habonim jewish renewal booklet aleph

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; ' _ : ~ c r : : l l In t ro ,bc t i on to \Taad Chidush ;;aYahaciut: Choveret Aleph

A ~ 8 n g the re so lu t ions of the l a s t veida was one t ha t

.:leal t with the c rea t ion of a vaad fo r the renewal of Judaislfl

with in the MoveGent. The vaad was to explore Judaism, cons ider

wkat the s p i r i t u a l needs and des i res of the Movement were,and formulate a framework fo r Judaism apPrP:{iate to ourse lves

as Labor Zion i s t s .

The re so lu t ion c rea t ing vaad chidush yahadut was passed.

A group of chevre i volunteered to implement the re so lu t ion .

I became the co-o rd ina to r of the vaad. I sen t ou t l e t t e r s to

those who had expressed wil l ingness and i n t e r e s t a t the ve ida ,

asking them the d i r e c t i on they thought the vaad should go. I

rece ived very few responses . Limi ta t ions of t ime and dis tance ,

as wel l as uncer t a in ty , slowed down the process we had embarked

on. Eventua l ly , I decided to t ry to assemble a se r i e s of a r t i c l e s

and ideas t ha t people had concerning the top ic of Judaism in

the Movement. These wri t ings would be educa t ion -o r ien ted , ec l ec t i c ,

and non-judgmental . The goal of the vaad has changed. The

i s sue i s much too complex fo r any vaad to neat ly package it.

Ins tead , p o s s i b i l i t i e s and educa t iona l ideas became the focus .

This chovere t rep resen t s the work of the vaad. It's no t

much, but it's a s t a r t . Some of it i s or ig ina l work of chevre iHaTnua. Unfor tuna te ly , most of it i s not . I th ink t h i s shows

a lack of conf idence- people are not convinced 6 f t h e i r legi t imacey

in the area of Judaism, they would r a the r presen t the words of

a well-known scholar or idea logue than t h e i r own perhaps

nebulous ideas . Perhaps s o ~ e the fol lowing mate r i a l s wi

help change t ha t .

The chovere t aleph i s d i v i d ~ d into th ree sec t ions . The

in t roduc to ry sec t ion dea l s with i nd iv idua l ' s fee l ings about

Judaism in the Movement. The sec t ion on peulo t conta ins severa :

peulo t ideas t ha t can be u t i l i zed in a ken or machaneh s e ~ : iThe t h i rd sec t ion i s a c o l l e c t i on of a r t i c l e s on spec i f ic areas

of Judaism, and how they apply to us.

I hope these mate r i a l s are use fu l in s e l f - e d u c a t i o ~ as ~ 2 __

as a bas i s fo r tochn io t chinuch. I have t r i ed to avoic = 2 r ~r epe t i t i on of bacground sources . Whatever chovere t

----- .. - n mate r i a l and scope, it i s an authent ic and o r i g i --"!:::: . . ---

of chevre i Habonim-Dror.



On Use of this Material

To the Rosh ~ i a c h a n e h / t > t = r k e z ChinuchjShaliach:

The position papers, pe:Jlot, and art icles written and assembled by vaad chidush

hayahadut are intended to be (J sed .j n a number of ways.

Firstly, they can fonn a pert of a tochnit chinuch for lOadrichim. The articles

and position papers can be discussed, the peulot can be analyzed and used as the seed

of a brainstorm.

Secondly, the choveret can be i ncor'pcrated into the tochnit chiiluch 11 chailichim.

Different sections of the chcveret can be a;Jplied to different areas of the tochnit.

Finally, the choveret can be used in the f ~ n n a t i o n of a tochnit. Discussing the

va.riolls issues that ate raised i:. the choveret can help defi!1e positions, and formu1ate

ideas fo r peulot and other tochnit ideas.

(



7he harsh r e a l i t y of being an old f a r t in Eabonim-Dror

has se t in . Although I don ' t f ee l a t a l l , u i l t y or uncom

for tab le about it, I am inc reas ing ly aware t ha t t ~ e r e are

l e s s than f ive members of the 11 danc ing 26 th Ywrkshop II here

a t hinus . I t has been exc i t ing , though, to see kinuse i ma '

i l im grow from 50 par t ic ipants to 200. For me, it has so

been gra t i fy ing to see the few people in each kvutza who are

" re l ig ious ly inc l ined . II I used to be a cinch fo r l eading

the kiddush and the accepted ta lmudic a u thor i t y - it's wonderfu l

to share those r e spons ib i l i t i e s with o thers .

I probobly share a major complaint with these people.

