Lech Lecha – 5780
Lech Lecha - 5780
Genesis 12:1-17:24
“The LORD said to Avram, “Go forth from your land, from your birthplace, and your father’s house to a land that I will show you.” -Genesis 12:1
In my confirmation class this week, one of my students asked, “Why doesn’t God speak to people anymore like God did in the Bible?” I asked the student what made him think God no longer speaks to people. We discussed how most people don’t go around saying that they hear voices speaking to them—say that and you may be told you need to see a therapist…. But I suggested that perhaps we do hear God-the quiet still voice within us, the voice of conscience, that inner voice that helps us decipher right from wrong. We just don’t often talk about it or even acknowledge it.
Have you had moments where you have heard God’s voice?
This week we meet the father of Judaism, our first Patriarch, Abraham who at this time is only called Avram. Avram is called by God “Lecha Lecha—go forth, for you.” Medieval commentator Rashi, translates this to mean—Go for your own sake. According to following verses of Torah, there is incentive for Avram to follow God’s directive.
“I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth shall bless themselves by you” (v.2-3)
Of all the people in the world, why was Avram the one that was chosen? In last week’s Torah portion, Noah was singled out for being “righteous in his generation”. But prior to this story, we know little about Avram. And there are no descriptive words declaring him as righteous. All we know is that God called out Lecha, and Avram answered, “Hineni-I am here.” In the Sfat Emet, a book of Hasidic commentary on the Torah, an explanation is offered.
According to the Sfat Emet, God said Lech Lecha to all humanity, but it was only Abraham that heard it! Everyone was given the opportunity to make a covenant with God—to follow God’s path in exchange for being blessed and being as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand in the sea-but it was only Abraham who was able to hear the call. In the same way that Moses was attentive and noticed the burning bush, Abraham was able to hear the call.
What if each of us could be an Abraham? Is the Universe giving us signs in which we turn a blind eye or deaf ear? How can we be leaders like Abraham, and go against conformity? Do we follow our own inner voice rather than following the crowd?
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks writes, “To be a Jew is to be willing to challenge the prevailing consensus.” He continues, “One reason that Jews have become, out of all proportion to their number, leaders in almost every sphere of human endeavor is precisely their willingness to be different. Throughout the centuries Jews have been the most striking example of a group that refused to assimilate to the dominant culture or to convert to the dominant faith.”
Can we embrace our inner Abraham, our inner non-conformist? Can we learn to be attentive and read the signs all around us? Can we quiet our minds, eliminate distractions, and be present enough to hear God’s voice calling to each of us Lech Lecha?
Noach – 5780
Noach - 5780
“Noah was a righteous man; he was blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God.’ -Genesis 6:9
Most of us are familiar with the Torah Portion, Noah (Noach in Hebrew). From a young age we learn how Noah brought each of the animals into the ark two by two. When teaching the story, we focus on the whimsical nature of the animals all together aboard the boat rather than the much darker story of the entire society being destroyed—which is in reality a frightening tale.
How could it be that Noah and his family were the only people that God thought were worth saving? What made Noah so special?
Noah is described in the text as “a righteous man, an ish tzaddik … b’dorotav in in his generation.” Why it is specifically mentioned that he was righteous in his generation? This is usually understood to mean that he was the ONLY person that was deemed righteous-that was not acting wickedly. This begs the question-Would Noah be righteous in another generation? Is he deemed righteous only in comparison to the others?
Being righteous in his generation could be viewed as compliment—even in a time when no one was doing the right thing—Noah did not give in to peer pressure— he didn’t follow the crowd; he had a strong ability to not give into temptation. This could have made him even more righteous!
Other rabbinic commentators read this disparagingly; he was righteous only in comparison to his generation, but if he were in the generation of Abraham, he would not be considered anything special.
Why the comparison with Abraham? The text tells us that “Noah walked with God” yet” later on in Genesis it is said that Abraham walked before God.” The rabbis interpret this discrepancy to mean that Noah needed support while Abraham was strong and walked independently in his own righteousness.
To Rashi, Noah was a person of insufficient faith who “would not have been considered anything” when held up next to a truly righteous man. In Rashi’s opinion, Noah is thoroughly and unremarkable average. Yet, compared to the bad people in his generation, he’s pretty good!
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks explains that “one way of reading the story of Noah is as a failure of leadership. Noah is righteous but not a leader. He was a good man who had no influence on his environment.” Judaism teaches the importance of our collective responsibility (kol Yisrael arevim ze bazeh, “All Israel is responsible for one another, Shevuot 39a).
The Hasidism called Noah a tzaddik im peltz. “a righteous man in a fur coat.” What does this mean? There are two ways of keeping warm on a cold night. You can wear a fur coat, or you can light a fire. If you wear a fur coat you warm only yourself. However, if you light a fire, you warm others as well.
As Rabbi Sacks points out, Noah is a good man, even a righteous man but he isn’t a leader. He was good at taking care of the animals and protecting his own family, but what about his fellow human beings?
When we see the corruption in today’s world—of which sadly there is much—do we look to protect only ourselves and our families or do we have a collective responsibility towards greater humanity? Do we want to be a person in a fur coat or one who lights a fire to warm others?
HOST Schedule for NFTY
Host Family Schedule
Here’s what people need to know:
MAJYK stands for Mid-Atlantic Junior Youth Kallah. It’s a NFTY program for 6-8th Graders and takes place at Temple Beth Ami Dec. 6-8, 2019.
We ask that each family host a minimum of 3 teens all of the same gender.
Friday, December 6
9:30-9:45 pm Host Families Meet in Sanctuary with Jessa (NFTY Regional Director) and Lori Fein
9:45-10:00 pm Dismiss Participants to Host Families in Lobby
Saturday, December 7
Host Families Provide Breakfast
8:45-9:00 am Bring Participants to Temple Beth Ami for Shabbat Service (starts at 9:00 am)
4:15-4:30 pm Host Families Pick Up Participants at Temple Beth Ami for Break
Host Families Provide Dinner
7:30-7:45 pm Host Families Bring Participants to Bender JCC in Rockville for Evening Activities
10:00 pm Host Families Pick Up Participants from the JCC
Sunday, December 8
8:00-8:45 am Host Families Bring Participants to Temple Beth Ami for Breakfast and Closing Activities
- We ask host families to provide Saturday breakfast and dinner.
- We ask participants to bring sleeping bags and pillows, so floor space is perfect!
- Families can host as many as they can fit in their cars.