Shemoneh Esreh
BSKI's Mission statement says that we are all about Torah, T’Fillah and Tikkun Olam.
We are great about Tikkun Olam, our great Social action Committee, and we have lots of opportunities of learning through our great Adult Education Committee under Marvin, so that takes care of Torah.
But what about that guy in the middle, the T’fillah, prayer?
Well, this program is about Prayer. Actually, the Shemoneh Esreh prayer is so central to the Service that it used to be called Ha’T’fillah, the Prayer. Because nobody was ever in doubt what prayer they were talking about. You can see in the Talmud how they just refer to Ha’T’Fillah when they actually mean Shemoneh Esreh.
Here is the agenda of the presentation:
1. S.E. Introduction
2. “Welcome to the World of Prayer"
3. How did it all come about? The History of SE.
4. A discussion of each prayer in the SE would take a minimum of 3 hours and we obviously don’t have that kind of time. So, we have to limit this presentation to one Prayer and for the sake of making things easy, I have chosen Prayer Number 1, Avot.
Who Wrote the Bible?
This is a popular summary of the Documentary Hypothesis and the history of the Bible research.
From the introduction:
The early discovery of problems with the notion that Moses wrote the “Five Books of Moses”.
There were direct errors, like the numbers of things were listed differently in different places, Joseph was sold into slavery to the Midianites or to Ishmaelites; or was it Reuben or Judah who saves Joseph from being killed by the other brothers. In Gen 36, there is a list of Edomite kings that include kings that reigned long after Moses lived. Or Gen. 12 where Abraham either came from Ur or from Haran., these first basic errors were discovered over 1000 years ago.
So, if you think that this model that I am about to describe is some modern concoction; rest assured that this is not the case.
And of course there is the story about Moses being the most humble man, but he wouldn’t say that he is the most humble man in the world. If he would say that he’s the most handsome, smartest or strongest man who ever lived, that would have been one thing. But the most humble man doesn’t describe himself as the most humble man. So, this was another indication that Moses didn’t or at least not alone didn’t write the entirety of the books that bear his name. And of course the description of his death was never easy to attribute to him.
-----
Then the presentation goes on to describe the era in which, per most researchers, the Bible was actually written. The tensions between Israel and Judah, the exile to Babylonia, the return, Ezra, who most likely is the person who knitted together the different strands into the book we now know as the Bible. A thorough description of the J, E, P and D sources. And implications in the 20th and in the 21st century.
The Philosophy of Rabbi Neil Gillman
A basic introduction to Rabbi Neil Gillman’s thoughts and definitions of terms that he uses in his books. An overview of his most important books, Sacred Fragments” (1990), “The Death of Death” (1997) and “Doing Jewish Theology” (2008) .
A detailed explanation of the key elements in understanding his philosophy, language, (“Speaking of God”), signs, symbols, metaphors, the concept of myth, a detailed explanation on why the dichotomy between “fact” and “myth” is false, understanding the will of God, revelation (“What actually happened at Sinai?”), what midrash has to do with it. How to do your own theology!
A presentation of the philosophy Rabbi Neil Gillman
This is a speech given at the BSKI Synagogue in August 2009. Speaker: Richard Gavatin
“Dvar Torah” Aug 29,. 2009
Shabbat Shalom
So, who wrote the Bible? What?! Sorry! Wrong speech
As you most likely know by now, the Adult Education Committee is presenting a Scholar-in-Residence Weekend November 13 -15. This has made possible through a very generous gift in memory of Cillia Rotman Haffner. Our SIR is Rabbi Neil Gillman of the JTS.
In agreement with both Rabbi Gillman and Rabbi Miller, I am now about to substitute the traditional commentary on today’s Torah portion, Ki Tetze, with a shameless plug for the SIR Weekend and the upcoming Book Club sessions.
Rabbi Gilman’s teachings are up there, with the other “names” you know, of 20th Century thinkers, Abraham Joshua Heschel and Mordecai Kaplan and others. Some argue that the difference between Gillman, on the one hand, and Heschel & Kaplan on the other, is that in Gillman vs. Heschel, Gillman is more understandable, and in Gillman vs. Kaplan, Gillman is more correct….
Rabbi Neil Gillman has written a number of books, all worthwhile reading, and highly recommended. He has been a SIR for the last 20 yrs and also taught in Israel and in Russia.
He has, in my opinion, a unique ability to teach. Highly complex thought processes and concepts are being served to us in easy-to-swallow bites. Does that mean that everything he says is understandable right away and is integrateable in your mind without effort? No and No.
It does take an effort and that is why the Adult Ed committee has planned a series of events to help you.
In addition to this short presentation, we’ve published articles in the Shofar, we’ve submitted articles to the Light and we have three Book Club Sessions planned.
We encourage you to get to know Rabbi Gillman’s teachings and what follows is a first installment:
In order to understand the Gillman philosophy, one has to look at the definitions of some concepts to make sure that we are comparing apples to apples.