Ihave always been

apa r t of Habonim-Dror 's emphasis on educa t ion .

We don ' t merely bel ieve in p o l i t i c a l ac t ion , but bel ieve t ha t

we must educate ourselves about i s sues . Then, and only then ,

do we ac t . Yet , re l ig ious observence and the t r a d i t i ons t h a t

are followed in Habonim-Dror cul ture seem to be a myster ious

except ion. Our ind iv idual views range from observant to a n t i

r e l i ous with our o f f i c i a l pol icy being somewhere in between.

Sadly, I suspec t t ha t on these i s sues , we ac t without educa t ion.

Few of us know, nor make e f fo r t to know about the roots or sources

of these th ings t h a t we fol low, r e j e c t , i n s e r t in to peu lo t , argue

about or joke about . How many of us know what the talmud i s ,

who wrote it, the f ive books, e tc . . • Too few I th ink . These

subjec ts are gross ly neglec ted in our movement and personal

chinuch programs; they are important beyond the h i s to r i ca l

value .

ffJy second complaint i s about what I ca l l " r e l i ophobia."

Two fac tors con t r ibu te to th i s phenomenon. The r ~ t i s our

genera l lack of knowledge of Jewish customs and sources . rhesecond i s more close to our he a r t s . In I s r a e l ' s r ecen t p o l i t

i c a l h i s to ry , we and the r e l i g ious p o l i t i c a l forces (the major

ones) have become more po la r i zed ..'Ie don ' t agree wi th theJl;

very much. This I admit- I don ' t l ike t he i r po l i t i c s e i t he r .



However, I have heard and seen some react ions from

chevrei Habonim-Dror to rel ig ious Jews, especial ly in pol i t -

i ca l s i tua t ions , that embarrass me. Sometimes I fee l tha t we a ~ eguil ty of the same general izing and stereotyping t ha t we have

fought against for ourselves and other peoples. It dis turbs

me tha t Habonim-Dror chevre would sooner s i t and work with

the FLO than s , t with a chaver B'nai Akiva- someth ing is wrong

i f we cannot see the t i es and common goals between us.

Once again, it comes down to education. We have so much

to teach our chanichim and ourselves. But it seems to me t ha t

we have to put our her i tage and his tory and cul ture a t a higher

pr ior i ty . I thinkit

would help a l l of ur? JA( "'I\"{

Kevin



The following Peulot serve as Dugmot or poss ibi l i t i es fo r

fur ther peulot . They are in out l ine form and must be f i l led

out by the Moseir Peula or madrich. They are mainly intRnded

for the upper-age shchavot, but they may be adapted.

David Kaufman made the f i r s t peula, hoshe Rudin the

second, the th i rd i s taken from theHaShachar repetoire , the

Kohlet socio-drama and the Einstein a r t i c l e are both from the

Program Bank. The qotation card peula45 i s from the Universi ty

of Judaism.

The peulot cover a wide range of topics- the m'chanech

must decide which are appropriate to the specif ic educational

se t t ing.



OctlJbnr 27, 11]E2

I ESSON PI. AN tI ~ -1Goal: To f!stabl ish fami l ia r i ty urith the T a ) m u r ' - i t s methor'oloc)Y,

content , anc relevance for tor 'ay.

Steps

1) At; always, n E V I E ~ J l a s t lesson (JcVJish values vi:1 quntOJti::1ns).

2) nanOruCE new bo:'y of work, rclat ing to past rliscussions of his tory

anr' l i t e r a tu r e . a) Display actual peg!? of Talmur', b r i ~ f l y explaining

s t ructure (mishnah, Gemarah, commentaricc). b) Rear' two ancccotes from

Jeudsh rolklorf! , er'. Nathan A u s u h e l - " A lesson in Talmuri" anr' " lo s t

anr' rounr" ' , remonstrat ing methor' of T a i m u ~ i c reasoning in enter ta in ing way.

J) S I m U l ~ T E Talmur'ic r ' i sputa t ion with 'mock r 'ebate ' t e c h n ~ q u ea) Statr> poblcm: TII.'o mcn lI:alkino in r 'esert lU j th only enOUGh \'J<:lt"r for or,!?

b) Ask fer o p i n i o ~ s from c las s , arr iv ing a t three P Q ~ ~ i b l e z n s ~ e r ss p l i t the water nnd both r 'ie; the one v;ho L) ..m:.; the l'!ator I,;ivcs it to h i ~ ~

fricnt : ; or , he keeps it an(J ( ' r inks it himself , let.tin£] f r i r . n ~ ' I ' ie .

c) Each opinion-holr ler s tan fs up, goes to corner nf rnom, i s allower 'i

;.,: .I. ,a minut£> to s ta te his /her por;i t ion a n ~ ' reasons, rl) Thp.n, anyone l.I:ho h<.:s

something to aed i s allower' to stanr ' up anr' join tha t posi t ion .

e) Concluce by revea l ing ac tua l Tdmur' ic solut ions of R. Akiva anel

Ben P e t u r < . ~ h . This i s given in ~ : : l i . ' ! e i s e l l s 8.r t ic le .

