Proclaim Liberty Throughout the Land to all the inhabitants thereof.” (Lev XXV:10). These are part of today’s Torah portion. And, they appear on the “Liberty Bell” in Pennsylvania. 

How nice that this year at least they are the words that we Jews read as sacred scripture for Memorial Day Weekend. It gives us the opportunity to pause, to reflect and to consider what these central words mean to us as Americans and as Jews. As Jewish Americans or American Jews.  

And that is exactly what I said several years ago. Before. In May of 2016. Before Charlottesville. Before a pandemic. Before we talked about rising anti-semitism. Before October 7th. Before. 

It turns out, there is very little Jewish commentary on them. They seem to be pretty self-explanatory. Rashi has one comment but there isn’t that usual question hanging in the air, “What’s bothering Rashi?” He points out that this liberty was especially for slaves during the Jubilee year. 

What then is a jubilee?  

• a special anniversary of an event, especially one celebrating twenty-five or fifty years of a reign or activity. 

“jubilee celebrations” 

adjective 

• (of desserts) flambé. 

“cherries jubilee” 

 

I think though that it gets confused with jubilant. To rejoice or shout with joy. Psalm 100 begs, “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord.”  At a jubilee we clearly should with joy, jubilantly Can we today?  

Jews have not celebrated a jubilee year since being in captivity in Babylon in about 600 BCE. A jubilee — yovel in Hebrew — is a year observed once in 50 years, following seven cycles of seven-year shmita, or sabbatical, years, the shmita year. We are back to counting. Like the shmita year, the jubilee is one in which no agricultural work is to be done and the land is to lie fallow. But jubilee also has some additional rituals. Like blowing the shofar to announce the beginning of one, Maimonides cites our very reading this morning:  

Maimonides cites our very portion this morning, Leviticus 25:9-10, which states: “Then shall you cause the shofar to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, on Yom Kippur shall you sound the shofar throughout all your land. And you shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants; it shall be a jubilee for you.” Those very words on the liberty bell.  

This is radical, A unique, compassionate way to arrange society, and something to shout joyfully about, 

AND YE SHALL PROCLAIM LIBERTY unto slaves, both to him whose ear has been pierced (and whose period of servitude has thus been prolonged until the Jubilee; cf. Exodus 21:6) and to him whose six years of servitude (the period prescribed for an ordinary Hebrew servant; Exodus 21:6 Exodus 21:2), reckoning from the time when he was sold, have not yet ended. R. Jehuda said, “What is the etymology of the term דרור, freedom? A free man is like a person who may dwell (דור) at an inn — meaning that he may reside in any place he pleases, and is not under the control of others. (דרור therefore implies liberty of residence) (Rosh Hashanah 9b). (Rashi on Lev 25:10) 

For me, this verse is something of a continuing word puzzle, and I love puzzles. So bear with me… 

Proclaim here is from the root Karah, to call out, to read. Something we announce outloud, just like we read Torah, outloud, publicly, Loudly. That was the purpose of putting this on the liberty bell. The bell, much like a shofar that proclaimed the jubilee year did the proclaiming, the announcing, the shouting. 

But the Hebrew word for liberty is surprising. It is dror…which really means release. What are we being released from? How does it differ from freedom or liberty? That’s where this gets interesting…. 

To release is to allow or enable to escape from confinement; to set free. Prisoners are released. Slaves are released. That’s what this verb is talking about. To allow something to move, act or flow freely. Synonyms include free, set free, let go/out, liberate, untie, undo, loose, unleash, unfetter. 

We release balloons. Maybe that is how we should celebrate. I’ve seen plenty of them around this weekend and seniors are “released” from school and graduate. Nope. Pretty, but not good for the environment or the birds. 

My colleague, Cantor Vera Broekhuysen was introducing to her congregation last night a song, Dror Yakira which is part of the Zemirot that are often sung on Shabbat afternoon. In our siddur, Siddur Sim Shalom, zemirot begin on page 316 with D’ror Yikar on 322. There is nothing more pleasant then sitting around late on Shabbat afternoon singing zemirot.  