The first pair of concepts consists of Signs and Symbols. An example of a Sign is a “red light” on a road. We know that the color red represents a command to stop the vehicle until the light changes.
But there is no inherent connection between “red” and “stop”, the color could have been blue or purple. A Sign therefore is a convention that easily can be changed.
Another example is an American Flag. The flag represents The US. However, the connection is tighter, than with a sign. A flag is considered a Symbol in this context, and not as easy to change. Just imagine the uproar if Congress decided to change the American Flag to a green cross on a purple background.
Symbols live and they can die. An example is the masculine quality of traditional Jewish symbols of God, a quality that many people these days replace with more gender-neutral language. Instead of saying “we trust Him”, we say “we trust God” and so on.
Religion consists of symbols as well, although there are technical differences. An example is that we speak of God as Avinu Malkenu (‘our father, our king’) where strong symbols familiar to us (Father and King) are used to represent our community’s experience of God.
Many philosophers claim that all religious language has to be understood as “symbolic” or “mythic”.
In Popular parlance, a myth is understood to be either a fiction (the myth of the invincibility of a sports team) or a legend (like the myth of Oedipus). Technically, it is neither of these, but rather a structure of meaning through which we make sense of our experience. Let me repeat that a myth is a structure of meaning through which we make sense of our experience.
The world out there does not come to us in a nicely tied up package of objective meaning. Before we can even see the world “out there” a process has to take place to interpret it. Rabbi Gillman writes that even a simple thing as a glass of water is a process that does not take place in our eyes but in our brain. Billions of neurons are in action for us to actually see what’s there, but also our background, culture, gender, education, age and more play a role. We are not passive recipients of a premade reality out there, we construct what we see. In other words, we read it.
Myths are the spectacles, glasses, if you will, through which we understand the reality out there. Myths are not the same as lies or untruths. Myths deal with beginnings. So, for example, the Jewish myth is the Exodus from Egypt and the receiving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai, which tells our community’s master story. This myth is then refined, shared and transmitted through generations. It becomes embodied in official, canonical texts. In its final form, it becomes authoritative, and quasi-invisible or implied.
Myths explain, account for, and give answers to questions like Why. In general, myths explain overt data by referring to an invisible or elusive world “behind the data”. This includes science. Take for instance the theory of quantum mechanics; it is not something you can see, touch or smell. So the theory of quantum mechanics is a myth that helps us understand a specific reality. Or Freud’s theory of the subconscious and his entire psychoanalytic theory. Or even astronomy. They are all technical myths. Again, that doesn’t mean they are untruths or do not exist. They are just ways to explain something that is “out there” and does not readily come to us right away, like the seeing of this glass of water. They need interpretation and that interpretation is what is called a myth.
A community is defined by its myth. What separates one community from another is their myths. Language, history, traditions, culture, music, and food, are all components that make up a community’s myth.
So, what is different with a religious myth? There are two ways that a religious myth differs from other myths:
One is that a religious myth addresses ultimate questions, like “Why am I here?”, “What happens to me after Death?”, “How do I live authentically?”, “How do I reach fulfillment?”, “What does salvation mean?” - In short, a religious myth provides answers to people’s intuitive, inherent search for meaning.
The second is that a religious myth, at least in the monotheistic setting, provides answers to these questions through viewing nature and history as the work of a transcendent God.
We can only, as humans, characterize God through the tools that we have at hand. We can only speak of God with the tools of language – that’s all we have. God is – in this setting – within the mythic structure that we associate with. In our case, the Jewish myth, speaks of a very specific God, Adoshem, that has all the characteristics that our tradition has bestowed upon God.
That is NOT to say that God is a fiction. Our ancestors no more “invented” God than Freud invented the psyche. I think we can all agree that there was a psyche long before there was Freud.
But our ancestors experienced God’s presence in nature and in history, and the source for this experience was the revelation at Sinai; Here is where you can clearly see that myth does not equal fiction.
The myth and the original experience continued to feed on each other: Quote: (from “The Seminary at 100” – a book celebrating 100 yrs of The Jewish Theological Seminary’s from 1987)
“ The mythic characterization of God shapes the experience (of the revelation at Sinai). But at the same time, the ongoing experience of God’s presence has verified the myth over countless generations” End quote.
In other words, a person who sees himself or herself as a believing Jew, continues to see God’s presence just as the ancestors did at Sinai.
Religious myths are canonized in sacred texts, like the Torah for us, the Book of Mormons for the Latter Day saints, and the Koran for the Muslims and so on. Although the book or books are sealed, the myth itself must be elastic enough so that generations can expand, change and revise the myth so that it, the myth, speaks to them. We Jews have a special term for his process. What is it?
We call it Midrash. Just think of the Akeidah, the near sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham, that in only 3 weeks, we will re-read on Rosh Hashanah. How many interpretations of that story have you heard throughout your lifetime? Just think about it.
Scholars claim that if we do not re-interpret our historic myths, they will die. That is, they become untrue or in other words they then become “myths” in the popular sense of the word.
