Parashat Shemot- Names Have Power

V’eileh shmot b’nei Yisrael habaim Mitzraimah et Yaakov ish uveito ba’u.

And these are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt with Yaakov; every man with his household came. (Shemot 1:1)

Thus begins the book of Shemot, of Exodus. The process of naming is an interesting one. In the Torah we name parshiyot and books for the first unique words. We have Breishit, Shemot, Vayikra, B’midbar and D’varim. However we also use the English chapters and names that have come to us through others. Chapter and verse numbers provide easy reference, but the changing of names becomes a different issue. English names are given to biblical books based on perceived themes: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. While there is some overlap, the meaning in most of the names changes.

Breishit - In beginning                            Genesis - Origin

Shemot - Names                                      Exodus - Departure

Vayikra - And He called                         Leviticus – Of the Levites

B’midbar - In the wilderness                   Numbers - Quantities

D’varim - Words                                     Deuteronomy – Second Law

The names begin with a connection to ours. Progressing from the start of humans to the line of Shem, and then to Avraham, Breishit is certainly our origin story. However, the similarity of meaning ends there. Sefer Shemot tells the story of the exodus from Egypt, but it is so much more. It is the story of our growth from family to tribes to a nation. These are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt. We came down few in number, and there we became a nation, great and mighty. The book continues well past the actual departure. Without a doubt it is a dramatic moment, but not the only one. When we focus on the departure, we forget revelation at Sinai and our connection to Torah and the Mitzvot. Vayikra is filled with laws and rituals for the Levi’im and Kohanim. Then again we are to be a kingdom of priests. This knowledge is not meant for an elite few. Sefer B’midbar speaks of time and place. It is not just a book of censuses. We are searching for a way out of the wilderness, both physically and spiritually. Finally, D’varim. Actually named Eileh HaD’varim, These Are the Words,” it is a repetition of the laws through Moshe’s farewell speeches. It is a book of reminders, a summation. The English can also be interpreted this way, coming from the translation of Greek Jews, Deuteronomion. However, in light of the Christian use of the term, it can also provide an open door. If there can be a second law, why not a new law?

Words, and especially names, have power. Our tradition teaches that each person is given three names: one his parents give, one that his friends call him, and one that he acquires. Each name speaks to who we are and the relationships we share. The same is true for the Torah. The names we use describe and inform our relationship to it and to Jewish life.

Parashat Vayechi- Repent One Day Before You Die

Vayik’r’vu y’mei-Yisrael lamut vayikra livno l’Yoseif…

Vayik’r’vu y’mei-David lamut va’y’tzav et-Shlomo b’no…

And the days of Israel drew close to die, and he called his son Joseph… (Breishit 47:29)

And the days of David drew close to die, and he commanded Shlomo his son… (I Kings 2:1)

Rabbi Eliezer would say, “…. Repent one day before your death.” (Pirkei Avot 2:10) His disciples would ask, “How does a man know on which day he will die?” Rabbi Eliezer said to them, “All the more reason he should repent today, lest he die tomorrow.” This is the meaning of Solomon’s words in Kohelet 9:8, “At all times your clothes should be white, and oil should not lack from your head.”

There is a time in every person’s life when s/he becomes aware of his/her mortality. It is a time to be serious, but also a time to live life to the fullest. It is a time to connect and reconnect with family and loved ones. Recently, Forbes Magazine published an article on the 25 Biggest Regrets in Life.  Among them:

1. Working too much at the expense of family and friendships
2. Not teaching my children more things/ Spending more time with my family
3. Not standing up to bullies, in school and in life
4. Not staying in touch with friends
5. Not turning off the phone/ not leaving the phone at home
6. Worrying too much about what others thought/Not having enough confidence
7. Living the life others expected me to, instead of the life I wanted
8. Not being happier/ taking life too seriously
9. Carrying a grudge/feud with a friend or family member
10. Failure to tell your parents/mentors how much you appreciate them
11. Holding on to youth too long and not becoming an adult

Kohelet’s words ring true in the Forbes article. If we live each day as if we are wearing the white of Yom Kippur, but also cherishing each day and those around us, we will have less to regret, no matter when that day should draw near. Jacob and David are lucky in their lives. They are given the realization that their days are drawing to a close. They are able to spend time and speak with those closest to them.

