YOU’VE COME A LONG WAY! OR HAVE YOU?

23 Sivan 5777 / June 16-17 2017

Parashat Sh’lach Lekha

Torah: Numbers 13:1-15:41

Haftarah: Joshua 2:1-24

Dedications and calendar follow below. For complete listings and lots of other information about our community, see our web site at: http://www.bethmeier.org/

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YOU’VE COME A LONG WAY! OR HAVE YOU?

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: "Send for yourself men to scout out the Land of Canaan that I give to the Israelites; send one man from each of the ancestral tribes, each man a prince." Moses sent them from the Wilderness of Paran at the word of God; all of them heads of the Israelites. Numbers 13:1-3

Rashi: Why does God say "send for yourself" and not simply "send"? "I am not commanding you - if you want, you may send."

Rabbi Ephraim of Lunshitz (1550 - 1619), author of the noted commentary Klei Yakar, takes Rashi one step further, and questions another word. He asks, why doesn't God want Moses to send "men"? He recalls the Rabbinic teaching that the Israelite men despised the Land, and wanted to return to Egypt. But the Israelite women loved the Land so much, their demand for an inheritance led to a change in the law as it was understood at that time (the daughters of Tzeloph'chad - Numbers 27). And because God knew what was going to happen (the spies would spread fear among the Israelites), He would have preferred that Moses send women. The women would have kept better faith with God, and not spread lies about the Land.

Historically, Jewish women were denied the right to observe many of the mitzvot, such as tallit and tefillin, or to engage in many Jewish rites of passage, like b'nai mitzvah. At the same time, as we see here, there was a strong undercurrent of Rabbinic teaching regarding the spiritual superiority and commitment of Jewish women.

The Torah, and all Jewish learning, is more of an open book than ever. There are a larger number of Jewish learning opportunities, more diverse in scope, than ever before. Jewish learning is for everyone, not a limited number of yeshivah bochers. How ironic it is, then, that now that more Jews than ever are free to practice Judaism without fear or hardship, a diminishing percentage of Jews (men and women) are taking advantage of these opportunities. In truth, like the Land of Israel, the landscape of modern Judaism indeed flows with milk and honey. Spy out the land, eat of its fruit, and be satisfied!

Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi Richard A. Flom

Congregation Beth Meier

Studio City, CA

http://bethmeier.org

Blogging at: http://rav-rich.blogspot.com

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Twitter: @DrahcirMolf

"From the place where we are absolutely right, flowers will never grow in the spring."

"מן המקום שבו אנו צודקים לא יצמחו לעולם פרחים באביב"

Yehuda Amichai

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Candle lighting: 7:48 pm

Friday – Shabbat Evening Service – 8:00 pm. Oneg Shabbat follows.

Saturday – Shabbat Morning Service – 10:00 am. Kiddush luncheon follows.

Tuesday – Lunch and Learn – 12:00 noon.

Friday, June 23 – Shabbat Evening Service – 8:00 pm. Oneg Shabbat follows.

Saturday, June 24 – Temple B’nai Hayim Women’s Rosh Chodesh Shabbat Morning Service. All women-led service – leyning, aliyot, other readings available. Contact Carol Herskowitz at (818) 708-1906 for details. Men, be there too‼ We will not have a separate service at Beth Meier on this date – we’ll be at B’nai Hayim!

This d'var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for Avi Shmuel Yosef Hakohen ben Bella, Yaakov Rani Ben Margalit, Sarah bat Devorah, Susan Arbetman, Ken Bitticks, Elsbet Brosky (Serach bat Miriam), Jerry Daniels, Bryon Fendrich (Berel ben Chanah), Maya Fersht (Maya bat Esther), Dr. Samuel Fersht (Shmuel Natan ben Gittel), Leonard Foint (Eliezer Moshe ben Esther), Jerry Forman, Myra Goodman, Simon Hartman, Dena Kosche (Dena bat Sarah Emanu), Philip Kovac, Tonya Kronzek (Zlata Malkah bat Sarah Emanu), Toni Linder, Deborah Schugar Strauss (Devorah bat Chaya Feiga), and Helen Schugar (Chaya Feiga bat Kreina).

Please let me know if there is anyone you would like to add to this list or if there is anyone who may be removed from this list.

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To dedicate a Cyber Torah in honor of a simchah in memory of a loved one or for a refuah shleimah, send an e-mail to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net with the heading “Dedicate Cyber Torah” and provide details in the message body.