Rabbi Howard Morrison

This Shabbat, Friday night and Saturday, marks my father's 25^th Yahrzeit, the 23^rd of Sivan. When I started at Beth Emeth in the Summer of 2000, I had just completed reciting Kaddish for my father, and I was still reciting Kaddish for my mother who had passed away three months after my dad.

My father's Hebrew name was Reuven ben Moshe. It is striking that at the outset of today's Parsha, Moshe (Moses) assigns delegates for each tribe, starting with the tribe of Reuven. 

My father was one of six brothers. Five of them were raised in two foster homes, with my dad and two younger brothers being raised by an Orthodox family in the Bronx. While my father received a very basic form of Jewish education, he grew up in an Orthodox observant foster family.

Fast forward, my father met my mother while attending university in Boston. Together, they raised me and my three siblings. My parents were early members of the Young Israel of Brookline. There, my dad was a virtual one-man house committee and was completely devoted to the synagogue. Some of you know the story that on one particular Shabbat, as the Ark was opened, one of the Torah scrolls almost fell out of its slot. During the week, my dad and I went to the shul alone at night, and my father fastened golden link chains across both levels of the Ark. On the following Shabbat, when the Ark was opened during services, the glow of the new chains illuminated the entire sanctuary. Only then did the members understand what my father had done during the preceding days.

My father insisted that his children attend Jewish day school all the way through high school. He was proud of my decision to enter the rabbinate and visited me at my previous two shuls. He had remarked to me at one time that he envisioned me becoming a rabbi in one more shul during my career. How did he know about Beth Emeth before I did? While he never got to see me here, I feel his and my mother's presence every day.

May the Neshama of Avi Mori, my father and teacher, be bound in the bond of life eternal.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Howard Morrison
Avraham Tzvi ben Reuven (proud son of Ruben Morrison, z"l)

If you followed our Parsha today, there is a lot of grumbling and division among the people of Israel. One can understand a hungry, thirsty, and tired people losing the focus of their purpose and destiny.

What is striking, however, is the tension and division within the family of leadership. Moses, Aaron, and Miriam form a triad, a three-legged stool of leadership. Moses - the ambassador of Torah; Aaron - the officiant of the Temple ritual; Miriam - the exemplar of Chesed, kindness. Yet, the sibling model of leadership appears to break down. Miriam gossips to Aaron about Moses. In years past, I have focused on the nature of the gossip. Commentaries abound.

This year, however, I want to focus on the target of the gossip - Moses. In the midst of the sibling conflict, we learn that Moses was the most humble person on the face of the earth. The Torah then proves its own thesis by explaining Moses' response after his sister gossiped about him to their brother. After Miriam is punished by God with a skin disease and is banished from the camp of Israel, Moses responds quickly, clearly, and succinctly - a five-word prayer:
"El Na Refa Na La - God, please heal her please." This is the shortest prayer in Jewish history, and one that is immediately accepted by God. The most humble man on the face of the earth not only ensures the wellbeing of his sister, he unifies the triad of leadership, and in so doing, he unifies the people of Israel. Miriam is reintegrated into the peoplehood of Israel, and the nation continues to journey forward.

While the end of the Parsha focuses on three individual siblings, I respond to it in a collective way this year in the wake of October 7. Our brothers and sisters were divided on significant political and ideological matters. While the tragedy of October 7 is just so horrific and difficult to digest, our people turned to its humble side and sought unity and not division. Like Moses' prayer for Miriam, we have prayed and continue to pray for our people - for the families who lost lives, for the hostages, for the rescued hostages, for the IDF and security forces, for the memories of those who lost their lives, for the victims of anti-Semitism around the world in the last several months, and especially more recently. 

When humility and prayer for one another become our away, then we are able to move forward.

The pain of our people continues to be severe. Join me in praying the five word prayer that Moses uttered for his sister Miriam.

"El Na Refa Na La - God, please heal her (the body and soul of all Israel), please."

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Howard Morrison

Parshat Naso is the longest Parsha in the entire Torah. Yet the final chapter, the longest ever, is fairly easy for a Torah reader. Twelve paragraphs are completely repetitive, except for the name of the chieftain and his tribe. We read about the gifts that were presented at the dedication of the Tabernacle by the chieftains of the twelve tribes of Israel. They brought exactly the same gift, each, one day after the other. 