An example of that is the ‘myth’ that six million people died in the Holocaust because God punished them for their sins. This is a myth in a technical sense. However, it is one that has “died” for most of us. In other words, here is an example of myth that is untrue because we no longer believe it. Needless to say that there is a minority of ultra-orthodox people who would hold this myth as true, but for the majority of us, this would be a non-functioning myth.
As you can understand, there is so much more to learn about this, and I encourage you to read the Book Club book, “Sacred Fragments”, copies of which I believe are supposed to be available in the Office. Please check with Harvey.
And please sign up for the Book Club sessions through the office. One more thing, we’re hoping that this weekend of Programs will attract people in the community who are interested in Jewish learning, We therefore urge all of you to, quote, “be part of the BSKI PR Committee” if not literally at least in action: Talk to friends, colleagues, neighbors, and let them know about the weekend. Please read the articles in the Shofar - this is an opportunity to show the St. Louis Jewish community what BSKI is all about.
Lastly I want to think Rabbi M for letting me advertise on Shabbat.
Shabbat Shalom
“Dvar Torah” Aug 29,. 2009
Shabbat Shalom
So, who wrote the Bible? What?! Sorry! Wrong speech
As you most likely know by now, the Adult Education Committee is presenting a Scholar-in-Residence Weekend November 13 -15. This has made possible through a very generous gift in memory of Cillia Rotman Haffner. Our SIR is Rabbi Neil Gillman of the JTS.
In agreement with both Rabbi Gillman and Rabbi Miller, I am now about to substitute the traditional commentary on today’s Torah portion, Ki Tetze, with a shameless plug for the SIR Weekend and the upcoming Book Club sessions.
Rabbi Gilman’s teachings are up there, with the other “names” you know, of 20th Century thinkers, Abraham Joshua Heschel and Mordecai Kaplan and others. Some argue that the difference between Gillman, on the one hand, and Heschel & Kaplan on the other, is that in Gillman vs. Heschel, Gillman is more understandable, and in Gillman vs. Kaplan, Gillman is more correct….
Rabbi Neil Gillman has written a number of books, all worthwhile reading, and highly recommended. He has been a SIR for the last 20 yrs and also taught in Israel and in Russia.
He has, in my opinion, a unique ability to teach. Highly complex thought processes and concepts are being served to us in easy-to-swallow bites. Does that mean that everything he says is understandable right away and is integrateable in your mind without effort? No and No.
It does take an effort and that is why the Adult Ed committee has planned a series of events to help you.
In addition to this short presentation, we’ve published articles in the Shofar, we’ve submitted articles to the Light and we have three Book Club Sessions planned.
We encourage you to get to know Rabbi Gillman’s teachings and what follows is a first installment:
In order to understand the Gillman philosophy, one has to look at the definitions of some concepts to make sure that we are comparing apples to apples.
The first pair of concepts consists of Signs and Symbols. An example of a Sign is a “red light” on a road. We know that the color red represents a command to stop the vehicle until the light changes.
But there is no inherent connection between “red” and “stop”, the color could have been blue or purple. A Sign therefore is a convention that easily can be changed.
Another example is an American Flag. The flag represents The US. However, the connection is tighter, than with a sign. A flag is considered a Symbol in this context, and not as easy to change. Just imagine the uproar if Congress decided to change the American Flag to a green cross on a purple background.
Symbols live and they can die. An example is the masculine quality of traditional Jewish symbols of God, a quality that many people these days replace with more gender-neutral language. Instead of saying “we trust Him”, we say “we trust God” and so on.
Religion consists of symbols as well, although there are technical differences. An example is that we speak of God as Avinu Malkenu (‘our father, our king’) where strong symbols familiar to us (Father and King) are used to represent our community’s experience of God.
Many philosophers claim that all religious language has to be understood as “symbolic” or “mythic”.
In Popular parlance, a myth is understood to be either a fiction (the myth of the invincibility of a sports team) or a legend (like the myth of Oedipus). Technically, it is neither of these, but rather a structure of meaning through which we make sense of our experience. Let me repeat that a myth is a structure of meaning through which we make sense of our experience.
The world out there does not come to us in a nicely tied up package of objective meaning. Before we can even see the world “out there” a process has to take place to interpret it. Rabbi Gillman writes that even a simple thing as a glass of water is a process that does not take place in our eyes but in our brain. Billions of neurons are in action for us to actually see what’s there, but also our background, culture, gender, education, age and more play a role. We are not passive recipients of a premade reality out there, we construct what we see. In other words, we read it.
Myths are the spectacles, glasses, if you will, through which we understand the reality out there. Myths are not the same as lies or untruths. Myths deal with beginnings. So, for example, the Jewish myth is the Exodus from Egypt and the receiving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai, which tells our community’s master story. This myth is then refined, shared and transmitted through generations. It becomes embodied in official, canonical texts. In its final form, it becomes authoritative, and quasi-invisible or implied.
