Uncategorized

Kol Nidre’s Hold on Us

Rabbi Ben Herman , , ,

Every year I feel something special when the Torot are taken out of the ark, processed around the congregation, and the music of Kol Nidre is chanted by the Hazzan. It’s almost a hypnotic, trance-like state that sets the tone for the 25 hours that follow. The majestic nature of the music, which we all just felt, is what I want to devote a few minutes to this evening.

Kol Nidre is such a powerful prayer. A unique thing is that the rabbis wanted to get rid of Kol Nidre because it talks about annulling vows which the Bible forbids-as stated: “When you fulfill a vow you must obey it without delay…you must be careful to perform any promise that has crossed your lips.”[1] The people and the hazzanim rebelled, and won, because we are held by the mesmerizing music that is part of this prayer.

What is Kol Nidre’s hold on us? Why do we cling to it each and every year? Rabbi Alan Lew writes in his book This is Real and You are Completely Unprepared that “when we recite Kol Nidre, God calls out to the soul, in a voice the soul recognizes instantly because it is the soul’s own cry…your soul is hearing its name called out, and its name is pain, grief, shame, humiliation, loss, failure death-or at least that is its first name. That is the name the first few notes of the Kol Nidre call out.”[2] That is very jarring by itself. Are we really here to feel pain and humiliation? Is the purpose of saying Ashamnu and Al Heyt to embarrass us? I would argue not-that we need to take the emotion we feel with Kol Nidre and channel it into the future. Rabbi Stanley Rabinowitz has a suggestion as to how to do so-it may seem dated with mentioning a rangefinder camera but its lesson is eternal.

“The mystic hold which Kol Nidre has over us may be the result of our awareness that under the pressures of life, there will be times when our deeds may not be consistent with our principles and when our achievements may not square with the promises inherent in us.

Kol Nidre prompts us to try harder to bring integrity into our decisions. The intent of Kol Nidre may be compared to that of a rangefinder on a camera. Looking through a rangefinder, the photographer will see a split image-a forehead over here and a chin over there. By turning the focus ring, they bring the split image into alignment. Kol Nidre serves as a mechanism of focus…

In the channels of living, each person projects dreams, hopes and aspirations. We make promises; we express resolves. There are promises inherent in our family relationships, in the position we occupy in the marketplace and in the community. But somehow life blurs the promise and fogs the resolve. The promises inherent in us fade away, sometimes because of something we have done, and sometimes because of something done to us. In either case, it is all too easy to reach a point where we capitulate to a sense of failure and say, ‘I’m sorry. I can’t make it. It is not worth it; it can’t be done.” Life is out of focus.

Too much of life is out of focus. There is a distance between what we are and what we could be, a gap between where we are and where we wanted to be. Kol Nidre comes to help us bridge that gap.”[3]

What is most important is how we take Kol Nidre with us into today and the days ahead. In these 25 hours of God’s undivided attention, we have great opportunity. We are told in the Torah to circumcise our hearts.[4] The medieval commentator Rashi says this means that we should have an open and loving heart. Yom Kippur is a day when we are meant to soften our hearts. The beauty of Kol Nidre’s music helps us begin to do so. This will continue tomorrow as we remember our loved ones at Yizkor as well as at Neilah when we get to offer our personal prayer before the open ark. Yom Kippur is a day to look at who we can become in our fullest essence, to say “yes I can” as we move forward. It might even lead to the exultation felt by the High Priest in Temple times who was described as מגמתו כצאת השמש כגבורת תואר, one whose face shown like the strength of the sun.[5]

During these 25 hours, take time to let the music of the prayers wash over you and the power of our being together in community up until the final Shofar blast. Meditate a little, laugh little, cry a little even dance a little if it moves you. Yom Kippur is a powerful day, one at which we are at one with our creator. It is my hope and prayer that we feel this today.

[1] Deuteronomy 23:22

[2] Rabbi Alan Lew, This is Real and You are Completely Unprepared (United States: Little, Brown, 2003), pg. 178.

[3] Rabbi Stanley Rabinowitz, “Kol Nidre: Bridging the Gap of a Split Image”

[4] Deuteronomy 10:16

[5] Yom Kippur Avodah Service

What Is Teshuva?

Rabbi Ben Herman , , , ,

What is Teshuva? The most common translation is repentance. However, repentance invokes a “gloomy and depressive mood of guilt and sorrow” whereas Teshuvah “implies of a positive sense of prospective growth and accomplishment.” Rabbi Zvi Yehuda uses three different definitions for Teshuva:

“Returning: turning from the wrong way and returning to the right way. It is self-improvement. By improving oneself, by becoming better, one returns to one’s true self-to God. Restoring: self-renewal, spiritual recovery and healing; rejecting the depressive mood of shame and guilt and adapting new, reconstructive ways of moral rehabilitation and self-esteem; by positive changes in one’s attitude and conduct. Responding-responsibility and responsiveness. By the experience of Teshuva, one returns to one’s innermost yearnings for a constructive and meaningful life, to the highest call of duty-to the will of God.”[1]

Rav Kook goes a step beyond this, stating that teshuva is “returning to one’s original status, to the source of love and higher being…in their highest spiritual character, as illuminated by the simple, radiant, divine light.”[2]

Teshuva is an important centerpiece of our religion. The Midrash teaches that “one who does teshuva, it is considered as if he went to Jerusalem, rebuilt the Temple, erected the altar, and offered upon it all the sacrifices of Torah.”[3] This is a metaphor for our taking what is broken in our lives and restoring it to wholeness. Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish takes it one step further, stating “repentance is so great that premeditated sins are accounted for as it they were merits.”[4]

Why is this so great? In his classic work Man’s Search for Meaning, Victor Frankl asserts “every human being has the freedom to change at every minute…a human being is a self-transcending being.”[5] In so doing, we also note, as Art Green writes, that “Our return to Y-H-W-H is in no way separate from our return to ourselves, to the point of inward truth out of which our humanity shines forth. ‘Return to Me and I shall return to you.”[6]

Of course, here we are talking about genuine repentance. Not these blanket apologies “I am sorry if I offended anyone.” The specificity that comes from true heshbon hanefesh, soul searching, is what is being called for here. It is also a constant process. The cynic may ask: “What good does Yom Kippur really accomplish. One goes through the ritual of atonement. One fasts and prays to be forgiven and goes out again in the world and commits the sins afresh!” This very question was once put to a rabbi by his disciple. His master replied, “Go, my son, to the creek to the outskirts of the town and stay there for a full week. Watch what takes place there, and you will then understand the value of repentance.” The disciple carried out the instructions of the master. He finally returned, still troubled by his old question, and baffled even more by the strange procedure that the master had suggested to him. “All I saw were women doing their laundry by the creek,” he reported. “They come with dirty garments, scrub them clean, and at the end of the week they return with more dirty garments and scrub them clean all over again.” “My son,” said the master, “there lies the meaning and value of repentance. Our souls are like those garments scrubbed by the women. In our encounter with the world, our souls become soiled, and they must be scrubbed repeatedly. Teshuva is a kind of scrubbing, to remove the filth which is on our souls. And cleansing must be continuous, because the accumulation of filth is perpetual.”[7]

Rabbi Harold Schulweis reminds us that it is not too late, that we have these remaining days of repentance to make amends.

