PunkTorah

Independent Jewish Spirituality Online

  • Convert to Judaism
  • Online Rabbinical Program
  • Donate

D’var Torah For Sukkot: Let My People Camp!

October 11, 2010 by Patrick Beaulier

A retro repost from last year.

Yea! It’s time for Sukkot, or “The Feast Of Booths” or “Tabernacles”.

What the heck does that mean? It means “Go Camping!”

Seriously though, Sukkot is the holiday where we remember when we were traveling in the desert after fleeing Mitzrayim (Egypt), and we had to live in portable, fragile huts, or booths. In the time of the Temple it was one of the biggest pilgrimage holidays where Jews would come from all over to celebrate together as a people.

So why huts? What do they symbolize?

The sukkah, or booth, is a reminder of the booths that our ancestors lived in. We take this time to remember that we left Egypt with almost nothing and with nowhere to live, and we depended on G-d to provide and protect us.

They are also a symbol of the protective clouds, the Clouds of Glory, that hovered over our ancestors after we left Egypt and protected them through the wanderings. The Sages tell us about how the Clouds of Glory disappeared after the first Yom Kippur, and one of the things we celebrate is that the clouds returned on the 15th of Tishrei, symbolizing that G-d had truly forgiven us.

Observing Sukkot is usually done by building a sukkah following some specific Halachic rules, and spending the night and eating your meals there. Here is a fantastic link from a great resource for building a sukkah. While this is a great thing to do, and a really great experience for families, it may not be practical. So I would suggest some alternatives that, while maybe not Halachically “correct”, will allow you to explore and appreciate this wonderful Holy time:

  • Take a walk outside with your family.
  • Look at nature.
  • Reflect on your connection to the Earth and to G-d.
  • Go camping.
  • Get out of the house and feel the reality of the world around you.

Sukkot is a time when we take a look at what usually makes us happy. We’ve just asked for and (presumably) been forgiven for our transgressions from the past year. Sukkot is one of the agricultural holidays; it takes place during the reaping time where the Israelites would fill their storehouses with their produce grown during the summer. So we sit, forgiven and happy that we have so much. But what is the real source of happiness? Our connection to the Infinite. On Sukkot we take the opportunity to celebrate what was only days before a somber event. We now move outside and leave behind those things that may make us happy on the materialistic level, and bask in the connection to the Essence that was formed over the High Holidays. Seeing how fragile the physical world is, spending time out of doors in nature, and appreciating the basis of our reality is a gift that we are given as Jews, and one that I invite you to partake in.

Filed Under: Jewish Text (Torah/Haftarah/Talmud), Shabbat & Holidays Tagged With: booths, darshan yeshiva, festival, holiday, Holidays, Jewish, Jews, Judaism, patrick "aleph" beaulier, patrick aleph, punktorah, rabbi patrick aleph beaulier, Religion, sukkah, sukkot, tabernacles, temple, Torah

Lesson of the Tribe: Cheshvan (Oct. 7 – Nov. 7)

September 29, 2010 by Patrick Beaulier

Check out Ketzirah at PeelAPom!

Lesson of the Tribe
The tribe of Cheshvan is Menasheh (מְנַשֶׁה), the first-born but officially second son of Joseph.  That means the first two months of the spiritual year (Tishrei and Cheshvan) make up the “House of Joseph” in the Jewish Wheel of the Year.  Joseph is generally not counted in the listing of the tribes, because his birthright was passed to his sons with their adoption by Jacob.  The name Menasheh, according to many, means “Who Makes to Forget.”  I found this really interesing since his brother Ephraim’s name means “doublely fruitful.”  The idea that the House of Joseph is both doublely fruitful and able to forget seems telling, especially since Cheshvan is often called “Mar Cheshvan” or “Bitter Cheshvan.”

During the time in the desert, the tribe of Menasheh was positioned with Benjamin to the West of Tabernacle.  Menasheh was on the side of the setting sun.  Sunset is a time of endings and beginnings.  In Jewish tradition our day begins when the sun goes down.  So Menasheh was the one on the side of the new day.  Maybe another lesson from Menasheh is to forget our anger as the sun sets in the West.

