D’var Torah

Parsha Miketz: No Frum (Gen 41:1 – 44:17)

‍‍23 Kislev 5772 - December 19, 2011 By punktorah Leave a Comment

Miketz is the portion where Joseph finally gets his happy ending. Joseph’s divine blessing of dream interpretation is remembered within Pharaoh’s court which leads to his release from prison and promotion from foreign prisoner to revered Egyptian Statesman, and as an added treat he reconciles with his brothers. This week’s portion screams abuse survivor, over comer, and liberation the only problem is I am not a victim of abuse and therefore being a survivor is lost on me. What Miketz means to me is completion and balance in all aspects of a person’s being and this week Joseph exemplifies this.

When Adam and Eve ate of the fruit one of the seeds they swallowed was that of privilege and conceit. We all have this seed embedded within in us from birth, but like all seeds for the weed to sprout and grow it must be tended to by a dutiful gardener tending flowers. The remnant of Jacob left in Israel watered, pruned, and nurtured this seed within Joseph causing the weed’s root to sink through his heart piercing his soul. When a weed is that embedded plucking it is no easy feat only completely removing the root will remedy the unwanted affliction.

The only hope for Joseph is an extreme one, sold out of jealousy into slavery by his brothers, he works his way into as good of a situation as a slave can. Due to lust he is cast into prison only to once again make a positive impression with his fellow inmates. The sin of forgetfulness rears its head leaving Joseph abandoned behind bars for a couple more years. Finally, Joseph’s crop of privilege and conceit has withered and been plucked from his soul, mind, and body, he is redeemed and ready for his place as a lynchpin in the Patriarchal succession within Judaism.

Only by the grace of Hashem is Joseph pulled from prison after interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams predicting 7 bountiful years followed by 7 lean years. He shaves his beard…OH NO!!! marries a nice Egyptian girl…WHA WHA WHAT! and starts a very successful and important career as a freed man.

After what seems to be a long agonizing journey Joseph is complete. He has the spiritual integrity, the physical confidence, and the mental wisdom to provide for everyone in the region. Joseph knows what’s coming in just a few short years and yet he is mature enough to start a happy family in the present while working to provide for their needs in the near future. When the 7 lean years arrive and people start to go hungry, because of Joseph Egypt becomes the humanitarian capital of the ancient world. The balance Joseph has achieved within himself has allowed him to enjoy the present while preparing for the future, but what about his past?

No truly complete person can live only in the present with a nod to a prosperous future without coming to terms with lessons learned from their past. Joseph is no exception. When his brothers come to Egypt to purchase food he recognizes them immediately and manages the situation in a way where he will not neglect his duties but will still be reunited with his beloved elderly father. Joseph at this point in his life knows what happened in his past is not all his fault or his fathers or even his brothers. He knows they all played a part in the evil that transpired this realization alone allows for him to finally be reunited with his family.

The concept of patron saints is foreign to Judaism, however if it was part of our tradition I feel Joseph would play a much more prominent role in some circles. I feel a bond with him which I haven’t felt until this week. Like Joseph I do not live in Israel, in fact I am happy living in the southwest region of the United States. Like Joseph I have a Hebrew name and a “Gentile” name. Like Joseph I have been in serious relationships with non-Jews and while in them never compromised my beliefs (don’t worry Kosher Gals I am currently on the market wink wink!) . Most importantly, like Joseph I like to think of myself as someone striving for balance in all aspect of my life.

How have you reconciled your past, present, and future? Where do you struggle when it comes to balancing the mind, body, and spirit? Does being orthodox help solve these problems? Reflect and grow and share. Comment below or send me a message

jeremiah@punktorah.org Twitter: CirclePitBimah

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Filed Under: D'var Torah, Featured, Jeremiah Satterfield Tagged With: Circle Pit The Bimah, D'var Torah, frum, jeremiah satterfield, Joseph, orthodox judaism, parsha mikeitz

Long Live the Trees…and the Jewish Pope? (Parshat Shoftim)

