Rabbi Howard Morrison

Dear Congregational Family,

Shalom bayit, peace in the home, is a central value in Judaism. From the moment a wedding couple stands under the chuppa, shalom bayit is reinforced.

In  this week's Parsha, we find an odd spelling of shalom, an incomplete or deficient spelling. When Joseph shares dreams to his brothers in which they become subservient to him, the Torah says, "they were not able to speak peacefully to Joseph." Given the broken spelling of shalom, we can deduce that the brothers' wrath was so strong, they could not even speak a partial peace to Joseph.

Sadly, the Torah is filled with stories of dysfunctional family relationships. May we learn constructive lessons even from these kinds of narratives to strive towards shalom bayit in our situations.

Sincerely,

Rabbi Howard Morrison

Dear Congregational Family,

Parshat Vayeshev introduces the Joseph saga and will be read in its entirety two days prior to Chanukah. We can find some parallels.

Joseph goes down to Egypt and further down to prison before he is raised up to prominence. Similarly, a small vial of oil down to almost nothing miraculously raised itself to last eight days.

Joseph always remembered his heritage even during many years in Egypt. He rejected certain advances made to him because of his faithfulness. Similarly, when many Jews were assimilating and becoming Hellenistic, the Maccabees maintained and restored faith and piety to the Jewish people.

Joseph was the additional child when he was born and the first to Jacob's beloved wife Rachel. The Hebrew of Joseph's name means "to add." Each night of Chanukah, we are "Mosif v' Holaich," as we continuously add a new light to the Chanukiah each night of the Festival.

As we introduce Joseph this week, his story prepares us for the joyous eight days of Chanukah.

Sincerely,

Rabbi Howard Morrison

Dear Congregational Family,

The origin of the term Israel-Yisrael is found in this week's Torah portion of Vayishlach. In it, Jacob wrestles and struggles, but with whom? An angel of God? A representation of Esau? His own inner self? Commentaries abound. By the end of the encounter, Jacob's name is changed to Israel-Yisrael, meaning, one who has struggled and wrestled with God and has prevailed with God.

Most people I know do believe in God. At the same time, most people I know wrestle and struggle with their belief in God. In my opinion, it is the honest struggle which enables one to prevail in a relationship with God. When we attend a prayer service, we may recite prayers with an exclamation point, a period, or even a question mark. All of these mean that deep down the person at hand believes in God. The only unacceptable position in Judaism is to deny God, a phenomenon which would keep people away from praying in any format.

Many times and especially after losing loved ones, don't we all struggle with our faith and wrestle with our own purpose? We are in good company. The origins of struggling, wrestling, and prevailing with God take us back 4000 years to our Patriarch, Jacob.

While Israel-Yisrael is associated with the name of a People, a Land, a State, and a Tradition, let us remember that the name Israel began with a person and the nature of his faith and purpose. We can all identify with the name of Israel-Yisrael.

Sincerely,

Rabbi Howard Morrison

(Taken from Rabbi Mark Angel's Jewish Ideas)

Dear Congregational Family,

Today is the 83rd anniversary of Kristallnacht, "The Night of Broken Glass," named after the windows of Jewish businesses and homes that were shattered during the  overnight of November 9-10, 1938. Most synagogues throughout Germany, Austria, and the annexed Czechoslovakian Sudetenland were plundered and set alight that night. Thousands of Jewish businesses were damaged, and 30,000 Jewish men were sent to concentration camps.

Who could imagine that unbridled hatred and anti-Jewish venom could have led to such violence, pillage, and murder?

The ongoing message is to remain vigilant, to fight against all forms of anti-Semitism, bigotry, and racism. Once hatred takes root in society, the consequences can be devastating for everyone.

The Prophets of the Bible foresaw a time when people will no longer devote their energies to war and destructive hatred. We are, unfortunately, not yet living in such an ideal world.

But each person can either bring us closer to the goal, or drag us further from it.

Sincerely, 

Rabbi Howard Morrison

Dear Congregational Family,

This week's Parsha of Vayetze and the holiday of Chanukah both fall out in Kislev and share a common theme. In the Parsha, Jacob experiences the presence of God while having a dream in which angels ascend and descend a ladder connecting heaven and earth. It is noteworthy that Jacob observes the angels ascending first and foremost.

When we celebrate Chanukah in a few weeks, we will light the Chanukiah in an ascending order, adding an additional candle each night. We do so based on the principle, "One ascends in holiness and does not descend."

Scholars long ago have taught us that Judaism may be understood as a ladder of spiritual growth. Religious attainment is not an all or nothing proposition but is fulfilled one step at a time. 