The last word has not been spoken,

The last sentence has not been written,

The final verdict is not in.

It is never too late

To change my mind,

My direction,

To say no to the past

And yes to the future,

To offer remorse,

To ask and give forgiveness.

It is never too late to alter my world,

Not by magic incantations

Or manipulations of the cards

Or deciphering the stars.

But by opening myself

To curative forces buried within,

To hidden energies,

The powers in my interior self.

In sickness and in dying, it is never too late.

Living, I teach.

Dying, I teach.

How I face pain and fear,

Others observe me, children, adults,

Students of life and death,

Learn from my bearing, my posture,

My philosophy.[8]

[1] Rabbi Zvi Yehuda, Thought of the Week, Cleveland Jewish News, 9-28-90.

[2] Rabbi Chai Levy in We Rise: An Anthology of High Holiday Sermons delivered the year after October 7th, page 249.

[3] Midrash Rabbah Leviticus 7:2

[4] Babylonian Talmud Yoma 86b

[5] Page 127

[6] Rabbi Art Green Say My Face, Speak My Name: A Contemporary Jewish Theology (Northvale, NJ: Aaronson, 1992) pg. 161.

[7] Rabbi Robert Gordis, Reconstructionist High Holiday Supplement 5739, Temple University

[8] Rabbi Harold Schulweis in God’s Mirror: Reflections and Essays (Hoboken, NJ: Ktav, 1990, p. 296-97)

The Use of Power

Rabbi Ben Herman , , , , , ,

I’m going to speak about Israel in part of a larger context. If it makes you uncomfortable, I’m going to ask you to please stay in the room. I am going to devote this coming Shabbat morning after services to an opportunity to listen to those who want to respond to my remarks-though there is on Kiddush lunch on that date.

The High Holy Days are the time more than any other when we think about why we are here and what is the value of our life. The words of our daily liturgy, מה אנחנו מה חיינו, “Who are we? What is our life?” take on greater relevance during this time of the year. It is also a time when we reflect on the power and agency that we do have. What do we have control over and what should we let go of?

How we use the power that we do have is a key lesson, both for us as individuals and for us as a people. Throughout so much of our history, Jews have been powerless. Our people were in exile, at the mercy of every despotic ruler that we encountered. Now, thanks to Israel and to its relationship with the United States, Jews have power to an extent that our ancestors couldn’t dream of. As the psalmist says, – את שיבת ציון היינו  כחולמים the redemption of Zion was as if we were dreaming.”[1]

This past spring, we saw the power that Israel has. The leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, may his memory be obliterated, tried to evade Israel by going low-tech with pagers. Little did he know that the pagers he bought from the Taiwanese company Gold Apollo were manufactured by the Israeli shell company in Hungary BAC Consulting and were laced with the explosive PETN (pentaerythritol tetranitrate). As we saw, Israel sent a page causing Hezbollah leadership to hold up their pagers which detonated after a few seconds. A few days later, at the funeral of 4 Hezbollah members, Israel detonated Hezbollah’s walkie-talkies. With Hezbollah’s top leadership indisposed, Israel was able to invade Lebanon and launch more attacks, eventually killing Nasrallah.

Let us also not forget Israel bombing Iranian nuclear sites on June 12 in Operation Rising Lion. Israel quickly rendered inoperable many of Iran’s missile launchers and its missiles. Around the same time, there was Operation Red Wedding, which took out Iranian senior commanders. Without commanders, Iran was impotent and did not fire any missiles at Israel for 18 hours.[2] The icing on the cake was when the United States joined 9 days later, dropping MOP (massive ordinance penetrator) bunker busting bombs in Operation Midnight Hammer. How did this happen? Israeli agents in Iran had visited every workshop and factory that were later attacked, enabling Israel to target every aspect of the industry that supported the manufacturing the missiles.[3] The success of such a plan was far from an accident; rather it was the culmination of years of work by the Mossad to target Iran’s nuclear program.[4]

Could our ancestors in exile imagine a Jewish country with this type of power?! Could they even conceive that a Jewish country would be a regional superpower, stealthily using its incredible intelligence to make a plan over years which did not leak?! I doubt Yehudah Halevi, who lived during the Golden Age of Spain under both Muslim and Christian rule; Don Isaac Abravanel, who was a courtier to Ferdinand and Isabella and eventually exiled from Spain and Portugal; or even a Maimonides, who before becoming physician to the Egyptian sultan most certainly had to flee Spain from the Almohads, could have fathomed this.  Yet you do not need me to preach about Israel’s power. What we need to consider is what does Israel do with the power that it has and concurrently what do we do with the power that we have.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Levi Eshkol famously referred to Israel as “Shimshon der nebecher,” Samson the weakling. Israel is so strong like Samson, the superpower of the Middle East. Yet Israel also can feel like a nebecher, completely powerless to the task at hand. Israel has endured trauma, especially in the aftermath of October 7th. One merely needs to look at footage from October 7th or the video of a gaunt Evyatar David digging his own grave. While Israel has had much success assassinating Hamas’ top leadership and destroying much of the terrorist infrastructure in Gaza, there remain feelings of ineptitude, failure and lack of moral clarity, with hostages not returned and so much destruction. My question, which only Israelis can answer, is what should Israel do with the power it has?

Israel can use its power as it did in March through May to not allow any food into Gaza and to attempt to take control of the food distribution away from Hamas, who steals food from the aid trucks. Many of us believed when Israel refused food into Gaza that this might be worth it if it led to the end of the war and the return of hostages. Looking back, some of us continue to hold those opinions of the Israeli government. Others are re-thinking after seeing hunger among Gazans and hearing of people walking miles to the food distribution sites, some of whom were shot upon approaching. Every hungry child, no matter where he or she lives, is a human tragedy. As Proverbs teaches us, “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if she is thirsty, give her water to drink.”[5] This is not to dismiss the PR war going on. We saw the New York Times fell into Hamas’ trap by featuring a starving child who was actually dying from cystic fibrosis. Yet there remain weekly protests in Israel to get a deal to return the hostages and end the war.