‍‍29 Av 5771 - August 29, 2011 By punktorah 1 Comment

In parsha Shofetim, Moshe continues his lengthy oration to the Israelites. He talks about government, specifically about setting up courts and “setting a king over” themselves. He says that the king should be a Jew, not a foreigner, and that he should not have many wives, nor should he have many horses, nor should he amass great wealth [17:14-17]. In other words, a king should be a humble, ordinary man. Further, the king should have a Torah scroll made for him and “read in it all his life…thus he will not act haughtily toward his fellows or deviate from the Instruction to the right or to the left” [17:20]. And so now I’ll ask you…does this mean that we are supposed to have a pope? Here’s what I mean: Judaism, if we are to take Mordechai Kaplan’s view, is a civilization. Civilizations have kings, presidents, prime ministers, and so on, to have an axis for their governments to revolve around; to have someone large-and-in-charge to run things, or at least to be a figurehead and sort of keep an eye on things. The Pope is kind of like that. His primary function, other than being a figurehead, is to dictate what is officially Catholic and what isn’t in terms of policy. Because Catholicism has a central hub, it remains both unified and uniform. So, should we have a pope of our own?

I would say no. Here’s why: Judaism encompasses a vast range of beliefs and ideas. We have a very spacious tent, and people with a lot of different views about God, the Torah, life, etc. take shelter under it. If we had a pope, or a theocratic king of some sort as is described in Shofetim, who decided what was officially Jewish and what wasn’t, a lot of people would leave our tent, break off, and start their own groups, just as happened with Catholicism, and those of us left in the tent would be alienated from who left and vice versa. We’re a small enough tribe without pushing people away by creating official doctrines and dogmas! What comes of not having a pope is that we are not a religion of beliefs, but of actions (mitzvot) and of a common past (Torah). Parsha Shofetim was written in a time long before we had such wide variations in belief and practice as we do now, a time when having a theocracy was possible and perhaps even desirable. But that time is past, and the most important thing now is to maintain our unity as a people. I think Judaism’s strength and vitality lies in its variety. I love that we have so many flavors: Orthodox Ripple, Conservative Chip, Reform Swirl, Reconstructionist Crunch, and so on. Each one of us may have a favorite flavor, but in the end, it’s all ice cream and it’s all delicious!

Another thing that strikes me about this Torah portion is the injunction against destroying the fruit trees of a besieged city [20:19-20]. I could talk, as many Jewish environmentalists before me have done, about how this represents a positive command against wanton destruction, an injunction against thoughtless waste and greed (ba’al taschit). What I’d rather do, though, is focus on the verse that says “Are trees of the field human to withdraw before you into the besieged city?” [20:19]. The Torah is telling us to listen to those who don’t have voices, and to protect those who can’t protect themselves. I consider this verse merely an extension to the Torah’s constant refrain of telling us to be kind to the stranger, the widow, the orphan, etc. This is the Torah’s shorthand for telling us to defend the defenseless, to help the helpless, and in general to support those in our community who need it. Trees are just another group in our community who need our help and can’t defend themselves.

Furthermore, trees figure very prominently in our tradition. The Torah itself is called a Tree of Life. It is said of the Baal Shem Tov that he was able to hear the voices of trees, and of King Solomon that he could understand the speech of the birds. Our tradition teaches us that listening to nature and immersing ourselves in the natural world can be a window to spirituality, a gate to wisdom. As summer draws to a close, don’t forget to take a little walk this shabbat and listen to the trees and the birds. You might find that they have much to teach you.

This week’s dvar written by Miriam Bak.

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Filed Under: D'var Torah, Environmentalism, Featured Tagged With: D'var Torah, jewish environmentalism, miriam bak, parshat shoftim

Circumcisions For Men, Women and Everyone In Between (Parshat Ekev)

‍‍16 Av 5771 - August 16, 2011 By punktorah 2 Comments

“Circumcise … the foreskin of your heart,” G-d says in Devarim 10:16. But how the heck do you hack off the skin around your heart? And by the way, the heart doesn’t have a foreskin!

Here’s what I gather: circumcision is a mitzvah because Abraham did it, and so should we, right? On the other hand, a circumcision isn’t a child’s choice. It’s something that happens to you without your consent. I suspect if babies could talk, they wouldn’t be too keen on elective surgery.

Also, it’s unfair that men have the opportunity to perform mitzvot that women can’t. And what about transgender people or people with ambiguous genitals? Aren’t we all children of the same G-d, fair and equal? How can G-d put us in a position where one person’s ability to glorify Him/Her is above others? Seems lame to me.

