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https://youtu.be/CIQLjrBzZ9Q Wild Cherry in the 1970’s proclaimed, “I believe in Miracles…”. Jefferson Starship lament, “If only you believed in miracles, so would I”. Many of us have driven up behind a car displaying the bumper sticker, “Expect A Miracle”. Very optimistic and positive. Except that in Judaism, we don’t. That may surprise a lot of people considering that we have two festivals, Hanukkah and Purim, that are based on miracles. We are also coming up on Passover that embodies some very fantastic occurrences, the Ten Plagues, that broke the back of Pharaoh, so to speak, and convinced him to let our people go. Not soon after that did a whole sea split in half and the ground harden so we could “pass through in safety.” Even in our thrice-daily prayers during the “Amidah”, we thank Hashem for our daily miracles. And yet we’re not supposed to believe or expect a miracle. Why? This was the answer the sages had when people asked why our greatest sages, Rabbi Akiva for one, was murdered by the Romans. Here was a great rabbi who lived and studied Torah and yet there was no miracle to save him. The answer is that, as you would expect, Hashem works in ways that we can not fathom. As we proclaim during the spiritual New Year, it is determined among other things, who shall live and who shall die. Each and every person has their own path and sometimes, in order to fulfill our destinies, we meet with unfortunate situations. We can go crazy wondering why, but the bottom line is that we just have to live our lives as best as we can and just prepare for contingencies. And that’s really the answer. Living life and preparing for contingencies. In fact, consider this as advice for living: hope for the best and prepare for the worst. So why do people go around in life expecting or wanting or hoping for miracles? Why is the lottery so popular? Why do some people gamble and buy penny stocks? The answer is that they want a quick fix. They want an answer to their prayers that will solve all their problems and they can live happily ever after. People want miracles to solve their problems. Now this is not to discourage or demean anyone; we all live with hope. But if you’ve noticed, Jews are among the most industrious people in world. We have won more than our share of Nobel prizes. We are disproportionately represented in the professions. Some of us have done very well working hard and building businesses and business empires (like Hollywood, for example). This may be just because we don’t expect miracles. When you don’t expect a miracle, you work hard to make sure that your needs are met. When you don’t expect a miracle, you take steps to prepare for contingencies. When you don’t expect a miracle, you live your life to expect the unexpected. Then if and when those extraordinary circumstances present themselves, you don’t need a miracle because you are all set. Part of living life is setting goals and evaluating your current situation. It is knowing where you’re at in life, where you want to go, and setting a path to get there. Some people are more focused on planning than others. Most of it involves organizing your resources. It is having a realistic appraisal of what can happen and what you need to have and do in order to meet any challenge. It also means acquiring skills or resources that may not have just in case. So what is this really about? Let’s face it. Some people live above their means and when a financial disaster occurs, they are completely unprepared. Some people have a job they don’t like and feel like they’re meant for something better, but they spend a lot of their time waiting for “their ship to come in.” It typically doesn’t. Maybe this is why our people have been successful. Not only do what not expect a miracle, we typically expect a disaster. Many times we live our lives waiting for the next hammer to drop. So we live our lives in a state of readiness. The point of this has not been to criticize hope. Rather it has been about avoiding unnecessary stress in life that can be very devastating. While we thank Hashem for the miracles wrought every day, we also thank HaShem for providing for our daily needs and leading us on our life’s path. Remember, preparation is half the battle. #FridayNightSermon #FridaysSermon

https://youtu.be/KwLYKMadyXM #ParashatTazria #TorahCommentary #DvarTorah

https://www.facebook.com/tes.kempner/videos/10156340094272914/?t=27 https://www.facebook.com/tes.kempner/videos/10156340094272914/ I pay weekly visits to a woman who 96-years-old and a Holocaust survivor. She is currently infirm and bed ridden. I have typically been going over there after teaching Hebrew school on Sundays, but this week we are on Spring Break. I went over before conducting Friday night Ma'ariv (Evening) service and played most of the singing parts for her. Her daughter decided to go on Facebook live, and here is the video. #ShabbatMaariv #ShabbatFridayNightService