I want to take this lesson and apply it not only to Israel but to our lives here in the United States. Many of us are traumatized, having seen pictures and videos of dead Israelis and gaunt hostages or having relatives going up for the 5th time to serve in the IDF, some of whom are not sure why they’re going. Many of us are scared by the rise of antisemitism on college campuses, as the film October 8 demonstrated, which I will speak about on Shemini Atzeret. There is much to be afraid of. What we need to remember is that we are vulnerable, we are human but we are not powerless. We have agency over our actions. As Victor Frankl z”l taught, “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space lies the freedom and power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and freedom.”[6]

 In terms of how Judaism teaches us how to use our power, we don’t need to look far in our tradition. The Ethics of the Fathers, in Hebrew Pirkei Avot, teaches איזהו גבור הכובש את יצרו “Who is mighty? One who conquers his or her inclination.”[7] In his commentary on Pirkei Avot, Rabbi Dr. Joshua Kulp writes, “This one statement may sum up 2000 years of Jewish experience. The Jewish ideal of strength and might is not the same as the Greek ideal, which is that of the mighty warrior and champion athlete. A person of great physical strength who performs amazing deeds is not necessarily mighty. The most difficult thing to conquer is not others or even great armies, but our own inclination to do wrong things. One who has control over this inclination is truly mighty. This is why for thousands of years Jews did not look to soldiers as their heroes, but to rabbis and other thinkers. Strength in Judaism is one of character and not one of might. After all the strongest person in the world is no stronger than a weak gorilla or bear. It is only through our ability to curb our appetites and control our instincts that human beings can differ themselves from animals.”[8]

A story: when Adam was encountering and naming the animals on the first day of creation he was trying to figure out which was the strongest. The lion said, “I’m the strongest. I’m the king of the jungle!” The tiger said, “I’m the strongest. I’m the king of the forest!” The whale said, “I’m the strongest. I’m the king of the ocean!” The chimpanzee said, “I’m the strongest.” All of the other animals paused and looked at the chimp. Then they started laughing. The chimp said again, “I’m the strongest.” Finally a worm asked the chimp, “What makes you so strong?” The chimp replied, “All of you act on your instincts. I think before I act.” Suddenly all the animals agreed that the chimpanzee was the strongest. So it is with us all the more so.

As we enter the week of repentance between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, I’d like each of us to think about what we have power over in our lives and how we intend to use that power. How are we going to channel and control it? Similarly, how are we going to let go of those things over which we have no power? As stated eloquently in a video by Rabbi Judith Plaskow:

Rosh Hashanah asks us to negotiate an enormous and productive tension between our smallness and our power, surrender and agency; between what we can control and what we can’t. During the whole High Holiday period, we’re called on to examine our lives and think about who we have been and who we want to be, to do teshuvah, to turn toward our best selves. And, at the same time, the images of God the King and Judge are telling us that ultimately, we’re not in charge. We can’t decide who shall live and who shall die. All we can do—and it’s not nothing—is to alter the evilness of the decree…

Rosh Hashanah asks us to accept what we can’t change and have the courage to change what we can.[9] The Great Aleinu (in Musaf) is for me the supreme moment of one side of this tension. It is the moment when I try to give up my white upper middle-class illusion of control and align myself with, and surrender to, what is….[10]

In 5786, may each of us utilize our power to the best of our ability to effect meaningful changes yet may we recognize the limits of our power and not try to do too much. The same thing is true with Israel. Many things are in Israel’s control, others are not. The power to continue to attack Hamas remains; the power to rescue the hostages without a deal appears to remain beyond Israel’s reach. May Israel, like us, succeed in using its power wisely, and may the hostages be speedily returned home.

[1] Psalms 126:1

[2] https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-was-facing-destruction-at-the-hands-of-iran-this-is-how-close-it-came-and-how-it-saved-itself.

[3] https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hjckad6eeg

[4] How extensive are Israel’s intelligence operations inside Iran?

[5] Proverbs 25:21

[6] Attributed to Victor Frankl

[7] Pirkei Avot 5:1

[8] Joshua Kulp Pirkei Avot 4:1 with English Explanation of Mishnah

[9] The Serenity Prayer

[10] Judith Plaskow, “Submitting to The Great Aleinu,” https://youtu.be/6jw228chClE?si=1TkAgkrvDYvDlREO

Created Anew

Rabbi Ben Herman , , , , ,

I’ve been reflecting on a mindfulness retreat I went on a number of years ago. One of the participants said to the facilitator “Why are we here? The world is on fire, and we are here meditating at a retreat?! What difference are we making?” I don’t remember Rabbi Margolius’ response, but what I do remember is that we need to center ourselves before we can work on world problems. Rosh Hashanah gives us that opportunity, to ground ourselves so that afterwards we can go out and fight for the causes for which we believe. Today I will be speaking about ways we can create ourselves anew at any moment; tomorrow I will speak about how we use our power, with Israel as an example; on Yom Kippur I will speak about the eternality of the essence of who we are.

Maker of all the living

Every passing moment You create Your world anew:

Withdraw Your gracious love an instant,

And all You’ve made would cease to be…

Instead, every passing moment finds You pouring out Your endless blessing,

And morning stars appear to sing their song of love to You,

The blazing sun comes forth to sing its song of light to You,

And angels voice their sacred chant to You,

And soul intone their psalms of thirst for You.

Once more the grasses carol their longing for You,

And birds chirp their joy in Your presence,

Trees shawled in leaves now sigh their prayer to You,

And springs softly bubble in adoration.

And still the oppressed bare their hearts to You, a Tallit their armor,

As their soul’s pleading splits the heavens.

One ray only of Your light and we are bathed in Your light!

One word only of Your words, and we rise to life renewed.

One hint only of Your eternal presence, and we are drenched in the dew of youth.

O God, You make all things new, ever and ever:

Take us, Your children, and make us new.

Breathe Your living spirit into us,

That we may start life afresh

With childhood’s unbounded promise.[1]

Every day in our liturgy we read המחדש בטובו בכל-יום תמיד מעשה בראשית-God is the one who creates out of God’s goodness the acts of creation every day. We are grateful for opportunities to feel creation wonderous at every moment. 

