Rabbi's Corner
Rabbi Avi M. Schulman's Corner
This page contains Rabbi Avi M. Schulman's Weekly "A Word from Rabbi Schulman" included in the TBT-Weekly email and Monthly "A MESSAGE FROM OUR RABBI" in the Temple Beth Torah Bulletin
We associate different Torah portions with this High Holy Day season. On Rosh Hashanah we read the incredibly challenging passage from Genesis 22 that tells of Akeidat Yitzchak, the Binding of Isaac. On the afternoon of Yom Kippur, Leviticus 19, the Holiness Code, instructs us about all the ways we sanctify our lives through mitzvot. The third Torah portion we specifically read during Yuntiff is Netzavim, Deuteronomy 29, which is offered on the morning of Yom Kippur.
Yet, curiously, Netzavim is read not only on Yom Kippur, but also serves as our parasha this week. So what’s the connection here? Why repeat a Torah portion roughly two weeks later after it is read on Shabbat? I think part of the reason is found in the opening verse of the parasha: “You stand this day, all of you, before Adonai your God- your tribal heads, your elders and your officials, all the men of Israel, your children, your wives, even the stranger within your camp, from woodchopper to water drawer- to enter into the covenant” (Deuteronomy 29,9-10). If ever there was a verse that speaks of community, it is this verse from Torah. While it’s true that we speak about community all the time, we are reminded that on Yom Kippur we truly see this concept most come alive. It is precisely on this holiest day of the year that we see the diversity within our congregation. On Yom Kippur, we see everybody: men and women, young and old, people with different occupations, leaders and members. Yet everyone stands together for the purpose of confessing our shortcomings, seeking repentance, and renewing our covenant with God. May we stand together in the days and weeks ahead. Shabbat Shalom V’Shana Tova. Rabbi Avi SchulmanSeptember 2010 Bulletin: A MESSAGE FROM OUR RABBI
I am an experienced novice when it comes to playing golf. When I was a kid growing-up in Southern California, I spent many weekends playing 18 holes at local public courses.
But it’s been a long time since I played a round. I certainly did not know it was an expectation of the rabbi of Temple Beth Torah! A few years ago, when I first met with the Temple’s rabbinic search committee, I was asked many questions about being a rabbi. However, I was really thrown for a loop when one member asked: “Do you play golf?” I managed to stammer out some kind of response about my youthful experiences, but I distinctly remember a sense that to be the rabbi of this congregation, I needed to step-up my game so to speak. The question, “Do you play golf?” has gnawed at me the past three years. Knowing that the TBT Golf Tournament is the biggest fundraiser of the year, I have felt I should do more than just show-up for the dinner portion of the day. Members of the golf committee have been not too subtle about suggesting I should play in the tournament. Last summer, I tried hacking it, literally and figuratively, with a friend on the driving range. But after a few frustrating tries, I knew I wasn’t ready to play a full round. This past summer, I succeeded in taking five lessons from a professional at a nearby course. They were group lessons oriented for beginners like me. And you know what is the primary lesson I have learned so far? I can summarize it in one word: humility. It is very humbling to not play very well. To not drive the ball the way you have been taught. To struggle to hit the ball the proper way. I am used to being reasonably competent in most areas of my life. It’s highly discomforting to be pushed out of my comfort zone and to feel inadequate. I suppose there is a spiritual lesson here, not only for me, but for everyone at this time of year. Humility is a virtue as we enter the High Holy Day season. Sensing your inadequacy is part and parcel of this season. We are supposed to find ourselves lacking as we measure ourselves against the high standards of our tradition. We are compelled to see our own shortcomings as we offer our confessions of Ashamnu, Al Cheit Shechatanu, and Avinu Malkeinu. Golf is a demonstrable game where you can measure your success by whether you do or do not hit the ball toward the pin. Judaism has a more ephemeral goal, that we aim our lives in the right direction and strive to act justly. Come to think of it, Judaism is a lot harder game to play than golf! Yet, in this season of humility, there is no reason for anyone to feel embarrassed or singled out. We are in this round together. May all of us aim our lives in the right direction in this New Year. L’shana Tova - may you and your dear ones be blessed in 5771 with goodness and peace. L‘Shalom, Rabbi Avi SchulmanIf a member of your family or a friend from the temple is in the hospital, or ill, please call the temple office to let the Rabbi know.
For security reasons, hospitals in the area are no longer permitted to tell us when they have Jewish patients.