The medieval commentator Abarbanel says that the chieftains had all agreed in advance to bring identical offerings. Knowing how often sibling rivalry between brothers causes pride or jealousy to interfere with sibling relationships, they were being extra cautious to prevent that from occurring here. If that is true, then surely that showed they had learned a lesson from the experience of their ancient Joseph and his brothers, for whom the tribes are named. 

But why read the same identical list twelve times over? Why couldn't the Torah just give the list of the names of the chieftains and tell us that they all gave the same gifts, and list the content of the gifts one time only?

Now come some classical commentators: The Bchor Shor says that it was so that each chieftain and tribe would have his day in the sun. Ramban says that the Holy One wished to provide equal honor to all of them. While each tribe brought exactly the same things in the same amount, each had its own independent reason for doing so.

The Baal Ha'Turim, known for commenting on numbers, mentions that each chieftain's name is recorded twice, thus 24 times in total. The 24 names allude to 24 hours. Each chieftain was given his own 24-hour time period when his tribe's gifts were celebrated. In addition, each chieftain's name is recorded at the beginning and end of a 6-verse allotment. The 6 verses allotted to each chieftain are an allusion to the 6 workdays of the week.

With all of these commentaries in mind, we see an unmatched unity among the leaders and the tribes of Israel, while maintaining each one's personal intent and commitment.

Last weekend reminded me of this chapter of Torah in a couple of ways. During last Shabbat, we learned of the heroic rescue of four hostages: Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, Andrei Kozlov,  and Shlomi Ziv. The unity and euphoria were felt in Israel and all over the Jewish world. A beachfront in Tel Aviv erupted when the announcement was made. In our own shul last Shabbat, there was not a dry eye. With this unmatched unity of spirit, there were also tears for the remaining hostages and their families. There were tears that Almog's father had passed away days prior to his son's liberation due in part to overwhelming grief. There were tears that chief inspector Arnon Zmora of the police forces died of wounds suffered in the rescue effort.

Then, last Sunday, as expected, neither rain nor anti-Israel protests kept some fifty thousand Jews from walking for and with Israel. I took some time to stand at the intersection of Bathurst and Sheppard to witness many of our own Beth Emeth members as well as the diverse segments of the entire Jewish community coming together. For 36 consecutive weeks, the Jewish community has stood as one with prayer and reflection at that intersection. With each individual expressing his/her commitment in a personal way, collectively, the many thousands stood and walked as one cohesive community.

While the last chapter in Parshat Naso could have been made shorter, its full repetition of the 12 days worth of gifts presented by the 12 tribes of Israel serves as a role model and paradigm for the kind of people we can be at the most important of times.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Howard Morrison

It is difficult to focus on the life and death of a person by sharing numbers only. Numbers are just too vast, be it six million Jews who were slaughtered during the Shoah or the thousands of Jews who have perished for being Jewish between October 7^th and now.

In the spirit of all whom we recall today, I wish to focus on the remembrance of one particular soul whose name came up many times on the shul's recent Israel solidarity mission. He represents the courage, bravery, and pride of every Jew whom we recall today. His name is Aner Elyakim Shapira. We encountered his name at least three times over nine days in Israel.

First, we heard direct testimony from Rachel Goldberg-Polin. Over the years, she has worked at the Ramah Israel Institute as a guidance counselor. She has had to take time off nowadays. Ramah brought her in to speak to our group and other Ramah groups. She has been prolific and outspoken regarding the hostages, as her son Hersh is among those taken captive. Assuming Hersh is still alive, his survival is due to Aner Shapira. On fleeing from the shooting and violence at the Nova music festival, a large number of Israelis crammed into a local safe house. There, the Hamas terrorists were hurling grenades into the crowded area. With military background, it was Aner who stood by the front catching and throwing back seven grenades, saving the lives of others, though he was subsequently murdered. One of the lives he saved was Hersh's, who lost his arm while being taken hostage.

Second, a few days after hearing from Rachel, our Beth Emeth group actually entered the safe house, which is now famous. We witnessed and took photos of the outside and inside of the safe house. We saw the dried blood and the bullet holes. But we also saw, seven months after the terror, Azkarot - beautiful tributes and poems inscribed on the walls inside the safe house, mentioning Aner and the others.