4) PUZZLE C ~ ~ [ Cut up parable of ' fox f i?hes ' (R. Akiv:1) into shor t

phrasr.s , tl!hich groups of three m u ~ t :1:.smnbl e into oriS} no1 fur!'l,

5) : - :83: ' S2;ne "tory in i t s orig inal clintrxt (t ruct0tD of BrDchDt),

r'i ; c u ~ ; : o i n<J th n i ssuc of rcl iQiou::; cpprr.ssi,)n.

nctinC) r p l e v ~ 1 n c c of Talmur to our t i ~ , : .



.



I came to that conclusion once when

studied a $lOry about Rabbi Akiba and

his friend, ben Peturilh. Rabbi Akib<l was

my hero, still is. And there is a question,

a legalistic question, in the Taimud:

i::nlJ:::J D',,1;"i;:! t : , ~ ' : : I . Two men go in Ih e

desert, and both are thirsty. and thereis no :::J1t" around. And they have only

one jar of W:ller. nen Pelurah says:

' ~ 1 ' n ' . Since they arc friends. ict themdivide the water, even if it means that

both shall die. And Rabbi Akiba. the

mystic-instead of t;lking a poctic at-

titude lowards friendship-Rabbi Akiba

says: No. The person who owns the jar

should drink it ;lhmc. bcea\lst: 1 ' ~ 1 1 j ) 1";'.

your life C O ! l l C ~ firs!. '1'011 G1I1I1l)1 give

up what docs not helong to you; your

life is not yours. fo r a willie I didn't like

fbbbi Aliba bec:llIsc I love friefllhhip.And to me friendship meallS also sacri-

lice. ilut I l l l ' l l I IIIHit:ls\oud

rA.,J ,1'011 llwlt IvVl Il" LorJ II., Go,/ ctc. ,. It hJ5 he.:n taubht:

R.,Eliaer says: If it SJys ·..,id, 01/ r/" lei'/'. why should it also S.lY.

'with ull Illy mijlJ/'," and If it s")'S ·,.jil, ,,1/11,y IlIi;lI,,', why shoulu it

also SJ Y 'u,;th nil ,/,y lOllr) Should t h ~ r e be J man who vJ.luc:I lir.:

morc thJn his money, for him it sJYs; '",il/, ,,1/ '''y lOIt/'; ~ h o u l dther.:- he;\ man who V ~ [ U ( , 5 his monq Illore thJn his life, for him

it 51Y5. · ~ · i t l , vII '],y ",i:J},I'. R. i\kiba SJYS: • U ,d, 1111 tI,y JO/'/': even if

He IJKl-; .I.w•• }' thy SOIl1."

Ollr R l b h i ~ I.HlSht: Once the wi"ked GOVl'rnment IJ i ~ ~ " ...d a

dccree furbidding the J \ ' w ~ to sludy ~ I H I pr..1cli'e the Tor.lh.

1',Ippu5 b. J",l..h C.\llIt: .111.1 found H. i\!'l1l.1 publicly b,inr;illJ.:

£.Hhc,;II):' tobethcr {leo'!,yin!; him,c1f with the : t o r ~ h . II.:

SJid to h,m; Akib •. arc yo" not .,f, .• id of the GClIfann\CI\I! ll.:

rcp!ic<!: I wille ~ p : ~ i n

to yo" wil h.l p.HJ hIe. A fOJ( \\'.lS once walkinb.l!on.;side of.!. ri'·e:r. :,C s.• "" fl,hcs boing iri swum, fro"' (lnc

p:lce to .nother. He Slit! 10 trw,,: from w b l .HC )'ou Occil\g)

They replied: Prom the nets ( lS I for tl5 by men. H..: s.lid 10 them:

\VouJd you like to come lip on to the ury I ~ n d so th.lt you .and

1Cln live: together in thc w .• y IlIlt my .1I.ceQc.rs lived with your

.ncl"icors) Tney rep:il'd: IHe thou Ihe one th .• 1 they c ~ 1 I thc

clcVt'rc,t of . 1 n i f l \ ~ b ) Thall .H I nor ci<:ver hilt {ooli..h. If we ,He