When we are young, we have wonder and curiosity. Somewhere along the way, we lose it in the doldrums of daily living. Occasionally we get it back-perhaps the excitement of a new job; a wedding or a new child; or after a significant period of time away. Yet more often than not, we struggle to remember that we need to hold onto this childlike sense of wonder. 

Rabbi Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev, an 18th Century Hasidic leader, teaches about the importance of daily creation in his work Kedushat Levi:

We must always try to bring to our consciousness that from moment to moment, the Blessed Creator, in great love and mercy, instills in us new vital force; from moment to moment, the Blessed Creator renews our very being. This is what the rabbis meant when they said: “for each and every breath praise Ya”H”.[2] That is, at each moment the breath seeks to leave us, and the blessed Holy One, in great mercy, watches over us from moment to moment and has compassion for us, and does not let the breath depart.[3] In this manner, when we raise this thought to awareness, from moment to moment we actually are created anew as a new creature. This generates enthusiasm to serve the Blessed Creator, since everything that is new or renewed sparks enthusiasm. And, since we are created anew from moment to moment, we can burn with that same great enthusiasm to serve the blessed Creator.

But, there are those who do not raise up their thoughts to this truth, who actually think (heaven forbid) that the blessed Holy One does not renew them in each and every moment. They think that once the blessed Holy One created them, God no longer makes them new again in each moment. Thus, they do not experience any enthusiasm in serving the blessed Creator, for whatever is unchanging is also uninteresting and lacking in delight. For this reason, they sometimes fall from whatever spiritual degree they may have attained. But, afterward, when they start out again to serve the Creator, they actually do experience a great enthusiasm.

          We always have opportunities to get closer to The Holy One. The 20th century Slonimer Rebbe in his book Netivot Shalom, the paths of peace, teaches us   וכל המאורעות העוברים על איש יהודי, כולם הם קריאה מאת ה׳ יתברך שיתקרב אליו. “Everything that happens to us is a calling from God that we should get closer to God.”[4] In other words, there are no coincidences or things which are happenstance. God is calling out to us to hear God’s voice and bring a spirit of godliness into the world.

          How exactly do we do this? Netivot Shalom continues:

וזה ענין קול השופר שהוא קול ה׳ הקורא בראש השנה לכל איש יהודי לחזור אל מקורו ושרשו. “the sound of the shofar is the voice of God on Rosh Hashanah to return to our source and our root.” God can appear far off or at a distance, but a cry like the sound of the shofar can wake us up to return to our intention. After all, today we say hayom harat olam, today is the birthday of the world or today is pregnant with eternity. What new ideas are you birthing today? What ideas are percolating, in process, or gestating through you, so that they can be further developed in the days ahead?

                 The High Holy Day season is an opportunity to, in the words of Shlomo Carlebach, “return to who you are, return to what you are.”[5] We come home, returning to our original intention of who we want to be in the world. Rabbi Art Green, who I’ve been learning Hasidut from every week, writes, “homecoming is our return to the source within this world, to the great womb out of whom we are ever being born, the one to whom we ever return. Homecoming is the rejoining of matter and spirit, an understanding that this most primal of all separations stands as the cause of our alienation from ourselves, from the deepest roots of our own tradition, and from the very earth that nurtures us.”[6]

         This new beginning comes once a year right now. Tikkuney Zohar 16 reads the word bereshit of “In the beginning God created” as ba tishrey, “Tishrey has come.” It continues, Elohim, the aspect of God’s judgment, creates. Because of all the fear of being judged, people return to God, awakening mercy, and that recreates the world.[7] Rather than fear, I like to think of us as returning to love, finding ways to strengthen our bonds to one another out of shared humanity and love of each other. Any opportunity we have to add to the amount of love in the world enables us to be partners with God in creation.

      Part of that recreation means to recognize how lucky we are to be in this particular moment. Some might feel overwhelmed by past misdeeds. To those who are, you’re in good company: so too were our ancestors, who felt unworthy of receiving the Torah. The upcoming holiday of Yom Kippur is a renegotiated marriage between God and the Jewish people, for the first tablets, made entirely by God and given entirely on Shavuot, were overwhelming for Israel. That is why Israel fled to the golden calf. To transform oneself radically from a slave people to a people under the one God proved too much. The second tablets, on the other hand, were a partnership between Moses, the writer, and God, the transmitter.[8]

       When we feel off-kilter, may we remember that we are in a long-term partnership with the Holy One. We can always make adjustments to create ourselves anew and become the people we want to be. There are ample opportunities to transform our behavior, as illustrated by the following anecdote:

Imagine there is a bank that credits your account every day with $86,400. Every day, even on Saturday and Sunday! However, the bank will not carry your balance over to the next day. Every evening the bank deletes whatever part of the account that you fail to use.

What would you do? You would draw out every dollar!

Each one of us has such a bank but it doesn’t give us money, it gives us TIME. There are 86,400 seconds in a day. Every morning, that is what is credited to your account and every evening, the bank writes off, as lost, whatever you have failed to use for a good purpose. There is no carryover, there are no overdrafts. Each day you are given a new account. Each night that account is closed. If you fail to use the day’s deposits, the loss is yours. There is no going back. There is no drawing against “tomorrow.” You must live in the present on today’s deposit. The message is: invest every second so that you can get the most from it in health, happiness and success. The clock is running.

To realize the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who failed a class in school.

To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby.

To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.

To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask lovers who are waiting to meet.

To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask the person who just missed the train.

To realize the value of ONE SECOND, ask the person who just avoided an accident.

To realize the value of ONE MILLISECOND, ask the person who won a Silver Medal in the Olympic games.

Yesterday is history; Tomorrow is mystery. Today is a gift, that’s why they call it the present.[9]

                God creates time but we humans give it meaning. You not only have meaning but you are also necessary in every moment. As based on a story by Rebbe Nahman of Bratslav, “There is no person who does not have his hour”-every human life has something unique and valuable about it, a contribution to be offered that can be fulfilled by no other. Each messenger brings back a unique portrait of the king (of God) one that only he or she can paint. To take seriously our faith that each person is God’s image is to treat every person with a spiritual dignity and caring that would transform all of our lives.[10]

In the daily Amidah, we offer 3 times a day: בָּרֵךְ עָלֵֽינוּ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ אֶת־הַשָּׁנָה הַזֹּאת God bless for us this year. We recite this every single day, including the last day of the year. Every day is a different day. Life is constantly changing so that the prayer takes on greater meaning and nuance. Even at the end of the year, when we are really focused on the New Year ahead, we can still hope for the wringing out of blessing in that year’s waning moments. We cannot fully appreciate the year until it has concluded, in no small part because it is ever changing, and we add to the year’s meaning in our perspective. In addition, the preposition על means that the blessing is placed “over” us or “about” us. It is up to us each day to discover the blessing/s, find it, reach out for it, grasp it, and integrate it into our lives, so that life’s changes change us (לטובה) ולברכה, for goodness and for blessing.