According to Inner.org, “the name Menasheh (מְנַשֶׁה) permutes to spell “soul” (נְשָׁמָה). Menasheh represents the sense to reveal the Divine soul in Israel.”  Considering the “soul scrub” that is the high holidays, it does seem appropriate that Cheshvan would be associated with Menasheh.  It’s a month where we should still have a soul that is still holding the glow of the Days of Awe.  As the year moves on it can get harder and harder to hold that feeling, but in Cheshvan we are still so fresh.

In recent years, we’ve learned that we forgot the Tribe of Menasheh — not that they forgot us or what it means to be Jew.  The tribe was thought to be assimiliated in the lands it lived in and fully adopted the ways of those people (Jewish Encyclopedia).  Of course I don’t think the Tanach says it quite so nicely.  But then in one sentence it will condem and in another it, or the Talmud, will praise. In 2005, Bnei Menashe was officially welcomed back into the fold and was recognized by the State of Israel.  These Jews from an area in North East India are considered to be one of the Lost Tribes of Israel.  They, like the Jews of Ethiopia, offer an alternative view of what it means to be Jewish.  They are Jews who split off from the rest of the Tribe before the Rabbinic era, so their traditions evolved directly out of the Biblical era.

As we move into Cheshvan it’s time to stop looking inward. We cannot grow and be fruitful (Ephraim), if we forget (Menasheh) the outside world and live in a state of constant self-examination — or celebration. The literal meaning of Menasheh is “to leap up and away.” Maybe the lesson of Menasheh is that after a month of deep self-reflection and celebration in Tishrei — it’s time to leap up and get on with the business of living.

To subscribe to the monthly “Rosh Chodesh Guide” click here!

Filed Under: Community Member Blogs, Judaism & Belief Tagged With: darshan yeshiva, holiday, Jewish, Jews, Judaism, ketzirah, kohenet, month, New month, patrick "aleph" beaulier, patrick aleph, priestess, punktorah, rabbi patrick aleph beaulier, Religion, rosh chodesh, Torah, tribe

The Importance of Fringes

September 7, 2010 by Patrick Beaulier

Tzitzit, used by Creative Commons permission. Photo by 'AngerBoy'

(Originally posted here by our friend Ketzirah)

In the  traditional morning prayer service, it is a common practice to gather the fringes (tzitzit) of the prayer shawl into your left hand while saying the  Shema — the central statement of faith.  This practice came to mind after I read what I felt to be a poorly informed, fear-based blog post about Kohenet on Jewschool.  If you read this site, you know that Kohenet is my one of my spiritual homes and I spent 3.5 years in that program  earning the right to call myself a Kohenet.  Actually, if you read this site you probably know a lot more about the program than the author of that blog post.  But, I honestly don’ t wish to put any more energy there.

What I want to do is remind everyone that  fringes are sacred in Judaism.

“Speak to the children of Israel and say to them that they should make fringes on the wings of their garments throughout their generations, and they should put upon the fringe of the wing a thread of blue.  They will be fringes for you, and you will look at them and remember the desires of the Eternal your God, and you will not turn aside after your hearts or your eyes that you seek to feed.  Thus shall your remember my desires and be holy to the Infinite.  I, Adonai, am the Infinite who led you out of Egypt to be infinite to you. I, the Infinite, am your God.” (Num 15:38-41, as found in the Kohenet Siddur)

Fringes remind us of what is important in life.  What is the fringe also depends on your perspective.  To me, someone who is Orthodox is on the fringe.  The majority of Jews are not Orthodox.  When I see someone who is Orthodox, I feel as though they are my tzitzit.  I felt the same when I once attended Yom Kippur services at a Secular Humanist synagogue.  They are fringes on the other side.  There, I just wanted to feel a little more G!d(dess) in the experience and I was reminded of how much I treasure my own sense of spiritual connection.