Third, on our last day we visited Mt. Hertzl cemetery. On Yom Ha'Zikaron, Israelis visit the military cemeteries on the day which commemorates all the fallen soldiers and victims of terror. Most of our group was actually traveling that day to Israel. Our mission began the following day on Yom Ha'Atzmaut. So, we made our last day a sort of BEBY Yom Ha'Zikaron. At the Mt. Hertzl cemetery, as many of you know, the stone monuments on the graves are configured liked a bed with a pillow at the top. When we came to Aner's grave, the monument had not yet been established. His was a fresh grave, laid out beautifully with branches, plants, and shrubbery, along with tributes and testimonials.

One story of remembrance to represent all the stories of remembrance on this day. We will remember the fallen as they were in their lives, what they managed to accomplish, their ambitions, and the dreams left unfulfilled. We will remember the last minutes of their heroism. The Israelis who were murdered since October 7^th leave behind orphans, widows, widowers, siblings, and bereaved parents. We know that 116 hostages still remain. Are they dead? alive? in what physical condition? We need them all back. 

On Shavuot, we eat dairy. The Torah and the land of Israel are described as flowing with milk and honey. 

On Shavuot, we remember this day as Yom Ha'Bikurim, the Festival of the first fruits, when the ancient Israelite farmer dedicated his first fruits to God and to our heritage. On this day, he recited a litany of history beginning with the words, "Arami Oved Avi - An Aramean sought to destroy my father," but he concluded his words with "God brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey."

Some 3600 years later, the proverbial Aramean continues to seek to destroy us, and yet we continue to thrive in a land and with a heritage flowing with milk and honey.

Chag Sameach,

Rabbi Howard Morrison

The following is a letter I have sent to leadership of the Toronto District School Board before their meeting this coming Wednesday night (during Shavuot):

To the Toronto District School Board,

My name is Rabbi Howard Morrison. I am a certified Conservative Rabbi serving Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda Synagogue in Toronto. I am a member of the Toronto Board of Rabbis and the Rabbinical Assembly of Ontario. It has come to my attention that the school board is proposing to adopt as a standard an anti-Palestinian racism statement which would actually jeopardize free speech and prevent members of the Jewish and Israeli communities from expressing profound truths. The proposed statement as I understand it would prohibit Jews, Israelis, and others from honestly criticizing anti-Israel, anti-Jewish, and anti-Zionist content. For example, anyone I talk to understands the statement , "from the river to the sea" as meaning from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, which means the entirety of the State of Israel. Any student of history knows that the history of Israel as the Jewish homeland dates back  four thousand years, and that Jerusalem as the capital city of the Jewish people in Israel dates back  three thousand years.

I am concerned that the proposed policy would be based on false information and would unfairly be prejudicial to historical truths and the continued wave of Jew-hatred, as evidenced in Canada and throughout the world.

My brief statement would be supported by the vast majority of properly certified rabbis throughout Ontario and Canada.

I thank you.

Rabbi Howard Morrison

In a conventional Jewish calendar year, last week's portion of Bhar and this week's portion of Bechukotai are read as a single unified portion. In a leap year, with four additional weeks on the calendar, they are split into separate Shabbat Torah readings. As many of you heard last week from Caren Leinwand, ever since my Bar Mitzvah, with the exception of Covid, I have always chanted Bhar, my Bar Mitzvah portion publicly, until last week. Instead of reading it, I lived it and walked it.

Bhar, Leviticus chapter 25, mentions Israel 20 times. Bechuotai, chapter 26, mentions Israel 23 times. As a unified double parsha, Israel is mentioned 43 times int total, more references than anywhere else in Torah.

Take a few examples from today's reading:

"Vee'Shavtem La'Vetach B'Artzchem - You shall dwell securely in your land (Lev 26:5)." Clearly, this has not happened yet. However, our Sages understand this verse to mean that within the Jewish people, there will be unity. Since the horrors of October 7, there indeed has been more unity within the Jewish people. 21 people from Beth Emeth saw this to be true from May 14-22.

