assimilation

“The Prediction of Return”

The Torah, in parashat Va’etchanan, predicts that massive numbers of Jews in exile will return to traditional Jewish practice. Is that happening today?

“The Role of Exile in Jewish Theology”

What is the purpose of exile and what role does exile play in Jewish history?

“Prelude to Holiness”

While all agree that the goal of the Torah is to foster a Jewish Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation, there is much heated discussion concerning the extent to which one must go to avoid “contamination” from the outside environment.

The Role of Exile in Jewish History

What is the role that Galut--exile--plays in the history of the Jewish people?

“Persecution’s ‘Silver Lining’”

In G-d’s reproof of the Jewish people, He declares that even in exile the people will not find rest for the soles of their feet. Can persecution actually prove to be a blessing in disguise?

“Listening to the Message”

How does one remain moral in an increasingly immoral environment? Ethical and moral behavior doesn't simply develop through osmosis or from preaching. Judaism maintains that living a religiously observant life results in the ability to hear G-d’s voice among the conflicting messages competing for one’s attention in a noisy world.

"The Unfathomable Practice of Molech Worship"

After presenting an extensive list of prohibited marital and family relationships, the Torah, in parashat Acharei Mot, concludes with specific prohibitions against Molech worship, sodomy and bestiality. What was Molech? How was it practiced? Did Jews actually engage in this horrendous form of idolatry?

"In Those Days, In These Times"

In a single generation, unbridled adulation for Joseph turns into the enslavement of the entire Jewish people. How did it happen? Are Jews possibly facing a similar future in North America today?

"Rachel's Burial Place in Bethlehem"

Jacob interrupts a most important message to his son Joseph by recalling his failure to bury Rachel in Hebron. What could possibly have been his motivation?

"Blood-the Essence of Life"

The Torah, on numerous occasions, prohibits eating blood. It also requires that the blood of certain non-domesticated wild animals, such as deer, as well as birds that are slaughtered for food, be covered with earth. What is the reason for this strict prohibition against blood, and why is the blood of only certain animals covered?

"Aaron's Response to Tragedy-a Lesson for Yom Hashoah"

On what should have been the most jubilant day of his life, Aaron suffers the tragic loss of two of his sons who bring a strange fire shortly after the Tabernacle is inaugurated. Despite these grievous losses, Aaron and his two remaining sons are determined to go on with the ceremony. It is the commitment to preserve Jewish life, and live as a Jew with great zeal and passion, as taught to us by the High Priest Aaron, that is, unquestionably, the most powerful and appropriate response to the Shoah.

"Never Again!-Again!"

As Yom Hashoah is marked, we think about the slogan "Never Again" and our pledge to never allow the wholesale destruction of the Jewish People to take place again. Unfortunately, it is happening again--this time through a silent spiritual Holocaust.

"Will Our Children be Our Guarantors?"

The Midrash Tanchuma states that before He gave the Torah to the People of Israel, the Al-mighty insisted on guarantors. When the patriarchs were offered as guarantors, they were rejected. Only when the children of Israel were offered, did G-d accept. If our children are to effectively serve as guarantors, they must receive an intensive Jewish education of the highest quality.

"The Lonely Patriarch"

Before the fateful encounter between Jacob and Esau, scripture notes that Jacob remained alone. What is the cause of Jacob's aloneness, and what is the meaning of Jacob's loneliness for Jacob and for future generations?

"Appreciating Shavuot"

Of all the major holidays of Judaism, Shavuot is the least known and the least observed. Shavuot is known by many different names and has a rich message for all the Jewish people. Most of all, Shavuot commemorates the greatest moment of Jewish unity when the Torah was given by the Al-mighty at Mount Sinai. It is a festival that needs to be better understood, and celebrated more broadly.

"The Hidden Things Belong to G-d"

Parashat Nitzavim contains one of the most enigmatic verses of the Torah, which states that the hidden things are for the Lord, our G-d, but the revealed things are for us and for our children forever, to carry out all the words of the Torah. In their efforts to clarify the meaning of this verse, our rabbis offer a number of cogent elucidations. One of the most moving explanations is that, when the final redemption comes, the Jews who had become so assimilated (hidden) among other peoples that their origins have become forgotten will be reunited (revealed) with the rest of the Jewish people, and restored to their status as beloved members of the Jewish nation.

"The Jewish Attitude Towards Intermarriage"

In parashat Va'etchanan, we read of the stern prohibition against intermarriage with those who are not members of the Jewish faith. Different arguments are often presented why Jewish young people should not intermarry. Perhaps the most compelling argument is that only those who marry within the faith can hope to be part of the revolutionary mission of the Jewish people to perfect the world under the rule of the Al-mighty and to serve as a light unto the nations.