.ar,.lid in the dement in which we li,·e. how much morc in the

d ...ment in which we w o u ~ ( l di,,' So it is wilh us. If such is our con-

dition when we sit study the Tor.ah. of which it is written,

I f , · , rI,,,, i, II,y "I' nll'/ Ii,. I..";i tI, 4 Il,y .I"Y'.' if we go .ind "cglen

it [,ow ,HlIlh wor,,' (,Ir we ·.11.1111",' It ",,·I.HCll Ill.\t ~ n ( J 1 \ " f t c r w . \ 1 I 1 ~It. AI.,\..\ \ \ ' . , ~ .111",Il,tl .",,1 I1.WWII j" l( l p,i\ol\, .\lIt! 1"\Pl"" l>.

).,,1..1, W . , ~ ~ ! ' O .Hr,·'.,,[1 .\\,,1 jll'I',j·.IIlIl·,1 1I1·,t to hi,". li e , • id to

I,ill': 1',':'1"", who bro'lI:l,t yo u hl'rl') I k n:l'li,·.I: ll.ll'J'Y yo",

R. AkibJ. th..t you h,,'c becn seill'd for b u ~ y i n ~ )'olln,·:t , , ; : ~the Torah i\hs for P " i ' i ' u ~ who 1 1 . 1 ~ bcen seized for L " w i n ~

h i m ~ c 1 f with iJlc t h i n £ , ' ~ \Vhcn R. i\l.ibJ WJS tJken out ror necu·

lion. it W , \ ~ the ho llr for the rcci:a! of r:.e S:'{NJu', And "h,!c

combed hi\ ncsh with iron combs. he ~ c ( c ? : i n g u)lon h i l 1 l \ ~ ! :the kin£,'hi;1 of hl'.wen.' I ( h c i r ~ e s SJiJ to 111m: Ou r tCJchu.

even to Ihis pOint' He s.lid to them: I.;! my d .•p I 1,.\1'(' :"','1\

troubled by tillS verse. '" ::1, GUll,)' Jd'}', [" h" h I inter/ret ,J'c', '"

if }-Ie L.kcs thy SOliI'. 1\.:,1. \\'hen ~ h J i l l h.1\'<.' the 0rrorrllfl,r;:

of ' fulr.lililS t l l \ ~ ) t:,Jt I hnc the {l!'"onunity ,hJ:1 I , ~ l ' lf,,:r.ln} 11" p r o : o n l ~ l ' d t!:c word ..1,oJ- IInti: hl, cxprr,'c \\ t , ' ~ C S . l : ' C : ~it. A L,,:I, ld l WCtlt f o r t ~ Jnt! j'ro(IJimcd. HJj'!'Y an thnu. /,'",\\.

thJr thy !nul hl S dcp.ll:cd .... ith the word ( ~ " J . ' The lI1;nIQ,:cir::

.an£,d\ .• id h , r l > ' ~ d,c I In:)' One, b·iL... t ' ( l be- H ... , Such -':'or.,:;

Jnd ~ \ J t l l J; rtwJrd? [: rl' ~ ~ I o t l : t l h, \Vt ' been] /{cn l.tlt'ln I l t ~ ' l t /' ; l·y

Thy /111/1,1. 0 1.01'/.' I:,· rCi,Lcc\ to th"ta: '[);{;, r.'::;"" ;1 ;/1 \',. 7

A /'or/,l,./ W,'n! fonh .",,1 I"l.(t..imcd.l hp,,:,.art tho\!. '\:,lb.\,

th.H thou tk.,tint·i.: L,r dit' } , f l ~ or th e \\.i.H:d to tU l i a · .

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A fox once ~ a l k i n g alongsire Df a river.

anc he saw fishes going in swarms from one place to another.

He saic to them: "From IIJhet e re you fleeing?"

They replier.': "From the nets Ci:st ff")!:, us b / men".

He sair to them: "LVoulr' you l ike to C O ~ 8 up on to the dry l en r

so thct ycu Cel") in th e

that my ancestors l i v B ~ \I.'i th your ancestors?".

They replier ' : "Are you the cne t h ~ t they cell the cleverest of e n i ~ e l s ?

You BrB no t clever bu t foolish. !f we BrB n f r ~ ~ ~ !n the e l c n e ~ t

in which we l ive , how much ~ o r e in the elcfTlent In which lIJe iA.'oulr c'iol".



