Family Shabbat Table Talk for March 11-12th, Shabbat Vayikra

From the URJ's Table Talk resources, from 5759:

Vayikra, Leviticus 1:1–5:26
The Torah: A Modern Commentary pp. 757–778
Haftarah, Esther 7:1–10; 8:15–17CYCLE ONE

SUMMARY
This Shabbat we begin reading the third book of the Torah, Leviticus. Leviticus contains many of the laws and precepts of Judaism. It also contains a description of the system of sacrifices which was, for the Israelite community of the time, the primary way of worshipping God. In Hebrew this book and its first portion are called Vayikra meaning, "And [God] called." The parashah opens with God calling to Moses and explaining the various sacrifices. Five different sacrifices are described: the burnt offering--olah; the meal offering--minchah; the sacrifice of well being--zevach shelamim; the sin offering--chatat; and the guilt offering-asham.
Olah means "that which goes up." The entire animal except for the hide was burnt on the altar. The olah had to be male without blemish and could be a bull, a sheep, a goat or birds, depending on one's financial means.
The minchah was an offering of unleavened flour in the form of cakes or wafers. Part of it was burnt on the altar and the rest given to Aaron and his sons.
The zevach shelamim offering could be a male or female cow, sheep, or goat. A part of it would be burnt on the altar, a part given to Aaron and his sons and the rest would provide a festive meal for the one bringing the sacrifice and his or her guests.
The olah, minchah, and zevach shelamim were voluntary sacrifices.
The chatat offering was brought by an individual or a community which had unknowingly sinned regarding one of the commandments. These sins included: failure to testify, touching an unclean animal or carcass, coming in contact with human uncleanness, or failure to fulfill an oath. If the offering was made by the whole community or an anointed priest a bull had to be sacrificed. If it were a tribal chieftain a male goat was brought as the sacrifice. If it were a ordinary Israelite a female goat or sheep was offered. The animal brought for sacrifice depended on the place in society an individual occupied.
The asham sacrifice was brought by a person who had sinned by committing robbery or fraud. The guilty person had to give back the stolen item plus an additional one fifth of its value and then sacrifice a ram or give the equivalent in money. Depending on the financial means of the individual female sheep or goat, birds or choice flour was sacrificed.
COMMENTARY
Sacrifice was the way ancient Israelites worshipped God. In Hebrew the word for sacrifice is korban. It is based on the Hebrew letter root koof-resh-bet which means to "draw near." Making a sacrifice was the way an Israelite could draw near or come close to God. Specific sacrifices demonstrated specific feelings: to show a belief in God, the olah or the minchah offering, to give thanks to God for the good things in one's life, the zevach shelamim or to show God that one was sorry for doing something wrong, the chatat or asham offering. Sacrifices could only be offered at the Temple in Jerusalem and the rituals could only be performed by ordained priests.
This last offering raised concerns among the prophets who thought an individual might commit a deliberate wrong and then offer a sacrifice to square the account (The Torah: A Modern Commentary p. 768). The prophets criticized the people for behaving as they pleased, breaking Jewish laws, and then offering a sacrifice to repent for their behavior. The prophets felt that this kind of offering was superficial and did not lead the people to change their behavior or to be close to God. The prophets also criticized the people for fulfilling their ritual obligation to offer sacrifices, while at the same time treating people unjustly. Both Isaiah and Jeremiah condemned the people for offering sacrifices while continuing to behave wickedly.
When the second Temple was destroyed in 70 C.E., the sacrificial cult ended. Prayer, study and the doing of good deeds were considered acceptable substitutes for the sacrifices which could no longer be offered.
TABLE TALK

1. The sacrifices expressed religious devotion and the people's love for God. How do you show your devotion and connection to Judaism? In what ways do you show your love for God? How does this make you like our ancestors? In what ways do modern Jewish rituals express the things our ancestors tried to express through the various sacrificial offerings? In what ways do our modern rituals distinguish us from our ancestors?
2. Our ancestors encountered many difficulties in order to fulfill the commandment to go to Jerusalem to bring sacrifices. The trip was long and the cost of arranging the appropriate sacrifice was significant. What kinds of sacrifices does Judaism require of us today? In what ways is practicing Judaism difficult? In what ways is it easier than at the time described in the Torah portion?
3. After the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, the rabbis decreed that prayer, Torah study and acts of loving kindness replace sacrifices. When have you participated in prayer? In Torah Study? In acts of loving kindness? How do these things move you closer to God?
4. Imagine that the prophets were speaking to you. What does their message of meaningless sacrifice and unethical behavior mean to you? What did the prophets want the people to do? What does their message tell us about our own behavior?

