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Poetry warms a winter night. 12/07
Importance
of Minyan
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Message
from
Rabbi Seth J. Sternstein
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Rosh Hashana
Sermons: Day 1 below...(click here to
read Day 2)
The Importance of Hope – Rosh Hashanah Day
1 5769
(click
here for a printable version)
Some of you may have heard the name Garrison Keillor.
He’s an American storyteller and humorist. His weekly radio show
is called, A Prairie Home Companion.
He has a regular segment on this show, entitled, “Lake Woebegone” – He
tells stories about Lake Woebegone, a mythical small- town in
Minnesota, which are largely based on the characters he knew from his
boyhood.
He
Keillor introduces it the same way every show: He says something about
the quality of this past week in Lake Woebegone. “It’s been a warm
week”, or, “it’s been a snowy week”, or, “it’s been a hectic week in
Lake Woebegone”.
In that one sentence he attempts to capture a mood, and then he tells
us more about how that mood has played itself out in the lives of the
residents of that small town.
Well, my friends, that’s a good way to start a sermon on Rosh Hashanah.
“It’s been a tough year in Yorktown”. This past year strikes me as one
of the more difficult ones in recent memory.
The big story, of course, is that the American economy is in tough
shape. Bear Stearns, Lehman Bros, Washington Mutual –all of them
out of business. Home values have fallen. People in Yorktown have lost
jobs. Storeowners in our community were forced out of business.
Energy costs have gone through the roof. Food prices have climbed
steadily, so that corn – historically the cheapest item in America - is
now an expensive item. I remember only 3 or 4 year ago, corn selling
for 10 cents an ear. This summer you were lucky to find it at quadruple
the price. Economically, it’s been a bad year in Yorktown.
These problems are measurable in dollars and cents.
What about other problems which can’t be measured in money?
Some people sitting here today may have imagined that by now, they
would have achieved a certain level of living, but their lives have
taken a different path. They may not have gotten that promotion at
work. They may not have gotten into the college of their choice. These
may not be tragic problems, but, they are disappointments.
What about the problems besetting the “baby boomers”. I frequently hear
of people in their 50’s being called upon to take care of elderly
parents. I certainly know about this, personally. My father and my aunt
are both elderly and frail. They need round the clock nursing care.
They want to see me on a somewhat regular basis. And, as much as
I try, I can’t be there every day. And, even when I visit, it’s
difficult. Watching the slow decline of a parent is draining.
There are other people sitting here today who care for elderly parents.
You know what I am speaking about.
Some who are with us today are grieving over the loss of a loved one.
It is difficult enough to heal from the loss of an elderly parent. But
how can we comfort those who grieve for the loss of a young parent? How
can we soothe a child’s troubled heart? How can we ease the loneliness
of a spouse? And, maybe most searing of all, what can we say to parents
of a child who passed away? Members of this synagogue know the
pain of these kinds of losses.
Some in our community have seen their marriages fall apart. Romantic
dreams that they harbored 15 or twenty years ago are gone.
And, of course, there are some in our community who were diagnosed this
past year with disease. Perhaps this, more than any other issue causes
sleepless nights and ongoing worry. Dr. Jerome Groopman, a noted
oncologist, published a book entitled The Measure of Our Days. He
writes about Matt – a school age boy with a rare form of leukemia. “As
Dr Marv Samuels finished describing [to Matt’s parents] the nature of
Matt’s leukemia, Billy, Matt’s father, struggled to draw on the
wellspring of his strength: his faith. But, like most parents at this
moment, all he sensed was shock and disbelief…”
My friends, a doctor’s words can be frightening and upsetting for the
patient and for his family, even when the doctor delivers them in a
compassionate, kind way. Major health issues are always a problem.
You may be sitting here today and be one of the lucky ones for whom
this year was a complete success. But, I suspect that for the majority
of us, this year created some difficulty, some problem; perhaps in a
larger measure than previous years. And, even if you are one of the
lucky ones who have seen your best year yet, Rosh Hashanah reminds us
that a new year is beginning. No one can guarantee that this coming
year will be as filled with good things as last.