"V'Natati Shalom B'Artzchem - I will grant peace in the Land (Lev. 26:6)." The very next verse - How does it differ from the previous one? Our Sages understand this verse to mean that there will be peace in the land between Jews and her non-Jewish neighbors. Clearly, this is not the case yet. Our Arab Israeli bus driver loves living in Israel. He could not get the same rights anywhere else. He served in the IDF. His two sons are currently serving in Gaza. Yet, we also met a woman from his Moshav who does not get it, even with direct evidence as to the horrors just a 45-minute bus ride away.

My friends - I am not going to retrace our solidarity mission step by step, like a journal or diary. I have done that for us. You can find nine daily blogs with pictures on the shul website. What I will share is how we fulfilled our three goals:

We went to Israel to bear witness, and we did. We saw two safe houses from inside where unspeakable horrors took place. We saw the Nova music festival site, where unspeakable horrors took place. We went to hostage square and saw families and friends who are mourning terrible loss and who want their loved ones taken hostage brought home. A democracy with diverse opinions - We took note that almost every Israeli wants the same - Bring them home now and uproot Hamas. We beared witness to the resolve and resilience from IDF soldiers in their early 20's enjoying a barbecue we made for them. We beared witness from the IDF units we saw at Castel, at Mt. Herzl cemetery and other places.  They are all committed to their mission and purpose.

We went to Israel to learn the truth from impacted families, and we did. We heard live and in person a mother speak about her son who is still a hostage. Is he dead? alive? How can one begin to understand a mother's pain? We heard live and in person two elderly parents whose daughter was murdered while protecting her two young children. How can one begin to understand the pain of these parents and grandparents? We visited a relocated Kibbutz, now temporarily called a vertical Kibbutz in a Tel Aviv skyscraper whose community was attacked on October 7. We met with people who cannot go back home right now. How can one begin to understand the pain of individuals and families who cannot live the pioneer style they were dedicated to in planting a Kibbutz lifestyle? Even in our hotel, we met some individuals for whom the hotel is now their temporary home because they have been evacuated, at least for now.

We went to Israel to simply offer some help and we did. We pruned at a vineyard. We got a farm ready for the growth of tomatoes. We packed and boxed fruits and vegetables. We made a hundred submarine chicken salad sandwiches which were delivered same day for IDF soldiers serving in Gaza. We packed all kinds of beans at Pantry Packers to be shipped to hungry Israelis all over the country.

In Bechukotai, we read: "I will remember my covenant with Jacob . . . with Isaac . . . with Abraham, and I will remember the land (Lev. 26:42)." This is the only verse in the entire Torah where the land itself is personified. We are commanded to treat the actual land of Israel with the same love and respect as we would a fellow human being.

My friends - I felt safer in Israel than I do in parts of Toronto. I felt safer in Israel than I did in parts of New York city, when I visited my son in February. We all know that the situation for Jews all over in the Diaspora world is fraught with danger right now. I was still away when a neighboring girls' Yeshiva was shot up on a Shabbat. I was still away when a Jewish boy was bullied and afraid to attend his Faywood Arts School. However, we need to assume that same resolve and resilience that 21 of us witnessed in Israel. Do not be afraid to be Jewish in public. Careful - Yes! Afraid - No! Walk with Israel a week from tomorrow. Wear your bracelets, your dog tags, your tie, your Kippa, your Tzizit.

We Jews are a small minority. But truth is on our side, and we are not totally alone. Some TV personalities actually get it - Dr.Phil, Bill Maher, Megyn Kelly, Mark Levin, Jerry Seinfeld, Douglas Murray, amongst others.

If we need any inspiration boost, take into your hearts, souls, and minds, the three word postscript when we complete reading a book of the Torah: "Chazak Chazak V'Nitchazek - Be of strength, be of strength, and let us be strengthened together."

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Howard Morrison

In contemporary Jewish life, we have a series of sad and happy holidays prefaced by Yom, the day of. . .

Consider Yom Hashoah, Yom Hazikaron, and Yom Ha'Atzmaut. Our Beth Emeth solidarity mission began on Israel's 76th Yom Ha'Atzmaut.

Having just returned from Israel, I will share continued reflections this coming Shabbat, which began with Caren Leinwand's last Shabbat. It is perhaps no accident that the final two portions in Vayikra contain more references to the land of Israel than anywhere else in Torah.