J

WPresses

Crackdown

ltlOSCOW lS •.)( l la Co lk I rJewish Chei3 Players

. MOSCOW. Oct. 2,( (Reuters) - Dis-~ l d c n t sources s.1ld today that the

Soviet police had bar-red a group of

Jewish chess l l l ~ ~ from vilIiUng the

fonner Soviet chess champion, Sari:!Gulko, who is on hunger strike to sup

port his demand to be allowed to emi·grate to Israel.The dissidents said the playen had

planned to play II "bl iu tournament"

at Mr. Gulko's Moscow apartment M

II gest ur e of support for his campaign.

TIley were stopped by policemen

pos ted 00 ts Ide the II pe.rtment, t.at.enaway for questioning and later r&

leased. the sources said.

Mr. Gulko. 35 years old. began hishunger strike last Wednesday.

A year after winning the Soviet, , ~ a m p i o n s h i p in 1977, Mr. Gulko and

his wife, Anna AkhsharumCJYa a.I!() afonner champioo, applied exit

' v i ~ ~ y sa y they have been ba!'Ted

from lapdng part in major Soviet

All Dissent

F. BURNS

Oct. 2A - A deepening

to be settling into Sovietm0'Vt3 to eUmlnate

unorthodoxy and dissent

campaigns

that two

appear to have conhe creation of this atm05

who will sue-'

Brezhnev as the Commu.

leader and the deeply

the United

the ch.IU bas mAni- 1 \m as rp increase in house

ration,'· is basing its

01'1 the assumption thaL

be ar t early change in the

___ M0 SC

I ';«" " , . J f ' ~ . . ~ ' ' I i

d r a c k d o w ~ ' " 6 & A l l DisSl. ' '. . ~ .,beating.s, interroga :" .carried oo t by the _ f i ~

".,. .-

,ce of the K.G.B .• theSovIe t '

" comply v.;th thv warning, and 1,. ,c ' ment ~ e r n M06CO ....·,

..oo state security ag\::ocy.u e lndividua1a deemed

to the state. I ~ : , '.'

, > ' ~ . yearv1 c U : l ' v j ~ meeting pI". vUltlng A n 1 e r i ~ ! 1 ! \ an

teportCN could m l n ~ l e YUh (\

Unl:.s Reduced' 5dentists who ha d falltJO (p

links, with' the West have a.nd Jews of aU ages. ha.s been

sharply and censol'!! ar e milOI' ! ! . Dr . u rn c r is 70;,8.1"

into a new Central Corn- .. f e a . r l o r h i ~ h C 3 l t h . !

ordering tighter Ideo ~ ' : r ' . Twv Canadlll.llS Beale

of literature.. . Ot,b.er. "'lglier: tndddlts

ar e Jews seeking to em 1 JeWs have been n:ported ff 'rights activists, unortho t

rad. . Kiev and other cen'

young people aUecting members of th e Cana.s;lian Jf

in music and dre8!! ad gT'CS!I. Martin Penn W Sh:p' who were in Leningrad recer.religious sects, lit J cvrish friend. said that thr'

'. &ct upon and beaten by two y,

8..5 they approached !..be fricr'

'lDent Wilding.The correspondent for Ncc 1 ~ touch with many oi!\.S1~ x p d l c d i.D ml<bummcr.

Americ.a.o 'correspondent tos i n c ~ 19'77. Other Amtrlc.an:

come here to f rlrnd!\. rn 'U. eoernen)7o appear to' be tbe ppn have l>rtn oelllincd"'fof /loU!

d 1. D r e t h ~ v a.'I S.ovlet 164dcr.·"..,Slrip-se.nn:he<1l1.t Sbvlrt all'j'. ., , ~ chmatel: ' / such th:1'

seek.ing contacts with

Some Western diplomats i i g h t ~ l i n g up all

groups ma y be facing th e \/ling that almostcrackdown of an y member Politburo

there ar e strong

00 Page A.8, ColUIIlll 1 conseryatlvc \rutl.n<;:t!

___-- ____into play

now.One Is thilttheI an make or break~ KtIrushche

v, ,-.;;, an)' contender: ~ b dernon!ltrate h.ls

I '. cha11enr,t:!I to pe. rt y

'" that with a ~ r i o d ofahead. the Kremlin

move acainst

Anyonemit

htseoek to Lake 1\

ttrt:\inty. _

~ C A n l -At1'."tSu.,c,trn'" .

: ~ $ Q ~ . t t ' J t w r ) 1 , .

,

:- . ...,--'.. ~ ~ .

