Skip to main content

Chanukah - Inward and Outward - Parashat Vayeishev 5780 - December 20, 2019

Image
By

On Wednesday of this past week, our Middle School Girls led a program called Light of Torah, in which each student presented their research on a righteous life of a figure in Tanach. Each of the students spoke either by video or in person. Dozens of parents, grandparents and friends came to learn from our students. Thank you to Morah Anat Kampf, Morah Tzippy Hollander and Morah Sara Wende for their work in leading this program.

To open the program, I connected the students’ work with the upcoming holiday of Chanukah.

Each Jewish holiday prompts us to reflect on themes and values that are central to our religion. One of the central themes of Chanukah is the primacy of protecting and defending our values and our Jewish way of life. The Maccabees’ bravery in the face of the Syrian enemy, the re-establishment of the Jewish monarchy and the removal of anti-Jewish laws are examples of themes which highlight national victories. In examining these themes more carefully, they represent parochial victories – successes garnered exclusively by the Jewish people. They are exceedingly important themes – but, in truth, they are nationalistic and particularistic themes.

There is another type of theme explored in Chanukah – one conveyed by the location of the placement of the Chanukah lights. In the exile, we usually place our chanukiyah inside of the house. There are many good reasons for this practice. However, the halacha, as it was originally codified, is to place the chanukiyah outside of the house, near the adjacent courtyard. The purpose of this public placement is to project the message of the Chanukah lights to the world around us. Chanukah teaches us that we have a responsibility to project the values and ideals that we have learned to those with whom we come into contact. Unlike the themes explored above, this theme is a universalistic theme – a theme that helps us consider our role in the world.


In delivering the Torah that they had learned to the community this week, our Middle School Girls developed themselves and grew through their study and through their research. However, what made this program exceedingly special was that they shared their Torah with us and through their efforts we all became enriched. Like placing the chanukiya in the public sphere, our students projected their values and Torah to all of us.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Blessings, Blessings, Blessings - Parashat Lech-Lecha 5780, November 8, 2019

By
In this week’s parasha, Lech Lecha, the Torah recounts the Avram’s return from an improbable victory in a war against the four kings. On the way, he encounters MalkiTzedek, the King of Shalem.

The Torah describes the meeting: “MalkiTzedek, king of Shalem, brought out bread and wine; he was a priest of G-d, the Most High. He (MalkiTzedek) blessed him saying, “Blessed is Avram of G-d, the Most High, Maker of heaven and earth; and blessed be G-d, the Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.”

The Malbim, Rabbi Meir Leibush, asks why MalkiTzedek blessed Avram before blessing G-d. Although the Midrash, in fact, criticizes MalkiTzedek for prioritizing the blessings in this way, Malbim explains that MalkiTzedek’s decision to bless Avram before G-d is to MalkiTzedek’s credit.

To understand what justifies MalkiTzedek’s prioritization, we first need to ask another question – how can a human being bless G-d? To say that a human being is blessed is understandable – MalkiTzedek saw…
Post a Comment
Read more

Dwelling Securely - Parashat Behar 5779, May 24, 2019

By
Our seventh and eighth grade students returned this past week from the ten-day Junior High Israel Experience program. Mrs. Anat Kampf, Chazzan Ricky Kampf and I were honored to chaperone this inaugural program, and, on behalf of the students, we are very thankful to the parents, to the community and Lemsky Fund for their support of this endeavor.
Our students soaked up the land, the people and the Torah of Eretz Yisrael. At school, we learn Torah. In Israel, we experienced the Torah. At school we learn about the impact and significance of the State of Israel. In Israel, we experienced the geography, history and people of the State of Israel. In school, we learn Ivrit. In Israel, we spoke Ivrit.
Our students experienced the breadth and depth of the land. They had both an urban experience – sleeping in Yerushalayim for six days – and a more pastoral experience – sleeping in Kibbutz Lavi. They visited sites of destruction and death that now have renewed vitality and significance – the Ko…
Post a Comment
Read more

Greater Than the Sum of its Parts - Parashat Vayera 5780, November 15, 2019

By
In this week’s parasha, VaYera, Avraham Avinu is told of Hashem’s plan to destroy Sedom and its four sister cities. The Torah describes these cities as places of decrepit morals populated by denizens of corrupt values.

The Torah recounts that Avraham asked Hashem to preserve the cities on account of the tzaddikim – the righteous people – who lived in the cities. Avraham inquires whether Hashem would destroy the cities if there were 50 righteous people. Hashem responds that He would not. Avraham then inquires whether Hashem would destroy the cities if there were 45 righteous people. Hashem responds that He would not. Avraham then inquires about 40, 30, 20 or even 10 righteous people. Hashem responds that in any of these cases, He would not cause destruction.

Our chachamim address a number of issues related to this interaction between Avraham and Hashem. One question that they address is why Avraham chose to inquire about 50, 45, 40, 30, 20 then 10 righteous people. What was Avraham’s l…
Post a Comment
Read more