D’ror Yikara was apparently composed in the 10th century. The version she is teaching is an updated Sephardic version of the one I learned as an undergraduate: 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJCh8NAJhes 

https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJzj4tVP1zc0TItPSTM3LzA2YPTiSinKL1KozMwuSgQAbXkIWw&q=dror+yikra&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS912US927&oq=dror+yikra&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCggBEC4Y1AIYgAQyDQgAEAAY4wIYgAQYnwQyCggBEC4Y1AIYgAQyCggCEC4Y1AIYgAQyBwgDEAAYgAQyBwgEEAAYgAQyBwgFEAAYgAQyBwgGEC4YgAQyBwgHEAAYgAQyCAgIEAAYFhgeMggICRAAGBYYHtIBCDk2OTFqMGo3qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&ip=1&vld=cid:7bab0ef2,vid:Wola3ImL9uQ,st:0 

The lyrics in this time are haunting: 

He grants release to lad and lass:
As His eye’s apple safe, they play.
Their innocence shall never pass:
Then take your ease this Sabbath day.

O seek in love my martyred shrine
And to mine eyes salvation show.
In Zion’s vineyard plant her vine
And hear my people’s cry of woe. 

May the hostages be released, safely, speedily and in our day.  Release them now!

Remember when Listen Up was here? They have a version of Acheinu, the prayer we have been saying since October. It came back to me from my chevruta partner, Rabbi Linda Shriner-Cahn, because really it is a small world: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYE7HQJCSPU 

But while we just observed Yom Hazikron, Israel Memorial Day on May 13 and Israel Indepence Day on May 14 this year, a muted version of other years, we live here in the United States, and this weekend we mark Memorial Day, dedicated to the men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice to protect our liberty, our freedom, 

Our ancestors, our relatives, came to this land, some earlier than others, for that sense of release, for freedom. For freedom to worship as they saw fit. For freedom, in some cases, not to worship at all. 

We have in this country, the freedom to do what we want to do, when we want to do it. Within reason. If I had chosen to sleep in this morning, and not come, I could have exercised that freedom but there would have been consequences.  

What freedoms do you value:  

We brainstormed a list of those freedoms we value here. It still read like the Bill of Rights. Freedom of religion, freedom to assemble, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, yes, even freedom to bear arms (although personally I believe there should be some limits on that one). 

There has been much discussion this year on freedom of speech and freedom to assemble. In fact, as we discussed, there are limits on freedom of speech. You cannot walk into this sanctuary, or a movie theatre and announce, proclaim if you will that there is a fire if there is no fire. 

Freedoms that I believe in but have limits.  And we added to our list freedom to select your own healthcare and freedom to vote. This week marked the anniversary of when Fiddler was released (another use of that word) as a movie. Like Tevye I pray for the freedom to sit in the synagogue and pray. Shabbat is a sign of the freedom to not work, to relax, to just be.  

As we have said, with freedom comes responsibility. The Torah is really clear on that point. Because we were slaves—and we were freed—we are responsible for taking care of the widow, the orphan, the stranger—as I often say, the most marginal among us. 

Jews have been praying on behalf of our governments since Jeremiah’s day, during the first exile to Babylon. Jews have been praying on behalf of the American government since colonial times and when this nation was young. I have read part of Moses Seixias’s prayer before to you. I have read the Richmond Jewish community’s prayer for Washington in the past. This one fascinates me because it is an acrostic spelling out Washington’s name in Hebrew. http://opensiddur.org/prayers-for/collective-welfare/government/prayer-for-george-washington-first-president-of-the-united-states-of-america-by-kahal-kadosh-beit-shalome-1789/ 

Our own prayer book, Siddur Sim Shalom has a prayer for our country. The Reform movement prayer books have prayers for our country. In Great Britain there are prayers for the queen, now king.  

The U46 School System has a mission statement that says that U46 is a great place for all students to learn, all teachers to teach and all employees to work. All means all. 

I have spent some time recently helping U46 navigate some very complicated waters around freedom of speech and honoring all students and staff. I still believe that “all means all.” For me, it comes from the idea that we are all created in the image of the Divine, we all have a spark of the divine in us.  

All means all. Quoting Tevye, “Sounds simple, no?” But how we achieve it is part of that American dream that is so important to me. To all of us. We want to be able to sit under our vine and fig tree where none will make us afraid. We want to be able to proclaim liberty throughout the land to ALL the inhabitants thereof. 