DID YOU KNOW...that the Shehecheyanu is a blessing which thanks God for good things in our lives. It is recited for many different occasions including the first day of holidays, for a special event like a bar/bat mitzvah, a baby naming, an anniversary or birthday, a special trip, when one hears or witnesses good news, when one builds or buys a house or purchases new clothing, when one eats fruit for the first time in a season and when one sees a friend one has not seen for 30 days or more. This week be on the look out for your Shehecheyanu moments. (The Shehecheyanu: We praise you Adonai our God Ruler of the universe, for giving us life, for sustaining us, and for enabling us to reach this season.)

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Table Talk for Shabbat Tetzaveh, February 11th-12th, 2011

Follow this link to a wonderful discussion about light, sparked by this week's torah portion.  (Get it? Sparked?):

http://urj.org//holidays/shabbat/intro/exodus//?syspage=article&item_id=4265


Shabbat Shalom!

Shabbat Shablog--Tu B'shvat, Jan 19-20, 2011

Next wednesday evening, the holiday of Tu B'shvat begins.  Tu B'shvat means the 15th of the month of Shevat, and it is the "birthday" or the "New Year" of the trees.

Jewish tradition actually teaches that we have three Jewish "New Years."  The first is the one that we all first think of:  Rosh HaShanah, which occurs in the Fall and is one of the High Holy Days.  We know that the name Rosh HaShanah means the "head of the year."  "Rosh"="head", "Ha"="the" or "of the," and "Shanah" ="year."

The second is the month of Nissan, which usually falls somewhere around late march or early april for us, which is the month that contains the holiday of Passover.  This also can make sense to us because it begins a new agricultural season during which the wheat harvest occurs in the land of Israel and we count the Omer, the time until the barley harvest.  But also in a different way, it makes sense to us that the Spring could be a "New Year."  The darker time of the winter has ended, the days are getting longer, the weather is getting warmer.  We can feel and sense the transition happening.  New plants begin to sprout, buds grow on trees, things begin to bloom, and the world does indeed feel fresh and new.

The third "New Year" is the new year for the trees: Tu B'shvat.  The original purpose of this day was actually for "taxation" purposes, you could say--this was the turn of the year when counting the lifespan of trees, which told you if you had to tithe (give ten percent of) the fruit of the tree to the priests in the temple in Jerusalem during the time of ancient Israel.

Now, Tu B'shvat has become sort of a "Jewish Arbor Day," a time for us to contribute to planting trees in the land of Israel, which you can do here, and to connect ourselves (at least mentally and spiritually) to the land of Israel.

It has also become a time to remind ourselves of the joys of the fruits and natural products of the earth, a time to remind ourselves that spring is on the way.  Just like on Groundhog day, the Punxatawny Phil is supposed to come out of the groundhog hole and look for his shadow, and based on the result we can know we are in for six more weeks of winter or whether spring is on the way.... Tu B'shvat also reminds us that though it is still certainly winter here in the United States, in Israel the tides are beginning to change, the rains of the winter will give and have begun to give way to regrowth and rebirth of the fruitfulness of our land.

Tu B'shvat is also a wonderful time to work to help heal and protect our environment.

One particularly beautiful tradition is one that was taken from the Kabbalists of the city of Tzfat in the land of Israel, who created a Tu B'shvat Seder modeled on the ritualized festival meal of the passover Seder, but focusing on the spiritual connection to God through nature.

I encourage you to make use of the resources I have linked to below to find a way to include learning or observance of Tu B'shvat into your week to come.  I promise that it will be a worthwhile and uplifting effort.

Shabbat Shalom and Happy Tu B'shvat,

Rabbi Segal

 blessings of enjoyment

history and meaning of tu b’shvat

for families with very young children, ages 0-6

tu b’shvat seder created by the RAC and NFTY

Table Talk for Shabbat Bo, January 7th-8th, 2011

This week's Torah portion jumps right in to the middle of the story of the Exodus from Egypt.  Last week took us from Moses's birth, through his rescue from the river Nile, to the time when as an adult he saw an Egyptian task master beating an Israelite slave and he killed the man, covering the body in the sand.  We saw Moses flee to the land of Midian where he became a sheep hearder and encountered God at the burning bush, who told Moses to go down to Pharaoh and demand that he let the Israelites go free.