With all this in mind, there is another YOM next Wednesday - Yom Yerushalayim. Jerusalem Day commemorates the unification of Jerualem and the miracle of the six day war in 1967, fifty-seven years ago.

May the miracles of 1948 and 1967 lead to a miraculous end to this terrible war with Hamas.

May all the hostages, dead or alive, be returned. May the world wake up from its anti-Jewishness and see the merit of Israel and the Jewish people.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Howard Morrison

Our last day of the solidarity mission - We started our morning at Pantry Packers in Jerusalem packing food. This organization is under the auspices of Collel Chabad and provides food to the needy throughout the country. Our group was joined by a Bar Mitzvah group from Brooklyn, NY which simply felt the need to be in Israel at this time.

At Mount Hertzl cemetery, among the many graves we visited, we saw the grave of Michael Levin. He was a lone soldier who died in 2006.

We also visited the grave of Aner Shapira. A few days ago, we entered the safe room he was in protecting others of the Nova Festival before his life was taken.

We also saw the grave of Ilan Moshe Cohen who lost his life just a week ago. 

We visited the grave of Martin Davidovich. A Holocaust survivor, who died in an IDF training mission in 1948 in Czechoslovakia. Recognized as a lone soldier, his body was moved to Mount Hertzl in 2021. 

We concluded our visit with the recitations of Kel Maleh and Kaddish.

At the office of the World Zionist Organization, we met with V.P. Yitzhak Hess. He shared his views on the state of of affairs these days.

Afterward, we had our own private debriefing. Our group talked about the emotional power of giving and receiving hugs of support with Israelis. We marveled at our people's resilience on many levels. While some in Toronto found our mission to be "heartbreaking," we saw our mission as "heartwarming." The giving of letters to different strata of Israeli society elicited smiles and good feeling. Everyone was grateful to come and experience something which could only happen by doing what we did for nine days. We gave and received support in everything we did. All of us felt purpose, fulfillment, and meaning over these last nine days.

Our last program was a farewell dinner at the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens. Final reflections and lots of hugs were shared among Beth Emeth and Ramah staff. This was our third tour arranged by Ramah Israel Institute: Our 2015 Poland - Israel tour; Our 2019 Spain-Gibraltar-Portugal tour, and now our Israel solidarity mission.

One of Judaism's supreme Mitzvot is Hakarat Ha'Tov, recognizing the good in others. I am grateful to Beth Emeth, our travel participants, and to Ramah for an experience which transcends words.

Rabbi Howard Morrison

This morning, we made sandwiches for IDF soldiers serving in Gaza, under the auspices of Citrus and Salt in Tel Aviv. The food that we prepared will reach our soldiers later today. One of the organizers is on a birthright internship and originates from Vancouver.

We visited the temporary Tel Aviv site of Kibbutz Reim which had to relocate from the South after October 7. Housed currently in a city skyscraper, these Kibbutznicks have recreated Kibbutz life as much as possible and are optimistic about returning home soon.

The speaker spoke about the three front lines being soldiers, Israeli civilians, and Jews from the Diaspora coming together with unprecedented rises of anti-Semitism.

After members of Kibbutz Reim normalized their situation on October 7-8, they initiated "Project Twenty Four - It's Within us." This project unites Israelis and Israeli communities impacted by October 7 with Diaspora Jews informationally and financially.

At Hostage Square, we viewed the long symbolic Shabbat table with settings for all the hostages. A number of booths were set up including Kibbutzim and the Nova Festival. Some of our group heard the story of an elderly gentleman from Nahal Oz. Another member spoke with the mother of a hostage. We met a birthright group. We concluded by davening Mincha. We were joined by a soldier, Barak, who recited the prayer for the IDF in Hebrew.

We gave support, listened to, and experienced  some of the most meaningful aspects of Tel Aviv in the wake of October 7.

On Friday, erev Shabbat, we learned to tie Tzizit for IDF soldiers. Since October, volunteers and others have made 72,000 sets of Tzizit. Customs vary between Sefardim and Ashkenazim. For those who use Techelet, the blue admixture, customs vary as well. As a sign of unity, many Jews who do not normally wear Tzizit have chosen to do so in wartime.

