Rav Rich's Lil' Ol' Blog: June 2021

Thursday, June 24, 2021

A MEANINGFUL LIFE, A RIGHTEOUS DEATH

Parashat Balak

Torah: Numbers 22:2 - 25:9
Haftarah: Micah 5:6 - 6:8

Tammuz 16, 5782 / June 25-26, 2021

Candle lighting: 7:50 PM

Fast of Tammuz on Sunday - 4:12 AM - 8:31 PM

This Shabbat will be my last service on the bimah as rabbi and spiritual leader of Temple B'nai Hayim/Congregation Beth Meier as I become Rabbi Emeritus. I will continue to send weekly Cyber Torah to everyone on my list - and more subscribers are welcome. Our new/old rabbi, Rabbi Jason Van Leeuwen (Reb Jason), has kindly asked that I continue submitting my Cyber Torah for the synagogue's weekly mailings, as I have for years. However, there will be NO Cyber Torah next week while we take our months-delayed 40th anniversary trip.

For a real treat, send an email to bnaihayim@yahoo.com and ask to be put on the synagogue's Constant Contact email list - you'll receive Reb Jason's weekly d'var torah and a link to my Cyber Torah as well as full details on all our programs and services.

More info about our services and programs follows below this d'var torah. And even more info about our community is available at our website:

https://bnaihayim.org

Please feel free to pass this on to a friend, and please cite the source.
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AN EASY DEATH, AN EASY LIFE

"Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his." Numbers 23:10

Try as he might, Bil'am the sorcerer is unable to curse Israel - he is only able to give blessings. One might say the ultimate blessing that he offers is the request that he die the death of a righteous Jew.

The Chofetz Chaim makes an interesting observation on Bil'am's statement. He says Bil'am wanted merely to die like the righteous, but not to live like the righteous. Living a committed Jewish life is not easy, he says; there are so many commandments and customs that restrict the believing Jew, 24/7. "This is permitted; that is forbidden." But death for the believing Jew, he teaches, is only a crossing over from temporary life to eternal life. For one who believes in the eternity of the soul and reward and punishment, death is not frightening. Hence, Bil'am wanted to die as a believing Jew. That's no great accomplishment, says the Chofetz Chaim. The real challenge is to live a proper, committed Jewish life.

Far too many of us, I'm sorry to say, take the Chofetz Chaim at his word - "shver tzu sein a Yid" - "it's tough to be a Jew". What is left unsaid is that it is also wonderful, if not downright awesome, to be a Jew and live a life of fulfillment! Reflect on the significance of observing any particular mitzvah, and consider that the entire system enables one to constantly join with the Divine. As well, we should recognize that not only are we all in need of self-improvement, but that practicing Judaism helps us achieve that goal! Yes, it requires learning and commitment, but that's a small price to pay for a cosmic connection and a life of meaning!

Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi Richard A. Flom
Temple B'nai Hayim/Congregation Beth Meier
Visit me on Facebook
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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Kabbalat Shabbat Evening Service with Reb Jason and Rabbi Flom Friday at 6:30 PM via Zoom and Facebook ONLY. NO Shabbat Evening services in the sanctuary until further notice.

Shabbat Morning Service with Reb Jason and Rabbi Flom Saturday at 9:30 AM
IN THE SANCTUARY and via Zoom and Facebook. ***See note***

*****************************

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE AT SERVICES AND PROGRAMS

ALL ATTENDEES MUST:
PRESENT PROOF OF COMPLETE COVID-19 VACCINATION AT THE DOOR;
SIGN THE VACCINE REGISTRY LINKED BELOW IN ADVANCE;
MASKS ENCOURAGED BUT NOT REQUIRED

Vaccine Registration link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdFFxLO26XiejbcROJXY2eCaC7K7wZYgJzRe4PO3smAOaN3cg/viewform

*****************************

All our services and programs are live-streamed at:
https://www.facebook.com/BnaiHayim

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: https://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/form-download-e-siddur-0

Fill out the form - the download is free.

David Silon’s on-going class on Israel meets Sunday at 11:00 AM. Zoom and Facebook only.

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. Zoom and Facebook only. NO LUNCH AND LEARN JUNE 29 OR JULY 6 WHILE RABBI FLOM IS ON VACATION. RESUME JULY 13.