 Take a moment to close your eyes and take a deep breath. Reflect on the joy of the here and now. Each moment is a new one with new opportunities to bring God’s presence into the world. Hold onto the words of the psalmist: זה היום עשה ה נגילה ונשמחה בו-this is the day God made, rejoice in it.[11] The dawn of a new year is a special moment. Take the time you need over this holiday season to reconnect with aspects of yourself that have become dormant-perhaps taking up a long-lost hobby or a passion you’ve always wanted to try. Call those you have not spoken to and catch up. Look at the habits and parts of your life no longer serving you and work to make the necessary changes. May doing each of us help us feel the precious present-ness of each moment in each day.

John O’Donahue

To Come Home to Yourself

May all that is unforgiven in you be released.

May your fears yield their deepest tranquilities.

May all that is unlived in you blossom into a future graced with love.

[1] Central Conference of American Rabbis, On the Doorposts of Your House: Prayers and Ceremonies for the Jewish Home (NY: CCAR Press, 1994) Poem 21, pg. 286.

[2] Psalms 150:6

[3] From Genesis Rabbah 14:10

[4] נתיבות שלום ב׳, קכ״ה

[5] Shlomo Carlebach “Return Again”

[6] Rabbi Art Green Say My Face, Speak My Name: A Contemporary Jewish Theology (Northvale, NJ: Aaronson, 1992) pgs. 159-60.

[7] Meor Eynaim Likkutim

[8] Rabbi Art Green, Say My Face, pgs. 172-73.

[9] Marc Levy, If Only It Were True

[10] Rabbi Art Green, Say My Face, Speak My Name, pg. 81.

[11] Psalms 118:24

Hitting the Mark

Rabbi Ben Herman , , ,

 I am accustomed to beginning the new year with a story and will do so with two short stories for this year 5786. This is a story by perhaps the most famous storyteller in all of Judaism, the Dubno Maggid. Rabbi Yaakov Kranz lived in Dubno (Western Ukraine) in the late 18th century. He is famous for conveying complex ideas in a simple way.            

Once upon a time, I was walking in the forest and I saw all these trees in a row with a target drawn on them, and an arrow right in the center. At the end of the row I saw a little boy with a bow in his hand I had to ask him, “Are you the one who shot all those arrows?!” “Of course!” he replied. “How did you hit all the targets right in the center?” I asked. “Simple”, said the boy, “first I shoot the arrow, and then I draw the target.”

Often on the High Holy Days we think of committing sins. The most common word use, on which we beat our breasts, is חאט, missing the mark. If one adopts the approach of the Dubno Maggid, however, they never miss the mark. I bring this not to suggest that we’re perfect but rather that perhaps we should think this year about those things where we feel we erred, especially the missed opportunities. Perhaps instead of missing the mark they were directing us towards a different target than we anticipated. Where we often think we should be is not where we need to be. As was made clear by The Rolling Stones, “you can’t always get what you want but if you try sometimes you just might find you get what you need.”

Another story by the Dubno Maggid teaches us to check our worries, our “what ifs” and our “should haves” at the door as we enter High Holy Days 5786.

A pauper once trudged along a country road, carrying a bundle of his worldly belongings on his back. As the beggar began to tire, a speck of dust appeared in the distance. To his delight, he was soon overtaken by a rich carriage that belonged to a local squire.

“Hop on board,” called the nobleman generously, “and rest your feet until we get to town.”

A few minutes later, the nobleman turned around and saw the beggar sitting with his bundle balanced precariously on his sagging shoulders.

“My dear man,” he asked with a hint of concern, “why don’t you put down your sack and rest up? There is plenty of space . . .”

“Oh kind sir,” came the reply, “it is generous enough of you to give me a ride. I would not trouble your horses, who are surely overtaxed, to carry my poor belongings as well.”

“Silly man,” said the magnate, “don’t you realize that even if you put the pack on your shoulders, it is still being carried by my carriage?”

At times we are like the pauper, foolishly carrying our worries and cares on our own shoulders.

If we take a moment to recognize that G‑d constantly “carries” the entire world, including our cares and concerns, we can relax our shoulders, confident and secure in our faith.

Let us take a deep breath and relax into the moment of New Year 5786, recognizing all the times that we have hit the mark in the previous year and looking forward to those in which we will do so in the year ahead.

The Entire Commandment

Rabbi Ben Herman , , ,

         I want to begin by saying thank you to Cantorial Soloist Caitlyn Shannon for an incredible job this summer. I am sad to miss your final Shabbat before your return to Cantorial School, but I look forward to hearing you on the High Holy Days.

            In mindfulness language, we often talk about “being in the moment or “being fully present.” That’s a very hard thing to do. Our lives are busy and if an appointment is cancelled we quickly think about what we can fill that hour up with rather than taking time for self-care. In rushing from place to place we forget that the blank space in our lives, just like the blank spaces in the Torah, is essential. If the Torah was only letters without space, no one could read it. Similarly, if our lives are all doing without being, we lose sense of who we are and of what is truly most important to us.

        There’s an interesting line towards the beginning of this week’s Torah portion. It reads

כׇּל־הַמִּצְוָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָנֹכִ֧י מְצַוְּךָ֛ הַיּ֖וֹם תִּשְׁמְר֣וּן לַעֲשׂ֑וֹת לְמַ֨עַן תִּֽחְי֜וּן וּרְבִיתֶ֗ם וּבָאתֶם֙ וִֽירִשְׁתֶּ֣ם אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־נִשְׁבַּ֥ע יְהֹוָ֖ה לַאֲבֹתֵיכֶֽם׃

You shall faithfully observe the entire commandment that I enjoin upon you today, that you may thrive and increase and be able to possess the land that God promised on oath to your fathers.[1]

          What is the entire commandment and why only one commandment? The commentator Ovadiah Sforno points out the juxtaposition between this verse, beginning Chapter 8 of Deuteronomy, and what came before about not bringing idols into your house. He says just as one must be sure to follow that commandment, so must one be certain to follow all of them.[2]  Commentator Ephraim of Luntschitz has the opposite view in his work Kli Yakar, asserting that “the Torah uses the singular mitzvah to indicate that the observance of even one mitzvah as it should be will result in “so you may live”…because “one mitzvah leads to another mitzvah.”[3] The interpretation I prefer is in Midrash Tanhuma, which teaches that “once you have begun a commandment, finish it, for it is the person who finishes it that will be identified as having done it.[4] In other words, whatever commandment you are doing, give your full, undivided attention to it until it is carried out. Don’t be distracted by other thoughts, feelings or things to do, being pulled in a million different directions.

