Rabbi Howard Morrison

Charlie Kirk was murdered Wednesday probably because someone or someones did not agree with his views.

Jewish tradition and the Talmud in particular emphasize the importance of respectful dialogue and debate. In Pirkei Avot, we learn that the disputes of Hillel and Shammai were meant to be of lasting value because they were done for the sake of a higher cause.

Democracies like Israel, the U.S., and Canada are predicated on the value of diversity and pluralism in society. Respectful disagreement is a means toward healthy learning and growth. To prevent different points of view by assassinating those with whom we disagree is antithetical to a democratic value system.

Charlie Kirk's death is a tragic blow to all of us. May his memory be a blessing. May his family find a measure of comfort.

Rabbi Howard Morrison

On Monday morning, we learned about another terrible terrorist act of evil, this time at Ramot Junction bus stop in Jerusalem. We mourn the losses of Levi Yitzchak Pash, Yisrael Matzner, Rabbi Yosef David, Rabbi Mordechai Steintzag, Yaakov Pinto, and Sara Mendelson. May their memories be for a blessing, and may their families find comfort.

This week's Parsha of Ki Tavo contains a list of blessings and curses. Have the curses already taken place in our history? Are they anticipatory of some unknown future? Are they understood as deterrents but not to actually occur? There is no single response to these questions. What we do know is that the curses are recited as we are ending the current calendar year. There is a teaching in our tradition based on this week's parsha that we read the curses at the end of a year so that the new year will be filled only or mostly with blessings. Given the horrors of the last two years, harkening back to October 7, 2023, may the pain and suffering come to an end. May the coming year be filled with blessings.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Howard Morrison

Ken Dryden passed away over the weekend. Long before I came to Canada, I knew his name.

As an 11 year old growing in Boston, the underdog Montreal Canadians upset the defending Stanley Cup champion Bruins in the first round of the playoffs in 1971 because of a late season call up named Ken Dryden. In game 7 at Boston Garden, Dryden stopped 46 of 48 shots on goal. The Habs beat the Bruins 4-2. 

I also remember Ken Dryden the color commentor of Olympic hockey at Lake Placid in 1980. He and Al Michaels covered the games when the underdog U.S. team comprised of college players upset the Soviet Union and went on to win the gold medal.

Soon after I became rabbi at Beth Emeth in Toronto, Ken Dryden became MP of our riding. On a Shabbat visit to our shul, he smiled when I told him of my growing up in Boston and still remembering the number of saves he made in game 7 against my team. The Bruins would go on to win the Cup the following year in 1972, not having to play against Dryden and the Canadians.

The 6"4 goalie and politician will long be remembered. May he rest in peace.

Rabbi Howard Morrison

This past Monday, we entered the month of Elul. The period of spiritual preparation for the High Holy Days has begun. In our Parsha today, Shoftim, the plain meaning is dedicated to the establishment of a judicial system in the Land of Israel. For us, Rosh Hashanah, is less than a month away.

Though God will serve as the ultimate Judge on Rosh Hashanah, the month of Elul calls upon us to judge ourselves. The Parsha begins with the words, "Shoftim V'Shotrim titen lecha - You shall place for yourselves judges and officials." A Hasidic commentary suggests that "for yourselves" means to establish judges and officials for yourselves within yourselves. Thus, as we read this Parsha in Elul, now is the time to judge ourselves from within, introspectively.

Each day in Elul, except on Shabbat and the very last day of the month, we sound the Shofar. Maimonides explains, " The Shofar's call says: Wake up you sleepy ones from your sleep and you who slumber, arise! Inspect your deeds, repent, remember your Creator . . . . Look into your souls. improve your ways and your deeds, and let everyone of you abandon his evil path and thoughts (Laws of Repentance 3:4)."

The Shofar jolts us out of our spiritual complacency and prompts us to engage in the process of Teshuva, repentance. The Shofar also demands that we judge ourselves scrupulously. Maimonides continues his discussion of the Shofar's message with the following lesson:

"Accordingly, throughout the year, a person should always look at himself as equally balanced between merit and sin and the world as equally balanced between merit and sin. If he performs one sin, he tips his balance and that of the entire world toward the side of guilt and brings destruction upon himself. On the other hand, if he performs one Mitzvah, he tips his balance and that of the entire world to the side of merit and brings deliverance and salvation to himself and others."

