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Shalom, chaveirim - hello, friends -
FIRST: MUSIC
You might think I'm a little obsessed about Israeli music. I am. Under normal circumstances, I am. But the reality of this war, the internet, and social media has made the use of new (and older) songs in Israel a key part of this era. Music often tells the story - or stories - of life in Israel and this moment is no different. In fact, one of the songs we studied "Am Yisrael Chai ~ The People of Israel lives" (Eyal Golan) is among several featured in the article below about the soundtrack of Israel today.
I have taught a few of the songs that are discussed in the article found below in which you will find a link to a playlist of over 100 songs that are somewhat the 'soundtrack' of this moment in Israeli life. Some of the songs have Youtube videos, where the lyrics are translated. If you are interested in studying one of them, I would be only too happy to work on a translation with you. In the meantime, have a look at Yuval Dayan's "Watch over this heart."
SECOND: A GOLDEN CALF & A MORAL CHALLENGE
This week's Torah reading brings out the worst in the Israelites. And it is THE story for the rabbis of old understanding the Israelites' frailties and as such they give it the nickname of "Ha-Ma'aseh / The Story." And the word for "story" here is not sippur, which literally is: a story. The word 'ma'aseh' refers to an action - a doing. The story is in the doing - the actions of the Israelites.
I will speak more about the Golden Calf later in the week, but I invite you to think about your defining your own story based on your actions.
It has been said that each of us is the story we tell ourselves. The same could be said for us, as a people. The rabbis return to the story of the Golden Calf in order to show our errant ways which were caused in faulty actions. They remind us that we are culpable for the world we create. God has given us the tools with which to build our world: how are we using those tools? We cannot take responsibility for the actions of others but we most assuredly can take control over our own deeds. And we can determine our story moving forward based on our actions.
These days and months since October 7th are morally and emotionally challenging. In the most recent episode of For Heaven's Sake: The End of Victimhood with Rabbi Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi, Yossi reaches a remarkably insightful conclusion when he notes that October 7th was a moment in which the nation "...lapsed into powerlessness, which created an abdication of the responsibilities of Jewish power. Our challenge is to reclaim the moral responsibilities of power while affirming the necessity for power and to reclaim the seriousness of wielding power."
The Golden Calf story is not so dissimilar. The Israelites lapsed into powerlessness - or felt it as they awaited Moses' return from the top of Mt. Sinai. And thus, they abdicated their duty to observe the two (and only two) commandments they knew: That Adonai (God) had brought them from the Land of Egypt and that they were to have no other gods before God. Following that abandonment of moral responsibility, it became the role of every Jew ... to this very day ... to understand our sacred, covenantal role in upholding the divinely commanded tasks of the Torah and in the case of state-building: wielding power.
It is an awesome task for each of us and our people's nation. May we find the strength and means to support those who uphold responsible use of power and take seriously the moral considerations and commands of Torah.
L’shalom,
Rabbi Mark Cohn
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Sunday, April 7 (3:00 PM) at Temple Emanuel, 1 E. 65h Street, NYC. Join me for an extraordinary opportunity to honor our Czech Torah!! Register HERE as seating is limited. To learn more about the Czech Memorial Scroll Trust, go to their website HERE.
Thursday, May 9 (7:00 PM) at Congregation B'nai Israel, 444 Main Street, Southbury. Acclaimed author, journalist, teacher Yossi Klein Halevi will be speaking on "How October 7 Changed Israel and the Jewish World." This evening is hosted by our congregation joined with CBI of Southbury, the Jewish Federation of Western CT, the Greater Washington Coalition for Jewish Life, United Jewish Center of Danbury, and Temple Beth David of Cheshire.
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