          Too often in life we start something but do not finish it. At other times, we take on a task which is too great for us-like doing all 613 commandments that one can-and we burn out, throw up our hands and give it all up. I believe it is purposeful that the singular word מצוה is used here, indicating that we should only focus on one thing at a time.

          This Shabbat we have the pleasure of welcoming in our new members to Mosaic Law Congregation. Each of you came here through a different route. Some of you chose Judaism-others are new to the area and found our community warm and welcoming. We are blessed to have each and every one of you as part of our congregational family. I have one question for each of you: what skills and passions would you like to contribute to Mosaic Law Congregation in the year 5786? We want to be sure that MLC is a spiritual home for you in the fullest sense-not that it will meet all of your needs, as no congregation can do that, but rather that it will provide comfort, warmth and a sense of belonging. To those of you who checked off every box on the membership application, I advise you to choose 1 or 2 areas in which to get involved. Focusing on the entire commandment requires that we don’t stretch ourselves in too many directions and burn out. As we approach 5786, let us focus on the one thing in life that is truly most important to us at any given moment. In so, may our lives have a sense of calm, clarity and purpose.

          I would like all of our new members to come up to the Bimah, say your names and, if you want, one sentence introducing yourself to the congregation. After that I’ll ask for you to join me in a prayer for our new members.

[1] Deuteronomy 8:1

[2] Sforno on Deuteronomy 8:1 ד”ה כל המצוה

[3] Kli Yakar on Deuteronomy 8:1 ד”ה כל המצוה אשר אנכי מצוך

[4] Midrash Tanhuma 6. In Rashi on Deut. 8:1 ד”ה כל המצוה

Unending Love

Rabbi Ben Herman , ,

We are loved, loved, loved

By unending love

An unending love 2x[1]

We are in such a divided world. Often our beliefs come from an echo chamber derived from our news sources. People are in a rush to judge each other. Take the starvation in Gaza. Are you caving into Hamas’ propaganda of kids with genetic diseases posing as emaciated or are you turning a blind eye to the suffering of others, lacking human dignity? Are you holding Israel to an unreasonable standard in feeding the enemy which will deter it from winning the war or are you not showing humanity to innocent children and civilians, preventing a “human disaster” in the words of Ari Shavit? Ezra Klein wrote a poignant piece entitled “Why American Jews No Longer Understand Each Other,”[2] and I encourage those who have not read it to do so on Tisha B’Av.

So much knowledge today requires nuance for which we have no patience. When we rush to judge others, or when we are afraid to speak out, let us remember the Talmudic text that led to the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem.[3]

There was a nameless man-call him Ploni or Joe Shmo. He was throwing a big party and invited his friend Kamtza. Unfortunately the invitation went to his enemy, Bar Kamtza. Upon seeing Bar Kamtza at his party, Ploni was outraged and said in front of everyone “You must leave!” Bar Kamtza was embarrassed and said “I know we are enemies, but please give me the dignity of staying. I’ll pay for my meal.” Ploni retorted, “Get out of here!” Bar Kamtza said, “Please, I’ll pay for half of the party.” Ploni asserted, “Get out!” “Fine,” Bar Kamtza said, “I’ll pay for the entire thing.” “Security!” yelled Ploni, and he personally escorted Bar Kamtza out.

The aspect not discussed in the story is that the important rabbis present said nothing. They did not try to intervene, nor did they protest Bar Kamtza being publicly humiliated, a crime which according to the Talmud is worse than murder.[4] They let it happen by staying silent. As revenge on those sages, Bar Kamtza said to Caesar, “Those Jews will not sacrifice your choice offerings. Give something and see what will happen.” Caesar sent a sacrifice as a peace offering, which Bar Kamtza nicked in the upper lip, making it unfit to be offered for Israel. The rabbis had a dilemma: what do they do? Rabbi Zecharia ben Avkolos said you can’t offer a treyf animal, for then the people will bring them. Then the people wanted to kill bar Kamtza for bringing a treyf animal and so he wouldn’t report back to the Romans, and Zecharia ben Avkolos said no. Once again the rabbis did nothing. Caesar was furious that the Jews did not offer his sacrifice and waged war against them. Rabbi Yohanan, who lived over 100 years later, said “The Romans destroyed our Temple, burned our Sanctuary, and exiled us from our land because of the excessive humility of Rabbi Zecharia ben Avkolos.”

Tisha B’Av is about remembering the division that led to our displacement and to the humiliation of our people. I often laugh when I hear those who say that all Jews were the same until the Haskalah (Jewish enlightenment) came about and made so many secular. Imagine being alive during the late Second Temple period. I imagine the Pharisees, or proto-rabbis, saying “We have it right-we appeal to the common people through deriving new meaning from Torah into which they can relate.” The Sadducees, on the other hand, would respond, “We have it right-everything is written verbatim in the Torah. Animal sacrifice forever! We are the priestly elites-you are lowly commoners who must listen to us.” The Essenes would say, “We don’t mix with any of you. We are off in the desert, in Qumram, deriving new mystical teachings and staying far away from anyone who would corrupt us.” Then come groups known as the K’naim, or zealots, the most famous being the Sicarii, known for their types of daggers. They would say, “We long for the days before Pompey took us over! We need greater Judea/Israel, and we can achieve it by fighting the Romans! Not only that, but we will burn other Jews’ storehouses of grain, forcing them to join us in fighting against our enemies so that they will have food!” Each group thought they were right and the others were wrong. This baseless hatred led to our people being divided and eventually overrun by the Romans.

When there is hatred and sinat hinam, which caused the destruction of the Second Temple, the response must be to increase our ahavat hinam, unending, intentional love of one another. This requires having respect for others regardless of their opinions and seeking to understand the other out of curiosity, rather than seeking to refute him/her. This is so hard yet necessary to do.

We are on the eve of the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, the ninth of Av, in which we remember not only the destruction of the Temples in Jerusalem but also our people being exiled from most of the countries in Europe. I’ll never forget observing Tisha B’Av at the Kotel when I was on Alexander Muss High School in Israel. It was emotionally powerful in a way I cannot put into words. Tonight, in addition to traditional kinot, or dirges, we will read pieces from survivors of Be’eri, Nahal Oz and Kfar Aza on October 7, 2023.