In other words, we must judge ourselves as if our every action has cosmic consequences and that our lives are held in a delicate balance. As we cultivate this inward awareness during the month of Elul, we pave the road for judicious behavior in the new year. 

The Hebrew word for "to pray" is the reflexive infinitive "L'hitpallel," which literally means "to judge oneself." Now is the time to honestly and authentically judge ourselves with critical eyes.

It has often been said that we should be less judgmental of others and more judgmental of ourselves. It is just too easy to judge and blame others for our own misdeeds. The shape of the Shofar calls on us to move from a place of narrowness to a place of openness. In Pirkei Avot, the Ethics of the Sages, we are taught, "Havei Metunim Adam l'Caf Zechut - Judge others favorably."

At the same time, while many people tend to judge themselves accordingly, others overly beat them themselves up with too much self-judgment. Some have a persecution complex.  We need to find the proper balance.

I conclude with the poem entitled, "Judge ourselves gently," by Shakti Gawain in the book "Living in the Light."

"Remember.

If you judge and criticize yourself, others will judge and criticize you.

If you hurt yourself, others will hurt you.

If you lie to yourself, others will lie to you.

If your are irresponsible to yourself, others will be irresponsible in relation to you.

If you blame yourself, others will blame you.

If you do violence to yourself emotionally, others will do violence to you emotionally or even physically.

If you do not listen to your feelings, no one will listen to your feelings.

If you love yourself, others will love you.

If you trust yourself, others will trust you.

If you are honest with yourself, others will be honest with you.

If you are gentle and compassionate with yourself, others will treat you with compassion.

If you appreciate yourself, others will appreciate you.

If you honor yourself, others will honor you.

If you enjoy yourself, others will enjoy you.

Now is a time for fair, balanced, and moderate self-judgment - Be authentic; do not be too soft or too harsh. Be like a reed in your self reflection, one which will bend but not break.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Howard Morrison

The beginning of this week's Torah portion states, "See, this day, I (God) set before you blessing and curse."

"This day," meaning each and every day, we potentially feel the joy of blessings and the sadness of curses. This is a requisite of the human condition. Thus, at Pesach time, we did Marror into Charoset, the bitter into the sweet because of the bittersweet nature of life's experiences. When we lose a loved one, we recite, "God who gave, and God who took." It is the one and only God who gives life at birth and takes life at death.

Jewish tradition prescribes that we acknowledge God at sacred moments of experiencing the good and the bad of life. Thus, at an especially joyous moment, we recite either the blessing of "Tov U'Maitiv - God who is good and beneficent," or the blessing of "Shehecheyanu - God who has granted life." At a time of extreme sadness, we recite the blessing,  "Baruch Dayan Emet - Praised be the True Judge."

With the combination of one God and varied experiences in life's journey, our tradition equips us with the language to acknowledge God for all circumstances and at all times.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Howard Morrison

Did you know that the Torah's basis for reciting blessings after meals appears in today's Parsha? "You shall eat; you shall be satisfied, and you shall thank the Lord your God for the good land He has given you."

Birkat Ha'Mazon contains three Torah based blessings, or themes, which were originally three before a fourth was added on. According to the Sages, the three primary blessings are attributed to Biblical figures. The first blessing is attributed to Moses and deals with nourishing those who are hungry. The attribution to Moses makes sense as the people were fed miraculously while wandering in the desert for forty years.

The second blessing which deals with having independence in the land of Israel is attributed to Joshua. This too makes sense as Joshua was the first to lead our people into an independent sovereign land of Israel.

The third blessing which deals with the holiness of Jerusalem is attributed to Kings David and Solomon. This too makes sense as David conquered the city, and Solomon built the first Temple of Jerusalem.

Notice that when we thank God after eating a meal, we do more than acknowledge gratitude for food. Rather, we thank God for the land which produces the food, and for the spirituality of the land. Our thanks to God are for physicality and spirituality. 

After the third blessing, there is a grand AMEN. One would think that is the ending. After all, in general, the recitation of AMEN signifies an end or a response to a blessing or a series of blessings. At one time, the blessings after meals ended after the three themes I have discussed, with a grand Amen.

