"Thus the verses allude to the three services: repentance, prayer, and charity which must be eagerly performed in the month of Elul. 'And God will circumcise…' alludes to the service of repentance. 'I am my beloved's…' alludes to the service of prayer, which is 'a song of lovers.' 'Sending gifts…' alludes to the service of charity."[Kitzer Shulchan Aruch,1281:1 by Rabbi Shlomo Ganzfried ].
The Shofar is blown the morning of each day of Elul except the last day, which is also Erev Rosh Ha Shana. There are many legends that say this abstention is done to confuse the Satan – the accusing angel – so Satan will not know when to appear before God to present the evidence against us. For example:
"Not blowing the shofar on erev Rosh Hashanah confuses Satan, the Accuser. When he does not hear the shofar blasts on erev Rosh Hashanah, he becomes bewildered. He wonders if Rosh Hashanah has already passed. He believes that he missed the day on which Ha Shem judges the world, and that he passed up his chance of denouncing the Jewish people. Baffled and perplexed, he is speechless and remains silent'' [Magein Avraham pg 18]
However we also have a more practical reason: "We do not blow shofar on erev Rosh Hashanah to make a distinction between the sound of the shofar during Elul, which was instituted by the Rabbis, and the sound of the shofar on Rosh Hashanah, which is a mitzvah of the Torah." [Turei Zahav pg 18]
As we hear the shofar, feel the spirit flowing through our bodies with each breath. As we hear the shofar, ask for strength and courage to master our character defects. As we hear the shofar, quiet the flood of words in our minds and simply hear sound. As we hear the shofar, remove all stops from our hearing and tune into shofar's resonance with our soul. As we hear the shofar, listen closely for someone who is responding with his or her call for a truce, forgiveness, and peace. As we hear shofar, hear its voice announce a new beginning. What rebellion – against ourselves, our family, our community, or God – are we ready to end?
As we hear the shofar, listen for the faint voices of the parts of us that are in exile. Allow the shofar to be a beacon to guide our fragmented selves back into wholeness...shlema. As we hear the shofar , have the courage to look into even the darkest corners of our souls and know that there is yet hope. As we hear the shofar , feel gratitude for the freedom we have to decide for ourselves whether "to observe the Teaching and the Commandment." Then, make the right choice. {paraphrased from M. Chusid, ba'al tekiah }
"Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!'' [Deut. 30:19].
As we say on every day of Elul up to and including Yom Kippur : May you be written and sealed for a good year.
How to Have a Spiritual Shabbat in Modern Times
[continued from last class)....
When nightfall arrives on Saturday, Shabbat is over. You can have another dinner and start it with a short Havdallah service. This literally means "separation" between Shabbat and the six-day week, which begins when three stars are discernable on Saturday night. All you need is wine or grape juice, a special Havdallah candle which is braided and can be ordered from many Web sites and Judaic stores, and some spice, like cloves or cinnamon. You can buy a Havdallah spice box. But if you wish to do Havdallah this Saturday night and have the cloves and two regular candles that can be held or melted together, you are ready to perform the ceremony.
The first of the four Havdallah blessings is made over wine:
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu, melech ha'olam.
Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the universe.
Amen.
Borei p'ri hagafen.
Who creates the fruit of the vine.
Amen.
The second blessing is recited over fragrant spices. The spices represent a compensation for the loss of the special Sabbath spirit. The spices commonly used are cloves, cinnamon or bay leaves. They are commonly kept in a special decorated holder called a b'samim (spice) box.
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu, melech ha'olam, borei minei v'samim.
Amen.
Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the universe, Who creates varieties of spices.
Amen.
The third blessing is recited over the special, multi-wicked Havdallah candle. Havdallah candles can be obtained from Jewish gift stores. They have six wicks and make a beautiful flame. The six wicks remind us of the six secular days we are about to enter. If you cannot obtain a Havdallah candle, you can hold two candles close together so that their flames overlap. Use long, thin candles that you have warmed and twisted together. Lighting a flame is a vivid way of marking the distinction between the Sabbath and the weekday because we cannot kindle a flame on the Sabbath.
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu, melech ha'olam.
Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the universe. borei m'orei ha'eish.
Amen.
Who creates the light of the fire.
Amen.
After the blessing is recited, hold your hands up to the flame with curved fingers so you can see the shadow of your fingers on your palms. Check to see that your fingernails are clean. Why? On Shabbat, one cannot light a flame and do work by it. As minor as checking one's fingernails for dirt under a flame, it is prohibited work. This ritual lets us see and do something that is allowed on the normal six days of the week. We light the candle because it would be improper to recite a blessing for a commandment and then not perform the mitzvah.
The final blessing is the Havdallah blessing itself, which is the blessing over the separation of different things. The blessing is recited over the wine. After the blessing is complete, drink the wine. Then use a few drops of wine to extinguish the candle's flame.