Circumcising the heart resolves that issue. It tells us, metaphorically, to remove the junk that surrounds out hearts, that keeps the good stuff from coming in. Regardless of who we are, and what we have going on “down stairs”, we can equally take part in the mitzvah of circumcision by putting G-d first and peeling away the layers of our own ego that keep us from being truly made in the image of the Lord.

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Jerry Springer and Maury Povich Bring Me Closer To God

‍‍2 Av 5771 - August 2, 2011 By punktorah Leave a Comment

Every person in the Hebrew Bible is fundamentally screwed up. Abraham had sex with his wife’s slave, then banished her and his son Ishmael…then, he tried to sacrifice his other son Issac. Jacob and his mother Rebecca lie to Issac and steal Esau’s birthright. Moses was a stuttering menial laborer who killed a man in Egypt. Noah was a drunk…and so was Lot. Lot also had incestuous sex with his daughters, which makes Noah look like an angel.

I’m shocked when I hear people talk about the “trash on TV”. Jerry Springer and Maury aren’t showing us anything that is any more perverse than our holy text. Except for maybe this video (Not Safe For Work)…

The Biblical narrative, read literally and without much examination, is not a very good moral guide. No one can take a person from our spiritual history and say, “wow, if only my children could be more like that guy!” Unless of course you want your kid to be the kind of person who burns his enemies bodies like Joshua or uses sex to trick someone into marrying her like Tamar or Ruth.

Everything we read in the Torah is subjective: the Torah can be used to support or oppose slavery, to promote interfaith alliance or religious warfare, to subject women and children to torture or to uplift those who are downtrodden.

But the one thing the Torah teaches that no one can deny: anyone can be holy.

While I can criticize the characters of the Hebrew Bible for their terrible behavior, I have to remember that God chose these people. God not only chose them, but God made them! God also made the guests of Jerry and Maury. Their problems are no worse than the problems we read about in the weekly Torah portion.

So if I can see the attempted felon Abraham, the liar Issac and the slave holding Jacob as holy, then I have to see Pancake, the Maury Povich guest, as holy too.

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Filed Under: Featured, Patrick Aleph, Torah, TV Tagged With: baby daddy, D'var Torah, daytime tv, dvrei torah, evil bible, immoral bible, jerry springer, maury povich, pancake, patrick aleph

G-d Is A Bloodthirsty Thirteen Year Old Boy With ADD (Parshat Matot)

‍‍18 Tamuz 5771 - July 20, 2011 By punktorah 2 Comments

Sometimes reading the Torah is like reading a book written by a blood thirsty thirteen year old with attention deficit disorder. This week’s portion jumps, not so elegantly, from women taking vows, to killing the Midianites and stealing their stuff, then all of a sudden we’re diving up a bunch of land. The end, next chapter please.

And you wonder why more people don’t take the Torah seriously? It’s like cut-and-paste poetry. Once the story gets really good, G-d interrupts everything with a census or some obscure set of rules that makes no sense. Or it starts off really boring, and you give up half way, only to find out the really good stuff is toward the end.

The Torah doesn’t have a good beginning, middle and end. And it’s really not meant to, either. I think there’s three basic reasons for that.

First, the Torah is a reflection of life. And life doesn’t have a real beginning, middle and end. Sure, individual lives start and finish, but the legacy of humanity lasts forever (or at least until SkyNet and the Terminators finish us off). At any rate, Torah reflects life, and life is filled with low points, high points, boring, pointless interruptions, scandals, intrigue, and everything else…and sometimes the order of those things doesn’t make any sense.

Second, the Torah is a reflection of Creation. There’s a midrash that says that G-d looked into the Torah before creating the world. I like that. The Torah is flawed at times, and frankly, so is the world. Now, I’m not calling HaShem a crummy writer or a bad creator, but the world isn’t perfect, and if you read the Torah enough, you’ll find out that the Torah isn’t perfect all the time either.

Finally, the Torah is the reflection of the human soul…sometimes for better, and sometimes for worse. This week, we’re dealing with the souls of women and warriors, liars and hinderers, revenge-seekers and oppressors. Next week, the soul may change, and go in a new direction. But the Torah does us a huge favor and lets us see all sides of the soul. Hopefully, the soul doesn’t end either.