For nearly the last two thousand years, there is an additional fourth blessing, considered D'RABBANAN, added by the Sages, and not D'ORAITA, based on Biblical attributions. The fourth blessing is called in short "Tov U'Maitiv - God who is good and beneficent." It was added after the fall of Beitar around the year 135 CE at the end of the period of the Bar Kokhba revolt when thousands of our people were slain by the Romans. A miracle happened in that all of the dead were properly buried. Since the third blessing in Birkat Ha'Mazon focused on the building of Jerusalem and its holy Temple, the horrors of the Bar Kokhba revolt brought a conclusion to the second Temple period.

Notice the miracle for which we are grateful - All the dead were properly buried. While there is sadness in the genocidal brutality perpetrated by the Romans, there is gratitude that all the bodies received dignity and respect. Contrast that to the Shoah and other atrocities in our history when bodies were left to rot.

Birkat Ha'Mazon teaches a number of fundamental values: All people should be fed. The first blessing which is attributed to Moses is directed to all who are hungry, not merely Jews. The text is couched in universal terms. The second and third blessings assert the Jewishness of the land of Israel from the moment that Joshua entered it some 3500 years ago, and when David and Solomon established Jerusalem and the Temple over 3000 years ago. The fourth blessing speaks against Roman genocide of our people and the importance of proper Jewish burial.

Given the tradition of Birkat Ha'Mazon, it is just ludicrous to think that Israel would starve another people. To the contrary, Israel does its best to feed others, even when it has to fight a hostile enemy which is stealing the food that Israel is trying to provide for the local population. I wonder - where are Egypt, Jordan, and other Arab countries caring to feed hungry brothers and sisters?

It is just ludicrous to consider Israel of committing genocide when it is continuing to warn civilians ahead of time to get out of harm's way. If one wants to see examples of genocide, look at what is happening in the Sudan, Syria, Yemen, and other places - Where Muslims are slaughtering fellow Muslims, as well as Christians, and Druze. 

It is Hamas who perpetrated genocide on October 7 and which vows to do so in the future. In this context, it is just absurd and scary that this past week, TIFF, the Toronto International Film Festival, had initially banned the showing of the documentary, The Road Between Us. It is a film showing the bravery of an Israeli family on October 7. Why was it being banned? Because the Hamas terrorists in the film did not consent to their being shown in public? Is this the world in which we are now living? During the Nuremberg Trials, were the faces of Nazis withheld because they did not consent? Ultimately, the unified collective voice of protest from the Jewish community forced TIFF to change its position, teaching us that we need to raise our voices when the Jewish community is being treated unjustly.

Birkat Ha'Mazon is a lesson about much more than food. It is a four-chapter lesson about central moral and spiritual principles for all time.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Howard Morrison

It is great to be back on the Bima this Shabbat after having been away. I do hope that you remember me. More importantly, we welcome our new Hazan, Noah Rachels, his wife Amy, and their daughter Maya, to our Beth Emeth family. Ever since you visited us this past May, we have eagerly anticipated your full-time arrival to your new home. We look forward to working with you and sharing in your vision for our synagogue. 

In advance of Cantor Noah's arrival, our ritual committee and board of directors changed what was a custom when we last had a Cantor with a choir. In the eventuality of a small or large choir, whether it perform on a full or limited basis, the next iteration of a Bima choir will be open to volunteer men and women under the supervision of Hazan Rachels. My rabbinic explanation and rationale for permitting a mixed choir of men and women are explained elsewhere. And so - On one level, I am very happy today, as we begin a new chapter and renewed future at Beth Emeth.

In our Parsha today, I can only imagine the full range of emotions shared by Moses, as we begin to read the last book of the Torah - Devarim. Knowing that he will not accompany his people into the Promised Land, most of Devarim is a recapitulation of earlier teachings and events.

One can imagine Moses being sad in that his career and his days are numbered.

One can imagine Moses being content in that he fulfilled so much from that original encounter he had with God at the burning bush.

One can imagine Moses being angry at himself, with his people, and toward God in that he would not actually witness the fruits of his labors by entering the land of Israel.

Suffice to say, one can imagine Moses feeling a wide range of emotions in the final chapters of his legacy.