,. "'"" l/. '''. I . ' . ••••• ' " •• <.I

' ....... , 7 , " " c o m ~ t 1 t l o o . s e v e r s i n c e . . THt.fNE,W '.YORK ..TIMES, 'MONDAY, OCTOlJER-;l5,

But a more general

.. It l o o k . . ~ like I\. d('("lsion w:tilltytowarU Mc.-iC'OVI'.

Ull\cn al the 'OIl to cle.ar jn Th.l.'c\cnwnto!thre;;t.ll(>\'('flnrn ..... ay

vlC!W {If the loominp, slIc('{"$>ion c r t s l ~ . " t \ l f 1I0VO{]C :,,(,\,t,inr. to k;l\T. h : l ~ In·one d1t,1\1r.:at snil1. "I think th('Y wanl to r I T I I , ~ 1 m;\lb-Ily Dr. A l d , ~ ; \ l 1 d r A

ocrI'm from more !.han R.W'l irl1hc sameperiod last yrar. ~ tlcu!('(1 \ ' i ~ 5howe tJc;.'11 lold. in eff('("t. that tocy ar ct ; o : < ; t . : l R ~ to IstR(,! 'S polici(":'I in 1..:t><.1.noo!lnd 10' tl1e Rell'.;\n AuministrallOO',

kOO'l·.-n < 1 i ~ 5 I d c n l gruup. 0monltorinr, p,ruup lie{ up in .197G IU chronicle Soviet ,lUll'

II!J\JS(':\. h l l ~ announcedr 'b a ! ) { l l f \ P . ~ } , ;' I-L f1lThet(1J· !, c, ' I'.'lJt;TH·'<l .

\If$lcr Mr. 1\1}<\\$\"').'I',lIlll,.1

!,f: i l lstrll"s1111Il(nlllJKllf

1l,!\JM h:1 Jl:nj: puin l 10 nJlI'

\-":"'!1 A I l , ~ ' I ' 1 P !-oakh3!'1. :. '

ITmo\ 'e IInY :'-O<HC!' 0f t l ; ~ .....'n t .. nd d l ~ ' Lt ' (1H' I . tIll' wp S<i\'kt ,'T.l"·ll 1!1 r y l " ' ! ' l l ' \ " " k l " \ ,, : .. , I",d tK, '1Hl l l '

(l . ' f 'J t};al covill d,strnct l h rm at II tlml' IlrUC!' "!ltd hI' r':,,,1 a P"I \ l , " ; t !1I1 ( , 1 1 \ ) - jilf'·"" In I!,,· ('I 'b .. I l l ' ' ' ;

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FIVE WAYS TO PRESE?'Pf THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTIOn

1. As a drama- divide in to oups. Each group t a ~ e s one

sode from the port ion and they presen t it d r a ~ a y

to the o thers . Sk i t s can be funny, i r on i c , incorporate

mime, music, e tc .

2. As a didac t ic device- i de n t Jewish values within e

por t ion and explore how they are e x p r e s s e d ~ h r o u g h the Iof the e.

3. As a t r ad i t i ona l Jewish t ex t - l ea rn about the way t ha t the

Agada and Midrash dea l with the t ex t and presentit

t oge the rwithfue port ion . Discuss why the wri te r s of the ~ i d r a s h mi t

have expressed what they d id .

4. As leg and fo lk ta le - try to compare the elements of the

parsha to o ther fo lk lo res of o ther e. How i s ours s i mi l a r

and d i

5. As aw ana l guide- have chanichim pa i r o ff and go over

the port ion t r y i to apply the episodes to t h e i r own l i ves

in concre te or sy:r.bolic terlfls. \ ihat does the roran teach?

I s it any more or l e s s than any o ther book?



What Do you believe? This peula can be used as a chug shabat . The kvutza can be divided

according to t he i r at t i tudes . A debate can be s tar ted and cuest ions

asked by and of each fact ion. Grou:9s can be r e - f o r ~ l ; e d 8.ccordinb to

each i ssue cussed. Other i ssues can be a d d e ~ .

Kohelet:1

This i s a readinG which inccrporc:.tes the bool;: of clesi8.tes in to

em eXal:lina on of m.odern society. It can be usec.i. as aShabe. t reac.inD

'"' "r' 1or c.s an introduction to tile subject OI 0 uo. sn: and soc i ssues .