I ended that sermon in 2016 with these words: 

“I am glad that my ancestors had the vision to come to this country. I am glad that many of them were compelled to fight for the freedoms that they believed in—the very same ones that I believe in too. The very same ones that our American ancestors, William Bradford, Samuel Adams, John and Abigail Adams, Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Moses Sexias, Gershom Mendes, Hayyim Solomon Rebecca Gratz dreamed of. An America that would be a light to the nations. A new Jerusalem. Those freedoms include, “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Those freedoms include “justice for all.” All means all. That is what my ancestors, my Jewish ones and my American ones dreamed of and fought for. We are not there yet. We have a ways to go. And a responsibility to make sure that the next generation, from generation to generation, l’dor v’dor can live in a land that embraces all. I am willing to fight for it. With my words. Responsibly.” 

Warning: Long post ahead. Earilier today I debated Rabbi Shmuly Yaklowitz, one of the brightest most compassionate rabbis I know. I was excited about this project because I have wanted to expose my people to him. He is modern Orthodox, although he never used that term, whose publisher is the CCAR, the Reform movement and he stands with me on many social justice issues I care about. Perfect for our fiercely independent congregation, And if we win, we get a $5000 prize. A fundraiser where money comes from outside Elgin. Perfect. Topic? Is vegan or meat-eating the most authentic Judaism. Ready, set, go. Current topic, timely and i don’t think it is possible to “win”. In fact several of my colleagues tried to talk me out of it. I decided to try anyway. 

Format: 

I speak 10 minutes 

He speaks, 10 minutes 

I respond 10 minutes 

He responds 10 minutes 

Q&A and Voting 

All on Zoom 

 

Here are my remarks and my responses: 

 

It may be true that I have often said that steak, baked potato and asparagus is my favorite meal. But does that make it an authentic Jewish meal?  Is eating meat authentically Jewish? And while I have many friends who are vegan, for a variety of reasons, ethical, moral, health, envioronmental, I don’t think you can claim that veganism is authentically Jewish either. 

Before we dive into the texts that I collected and the comments that I solicited from other members of CKI and beyond, we need to define authentic: 

From the google dictionary box, which came from the Oxford languages authentic is: 

of undisputed origin; genuine. 

“the letter is now accepted as an authentic document” 

l 

based on facts; accurate or reliable. 

“an authentic depiction of the situation” 

 

Merriam Webster has it as: 

: not false or imitation : REAL, ACTUAL 

an authentic cockney accent
2: true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character 

is sincere and authentic with no pretensions
3 a: worthy of acceptance or belief as conforming to or based on fact 

paints an authentic picture of our society 

b: conforming to an original so as to reproduce essential features 

an authentic reproduction of a colonial farmhouse 

c: made or done the same way as an original 

authentic Mexican fare 

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/authentic 

 

My job here today is to prove that eating meat is authentically Jewish. 

 

My question then becomes does authentic make it unique? I think so. Judaism represents a wide ranging culture. As I explained to D300 earlier this week there is no one Jewish American culture. Culture includes things like how we worship, how we believe, what morals and ethics we subscribe to, our music, our art, our writings and yes, our food.  

Food is important in Judaism. When our confirmation kids interviewed all of you at the Chanukah bazaar back in November, long before we even dreamed of this debate, the number one thing people liked about being Jewish was the food. Number 2 was community.   

What seems to unite Jews across the world is how we eat, the system of how we eat called kashut, which really means fit or proper. 

 

From almost the beginning of time in Judaism, in our writings, the Torah, people have eaten meat. While in the Garden of Eden, Eve and Adam didn’t eat meat, by Cain and Abel, they were offering sacrifices Abel’s from the field and Cain’s from the flock. G-d preferred Abel’s and rejected Cain’s. It seems G-d likes meat. 

 

As Myrna explained it, since G-d created people with canine teeth, designed to tear meat, G-d must have meant us therefore to eat meat. We thought maybe we could rest there our debate right here.  

 

But wait, you say, Cain and Abel were not yet Jews, not yet Israelites. So let’s continue.  

 

Noah wasn’t Jewish either, per se.  But by Chapter 9 of Genesis we get these words from G-d.  

Every creature that lives shall be yours to eat; as with the green grasses, I give you all these.You must not eat flesh with life blood in it. (Genesis 9 3) But eating meat is not expressly forbidden, just not with blood, so the assumption is that it must be OK, from the pure animals that Noah put on the ark. 