In rabbinic tradition, the date on which God punished the people of Israel after the episode of the spies was Tisha B'Av. That Biblical episode is recounted in today's Parsha. The punishment resulted in the Israelites having to wander in the desert for close to forty years. With the exception of Joshua and Caleb, none of the people who had experienced the Exodus from Egypt would enter the land. A newborn generation would experience life in Israel.

From that ancient interpretation of Tisha B'Av, this particular Hebrew date has become the saddest day on our calendar. Both, the first and second Temples of Jerusalem were destroyed on Tisha B'Av. Did you know that the expulsion of the Jews from England in 1290 and from Spain in 1492 occurred on Tisha B'Av. Many other atrocities throughout our history began or overlapped with Tisha B'Av. Thus, the full liturgy includes Kinot, dirges or elegies, which cover the gamut of Jewish history.

The Biblical book of Lamentations, which we will chant tonight, begins with the watchword of Tisha B'Av. It is a word which is hard to understand or translate. It is a word which wa earlier recited by Moses and Isaiah in today's Torah and Haftarah readings:

EICHA - How! Alas! It is a word that denotes the incomprehensibility of how we Jews have suffered in our history.  The word Eicha sums up in a few letters the emotions of sadness, anger, rage, and so much more.

For Moses - "Eicha - How can I alone bear your burden, your quarrel, your strife?"

For Isaiah - "Eicha - How the city (of Jerusalem) has become a harlot."

For Jeremiah (the author Lamentations) - "Eicha - How alone dwells the city (of Jerusalem) which was once full of people."

For Jewish history - Eicha - How!!!??? -  The Babylonians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Crusaders; The inquisition, the pogroms; the Shoah, and much more.

For the last two years in particular - Eicha - How!!!??? -  October 7, 2023, the surge in anti-Semitism globally, the denial and negation by most of the world at large.

Sometimes, we need one face, one person, to focus on in order to feel the gravity of our emotions. For me, it is Karen Diamond. She was one of those burned alive in a horrific act of Jew-hatred in Boulder Colorado in the late Spring. She was an 82-year-old Holocaust survivor simply trying to live the last chapter of her life in peace and serenity. She died of her wounds on June 30th. For me, her death symbolizes the sadness, pain, anger, and rage I feel heading into Tisha B'Av tonight.

In Jewish tradition, a chapter of Scripture is not allowed to end on a sad note. Sometimes, we repeat an earlier verse to end on an uplifting note. When we read the book of Eicha-Lamentations tonight, we repeat, "Bring us back to you, O Lord, and we shall return. Renew our days as of old." These words are recited every time we return the Torah scroll to the Ark.

Tisha B'Av will not end on a down note. It will lead to seven weeks of hope and comfort, which we lead directly into the High Holidays, the hopes and aspirations for a better new year.

Following a day of sadness and anger, I pray that we all find genuine hope, comfort, and renewal in our own lives and in the life of the Jewish people.

Am Yisrael Chai!

Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi Howard Morrison

When we think of cities destroyed in the Torah, Sodom and Gomorrah come to mind. The internal evil led to complete destruction. The cities never returned. Many of the post Torah books in Tanach focus on the ups and downs of the holy city of Jerusalem - before, during and following the first Temple period.

Leading up to Tisha B'Av, we read three Haftarot of rebuke, two from Jeremiah and one from Isaiah. Following Tisha B'Av, we will read seven Haftarot of comfort from a second or "Deutero" Isaiah. Historically, the Babylonians destroyed the first Temple, and the Romans destroyed the second Temple. Philosophically, the Sages who lived after the second Temple period taught, "Because of our own transgressions, we were exiled from our homeland." Strife from within and without led to two periods of destruction in our history.

In the aftermath of October 7 almost two years ago, we have much to reflect upon this Tisha B'Av.

In Parshat Chukkat, we read the deaths of Aaron and Miriam. In addition, we are informed about the impending death of Moses in that he will die before entry into the Promised Land. We recall Gedolim, great ones, in the weekly Torah portion.

For the Beth Emeth community, this week we recall another Gadol - Great one. This past Monday night and Tuesday (June 30-July1) marked the Yahrzeit of our beloved Rabbi Joseph Kelman, of righteous blessed memory. The corresponding Hebrew date was the fifth of Tammuz. In Pirkei Avot, the Ethics of the Sages, we are taught, "Know from whence you have come, and in what direction you are heading." A knowledge and appreciation of one's past are vital for charting one's course of direction for the present and the future. This lesson is true in our personal lives and is true for our collective life as a synagogue community.