When you think about it, for people who are dealing with major
problems, it’s easy to despair.
Despair is the greatest problem; because despair is a dangerous thief.
It robs us of something very precious – HOPE.
We have to be on guard against that. There are times I catch myself
brooding over one problem or another. And, when I worry too much,
or begin to feel depressed, I know I’ve lost sight of a basic truth in
life.
That truth is that as a Jew, I should never despair. Quite the
contrary. As a Jew, I should live with hope.
And, friends, I’ve needed to hear that message many times this past
year.
A Jewish person should live with hope!
Rabbi Maurice Lamm is one of the country’s foremost pastoral
counselors. In his book, The power of Hope , he reminds us that hope is
part and parcel of Judaism. Here’s what Rabbi Lamm says:
“The 19th century Christian existentialist philosopher, Søren
Kierkegaard, believed that [a] commitment to Hope, "…made the Jewish
religion, of all religions, outspoken optimism. Greek pagan thought
[also] is optimistic, but [it] is tinged with deep melancholy, and had
no Divine sanction. Judaism is Divinely-sanctioned optimism, sheer
promise for this life."
What that means, my friends, is that Judaism teaches something
profound, namely:
God wants us to be optimistic and hopeful.
Rabbi Lamm explains to us why Judaism embraces this optimistic
world-view.
“It could not be otherwise. A religion that taught the world that every
person is created in the image of God had to be optimistic and hopeful.
If we are spiritual facsimiles of God, we have the power to be
creative, as He is, and we can strive to modify or eliminate suffering,
tragedy, and evil of all kinds…. Religion told the ancient world that
when things are bad, we can reasonably hope for a new beginning.”
I like that phrase: “Hope for a new beginning.” That’s what today is
all about. And, so, today’s message is:
“A Jew lives with hope!”
Friends, I need to hear that message today, and I believe there are
many others who need to hear that message, too.
I want to share the true story of a man who had every reason to lose
hope. He didn’t. Here is his story.
Michael Weissmandl was born in Hungary in 1903. His family moved to
Slovakia when he was a young boy. A brilliant student, he was accepted
at Oxford University. He became so adept at reading ancient manuscripts
that the Head librarian consulted him on certain projects. All the
while, Michael Weismandl studied Torah and eventually was ordained as a
rabbi. He married and had several children. When the Nazis took over
Europe, Rabbi Weismandl wrote letters to Winston Churchill and Franklin
Roosevelt asking them to save Slovakian Jewry. He managed to save 60
rabbis by getting them visas to enter England. He worked diligently to
raise funds to save more Jews. He bribed German officials, and several
transports of Jews were delayed. Ultimately, however, the sums were not
enough to satisfy the Nazis. Weismandl never forgave himself for not
raising even more money. In 1944, he and his wife and children were
arrested, put on a sealed train, and sent to Auschwitz. He managed to
open the train lock with an emery wire he had secreted away in a small
loaf of bread. He jumped from the moving train, and broke his leg. His
family remained on the train. He was found by two Nazis who,
miraculously, transported him to Switzerland.
Rabbi Weismandl eventually made it to America, but suffered depression
for the rest of his life over the loss of his entire family and the
murder of 6,000,000 Jews. Rabbi Weismandl was nearly a completely
broken man. He might have lost all hope. But, he didn’t.
He married again, and fathered 5 children. He decided that he would do
what he could to rebuild the Jewish people. In 1947, he reestablished
in America the Yeshiva in which he had studied as a youth. R.
Weismmandl raised enough money to buy the Brewster estate in Mount
Kisco. You may know it as “The Yeshiva Farm Settlement”. You
might have also heard of the recent interest in Bible Codes. It was R.
Weismnandl who laid the groundwork for this research.
R Michael Weismandl. A Jew who lived with hope.
The Jewish people is a nation defined by hope.
The very title of the Jewish national anthem is Hatikvah – The Hope
Od lo avda tikvateynu; Hatikvah bat shnot alpayim Lihyot am Chofshi
beaertzeynu Eretz Tziyon Yerushalayim
Our hope is not lost - that hope of 2,000 years. To be a free people in
our own land – The Land of Zion and Jerusalem.
