created the world and blessed that creation with language, perhaps the flaw in human beings is our tendency to use speech in destructive ways. This theme of the power of language continues with the story of the Tower of Babel.
As I write this on a rainy Thursday, I am looking forward to retelling the story of the rain coming down for forty day-sies day-sies (but hoping that the rain stops here sooner than that!)
Shabbat Shalom!
Friday, October 14, 2011
Holy Scrollers Previe - Parashat Shabbat Chol HaMoed Sukkot
Scrollers Preview
Parashat Shabbat Chol HaMoed Sukkot
Rabbi Rachel Goldenberg
October 15, 2011
Moadim L’Simcha! (happy intermediate days of Sukkot) and Shabbat Shalom:
I hope you’ll join us for our potluck and Sukkot service tonight (potluck at 6:30pm, service at 7:30pm). Sadly, we’ll be eating inside, as it is just too darn wet out there. But hopefully we’ll have a chance to wave the lulav in the sukkah and celebrate Shabbat morning services in the sukkah tomorrow (10:30am).
So – to the Torah portion!
On the Shabbat during the intermediate day of Sukkot (Chol HaMoed), we read Exodus 33:12-34:26. This Parasha occurs after the Israelites are caught and punished for worshiping the Golden Calf. Moses pleads with God to forgive the people and to continue going in the lead through the wilderness. He also asks God to make God’s self known to Moses.
God instructs Moses to carve a second set of stone tablets and to “meet” God at the top of Mount Sinai. There, God passes before Moses and proclaims the Thirteen Attributes “Adonai Adonai, a God compassionate and gracious, etc.” This list of attributes of God is chanted during the High Holy Day and festival services as we take out the Torah scroll.
The Parasha ends with God recommitting to the covenant and declaring some additional commandments. Most of these rules are about how the Israelites should cut down the idolatrous worship places in the Land and how God will drive out the inhabitants. There is also a listing of the Israelite festivals, perhaps to emphasize what constitutes legitimate rituals and worship for the Israelites, lest they be tempted to turn again to idolatry.
We will spend some time with this section of Torah and also turn to the Haftarah for the Shabbat of Chol HaMoed Sukkot. The haftarah, from Ezekiel, is apocalyptic, as is the haftarah for the first day of Sukkot from the book of Zechariah. They both are visions of a war at the end of days in which God wreaks havoc on God’s enemies. This raises the question of why Sukkot would be the time to read texts about apocalyptic battles, and how the Ezekiel piece is related to the Torah portion.
Looking forward to studying with you,
Rabbi G.
Parashat Shabbat Chol HaMoed Sukkot
Rabbi Rachel Goldenberg
October 15, 2011
Moadim L’Simcha! (happy intermediate days of Sukkot) and Shabbat Shalom:
I hope you’ll join us for our potluck and Sukkot service tonight (potluck at 6:30pm, service at 7:30pm). Sadly, we’ll be eating inside, as it is just too darn wet out there. But hopefully we’ll have a chance to wave the lulav in the sukkah and celebrate Shabbat morning services in the sukkah tomorrow (10:30am).
So – to the Torah portion!
On the Shabbat during the intermediate day of Sukkot (Chol HaMoed), we read Exodus 33:12-34:26. This Parasha occurs after the Israelites are caught and punished for worshiping the Golden Calf. Moses pleads with God to forgive the people and to continue going in the lead through the wilderness. He also asks God to make God’s self known to Moses.
God instructs Moses to carve a second set of stone tablets and to “meet” God at the top of Mount Sinai. There, God passes before Moses and proclaims the Thirteen Attributes “Adonai Adonai, a God compassionate and gracious, etc.” This list of attributes of God is chanted during the High Holy Day and festival services as we take out the Torah scroll.
The Parasha ends with God recommitting to the covenant and declaring some additional commandments. Most of these rules are about how the Israelites should cut down the idolatrous worship places in the Land and how God will drive out the inhabitants. There is also a listing of the Israelite festivals, perhaps to emphasize what constitutes legitimate rituals and worship for the Israelites, lest they be tempted to turn again to idolatry.
We will spend some time with this section of Torah and also turn to the Haftarah for the Shabbat of Chol HaMoed Sukkot. The haftarah, from Ezekiel, is apocalyptic, as is the haftarah for the first day of Sukkot from the book of Zechariah. They both are visions of a war at the end of days in which God wreaks havoc on God’s enemies. This raises the question of why Sukkot would be the time to read texts about apocalyptic battles, and how the Ezekiel piece is related to the Torah portion.
