Parashat Ki Tissa (Shabbat Parah)
Adar 22, 5781 / March 5-6, 2021
Torah: Exodus 30:11 - 34:35
Adar 22, 5781 / March 5-6, 2021
Torah: Exodus 30:11 - 34:35
Maftir (Parah): Numbers 19:1-22
Haftarah (Parah): Ezekiel 36:16-38
Haftarah (Parah): Ezekiel 36:16-38
This d'var torah is offered in honor of my mother, Annabelle Flom, celebrating her 90th (!) birthday on Thursday. Happy Birthday, Mom! Ad me'ah v'esrim!
Candle-lighting: 5:34 PM PST - Sherman Oaks, CA
Our Refuah Shleimah/Prayer for Healing List can be found at:
If you would like to have a name added or removed from this Refuah Shleimah/Prayer for Healing list, please write to me at: ravflom@sbcglobal.net
This week's Yahrzeit List can be found at:
All our services and programs are available at:
https://www.facebook.com/BnaiHayim
https://www.facebook.com/BnaiHayim
Please feel free to pass this on to a friend, and please cite the source.
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WE MIGHT NOT BE PERFECT...
‘The LORD spoke to Moses, "Go, get down; for your people
have corrupted themselves, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt!”’
Exodus 32:7
In his midrashic commentary in Humash Etz Hayim on this
verse, Rabbi Harold Kushner, z’l says that the words “your people” not only
minimize God’s relationship to them, they emphasize Moses’ close relationship to
them. He then cites the Mekhilta d’Rebbi Yishmael (Shirata 1) as teaching the
following: “Moses devoted his life to three things – the Torah, the people
Israel, and the pursuit of justice.”
This brings to mind the teaching of Shimon HaTzaddik: "The world
stands on three things: On the Torah, on service to (or worship of) God, and on
deeds of lovingkindness." (Pirkei Avot 1:2) This Mishnah from Avot is so
well known that it’s become a song that most Jews learn and sing in religious
school and the synagogue. But the teaching from the Mekhilta? Not so much.
I’m not proposing that we set the Mekhilta to music. But
I do believe that Moses’ life’s devotions should be incorporated with the teaching
of Shimon HaTzaddik to give us the following: The Jewish world depends on Jews
committed to Torah, service to God, the Jewish people, justice, and lovingkindness.
All we can do is try to do the best we can to the best of
our abilities. We might not always be able to fulfill our commitments, but that
does not mean we have failed or that we are corrupt beyond redemption. Because
another thing that Rabbi Kushner teaches about this week’s Torah reading, in
the Maftir for Shabbat Parah, is that the sacrifice of the unblemished, perfect
Red Heifer implies “that perfection does not belong in this world…; this world
is given to the inevitably flawed and compromised.” That’s us. But we can make
our world a better place by striving to improve ourselves.
I wish you Shabbat Shalom Uv’rakhah – A Shabbat of Peace and Blessing.
Rabbi Richard A. Flom
TBH/CBM
הַלּוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם ?אֵיזֶהוּ חָכָם
Who is wise? The one who learns from every person.
Ben Zoma - Pirkei Avot 4:1
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UPCOMING EVENTS AND OTHER USEFUL INFO!
Pesach Resources are available at:
https://rav-rich.blogspot.com/2021/03/pesachresources-5781-pandemic-edition.html
All our services and programs are available at:
Cool Shabbat Evening Service with Steve Pearlman and Rabbi Flom this Friday at 6:30 PM.
Shabbat Morning Live! Service with Reb Jason and Rabbi Flom this Saturday at 10:00 AM.
Religious School this Sunday at 9:00 am.
Downloadable and printable Siddur for Kabbalat Shabbat, Shabbat/Festival Ma'ariv, Shabbat/Festival Morning, and more, including the weekly Parashah and Haftarah, all available at:
Fill out the form - the download is free.
David Silon’s on-going class “Jewish History” meets Sunday at 11:00 am.
Join us every Tuesday at 12:30 pm for Lunch and Learn, a 60-90 minute study session. We're learning Hasidic and classic teachings on the weekly parashah.
Some excellent on-line Jewish resources are available at:
You can subscribe to the Conservative Yeshiva’s weekly Torah Sparks via email here:
Cyber Torah list management (no salesman will call!):
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