Our national anthem inspires us to think deeply about who we are and
why we are. Our people were deprived of our own country and our own
government for 2,000 years.
Other nationalities throughout history disappeared under lesser
pressures. Not the Jews!
We made Hatikvah our national anthem because hope is our motivation for
living!
But, wait.
Singing about hope, and feeling hope deep in our souls may be two quite
different things.
All of us want to hold on to hope, but, we may actually be afraid to
hope. Rabbi Lamm explains three common reasons why many people are
afraid to hope:
1. First, hope seems so fanciful, fear seems so logical and persuasive.
What this means is that many people believe that it is silly to hope.
Our fears are substantive. They are real.
But, this simply isn’t true. Or, at least, it is certainly overstated.
Yes, there may be cause for concern, but, because hope is not bound by
the laws of logic, it can jump the gates of reason. Remember Rabbi
Weismandl. Lying in a field with a broken leg, miles from his home,
unable to escape his hunters; his whole family about to be murdered.
Logic dictated that he was beyond hope. And, yet….
2. The second reason we are afraid to hope is that we believe that our
hopes did not come true in the past. But, Rabbi Lamm assures us, that
may be because we easily recall that our worst fears were realized.
Rarely do we realize that at another time, our wildest hopes also
materialized. What we must do, says Rabbi Lamm, is achieve a balance
beween hope and fear.
3. “The third fear” writes Rabbi Lamm, “is the hardest to define, but
it is an all-important one”. It is the fear that IF GOD IS IMPORTANT IN
FULFILLING OUR HOPES, WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO FIND HIM TO HELP US.
That is one of the great impediments to 21st century people. We are
afraid that we will be unable to find God just at the moment we want
Him and Need Him most!
So we are left with the question:
If we are afraid to hope, what can we do about it?
The first thing we must do is to understand that the energy that
propels hope is a spiritual force. What this means is that we must
accept the fact that when we deal with Hope, we deal with God. The
prophet Jeremiah lived at a time when the Jewish people were almost
vanquished. He told them that trouble would be piled upon trouble.
Anyone who reads his Book of Lamentations must be thankful he did not
live in Jeremiah’s day. It seemed to those Jews that God had really
abandoned them. They had no hope. And, yet, Jeremiah’s woeful book ends
with a triumphant exclamation of faith in God: “Hadesh Yameinu K’Kedem
– O Lord, Renew our days as of Old”. History proved right Jeremiah’s
hope in God. It will prove us right, too.
The second thing we can do, and perhaps the harder to achieve, is to
actually speak to God. In our own words; not in words written
down in a book. For this, you have to open your heart, and trust
that God is listening.
Perhaps we can try that now.
God:
• I believe You care, and I trust You.
• I will try to be the person You want me to be.
• I will work at growing closer to You.
• I will return Your kindness
• I love You, I hope You love me. (From The Power of
Hope)
I close today’s thoughts with King David’s Psalm #27, which is
the Psalm specifically designated for the New Year. Lulai
heemanti lirot btuv A-do-nai b’eretz Chayim. Kaveh el
A-do-nai Chazak v’yametz libecha vekaveh el A-do-nai
I have faith that I shall see the goodness of God in the land of the
living. Hope in A-do-nai. Be strong, let your heart take courage, and
hope in A-do-nai.
Shanah Tovah
Rosh
Hashanah 5769 Second Day
Empowering Your [Jewish]
Home
(Click
Here for a printable version)
Related
Audio Files
Blessing
for Lighting Shabbat Candles
Friday Night
Kiddush
Prepare yourself for alarming news. The American Jewish community is
shrinking fast. The latest statistics for Jewish population prove this.
In the 1960’s, there were approximately 6 million Jews in the United
States, which had a total population of about 180 million people. Today
there are 300 million people in the US, but only about 5 million Jews.
We are the only ethnic group whose population has declined in the last
40 years.
Why has this happened?
Two reasons. First, assimilation into the non-Jewish culture. Over the
last 40 years, many Jews simply abandoned Judaism. Their families
identified with American culture exclusively, and practiced the
religion known as “Americanism”.