A bus tour showed us the various geographical and political lines in the areas surrounding Jerusalem. After time in the Shuk for lunch, we reassembled for Shabbat.  Most joined together on the hotel roof for our own Kabbalat Shabbat. A few went to the Kotel. We celebrated Shabbat dinner as a group. We were joined by our guide Moshe, his wife Vered, and their year and a half old twin daughters, Shai and Carmi. Many of the group visited with our Adath Israel friends after dinner to hear the stories of four current lone soldiers.

On Shabbat morning, people went to the shul of their choice. After lunch, Moshe led a walking tour. After dinner, we gathered on the rooftop for Havdalah. On the other side of the roof, some fifty university age students on a mission with the Shalom Hartman Institute made Havdalah as well. Afterwards, most of our group hit the area of Ben Yehuda Street for shopping, dining, and enjoying the Jerusalem night sky.

This morning we said goodbye to  "Israel 365", a Christians for Israel group. From all over the U.S., their motto is "With faith not fear." How moving - we would say "B'Emunah v'lo B'Yirah."

In the morning, we attended the home of all the Israel based Ramah programs. We heard from Rachel Goldberg Polin, whose son Hersh is one of the 132 hostages. Rachel has served on the staff of Ramah Israel. She has spoken out for her son and all the hostages. For as much as we wanted to give her strength, she actually strengthened us.

Among the attendees were high school students from the Gan Academy, a school like CHAT, housed in the Boston area. They were here on a 10 day mission, similar to ours.

Also present were high schoolers from all over North America, here for four months studying in the Jerusalem Ramah high school, known as T.R.Y. My own son and others from Beth Emeth have studied here over the years. Usually 30-40 participate annually. This year, the enrollment is 14 due to the war. We are proud of these students.

At a vineyard outside of Jerusalem, we spent an hour and a half pruning grapevines. Most of their regular Palestinian workers are no longer appearing due to the war. The necessary physical labor depends on visiting volunteers. We learned that every little bit we do counts.

At the Supreme Court, we learned about the controversies over proposed judicial reforms which were well known before October 7. We also sat in for part of an actual court case and saw the passion of the two lawyers and the judge. The judge himself was an Arab Israeli.

Finally, we visited a Haredi elementary and high school, called Netzach, which is a pioneer in the Ultra Orthodox world integrating students with the broader Israeli society on many levels.

This was a day for witnessing unity within diversity amidst the sorrow and pain from October 7 to the present.

Sincerely, 
Rabbi Howard Morrison

I am writing at 9:30am. I had taken a cab at 3am to Pearson for a 6am flight to JFK in NY. My son Yonah as well as Jonathan and Fran Isaacs are on my flights. Now we are waiting for our 10:30am El Al flight.

I am feeling overwhelmed. Today is Yom Ha'Zikaron, Israel Remembrance Day. In many years, this day is about remembering the past, of soldiers and civilians  who fell in past wars and acts of terror.

This year is vastly different. We are remembering here and now - from October 7th to this very moment. Each week, we lose IDF soldiers. How many hostages have died? Others?

Sitting at JFK, I am surrounded by over a hundred birthright participants. While their numbers are smaller than in previous years, there are still many young men and women, university age,  going to Israel for the first time. How proud we are of them.

At the gate is the usual mix of Jews - Charedim, Modern Orthodox, Chiloni, Israeli, old and young, etc. Our flight is expected to be full.

Today, I am saddened on this Yom Ha'Zikaron, and I am elated with the throngs of Jews awaiting our flight. 

Next blog from Israel.

Rabbi Howard Morrison

The end of this week's Torah portion, Kedoshim, and the Haftarah from the Prophet Amos both make reference to God's establishing the land of Israel as the homeland for the Jewish people. While many non-Jews may not care about our Torah's references, we the Jewish people should care.

It is noteworthy that we will commemorate Yom Ha'Zikaron, Israel's remembrance day, on Monday May 13 and Yom Ha'Atzmaut, Israel's independence day, on Tuesday May 14. It was with these dates in mind that we planned our shul's Israel solidarity mission, which will run from May 14-22. In the spirit of Joshua and Caleb, our twenty-one-person delegation will bear witness to the events of the last seven months, visit some of the most impacted sights, meet with families, soldiers, and dignitaries, and provide physical help and support.

We will share our report and observations with you on the first night of Shavuot, Tuesday June 11, as our Tikun Leil Shavuot program.