"Vah'chah'moo'shim“-A Call to Arms"

In parashat B'shalach the Torah tells us that the Israelites went out of Egypt, "chah'moo'shim," usually translated as "armed." Chah'moo'shim however is a word that has many interpretations and many deep and subtle meanings that teach us that much more than physical/military defense is needed to protect the Jewish people.

"Reaching Out to Family Members"

Despite the fact that all his family who still resided in his native Mesopotamia were steeped in idolatry, Abraham decides to send Eliezer back to his homeland to find a bride for his son, Isaac. There is much we can learn from Abraham's perseverance and persistence in reaching out to and retrieving his family members who were so distant from his faith and his traditions.

"The Centrality of Joy in Jewish Observance"

Parashat Kee Tavo is one of the two parashiot in the Torah that features the terrifying prophecies known as the "Tochacha"--G-d's reproof of the Jewish people for not following His Torah. The Tochacha predicts that the Jewish people will bear sons and daughters who will not be theirs. It warns that these children will go into captivity because, "You failed to serve the Lord, your G-d, amid gladness of heart, when everything was abundant." More than anything else, what is needed in Jewish life today to help stem the horrific losses from assimilation is the transferal of the inherent joy in Judaism and an emphasis on how the very process of seeking G-d is a source of great pleasure.

"The Conundrum of Pinchas: Do His Actions Set an Unacceptable Precedent?"

In parashat Pinchas, the Al-mighty praises Pinchas, the son of Elazar and grandson of Aaron the High Priest, for fatally stabbing Zimri and Cozbi, who had committed a public act of harlotry as a challenge to Moses and the elders at the entrance to the Tent of Assembly. Does the fact that Pinchas is rewarded by G-d with an eternal covenant of priesthood set an unacceptable precedent?

"How Goodly are Your Tents O' Jacob?"

Targum Jonathan, the Aramaic translation of the Torah, says that Bilaam saw the schools of the Jewish people and was moved to say: "How goodly are your tents O' Jacob?" The "number one" priority in Jewish life is to ensure that committed Jews remain committed. There is no better way of ensuring that commitment, than by providing outstanding intensive Jewish education for our children. If we fail to do so, then our Jewish future is in jeopardy.

"Chanukah--The Struggle of Joseph and Judah"

Clothed in his coat of many colors, Joseph was betrayed by his brothers and eventually sold to Egypt. His subsequent involvement in Egyptian society is contrasted by Judah's purist, more conventional philosophy. These two viewpoints are echoed in the struggle of Chanukah, as Jews throughout the ages question how much to participate in the culture of the day.

"Watch Out for Laban, He is More Dangerous Than Pharaoh"

As part of the Bikkurim declaration, the celebrants stated that "An Aramean tried to destroy my father." The Torah thus sees the Aramean, Laban, as more dangerous than Pharaoh. The fact that Pharaoh wants to do us in is well known, so we can protect ourselves. Our brother Laban, however, the wily Aramean, is always out there waiting for us, feigning love, conspiring to defeat us. We need always be on watch for him.

"Chametz, Matzah and Faith in Redemption"

A major theme of the Passover holiday is the elimination of chametz--leaven, and the substitution of matzah, unleavened bread in its stead. Oddly enough, both chametz and matzah are made of the same ingredients, flour and water. However, chametz is allowed to ferment. Matzah, on the other hand, is not permitted to stand and ferment, but must be constantly kneaded. Flour and water become chametz automatically if the mixture is allowed to stand. We learn from the matzah that a truly meaningful life never comes effortlessly, but only through significant exertion and labor.

"In Those Days, in These Times"

The story of Joseph may be seen as the saga of an assimilator struggling with his identity, very much paralleling the struggle of the Traditionalists and the Hellenists in the 2nd Century B.C.E. It appears to be an ancient story with an ancient theme. What contemporaries often fail to acknowledge is that a subtle assimilation that is taking place today as well. This powerful force is exacting a heavy toll on our people today, even among some of the most committed Jews. To resist its influence, it is necessary for all to affirm and reaffirm their commitment to the ethics and morality reflected in our Torah. As the honored values of the Jewish past are whittled away by the pernicious values of the contemporary environment, the battle of Chanukah continues today.

"A Contemporary Interpretation of an Ancient Reproof"

As we read the "Tochacha," the reproof of the people of Israel for their sins in parashat Kee Tavo, it is impossible not to see the evils of contemporary society predicted and fulfilled. G-d begs us to choose life. If we indeed choose life, the tragic predictions of the Torah should never occur. In fact, we can forestall almost all evil by properly educating ourselves and our children to conduct our lives properly, fulfilling our responsibilities to others and to the environment with genuine loving kindness.