Second, non-Orthodox Jews have had small families. A community cannot
grow if it is barely replacing itself.
My friend and colleague Rabbi William Berman, of the Commack Jewish
Center, has just published an important article on this very problem.
He has been studying this issue for the last decade, and makes a
powerful case that American Jews must act NOW, to stop the “implosion”
of the American Jewish community.
Rabbi Berman suggests a think tank be set up, to address this problem
in creative ways. For example, young Jewish couples might be granted
subsidies by philanthropic organizations to reduce, or even eliminate,
the costs of day care. For couples choosing to have 3 or more children,
synagogues, Day schools and Jewish summer camps might reduce their
fees. For those who would have 5 children, perhaps these fees might be
waived entirely. Rabbi Berman offers these and other suggestions as
proposals to be considered in encouraging young Jewish couples to have
more children.
There are those who would dismiss these ideas as unworkable. I believe
that they are worth discussing. After the holidays, I hope to meet with
him to discuss his recommendations further.
What Rabbi Berman suggests is noteworthy. But, results will not be
achieved immediately. I suggest that today, we tackle the other cause
of Jewish population decline: assimilation. We can do something
immediately about this problem. We can strengthen the American
Jewish home so that it becomes a powerhouse for forging and buttressing
Jewish identity. We can dramatically increase the chance that young
people who hold a powerful sense of Jewish identity, and commitment to
a rich spiritual and religious Jewish life, will seek spouses who
shares that identity and commitment.
Strengthening Jewish identity is no easy matter. It involves every Jew,
no matter how old or young. In particular, strengthening Jewish
identity in our own congregation involves every member – from the
oldest to the youngest.
You may remember this short prayer in the Shabbat morning service. It
is called Yekum Purkan. Here’s its message: May all members of this
congregation be granted the blessings of Heaven – kindness and
compassion, long life, ample sustenance, well-being, and healthy
children devoted to Torah.
I like that prayer because it is short and sweet, and asks God to grant
us the most important things in life.
But, friends, don’t be fooled by its brevity. Its demands are great.
Take, for example, the part of the prayer which asks God to bless us
with kindness and compassion. It’s a great thing to ask God to bless us
with kindness and compassion, but, if we don’t train ourselves every
day to be kind and compassionate, we will not be kind and
compassionate. I’ve met many people over the years who lived
mean-spirited lives, and who seem to gain pleasure by inflicting their
unhappiness on others. By the same token I’ve met many people who
spread kindness and compassion wherever they go. I’ve come to the
conclusion that the real difference between the two kinds of people is
not how much money they have, or how large their home is. The fact is
that some of the most mean-spirited people I have come across are those
who have the greatest material blessings anyone can hope for. And some
of the most kind, considerate people I have known, faced some of life’s
greatest tests. If anyone has the right to be mean-spirited it is a
woman whose husband and two sons died very young. She is one of the
most gracious, compassionate people I know. The real difference, then,
is that kind people make the effort to be kind, compassionate and
considerate.
The same is true of “ample sustenenance”. Many people are under the
mistaken impression that it is somehow, “un-Jewish” to pray for a
decent livelihood. In fact, that is precisely what ample sustenance is
about. In order to have enough food and clothing, and adequate shelter,
we know we have to earn a living. That is what is meant by ample
sustenance in its broadest usage. There is nothing wrong with asking
God to help you find adequate employment so that you can make
money. But, you must be involved in your own future. If you are
unemployed, and are seeking a job, by all means, pray to God to help
you find one. But, make sure to send out resumes and go on interviews
as well.
Now that last part of that prayer – Bless us with children devoted to
Torah. If we ask God to bless us with children devoted to Torah, then
we must put in our finest efforts. Our people have always believed
that, in order to produce children devoted to Torah, our efforts should
focus first and foremost on our homes. We must turn our homes into
Jewish powerhouses.
Now, here, precisely, is where the American Jewish polity is weakest,
yet, it is here, precisely, that the most benefit will come, if we work
to strengthen it.
One great secret to creating a Jewish powerhouse is to recognize the
incredible power of Shabbat. It is that great secret about which I will
speak today.