Myths explain, account for, and give answers to questions like Why. In general, myths explain overt data by referring to an invisible or elusive world “behind the data”. This includes science. Take for instance the theory of quantum mechanics; it is not something you can see, touch or smell. So the theory of quantum mechanics is a myth that helps us understand a specific reality. Or Freud’s theory of the subconscious and his entire psychoanalytic theory. Or even astronomy. They are all technical myths. Again, that doesn’t mean they are untruths or do not exist. They are just ways to explain something that is “out there” and does not readily come to us right away, like the seeing of this glass of water. They need interpretation and that interpretation is what is called a myth.
A community is defined by its myth. What separates one community from another is their myths. Language, history, traditions, culture, music, and food, are all components that make up a community’s myth.
So, what is different with a religious myth? There are two ways that a religious myth differs from other myths:
One is that a religious myth addresses ultimate questions, like “Why am I here?”, “What happens to me after Death?”, “How do I live authentically?”, “How do I reach fulfillment?”, “What does salvation mean?” - In short, a religious myth provides answers to people’s intuitive, inherent search for meaning.
The second is that a religious myth, at least in the monotheistic setting, provides answers to these questions through viewing nature and history as the work of a transcendent God.
We can only, as humans, characterize God through the tools that we have at hand. We can only speak of God with the tools of language – that’s all we have. God is – in this setting – within the mythic structure that we associate with. In our case, the Jewish myth, speaks of a very specific God, Adoshem, that has all the characteristics that our tradition has bestowed upon God.
That is NOT to say that God is a fiction. Our ancestors no more “invented” God than Freud invented the psyche. I think we can all agree that there was a psyche long before there was Freud.
But our ancestors experienced God’s presence in nature and in history, and the source for this experience was the revelation at Sinai; Here is where you can clearly see that myth does not equal fiction.
The myth and the original experience continued to feed on each other: Quote: (from “The Seminary at 100” – a book celebrating 100 yrs of The Jewish Theological Seminary’s from 1987)
“ The mythic characterization of God shapes the experience (of the revelation at Sinai). But at the same time, the ongoing experience of God’s presence has verified the myth over countless generations” End quote.
In other words, a person who sees himself or herself as a believing Jew, continues to see God’s presence just as the ancestors did at Sinai.
Religious myths are canonized in sacred texts, like the Torah for us, the Book of Mormons for the Latter Day saints, and the Koran for the Muslims and so on. Although the book or books are sealed, the myth itself must be elastic enough so that generations can expand, change and revise the myth so that it, the myth, speaks to them. We Jews have a special term for his process. What is it?
We call it Midrash. Just think of the Akeidah, the near sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham, that in only 3 weeks, we will re-read on Rosh Hashanah. How many interpretations of that story have you heard throughout your lifetime? Just think about it.
Scholars claim that if we do not re-interpret our historic myths, they will die. That is, they become untrue or in other words they then become “myths” in the popular sense of the word.
An example of that is the ‘myth’ that six million people died in the Holocaust because God punished them for their sins. This is a myth in a technical sense. However, it is one that has “died” for most of us. In other words, here is an example of myth that is untrue because we no longer believe it. Needless to say that there is a minority of ultra-orthodox people who would hold this myth as true, but for the majority of us, this would be a non-functioning myth.
As you can understand, there is so much more to learn about this, and I encourage you to read the Book Club book, “Sacred Fragments”, copies of which I believe are supposed to be available in the Office. Please check with Harvey.
And please sign up for the Book Club sessions through the office. One more thing, we’re hoping that this weekend of Programs will attract people in the community who are interested in Jewish learning, We therefore urge all of you to, quote, “be part of the BSKI PR Committee” if not literally at least in action: Talk to friends, colleagues, neighbors, and let them know about the weekend. Please read the articles in the Shofar - this is an opportunity to show the St. Louis Jewish community what BSKI is all about.
Lastly I want to think Rabbi M for letting me advertise on Shabbat.
Shabbat Shalom
NTAG Never Take Anything for Granted
NTAG Never Take Anything for Granted
NTAG
(NTAG = Never Take Anything for Granted)
NTAG = an essential element of Jewish Wisdom
In my Shemoneh Esreh work I have stated that I have found the NTAG concept central to that prayer. I tried to make the point that we are asked to recite the Shemoneh Esreh prayer thrice daily to remind ourselves not take anything for granted.
Prayers 3 – 16 – the middle portion of Shemoneh Esreh – make up what’s called the petitionary portion (Bekashah) of the prayer, while the first three prayers are called Shevach (praise) and the last three Hoda’ah (thanksgiving).
We are asked to repeat the recitation because humans otherwise have a tendency to be complacent and think that the gifts that they receive every day always will be there. We are not configured for change and we are not wired to anticipate change. Therefore we tend to “think” that all that we have now, material wealth, health, friends, family, will always be there and thus we start taking them for granted.
Jewish Wisdom said: We need to build a flashing road sign that will remind us that these things don’t last forever stave off conceit.
But the concept of NTAG pervades more than just our daily prayer. NTAG is a central concept in many other areas and the following is an outline of some of them.