Just before the exodus from Egypt, when the Israelites were waiting for the 10th plague, they nervousl,y at G-d’s bidding sacrificed a lamb and put the blood on their doorposts so that the angel of death would pass over their houses and spare their first born. A miracle! It worked. The blood of a lamb protected the Israelites. The original seders were simple harkening back to that moment—matzah, bitter herbs and LAMB. While some may put a beet on their seder plates today to represent that blood, others see the Hillel sandwich, again, originally matzah, lamb and bitter herbs, as throwback to that original command.  

We are in the middle of reading the book of Leviticus, Vakikra, and much of it has to do with animal sacrifice. Leviticus is clear: “Say to the Israelites: Of all the animals that live on land, these are the ones you may eat:” Leviticus: 11:2 A long list ensures of what we can and cannot eat. And of course, we know that it also says twice, specifically no pig.  

These animal sacrifices were designed to help us draw close to G-d. One of their very names, korban means to draw close. That name was in yesterday’s parsha. Our job is to draw close to G-d. One way we do that is through the sacrificial system. One way we do that is how we intentionally eat. 

 

What possible relevance could this have for our own time? We no longer have the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, and we know that deeds of lovingkindness have replaced animal sacrifice. As I often say we are not going to have a barbecue in the synagogue parking lot—well maybe for the Men’s Club Scotch and Steak in the Sukkah or Lag B’omer which is coming up next week Sunday.  

 

But in a mystical way, according to the Kabbalah, sacrificing animals elevates our souls and even that of the animal. I learned this tidbit while at the Govenor’s Seder sitting next to the Chabad rabbi Mendy Turen of Springfield. While I am not sure I completely understand this, I offer: 

 

“The detailed laws of animal sacrifices are no exception. Physically, they don’t relate to us in our present age, but on a psychological and spiritual level, these laws relate to us a timeless message for human challenge and growth. Deleting them from the Bible is an amputation of a vital, indispensable component of the spiritual opportunities life offers us.” That opportunity allows us chance to complete our chief task in life to challenge our own inner animal, every day anew, bringing it one step closer to our higher, deeper self, and to the G‑dly space within us.” https://www.chabad.org/kabbalah/article_cdo/aid/2502892/jewish/Elevating-Our-Animals.htm 

 

Or as Gene tried to explain it to me, animal sacrifice was a triple win, the life of the animal was taken for a higher purpose, your life was cleansed and the Levites, who were tasked with performing this sacrificial system had full gainful employment, 

When we finally entered the land of Israel as described in Deuteronomy, we were told: 

When the Lord your G-d has enlarged your territory as he promised you, and you crave meat and say, “I would like some meat,” then you may eat as much of it as you want. (Deuteronomy 12:20) 

If this conversation is really about eating vegan what do we do with the idea that the very land of Israel is described as a good land, a land “flowing with milk and honey.” as several of you pointed out.  In order for there to be milk, there must be cows, or goats or sheep, to make that milk. We are marching towards Shavuot. Today is the 26th day of the counting of the Omer. The tradition is to have dairy foods for Shavuot to represent that very land. So think cheesecake, blintzes. Remember that Chanukah also features cheese as Judith served the enemy salty cheese and then got him drunk to relieve his thirst. Dairy is baked into our heritage, making it authentic to our diet, to our culture. 

That’s as far as I got in my frist 10 minutes. Oy!  

He talked about the reason for eating comes all the way from the Garden of Eden. Before Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, all that was eaten was fruit and vegetables, a vegan diet. It was simple. It was pure. And it was morally defensible. For every food choice we make we are voting with our values. My response would be that there is a difference between ethical, moral and compassionate and authentic which is how he set up the debate. Based on the the 13 Atrtributes of G-d, we are to be compassionate. I agree. Abd every food choice illustrate how we live in a just world.  

 

My part 2
Another way we are authentically Jewish is by keeping kosher, the authentic, unique ways that Jews eat, based on the Torah itself. We are told that there are no extra words in the Torah. If we were not meant to keep kosher, not meant to eat meat at all since the Torah provides an extensive list of the animals we can eat wouldn’t it have been much simpler and more effective to say in a staccato voice, “Don’t eat meat!” full stop. 