Now, there may be people already thinking, I’m not into Shabbat. I
can’t live by the rules of Shabbat. After all,
Friday night is “movie night”.
Friday night is “poker night”.
Friday night is “restaurant night”.
Friday nights are rarely sacred time in our secularized culture. Aside
from Orthodox Jews, it is a rare Jewish family that regularly devotes
Friday night to candle lighting, blessing of children and spouses,
Kiddush, Hamotzi with 2 challot, special Shabbat food, song, and
Torah-oriented conversation.
If you are in that group which rarely recognizes Friday night as sacred
time, and today, the second Day of Rosh Hashanah, you still intend this
year to stay in that group, well then, you’ll be missing one of the
best opportunities to turn your home into a Jewish powerhouse.
My colleague Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald has coined the phrase, “Turn Friday
night into Shabbes”. It’s a good phrase. His organization sponsors this
event once a year. But, you can’t create a Jewish powerhouse by turning
Friday night into Shabbes once a year. It’s got to be celebrated
repeatedly-over and over again -every week.
Our Talmudic sages spoke about the importance of repetition:
Ayno domeh shoneh Pirko meah peamim l’ meah v’echad peamim. You can’t
compare the student who reviews the material 100 times to the student
who reviews it 101 times. Our rabbinic leaders understood that Judaism
rises and falls on people’s Jewish knowledge. That is why their
aphorism cites 100 times as a minimum. They believed that people
develop the power to master material only after reviewing it at least
100 times.
Some of you will say this is hyperbole. No one can review the same
material that many times. I don’t agree. I remember a Board-certified
internist who re-took a licensing exam in internal medicine every 5
years, just so that he could convince himself that he still knew his
stuff. Forty years after graduating from medical school he had taken
and passed that exam 8 times. He told me he had reviewed medical texts
and journals hundreds of times in his career. I’d want such a doctor to
be my physician. I’d bet you would, too.
So, it’s possible to live by the advice of our sages. When they
assure us that the person who reviews his material 101 times is
beginning to master the subject, we can be assured that this is neither
hyperbole, nor an impossible goal.
Now let’s apply that advice to every one of us here today. I am calling
upon every member of this congregation to turn Friday night into
Shabbes over and over again. Think about it. There are 52 Friday nights
a year. If you turn Friday night into Shabbes faithfully for the next
two years you will have spent more than 100 Friday evenings
transforming your home into a Jewish powerhouse.
So, let’s assume that you are serious about doing just that. How should
you go about it? There are 3 secrets that Erev Shabbat holds to
transforming your home. Candles, Kids, and Kiddush
Candles:
I cannot recall a Friday night that my mother did not light Shabbat
candles before sunset. As a child, I stood next to my mother as she
prepared the candlesticks, lit the candles, covered her eyes, and
intoned the blessing Baruch Atah A-do-nai E-lo-heynu Melech Ha-olam
asher kidshanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel Shabbat. Then
she took about a minute or two to offer a silent prayer…. As she took
her hands away from her eyes, the worries and the problems of the week
seemed to slip away. We were not to bring them up again until Sunday
morning. The power to turn a hectic Friday afternoon, a crazy busy
week, into Peace. Tranquility. Calmness. I never forgot the power
of Shabbat candles. My wife continues the practice in our home today.
Do you want to know the first step for transforming your home into a
Jewish powerhouse? It starts with the Jewish woman.
Jewish women – Light Shabbat candles! Close your eyes and bless the
gift of sacred time. Take 2 minutes in front of the candles and let the
week’s cares drop off your shoulders. Take 2 minutes to thank God for
what you have. Don’t wait. Start this Friday night. Promise yourself
you will enrich yourself and your family this way every Friday night.
Kids:
It’s harder for fathers to express their love than it is for mothers.
