July-August 2010 Rabbinic Reflection
In our everyday life, we do our best to remember the important birthdays, anniversaries, yahrzeits and celebrations of family and friends scheduled even months from now. We record important dates in our date book or file them in our personal electronic devices we carry around each day. We make every attempt to send cards or call family members or attend services to say Kaddish when the significant day arrives each year. How often am I asked the simple question: “Rabbi, when does Rosh Hashanah begin this year?” I give the same answer every time I am asked: The first of Tishri as it does every year. But, the person who asked me the question wants to know when will it occur according to the solar calendar, which guides our secular life. We know that the solar calendar has twelve months and every four years an additional day is added at the end of February. However, the lunar calendar has twelve months as well; but seven times every nineteen years an additional month is added, known as Adar II. Thus, the lunar calendar is either several weeks ahead or behind the solar calendar, and only after a nineteen-year cycle do they become the same. For Jews, some of us have difficulties knowing when commemorate the yahrzeit of a mother, father, sister, brother, son, daughter or spouse. I must admit that the issue becomes more difficult as some observe the anniversary of a family member’s death according to the solar calendar while others on the lunar date. My mother-in-law died five days before Rosh Hashanah and my father-in-law three days after Yom Kippur. Thus, the solar dates while significant are not the dates that Carol observes for her parents; but her sister follows the lunar date. The lunar date each year has much more significance with its proximity to the High Holidays. Carol and I were in New York, celebrating a special birthday with a dear friend when we received the news that my mother had taken a sudden turn for the worse. Her death coincides with our friend’s birthday so while the Hebrew date is important; we light the yahrzeit candle on the solar date, which has double significance for us. Each of you can determine when your loved ones should be remembered. The custom at Beth Israel is to commemorate the anniversary of our loved ones on the Friday before the actual remembrance so our members are reminded ahead of the actual anniversary. In Reform Judaism each person can decide when to commemorate the anniversary of a loved one. Enjoy your summer, as Rosh Hashanah will be early this year, beginning on the evening of September 8th. Dr. Jonathan V. Plaut Rabbi
June 2010 Rabbinic Reflection
The number forty is mentioned quite often in Jewish tradition. In the Bible, our forefathers wandered in the wilderness for forty years; and during the time of Noah a flood rained upon the earth for forty days and forty nights. When Moses went to receive the Ten Commandments he promised the children of Israel he would return after forty days. When Moses sent out the spies, Joshua and Caleb searched out the Promised Land for forty days. Isaac was forty when he married Rebekah; and Esau was forty when he married Judith. The Israelites ate manna for forty years…until they reached the border of Canaan. In the Sayings of the Fathers, it mentions age at various stages when it says:…”twenty for pursuing (a calling), at thirty for authority; at forty for discernment, at fifty for counsel; at sixty for mature age….” So forty was a special number in Biblical times and also is mentioned in the Mishnah. On June 5th it will be exactly forty years since Nelson Glueck, the President of the Hebrew Union College, ordained me as a rabbi, with my father standing only a few feet away from him. In my father’s autobiography, Unfinished Business, he wrote about that moment. “The emotion of the moment almost overcame me. Parents invest so much of themselves in their children, yet they are rarely aware of the intensity of their involvement. Once in a while all the years---or rather all the days and nights----coalesce and are felt in a single moment. This was one of them. I felt as if my soul was detached from my body. I tried to recollect the sentiments of my own ordination. Then suddenly it was over…..and our son was now a rabbi.” The memory of that special moment seems more like yesterday than forty years ago. These years of congregational service have been most rewarding and it is hard to believe that at the end of September, I will have served Temple Beth Israel for a quarter of my rabbinic life. I have been fortunate that what will certainly be the conclusion of my rabbinic service has been with this congregation, noted for its warmth, commitment and caring. Dr. Jonathan V. Plaut Rabbi
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May 2010 Rabbinic Reflection