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu, melech ha'olam
Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the universe
Hamav'dil bein kodesh l'chol
Who separates between sacred and secular
bein or l'choshekh bein Yis'ra'eil la'amim
between light and darkness, between
bein yom hash'vi'i l'sheishet y'mei hama'aseh
between the seventh day and the six days of labor
Baruch atah Adonai, hamav'dil bein kodesh l'chol
Amen.
Blessed are You, Lord, who separates between sacred and secular
Amen.
The Havdallah ceremony concludes with singing songs. Two traditional songs are Shavuah Tov and Eliahu HaNavi.
Shavuah Tov (A Good Week):
Shavuah tov, Shavuah tov, Shavuah tov, Shavuah tov, Shavuah tov, Shavuah tov, Shavuah tov, Shavuah tov.
A good week, a week of peace, may gladness reign and joy increase.
Eliahu Ha Navi (Elijah the Prophet):
Eliahu Ha Navi, Eliahu Ha Tishbi, Eliahu Ha Giladi. Bimheira, yavo aleinu, im mashiach ben David, im mashiach ben David. Elijah the Prophet, Elijah the Tishbite, Elijah the Gileadite.
With speed, come to us, With the Messiah, the son of David.
Note that you use all of your senses in this short but spiritual ceremony: seeing the flame, smelling the spices, tasting the wine, feeling your fingers curling backwards, hearing the flame as it is extinguished with wine and voices singing praises of thanks to God. The use of the senses creates memories that will sustain you through the week until the next Shabbat.
Shabbat is now over and you have enjoyed a respite from the world with your family, friends, God and your growing spirituality. Remember, Shabbat is a celebration of your relationship with God and with the people in your life. Sometimes these relationships are difficult. We all experience moments of anger, frustration, even doubt of God's presence in our lives. This is when you must access God, especially when in doubt, and ask Him to remove these thoughts. The Kabbalistic prayer Lecha Dodi teaches that at the root of your relationship with God is the love and understanding of a parent or perhaps a loving spouse. May you live with wholeness, (shlema), joy, shalom, and freedom in knowing that God, with His gift of Shabbat, is present in your life.
In a week, Baruch ha Shem, we will study the 13 th Chapter, ''The Jewish Holidays: How to Make Each
Jewish Spiritual Renewal
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Parasha Shoftim: Deuteronomy 16:18-21:09
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"Here Come da Judge"
This portion reviews the rules about the Israelites' court system, as well as the penalties for idol worship, rebelling against the authority of the Torah, and witnesses who lie under oath. The parasha also sets down rules for our future kings and rules of warfare, including the basis of our modern conscientious objector status.
"Justice, justice, shall you pursue." (Deut. 16:20). These are five words, which if everyone followed, our task of Tikun Olam (repair of the world) would be finished. The pursuit of justice has been a challenge to all people. Some groups choose to ignore it all together. The Hebrew word for justice is "tsaddakah." This is the same word commonly translated as "charity" that we read about in the prior Torah portion. Being a judge ("shofet" in Hebrew, from which this parasha derives its name) is holy work. Eyewitnesses must be examined carefully. Circumstantial evidence and logical conjecture is not admissible in court. Bribes cannot be taken. Our judges must be truthful judges, just as we bless God as the "truthful judge" when a tragedy occurs.
The same holiness is demanded from our kings. Our kings were obligated to write their own Torah scrolls and carry them with them at all times (Deut. 17:18-20). They were also obligated to study it daily. The Kabbalists study the Hebrew word "melech" (king). They say it alludes to three words: moach (brain), lev (heart), and kaveid (liver). The liver filters the blood before sending it to the heart. The heart refines the blood further before sending it to the brain. Before our kings reached a decision, they had to go through a process of intellectual and spiritual refinement.
Even our witnesses in court have a holy obligation to be truthful. If a witness lies, he is punished with the same penalty that the defendant was in jeopardy of receiving if found guilty. Even if there are 100 witnesses and one is found to lie, all of the witnesses' testimonies are disregarded. There were no lawyers or prosecutors. The witness brought the charges and the judges examined all parties. Imagine if our court system today had these same rules. Plaintiffs would think twice about bringing trumped-up charges or frivolous lawsuits against defendants, and corrupt trial lawyers would have no arena in which to enrich themselves by deceiving juries with their twisted interpretations of the rule of law. Our kings had to go to the front lines of the battle if they declared war. Imagine how few wars there would be if our modern presidents and prime ministers had to go out into battle with the youth of their societies.
"Appoint for yourselves judges and police at all of your gates." (Deut.16:18). Why did the Torah add the word "lecho," which means, "for yourselves?" The Mishna Pirkei Avot 2:18 says that we should not do evil before ourselves. We must constantly oversee our own actions. In a previous parasha we were called a kingdom of priests. We also have an obligation to be a kingdom of honest judges, watchful policemen, and just kings. Another explanation goes deeper. Many times, others laud us, yet we are painfully aware of our own shortcomings. We should not let ourselves become blinded by praise. "And you shall not take bribery, for bribery blinds the eyes of the wise, and twists the words of the righteous." (Deut.19:19). We must be self-judges, always policing ourselves.