When Pharaoh refused to let the Israelites go, we also saw in last week's Torah portion the first seven out of the ten plagues:

Blood
Frogs
Lice
Flies
Cattle Disease
Boils
Hail

And then this week we find the last 3 plagues:

Locusts
Darkness
the Death of the Firstborn.


While there are many theories about why these specific plagues were chosen, what is certainly true is that they made it extremely hard to live in the land of Egypt.  They really disrupted the way of life in Egypt.


The question for discussion this week is, what "plagues" could happen today, in our modern world, that would make it very hard to live, and really disrupt our way of life?  What would make it hard to function?


Shabbat Shalom!

Shabbat Table Talk for Shabbat Va-eira, December 31, 2010-January 1st, 2011

This is taken from the URJ's Family Shabbat Table Talk series from 5763, or 2002-2003.  A great conversation-starter!  Shabbat Shalom, everyone.

http://urj.org//holidays/shabbat/intro/exodus//?syspage=article&item_id=4273

Va-eira, 5763

Parashat Va’era, Exodus 6:2-9:35
The Torah: A Modern Commentary
W. Gunther Plaut, ed. pp. 420-448
CYCLE FIVE

THE TEXT
“But Moses appealed to Adonai, saying, ‘The Israelites would not listen to me; how then should Pharaoh heed me, a man of impeded speech!” (Exodus 6:12)

THE CONTEXTRashi, the Commentator of commentators, was a master of putting Torah in context. We will honor his teaching as we try to do the same.
Moses continued his conversations with God by repeatedly questioning his fitness to speak to Pharaoh on behalf of the Israelites. Moses cited his stammering as a reason that the Israelites would not listen to him, and argued that Pharaoh would act similarly. God responded to Moses by reassuring him that together with Aaron he would free the Israelites from the land of Egypt. God would tell Moses what to do and then Aaron would repeat the words to Pharaoh.

THE THEMEEach week we will select one theme from the parashah that is directly relevant to our lives.
Words have power. Moses understood that, for it was with the spoken word that Moses was to lead the Israelites and influence Pharaoh to let the people go. Words can teach us, inspire us and move us to action. Chosen wisely and kindly, words can bring enormous good, but words hastily chosen or chosen with evil intent can be enormously destructive. A SAGE SPEAKSEach week we will learn from a Talmid Chacham - a disciple of the wise.
In Pirkei Avot (5:7), our sages listed seven traits of a learned person regarding the spoken word:

1. Do not begin speaking before one who is greater in wisdom or in years.
2. Do not interrupt the speech of another person.
3. Do not be hasty in answering.
4. Ask relevant questions.
5. Reply appropriately.
6. Discuss first things first and last things last.
7. Acknowledge the truth (admit when you are wrong).

Rambam, (Rabbi Moses ben Maimon or Maimonides, 1135-1204, was a Spanish physician, theologian, jurist and codifier of Jewish law) taught that these seven virtues are fundamental to the improvement of one’s character and social behavior, and to the ability to study, teach, and practice Torah. Rambam advised that one who aspires to be a truly learned person should cultivate these virtues. (The Pirke Avos Treasury, ArtScroll, p.319)

The tone and content one chooses to use when speaking reflect one’s personality and attitude. Moses, described as slow of speech in the Bible, was hesitant to speak to Pharaoh. God provided Moses with a spokesman, his brother Aaron, to help him overcome his hesitancy. Most of us do not have an Aaron to speak for us. Each of us is responsible for his or her own spoken words.
THE TORAH AND YOU
Questions and/or activities for families:

1. With older children (10+)
   1. Describe an instance when you have seen words do enormous good. Contrast that with an instance when you have words that caused enormous damage. How do those instances illustrate the concept that “words are power”?
   2. Read through the list of seven traits regarding speech found in “A Sage Speaks” section of this issue of Family Shabbat Table Talk, choose one and give your own interpretation of what that trait means.
   3. Are there additional traits or guidelines regarding speech that you would add to this list of seven? If so, what are they and why would you add them? If not explain why you think the sages of Pirkei Avot “got it right.”
   4. From what you know of Moses, which of these seven traits would you apply to him?
   5. If you take Rambam’s advice, how would you cultivate these seven virtues within yourself?
      