During this month of Kislev, I encourage all of us to take a Mitzvah which we can refine, or choose a Mitzvah which has been neglected and begin to appreciate it and observe it one step at a time. In doing so, we, like those who have come before us, can experience the step by step growth on the rungs of Judaism's ladder of spirituality.

Sincerely,

Rabbi Howard Morrison

In Parshat Vayera, Abraham and Sarah are situated at the entry of their tent. Our tradition understands them as exemplars for welcoming guests and providing for those in need. Three passersby (angels in disguise) are immediately welcomed into the tent. They are provided with food, drink, and shelter.

The Jewish home is spiritually modelled from that first Jewish home. The chuppa, a symbol of the new home, is structured with a cover on top and with sides open to replicate the open tent of the first Jewish couple.

Likewise, a synagogue is meant to be a welcoming place. This past Shabbat, we had our largest Shabbat morning turnout during the pandemic and with a sponsored kiddush bag of goodies to go. I am grateful that the Shabbat morning attendance is increasing and am equally grateful to the over one hundred households which join us via livestream every Shabbat. We are now trying to invigorate our turnouts on Friday evening as well as Monday and Thursday mornings, the weekday services with Torah reading.

Likewise, the open tent theme applies to being there for each other at times of joy and grief. Last week, sadly, four funerals took place within the Beth Emeth family. On Sunday alone, I participated in a Bat Mitzvah, two unveilings, and an on line baby naming. The loving open tent of caring was reflected by our community in all of these situations.

May we know much more from celebration than tragedy. May we perpetuate the open tent/door policy in our homes and synagogue, a lesson learned from the outset of this week's Torah portion.

Sincerely,

Rabbi Howard Morrison

Dear Congregational Family,

In November of 1999, I participated in a telephone interview with the co-chairs of the senior rabbi search committee at Beth Emeth. In late December, I flew to Toronto to meet with the entire search committee. In late January of 2000, I flew in to spend a Shabbat here, and I interacted with the various segments of the shul community. In mid-March of 2000, I was offered the position of senior rabbi, which began in August of 2000. A couple of weeks ago, I completed my twenty-second High Holy Day season with our synagogue. 

This week's Torah portion is called Lech Lecha. Our founding patriarch, Abram, is called upon by God to uproot himself from his homeland, from his birth place and from his parent's home to embark on a journey to an unknown land which God will show him. The result of the divine call is the beginning of Judaism, the Jewish people, and what is up to now a 4000 year heritage.

With differences to be sure, I and my young family at the time uprooted ourselves from a community that we knew. We heard the call to move from New York to Toronto. When I came here, my children were six and two; now they are twenty-seven and twenty-three.

I am grateful to all the members of our community. I am grateful to the teams of executives and boards who have led our synagogue. I am grateful to the current executive and board, which will complete their two year term next month. Being a synagogue volunteer is challenging enough. Noone asked to be a shul leader during the pandemic. I admire and respect the work done by all of our volunteers and synagogue staff during the last two years. To Malcolm Weinstein (president), Steven Greenwood (chairman of the board) and their team, I say Yasher Koach on a job well done and for all the countless hours spent keeping our shul safe and vibrant.

I now look forward to working with the next executive and board, who will be introduced at next month's annual general meeting. I wish you all Hatzlacha, success, in the next chapter of our synagogue's wonderful legacy.

I am confident that together we will maintain and grow our synagogue in new significant ways. I look forward to serving you, teaching you, learning from you, and connecting with you in the year and years to come. May God bless us all with good health, contentment, and purpose.

Sincerely,

Rabbi Howard Morrison

Dear Congregational Family,

On Thursday, I began teaching a new class on the Haftarot, the Prophetic selections which complete the Torah service on Sabbaths, Festivals, and Fast Days. 

Did the Haftarot originate when Jews were banned from Torah reading during the period of the Maccabees? or during the period of Rabbi Akiva? While legends abound, the history is unclear.

In the early years of the synagogue, the Torah reading was complemented by the Haftarah and the Derasha, or homily, which often began with an opening verse from the Writings. Thus, every Shabbat contained references to the three strata of the Hebrew Bible - The Torah, Prophets, and Writings, Tanach, in short.

The Haftarot were selected either to connect in some way to the Torah portion or to reflect special days on the calendar. The latter would consist of Holy Days, Fast Days, the Seven Weeks of Comfort in the Summer, etc. Otherwise, the Haftarah would contain themes, verbal similarities, literary parallels, or more, which would unite the Haftarah with the weekly Torah portion.

