8 Cheshvan 5774 / 11-12 October 2013
Torah: Genesis 12:1 – 17:27
Haftarah: Isaiah 40:27 – 41:16
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The New Land
"And the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your land and your birthplace and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make you a great nation and I will bless you and I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.’" Genesis 12:1-2
Rashi: God did not immediately reveal the land to Abram, in order to make it beloved in his eyes, and to give him a reward for each and every word. Similarly, … (at Genesis 22:2) "on one of the mountains that I will tell you about."
In his book "Genesis – Translation and Commentary", author and literary critic Robert Alter writes, "The name Canaan is never mentioned, and the divine imperative to head out for an unspecified place resembles, as Rashi observes, God’s terrible call to Abraham in chapter 22 to sacrifice his son on a mountain God will show him."
This is how it is with Israel today in its search for peace. Israelis and Palestinians, all descendants of Abraham, are in the psychological "land" of their ancestors, a land we might name "conflict and terror". The "new land" of peace is seemingly distant, its exact parameters unknown. Yitzchak Rabin, z"l, a former general, a man of war, heard the call to go to that new land, and he sacrificed his life in answering that call. Five years later, Ehud Barak’s government fell because the Palestinians refused to heed the call.
Thousands of people have died because the call for peace has been drowned out by other calls for death and destruction. Israelis will have to give up the notion that they can indefinitely subjugate an occupied population that may soon outnumber them. Israelis will have to make other sacrifices in order to reach the new land. So will the Palestinians. They must give up their generations of hatred and the unrealistic, impossible goal of "return" within all of the present state of Israel. If the physical land is not divided between them, with each making the necessary political sacrifices, the psycho-spiritual land of peace will never be reached, and the physical sacrifices of their children will continue.
Only by going forward to the new land, together, will these peoples be truly blessed.
"And the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your land and your birthplace and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make you a great nation and I will bless you and I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.’" Genesis 12:1-2
Rashi: God did not immediately reveal the land to Abram, in order to make it beloved in his eyes, and to give him a reward for each and every word. Similarly, … (at Genesis 22:2) "on one of the mountains that I will tell you about."
In his book "Genesis – Translation and Commentary", author and literary critic Robert Alter writes, "The name Canaan is never mentioned, and the divine imperative to head out for an unspecified place resembles, as Rashi observes, God’s terrible call to Abraham in chapter 22 to sacrifice his son on a mountain God will show him."
This is how it is with Israel today in its search for peace. Israelis and Palestinians, all descendants of Abraham, are in the psychological "land" of their ancestors, a land we might name "conflict and terror". The "new land" of peace is seemingly distant, its exact parameters unknown. Yitzchak Rabin, z"l, a former general, a man of war, heard the call to go to that new land, and he sacrificed his life in answering that call. Five years later, Ehud Barak’s government fell because the Palestinians refused to heed the call.
Thousands of people have died because the call for peace has been drowned out by other calls for death and destruction. Israelis will have to give up the notion that they can indefinitely subjugate an occupied population that may soon outnumber them. Israelis will have to make other sacrifices in order to reach the new land. So will the Palestinians. They must give up their generations of hatred and the unrealistic, impossible goal of "return" within all of the present state of Israel. If the physical land is not divided between them, with each making the necessary political sacrifices, the psycho-spiritual land of peace will never be reached, and the physical sacrifices of their children will continue.
Only by going forward to the new land, together, will these peoples be truly blessed.
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Richard A. Flom
Congregation Beth Meier
Studio City, CA
http://www.bethmeier.org
Visit me on Facebook
Congregation Beth Meier
Studio City, CA
http://www.bethmeier.org
Visit me on Facebook
"For the sake of Zion I will not be silent; for the sake of Jerusalem I will not be still." Isaiah 62:1
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Candlelighting: 6:05 pm
Friday: Shabbat Evening Family Service – 7:30pm. Join us for singing, blessings and Oneg Shabbat!
Saturday: Shabbat Morning Service – 10:00 am.
Sunday: Religious School – 9:30 am.
Tuesday: Lunch and Learn – 12:00 noon.
Adult Education News
Lynda Foster and Deb Sigel will be teaching Introductory Hebrew on Sunday mornings, beginning October 20, at 10:00 am.
Rabbi Flom’s (Re)Introduction to Judaism class will meet on 20-22 Wednesday evenings, at 7:30 pm, beginning October 16, through May. The first meeting is organizational in nature, to discuss curriculum, order books, and plan a field trip. Schedule, curriculum and reading list will be posted on my blog and on the synagogue website Sunday. (Note change in starting date and day of week)
Ralphs Community Contributions
For all people who shop at Ralphs, please register your Ralphs card at www.ralphs.com, click on Community Contributions. Ralphs donates a percentage of the amount you spend shopping for your groceries. It is an easy way to contribute to Beth Meier. Tell your friends and family to sign up, as well. Thanks for you help.
USS Iowa
Beth Meier is planning a tour of the USS Iowa, a retired battleship docked in San Pedro harbor. The trip will be Sunday, October 27, departing by carpool from the synagogue at 12:30 pm. Contact Rabbi Flom or Ken Chambers for more information.
Los Angeles Clippers Jewish Community Day
Congregation Beth Meier will again this year be going to the Clippers game on Sunday, December 1 to celebrate Chanukah. Everyone interested in purchasing a ticket needs to contact the office for further information. We have set a deadline of October 29 to purchase the group tickets from our office.
Trip to Israel
Please watch for an organizational meeting the first week of November to plan our trip to Israel. Notices will be in the synagogue as well as in our weekly Bulletins. Everyone is welcome to help plan and go on this trip.
Don't forget to bring non-perishable food items (no glass) for SOVA the next time you come to Beth Meier.
This d'var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah for Boaz ben Dina, Dov Nechemya Hakohen ben Rachel Chaya Sarah, Meyta Zlata bat Leah, Miriam Minya bat Alisa Batya, Eve Beatty, Howard Ehrlich, Joshua Erenmark, Jerry Forman, Pamela Huddleston, Rose Jordan, Frank Marcovitz, Phil Raider, Gil Robbins, and Rachel Robbins.
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.
My weekly divrei torah are also available from the Cyber Torah list.
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To subscribe to Cyber Torah, send an e-mail with the subject heading “Subscribe Cyber Torah” to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net
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Send requests for dedications of Cyber Torah in honor of a simchah, in memory of a loved one or for a refuah shleimah to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net