As we consider the seventy years of Beth Emeth, Rabbi Kelman served as our spiritual leader for forty years and as rabbi emeritus for an additional ten years before his untimely passing. As an ordained Orthodox rabbi, he understood and knew how to navigate a Traditional Conservative synagogue. On one occasion, soon after I arrived here, he once remarked to me that if there was a new book on the modern denominations of Judaism as they stood in the twenty-first century, he and I would occupy the blank page which separates the chapters of Conservative and Orthodox.

 I also remember that when the first changes under my rabbinate regarding women's participation were introduced in 2004, permitting a woman to sit on the Bima and to chant a Haftarah, he did not object. He appreciated that I informed him in advance of those decisions going public. He agreed that Halakha (Jewish law) was not being trespassed even though these were not normative practices all the years he served as senior rabbi.

Rabbi Kelman was ahead of his time in so many areas. Perhaps the most well know was his progressive stance on special needs in the Jewish community. His vision and leadership brought to fruition Reena, Ezra-Kadima, Shearim, and much more. He developed appropriate and meaningful formats for Bnai Mitzvah celebrations. Much of what we take for granted today was unprecedented and inspired by him in the 1960's and 70's.

As we commemorated Rabbi Kelman's Yahrzeit this week, and as we celebrate Beth Emeth' seventieth year, "let us know from whence we have come, and in what direction we are heading."

Yhi Zichro Baruch - May the memory of Ha'Rav Chaim Yosef ben Ha'Rav Tzvi Yehuda be a blessing.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Howard Morrison

Some 3500 years ago, our ancestors were poised to enter the land of Israel as a nation for the first time. It seemed like a formality that twelve tribal leaders would scout the land and report back.

While two leaders, Joshua and Caleb, saw the good in the land and affirmed God's promise,  the other ten incited a panic, seeing the residents as giants and seeing themselves as grasshoppers. The nation followed the majority lead. As a result, except for Joshua and Caleb, a new generation would be born to enter the Promised Land.

Now, some 3500 years later, the nation of Israel is mature snd sovereign in our homeland. We no longer see ourselves as grasshoppers when confronting an adversary.  We no  longer see our foes as giants.

Case in point is right now. Israel does not fear Iran, which threatens our people's survival. With or without the help of others,  Israel knows what to do. Iran is the grasshopper which needs to have its nuclear weaponry removed permanently. Israel has taken gigantic steps forward.

May the task be completed soon with God's help.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Howard Morrison

Most shul going Israelis will be praying in locked rooms and bomb shelters for their safety this Shabbat.

We are all Israel - "Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh La'Zeh," meaning, All Israel is bound together.

So, I encourage all Diaspora Jews to go to shul this Shabbat to pray for and represent all Israelis who will pray in privacy.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Howard Morrison

The Haftarah for this Shabbat is also read on the Shabbat of Chanukah. Taken from the Prophet Zechariah, the end of the text is familiar, "Not by strength, nor by might, but by my spirit says the Lord of hosts."

The Jewish way has always been defined by spirituality, morality, faith, and truth. Otherwise, how else could we have survived and thrived for four thousand years? Compared to opposing nations, our military has always been substantially smaller to that of our foes. 

Chanukah is perhaps the best example of our history and survival.  The Syrian-Greek Hellenistic Empire was vast compared to the small band of Macabbees. However, as we recite in the Chanukah liturgy, "the many fell into the hands of the few." Ultimately, piety won out over evil.

The Biblical and Chanukah lessons loom true these days. Israel and the world Jewish community are surrounded by evil forces on all sides. Ideological, verbal, and physical threats of terror abound. Yet, we must never lose sight of light versus darkness and right versus wrong. Our people did nothing wrong to deserve the evil of October 7, 2023 and its aftermath. We pray for the ultimate miracle of Chanukah in our challenging times, when the many will fall into the hands of the few.

It is noteworthy that Tuesday this week was the 613^th day of the hostage crisis. There are 613 commandments in our tradition. May we focus on the joy of the Mitzvot- their lessons of spirituality, morality, faith, and truth, even as we must have our small IDF prepared for potential battle. 