2. With younger children (6-9)
   1. Describe a time when words have helped you. It might help to remember conversations with family members, teachers or friends.
   2. When have you used words to help other people?
   3. Has there been a time when you have heard words that hurt someone? What was the situation? What do you think might have been done to change hurtful words into helpful or caring words?
   4. If you were going to write some rules for speaking what would they be?
   5. Ben Sira taught, “Gentle speech multiplies (makes) friends (6,5).” What do you think Ben Sira meant? (Ben Sira, lived in the 2nd century B.C.E. He was a Hebrew sage and scribe who wrote a book of proverbs called the Wisdom of Ben Sira.)
      

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Barbara Binder Kadden, UAHC Regional Educator in the Pacific Central West Council, wrote this week’s Family Shabbat Table Talk. She is hoping that the words she writes about Torah play a role in keeping people connected to Judaism and Jewish study.

Table Talk for Shabbat Vayechi, December 17-18th, 2010

This is taken from the URJ's Family Shabbat Table Talk from 1998--enjoy!

Va-y'chi, 5759

Parashat Va-y'chi

The Torah: A Modern Commentary
W. Gunther Plaut, ed.
CYCLE ONE

SUMMARY
The name of this week's portion is Va-y'chi. In English it means "and he lived" and refers to Jacob having lived in Egypt for 17 years.
 
Old and ill, Jacob senses that he is about to die and makes Joseph swear to bury him in Canaan, the place of his birth. Before he dies, Jacob wants to bless his children, a common practice among the patriarchs. Jacob embraces two generations in this ritual by "adopting" Joseph's two sons, Menasheh and Ephraim, so they too can receive a blessing.
After finishing with his grandsons, Jacob calls his twelve sons to his bedside. He blesses each of his progeny by describing their character and predicting their futures. Jacob repeats what he has told Joseph and instructs his sons to bury him in the Cave of Machpelah in Canaan, the gravesite of his parents and grandparents. After his death, Jacob's body is prepared for burial. A formal funeral procession accompanies the body from Egypt to Canaan, where Jacob is laid to rest.
 
Joseph and his brothers return to Egypt. The brothers are concerned that now that their father is dead, Joseph will finally seek revenge for what his brothers did to him years before when they threw him in a pit to die. The brothers send Joseph a message informing him that their father's final instructions were for Joseph to forgive his brothers. Joseph assures his siblings that they have nothing to fear. Although they may have intended to harm him years before, it was by God's will that their actions for good.
 
This portion and the book of Genesis end with Joseph's death at the age of 110. Joseph is blessed to live to see his own great-grandchildren.
 
COMMENTARY
The special blessings that parents give their children on Shabbat are based on this Torah portion. The text tells us that Jacob placed his hands upon the heads of Ephraim and Menasheh and said "By you shall Israel invoke blessings, saying 'God make you like Ephraim and Menasheh'" (Genesis 48:20). This tradition is maintained today in Jewish homes when, after kindling Shabbat candles, one or both parents place their hands on the child's head and say:

For a boy: "May God inspire you to live in the tradition of Ephraim and Menasheh, who carried forward the life of our people."
For a girl: "May God inspire you to live in the tradition of Sarah, Rebecca, Leah , and Rachel, who carried forward the life of our people."

It is evident that Joseph's brothers made up Jacob's final instructions about forgiving them for having left Joseph in a pit. Rabbi Simeon ben Gamliel taught; "Great is peace, for even our ancestors resorted to fabrication in order to make peace between Joseph and themselves" (Genesis Rabbah 10:8). Rabbi Ila said: "A person may tell a white lie for the sake of peace" (Talmud Yebamot).
 
TABLE TALK

1. Bless the children at the Shabbat table using the blessings suggested in the commentary section. Talk about how the ritual felt and answer the following questions.
   • For parents: By blessing your children, how are you linking yourselves and them to Jewish tradition?
   • For children: Why do you think it is a blessing to be like Ephraim, Menasheh, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah?
2. Read the commentary section. What reasons do the rabbis give for supporting the brothers' fictional account of their father's last words? Do you agree or disagree with their arguments?
3. Have you ever lied for the sake of peace? What was the lie and why did you say it? Did the lie work? Why or why not?
4. Although he had lived comfortably in Egypt for many years, Jacob was adamant about his desire to be buried in Canaan. Why might this request have been so important to him? In what ways was his decision to be buried at the Cave of Machpelah a blessing for his family? In what ways might Jacob's decision have affected his family's future?
5. Both Jacob and Joseph die in this parasha yet the portion is given the title "and he lived." As Jews, we honor and remember Jacob and Joseph, and all those who have died, by chronicling and recalling their deeds and accomplishments. In this way, those who have died continue to live. Share special memories of friends and family members who have died. Recall the special blessings they transmitted to you and describe how their lives influence yours.