So what’s the bottom line? Don’t let the strange ups-and-downs of the Torah, the weird jumping back and forth from women-and-their-dads-to-blood-and-guts keep you from learning. Life, Creation, and the human spirit has its ups-and-downs, and its weird moments, too.

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Is This All Made Up? (Parshat Chukat-Balak)

‍‍25 Sivan 5771 - June 27, 2011 By punktorah Leave a Comment

Chukat-Balak is the kind of parshah that makes you think the ancient Hebrews were dropping acid while codifying the Torah.

The parshah in a nutshell, thanks to our bearded brethren at Chabad…with jokes and off-color commentary by Patrick Aleph:

After 40 years of journeying through the desert, the people of Israel arrive in the wilderness of Zin. Miriam dies and the people thirst for water. G-d tells Moses to speak to a rock and command it to give water. Moses gets angry at the rebellious Israelites and strikes the stone. Water issues forth, but Moses is told by G-d that neither he nor Aaron will enter the Promised Land.

The moral of the story is that even the greatest of leaders have a bad day. I love the fact that God puts up with every whiney complaint that the Hebrews through His/Her way, but the second that Moses gets angry, God punishes him. Totally. Unfair.

Venomous snakes attack the Israelite camp after yet another eruption of discontent in which the people “speak against G-d and Moses”; G-d tells Moses to place a brass serpent upon a high pole, and all who will gaze heavenward will be healed. The people sing a song in honor of the miraculous well that provided the water in the desert.

Here’s some insane Hebrew logic:

Idolatry is bad. God is the only God. However, if venomous snakes are attacking you, feel free to make an idol to them and you’ll be healed, Vatican Miracle-style. I think this might be the wrong religion?

Balak, the King of Moab, summons the prophet Balaam to curse the people of Israel.

Wow. Someone hates the Jews. Shocking.

On the way, Balaam is berated by his ass,

Hahaha…you said “ass”.

…who sees the angel that G-d sends to block their way before Balaam does. Three times, from three different vantage points, Balaam attempts to pronounce his curses; each time, blessings issue instead.

Balaam and I apparently have the same problem: we try to say one thing and the opposite comes out.

The people fall prey to the charms of the daughters of Moab and are enticed to worship the idol Peor. When a high-ranking Israelite official publicly takes a Midianite princess into a tent, Pinchas kills them both, stopping the plague raging among the people.

Murder is justified if it keeps people from gettin’ busy behind a tent. Unless of course you’re David, who had 400 wives and concubines. In that case, you’re a tzadik.

So you get the drift. All of the different elements of this Torah portion have a weirdly made up, hypocritical feel to them. And that’s totally OK with me. I can handle the fact that I am supposed to learn holiness from murderers, talking donkeys, and a God who has messed up priorities. None of this makes any sense. And guess what? Life doesn’t make sense most of the time.

Sometimes, you just have to follow the white rabbit down the hole and see where you end up. So turn on, tune in and drop out…you have my utterly non-rabbinic permission.

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Yuppies Pretending To Be Revolutionaries (Parshat Korah)

‍‍20 Sivan 5771 - June 22, 2011 By punktorah 1 Comment

If you like stories about political rebellion and massive death, then Parshah Korach is right up your alley.

In this week’s parshah, Korach decides that Moses needs to be overthrown. In his mind, Moses has too much authority and sits on his high horse, talking to G-d, and looking down on everyone else.

So he challenges Moses authority. He gathers a bunch of guys, and they confront Moses. So Moses calls him out on it! Moses and Korach go to the Tent of Meeting with fire pans of incense and sure enough, G-d sides with Moses. Korach and his dudes get swallowed up by the earth and the rest die in a massive plague.
Basically, you don’t mess with G-d.

A lot of people read this Torah portion as a way of promoting fundamentalism. “See, if you rebel against G-d, you’ll be punished! So burn your Urban Outfitters shirts and step away from the indie rock, because you need to sit all day reading Gemara or G-d will punish you all the days of your life.”

That’s a lie. And they know it.

This story is actually about DISTRUSTING authority.