That’s the age-old Jewish view. There seems to be good modern
psychological support for this age-old view. I recently came across an
article written by Dr Margo Maine, a prominent psychologist in
Connecticut. She has studied the relationships between fathers
and children. She writes about a child’s need to experience love from
the father. She calls it “father hunger”. Here’s what she says:
Father hunger is a deep persistent desire for emotional connection with
the father experienced by all children. When this normal craving is
satisfied, children are likely to grow up feeling confident, secure,
strong and "good enough." Often, however, this yearning is not
acknowledged and the need for a bond with father grows. (From
Father Hunger: fathers daughters and Food)
It’s nice to see a 21st century mental health professional saying the
same thing that Judaism long ago established.
On Friday night it is the father’s responsibility to sit at the
Shabbat table. It is his privilege to take his children in his hands
and say
“Yesimcha E-lokim”…
May God make you, my son, like Ephraim and Menashe - the sons of
Joseph.
May God make you, my dear daughter, like our matriarchs Sarah Rebekka
Rachel and Leah.
Yevarechcha-May God bless you and guard you. May he make His face shine
upon you and be gracious to you. May God lift up his face to you and
grant you peace.
I ask you, friends - Could there be a more powerful moment of bonding
between father and child than that?
That’s the second secret for transforming your home into a Jewish
powerhouse. Jewish fathers: Bless your children at the Shabbat table.
Don’t wait another week. Friday is only two days away.
Resolve that you will never let another Friday night go by without
embracing your sons and daughters and giving them your blessing.
And, if they’re grown up, and don’t live in your home anymore, then do
what I do. Call them on the phone and bless them. And do that every
Friday night.
Candles and kids. Now, let’s think about Kiddush.
On the late show, David Letterman often entertains his audience with
the top 10 reasons for doing this or not doing that. I’d like to share
my top 5 reasons why people don’t say Kiddush on Erev Shabbat.
Reason 5. On a list of your 10 favorite fine wines, one that does
not appear is Manischewitz.
Reason number 4. Your favorite restaurant doesn’t even serve
Manischewitz .
Reason 3: The Rabbi will say Kiddush anyway, so you don’t have to.
Reason 2: You tuned in on the radio to Friday night services from
Temple Emanu-El in New York, and heard their Choir sing it.
Reason number 1: It’s just not something I do.
If any of those reasons for not saying Kiddush apply to you, then I’d
like you to listen closely. Reciting Kiddush over a full cup of wine
accomplishes two things. First, it insures that there is a tangible way
of making Friday night holy.
Only human beings can create sacred time. We do that, first, by
announcing publicly that we set aside this time for holy activities,
and stop all activities which are not. Those are the words of Kiddush.
You see, words are powerful. When we announce our intentions publicly,
we are much more likely to follow through than when we simply think
about doing something. People hear us. We don’t want to disappoint
them. We want to be known as people whose word is our bond. So, when we
announce to God, and we announce to our family that we are creating
sacred time, we put ourselves on notice that we ought to live up to our
commitment. If Friday night is going to be holy time, we have to make a
commitment to make it so.
The other reason we drink wine on Shabbat is because the Talmud tells
us that in order to really celebrate, you need a glass of wine. And the
Talmud questions whether it is even permissible to make Kiddush over a
wine you don’t like. So, if you don’t like Manischewitz, I can
recommend several award winning Kosher wines you will enjoy.
And this is precisely the point. Holiness and happiness are to be part
and parcel of a Jewish home every Friday night. We schedule so many
other things in our lives. If we don’t schedule holiness, we will never
experience it. If we don’t experience it in a happy frame of mind, then
we’ll never schedule it to begin with. And, so, the third essential
ingredient in creating a Jewish powerhouse is to sing the Kiddush at
your family dinner table every Friday night. Fathers, mothers, sing it
to your children. Husbands, wives, sing it together. Those who are
single – sing it to yourself, and to the angels who visit every home
that is prepared to celebrate Shabbat. Don’t wait. Start this Friday
night.
Candles, Kids, Kiddush. Light Shabbat candles. Bless your children, and
make Kiddush at your table. Let’s turn every Jewish home in Yorktown,
Cortland, Peekskill, Somers and Mahopac into Jewish powerhouses.
We must take the first steps to reversing the assimilation that has
thinned the ranks of our people.
And, as an added bonus, we and our families will enjoy a year bursting
with Jewish energy -
Amen !
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