"Where should our judges sit?" asks the Shla'h HaKadosh (Rabbi Yeshaya HaLevi Horowitz, Prague 1600). He writes that a person has seven gates: two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, and one mouth. We should guard our mouths from speaking loshan ha ra (derogatory speech). We should be careful of what we listen to and how we look at things in life. We need to continually pursue this personal goal.
Talmud Balvi Tractate Nedarim 32B says we find that "At the time the evil inclination takes control, there is no one to remind you of the good inclination." Anyone who has been on a diet knows this only too well! We certainly have an obligation to judge and correct ourselves before judging others.
The Talmudic rabbis ask why the word justice is repeated, and what does it mean to pursue justice? Pursue implies an ongoing endeavor. Tractate Sanhedrin 32B gives two answers. "You shall follow an eminent court of justice." and, "Follow scholars to their academies." They argue that the best way to avoid the need for justice is to learn Torah and follow its ethics. But the sages go on to say that the first mention of justice means a decision based on strict law, while the second word means to compromise with leniency. They say the best justice is situational and subjective. They say the best judges will find equitable solutions to complex practical situations. This is the pursuit of justice. Mandatory sentencing laws are not part of Jewish legal tradition. Daf 46A goes so far as to say, "I have heard that the court may pronounce lenient sentences even where not warranted by the Torah, not with the intention of disregarding the Torah, but in order to safeguard the spirit of the Torah."
There are times when the law must be set aside in order to uphold the law. Talmud Bavli Tractate Beracoth 63A says that in order to do God's work, you must sometimes void the Torah laws. For the world to exist, the second justice of compromise and mercy needs to be pursued as well. "Jerusalem was destroyed because they gave judgments therein in accordance with strict Torah law... they based their judgments strictly on the Torah and did not go beyond the letter of the law." (Talmud Bavli Tractate Bava Metzia 30B). This is why Hillel's liberal view always won over the strict view of Shammai (Tractate Eruvin 6B). Strict adherence to any law can be destructive.
What the sages were trying to teach us is that it is dangerous when a person or a religious movement no longer uses Torah to relate to God and His children, but rather worships the law itself. This is "Tor-idolatry." The letter of the law becomes the god. One's relationship with God is obscured as the relationship with his fellow man is flawed. King David said it best in Psalm 85:11-12, "Loving kindness and truth meet together, righteousness and peace kiss each other. Truth shall spring from the earth, and righteousness shall look down from the heaven." Like the Kabbalistic tree of the Ten Sefirot, we as a society must learn to balance justice with righteousness, and mercy with strictness.
Any reading of the Torah will show there are numerous ways of incurring the death penalty. Picking up sticks on Shabbat is a sure way to die. Our rabbis write that the courts are obligated to look at every facet of a case, and if one iota of contradiction exists, they must declare the defendant innocent. Any court putting a man to death more than once in every seven years (some sages say seventy years) is considered a "bloody court." We should not be looking for ways to accuse people, but for ways to help people stay upright and honest.
Society's obligation to prevent crime is made crystal clear in this parasha. If a dead man is found outside a city, the elders of the village were commanded to bring a sacrifice to the site (Eglah Arufah). They, not the priests in the Temple, had to perform the sacrifice. The elders of the town had to say, "Our hands did not spill this blood, and our eyes did not see it." (Deut. 21:7). The Talmud very clearly states that the elders were at fault because they did not see him and failed to provide him with food, housing, and an escort. Tractate Sotah 38B sums up needless deaths in a society succinctly, "The need for the Eglah Arufah is only because of stinginess." Our politicians – all citizens as well – have an obligation to actively contribute to the wellbeing of all in our society and not merely refrain from doing harm.
Even our rules of warfare had true justice in them. Newlywed soldiers, or those with new homes or vineyards that they not yet had enjoyed, were allowed to go home. Soldiers who were faint of heart were excused from battle so as not to scare other soldiers, as well as to be merciful. Sincere overtures of peace must be offered to the enemy before any battle. To show us that the ends do not justify the means in war, it was forbidden to harm fruit trees in the course of battle (Deut. 20:01-20). Thus in war we are to be reminded that life, symbolized by a fruit-bearing tree, is not cheap. "All's fair in love and war" is not a Jewish tradition.
Our Shabbat's Haftarah from Isaiah says, "Awaken yourself! Awaken yourself!" (Is. 51:17) and "Wake up! Wake up! Shake the dust from yourself!" (Is. 52:01-02). Isaiah begs us to herald in "peace...good...and salvation" (Is. 52:07) and to "Turn away! Turn away!" (Is.52:11) from injustice and contamination.
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