The Torah says, “you shall count from this day following the day of rest….seven full weeks shall be counted.” (Leviticus 23:15-16). Orthodox and Conservative Jews count the forty-nine days beginning with the second evening of Passover for the full seven weeks, which then ushers in the festival of Shavuot. The counting of each day becomes part of the blessings made during daily prayers. The thirty-third day of the daily counting is a special day of rejoicing because tradition tells us the Rabbi Akiva’s pupils were spared from a plague. While Reform Jews do not count the forty-nine days, the tradition of counting from Passover to the giving of the Ten Commandments instructs us about the importance of making each day count. Rabbi Sidney Greenberg tells a wonderful story that helps to illustrate the importance of making each day truly count. “ A highly charged executive, we are told, wanted to inspire his employees to be prompt in discharging their duties and completing their assigned tasks. So all around his office and factory, he placed a number of large signs reading: ‘Do It Now!’ The results, unhappily, were scarcely what he had hoped for. Within two weeks his cashier disappeared with some $ 10,000; his head bookkeeper left town with his most efficient secretary; every office worker asked for a raise; the factory people called a strike; and the office boy joined the Marines.” So many of us work looking at the future and forget the day that has been given to us. It is so easy to wait for the children to grow up and become independent; to wait for the mortgage to be paid off; to delay leisure and become consumed instead with work; and then we discover that we have missed living in the moment and life has passed us by. The Psalmist says, “Teach us to count our days so that we may acquire a heart of wisdom.” Spring has finally arrived and the summer is not far behind. While we do not count the seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot, Reform Jews can learn something quite significant about how to live our lives. While we have no children being confirmed this year, Jews will observe the holiday of Shavuot beginning on the evening of May 18th. Hag Samach! Dr. Jonathan V. Plaut Rabbi
April 2010 Rabbinic Reflection
About a month ago, Israel’s air force introduced a new fleet of huge planes that are capable of remaining in the air for nearly twenty-four hours and can fly as far as the Persian Gulf, thus putting Iran in range. But, these aircraft are different---they fly unmanned. These aircraft are the size of the big Boeing passenger planes and are primarily used for surveillance, but they can also carry diverse payloads when necessary. The drones can fly higher than Israel’s predecessor, the Heron, and has the capability to reach altitudes of more than 40,000 feet. According to a story from ABC News, Brig. Gen Amikam Norkin, the commander of the base that will operate the drones said, "With the inauguration of the Heron TP, we are realizing the air force's dream," he said. "The Heron TP is a technological and operational breakthrough." Refusing to elaborate on the number of drones, the commander of Israel's air force, Maj. Gen. Ido Nehushtan said the aircraft "has the potential to be able to conduct new missions down the line as they become relevant." In addition to surveillance, the drones can jam enemy communications, connect ground control, attack targets with guided missiles and reduce the potential of an effective bombing campaign against Israel. The drones can give the soldiers on the ground eyes in the sky as it sends information to troops about future obstacles. Most of all, the drones can fly over a larger area and do so on a continuing basis. The military says the huge new drone will give an added element to Israel's ability to control its borders. Israel is considered a world leader in drone technology, exporting these unmanned drones to the United States. It is interesting that just recently; Russia purchased drones from Israel valued at approximately $49 million. This new technology Israel unveiled has special meaning. On April eleventh Jews will commemorate Yom Ha-Shoah also known as Holocaust Remembrance Day. Thus, each year Jews memorialize the lives and heroism of those who died in the Holocaust between 1933 and 1945 by lighting candles and reciting the Kaddishprayer. Hopefully, the Heron TP flying over Israel’s territory and beyond will enhance the safety and security of Jews everywhere. On a personal note, I want to thank Dr. Cathy Glick, Jackie Liebowitz, Bunee Morrison, Nancy Demeter, Ellie Berman, Rose Morrison and David Frank who led adult education classes during my absence. I am pleased that they were all received so warmly; and the messages they shared were both informative and helpful. Dr. Jonathan V. Plaut Rabbi
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