Every religion has its fringes.  Every movement has its fringes. Every  art form has its fringes. Jews don’t, or shouldn’t, cut of their fringes.  They are sacred.  We gather them in with our left hand (the receptive hand) while we recite our most sacred statement of faith.  We gather them in with love because they are us, and they are there to teach us something.  They are there to offer us an opportunity. They are there to remind us what is sacred in life.

As we enter the  Days of Awe, I invite you to look more kindly on the fringes you encounter.  See them as the “thread of blue.”  Bless them for being the tzitzit of life and helping you connect more fully to the Infinite — however you experience it.

Filed Under: Community Member Blogs, Random (Feelin' Lucky?), Rants Tagged With: Counterculture, festival, fringes, holiday, Jewish, Jews, Judaism, kohenet, patrick "aleph" beaulier, patrick aleph, Priest, priestess, punktorah, rabbi patrick aleph beaulier, rebel, Religion, temple, Torah, tzitzit

White is Right (in this context anyway)

August 30, 2010 by Patrick Beaulier

What do we as Jews do that makes us so deserving of G-d’s praise and warm light? What have we done in order to wear white on Yom Kippur and not deem ourselves hypocrites within the halls of our shuls and the streets of our communities? White is such an unflattering color! Yet, this white symbolizes purity and stands as the visual indicator for a new chapter in the book of life. It becomes more interesting when you see people wearing white clothing and leather kippot. As if they are fooling Hash-m or a moderately educated child who emerged from basic Sunday school class.

We wear white in hopes to be inscribed in the book of life. How do we get there? How do we get to that point where we get another year? If we die, does that mean we did not follow Halakah so closely that we are doomed? Elderly people hang in the balance less that someone who defaces a Torah or commits an act of haste? Then every bully on the school yard would drop dead after hanging the poor wimpy kid upside down to take his milk money. The jails would be empty because Hash-m realizes tax money should go to innocent and hungry, so He would “take them out”. It does not seem to work this way.

So there they are… all the Jews in Los Angeles, the mid west, New York, Israel, South Africa and all the scattered Diasporas around the world. What are they wearing? White! On Kol Nidre, we present our case, or our attempt to correct what wrong doings we have made in the past year, to the “court”. The whole congregation stands before Hash-m. Again, this is ironic, seeing that your avyerot are individually done, but as a community Jews stand together.  This is another visual. It stands as a reminder that we are a unit, not just an individual. That what one Jew does, can and very much will, affect another. Many of the times, when we commit our acts of injustice,  we as Jews forget that in many daily situations we are the only Jews someone from an outside community may know.

Our children, what good does it do for them to wear white and see the rest of the community doing so? As Jewish people, we have brilliantly found ways in which to say a ton without speaking. This is like when your mother only says “Oy!” after you have brought someone home to meet her and she is displeased. Or, it’s when you pass the kuggel interrupting a bit of Leshon Horrah that’s happening at the table. It’s nonverbal! Your kids hear you enough all year. Sometimes as parents or adults, we take pleasure hearing our own voices. In shul, every adult wearing white is standing in solidarity. It says for many, “Today is important. Today I came prepared. Today I acknowledge G-d.” Rarely do Jews agree, so to speak together sets a precedence.

For those of you who haven’t prepared for the Holy Holidays, it’s okay, you have time! However, let you be encouraged to stand before your G-d in white. It does not promise you inscription nor does it promise you praise and blessings, but it does mandate the community to pick up the visual testament of the Jewish faith. Without white attire, Yom Kippur could look like any other day. It is only correct to offer it the purest contribution your heart can provide.

Be true to the streets

Yentapunker

Filed Under: Community Member Blogs, Rants, Shabbat & Holidays Tagged With: clothes, Counterculture, High Holidays, holiday, Holidays, Jewish, Judaism, kittel, orthodox, patrick "aleph" beaulier, patrick aleph, punktorah, rabbi patrick aleph beaulier, Religion, Rosh Hashana, synagogue, Torah, White, Yom Kippur

OneShul: The First Completely Online Synagogue

August 17, 2010 by Patrick Beaulier

PunkTorah is proud to announce the fund-raising launch for OneShul.org, the world’s first web-based, community run synagogue.