Am Yisrael Chai and Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Howard Morrison

In anticipation of Yom HaShoah tomorrow night, Jews throughout history have been the "other," the scapegoat, the nation that suffers for the sins of the world.

Consider the book of Esther - "Haman said to King Ahashverosh, there is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in the provinces of your kingdom; and their laws are different from those of every people; and they do not keep the king's laws; therefore it is not for the king's profit to tolerate them."

 Jew as the "other" goes back from Amalek to Haman, from the poisoners of the wells in the black death, to the victims of the Inquisition, from the enemy of the Nazis, to the oppressors of today. We Jews are the eternal "other." 

The scapegoating of Jews finds perhaps its most damaging example in the claim by many Christians prior to modern times in that all Jews throughout history are responsible for the death of Jesus. Jews were seen as being capable and guilty of committing deicide.  While most of Christianity has reversed its stance, it fueled the perception of Jew as scapegoat for the last two thousand years. 

The origin of the term scapegoat actually goes back to today's Parsha. We learn the earliest laws of Yom Kippur, including the ancient ritual of the scapegoat. On Yom Kippur, the High Priest rolled lots on two goats. One represented the people of Israel as a holy offering. The other carried away the sins of the people into the wilderness, known as "Seir La'Azazel," literally, the "scapegoat." 

The 20^th century French anthropologist Rene Girard suggests that the ritual represents a fundamental human need. One goat represents our people, our community, the group we are to protect. The other goat represents "the other," the scapegoat, the threat to our community, the people we dislike. It is this "other" who carries on its shoulders the sins of the community. According to Girard, it is natural for a community to have "an other." Throughout history, in community after community, the Jews have been "that other," that scapegoat. Perhaps the most horrendous example of this hatred of Jews was the slaughter of six million Jews by the Nazis, yimach shmam. 

Some old manifestations of Jew as scapegoat include: Blaming Jews for the death of Jesus. Blaming Jews of being responsible for the Bubonic plague. Alleging that Jews poisoned wells in an attempt to kill Christians. Alleging that Jews used the blood of missing children for Passover Matzah.

Some newer manifestations of Jew as scapegoat include: Blaming Jews for the pandemic. Blaming Jews for 9/11. Blaming Jews for economic depressions. Blaming Israel and only Israel, and by extension Jews and only Jews, for conflict and violence in the Middle East.

Can we not see these vile Chamas protests on campuses in North America as the most contemporary forms of scapegoating. I have not heard of one person from any campus protest even acknowledge the murders of October 7 or the taking of hostages. But I have heard Israel as being blamed and accused of genocide.

While the following Mitzvah in the Torah seems far off; after the Exodus from Egypt, we are commanded not merely not to hate, but to learn to love the stranger, the other - "Love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt (Deut. 10:19).

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Howard Morrison

While the opening chapters of Exodus, introduce us to Moses and Aaron, the Biblical text is replete with the accomplishments of women:

Shifra and Puah, the midwives who disobeyed Pharaoh's edicts.

Miriam, who accompanied baby Moses floating down the Nile, ensuring his viability. Later on, she lead the women in song and dance after crossing the Reed sea.

The daughter of Pharaoh, who received and raised Moses.

Yocheved, the biological mother of Moses, who weaned and nurtured him.

Tziporah, the wife of Moses, who was the one to circumcise their sons.

And more!

The Talmudic Sages teach us - On account of righteous women were the Israelites redeemed from Egypt.

Fast forward to the Talmud and the early compilations of Jewish law - Men and women are commanded to observe all of the 365 "thou shalt not" commandments of Judaism. Men and women are commanded to equally observe most of the 248 "thou shalt" commandments of Judaism. Now comes the rub, on which essays and books have been written from all kinds of viewpoints.

"Women are exempt from the obligation of observing positive time bound commandments." If there was an original reason, it is lost. Lots of conjecture emerge: Women are homemakers and should not come into conflict between time bound prayer, for example, and child rearing. Or, women do not need to have positive time bound commandments because their inherent nature and sexuality differ from the needs of men. Now comes another rub, over the generations, there have been many exceptions to the rule. So, while, hearing the shofar and dwelling in the Sukkah are timebound, women are customarily expected to observe these Mitzvot.