1. NTAG in Kosher – Why we choose what we eat;
2. NTAG in Shabbat – the blessings of the Seventh Day;
3. NTAG in Ritual – Brith Mila, Mikvah, Bar & Bat Mitzvah, Chupah, and Chevra Kadisha;
4. NTAG in History – the story of the People and Never Take Israel for Granted;
5. NTAG in Nature – why Jewish Wisdom treasures the earth;
6. NTAG in Charity – Jewish wisdom and loving-kindness;
7. NTAG in Shemoneh Esreh – the center piece of acknowledgment;
1. NTAG in kosher -
For those of us who have enough food to eat every day, having this privilege can easily be taken for granted. Thinking about what we eat, choosing what we eat and don’t eat, is one way to prevent us from taking that “right” for granted.
2. NTAG in Shabbat -
Once upon a time, most people were slaves. A slave’s life could easily be painted in eight short sentences; once the slave baby was born, he was immediately the property of the slave-owner. When he was old enough to work, 4, maybe 5, maybe 10 in some cultures, he started his miserable “professional” life. He worked until he died. Some were stronger and were able to work until they were 20, 30, some even 40. But most died young, very young. The slave didn’t know weeks, months, seasons or years. He worked until he died.
Out of the blue, or more precisely, out of the desert, comes this tribe of former slaves and states something astonishing: There is more to life than work! Even if the Israelites never suggested sick-leave, vacation packages, or retirement plans, they claimed this one thing:
Divide the time into seven day periods and out of each period set aside ONE, just one day for rest. Do whatever else you want, but at least, at the very minimum, reserve one day for “other-than-work”. And, they said, apply this rule to everybody equally: Rich, poor, property owner, slave and even animal;
No wonder then, that this tribe was hated, hunted, heckled, and harassed.
No wonder then, that later incarnations turned into:
• “On the Sabbath, you are not allowed to …….”
• “On the Sabbath, you may not drive….”
• “On the Sabbath, you mustn’t watch TV”
• “On the Sabbath, you cannot do business….”
“This and This and that are forbidden on the Sabbath….”
Talk about missing the point here!
These modern perversions of the original thought so totally miss the point!
3. NTAG in Ritual -
Brith Mila, Mikvah, Bar & Bat Mitzvah, Chupah, and Chevra Kadisha;
Brith Mila = Circumcision. Mikvah = ritual bath, Bar/Bat Mitzvah = confirmation ritual, Chupah = A Jewsih wedding, and Chevra Kadisha = burial ritual.
What do these rituals have in common? They represent a journey from birth to death; from Egypt/Mitzrayim (Heb Mitzrayim = Egypt but also “a narrow place”) to the Promised Land;
We acknowledge that we should not take every step of this journey for granted; How many people rush through life without stopping to think, to appreciate, to smell the roses, to stop in awe of the wonders we pass along the way.
With wonders, I don’t refer to super-natural phenomenon; wonders are just awe-some, in its literal meaning: The sight of a sunrise, the birth of a baby, the colors of a butterfly, the taste of fresh fruit, the smell of lilacs in the spring, the sound of a choir work by Mozart, none of these things are strictly super-natural, they are very much “in nature” – but just the same awesome, and therefore, wonders.
So, the birth of a baby is the first wonder.
How many cultures take this for granted? Not many – actually. Most cultures celebrate the birth of a child and all have their own rituals for doing so. The baptism of a newborn baby in a Christian church leaves no permanent marks on the child.
The Brith Mila - circumcision - makes sure that the birth is never ever forgotten. Modern explanations for this ritual, such as health aspects (which have been used both to argue for and against the practice) and other contemporary outlooks may have a place, but the original intent was – among others – to make sure that the event of your birth was never forgotten and that one needs to be reminded of this wonder on a daily basis. One can argue that the Brith Mila is there to ensure that we Never take Life for Granted.
The Mikvah.
This (ritual bath) is the place primarily used by women in childbearing age. Never take the monthly cycle for granted. The practice of Mikvah acknowledges that this process is volatile and one should be grateful for each completed cycle.
Bar/Bat Mitzvah.
Just like the Israelite tribe that was leaving Egypt, soon after its birth, received the Torah at Mount Sinai, so should the young boy and girl receive the Torah on his or her 13th birthday.
Torah here, in both examples, means learning, teaching, wisdom in these concepts’ widest meanings.
So, the gift of Bar and Bat Mitzvah is an acknowledgment that learning and wisdom should not be taken lightly and certainly not for granted.
Chupah. Wedding canopy
The love between two people is cherished in Jewish wisdom. It is
understood that it is something unique, something irreplaceable, and therefore creates rituals to ensure that we don’t take this lightly. So, you may ask, is divorce frowned upon in Jewish wisdom? Frowned, yes, but not outlawed. In fact, Jewish wisdom realizes that if a marriage ends, which can happen, a set of rituals (called “get”) for handling that situation is also required. So, that we may never take neither marriage nor divorce for granted, we acknowledge our human need for love and our realistic expectation that love may not last, anticipate them and build tools to handle them.
