Torah Reading :
Exodus 6:2 - 9:35
HaftarahReading
Haftarah
Dedications and this week’s calendar are below.
For more information about our community, visit: http://bethmeier.org/
Please feel free to pass this on to a friend,
and please cite the source.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cholesterol of the Soul
“And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart ...” Exodus
7:3
The notion that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart
raises great difficulty. What does this say about free will? Rabbi
Yochanan asked, “Doesn’t this provide heretics with ground for arguing that he
had no means of repenting?” If God caused Pharaoh to refuse to let the Israelites
go, if he foreclosed Pharaoh from repentance, if everything is preordained,
then how can anyone be held accountable for their actions? To paraphrase
Abraham, how can God, the judge of all the world, then claim to be acting
justly?
For the first five plagues, “Pharaoh’s heart
hardened” - he chose to act as he did. But for the last five plagues, “God
hardened Pharaoh’s heart”. In the Midrash, Resh Lakish says, “Let the
mouths of the heretics be stopped up. ‘If to scorners, He will scorn.’
(Proverbs 3:34) When God warns a man once, twice, even three times, and
still he does not repent, then God closes his heart against repentance so that
He should exact vengeance from him for his sins.” Still, why does God
harden Pharaoh’s heart at all? Or does He?
Interestingly, in the Talmud, Resh Lakish gives
a different and more satisfying answer. He says, “What is the meaning of
‘If to scorners, he will scorn; and to the meek he gives favor’? If he
tries to defile himself, he is given an opening; if he tries to purify himself,
he is helped.” Note the lower case here. Not God, but man. If we
turn to scorners, we will scorn. If we turn to the meek, we give ourselves
favor. We always have the choice to open our hearts and souls or harden
them to the cries of others. If we choose evil, God passively leaves
openings, which we can choose to enter - or not. If we choose time and
again to harden our souls, it becomes more and more difficult for us to change
our ways. But the difficult is not impossible. Because, says Resh Lakish,
if we choose goodness, God affirmatively helps us.
Unclog the arteries of your soul, and heed the
cries of those in need.
Shabbat Shalom v'Chodesh Tov.
Visit me on Facebook
"For the sake of Zion
I will not be silent; for the sake of Jerusalem
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Candle lighting: 4:33 pm
Friday: Shabbat Evening Service – 8:00 pm.
Come on down for a joyful way to bring in Shabbat! Oneg Shabbat follows.
Saturday: Shabbat Morning Service – 10:00 am.
Kiddush lunch follows.
Sunday: NO Religious School
Tuesday: NO Lunch and Learn this week.
Wednesday: Beth Meier office closed – Happy New
Year! NO (Re)Introduction to Judaism class – next meeting is January 8.
Thursday: Rosh Chodesh Shevat.
Sunday, January 12th: Tu B'Shevat Seder at
10:00 am for the Religious
School
This d’var torah is offered in honor of my
wonderful wife, Lynn Kronzek, who has been putting up with me for 33 years.
Happy Anniversary, my dear!
This d’var torah is offered in honor of Rachel
and Gil Robbins on the occasion of their wedding anniversary. Mazal tov!
This d'var torah is offered for a refuah
shleimah for Blimah Reizel bat Ruchel, Dina bat Sarah Emanu, Dov Nechemya
Hakohen ben Rachel Chaya Sarah, Miriam Minya bat Alisa Batya, Eve Beatty, John
Todd Brosky, Jo Cardona, Howard Ehrlich, Joshua Erenmark, Jerry Forman, Pamela
Huddleston, Rose Jordan, Lizzie Legnine, Gloria Loera, Frank Marcovitz, Barney
Meskin, Marshall Neiman, Colleen Pierce (Chaya Shoshanah bat Sarah Emanu), Phil
Raider 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 by
e-mail from the Cyber Torah list.
Cyber Torah list management (no salesman will
call!):
To subscribe to Cyber Torah, send an e-mail
with the subject heading “Subscribe Cyber Torah” to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net
Send requests for dedications of Cyber Torah in
honor of a simchah, in memory of a loved one or for a refuah shleimah to: mailto:ravflom@sbcglobal.net