 The rabbis of the Talmud write extensively about how to eat meat, reminding us three times we are not to cook meat and milk together…but they don’t argue that we shouldn’t eat meat at all. One of these long arguments is on Chullin 115b which we don’t have time to fuly explore:
 https://www.sefaria.org/Chullin.115b.7?lang=bi  

In another place, that seems ripped from today’s headlines, they are asked because the Holy Temple has been destroyed, we should not eat meat at all. Many survivors became ascetics, thinking they should hot eat meat or drink wine since these were used in the Holy Temple. But Rabbi Yehoshua rebuked them saying OK, no meat or wine, but they you really ought to stop eating bread because the first fruits can not be brought. Or drink water since the water libations have ceased. Rabbi Yehoshua explained that people needed to mourn but not excessively, and that people could eat meat! (Bava Batra 60b) My thanks to Sharon Brous who retold this story in her new book, the Amen Effect.  

In the modern world many have spoken about the idea that kashrut laws are designed to make Jews Jews.  

I didn’t always keep kosher. In fact, in my Hebrew School I was taught that it was an outmoded form of Judaism. It wan’t and isn’t. It wasn’t until I got to college that I knew anyone who did.  

I keep Kosher, because much like the animal sacrifices we discussed before, it draws me closer to the Divine. It is about mindful eating. I have to slow down, stop and think. It is a way of being inclusive. Anyone can eat in my home. Anyone can eat here at CKI. While some people think it separates Jews from others like brit milah, circumcision, mezuzah and Shabbat, I find it does quite the opposite. Hebrew National had it right. We answer to a higher authority and people seem to want to be part of that.   

The book Kosher Nation, written by Sue Fishkoff and published in 2010, details why More and More of America’s Food Answers to a Higher Authority as the subtitle suggests. Kashrut in America is growing, not shrinking, precisely because it is authentic. Joan Nathan’s cookbook—really a history book Jewish Cooking in America collects much of what we think as Jews we eat—authentically. As many of you have pointed out and the confirmation class concurs, who can imagine Judaism without cholent (Ok, you can make a vegetarian version of that!), or chopped liver, Barbara Njus described that as essential! Chicken soup, brisket, chopped liver, all got votes. Cheesecake, blintzes, latkes, all traditional Ashkanazi treats all were mentioned. Sephardic delicacies, shashuska, Israeli chicken sofrito, Simon’s beloved northern Italian cooking: fried chicken for Chanukah, roast chicken for Shabbat, all authentic Jewish cooking.   

Blu Greenberg in her book, How to Run a Traditional Jewish Household, published in 1983 said this:
“I believe that the purpose of kashrut is to make eating a special experience and to serve as a reminder of a Jew’s ethical conscience as well as of the other unique teachings of Judaism. To me, distinctiveness and not separation is the Jew’s calling. This feeling is possible in the presence of nonobservant Jews and of non-Jews. The values of friendship, human solidarity, and socializing are highly esteemed Jewish values; making a living and exchanging professional service (sometimes performed over a meal) also are respected in Jewish culture. One of the great qualities of the Jewish tradition is its ability to balance contradictions—idealism and realism, Jewish particularism and unusual concern for humanity. Similarly, in the act of eating, one can strike that balance between fidelity to one’s own principles and shared friendship and respectful contact with others.” (page 12) 

But while kashrut, including eating meat keeps me mindful and makes me an authentic Jew, it may not always be the most ethical choice. Blu’s husband, Rabbi Yitz Greenberg, and I think Reb Shmuly’s teacher, was one of only a few Orthodox Rabbis who boycotted non-union lettuce and grapes in 1971. When I got married, we both came into the marriage with the More with Less Cookbook published by the Mennonites, a cousin denomination to the CHurch of the Brethren head uquartered here in Elgin and also a “peace church”.Originally published in 1976 and updated periodically, iIt is the book that first made me aware that for every pound of beef you needed 14 pounds of grain. This is an ethical argument, and a powerful one, particularly in our current climate crisis. However, we do have enough resources in the world to feed the hungry if only we could figure out how to share equitably. We do that partially by own own community garden takening the words of yesterday’s portion to leave the corners of our fields for the widow, the orphan and the stranger, the most marginalize amongst us.  