This Tisha B’Av let’s try to have increased love and rahmanut for our fellow Jews as well as for all the people in the world. To counter the hatred that existed between our ancestors and between Ploni and Bar Kamtza, the misunderstandings between the Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes and Sicarii, we need to increase our love for one another. Are we really so self-righteous that we believe that only we have the right answers? Tisha B’Av is the perfect time to reflect on where we are at in terms of our beliefs and how we will move forward in the 7 weeks of consolation that will lead us to Rosh Hashanah.

 I will conclude with a poem by Rabbi Rami Shapiro, An Unending Love,[5] followed by Cantorial Soloist Caitlyn Shannon singing again the chorus of Shir Yaakov’s song We Are Loved based on the poem.

We are loved by an unending love.

We are embraced by the arms that find us

Even when we are hidden from ourselves.

We are touched by the fingers that soothe us

Even when we are too proud for soothing.

We are counseled by the voices that guide us

Even when we are too embittered to hear.

We are loved by an unending love.

Embraced, touched, soothed and counseled,

ours are the arms, the fingers, the voices;

ours are the hands, the eyes, the smiles.

We are loved by an unending love.

We are loved, loved, loved

By unending love

An unending love 2x

[1] We Are Loved | Shir Yaakov

[2] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/20/opinion/antisemitism-american-jews-israel-mamdani.html

[3] Babylonian Talmud Gittin 55b. My version is paraphrased.

[4] Words of Rav Nahman bar Yitzhak Bava Metzia 58b

[5] Rami Shapiro “An Unending Love,” in תפילות זכרון-Memorial Prayers and Special Readings For the House of Mourning, Page 74.

Gratitude to Cantor Noah Rachels

Rabbi Ben Herman , ,

Cantor Rachels-I can’t believe we are finally here at your final Shabbat. You have been a light and an inspiration to so many in our congregation and a partner in the fullest and truest sense to me. You have demonstrated that you are a mentsch from your first day when you got down on your hands and knees to soak up water from our flood rather than running in the opposite direction. Your work ethic is second to none as is your musical talent. You have brought in so many new Torah readers through your patience, dedication and persistence. You started Yom Aharei, a group for those who are grieving, and with your calm, compassionate presence have been a comfort to so many. Your quickness on your feet through humor has enlivened numerous conversations. You ware naturally comfortable talking to people of all ages and at all stages of life, which is rare to find. It has been a treat working with you these past two years.

In our first conversation before your visit to Mosaic Law we were going through the service. You said strongly, “I don’t believe you need to have 2 repetitions of the Amidah.” I admired your ability to strongly express your opinion. You also spoke with me about facing the congregation rather than the ark. When you came to MLC you seemed to want to please others, listening carefully without offering your opinion. I want you to know that people want to hear from you and they will respect your opinion even when they disagree with you. You have so many years of knowledge, wisdom and cantorial voice will shine forth in every situation you are in-not only when you sing.

Today’s Parshat Korach features beauty after tragedy. After the failed rebellion of Korach, Datan, Aviram and the priests, Gd tells Moses to put the staffs of all of the leaders forward and “the staff of the candidate who I choose shall sprout.”[1] Sure enough, Aaron’s staff “brought forth sprouts, produced blossoms and bore almonds.”[2]  The medieval commentator Ibn Ezra asserts, “the words shekadim, almonds, has midrashically been related to the word shoked-watch-in I watch over my word to perform it.[3] By having almonds blossom forth, Gd demonstrated that Gd is always watching over the Israelites and their leader, Aaron.

Cantor Rachels-Gd is watching over you, knowing how special you are as a sweet singer of Israel. Your voice blew us away from your senior cantorial recital and from Day 1, and your kindness, gentleness and thoughtfulness are qualities we will always hold near and dear to our hearts. You will bring your light and joy to Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda in Toronto and as your mentor Jackie Mendelson said at your ordination, “They’re going to love you.” Thank you for all the joy you, Amy and Maya have brought to our congregation in the short but meaningful time you’ve been here. 

As a gift I have a special item. Cantor has been a lifelong Mets fan and while this is great, he hasn’t had an American League team to root for. I will remedy that with this special Toronto Blue Jays Noah Rachels bobblehead engraved with the words Cantorial All-Star. May it bring your new hometown team much luck and good fortune in the years ahead-and may you get on the mound, either to sing the Canadian National Anthem or to throw out the first pitch. Tzetchem l’shalom-may you go in peace, knowing that you always have a home here at Mosaic Law Congregation. 

[1] Numbers 17:20

[2] Numbers 18:23

[3] Ibn Ezra on Numbers 18:23 ד”ה ויגמל שקדים

Noah-I can’t believe we are finally here at your final Shabbat. You have been a light and an inspiration to so many in our congregation and a partner in the fullest and truest sense to me. You have demonstrated that you are a mentsch from your first day when you got down on your hands and knees to soak up water from our flood rather than running in the opposite direction. Your work ethic is second to none as is your musical talent. You have brought in so many new Torah readers through your patience, dedication and persistence. You started Yom Aharei, a group for those who are grieving, and with your calm, compassionate presence have been a comfort to so many. Your quickness on your feet through humor has enlivened numerous conversations. You ware naturally comfortable talking to people of all ages and at all stages of life, which is rare to find. It has been a treat working with you these past two years.

In our first conversation before your visit to Mosaic Law we were going through the service. You said strongly, “I don’t believe you need to have 2 repetitions of the Amidah.” I admired your ability to strongly express your opinion. You also spoke with me about facing the congregation rather than the ark. When you came to MLC you seemed to want to please others, listening carefully without offering your opinion. I want you to know that people want to hear from you and they will respect your opinion even when they disagree with you. You have so many years of knowledge and wisdom which shine forth in every situation you are in.

Today’s Parshat Korach features beauty after tragedy. After the failed rebellion of Korach, Datan, Aviram and the priests, Gd tells Moses to put the staffs of all of the leaders forward and “the staff of the candidate who I choose shall sprout.”[1] Sure enough, Aaron’s staff “brought forth sprouts, produced blossoms and bore almonds.”[2]  The medieval commentator Ibn Ezra asserts, “the words shekadim, almonds, has midrashically been related to the word shoked-watch-in I watch over my word to perform it.[3] By having almonds blossom forth, Gd demonstrated that Gd is always watching over the Israelites and their leader, Aaron.