Chevrah Kadisha
Burial rituals. Making a person’s death a dignified event is the one truly altruistic act we do in life: We know that the deceased person will never ever be able to “pay” us back. Here is an opportunity to show kindness without expectation of reciprocity.
The words Chevra Kadisha can be translated as “the holy gang” – they are the selfless souls who wash, dress and carry the body and prepare it for burial. Because they never expect “payback”, they can be called a “holy gang”.
One could argue that one could/should take death for granted because it comes to us all. But that is not the point: So many millions die in an unholy way: murdered, bombed, nuked, killed, starved, killed by AIDS, malaria, malnutrition, poison, chemicals, drugs, burned, gassed, butchered, trampled and knifed. That is certainly not dignified. That is not a human death.
So dying in a honorable way, being buried, missed, prayed for, and remembered on the anniversary (Yahrzeit) of your death is certainly not anything we can take for granted.
Jewish wisdom understands this. And therefore creates rituals around death and remembering the dead to ensure we never forget.
NTAG
(NTAG = Never Take Anything for Granted)
NTAG = an essential element of Jewish Wisdom
In my Shemoneh Esreh work I have stated that I have found the NTAG concept central to that prayer. I tried to make the point that we are asked to recite the Shemoneh Esreh prayer thrice daily to remind ourselves not take anything for granted.
Prayers 3 – 16 – the middle portion of Shemoneh Esreh – make up what’s called the petitionary portion (Bekashah) of the prayer, while the first three prayers are called Shevach (praise) and the last three Hoda’ah (thanksgiving).
We are asked to repeat the recitation because humans otherwise have a tendency to be complacent and think that the gifts that they receive every day always will be there. We are not configured for change and we are not wired to anticipate change. Therefore we tend to “think” that all that we have now, material wealth, health, friends, family, will always be there and thus we start taking them for granted.
Jewish Wisdom said: We need to build a flashing road sign that will remind us that these things don’t last forever stave off conceit.
But the concept of NTAG pervades more than just our daily prayer. NTAG is a central concept in many other areas and the following is an outline of some of them.
1. NTAG in Kosher – Why we choose what we eat;
2. NTAG in Shabbat – the blessings of the Seventh Day;
3. NTAG in Ritual – Brith Mila, Mikvah, Bar & Bat Mitzvah, Chupah, and Chevra Kadisha;
4. NTAG in History – the story of the People and Never Take Israel for Granted;
5. NTAG in Nature – why Jewish Wisdom treasures the earth;
6. NTAG in Charity – Jewish wisdom and loving-kindness;
7. NTAG in Shemoneh Esreh – the center piece of acknowledgment;
1. NTAG in kosher -
For those of us who have enough food to eat every day, having this privilege can easily be taken for granted. Thinking about what we eat, choosing what we eat and don’t eat, is one way to prevent us from taking that “right” for granted.
2. NTAG in Shabbat -
Once upon a time, most people were slaves. A slave’s life could easily be painted in eight short sentences; once the slave baby was born, he was immediately the property of the slave-owner. When he was old enough to work, 4, maybe 5, maybe 10 in some cultures, he started his miserable “professional” life. He worked until he died. Some were stronger and were able to work until they were 20, 30, some even 40. But most died young, very young. The slave didn’t know weeks, months, seasons or years. He worked until he died.
Out of the blue, or more precisely, out of the desert, comes this tribe of former slaves and states something astonishing: There is more to life than work! Even if the Israelites never suggested sick-leave, vacation packages, or retirement plans, they claimed this one thing:
Divide the time into seven day periods and out of each period set aside ONE, just one day for rest. Do whatever else you want, but at least, at the very minimum, reserve one day for “other-than-work”. And, they said, apply this rule to everybody equally: Rich, poor, property owner, slave and even animal;
No wonder then, that this tribe was hated, hunted, heckled, and harassed.
No wonder then, that later incarnations turned into:
• “On the Sabbath, you are not allowed to …….”
• “On the Sabbath, you may not drive….”
• “On the Sabbath, you mustn’t watch TV”
• “On the Sabbath, you cannot do business….”
“This and This and that are forbidden on the Sabbath….”
Talk about missing the point here!
These modern perversions of the original thought so totally miss the point!
3. NTAG in Ritual -
Brith Mila, Mikvah, Bar & Bat Mitzvah, Chupah, and Chevra Kadisha;
Brith Mila = Circumcision. Mikvah = ritual bath, Bar/Bat Mitzvah = confirmation ritual, Chupah = A Jewsih wedding, and Chevra Kadisha = burial ritual.
What do these rituals have in common? They represent a journey from birth to death; from Egypt/Mitzrayim (Heb Mitzrayim = Egypt but also “a narrow place”) to the Promised Land;
We acknowledge that we should not take every step of this journey for granted; How many people rush through life without stopping to think, to appreciate, to smell the roses, to stop in awe of the wonders we pass along the way.