Our Refuah Shleimah/Prayer for Healing List can be found at:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iT0tdp45ITSU6o1tykah41m3IXBxBwLxe8FORSIXzDo/edit?usp=sharing

If you would like to have a name added to 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:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IvKK6of7m1YFiwWATXCfQXrBrjmLMfS_CAM3WhZ_fu4/edit?usp=sharing

Cyber Torah list management:
To subscribe to Cyber Torah, and receive Cyber Torah every week in your mailbox, 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: ravflom@sbcglobal.net
To unsubscribe from Cyber Torah, send an e-mail with the subject heading “Unsubscribe Cyber Torah” to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net

Thursday, June 17, 2021

THE PERFECT SACRIFICE

Parashat Chukkat

Tammuz 9, 5781 / June 18-19, 2021
Torah: Numbers 19:1 - 22:1
Haftarah: Judges 11:1-33

This d'var torah is offered in honor of all those who made the Rabbi Flom Gala happen this past Sunday - organizers, volunteers, donors, attendees, staff - I am eternally grateful to all of you!

*****************************
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE AT SERVICES AND PROGRAMS

WE'VE OPENED UP!

Don't worry. You can still Zoom in or attend via Facebook if you're not fully vaccinated as of June 4, or just feel like waiting a bit longer.

ALL ATTENDEES MUST:
PRESENT PROOF OF VACCINATION AT THE DOOR;
SIGN THE VACCINE REGISTRY LINKED BELOW IN ADVANCE;
MASKS ENCOURAGED BUT NOT REQUIRED

Vaccine Registration link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdFFxLO26XiejbcROJXY2eCaC7K7wZYgJzRe4PO3smAOaN3cg/viewform

*****************************

More info about our services and programs follows below this d'var torah. And even more info about our community is available at our website:
https://bnaihayim.org

Please feel free to pass this on, and please cite the source.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

PERFECT SACRIFICE

And the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, "This is the chok of the Torah which the Lord has commanded, saying, ‘Speak to the Children of Israel, that they bring you a red heifer without spot, which has no blemish, and upon which there has never been a yoke.'" Numbers 19:1-2

The Rabbis teach that a "chok" is a law in the Torah for which there is no rational explanation. And yet, Jews have struggled for millennia to make sense of this chok especially, for we might read this verse as, "this is THE VERY ULTIMATE chok of the Torah".

How could the offering of a perfect red heifer, and the scattering of its ashes on someone who is ritually impure, make that person ritually pure? How does the ritual of the red heifer actually function? And, what does it mean for us today?

I have read many attempts at rationalizing this ritual, and I am not about to try to formulate my own explanation. Rabbi Harold Kushner, in Chumash Etz Hayim, suggests the following, from a modern commentator whom he does not name. He says that the ritual serves a vital psychological purpose. For one who is burdened by a sense of wrongdoing, who feels spiritually impure, we offer up to God a perfect animal, as if to say that perfection has no place in this world - it cannot exist in this world.

What a relief! Let's expand on that. We know intuitively that we are not perfect, and that we cannot become so. (And we have all sorts of not nice ways to describe someone who thinks they are perfect!) But we also know that very often we try or are pressured to achieve perfection. When we fall short of that goal, when we feel impure and guilty, we can offer up, we can sacrifice the very idea that we can be perfect. We can destroy that notion, take up the ashes and scatter them, and re-establish our sense of wellbeing.

It is true that we are instructed to emulate God, by feeding the hungry, and clothing the naked, and by trying to perfect (better I should say "improve") the world. Though we cannot be perfect, we have the ability and the obligation to strive to be better, to be the best that we can be.

Shabbat Shalom! And Happy Father's Day!

Rabbi Richard A. Flom
Temple B'nai Hayim/Congregation Beth Meier
Blogging at: http://rav-rich.blogspot.com/
Visit me on Facebook
הַלּוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם ?אֵיזֶהוּ חָכָם
Who is wise? The one who learns from every person.
Ben Zoma - Pirkei Avot 4:1
-----------------------------------------------
Candle lighting: 7:48 PM

Kabbalat Shabbat Evening Service - Religious School Culmination and Celebration of Dads, with Reb Jason and Rabbi Flom this Friday at 6:30 PM via Zoom and Facebook ONLY. NO Shabbat Evening services in the sanctuary until further notice.