Looking forward to studying with you,
Rabbi G.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Holy Scrollers Preview - Parashat Nitzavim-Vayelech 9/24/11
In this week’s double parashah, God concludes the covenant with the Israelites, and we move into the epilogue of the Book of Deuteronomy and of the entire Torah. We make the transition from the story of the Israelites to prophecies and preparation for what will occur after this stage in our story has concluded.
In Nitzavim, we learn that all of Israel, even the strangers tagging along, and even those who have not yet been born, are included in this Brit. God reminds the people of what we learned last week, that if they do not follow the covenant, terrible curses will afflict them. There is an interesting focus on what an individual Israelite might be thinking in his or her heart – what happens to the person who is secretly harboring thoughts disloyal to God and the Brit. The last verse of Chapter 28 is particularly puzzling, “concealed acts concern the Lord our God; but with overt acts, it is for us and our children ever to apply all the provisions of this Teaching.” We’ll look at some commentaries on this verse and the tension between concealed and revealed thoughts and actions.
In Vayelech especially, we see God figuring out how to deal with a major transition. When the people cross over the Jordan, they will move from having direct experience of God in the wilderness to needing to uphold the covenant in the Land without having had that direct experience. The solution comes in the form of texts and teaching: every year on Sukkot, the whole community must gather to hear the entire book of Deuteronomy read in public. In addition to this, God has Moses write down a poem that will serve as a witness against the people if they misbehave.
The JPS commentary points out that the Brit-concluding ceremony in Nitzavim requires full participation of every segment of the community: men and women, children, strangers, and all kinds of laborers. Later, in Vayelech, with the requirement to read Deuteronomy every year on Sukkot, we also see this emphasis on full participation of every segment of the community. Full participation seems to be a critical element to continuity of the Teaching and the Brit as well.
I’ll be curious to hear from you if you think that the written word, spoken in public in front of every element of the community is powerful enough to replace direct experience.
In fact, God predicts that these tools won’t be powerful enough. Before Moses dies, and as the leadership is being passed on to Joshua, God tells Moses what will happen in the future – the people will stray, and they will suffer exile. However, there is also a distinct theme of “teshuva.” Eventually the people will turn back to God and will be restored to the Land. A perfect theme for the Shabbat prior to Rosh Hashana.
Looking forward to our discussion!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Goldenberg
In Nitzavim, we learn that all of Israel, even the strangers tagging along, and even those who have not yet been born, are included in this Brit. God reminds the people of what we learned last week, that if they do not follow the covenant, terrible curses will afflict them. There is an interesting focus on what an individual Israelite might be thinking in his or her heart – what happens to the person who is secretly harboring thoughts disloyal to God and the Brit. The last verse of Chapter 28 is particularly puzzling, “concealed acts concern the Lord our God; but with overt acts, it is for us and our children ever to apply all the provisions of this Teaching.” We’ll look at some commentaries on this verse and the tension between concealed and revealed thoughts and actions.
In Vayelech especially, we see God figuring out how to deal with a major transition. When the people cross over the Jordan, they will move from having direct experience of God in the wilderness to needing to uphold the covenant in the Land without having had that direct experience. The solution comes in the form of texts and teaching: every year on Sukkot, the whole community must gather to hear the entire book of Deuteronomy read in public. In addition to this, God has Moses write down a poem that will serve as a witness against the people if they misbehave.
The JPS commentary points out that the Brit-concluding ceremony in Nitzavim requires full participation of every segment of the community: men and women, children, strangers, and all kinds of laborers. Later, in Vayelech, with the requirement to read Deuteronomy every year on Sukkot, we also see this emphasis on full participation of every segment of the community. Full participation seems to be a critical element to continuity of the Teaching and the Brit as well.
I’ll be curious to hear from you if you think that the written word, spoken in public in front of every element of the community is powerful enough to replace direct experience.
In fact, God predicts that these tools won’t be powerful enough. Before Moses dies, and as the leadership is being passed on to Joshua, God tells Moses what will happen in the future – the people will stray, and they will suffer exile. However, there is also a distinct theme of “teshuva.” Eventually the people will turn back to God and will be restored to the Land. A perfect theme for the Shabbat prior to Rosh Hashana.
Looking forward to our discussion!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Goldenberg
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)