In the first part of the story, we learn that Korach comes from a powerful family. The Midrash (Jewish legends) about Korach teaches that he was wealthy, too. And if you look at the people he recruited to overthrow Moses, they weren’t anti-establishment. They were princes, men from the assembly, nobility. They were yuppie power brokers!

Korach used these two hundred and fifty men to challenge Moses, not because they wanted equality, but they wanted power for themselves. Worse than that, they managed to trick people into following them under the lie that “everyone in the congregation is holy” (Numbers 16:3).

There are people in this world: politicians, celebrities, people in power, who claim that they are looking out for the common man. But sometimes, these people aren’t really looking out for you. They are just using you.
Why did G-d side with Moses and Aaron and not Korach? Because Moses and Aaron were the real deal. Yes, they were the guys in charge. But their hearts were in the right place. They weren’t out for “number one” like Korach.

So if you’re going to challenge the system, go for it! G-d likes rebellious people. Just make sure that you aren’t being tricked by some yuppie jerk who talks a good game.

This week’s d’var is a repeat, but some goodies are just worth reposting. Originally posted here: http://punktorah.org/?p=1028

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Are the Mitzvot Pointless? (Parshat Bechukotai)

‍‍14 Iyar 5771 - May 18, 2011 By punktorah Leave a Comment

Why should anyone follow the commandments, the mitzvot? They’re out dated and strange.

God tells the Hebrews that if they do not follow the commandments, He will “order upon you shock, consumption, fever, and diseases that cause hopeless longing and depression. You will sow your seed in vain, and your enemies will eat it…You will eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters” (Lev. 26:16-29).

Eating your own children? That sounds like a good enough reason to me!

Of course, there is always a positive side to life. Should the Hebrews choose to remain true to God, their reward is an abundant harvest and safety from their enemies.

If we look at Parshat Bechukotai and read it plainly, then there’s no need to question why the world operates the way it does. Good things happen to the faithful and bad things happen to the unfaithful.

Yet, the world doesn’t seem to operate this way. Suffering happens to all people, regardless of how good they are or what their level of Jewish practice is. Does this mean that the Torah is wrong? Absolutely not!

The Torah has layers of meaning. And it’s my belief in this week’s portion that we’re meant to read this as a psychology book, not a theology book. Instead of reading Parshat Bechukotai and seeing an angry, Zeus-like God in the sky throwing down bolts of lightning, we should turn inward and see how the rewards and punishments described in the Torah reflect something that is deeply connected to personal happiness.

If you follow My statutes and observe My commandments and perform them, I will give you..

Security
Bravery
Comfort
Love

If you…do not perform all these commandments…I will [give you]…

Hopeless longing and depression
Breaking of your pride
Bereavement
No satisfaction
Fear
Paranoia

What God is talking about here is not something physical like grapes, winning wars and making babies, but something that is deeply psychological! Not following God, it seems, takes us out of a rhythm of life and puts us into a place where we are never satisfied and struggling just to get by emotionally.

This might sound over the top, but consider the recent work that has been done in Positive Psychology. Dr. Tal Ben Shahar, an Israeli and popular professor at Harvard, has suggested in lectures that the rituals and teachings of Judaism are directly related to discoveries he has made in what truly makes people happy. His research unlocked something in the scientific community that Judaism has taught for thousands of years: it does not matter how much money or success we have, what really matters is our connection to community, family, a sense of purpose and reason to life. These are the values of Judaism and what the mitzvot are all about.

So although it’s easy to throw away the commandments as outdated folkways, consider that it’s these “silly rules” that may lead you to the kind of happiness you’ve always wanted.

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Filed Under: D'var Torah, Featured Tagged With: D'var Torah, mitzvot, parshat bechukotai, positive psychology, tal ben shahar, this week's torah portion

Complex Cycles of Holidays and Traditions (Parshat Emor)

‍‍30 Nisan 5771 - May 4, 2011 By punktorah Leave a Comment

This week’s Parsha is Emor: “Speak”. The first part of the Parsha speaks of the many laws pertaining to the Kohenim (Priest) and the Kohen Gadol (High Priest). The second part of Emor talks about the “Appointed holy days” AKA: Our holidays.