https://youtu.be/OWLdq7yrKvw This week’s portion of the Torah is “Shemini”. In this portion, there is a section, quite brief, that addresses an interesting interaction between Moshe Rabbeinu, our greatest prophet, and Aaron, the newly ordained head priest. Aaron and his two younger sons were offering sacrifices as part of their duties. Since they were “onen”, that is, in mourning for the death of the two older sons who had been punished for transgressing the sanctity of the Aron HaKodesh, they had certain restriction regarding partaking of the meal of the sacrifice. Moses became angry and chastised Aaron for acting improperly in conducting the ritual. Aaron very calmly explained his rationale. Moses thought about it and acknowledged that Aaron was correct. While this is the first time in the Torah that interactions resembled Talmud and Oral Law there is also another, perhaps more secular, lesson in this interaction. Moshe Rabbeinu became angry and reacted emotionally. This prevented him from looking at the situation and seeing how all the parts fit. He erred in his response. Our greatest prophet was human and not immune to the frailties of his passions, just like the rest of us “Am Ha’aretz” (common folks). King Solomon, in Proverbs, wrote, “Who is mighty? He who contains his passions.” The Rabbis throughout our history have expanded this simple piece of advice and admonished people from reacting blindly to their passions. They have said numerous times that in succumbing to anger we lose our ability to reason and thus make a tentative situation worse. What is anger? One may say that it goes all the way to our ancestors who lived very primitively without any comforts. They lived, most of the time, day-to-day, catching their food and fending off hostile elements. Their protection was the flight-or-fight instinct. Their passions gave them an adrenaline boost that heightened their reactions and gave them an advantage to succeed in their survival. Years ago, I was working in mental health, working in a psychiatric hospital. I was an assistant charge nurse on a dual-diagnosis adolescent unit that treated teenagers for both behavior and chemical addiction issues. At that time, the hospital was going through a review by a regulatory organization and it was deemed that our unit was discriminating by only treating teens with addiction issues. In order to comply, then, we decided to admit someone who was not chemically addicted in order to be all-inclusive. Part of the treatment paradigm was having the teenagers use the 12-step process. The 12-step process was originally designed for alcoholics and has been widely applied to other forms of addiction. We looked for a way to include this kid in the model. I sat down with the kid and explained the treatment process to him and discussed how to include him in the milieu. I asked him what he thought his biggest issue was and he replied that it was anger. We decided that we would use the 12-step model with him focusing on anger as his addiction. It was amazing that as his recovery progressed, how much this 12-step model application helped him. It was interesting how approaching the issue of anger as an addiction was so fitting. It was a success. In short, anger is a drug. It empowers us, gives us strength, helps us take on challenges in order to survive. It is a sort of superpower. Unfortunately, in this day and age, this vestige is usually a hindrance rather than an advantage. Many of us call a help desk to resolve an issue for some service. We are so frustrated by the inconvenience that we are angry. The rep gets on the phone, asks what the problem is and how they can help, and what do we do? We unload on them in a horrible way. This upsets the help desk person and after minutes of apologies, you get down to the actual problem solving. In the end, the customer service rep has been as polite as they can be, they’ve resolved the problem one way or another and how do we feel? Ashamed. We’ve just upset a totally innocent person who was at no fault for the interruption in service yet did their best and resolved the issue for us. So we muster up a very awkward and embarrassed apology and promise ourselves we won’t do this again. And the next time? Yup, right back to allowing our passions to rule. There is an adage about counting to three before we lose it. It’s really very good advice and we should follow it. Moses didn’t count to three, or in his case “sholosh”, and as the sages say, he erred. Perhaps that’s why this episode is in the Torah. It may not be only there to demonstrate the need for critical thought in resolving issues of halachah, but also to calm down before approaching a problem.

https://youtu.be/B-hADQxsoRk #TorahCommentary #TorahPortionParashaReeh #ParashatShemini #ParashasShemini

