Saturday, November 27, 2010

Jews - standing apart on Chanukah

The following is one Rabbi Nasanyl Braun's past sermons apropos to the festival of Chanukah. Rabbi Braun is the energetic rabbi of Congregation Brothers of Israel in Elberon, New Jersey.

"A few months ago I was at a wedding reception where the food was kosher style, which really means that obviously non-kosher items like shellfish and pork were not served but none of the food was actually kosher. Standing at the shmorg, I am looking around watching everyone there eating what appeared to be very tasty food trying to find something to eat. Standing at the sushi bar I tried to figure out a way to have the fish at the sushi bar sliced for maki without touching anything else but to no avail. I finally found fresh cut vegetables on a platter and some soda at the bar and while chomping on a piece of celery two thoughts hit me immediately:

1. Boy, am I hungry! Big mistake not packing a sandwich.

2. Secondly and more importantly, observing everyone doing something that I cannot do it hits me that in certain respects I am different from everyone else who is there; our lifestyles and our values are different. That was certainly true for the non-Jews who were there and sadly enough it was true of all of the Jews who were there but one other who kept me company at the vegetable stand. Somehow I was different.

Very often through our history we have been made to feel different. Usually the vehicle for that awareness was hate, persecution and anti-Semitism. Echoes of that can be found in this morning’s Torah reading. Joseph, the Jew in exile, the Jew in a foreign land and an immoral culture is identified by the Egyptians as an ivri. Potihpar’s wife in her persecution of Joseph twice refers to him as an ish ivri.

What is an ivri? Rashi, simply and succinctly tells us -from the other side of the river, or from the descendants of Ever. Simple yet profound - we are the other and we have descended from the other - our heritage and tradition is indeed different. Throughout our history there has been hatred and violence aimed and perpetrated against us because we are different and our heritage is different.

In addition to this externally imposed sense of difference there also exists a subtler and often unrecognized internally imposed sense of difference. This internal imposition usually stems not from persecution by other cultures and people but as a response to our attraction to those cultures and peoples.

Echoes of this phenomenon as well can be found in our Torah reading this morning and in the Midrashim. Potiphar’s wife persecutes Yosef because he rejects her sexual advances. The Torah paints a picture of an ongoing attempt on her part to seduce Yosef. At first she sees that he is good looking, she desires him, makes an initial proposition, and she is rejected. The process continues and we are told that she propositions him on a daily basis until finally she grabs onto his clothing and he runs out of the house. The picture of Yosef that emerges is one of steadfast refusal and righteousness. Yet the midrash paints another picture. Theirs is a picture of Yosef struggling with temptation. He is not quite sure what to do. Amazingly, the Midrash tells us that Yosef is terribly close to giving in to his desires when he is able to conjure up the image of his father and upon seeing the image and remembering the tradition from which he comes is able to overcome his desires and refuse the mistress of the house.

Why do the rabbis of the midrash offer this interpretation? Why not uphold the picture of Joseph Hatzadik?

They wanted to teach us two critically important lessons:

1. When you are confronted with a culture that is immoral and lewd, with a culture espousing anti-Jewish values, everyone is susceptible. His environs and the culture that surrounded him influenced even someone as great as Joseph.

2. The only way to combat those influences is to focus upon and learn from our tradition and heritage!

Thus, it is no coincidence that the story of Joseph in Egypt and Chanukah coincide every year. The story of Yosef in Egypt is the story of the Jew living amidst a foreign culture that is alien to Judaism. The Story of Chanuka is the story of Jews struggling with Hellenism, a foreign culture that is alien and antithetical to Judaism. The Jews of that time were so taken with Hellenism and so much wanted to fit in and integrate into that society that they went so far as to try and reverse their circumcisions so they would not stand out as Jewish in the public bathhouses. The Hasmoneans knew that the only way to combat this was to return to Jewish values and tradition and the celebration of Chanukah is not merely of a military victory over the Assyrian Greeks, rather it is primarily a celebration of the victory of tradition over assimilation and Hellenism. Thus, it should come as no surprise that a number of restrictions self-imposed to ensure a sense of our being different are believed by many to have originated during this time period.