Discoveries from the Cairo Geniza at the turn of the twentieth century demonstrate a wider selection of Haftarot than we use today and more differences between the selections of Ashkenazim and Sefardim. In part, these realities are based on the fact that the usage of Haftarot began in ancient Israel when the Torah was read over three years in a triennial system, thus resulting in more Haftarot. Over the course of the centuries, traditional congregations perpetuated the annual Babylonian Torah reading cycle, which reflects the range of Haftarot in our time.

Every Haftarah stems from one of the Biblical Prophets. For Parshat Noach, the Prophetic lesson comes from the book of Isaiah. As the Parsha contains the comfort that God would never destroy the world again and reaffirms God's covenant with humanity; the Prophet shares similar ideas of comfort and reaffirmation from God to Israel in the aftermath of the First Temple's destruction. The language of Noach and the flood finds direct referencing in the Haftarah.

Our class on the Haftarot will meet regularly on Thursdays at noon over Zoom and Facebook Live. Please check the website regularly to ensure the class is on, or when the class may not be offered due to personal time away or emergencies.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Howard Morrison

Dear Congregational Family,

In Parshat Bereishit, it has been noted that the last three letters in the first three words of the Torah and the last three letters of the last three words in the first creation narrative both spell "Emet," meaning, truth. Classical commentators have suggested that "Emeth-Truth" is a seal for God's name. While other traits can be relative, Truth is absolute. One can be more or less kind, more or less compassionate, more or less nice, more or less cruel. However, truth cannot be relative. Two people can have divergent opinions or divergent narratives, but one ought not call them divergent truths.

A week ago, U.S. Vice-President, Kamala Harris, met with students at George Mason University to discuss voter registration. One student changed the topic and declared to the Vice-President some terrible false statements about Israel. This student also criticized The government for supporting the iron dome. Instead of her correcting the student or staying to the assigned topic, V.P. Harris said to the student, "Your truth should not be suppressed."

These words should concern us all. Are high echelon leaders now calling false inaccuracies "truth?" Are high echelon leaders confusing "opinion" with "truth?" Are high echelon leaders making everything relative, which means there is no longer a true, authentic, definitive truth?

We should stand on high alert by such rhetoric and be concerned. The very beginning of the Torah instructs us that a relative truth is no truth at all, and that the seal of God is definitive truth.

Sincerely,

Rabbi Howard Morrison

Dear Congregational Family,

These past few weeks have transitioned us from one year to the next. With the passing of Simchat Torah, our Torah reading cycle has transitioned from the end to the beginning. An old joke has us pronounce the Torah's opening words "In the beginning" as "In the big inning."

As a Boston raised baseball fan living in Toronto, every inning this weekend will be a big inning, as Toronto, Boston, New York and Seattle compete for two wild card spots. How ironic is it that the baseball season ends and the playoffs begin as we finish and begin the Torah reading cycle.

On a more serious note, how will we make the new year of 5782 a more Jewishly enriching one than the year before? The beginning of the Torah anew allows us to spiritually begin anew in our personal lives.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Howard Morrison

Dear Congregational Family,

Five particular books in the Bible are called Megillot, and each is ascribed to a specific holiday.

Esther is associated with Purim; Lamentations is associated with Tisha B'Av; Ruth is associated with Shavuot; Song of Songs is associated with Pesach; and Kohelet/Ecclesiastes is associated with Sukkot-Shmini Atzeret.

It is a custom to recite Kohelet on Shabbat Chol Ha'Moed Sukkot or Shmini Atzeret, if there is no Shabbat Chol Ha'Moed in a particular year.

Pesach begins the pilgrimage cycle and the beginning of an agricultural cycle. Song of Songs is attributed to a young King Solomon at that season.

Sukkot-Shmini Atzeret concludes the pilgrimage cycle and the end of an agricultural cycle. Kohelet is attributed to an aged King Solomon.

With the change of season, from Summer to Fall, from hot to cool, from dry to wet, certain verses in Kohelet have become famous even in secular culture:

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. 

A time to be born and a time to die.

A time to plant and a time to uproot.

A time to kill and a time to heal.

A time to tear down and a time to build.

A time to weep and a time to laugh.

A time to mourn and a time to dance.

A time to scatter stones and a time to gather them.

A time to embrace and a time to refrain.

A time to search and a time to give up.

A time to keep and a time to throw away.

A time to tear and a time to mend.

A time to be silent and a time to speak.

A time to love and a time to hate.

A time for war and a time for peace. (3:1-8)"

Why is Kohelet associated with Sukkot/Shmini Atzeret? In his published essay, Rabbi David Golinkin of the Schechter Institute writes:

"It says in Kohelet - Distribute portions to seven or even to eight, which hints at the seven days of Sukkot and the eighth day which is Shmini Atzeret.