https://youtu.be/gToyMwwyuqc There is an old saying about the relationship between a messenger and a message. HaShem shows us things sometimes in very interesting and unusual ways, sometimes where we least expect it. Nevertheless, growth is growth, and it can be very important to pay attention. Having said that, I feel like I got a message very recently. It came from a very unexpected source but seemed to be confirmed by more familiar personages. As a clergy, it is my responsibility to minister to not just our congregation, but also the Jewish and even the general community at large. It’s necessary, then, to not just try to make sense of things that happen to us, sometimes very horrific, in terms of our Jewish principles. In short, it is more helpful and efficacious to spend more time on the solution, rather than the problem. We’ve some terrible incidents lately, so let’s talk about how we can deal with them. Let us presume, for the moment, that people act in extreme ways because they are desperate, have reached the end of their rope, so to speak, and see no other way. Ours is to see that other way. Our Holy Scriptures and documents are full of uplifting, fulfilling and positive solutions. Probably the most important and well-known is to love your neighbor as yourself. This can probably be interpreted in a number of ways. Let us suppose that there are people you just don’t want to love no matter what’s at stake. OK, but then at least respect them, right? You may not want to invite certain people for tea, but understand that they have hopes and dreams just like you do, and are entitled to them. In business dealings it’s important to be honest and straightforward. We live by mitzvot. First and foremost, we believe that the highest form of charity is helping someone become financially self-sufficient; this means it is actually a good deed to do business with them. We also don’t put a stumbling block in front of the blind. Besides the obvious literal meaning, we also don’t take advantage of someone’s lack of experience or knowledge doing a business deal. Finally, we use accurate weights and measures and don’t try to fool them so we can make more money that to which we’re entitled. In our social interactions, we also want to be kind to the stranger because we were once strangers in a strange land. Torah commands us to help the widow, orphan and proselyte—people most vulnerable in society. We also help someone in need, someone who’s beast of burden has fallen by the road. It starts with just one person. The way to make a forest greener and more beautiful is to nurture the individual trees. If we would all start doing that, maybe people who are desperate might consider more productive ways to resolve their issues.

https://youtu.be/hMyTYncAulA

https://youtu.be/gRbZxILJrVU I don’t typically give a sermon on a Friday night when we have a Ma’ariv Family service. I feel, however, the need to address the horrendous attack on two Mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand which had tragic consequences. It was a hate crime of the same caliber as the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh a few months ago. Families attend the family service with their children. It is a happy occasion meant to highlight the wonderful accomplishments of our students and spotlight their potential leadership. The Torah consistently mentions “L’Dor vaDor”, from generation to generation to remind us that these are Judaism’s future leaders. It is up to us to impart wisdom and knowledge of our culture so they can carry on. How, then, do we frame this horrific event against the backdrop of innocence? Do we ignore it and save it for another time in the future when they are older and perhaps better able to process something like this? Do we start early to make sure that they are prepared to live in a world where sometimes hate rears its ugly head? Since we are living in a world of media-frenzy where no one can escape the inevitable influence of the 24-7 News cycle do we try to head it off at the pass so we can control the flow of information and frame it the most productive light? As a rabbi, I have embraced the idea of providing the best spiritual inspiration possible. We face many day-to-day challenges during the week and when Shabbat arrives, we want to put on our best clothes and most positive demeanors and just enjoy peace. I also feel that it is my responsibility to address this and put it into perspective to help all of us deal with it. First of all, let me echo the sentiments of other rabbis around the world and the Anti-Defamation League that I also “condemn this devastating attack, which has no place in society. When one faith is under threat, every faith is under threat”. This attack underscores that we all, all of us, Jews, Christians, Moslems, Hindus, Buddhists, Atheists, everyone, has to come together and denounce this bigotry. We must stand in solidarity to respond and to heal. This may bring up another question. How do we reconcile our empathy to the innocent victims of this attack with the recent spates of anti-Semitism? The UN has been for years attacking Israel and Jews with its monthly issues of resolutions against Israel. Many countries around the world have called for censure of Israel for protecting itself against unprovoked attacks. How do we reconcile our heartbreak for these people who’s only crime was observe their Sabbath against the recent anti-Semitic remarks by two Muslim women who are now sitting US Congresswomen? These two women, as well as a third who openly supports BDS, have made their share of statements that recall the age-old tropes against Jews, how we secretly rule the world by buying the favor of politicians. It is, to invoke Martin Buber, a narrow ridge. We must therefore separate ignorant individuals from philosophies. It is tempting to slip into prejudice and proclaim that Muslims in general have the same agenda as these two women. We have to fight that evil inclination and remember our Jewish values, to befriend the stranger and love our neighbors as ourselves. But we must also be vigilant. This Shabbat is “Shabbat Zachor”, the Sabbath or remembering. We are commanded to remember the wanton attacks of Amelek that would attack the women and children of the Israelites as they marched through the wilderness. This special Shabbat comes the week before Purim. The sages said that Haman was a descendent of the Amelikites and his hatred of Jews was in his DNA. While we remember the aggression of the Amelikites, we must learn from their bigotry and rise above it. While we take care to know our enemies and act against them, we must balance this with our innate love of humanity. We must honor HaShem by honoring all his creatures but we must also protect ourselves as well. #ChristchurchShottings #TragedyInNewZealand #MosqueShootings