While it is very difficult to precisely date the anonymous rabbinic decrees that appear in the mishnah and Gemara, many believe that the prohibition of Bishul akum or food cooked by a gentile originated during this time period. This decree posits that even if you could be assured that the food is kosher, if a gentile cooks it you may not eat it. Although there is some debate as to the reason for this takkanah, there is a general working assumption is that it was instituted to prevent socialization and intermarriage.

It is very hard to meet and get along with your future mother-in- law when you tell her that you can’t eat in her house!

This takanah is very clear-cut. Its purpose is to create boundaries and set limits on our social and digestive behaviors in order to limit interaction in certain areas of life and thus prevent intermarriage. As a community which 2200 years later is still struggling with the same issues the need for such a takkanah should not be lost on us!

I believe that in a more subtle way the laws of kashrut can serve a similar purpose as well. One of the advantages of keeping kosher is that it too serves as a constant reminder of whom we are. It certainly limits what we can eat but just as importantly it limits where we can eat and whom we can eat with.

Here a few important caveats need to be stressed.

1. The Halacha is not saying, do not have anything to do with anyone who is not Jewish. We are all God’s creations, we share this world together and there is plenty of room for healthy interaction between all human beings regardless of religious affiliation and in many areas that interaction is seen as positive and encouraged. What the halacha is saying, however, is there are certain things that should not be done together and distance in those social areas is necessary. To help us achieve that separation the halacha sets parameters in the case of bishul akum and reminders as in the case of kashrut in general. At that wedding schmorg I was reminded that I was different as I stood there starving with my carrot sticks. When the stewardess comes over and says “excuse me sir but is this kosher meal yours?” you are reminded that you are different.

2. These halachot and this separation have nothing to do with non-Jews being bad or amoral or anything of that nature. The distinction is actually quite simple and basic. They do not share our religious values, practices and way of life. They do not have the same traditions and laws. This is the critical point and with this I will conclude. Why do we have these reminders? To ensure that we are constantly aware of our commitment to God, our traditions and the Halacha!

Why do we have the restrictions and limitations? Because it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to ensure our commitment to God, tradition and the Halacha unless everyone who you live and eat with is similarly committed.

That is part of the reason that we keep kosher and that is what Jewish families celebrate as they come together to light Chanukah candles in their homes."

Good points, don't you think?

Monday, November 22, 2010

Truths for Mature People

Truths For Mature People

1. I think part of a best friend’s job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you’re wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn’t want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I’m pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

9. I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t at least kind of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stories.

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren’t going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don’t want to have to restart my collection…again.

13. I’m always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.

14. “Do not machine wash or tumble dry” means I will never wash this – ever.

15. I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Damn it!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voice mail. What did you do after I didn’t answer? Drop the phone and run away?

16. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

17. I keep some people’s phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

18. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

19. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.

20. I wish Google Maps had an “Avoid Ghetto” routing option.

21. Sometimes, I’ll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first saw it.

22. I would rather try to carry 10 over-loaded plastic bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

23. The only time I look forward to a red light is when I’m trying to finish a text.

24. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

25. How many times is it appropriate to say “What?” before you just nod and smile because you still didn’t hear or understand a word they said?

26. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

27. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

28. Is it just me or do high school kids get dumber & dumber every year?

29. There’s no worse feeling than that millisecond you’re sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

30. As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate bicyclists.

31. Sometimes I’ll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

32. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey – but I’d bet my ass everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time!


Thank you, Bits and Pieces U.S.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Jeff Jacoby - Created by God to be good

Without "humanists," there would be no fun in life. Same for atheists. Yet, these people take themselves very seriously, divorcing God from man at every turn or flip of the coin.

Jeff Jacoby published this column over the weekend for the Boston Globe, Created by God to be good.

I cannot imagine a life without a creator's existence. Whom else could we blame when the proverbial stuff hits the fan?

Enjoy.