Midrash HaZaK – Introduction
“Ben Bag Bag would say: turn it and turn it again, for all is in it; see through it; grow old and worn in it; do not budge from it, for there is nothing that works better than it. (Pirkei Avot, “The Chapters of our Fathers,” 5:22) In the early part of the...
Parasha Vayakhel: A Mirror of the Holy Whole
This creation of glorious Sanctuary comes into being by each of us offering the very best of ourselves. What parent or teacher could want anything more from our children? So, too, with G!d and Moshe. And central to this holy task is the inclusion of the Elders, leading the way for people in wisdom, skill, willingness and heart.
Throughout Vayakhel, we see that this essential creation requires the planning, work, expertise and involvement of all. With this parasha, we have a blueprint for Elderhood. Whatever we bring forward and offer from our accumulated life wisdom has value and worth. We meet Bezalel, Master Crafter, appointed by G!d to oversee creation of Mishkan. He is endowed with
Ki Tavo: Entering the Land and a New Age
This midrash speaks to me. Just as the people of Israel were about to embark on the next mega steps of their lives in the Holy Land, and Moses was intoning to them that they have “a heart to know, eyes to see, and ears to hear, I too am on the threshold of a new phase of life as I become an octogenarian (80) later this year.
Tetzaveh: Geometric Shapes, Inner Spaces, and Shared Remembrance
Two geometrical shapes jumped off the pages in this technicolor parasha, Tetzaveh: frames of gold and pomegranates. What often happens when we read and study the richly textured layers of Torah is that, a word, a phrase, a character, an incident, even a geometric design, suddenly appears, we just never saw it before.
M’tzora: If Walls Could Talk
Many of us still remember our parents saying, “just wait until you’re older!” I thought they were talking about being able to do more things. Now that I am older, I think they were talking about things we would understand, things we could only distinguish having lived life. I think they were also telling me that then I would earn the right to say, “I know,” and with that, I would have the obligation to share what I knew.
Terumah: Bringing The Gifts Of Your Life
One day, I was perusing my dear friend Karen’s bookshelves because I was always interested in what new finds she had acquired. She commented to me that she had stopped purchasing new books, and instead was beginning to focus on integrating what she already knew. This stopped me in my tracks, because I’m a lifelong pursuer of new learning and inspiration, and a voracious reader with a huge library. She and I shared that in common.
Bo: Telling Our Story, Enhancing our Senses
As we age, we become increasingly aware that our days are “numbered;” that our lives will end, and that our bodies and minds have an “expiration date.” Our perspectives on life, illness, joy, art, and relationships change. We may see a longer, more expansive view of everything we encounter. And, at the same time, many of us discover a new focus on details, questions, stories, and points of view that we may have previously missed, glossed over, or ignored.
Emor: Questioning The Status Quo
I am fascinated by this parsha, with its juxtaposition of HOLY days and UNHOLY people. Emor begins by telling us how a Kohen may be defiled/ritually impure–by visiting a graveyard, shaving parts of their heads or cutting themselves, by marrying a divorced woman, by going unshaven or leaving the Temple. It continues with a description of all the people who may not even visit the Temple to bring a sacrifice; those with weeping sores, long eyebrows, broken limbs, the blind, or the lame.
Miketz: Preparing For Life’s Journey
In Parashat Miketz, we encounter Joseph as a person growing in wisdom. For the third time in his life, he is moved to interpret a pair of dreams.
Naso, The Blessings of Living and Giving: Y’varechecha as a Guide
Naso, The Blessings of Living and Giving: Y’varechecha as a Guide Cantor Deborah Katchko Gray Hearing my father, Cantor Theodore Katchko of blessed memory, sing the Y'varechecha, the Priestly Blessing at the end of every Friday evening service, began my love affair...
The Final Chapter: What Moses can Teach Us about End of Life
Viewing myself at 70 however–a chaplain and researcher of isolation among older adults–I have become less enamored about the idea of dying alone. Thus, I support the initiative No One Dies Alone (NODA) that provides companionship to those bereft of family and friends. Yet, while administering pastoral care for the lonely, I am made shockingly aware that the Torah prescribes a solitary death for Moses, our Leader and greatest Teacher.
Ha’Azinu: Poetry, Prose and Passing Time
Governor Mario Cuomo of New York once quipped that “we campaign in poetry but govern in prose.” However, for Moses, that adage worked in reverse. How so? When he campaigned with God to allow him to cross over the Jordan with B’nai Israel, he resorted to straight-forward prose:“I pleaded with the Lord at that time saying ‘Oh Lord God, You who have let Your servant see the first works of Your greatness and Your mighty hand…
Ekev: Standing on their Shoulders
Ekev, the third reading in the book of Devarim (Deuteronomy), is a continuation of Moses’ farewell address to the Israelite nation poised to enter the Promised Land. Over the course of this final book of the Torah, Moses recounts the people’s journey from Egypt until now; 40 years later.
VaEtchanan: Rav Lach, It Is Enough For You
“rav lach—it is enough for you.” These words encourage me to strive to make my days count and to treasure relationships and experiences and to have the wisdom to accept limitations and disappointments. They encourage me to balance the knowledge I do not have infinite time with gratitude for the time that I have.
Massei: The Journals of the Journeys
In 1960 I spent the summer at Camp Ramah in Canada. Advertised as a Hebrew-speaking camp, it was my first summer away from home. I decided to document my 8-week summer by keeping a diary which I still have to this day. Looking back, I am amazed at the amount of detail each day contained.
Parashat Beha’alotekha: Lessons from the Elders
Often, being older means having to strive to look and act younger; despite the inevitability of the aging process, we continue to be measured by our productivity. “He’s so active for his age!” “At her age she still looks great!” As I reflected on my own aging process, I wondered about this emphasis on productivity and accomplishment.
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