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Howard Morrison

Taken at the Nova Exhibition in Toronto

Parshat Naso is the longest single portion in the entire Torah. While a number of different narratives appear, there is a pervading theme - Peace. The story about a wife accused of committing adultery leads to an ancient ritual whose sole purpose is to result in Shalom Bayit - peace in the home. 

The origin of the Priestly blessing appears in this Parsha. The final words, "May God establish peace for you," inspires the end of core liturgical prayers, such as the Amidah and Kaddish, all containing aspirations for peace.

The twelve-fold repetition of the exact same dedication gifts brought by the twelve tribes of Israel is structured so that there was absolute peace among them.

Sadly, there is little or no peace felt among Jews world-wide. In the U.S. alone, three recent incidents of terror have Jews feeling like they are being hunted: A Jewish governor's home was burned in an act of terror on Pesach night; two Israeli embassy staffers were murdered two weeks ago upon leaving from the Capital Jewish museum; and this past Sunday - twelve Jews were literally burned alive by a terrorist in Boulder Colorado. There, an eighty-eight-year-old Holocaust survivor was one of the most wounded. How unimaginable - this woman experienced the worst as a young child. Now "in the land of the home of the free," to face horror again at this stage in her life?! We pray for the well being of all those who were impacted.

Canada was recently designated as being unsafe for Jews, with travel advisories being issued for those entering or leaving Canada by air.

Enough already! May the leaders of all societies initiate programs of safety and peace for all Jews living in their domains.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Howard Morrison

An interfaith conversation on the 10 Commandments with Pastor David Larmour and Rabbi Howard Morrison.

It is a pleasure once again to welcome Pastor David Larmour from the King Street Community Church to be with us at Beth Emeth. Shavuot commemorates the revelation of God's presence to the Children of Israel at Mount Sinai. In the Biblical text,  loud heavenly sounds accompanied the revelation experience. Thus, in the 16^th century mystics in Northern Israel developed a study plan during which one would stay up all night until sunrise studying sacred texts. How dare one sleep on the anniversary of the heavenly sounds which accompanied the theophany at Sinai? Nowadays, many synagogues will stay up all night or into the late night in observance of what the mystics called "Tikun Leil Shavuot - refining oneself on the night of Shavuot.

What did God actually reveal at Mount Sinai? Interpretations from antiquity to the current day range greatly from a maximalist view to a minimalist view. God revealed the entire written and oral traditions; God revealed the entire five books of the Torah; God revealed the Ten Commandments; God revealed the first letter of the Ten Commandments, the letter Alef, which has no sound. If God did not verbally reveal the entire sacred literary Torah, then God divinely inspired ideas or sections, from which Moses or others compiled the words and texts.

For many Jews, the Ten Commandments either fulfills what God revealed; or, the Ten Commandments become an outline or blueprint for the entirety of the Torah, the first five books of the Bible. Yet, the Torah itself does not enumerate these commandments with actual numbers. Furthermore, the Ten Commandments appears twice - in Exodus and later in Deuteronomy. Both are considered divine. The first version is communicated directly by God on this date of Shavuot, seven weeks after Passover, the exodus from Egypt. The second version was written by Moses, addressing a new generation of Israelites forty years after the Exodus, who were preparing to enter the promised land of Israel. Slight variations exist between the two, largely in reference to Shabbat - Remember the Sabbath or Keep the Sabbath - to remember the creation of the world or to remember that  you were slaves in Egypt.

Regardless of the two Biblical versions of the Ten Commandments, Judaism has a unique way of counting them. The first five are called duties to God: " I am the Lord your God; You shall have no other gods besides Me; do not take God's name in vain; Remember/Keep the Sabbath, honor your father and mother." Honoring parents is part of our duties to God because the parents are the ones who teach the children about God and what God demands of us. The second five are duties to humanity: " Do not murder, commit adultery, steal/kidnap, bear false testimony, and covet another's possessions." 

Within the Ten Commandments, there are positive commandments "To do" and negative commandments "Not to do." While the entire five books of the Torah contain 613 commandments which are derived from actual texts, all 613 are subsumed from macro commandments, meaning the Ten Commandments themselves.