Guotatiol1 CD.rc.s

Vrite the quote on biG c s. ]2.ve dif ferent sta . t ions Wl1:Da. di f ferent

card at each s t a t ion . ~ ~ v e ~ i d s go f r o ~ s ta t ion sts.t ioi1,

Oj1swe the L



fLu.l(k. # 3'" , "._ r. . "r /I ,- ' n1..-11" IX l . ' V l ~ I,.;!, ...-d , · ( ~ ( . L ' ( : . ~ > , : - , ; . ...)

WHAT DO YOU B ~ L I E V E ?

THE NATURE OF GOD

1. God is an all-powerful being 2. God is pure truth. He has no form 3. There i s nO God. Everything

i s re la t ive . There i s no ab-who knows us and judges our and he doesn't r e s e ~ b l e man. He

every action. He punishes inspires man. bu t c'mnot express solute t ruth. Han and hishis will . Does not intervene in ideas are produced by his enthe wicked and rewards th ehistory. vironment. God was inventedgood.

by man.

OOD AND EVIL1. We know what is right because 2. What's right is a matter of what 3. can only guess what is

God revealed his will through i s necessary to reach your goals. r ight . There is an absolute

Great Men, like }-ioses. th e Pro- Nothing is absolutely right or standard of r ignt and wrong,

phets. and th e RabbiF' wrong. What's right fo r one per and a l l we can do is guess

son or one generation may no t be and argue about i t . and vote

right for another. fo r human laws.

. /J

FAITH AND REASON1. Reason is th e only way to think. 2. Things may exist which are beyond 3: There is a real i ty beyond

Anything that can ' t be proven a human's abil i ty to perceive them. r e a s c ~ . One can experience

logically can ' t exis t . I f you We only have five sedses - there something which can ' t be prov··

can' t touch i t , i t i sn ' t there. may be phenomena which can only be ea . Unexplainable mystery is

perceived by senses which we lack. a ll around us .

THE UNIVERSE1. I f there is l i fe elsewhere in 2. I f there is l i fe elsawhere, i t is 3. There is no l i fe elsewhere in

th e Universe, they probably probably so dif ferent that we can ' t th e universe. Earth is the

worship a God like ours and even communicate wit'l them. They center of a l l time and space. have th e same morality. may a l l be Gods them3elves.

LIFE AND DEATH1•. When we die. our souls ar e 2. When we die, we disslpear forever. 3. l.Jben we di e we return in

judged and sent either to Our seventy-odd years ar e a l l there o t h ~ r l i fe f o : ~ g . or in other eternal reward or eternal is , and then to ta l nothingness. Dust dimensions. Body is finite, punishment. to dust. but the soul is inf in i te .



B-25 BliUC:lTION

The Book of Koheleth should be in t roduced p r i o r

to t h i s peula as an i ~ S ~ & 1 t ~ ; H J ~ W ~ b e l b o H ~ ~ 1 ABy i1ichelle Lewis

.Nancy Gordon

Sue Dorofsky

centra l Region

1 . r';:oheleth

2 . c on te mporary

3. Trc:.nsition

1 . One generation goe3 . • •

2. Starvat ion.

1. . . . n o t i 1 ~ r CQtle s •••

2. Over Fopulat ion.

1. • • . but the ear th r ~ - n a i n s the sane forever.

2. Pollut ion.

3. Each society s t r ives for power and r iches

1 . ~ h e sun r i ses •••

3. n o ~ e and L g y ~ t formed massive em?ireSi advanced

c iv i l iza t ions

1 . . . . and the s'..m se ts •••

3. 1 ~ e y caused the i r own destruct ions .

1. • . . anJ gl ides ~ a c k to where it r i ses .

2. ',the Unitecl States of l'u-r.erica is the grea tes t \;orld

pO\.;er i an advanced c iv i l iza t ion .

3. 'v i l l tIle sun se t again?



-2

1 . There i s nothing new beneath the sun.

2. I s a l l s t r i v i ng use less?

1 . What r e a l va lue i s the re fo r a r.lan in a l l til::: gc·5.ns he

makes beneath the sun?

3. rilly should vIe do anything if we only deztrcy oL:.rsE:.lves

by i t ?

1 . Vanity o f van i t i e s , a l l i s van i ty .

2. EdllCc:.tion. ... tb f , t c<:)!1:t :':"e uS2less . I s n ' t it pess ib le

to advance , to I1taint:lir.., to survive i l l i thcut eClucution?

3. The le.c.rned and tile f c o l . . . the generous and the miserly

...Nhat a d v u l 1 i : ' . ~ l g ' : ; has en3 over the o ther ..·,hen you g e t

r i g h t dmm to i t:?

1.. I s e t my mind to study and probe \'lit!l wisdom a l l t ha t

happei1s unC:er t ~ l e S\ln.