Shabbat Morning Service with Reb Jason and Rabbi Flom this Saturday at 9:30 AM
IN THE SANCTUARY and via Zoom and Facebook. ***See important note above***

All our services and programs are live-streamed at:
https://www.facebook.com/BnaiHayim

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: https://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/form-download-e-siddur-0

Fill out the form - the download is free.

David Silon’s on-going class on Israel 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.

Thursday, June 10, 2021

DIVISIVENESS IS SELF-DESTRUCTIVE

Parashat Korach
Tammuz 2, 5781 / June 11-12, 2021
Torah: Numbers 16:1 - 18:32
Haftarah: 1 Samuel 11:14 - 12:22

*****************************
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE AT SERVICES!!

WE'VE OPENED UP!
Don't worry. You can still Zoom in or attend via Facebook if you're not fully vaccinated as of May 28, or just feel like waiting a bit longer.

ALL ATTENDEES MUST:
PRESENT PROOF OF VACCINATION AT THE DOOR;
SIGN THE VACCINE REGISTRY LINKED BELOW IN ADVANCE;
MASKS ENCOURAGED BUT NOT REQUIRED

Vaccine Registration link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdFFxLO26XiejbcROJXY2eCaC7K7wZYgJzRe4PO3smAOaN3cg/viewform

*****************************
RABBI FLOM’S RETIREMENT GALA

Sunday, June 13th, 2021. 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Event will be Live at Temple B’nai Hayim (maximum of 70 people in person) and via Zoom. Tickets: In Person $65, on Zoom $50

There will be food, desserts, beverages, entertainment, silent auction, reverse 50/50 auction and many testimonials.

For more information or to purchase tickets or an ad, visit:
https://bnaihayim.org/special-events/
*****************************

Our Refuah Shleimah/Prayer for Healing List can be found at:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iT0tdp45ITSU6o1tykah41m3IXBxBwLxe8FORSIXzDo/edit?usp=sharing

If you would like to have a name added to 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:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IvKK6of7m1YFiwWATXCfQXrBrjmLMfS_CAM3WhZ_fu4/edit?usp=sharing

All our services and programs are live-streamed at:
https://www.facebook.com/BnaiHayim

More info about our services and programs follows below this d'var torah. And even more info about our community is available at our website:
https://bnaihayim.org

Please feel free to pass this on, and please cite the source.
-------------------------------------------
DIVISIVENESS IS SELF-DESTRUCTIVE

"Now Korach son of Yitzhar son of Kehat son of Levi took ..." Numbers 16:1
Rashi: He took himself to one side ..., and this is what is meant by Onkelos (an Aramaic translator) when he says, "and he divided himself" - he set himself apart from the rest of the community in order to engage in a dispute.

Pirkei Avot 2:4: Hillel taught - Do not withdraw from the community.

It borders on sin to separate oneself from the community. But the Gerer Rebbe Yehudah Aryeh Leib (aka Sfat Emet), believes that Korach did even worse - he separated himself entirely from his heritage. He notes that the Rabbis taught, "a person must ask, when will my deeds approach the deeds of my parents?" He cites Rabbi Simchah Bunem of Przysucha, who said this means that in the deeds of every Jew there must be direct continuity linked to the deeds of one's parents. But in dividing himself, in taking a new path with no connection to the past, Korach severed himself from the roots of his ancestors.

Judaism has a lot of room to maneuver. It has adjusted to changing circumstances for thousands of years. But before one takes a course so radical that it has no connection to the tradition, one should remember what happened to Korach - he was swallowed up by the earth, never to be heard from again. United we stand; divided we disappear.

Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi Richard A. Flom
Temple B'nai Hayim/Congregation Beth Meier
Blogging at: http://rav-rich.blogspot.com/
Visit me on Facebook
הַלּוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם ?אֵיזֶהוּ חָכָם
Who is wise? The one who learns from every person.
Ben Zoma - Pirkei Avot 4:1
-----------------------------------------------
Candle lighting: 7:46 PM

Kabbalat Shabbat Evening Service with Reb Jason and Rabbi Flom this Friday at 6:30 PM via Zoom and Facebook ONLY. NO Shabbat Evening services in the sanctuary until further notice.