https://youtu.be/xFmDG2enXkc

https://youtu.be/NHwdDKcdCto As a Jewish rabbi, I feel compelled to address a political issue that I, and probably many if not most of you, find very disturbing. This past election, the Democratic Party made history with the addition of three new Congresswomen. Two of them are the first Muslim women elected to the House of Representatives along with a third woman who is the youngest person ever to serve. All three are considered rising stars in the Democratic party and they represent a new “progressive, socialist” point of view. There is, unfortunately, a problem. All three of these women, one in particular, have been very vocal about how they Israel is oppressing the Palestinians, the indigent Arabs that also inhabit that area of the Middle East. They will profess that they are not anti-Semitic, mind you, but they are criticizing what they feel is the unfair treatment of a people by a repressive government. That’s all. By now, almost everyone knows who Ilhan Omar is and what she’s said about Israel and Jews. She has been very prolific on twitter talking about how American Jews have dual loyalty to Israel to the point of preferring their policies over their own country’s best interests. She had accused politicians of caving in to AIPAC (American Israel Political Action Committee), an organization that stands up for Israel. When asked by a twitter follower why she believes they influence politicians, her response was “It’s all about the Benjamins”, a reference to politicians being bribed by $100 bills. This on the heels of other similar past posts that betrayed an anti-Semitic point of view. While many might consider that she was confronting a lobby group that was seeking to unduly influence politicians, many of the references with which she criticized AIPAC were familiar anti-Semitic tropes. These were typical anti-Semitic comments that Jews control the world, hold most of the money, and seek to control governments for their own nefarious purposes. The Democratic party sought to contain this damage. The Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, made a statement criticizing her comments and affirming that she does not represent the views of the Democratic Party. However, Ms. Pelosi also appointed Ms. Omar to one of the most important committees in House. As Ms. Omar’s previous comments were discovered, she started pushing back and defended and justified her position that Israel is oppressing the Palestinian people. This prompted some Congresspeople to present a resolution condemning anti-Semitism with a veiled reference to Ms. Omar’s comments without actually naming her. Supporters of Ms. Omar and her political point-of-view and detractors of Israel pushed back furiously. They drove the issue to the point where the resolution became a general condemnation of ALL forms of bigotry including Islamophobia, bigotry against the LGBTQ community, and others. At this point, many people are supporting her and her views denying that she in anti-Semitic. This has even got to the point in which some Jews have spoken out in her support. So let’s take a look at reality. All someone has to do is read the news, any news, to see that Israel only attacks to defend its sovereign nation, something that is guaranteed in the UN Charter. Recently, people from Gaza have been staging protests at the Israel border. These so-called protests involving sending over balloons with incendiary devices that have ruined the farm land of innocent Israeli civilians. These people have also thrown rocks at Israeli soldiers on the Israel side of the border who were doing nothing more than standing guard. Another issue that is not mentioned is that Hamas, the terrorist organization (labeled as such by the US and many other countries), launched 400 missiles at Israel during a time while they asked for peace talks. No one discusses how Palestinians have broke into Israel and some civilians’ homes and knifed people to death. These issues are either ignored or justified by people who claim that the Palestinian people are merely fighting for their rights. Let’s continue looking at reality. Ilhan Omar is a Somali refugee. She and parents came over to this country to escape persecution by a hostile government. In her tweets, has she ever condemned the government of Somalia or called for uprising? Has she or her cohorts discussed human rights violations in places like Saudi Arabia, Iran or North Korea? How about Gaza? That’s right, Gaza, where any journalist who disagrees with the government of Hamas is beheaded and gay people are thrown off buildings? As far as watering down this resolution. There have been organizations like “Black Lives Matter” that seeks to end persecution of people of African descent by police. When asked about black people attacking other black people in economically depressed areas, the response has been to dismiss that as another issue. Similarly, when people have expressed differences of opinion with the gay community about them getting married, the response was swift and aggressive. Last month was Black History. There are also International Women’s Day and Hispanic History Month. What if someone were to propose that this is too narrow and we should have just a general “Minorities History Month”? Now don’t misunderstand me—I fully support having various groups be showcased to help instill pride in their culture. Why, however, is there not a Jewish History Month? Consider that Jews represent, as of the last census, 1.7% of the population of the United States. The country of Israel is less than the size of New Jersey and yet receives the ire of practically the entire world. We have been persecuted and oppressed for 1800 years. We have been murdered by governments in various countries. We have been chased out of countries and had our possessions stolen. Why are we not considered a protected minority? Despite all these hardships, we are some of the most successful people in the world, as a group. We are overrepresented in professions such as medicine and law and have won a disproportionate amount of Nobel prizes. So, no, no benefits. There is an unfortunate pattern to this. When some of us were children, our parents, many of whom went through World War II and others that survived the Holocaust said that it can happen in this country. It is. This is the beginning. We have to fight this subtle prejudice. We have to confront these people that would justify and validate hatred and criticism against Israel for what it really is: yet another attack on Jews. Many people criticize the government in Israel. In fact, there is an impending election with all the sniping that you’d expect when opposing parties seek power. Issues are being discussed. But they are discussed in a typical political fashion without talking about oppression and bigoted stereotypes. These people are using this to blur the lines. We must remain vigilant and stop this cancer before it grows. #AntiSemitism #IlhanOmarAntisemiticrtropes