Fast forward to the 1950's and 1960's - Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda was founded as a Traditional Conservative shul. At the time, almost every Conservative shul accepted the halakhic legitimacy of family or mixed seating. The idea of separating the sexes in shul was seen as a custom not a law, one that developed in the Middle Ages, as in Churches as well. The original precedent for separating the sexes took place as a one-time segregation in the Holy Temple during Sukkot because of frivolity, but was not intended for all time. That there was a designated area in the Holy Temple called a "women's section" was in name only. Many activities centering around men took place in the "women's section (Ezrat Nashim)."

Jewish tradition distinguishes between law and custom. Laws are binding and are interpreted by a community's elected rabbi. Customs are discussed with the rabbi but are ultimately decided by the congregation's leadership after rabbinic validation. 

Traditional Judaism is not static or monolithic. It evolves organically and carefully. Consider the twenty-three plus years I have served as your rabbi. Prior to 2004, women officers were not allowed to sit on the Bimah. Back then, I suggested that there was no religious distinction between the pews on the floor and the seating on the Bimah. Since then, women officers have sat on the Bimah. This was a change in custom, not law.

After a two-year period of study, the board ratified that women could chant the Haftarah on Shabbat and Yom Tov. I taught that the recitation of the Haftarah was a matter of custom which originated when Jews were forbidden from reading Torah by non-Jewish censors. Since 2004, women have been welcome to chant Haftarot.

When I came to Beth Emeth, children 12 and under were not welcome into the main sanctuary until 12 noon. It took eight years for this policy custom to be changed so that all Jews could pick their service of choice and so that multi-generational families could sit together in the main sanctuary on the High Holy Days. 

In the early 2000's, women were permitted to hold Torah scrolls during Simchat Torah Hakafot and to conduct their own women's Minyan, performing the entire service without modification.

All of these changes, or modifications, were about matters of custom, and not reinterpreting actual law, which is a more challenging endeavor.

Fast forward to now - About two years ago, our shul began a strategic plan on all sorts of topics. A survey was sent to the entire congregation. On ritual matters, the sizeable majority of respondents wrote to keep the shul Traditional (whatever that meant to the respondents) AND to incrementally expand the role of women's participation in services.

What is a rabbi to do? In the past year and a half with the participation of our ritual committee, executive, and board of directors, I have sought to expand those areas which are based on CUSTOM and not LAW. In discussing a number of possibilities, the following was approved at the April 16 meeting of the board of directors. Please understand the role of rabbi and shul leadership when it comes to custom. The rabbi determines what is PERMISSIBLE. Then, the board determines if the PERMISSIBILTY is communally ACCEPTABLE.

After my presentation just a couple of weeks ago, the board voted unanimously in favor to allow the following:

1. Women may open and close the Ark at all services in the same manner that men currently do.
2. Women may be invited to do Gelilah, the wrapping and dressing of the Torah scroll after it has been lifted, in the same manner that men currently do.
3. Women may receive the Maftir Aliyah at all services when a Haftarah is chanted. On this point, please understand that there is a halakhic/legal difference between the Maftir Aliyah and the preceding Aliyot. All other Aliyot are based on a number of different halakhic criteria which does make distinctions between men and women. None of this applies to the Maftir Aliyah, which is meant solely to honor the person who will chant the Haftarah. This is the case whether or not we read from one or more Torah scrolls in any given service. The permission of women receiving the Maftir Aliyah is an extension on the custom of women chanting Haftarot, which was allowed at Beth Emeth in 2004. Also please understand that the Maftir Aliyah includes reciting the prescribed Berachot and/or chanting the Maftir Torah text.

I gave my rabbinic approval for these three items as being permissible customs for Beth Emeth, and the Board ratified these as meaningful and acceptable practices for our shul.

I will conduct an explanatory evening on this topic Thursday May 9 at 7:30PM.

The implementation date of the new customs will take effect on Shavuot Wednesday and Thursday June 12-13.

During the Pesach holiday which honors the tradition of righteous women in Jewish tradition, now is an appropriate time to have deliberated, studied, and decided on incremental roles for women's participation within the ethos of Beth Emeth continuing to be regarded as a Traditional Conservative synagogue.

Chag Sameach,
Rabbi Howard Morrison