OneShul was inspired by group of PunkTorah volunteers who began meeting online to daven with one another, using PunkTorah’s recently released Indie Yeshiva Pocket Siddur (available online and through ModernTribe.com). With the popularity of this “DIY Prayer Service” came the idea for a virtual synagogue without borders, based on collective Jewish values and spiritual independence.

“Synagogues are shutting down for the same reason that brick-and-mortar business are closing,” says Executive Director Patrick Aleph. “People live online and if you believe in being where people are, then you need to be there, too.”

Says PunkTorah Creative Director and “Alterna-Rebbe” Michael Sabani, “OneShul is an open synagogue for all of us to congregate, learn, lead, and empower each other. Traditional Jewish organizations and leaders have said that real community can’t be achieved online, or as they see it, synthetically. We challenge that notion. We say that yes, real community means communicating with each other in a meaningful way and that can be done online. We are proving it right now.”

OneShul is “independent” meaning that it does not tow a party line to any of the established Jewish movements. Instead, by being community ran, participants get to decide what kind of minyanim to make, the style of worship, etc. PunkTorah hopes that OneShul will be a diverse place, where all Jewish opinions are appreciated.

OneShul has already seen major success with its live, interactive Afternoon Prayer Services and Jewish classes, led by different members of the PunkTorah community via UStream. PunkTorah hopes to expand OneShul into something much larger, providing Kabbalat Shabbat, more holiday services, an “indie yeshiva” of Jewish books and blogs that are written collaboratively by volunteers, spiritual counseling via skype, a mobile davening app for the iPhone/iPad, tzedakah and tikkun olam programs, OneShul outreach houses across the country, volunteering and internship opportunities for students interested in Jewish communal service, and a launching pad for the spiritual future of the New Jew community. “Everything that a physical synagogue has, but better,” says Aleph.

To make this happen, PunkTorah has launched a fundraising drive through IndieGoGo.com and plans to raise $5,000 to create the “synagogue of the future”.

With OneShul, PunkTorah is challenging the notion that community only exists in neighborhoods. Says Michael Sabani, “Which community is more real? The one where I show up once a week and sit next to what is essentially a stranger, say ‘Shabbat shalom’ and then leave? Or the one I am in constant contact with through Facebook and Skype, who I know I can turn to in a time of need?”

To learn more about PunkTorah’s OneShul project, visit www.indiegogo.com/oneshul

PunkTorah is a non-profit (501c3-pending) organization dedicated to independent Jewish spirituality, culture, learning and debate.

Press Contact: Patrick Aleph

Filed Under: Community Member Blogs, Jewish Media Reviews, Random (Feelin' Lucky?), Your Questions Answered Tagged With: bible, conservative, convert, Counterculture, daven, ger, holiday, Jewish, Jews, Judaism, mitzvah, mitzvot, orthodox, prayer, Punk, rebel, reform, Religion, shul, synagogue, temple, ten commandments, Torah

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • …
  • 7
  • Next Page »

PunkTorah Inc.
PO Box 1641
Midlothian, VA 23113

questions@punktorah.org
YouTube
Facebook

Read our DMCA notice

Search the PunkTorah Blog Archive

What We Do

What Are Darshan Yeshiva’s Students Saying?

Pluralistic Rabbinical Seminary: Online Rabbinical Program

Now Hiring: Rabbis, Educators & Creatives

  • Jewish Text (Torah/Haftarah/Talmud)
  • Judaism & Belief
  • The G-d Project Videos
  • Podcasts & Videos
  • NewKosher (Recipes)
  • Converting To Judaism
  • LGBTQ & Women
  • Shabbat & Holidays

Copyright PunkTorah Inc.© 2023