Take the time. It’s a message for all of us. 

Parashat Vayigash- Desert Revelations

Yitzhak. Vayomer Ehlohim l’Yisrael b’mar’ot halaila vayomer Yaakov Yaakov vayomer hineini. Vayomer Anokhi haEl ehlohei avikha al tira meirda Mitzraimah ki l’goi gadol asimkha sham.

And Israel journeyed with all that was his, and he came to Beer Sheva and offered sacrifices to God, the God of his father Isaac. And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night, and said, “Yaakov, Yaakov” and he said, “Here I am.” And He said, “I am the God of your father; do not fear going down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there.”

On his journey back to Joseph, Jacob travels by way of Beer Sheva. It is a logical stop on the way to Egypt from Hebron, a last stop before entering the desert. It was a place of peace between Avraham and Avimelekh. Beer Sheva is a natural oasis, the site of seven wells dug by Isaac (of which three or four have been identified). It is the place Jacob left just prior to his famous dream and his full acceptance of the covenant with God.  It would later be a site of refuge for Elijah, and one of the cities rebuilt by the Jews after the return from Babylon. Beer Sheva marked the southern tip of biblical Israel.

In modern times Beer Sheva continued to inspire. A growing city, Beer Sheva is home to Ben Gurion University, founded with the Ben Gurion’s ideal of making the desert bloom. David Ben Gurion once said, “In Israel, to be a realist, you must believe in miracles.” Beer Sheva is a place from which miracles emerge. There is a calming spirituality there, on the edge of the desert. Avraham found it. Isaac knew it. Yaakov returned to it.  And Ben Gurion envisioned it the seed of a modern miracle.

Parashat Miketz- Hanukah as a Zionist Act

Roni v’simchi bat Tziyon ki hi’n’ni-va v’shachanti b’tokheikh n’um A’donai.

Sing and be joyful, daughter of Zion, for I come, and I will dwell amidst you, said A’donai. (Zekhariah 2:14)

The holiday of Hanukah celebrates the military victory of Israel, led by the Maccabees, over the invading power of the Assyrians. A miraculous feat in itself, it is made more miraculous by the story of the single flask of pure oil lasting eight days.

In modern times, the celebration of Hanukah has shifted from this nationalistic focus to one celebrating religious freedom. The Maccabees fought for our right to practice Judaism as we wished, and not to assimilate.

Rabbi David Hartman, founder of the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, taught that we need to return to our nationalistic roots. According to Rabbi Hartman (as shared with me by Rabbi Lionel Moses of Shaare Zion Congregation, Montreal) the celebration of Hanukah is a Zionist statement. It is a public affirmation of our right as a nation to exist, and for Jews to live and practice on the world stage. After all, it is a celebration of a military victory, one which solidified our right to national independence. We place our hanukiyot in our windows, proclaiming this victory, and therefore this right, to the world.

In the words of Mi Yimalel, “Uvyameinu kol am Yisrael, yitached yakum vayigael; but now all Israel must as one arise, redeem itself through deed and sacrifice.” With our celebration of Hanukah, let’s focus, with song and celebration, our hearts, minds, and actions towards Israel, our people and our land.

Why American Thanksgiving is Better Than Canadian Thanksgiving

In Canada few Jews celebrate Thanksgiving.  It comes the the second Monday in October.  Proclaimed January 31, 1957, "A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed – to be observed on the 2nd Monday in October."  I believe that, for Jews, it comes too soon after the fall Hagim.  After two days of Rosh Hashannah, Yom Kippur pre and post-fast meals, two days of Sukkot, Shmini Atzeret, and Simchat Torah, plus various Shabbatot, the last thing everyone needs or wants is another large family meal.  However, as Americans, Thanksgiving is deeply embedded in us.  And therefore, as American Canadian residents, we celebrate both Canadian and American Thanksgiving.  As one who celebrates both, I can honestly say that Canadian Thanksgiving cannot compete with American Thanksgiving.  Here's why:

1. Timing

Canadian Thanksgiving's timing is off.  I know the harvest is earlier in Canada, but the second Monday in October is simply too soon.  We've just gotten past Labour Day.  Kids have finally settled back into school routines.  They are also, of course, looking towards Halloween.  Thanksgiving passes in a flash between back to school and Halloween, almost without a second thought.