With wonders, I don’t refer to super-natural phenomenon; wonders are just awe-some, in its literal meaning: The sight of a sunrise, the birth of a baby, the colors of a butterfly, the taste of fresh fruit, the smell of lilacs in the spring, the sound of a choir work by Mozart, none of these things are strictly super-natural, they are very much “in nature” – but just the same awesome, and therefore, wonders.
So, the birth of a baby is the first wonder.
How many cultures take this for granted? Not many – actually. Most cultures celebrate the birth of a child and all have their own rituals for doing so. The baptism of a newborn baby in a Christian church leaves no permanent marks on the child.
The Brith Mila - circumcision - makes sure that the birth is never ever forgotten. Modern explanations for this ritual, such as health aspects (which have been used both to argue for and against the practice) and other contemporary outlooks may have a place, but the original intent was – among others – to make sure that the event of your birth was never forgotten and that one needs to be reminded of this wonder on a daily basis. One can argue that the Brith Mila is there to ensure that we Never take Life for Granted.
The Mikvah.
This (ritual bath) is the place primarily used by women in childbearing age. Never take the monthly cycle for granted. The practice of Mikvah acknowledges that this process is volatile and one should be grateful for each completed cycle.
Bar/Bat Mitzvah.
Just like the Israelite tribe that was leaving Egypt, soon after its birth, received the Torah at Mount Sinai, so should the young boy and girl receive the Torah on his or her 13th birthday.
Torah here, in both examples, means learning, teaching, wisdom in these concepts’ widest meanings.
So, the gift of Bar and Bat Mitzvah is an acknowledgment that learning and wisdom should not be taken lightly and certainly not for granted.
Chupah. Wedding canopy
The love between two people is cherished in Jewish wisdom. It is
understood that it is something unique, something irreplaceable, and therefore creates rituals to ensure that we don’t take this lightly. So, you may ask, is divorce frowned upon in Jewish wisdom? Frowned, yes, but not outlawed. In fact, Jewish wisdom realizes that if a marriage ends, which can happen, a set of rituals (called “get”) for handling that situation is also required. So, that we may never take neither marriage nor divorce for granted, we acknowledge our human need for love and our realistic expectation that love may not last, anticipate them and build tools to handle them.
Chevrah Kadisha
Burial rituals. Making a person’s death a dignified event is the one truly altruistic act we do in life: We know that the deceased person will never ever be able to “pay” us back. Here is an opportunity to show kindness without expectation of reciprocity.
The words Chevra Kadisha can be translated as “the holy gang” – they are the selfless souls who wash, dress and carry the body and prepare it for burial. Because they never expect “payback”, they can be called a “holy gang”.
One could argue that one could/should take death for granted because it comes to us all. But that is not the point: So many millions die in an unholy way: murdered, bombed, nuked, killed, starved, killed by AIDS, malaria, malnutrition, poison, chemicals, drugs, burned, gassed, butchered, trampled and knifed. That is certainly not dignified. That is not a human death.
So dying in a honorable way, being buried, missed, prayed for, and remembered on the anniversary (Yahrzeit) of your death is certainly not anything we can take for granted.
Jewish wisdom understands this. And therefore creates rituals around death and remembering the dead to ensure we never forget.
Being an Atheist and Being Jewish - A problem?
Being an Atheist and Being Jewish - A problem?
Not really. Here is why:
Judaism emphasizes "belief" to a much lesser extent than other religions. Jewish Atheists are actually quite common. (see for instance this site). Questioning faith is not a "threat" to Judaism. In Fact, our name, Israel, means "struggle with God".
Judaism is more about your actions than what is in your heart. The old expression "creed versus deed" comes to mind. Many forms of Christianity emphasize faith and belief as central concepts. Creed guides them, while Judaism encourages you to do.
Here is an example:
This is lifted from the information from COEJL, Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life. Visit them here.:
PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT IS A MITZVAH!
Protecting human health and the diversity of life is a value emphasized in Torah, Talmud, and rabbinic literature throughout the ages—beginning with the commandment in Genesis for Adam and Eve to serve and protect the Garden of Eden.
I’m Jewish—why haven’t I ever heard about a connection between Judaism and the environment?
Many Jews haven’t. Despite the richness of Jewish teachings related to our responsibility to protect the environment, few Jews have been introduced to them.
COEJL seeks to expand the contemporary understanding of such Jewish values as tikkun olam (repairing the world) and tzedek (justice) to include the protection of both people and other species from environmental degradation.
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In other words: Do something! Be with it! Be active!
Not really. Here is why:
Judaism emphasizes "belief" to a much lesser extent than other religions. Jewish Atheists are actually quite common. (see for instance this site). Questioning faith is not a "threat" to Judaism. In Fact, our name, Israel, means "struggle with God".
Judaism is more about your actions than what is in your heart. The old expression "creed versus deed" comes to mind. Many forms of Christianity emphasize faith and belief as central concepts. Creed guides them, while Judaism encourages you to do.