Shabbat Morning Service with Reb Jason and Rabbi Flom this Saturday at 9:30 AM
IN THE SANCTUARY and via Zoom and Facebook. ***See important note above***

All our services and programs are live-streamed at:
https://www.facebook.com/BnaiHayim

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: https://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/form-download-e-siddur-0

Fill out the form - the download is free.

Religious School meets this Sunday at 9:00 AM.

David Silon’s on-going class on Israel meets NEXT Sunday at 11:00 AM. No class this week.

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.

Cyber Torah list management:
To subscribe to Cyber Torah, and receive Cyber Torah every week in your mailbox, 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: ravflom@sbcglobal.net
To unsubscribe from Cyber Torah, send an e-mail with the subject heading “Unsubscribe Cyber Torah” to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net

Thursday, June 3, 2021

YOU’VE COME A LONG WAY! OR HAVE YOU?

Parashat Sh’lach L’kha

Sivan 25, 5781 / June 4-5, 2021

Torah: Numbers 13:1-15:41

Haftarah: Joshua 2:1-24

Mazal tov to Reb Jason Van Leeuwen on receiving his Doctor of Divinity (H.C.) this Sunday at 10:00 AM PT. You can register to attend at: https://inspired.jtsa.edu/event/jts-rabbinic-convocation-spring-2021/e337730

*****************************
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE AT SERVICES!!

WE'VE OPENED UP!
Don't worry. You can still Zoom in or attend via Facebook if you're not fully vaccinated as of May 21, or just feel like waiting a bit longer.

ALL ATTENDEES MUST:
PRESENT PROOF OF VACCINATION AT THE DOOR;
SIGN THE VACCINE REGISTRY LINKED BELOW IN ADVANCE;
MASKS ENCOURAGED BUT NOT REQUIRED

Vaccine Registration link:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdFFxLO26XiejbcROJXY2eCaC7K7wZYgJzRe4PO3smAOaN3cg/viewform

*****************************
RABBI FLOM’S RETIREMENT GALA

Sunday, June 13th, 2021. 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Event will be Live at Temple B’nai Hayim (maximum of 70 people in person) and via Zoom. Tickets: In Person $65, on Zoom $50

There will be food, desserts, beverages, entertainment, silent auction, reverse 50/50 auction and many testimonials.

For more information or to purchase tickets or an ad, visit:
https://bnaihayim.org/special-events/
*****************************
Our Refuah Shleimah/Prayer for Healing List can be found at:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iT0tdp45ITSU6o1tykah41m3IXBxBwLxe8FORSIXzDo/edit?usp=sharing

If you would like to have a name added to 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:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IvKK6of7m1YFiwWATXCfQXrBrjmLMfS_CAM3WhZ_fu4/edit?usp=sharing

All our services and programs are live-streamed at:
https://www.facebook.com/BnaiHayim

More info about our services and programs follows below this d'var torah. And even more info about our community is available at our website:
https://bnaihayim.org

Please feel free to pass this on, and please cite the source.
-------------------------------------------
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
Temple B'nai Hayim/Congregation Beth Meier
Blogging at:  http://rav-rich.blogspot.com/
Visit me on Facebook
הַלּוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם ?אֵיזֶהוּ חָכָם
Who is wise? The one who learns from every person.
Ben Zoma - Pirkei Avot 4:1
-----------------------------------------------
Candle lighting: 7:43 PM

COOOOL Shabbat Evening Service with Steve Pearlman and Rabbi Flom this Friday at 6:30 PM
via Zoom and Facebook ONLY. NO Shabbat Evening services in the sanctuary until further notice.

Shabbat Morning Service with Steve Pearlman and Rabbi Flom this Saturday at 9:30 AM
IN THE SANCTUARY and via Zoom and Facebook. ***See important note above***

All our services and programs are live-streamed at:
https://www.facebook.com/BnaiHayim

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:
https://www.rabbinicalassembly.org/form-download-e-siddur-0

Fill out the form - the download is free.

Religious School culmination and graduation this Sunday at 9:00 AM.

David Silon’s on-going class on Israel meets NEXT Sunday at 11:00 AM. No class this week.

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.

Cyber Torah list management:
To subscribe to Cyber Torah, and receive Cyber Torah every week in your mailbox, 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: ravflom@sbcglobal.net

To unsubscribe from Cyber Torah, send an e-mail with the subject heading “Unsubscribe Cyber Torah” to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net

Rav Rich's Lil' Ol' Blog