Others have argued that most of the kosher meat plants in America do not slaughter animals in a compassionate way and do not treat their workers equitably. That is very true in the articles that I have read, but while I deplore those conditions, it doesn’t mean that eating meat is not authentically Jewish. We need to find a balance.  

https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/114040?lang=bi  

https://www.sefaria.org/topics/meat?tab=sources  

 

Like Rabbi Greenberg and Rabbi Zalman Schacter Shlomi and my own teacher Rabbi Everett Gendler, one of the first Jewish vegetarians, Rabbi Shmuly has also been at the vanguard of something called eco-kashrut. He cites in an article published on My Jewish Learning, that the “The Torah and other Jewish literature lend support for ethical kashrut initiatives. Nahmanides, a 13th century Spanish rabbi, argued (Leviticus 19:1) that if people consume food that is technically kosher from a ritual perspective but do not embrace the ethics that come along with consumption then they are naval birshut haTorah (despicable with the permission of the Torah). They have broken no formal kashrut prohibitions but their act is shameful, and they have not lived by the moral and ethical intentions of the Torah. Nahmanides is referring to eating in moderation but his value certainly lends to broad extension. Simply put: permissible consumption does not necessarily mean good consumption….” That is true, as I have argued. He founded an organization called Tav HaYosher (The Ethical Seal) in 2009. Like a Conservative Movement initiative, Magen Tzedek which is certifying kosher factories to secure worker’s rights to fair pay, fair time and safe working conditions. He argues, however, that “in short, ethical does not redefine kashrut, rather they are complementary and distinct. However, the article does not say that we shouldn’t eat meat, rather that we need to figure out how to do so ethically.  

 

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/ethical-kashrut/  

 

Do we need to do a better job living out our moral compass to compassion? You bet! But today we are merely talking about whether meat is authentically Jewish.  

 

https://www.sefaria.org/search?q=kashrut%20ethical&tab=sheet&tvar=1&tsort=relevance&svar=1&ssort=relevance 

I have known many people who are vegans, and I appreciate the dedication and intention, dedication and real work, but my last argument is around pekuach nefesh, saving a life. Several of you—perhaps some even on this call, have recently been asked to add at least some chicken back into your diets. It turns out it may not be quite as healthy as we once thought, If you need lengthy articles on this, they have been supplied by a registered dietian at University Hosptial in Ann Arbor and backed by my own physician. Eating less meat: Good, Eating no meat: Not uite yet. Pekuach nefesh, saving a life is a very high value in Judaism, so eating meat is authentically and importanlty Jewish. 

In conclusion, you can be authentically Jewish by being a vegetarian or a vegan. Like Queen Esther was in the palace, it is an easy way to hide your Judaism or if non-kosher meat etc is not available, However, as I have demonstrated. there is so much in Judaism that revolves around meat, in Torah, in Talmud, throughout the ages to our own day, eating meat really is authentically Jewish. Could we, should we, be more ethical about how meat is acquired, but it is authentic to eat meat. 

And now…more chicken soup! Chicken soup is good for the soul, and might just heal my cold. 

He responded by talking about compassion as a way to emanate G-d, which it is. Compassion is important. Judaism has been evolving for thousands of years. Hey, he’s right we even have women rabbis! Judaism will continue to evolve. No doubt about that. Can we get the balance better? You bet. But eating meat is authentically Jewish.
In the Torah 

• Authentic In the Tanach 
• Authentic In the Talmud 
• Authentic In the codes 
• Authentic In our culture 
• Authentic today.  

Thanks to  

Anita Horung
Simon Klein
Ellen Levy
Gene Lindow
Barbara Njus
Amie Flexner Ritchie
Myrna Rosenbaum
R. Linda Shriner-Cahn
Anita Silverman
R. Mendy Turen

Happy Mother’s Day Weekend. Before you tell me that Mother’s Day isn’t a Jewish holiday, maybe it should be. Right from our text today. Today we read Kedoshim, the Holiness code. You shall be holy because I the Lord your G-d am holy. It is the central most section of the Torah. It is a description of how to set up a civil society, a moral society, a Jewish society, based on Jewish values. And it begins with this quote, “Fear your mother and your father, and keep My sabbaths, I am the Lord your G-d.” Now we are not going to debate what holiness means or whether it should be fear or revere your mother or why the order is mother and father here but in the 10 Commandments it is honor your father and mother. 

Today we are going to look at how the image and ideals of mothers have changed over time in Judaism.  