https://youtu.be/NguqcsUhLZc #ParashatPekudei #ParashasPekudei #TorahCommentary #TorahPortionParashaReeh

https://youtu.be/IwBcKfGi_Ik SHABBAT ACROSS AMERICA AND CANADA Dvar Torah – March 1, 2019 Tonight, is the twenty-third annual SHABBAT ACROSS AMERICA AND CANADA, sponsored by NJOP (National Jewish Outreach Program is now NJOP). Tonight, SHABBAT ACROSS AMERICA AND CANADA is being celebrated in over ___ locations, in ___ U.S. states and ___ Canadian provinces. By participating in SHABBAT ACROSS AMERICA AND CANADA, you join in a grand celebration of Shabbat that ties together Jews from all walks of life, who are participating in synagogues of all denominations, and connecting to Jews all across the North American continent and beyond. This Shabbat we read in the Torah both parashat Vayakkhel and the special Torah portion for parashat Shekalim, that describes the half shekel donation given in Temple times to the Temple treasury to support the Temple’s budget, but also to serve as a way of conducting a census of the nation. Parashat Vayakhel’s opening verses (Exodus 35) juxtapose two major themes: the mandate to construct a mishkan -- a portable tabernacle, with the call to observe the Sabbath. Prior to mentioning both of these lofty directives, Moses gathers all of the Children of Israel. A famed Chassidic Rebbe, Rabbi Abraham Bornstein, the first Rebbe of Sochatchov (1838-1910, Poland) found significance in the order of the three items that are mentioned in the opening verses of Vayakhel: 1) first a call to unify and to gather the nation, 2) then an admonition to observe the Sabbath, and 3) only then are the people encouraged to erect the Tabernacle. Rabbi Bornstein points out that prior to consecrating the Tabernacle, individual Israelites would sacrifice to God on bamot, elevated stages that were found throughout the Israelite camp. With the consecration of the Tabernacle, use of the bamot became prohibited. As the sacrificial order became unified, the Jewish nation was united with the Tabernacle serving as the nation’s headquarters. For this reason, advances the Sochatchover Rebbe, the command to unify and gather came first, followed by Shabbat, the special sacred day that holds the secret of Jewish unity. Only after those first two levels of unity are established, does the third takes place, centralizing Jewish worship by consecrating the Tabernacle. For 23 consecutive years, SHABBAT ACROSS AMERICA AND CANADA has transformed the Divine mandate and the Divine gift of Shabbat into an international movement and phenomenon. SHABBAT ACROSS AMERICA AND CANADA‘s goal has always been to unify North American Jewry through the sanctity of Shabbat. NJOP has passionately endeavored to bond Jews to their Jewish birthright and heritage. Whether through Hebrew reading, SHABBAT ACROSS AMERICA AND CANADA, Crash Courses in Basic Judaism and Jewish History, Holiday programs, or a robust social media presence, NJOP has built bridges between Jews and fellow Jews, and between Jews and their Judaism. Tonight is SHABBAT ACROSS AMERICA AND CANADA because hundreds of dedicated Jewish professionals and volunteers have made it so. Tonight is SHABBAT ACROSS AMERICA AND CANADA because tens of thousands of North American Jews have decided to spend Shabbat night together in fellowship with co-religionists, engaging in Jewish life and contemplating our collective Jewish future. Each and every one of NJOP’s partners - comprised of synagogues, military bases, Hillel houses, Moishe Houses, JCCs, Federations and outreach centers - have committed to the notion that when we celebrate Shabbat together, the observance is ennobled, and becomes more uplifting, uniting us all. Thank you for attending and elevating this particular Shabbat, and transforming it into a collective one with this community and with hundreds of others across North America and beyond. Enjoy the rest of Shabbat! Shabbat Shalom. #ShabbatAcrossAmerica #DvarTorah