American Thanksgiving comes in late November.  Observed throughout the early years of the nation, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a day of "Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens" to be November 26, 1863.  President Lincoln's successors followed his example, declaring the final Thursday (usually) of November as Thanksgiving.  In 1941, the US Congress passed a joint resolution declaring the fourth Thursday of November to be Thanksgiving, which was signed by President Roosevelt.  By November it is not just harvest time, the harvest is in.  The work is completed.  The weather has started to turn, and it is the perfect time to stay at home, cosy and warm, with family and friends.

2. A Great Back Story

Although American Thanksgiving wasn't celebrated annually until 1863,  it connects its roots to "The First Thanksgiving," that being celebrated by 53 pilgrims at Plymouth Rock with 90 Native Americans and  for three days in 1621 (as reported in an account by Edward Winslow).  Other stories talk about Thanksgiving in the spring after surviving horrible winters.  There's a story of people surviving on just five kernels of corn a day.  You can also learn about the Native Americans, specifically Squanto and Massasoit, without whom the pilgrims would never have survived.  When we look at the hardships the founders of America had to endure, we realize we're pretty damn lucky.  This leads to great Thanksgiving pageants and stories, arts and crafts and costumes.

Canadian Thanksgiving has no story.  It just is.

3. Shared Observance

In The US everyone buys into Thanksgiving.  It's an opportunity, not only for families to celebrate, but for communities to come together.  Houses of worship across the country share services.  It is a day of respect and appreciation for our interfaith and multicultural history, from President Washington's inauguration to the present.  Even though we will be eating with friends and family, the day is surrounded by community.

Canadian Thanksgiving is just about the harvest (according to the proclamation), so it's just about the meal.  As long as you eat, who cares who is there.

4. Football & Parades

American Thanksgiving is a day of food, family, fidelity, and football!  Great games are played on Thanksgiving.  After you've eaten, you have an excuse to lie, bloated, on the couch and watch the game(s).  Also, while you're preparing, there's a great parade down NYC's 5th Avenue.  It's the best parade in the world!  The parade ends with the Santa Claus float, which signals the start of the Christmas season, providing a solid boundary for holiday advertising and decorations.  

Canada's Christmas season is supposed to begin with the Santa Claus Parade, but since there are multiple Santa parades, who's to know when it really starts.  It seems to start immediately after Halloween.

5. Thursday vs. Monday

Canadian Thanksgiving is on a Monday.  As the family meal lingers into the evening, we start to worry about the next day, a day of school and work.  You have to be conscious of getting home at a reasonable hour.  How can you be really thankful if you're worried about a presentation on Tuesday.

American Thanksgiving is on a Thursday.  People leave work early on Wednesday to get a head start. It's a 2 1/2 day work week, followed by a 4 1/2 day weekend.  What more can you ask for?  You don't have to run out to put kids to bed.  There are no early meetings the next day.  There's nothing but another day off for which to be thankful.

6. Pardoned Turkeys 

Each year, since 1947, the National Turkey Federation has presented the president of the US with 3 turkeys, one live, two dressed.  President Kennedy was the first to "pardon" his turkey, announcing he wasn't going to eat it.  President Reagan made it official when he pardoned his turkey in 1987.  President Bush Sr. continued with the tradition, making it a permanent annual tradition.  The pardoned turkey is sent to a petting zoo to be pampered for the rest of his/her life.  Need I say more? 

Clearly American Thanksgiving is the better of the two.  Still, as I said earlier, we celebrate both.  We use Canadian Thanksgiving as a day for being outside and enjoying the start of autumn.  It's usually one of the few warmish days left before dampness then cold set in.  We go pumpkin or apple picking, gathering produce to be used for our celebration in November.  Even now I have 3 pumpkins in my living room.  Last Thursday we shared the evening with American friends.  We ate turkey and stuffing, roasted beets and greens, brussel sprouts, apple pie (and due to Hanukah) sufganiyot (doughnuts).  We appreciated that we live in a good city with great friends.  We toasted the good fortune we do have and the future, where we hope to have many, many more days and reasons for which to give thanks, whether in October, November, or both.