Solomon recited Kohelet at the Hakhel ceremony during the sabbatical year on Sukkot.

Kohelet urges people to rejoice in their portion and not run after increased wealth.

Too much joy causes lightheadedness and removes from the heart the humility needed to serve God from the heart.

Song of Songs is read on Pesach which symbolizes the Spring; Ruth is read on Shavuot the holiday of first fruits since it mentions the wheat harvest; Kohelet is read on Sukkot, the holiday of ingathering, since it represents old age and death."

I encourage us to find time on Shabbat Chol Ha'Moed or any time during Sukkot and Shmini Atzeret to find personal meaning in the Megillah, known as Kohelet/Ecclesiastes."

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach,

Rabbi Howard Morrison

Dear Congregational Family,

When I was a young boy, right after we broke the Fast at home, my father, the chairman of the shul's house committee, brought me and my brother back to shul to help build the synagogue's Sukkah with a few other volunteers. At a young age, I was introduced to the notion that as we complete Yom Kippur on a clean slate, we must begin observing Mitzvot right away.

Sukkot provides several Mitzvot by which one can begin the new year on the right foot. These include the taking of the four species, the dwelling in the Sukkah, and the command to rejoice during the Festival itself.

On Friday, the day following Yom Kippur, I read a number of entries from friends on Facebook who all made reference to the notion that ideal Jewish practice and behavior take place not from Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur, a mere ten days, but rather from Yom Kippur to Rosh Hashanah, a virtual year in its entirety. 

I hope and pray that the preceding Ten Days of Repentance were not an exercise for only a week and a half, but rather, an inspiration for how we should conduct ourselves the entire year. Getting ready for Sukkot is a great step in that direction.

Chag Sameach,

Rabbi Howard Morrison

Dear Congregational Family,

Tomorrow marks the twentieth anniversary of the 9/11 horrors. I was teaching the Tuesday sisterhood class when I heard the news. We quickly got a bimah-sized American flag to show our solidarity which stood on our bimah for a couple of months. On the Monday night following, our shul hosted an ecumenical memorial service arranged by the Toronto Board of Rabbis.

Like many memories, the events feel like yesterday and a long time ago. Our world is certainly not the same as it was then.

This Shabbat is Shabbat Shuva, the Sabbath of return-repentance. Each of us is challenged to return to a spiritual place of refinement and growth. I pray that this be a lesson for individuals, the Jewish people, and the world.

Shabbat Shalom and Gmar Chatima Tova,

Rabbi Howard Morrison

Dear Congregational Family,

At this time of year, we are witnessing cycles and transitions. As Summer wanes, a new school year will begin for many, and returning to work from vacation will resume for many.

In our weekly Torah reading cycle, we are nearing the end of the Five Books of the Torah. In this week's portion of Nitzavim, Moses has the entire people stand together as one during his final exhortation to them. In a number days, whether in person or via livestream, we the Jewish people will all stand as one to welcome the High Holy Days.

While Rosh Hashanah commemorates the beginning of the world and humanity, it is noteworthy that the traditional Torah reading for Rosh Hashanah does not emanate from the opening chapters of Genesis, but rather the saga of the first Jewish family, that of Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac. In one particular commentary, it is taught that how we treat the individual and how we raise a child are manifestations of how we interact with the world around us. By focusing on family and people around us, we relate in a practical way to the idea that God has created every person, male and female, in the Divine image.

As a reminder, copies of the Birnbaum Machzor are available for the taking outside the parking lot entrance of the shul during office hours. Also, please check the High Holy Day section of the website for all kinds of information, including, various sites for outdoor Shofar sounding and the page numbers of central prayers found in the High Holy Day Prayer books that we use at Beth Emeth.

I wish everyone Shabbat Shalom and Shana Tova U'Metuka.

Rabbi Howard Morrison

Dear Congregational Family,

During this month of Elul, I have had the privilege of sounding the Shofar at the conclusion of daily morning services. The custom of sounding the Shofar for a month is meant to stir our souls toward repentance before the High Holy Days.

Over forty years ago, I went shopping for my very first Shofar. I went to a Judaica store on the Lower East Side of New York. I tried sounding one Shofar after another until I succeeded with the very last one in the store. I bought that Shofar. What a memory to this day.

Years later when my parents were too ill to attend shul, when Yom Kippur ended, I would go into my shul office, call them on the phone and sound my Shofar for them. In the 1990's, they lived in Boston, and I lived in New York. What a memory to this day.

Of course, the Mitzvah is hearing the Shofar and apprehending its piercing sounds as a means to refining our lives.

I hope and pray that we will hold on to past Shofar memories and create new ones.

Sincerely,

Rabbi Howard Morrison