Last night we looked at the poem from Proverbs that many husbands read to their wives callee Eishet Chayil. A woman of valor…who can find. Remember, this is an ideal. We Kleins use it a checklist. Did I work and give food to the needy? A portion to my workers? Did I open my mouth with wisdom? Maybe. And is the law of kindness on my tongue? I’ll keep working on it. These days there are other versions of Eishet Chayil to reflect other kinds of families. Two women. Two men. A divorced or blended family. So, so many combinations these days.  

Eishet Chayil while part of Proverbs, midrashically is what Abraham used as his eulogy of Sarah. It is still used at many women’s funerals. (Not my mother’s! She felt it didn’t represent her understanding of feminism, despite this woman being a business owner, buying and selling fields and working from early morning until late at night!) 

The Jewish matriarchs were Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah. None were perfect. Sarah and Rebecca struggled with infertility and their solutions didn’t always work. Mother’s Day can be tough, if you’ve lost a child, are waiting for a child, lost a parent or your own marriage didn’t work the way you thought it would. Rachel even hid her idols on the way…it is said in Jeremiah that Rachel is still weeping for her children. This year I think we all weep for children…those in American who don’t have access to good health care, those who are abused, those who don’t have enough to eat. That list goes on and oneAnd yes, we weep for children in Gaza, for children in Israel. So, so many tears. 

The history of Mother’s Day is not just a Hallmark Card. It was originally started by some mothers who didn’t want to send another child, a son, off to the Civil War. There must be a better way. There still must be a better way.  

Julia Ward Howe wrote a poem in the 1870s: 

 

Last night I asked if anyone knew “A Yiddishe Mama” well enough to sing Adon Olam to it. No one even knew it! So here is one version of the Yiddish classic originally sung by Sophie Tucker.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weYcCyf-3RU 

Sometimes Bruiah, the wife of Rabbi Meir, herself a scholar and a teacher and therefore sometimes described as the first woman rabbi has an important and painful story to teach about her own children. The midrash tells us that the couple was blessed with two boys who brought their parents much joy. One Shabbat afternoon both sonds suddenly became ill and died. Rather than rushing off to the study hall, the beit midrash where Rabbi Meir was teaching, Bruiah waited until she came home and greeted him at the door withwith what seemed to be a puzzle. what seemed to be a puzzle. “A man lent me a fine gift,” she told him, “and now he has come and asked me to return it.” “W”What is the problem? If it was borrowed, it must be returned.” asked Rabbi Meir. asked Rabbi Meir. “The problem is that the gift is something that I cherish very much and it is hard for me give it up,” she answered. 

“But it is not yours,” her husband replied. “You should be thankful that this man lent you something that gave you such pleasure and be happy to return it.” Then Bruriah led her husband to the next room where their two sons lay still in their bed. I can’t even begin to imagine those parents pain.  

In 1670, Gluckl of Hamlin (https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/glueckel-of-hameln) began to write a diary in Yiddish. She was a young bride (14 is young!) and gave birth to 12 children. (I can’t even imagine!) Sadly her husband died in 1689 with still 8 of those children not yet married. He had been quite the business person and she took over the business, traveling all over Europe to ply their wares despite the great risks. She also used those trips to arrange marriages for her children. If you have nf you have not read these memoirs I encouage you strongly to do so.  

One of the stories in her memoir is about a mother eagle who must transport her fledglings over a stormy sea to a new next. These four baby birds depent on her, She fights a head wind, her wings grow ever weaker and there is still too far to go. She asks the first baby, “Do you love me and will you promise to repay me for this?” Yes, I swear,” tweets the first bird. 

But the mother bird senses a lie. She drops that little bird into the sea. Same for eaglet two and three. But number four gives a different answer: “”Mother,” he says, “I can only promise that when I have my own children, I shall do as much for them as you have done for me.” The debt will be paid in full, but only to your grandchildren. 

The weary mother knew the truth when she heard it. She fought with the wind and her fatigue and brought her child who would become the father of her grandchildren safely to the shore. It reminds me a little of Honi and the carob tree. Our ancestors planted for us so we must plant, or fly across the sea for our children and grandchildren. It is one of those l’dor va dor moments. From generation to generation.  