It seems that complex laws and customs are a theme in Judaism. In this particular Parsha we learn the times of the year, what sacrifices go with what holiday, what time of day, when to work, when not to work, when to eat and when to fast. All and all it is very detailed and– Let’s face it– Odd.

As I said before, complexities seem to be a reoccurring theme. We wear strange, round hats, wash our hands with weird, two handled cups and have strings hanging out from under our shirts. We are a nation “Set Apart”.

The bottom line question is: Why?

Our laws and customs are the glue that binds us together. They keep us unified even in our dispersion. Whereas many cultures have been swallowed up—Assimilated by their surroundings. Our “odd Traditions” have kept us, the Jewish people, unified and “Set Apart”. No matter where you go, all over the world, wherever the Jewish People are we are joined together. Although we may speak different languages, we might dress differently and for all intents and purposes BE different at first glance, we all share the “Yiddish Neshama”: The Jewish Soul. It is our traditions, those funny little things we do, that sustain and keep our unified soul alive and thriving.

So next time you are getting your Tefillen all tied up in knots or falling asleep at the Passover Seder, instead of thinking of them as complex and confusing, take a simpler look at it: By continuing the traditions of our forefathers we are immortalizing our people and keeping our faith— Our heritage, alive from Generation to Generation.

This week’s d’var written by Ian Cauthen.

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There’s No Such Thing As Judaism (Parshah Acharei)

‍‍10 Nisan 5771 - April 14, 2011 By punktorah 5 Comments

This week’s Torah portion goes into details about the Yom Kippur service, which frankly was a lot bloodier than the hunger-and-white-clothing event which we have today. Acharei also talks about the casting of lots onto goats for sacrifice to G-d and to Azazel.

Wait…Azazel? Who is this guy?

Azazel can be a who, but it can also be a what. Ask Chabad and they will tell you that Azazel is the cliff that the goat was pushed off. That makes sense, as Azaz is rough or strong, and El is the root of Elohim. But Azazel can also be the name of a shadowy supernatural demon related to warfare. Perhaps it’s both, or a little more of one component or the other, depending on who you are and what time in history it is.

There’s no denying anymore that the religion practiced by the ancient Israelities was bordering on paganism. While I love the modern cultural midrash that the people of the past were closer to “Bible Times” and therefore closer to the true teachings of the Jewish faith, science is teaching us that truly, the ancient Hebrews weren’t really better Jews than we are today. Their idols were clay statues. Our idols are TV stars and fast food restaurants. As the old joke goes, “same stuff, different day.”

I don’t think Judaism really exists as an ongoing practice that we need to adhere to. Judaism, like many other -isms, can be idolatrous. Really, the Torah doesn’t teach us how to be religious. I think instead it teaches us, in a very long winded way, that we are in a covenant. Strip everything away and you’ll find only one sentence that remains true through all the ups and downs of the Torah: I am the Lord your G-d.

I am the Lord your G-d inspired the Temple and the sacrifice. When the Temple was gone, it inspired the shul and the rabbis of the Diaspora. After the Holocaust, it inspired social justice and political action. And in today’s global world, it inspires those of us who are taking the message of HaShem “to the streets” (or should I say, Facebook) to shout out loud that G-d in Heaven is G-d alone and there is no other.

So what is more important to you, G-d or Judaism?

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Filed Under: D'var Torah, Featured, Patrick Aleph Tagged With: azazel, canaanite gods, D'var Torah, jewish paganism, There's No Such Thing As Judaism (Parshah Acharei), this week's torah portion, Yom Kippur

Parsha Miketz: No Frum (Gen 41:1 – 44:17)

Long Live the Trees…and the Jewish Pope? (Parshat Shoftim)

Circumcisions For Men, Women and Everyone In Between (Parshat Ekev)

Jerry Springer and Maury Povich Bring Me Closer To God

G-d Is A Bloodthirsty Thirteen Year Old Boy With ADD (Parshat Matot)

Is This All Made Up? (Parshat Chukat-Balak)

Yuppies Pretending To Be Revolutionaries (Parshat Korah)

Are the Mitzvot Pointless? (Parshat Bechukotai)

Complex Cycles of Holidays and Traditions (Parshat Emor)

There’s No Such Thing As Judaism (Parshah Acharei)

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