Cantor Rachels-Gd is watching over you, knowing how special you are as a sweet singer of Israel. Your voice blew us away from your senior cantorial recital and from Day 1, and your kindness, gentleness and thoughtfulness are qualities we will always hold near and dear to our hearts. You will bring your light and joy to Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda in Toronto and as your mentor Jackie Mendelson said at your ordination, “They’re going to love you.” Thank you for all the joy you, Amy and Maya have brought to our congregation in the short but meaningful time you’ve been here. 

As a gift I have a special item. Noah has been a lifelong Mets fan and while this is great, he hasn’t had an American League team to root for. I will remedy that with this special Toronto Blue Jays Noah Rachels bobblehead engraved with the words Cantorial All-Star. May it bring your new hometown team much luck and good fortune in the years ahead-and may you get on the mound, either to sing the Canadian National Anthem or to throw out the first pitch. Tzetchem l’shalom-may you go in peace, knowing that you always have a home here at Mosaic Law Congregation. 

[1] Numbers 17:20

[2] Numbers 18:23

[3] Ibn Ezra on Numbers 18:23 ד”ה ויגמל שקדים

Oh the Places You’ll Go

Rabbi Ben Herman

“Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!”

 “You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes.

You can steer yourself any direction you choose.

You’re on your own.

And you know what you know.

And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go…”

“You’ll get mixed up, of course, as you already know.

You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go.

So be sure when you step.

Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act.

Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.

And never mix up your right foot with your left.”

“You’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting,
So… get on your way!”[1]

          How wonderful to celebrate our confirmands and our graduates on this special Shabbat. Whether you are graduating Kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, high school or college, we are most grateful to celebrate you today.

          Our people are also at the beginning of their journey to the Promised Land this week with Parshat Behaalotecha. They are commanded to mark when the ark is raised and to encamp when it is put down. This is preparation for the wars they will fight on their way to Israel. Unfortunately the nation get a “false start” before they make any ground.

          Numbers 11 teaches “the people complained angrily in the ears of Gd and Gd heard and G’ds anger flared and a fire of Gd burned against them…”[2] After this they crave the meat, fish and vegetables they ate as slaves rather than this manna which tasted like coriander seed.[3] The medieval commentator Nahmanides views the correct interpretation as “as they got further away from Mount Sinai, which was near an inhabitable settlement, and entered the great and dreadful wilderness in their first journey, they became upset and said: “What shall we do? How shall we live in this wilderness? What shall we eat and what shall we drink? How shall we endure the trouble and the suffering, and when shall we come out of here?”[4] In other words, Israel is struggling with how will they become independent. While being slaves they knew what was expected of them and had structure to their day. They also were provided with food and shelter. This is no longer the case as they travel through the desert on their way to Israel.

          There is a lesson here for our confirmands and graduates to learn. Becoming independent is not always easy-it means more responsibilities. Some of you will be going to a much larger school next year or with much older kids. Others are moving away from home for the first time. Others are graduating and might be wondering how to navigate getting a job and entering the workforce. When I think of the anticipation as we go from one stage of life to the next I also think of the anxiety and fear that is behind these changes. You’re in good company, yet please be reassured, as we are when we read the Bible, that all’s well that ends well. Our ancestors make it to Israel and set up communities, and you will make it to the next stage of life. View false starts are learning and growth opportunities.

          To our graduates and confirmands as well as those who are finishing their formal education, I want you to remember the following 3 words: learning never ends. There are always new opportunities to expand our mindsets. Part of the reason I’ve done so many rabbinic fellowships, including the one I’m finishing this coming week, is because of the importance of devoting oneself to continuing education. Today we celebrate you and look forward to your having a well-deserved summer break. We can’t wait to hear of the places you’ll go and the people you’ll see as you take the next step in your life journey. Mazal Tov on reaching this special day!

[1] Selected excerpts from Dr Seuss “Oh the Places You’ll Go”

[2] Numbers 11:1

[3] Numbers 11:7

[4] Ramban on Numbers 11:1 ד”ה ויהי העם כמתעוננים

The Wayward Woman (Sotah)

Rabbi Ben Herman , ,

          In Parshat Naso, there is a woman who is accused of an illicit sexual affair. The women needs to drink bitter water with God’s name broken up into it. If her thigh doesn’t sag and her belly doesn’t distend she is innocent; if not she is guilty (Numbers 5:11). All that needed to be done is for the husband to have a רוח קנאה, a jealous spirit, for this procedure to occur.

          What is sad is that a husband can be jealous and accuse his wife of an illicit relationship but not vice versa. A woman who has evidence that her husband has cheated has no recourse, whereas a man is able to force his wife to perform this ritual. The rabbis were uncomfortable with this practice.  In Mishnah Sotah the rabbis made it much less likely for this to occur, saying that the woman needed to be warned about her behavior by two witnesses who then see her in seclusion with another man (Sotah 1:1). Later on in Mishnah Sotah it states that Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai discontinued the ritual of the sotah because the number of men who were adulterers proliferated (Sotah 9:9). It is evidence of shinui haitim, the changing nature of the times. What made sense in one time period did not in another.

          Still the Sotah leaves us feeling very uncomfortable. Three twentieth century commentators, Rabbis Herbert Chanan Brichto, Emanuel Rackman and Yaakov Kamenetsky, said the sotah was used specifically to prove women innocent. Kamenetsky said that if a man suspected his wife, “the doubt will never leave him unless God, so to speak, Himself promises that she is actually pure.”[1] This is further supported by Jacob Milgrom, who asserts that by bringing this to a Kohen, it is taken out of the people’s hands and placed in God’s hands.[2]

          Why focus so much on this Sotah ritual? In truth the entire body of rabbinic literature cites only one example of its implementation: Shemayah and Avtalyon making the freed slave woman Karkemith.[3] Even there there is disagreement as to whether she drank the real waters or a placebo. Regardless of whether that happened, by reading about the Sotah we can learn how our ancestors thought and how that changed over time. I would no longer read it as being about “the wayward women” but rather about an ancient, magical ritual that was used to show that God proclaims innocence and a clean slate.

          As we read the passage on the Sotah as well as the Nazir in my Torah study, who according to the rabbis should be criticized for making an excessive vow, let us recognize that not every biblical passage needs to correspond to our lives today; however that does not mean that there are not lessons that we can derive from them. We have moved from a world of the Sotah to a world of #MeToo, where women’s testimonies are believed and valued. Let us recognize that the Sotah is a vestige of our past that teaches us how society used to function and let us praise God that our society has moved on from there.

[1] In Yosef Lindell Was the Sotah Meant to be Innocent? | The Lehrhaus

[2] Ibid

[3] Mishnah Eduyot 5:6