Last night from Leo Rostens Treasure of Jewish Quotations we learned that G-d could not be everywhere, so He created mothers. OK, and as I often quip text me when you get home, I was a Jewish mother before I was a rabbi. But do we really know where it is from? Rosten didn’t source it so I did some investigating. Some think it might be in the Talmud but it is hard to find that exact quote. It might just be a Jewish parable. Or it might be from Golda Meir, who knows where she picked it up.Or maybe it is Rudyard Kipling. No matter, as a parable it rings true, coupled with all the jokes about Jewish mothers.  

The Bookery explains the quote this way: “beautifully encapsulates the concept and significance of motherhood. With profound simplicity, she emphasizes the divine role mothers play in our lives. The quote suggests that mothers possess a unique ability to provide the unconditional love, care, and guidance that we seek. It recognizes the exceptional strength, compassion, and selflessness that mothers embody as they nurture and protect their children. Golda Meir’s words not only highlight the irreplaceable bond between mother and child but also acknowledge the immense impact mothers have in shaping individuals and society as a whole.” https://www.bookey.app/quote-author/golda-meir#:~:text=Golda%20Meir’s%20quote%2C%20%22God%20cannot,mothers%20play%20in%20our%20lives.  

Golda Meir had much to say about parenting and peace: in 1957, before the National Press Club in Washington: “Peace will come when the Arabs will love their children more than they hate us. (She also made a similar statement specifically regarding Nasser.) In a similar vein, she would say, Peace will come when an Arab leader is courageous enough to wish it. Or perhaps you like this versionthis version:
“When peace comes we will perhaps in time be able to forgive the Arabs for killing our sons, but it will be harder for us to forgive them for having forced us to kill their sons. Peace will come when the Arabs will love their children more than they hate us.” 

In Rabbi Harold Kusher’s book, How Good Do We Have to Be? A New Understanding of Guilt and Forgiveness, he has an entire chapter of “Father and Sons, Mothers and Daughters.” This book too is worth the whole read. But today I want to offer you this. He quotes Marian Wright Edelman’s book, the Measure of Our Success with a Letter to my sons: “I seek your forgiveness for all the times I talked when I should have listened, got angry when I should have been patient, acted when I should have waited; feared when I should have been delighted, scolded when I should have encouraged, criticized when I should have complimented said no when I should have said yes and said yes when I should have said not. I did not know a whole lot about parenting or how to ask for help. I often tried too hard and wanted and demanded so much and mistakenly sometimes tried to mold you into my image of what I wanted you to be rather than discovering and nourishing you as you emerged and grew.” Page 90-91 

These are important words. Many have struggled with their relationships with their mothers. Perhaps they were overbearing, helicopter parents. Perhaps they were verbally abusive. Perhaps they abused. Perhaps they were demanding or distant or didn’t understand how to parent. Do any of us, really? Those matriarchs didn’t. Kusher tells the story in his book of being asked whether an adult daughter had to go to her mother’s funeral. He says no, but encouages her to go to mourn the relationship with her parent that she wished she had had. On this Mother’s Day Weekend, words to think about. 

Another thing to think about is the legacy we leave our children. One way to do that is by creating an ethical will, a written testament of the values you want to pass down to your children and grand children. Here is a one paragraph ethical will from a mother to her children: 

“I fully expect that I will live for a very long time, to see you well into adulthood and to share your future with you. There is much to look forward to and I am planning on being part of all the adventures and all the challenges and all the joys. But if for some reason I am not, the most important thing you need to know is how much my love for you created the person that you will remember as me. I made you quite literally, in my womb, but you made me, too. I am so proud of you and so grateful to you.  When the time comes, and none of us can answer the question of when that will be, you need to know that without a doubt, I was fulfilled in my life. I have had a wonderful life and I don’t want you to mourn me – maybe a little, but not too long!  Carry me forward by re-creating the net that I was for you and be it for others. Carry me forward in your kitchen with oatmeal scones and casserole bread and pie, warm from the oven and made for your own delectable pleasure, or for those you care about.  Carry me forward with an optimistic outlook and tenacious devotion to what you know is best. Carry me forward and I will be with you always.” 

https://www.personallegacyadvisors.com/examples-of-ethical-wills/#:~:text=A%20one%20paragraph%20ethical%20will,challenges%20and%20all%20the%20joys.  

However you choose to celebrate this weekend, we hope that it is what you would want. And remember our parsha, “You shall be holy because I the Lord your G-d am holy. Revere your mother and your father, I am the Lord.”