Here is an example:
This is lifted from the information from COEJL, Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life. Visit them here.:
PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT IS A MITZVAH!
Protecting human health and the diversity of life is a value emphasized in Torah, Talmud, and rabbinic literature throughout the ages—beginning with the commandment in Genesis for Adam and Eve to serve and protect the Garden of Eden.
I’m Jewish—why haven’t I ever heard about a connection between Judaism and the environment?
Many Jews haven’t. Despite the richness of Jewish teachings related to our responsibility to protect the environment, few Jews have been introduced to them.
COEJL seeks to expand the contemporary understanding of such Jewish values as tikkun olam (repairing the world) and tzedek (justice) to include the protection of both people and other species from environmental degradation.
----------
In other words: Do something! Be with it! Be active!
A man is accepted into a church for what he believes and he is turned out for what he knows.
Mark Twain
No matter who you are, or where you are, there is one simple fact that we all have in common: we all know more atheists than we think we do.
That's because a huge percentage of us are "in the closet" -- hiding our reality-based conclusion out of fear of rejection or reprisals.
Check out this USA Today poll and click on your state.
Now, if we compare this to the PEW research poll (known for leaning toward the right), we get a different picture -- only 5% nationally actually saying there is no god.
The difference is of course in how you phrase the question. Exactly how many of the "no religions" are actually nonreligious and how many of the respondents were afraid to admit their rationality and called themselves religious?
These are tough variables, but we can use these reports as good upper and lower-bound measurements. If the Pew folks are right, there are 15 Million Atheists in America.
If the USA Today polls are right, the number is closer to 50 million.
Both numbers far outweigh all non-Christians combined, and then doubled.
Atheist? You've got company.
A FREE Lecture series
I offer a (free) lecture series.
They are updated versions of lectures I have given in the past.
From 2005 - About Shemoneh Esreh (The Amidah) the central portion of all Jewish Services. This lecture tells you about how this 19 part prayer came to be, contemporary interpretations and offer some personal understanding of the meaning of this thrice daily read prayer.
From 2008 - Who Wrote the Bible Down? A scientific approach to how the Bible, as we know it today, came to be. The history of the creation of the Torah is fascinating and has a lot to teach us today. Regardless of where you are, theologically, this lecture hopefully will enhance your insights into the most read book ever.
If you want to schedule a lecture, please contact me at here
They are updated versions of lectures I have given in the past.
From 2005 - About Shemoneh Esreh (The Amidah) the central portion of all Jewish Services. This lecture tells you about how this 19 part prayer came to be, contemporary interpretations and offer some personal understanding of the meaning of this thrice daily read prayer.
From 2008 - Who Wrote the Bible Down? A scientific approach to how the Bible, as we know it today, came to be. The history of the creation of the Torah is fascinating and has a lot to teach us today. Regardless of where you are, theologically, this lecture hopefully will enhance your insights into the most read book ever.
If you want to schedule a lecture, please contact me at here
The more you learn.............
The more you learn about a specific topic,
the more you realize how little you know.
If this is true, which it is, the opposite is also true: The less you know about that topic, the more you believe you know 'everything' about it!
That is the root of all prejudice. Think about it! Let's say you live ion area where there are a few people of a certain ethnicity. You hear of one person from that group and find out he is an alcoholic. And that's the ONLY thing you know. It is very easy to say: This guy is an alcoholic. This guy belongs to the ethnic group X. Ergo, people of this ethnic group are all alcoholics!
That's what's causing prejudice.
Education - learning - is the only weapon!
the more you realize how little you know.
If this is true, which it is, the opposite is also true: The less you know about that topic, the more you believe you know 'everything' about it!
That is the root of all prejudice. Think about it! Let's say you live ion area where there are a few people of a certain ethnicity. You hear of one person from that group and find out he is an alcoholic. And that's the ONLY thing you know. It is very easy to say: This guy is an alcoholic. This guy belongs to the ethnic group X. Ergo, people of this ethnic group are all alcoholics!
That's what's causing prejudice.
Education - learning - is the only weapon!
Learn More! (NOT LESS!) - Read an excerpt!
Are you a person with integrity? Do you consider yourself as a person who is intellectually honest and do you have an inquisitive curiosity?
If you do, this book is for you.
It is like in this country, that people who are NOT believers (in that which has no evidence) are like gay people were in the 80's and 90's: In the closet, willing to come out but still scared, and much more numerous than previously thought. If you are open-minded, this is the book to read. It was a New York Times Bestseller Book and has received much acclaim. Strongly recommended. Read an excerpt here!
Explanation of why so many civilian have died.
Please view this 1 minute and 51 seconds long video. I think you'll understand better why so many civilians have been killed. Click here!
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Picture taken at the end of September. This is the environmentally correct way to transport, it is the Segway.
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I am reading (for the third time….) this very interesting book. Here is a quote from it, which that made me think of you: The human brain r...
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"Proud, Happy, and Thankful to be Jewish.” “I am a Jew because my faith deman...
