PunkTorah

Independent Jewish Spirituality

Parsha Lech-Lecha: All is Fair in Love, War, and Faith (Gen 12:1 – 17:27)

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This week’s Torah Portion is all about the misadventures of one of mankind’s most important people. . . Father Abraham. I never truly understood Abraham not even a little. He is the Patriarch of more than one major world religion, in fact scholars use the term “Abrahamic Religions” in reference to Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and he is a major prophet within the Bahai’I faith. Not too shabby for a liar!

The book of Genesis covers a lot of time and ground and that is something very easy to forget. At the start of this portion Abraham and his wife Sarah are young, married, childless, and still going by their birth names Abram and Sarai. We are led to believe Sarai has an attractiveness no man could resist not even the Pharaoh of Egypt who at that time was the most powerful man in the world. A few things transpire (we’ll get to that in a moment), a little more time passes Abram rescues his nephew Lot and gets blessed by Melchizedek. Decades pass Abram and Sarai are elderly and still childless a few more things transpire and Hashem changes Abram and Sarai’s names and commands circumcision, , , phew so much to digest.

Here is why I just can‘t seem to understand Abraham at that time he is one of the most righteous men on the planet. So why lie and basically negotiate your wife for your life and land? Here is a young man in a foreign land with a gorgeous and exotic young wife. He knows Pharaoh is the only person in a position to take her from him so what does he do he says this is my sister and then goes about his business literally. I don’t want this post to be apologetic or condemning I am a different man and live in a different time. We know this deal really really really bothers Sarai, and rightfully so, but I keep wondering just how angry does this make Hashem. Eventually Pharaoh learns the true nature of Abram and Sarai’s relationship and Hashem steps in inflicting Pharaoh with a plague.

The Torah never really goes into detail how Abram and Sarai get over this episode in their relationship, but we do know they continue to live together and hopefully do that happily. During this time Abram matures a lot and leads the efforts to rescue his nephew Lot. In his last adventure it ended with a plague inflicted on Pharaoh this time it ends with Melchizedek blessing Abram.

Now for the final part of the Lech-Lecha trilogy Abram and Sarai have entered their golden years childless, and it is no secret having an heir is Abram’s hearts desire. Obviously feeling bad for her husband Sarai decides to do what she can to make having a son happen. So what does she do? She arranges for her husband to step out of their tent and into Hagar’s, and of course a son Ishmael is conceived. Jealousy and tempers erupt as each compete for Abram’s affection. . . and then Hashem steps in again. Hashem changes Abram and Sarai’s name to Abraham and Sarah, tells Abraham his children will spawn nations, and then tells him to clean up himself, his son, and his male servants down there. Oy vey my head is spinning.

All of the above is why I could just never understand Abraham there is no denying he meant well and loved Hashem and his family, but c’mon MAN! What are your thoughts on Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, and Ishmael? Have you ever felt that Hashem has had to step in after your well intended actions didn’t really end up being so well intended? Am I being too hard or not hard enough on Abraham? Let me know post below or send me a note: [email protected]

Ki Teitzei: People Places and Things (Deut 21:10 – 25:19)

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If you like doing the right thing Ki Teitzei is for you. In fact this week’s portion contains something like seventy different mitzvahs laid out across five chapters. Ki Teitzei reminds us of the importance of environmental conservation, living compassionately with animals, and leaving excess for the poor.

Living in balance with our environment is extremely important because Hashem emanates this creation to sustain our lives. Without food and water our body would shrink and wither, without oxygen our lungs could not enrich our blood as our hearts pumps life to our most basic cells. If we as individuals compromising a whole abuse the air, land, and water around us we can only expect a life of sickness and despair.

Ki Teitzei is a reminder, it reminds us that there is more involved in taking care of this world than just keeping water clean and the soil toxins free. Compassion to animals is stressed in this week’s portion because animals play a critical and complex role in this world. They provide companionship, they can aid in farming, and they contribute to the bio-diversity that makes this wonderful world tick. If we are unable to show compassion to over living, breathing, and feeling species how can we ever show compassion to other humans or even to ourselves? The answer is we can’t.