DID YOU KNOW...that at the completion of the public reading of each book of Torah, the congregation rises and says aloud "Chazak, chazak, v'nit-chazek!" meaning "Be strong, be strong, and let us be strengthened (to continue the reading of the Torah)."

Table Talk for Shabbat Vayigash, December 10-11, 2011

A wonderful discussion of the Torah portion, taken from the URJ's "Family Shabbat Table Talk" from 1998.
Shabbat Shalom, everyone!



Parashat Vayigash, Genesis 44:18-47:27
The Torah: A Modern Commentary
W. Gunther Plaut, ed. pp. 281-297

CYCLE ONE

SUMMARY
This week's Torah portion, Vayigash, tells of Joseph's reconciliation with himself, his brothers, and his father. It raises timeless questions about the human potential to change.

"Vayigash aylav Yehudah...." (Genesis 44:18) And Judah drew near to Joseph to plead for his brother Benjamin's freedom. Judah volunteered to be taken as a slave in Benjamin's stead, so that his father Jacob would not 'lose' another son. [What a change from the brothers that threw Joseph into a pit and left him to die!] Hearing Judah's passionate concern for his father's feelings, Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers. He told them not to feel guilty for having left him in the pit. It was God's plan that Joseph should end up in Egypt, where he could predict the famine, become Pharaoh's administrator, and save his own family from starvation. Joseph told his brothers to return to Jacob and bring the entire clan to Egypt where he will ensure their well-being for the remaining years of the famine.
 
Jacob was predictably overjoyed to hear that Joseph is alive and, after being assured by God of divine protection, goes to be reunited with his long lost son. The famine continues. When the Egyptians ran out of money with which to purchase bread, Joseph agrees to trade food for livestock. When the livestock was depleted, Joseph traded bread for land. In this way all the money, flocks, and land in Egypt came to be owned by Pharaoh. Joseph provided the Egyptian people with seeds to plant and decreed that one fifth of all that grows would belong to Pharaoh, while four-fifths remained the property of the one who cultivated the land.
 
COMMENTARY
When Judah approached Joseph, his willingness to be held in lieu of Benjamin demonstrated his capacity to change. In Hebrew, this is called 'teshuva'. We know we have changed when we face a situation we have faced before, when we made a mistake, and we make a different, better choice. Judah had actively participated in the abandonment of his brother Joseph. He did not offer to be thrown into the pit himself. This time though a different Judah faced the same situation. This changed Judah was prepared to sacrifice himself for his brother Benjamin and his father Jacob. is willing to give up his own freedom for the sake of his youngest brother and his father. Judah had done 'teshuva'. He had changed his behavior and he had grown in character.
 
TABLE TALK

1. When the Torah first introduces Joseph, he is wearing a rainbow-colored coat and flaunting his personal dreams. In this portion, he is managing the welfare of an entire hungry nation and saving his family from starvation, both physical and spiritual. What has happened to cause Joseph to change? Think about a significant way in which you have changed. What external factors contributed to your change? What internal things inspired you?
2. According to the Torah, it was only after Joseph hugged his brothers and cried, that his brother's were able to say even a word. How did Joseph's actions free them to speak? Why might the brothers have been silent after Joseph told them who he was?
3. Jewish law and lore regards a person who had effected teshuva, who has demonstrated the courage to change behavior, as greater than someone who has not had to make that change. What do you think? Why?
4. Jacob is overwhelmed to hear that Joseph is alive yet he does not go to Egypt without talking with God. After God assures Jacob that God will travel with him and his family, Jacob agrees to the move. Why is the presence of God so important to Jacob? How have you experienced the presence of God?
5. Approaching someone when you have an important request (as Judah did) or a significant piece of information to share (as Joseph had) can be frightening. Think about a time when you have been in a situation like Joseph or Judah. What did you do? What would you do if you had the chance to do it over again?

DID YOU KNOW...that Rabbi Asher ben Yechiel taught: "Each night before going to sleep, forgive whomever wronged you."