As a young person, I always thought of THE Ten Commandments, which were shared by Jews and Christians. However, as an adult, I learned this was not the case. There were similarities of course, but also real distinctions. This explains that when I lived in the U.S., I was always opposed to public displays of the Ten Commandments at schools, court houses, government, buildings, and the like. I learned to ask, "Whose Ten Commandments?"

For example, "I am the Lord your God," the first of the Ten Commandments for Jews, does not appear as one at all for Christians. For them, our second commandment is their first one, "You shall have no other gods besides Me." As a result, the Christian version, and there is more than one version in Christianity, does not break down like ours as five duties to God and five duties to humanity. The command, "you shall not murder," is number five on at least one Christian version of the Ten Commandments. So, how do they get ten in total? The Torah mentions, "you shall not covet" twice. For Jews, one reference covers both scenarios. For Christians, "You shall not covet" Is nine and ten - one about your neighbor's house and another about your neighbor's possessions.

There are also differences in understanding shared Biblical words. Of course, the God concept differs between the two faiths. In addition, for some Christians, what Jews call "Do not murder" is rendered as "Do not kill." There is a big difference. While Judaism abhors premediated murder, Jews are commanded to defend themselves even if it means killing another person. For some Christians, "do not kill" means in any circumstance.

Judaism defines the beginning of life at birth. Thus, if the life of the pregnant mother is imperiled by her pregnancy, Judaism commands the removal of the fetus, which is called potential life, but not life until the moment of birth. For much of Christianity, life begins at conception. Thus, the fetus is considered a full life, and one cannot kill the life of the fetus even if the pregnant mother's life is endangered.

None of my observations are meant to be judgmental. It is important, though, that to foster authentic meaningful relationships, Jews and Christians must understand and appreciate our similarities and our differences. What I share tonight is not exhaustive but a preliminary presentation. To be fair and fully honest, there is much more depth than what I have shared in both Judaism and Christianity. Tonight represents a starting point for respectful dialogue between the two faiths.

Rabbi Howard Morrison

The fourth book of the Torah Bmidbar is called Numbers in English because of all the counting which takes place in the book. The Sages entitle it Sefer Ha'Pekudim - the book of the countings. 

In the opening chapters, the tribes of Israel and the Levites are enumerated. Vivid detail is provided, teaching us that every Jew counts. We need every single one of us. We may be diverse from different tribes and viewpoints, but every Jew counts. 

Our Parsha describes how the various tribes surrounded the Mishkan, or, Tabernacle. Four separate groups, with three tribes on each side, surrounded the Mishkan while traveling in the wilderness. Despite the diversity of each tribe, one from the other, they were united as one people, one nation, in their spiritual purpose. Each tribe also had its own flag, with a unique color and appearance. Why a different flag and color for each tribe? One interpretation suggests when you put all the colors together you get a rainbow, a beautiful projection of the boundless potential of the Jewish people.

The imagery of today's Parsha is as true today as it was almost four thousand years ago. Last Sunday, some 56,000 Jews and other lovers of Israel walked with Israel. Just like the diversity of the ancient tribes with their respective flags,  last week's walk had shuls, schools, and all kinds of Zionist institutions walking hand in hand, many with their particular flags. Just like our ancestors' trek in the wilderness thousands of years ago, the varied colors, the diverse groups, the mosaic of flags - were like a rainbow, a beautiful projection of the boundless potential of the Jewish people. If ever we needed a bold,  proud, and public demonstration of Jewish unity, last Sunday was it.

It is noteworthy that we read Bmidbar during the final days of counting the Omer. We have been counting each day from Pesach to Shavuot because it is incumbent upon us to not only count the days, but to make each day count. In our Parsha today, we learn that there were 603,550 Israelites of draftable age. In another commentary, it is stated that there are exactly 603,550 words in the Torah. Just as the Torah is a unity made up of individual words, the People of Israel is a unity made up of individuals. Remove even a word, and the Torah is incomplete. Remove even one person, Israel is incomplete and cannot receive the Torah. 

On Shavuot, we celebrate the gift of receiving the Torah. We stand as individuals, yes, but even more so as a united community. The challenges of our overall history and the world we are living in right now compel us to respect our diversity and accentuate that every Jew unconditionally is an equal and important partner of Am Yisrael. Only with this recognition can we be a strong people who can endure the challenges we face and live up to the ideals of our tradition.

Shabbat shalom,
Rabbi Howard Morrison