Environmental exploitation and cruelty towards animals are not the only things Ki Teitzei prohibits, not providing a level of subsistence living for our poor is prohibited. We all worry about health care, housing, etc. . . but everyone regardless of age, race, gender, tax bracket are entitled to knowing they are responsible for bettering their life and their families life without the fear of living cold, hungry, stigmatized, and more diseased than your neighbor.

We as Jews and as human beings are not just responsible for “getting ours” we are responsible for living a conscience life that does not lessen the quality of life for our neighbors.

[email protected] Twitter: @circlepitbimah

Re’eh: Out Of Step With The World (Deut 11:26 – 16:17)

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Parsha Re’eh stresses the importance of never turning away from Hashem and turning towards a god or who has never lived. We are also reminded which animals are kosher. Laws regarding farming and having servants are covered and we are once again told to observe Sukkot, Passover, and Shavuot. We Jews are assured if we continue to do these things and if our children continue to do these things then only blessings will be reaped. Not a bad deal if you ask me.

While Re’eh may seem repetitive it is important to note the ancient Hebrews turned away from Hashem at the foot of Sinai, and when your food source is daily manna and quail its really easy to keep a palate kosher. Same with holidays when everyone around you is celebrating the same thing the same way it is easy not to slip up in observance, but the times well the [Read more…]

Parsha Eikev: Cut-Fil-A: The Heart Wants What The Heart Wants (Deut 7:12 – 11:25)

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Editor’s note: this is a repost from last year.

Moses continues his sermon in Parsha Eikev reminding us all on the importance of honoring our covenant with Hashem. To emphasis this he promises blessings, warns of curses, and tells us to circumcise our hearts.

The human heart is an extremely fragile yet efficient organ so how can anyone survive cutting a piece off? This is not a command for a physical invasive procedure but a spiritual and personality act. One of the major pro-circumcision arguments for men is it leaves that area cleaner and thus less susceptible to disease. Real talk, as a dude I don’t want to smell or get sick down there, just saying. Circumcision of the heart follows the same principle in this case cleanliness and health is a just and orderly society made up of people who are not stiff necked and hard to get along with.

Eikev could not have come at a better time this year.

If you live in the United States you know exactly what I’m talking about. Several weeks ago, a portion of the majority felt the need to protest what they claim is a suppression of their freedom of speech and religious belief in regards to sexuality. I’m not going to go too deep into why I think everything played out the way it did but I will say this as someone of a different faith their protest really turned me off to their religion. On one hand like them I fall into the majority of peoples sexual orientation but as a Jew I do not fall into the religious majority. Simple put I’m a Jewish dude who has never made out with another dude.

We as Jews face the same problem. This past year stories of the Ultra-Orthodox protesting modernity and spitting on secular women have sprinkled themselves throughout the media. As hard as it is to deal with those views and actions internally the damage to Judaism externally is much much worse. Circumcising your heart is just that — cutting away the stench of filth that will make others think less of the people you represent.

Moses tells us in Eikev to circumcise our hearts because the uncircumcised individual will forever stand on the shores of the Jordon yearning for the Promised Land just out of reach, but the circumcised heart of a people will receive Hashem’s promises of peace and happiness.

[email protected] Twitter: @circlepitbimah

V‘zot HaBerachah: Well “They“ Killed Moses (Deut 33:1 – 34:12)

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The life cycle that was and is the Torah cycle of 5772 is at an end, what began with a beginning for everything is now ending with the death and burial of just one man…Moses.

I often wonder what exactly did Moses see as he gazed into the Promised Land from a far. Did he see Israel as it was at that time? Was he seeing the rule of King David? The establishment of Modern Israel or the Messianic Age? I really do not think what he saw matters because whatever reflected through his pupils is the last thing he experienced. The point I am meandering around is maybe Moses’ death blow was delivered by Hashem via Eretz Israel.

A close friend of mine married the grand daughter of a South Vietnamese hotel tycoon, when it became apparent that Vietnam was to unite under a communist system he suffered a massive heart attack [Read more…]

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