2 • And I s a t by tLe l: a te r and medi ta t ed , con tenpla t ing the

problems o f the world.

3. vlisdOJ'n i1lust r . : l te s mor:.: real ' : ' ,s t ical ly the iill!?2rfections

surrounding us.

1. For as w i s d o ~ grows, f rus t r a t i on grows. To inc=euse

learn ing i s to inc rease heartacl le .

3. I s wisdom

1 . A ll i s in pu=sui t o f wind.

3. Hhen you ' r e through l ea rn ing , ycur knowledge doe s n ' t

make you be t t e r ~ ~ n anyone 81se.

1 . The fa t e o f the fool i s also des t ined for me. L w i l l

not be remem0'2l"ed fo r even any lengt: , o f tii:,e. For as

the days r o l l ':":/, bot.! the wise and t:1e foolis:n ~ v i l lbe forgot ten .

2. Everyti1ing i s forgot ten ... ~ ' J e fOi:set ,·!hat i'Jar i s l ike ;

ye t , tHe 11is1:ory of our count::y has Deen a s e r i e s of

'v1ars. You I d thin:i<. \va I d learn!



-3

3. h7e forget the h u n ~ e r dllring the Depression, yet y,,'e ;

al loH it to go on today \,i th in 10 miles of our homes!

2. t'7e forget the vJarsaw ghet to , yet even today 'lye

crea te ghettoes!

1 . '1':i1e eye never has encugh of seeingNor the ear of hear ing.

Only that shal l happen

l ' ~ l i c h has happened,

Only that occur

Which has occurred;

3 . EV2rything i s predetermined by G-d. Each experience

within our l ives has a t ime, but it doesn ' t a f fec t

anything else • . . the \\70rld keeps turning ceaseless 1y •••

1. To everything there i s a season and a time t :. everypurpose under the heaven. (Song sung soft ly in back

ground. )

2. 1'. time to 1;e l)orn, a time to die ;

3. A time to plant , a time to reap;

1 . i-\ time to k i l l , a time to heal ;

2. A time t.o b r e a l ~ dO"'m, a time to imild up;

3. ';"0 everything • . . ( repeat chorus)

1 . A tir.1e to \'Jeep, a time to laugh;

2. A time to mourn, a time to dance;

3. .t\. time to cas t at'JaY s tones , a time to gather stones

together

1. t ime to embrace, a t ime to re f ra in from embracing;

2. '1'0 everything . . • (repea t cilOrus)

3. A time to seek, and a t ime to lose :

1. A time to keep, and a time to cas t a ~ a y ;



-4

2. A t ime to rend , a t ime to s e ; ~ " i

3 . A t ime to keep s i l ' : ! n . ~ . : ! , and a ::'ime to s p e a ~ ;

1. A t ime to love and a tin13 to ha te ;

2. A

t ime fo r,·;ar a.nd

a time fo rpeace;

I St·:eilr it's nut too l a te !

3. We say it Hi th convic t ion ::'et l ~ c h ' ! l e t h t e l l ! ; '.-:'5 t l la t

there i s nothing \Ve c a l ' ~ d:J to a ' V e ~ t the in-::vi t a b l e .

A ll w i l l hapP2n in i t s own t ime.

3. There i s nothing fo r us to do b u t enjoy ~ i f e as it comes.

1 . 153.\-1 t ha t the re i s nothing be t t e r fo r man than to enjoy

n is posse ss ions . For ~ i l i o can enable him to see what

w i l l happen after\Vard?

2. Enjoy ...withou t care o r thought? Is it b e t t e r to be

oDlivious o f the th ings around us?

3 . '1'0 our fe l loH i:unan Deings? But w o ~ to hir" who i s

a lone!

1 . TH O are be t t e r t ~ l a n or-e i fo r should t:1ey f a l l , one

can ra i se tile oti1er . But \-lOe to hi.-r, U:'10 i s alo!1e and

f a l l s \ ' lith no companion to ra i se him! I f one a t tacks

byo can s tand up to himi a th ree fo ld i s not readi lybroken.

2 . United we s t and , divided v!e f a l l . But a:::-e 'He uni ted?

3 . Is our government also a reoccurrence?

1. I f you see op[)ression of th e poor , and suppress ion o f

th e r ighteous: , d o n ' t wonder a t the f a c t .

2. Koheleth t e l l s us t h a t it i s use les s to en te r p o l i t i c s .

1. For one high o f f i c i a l i s protec ted by a higher one and

botil of them by still higher ones . 'l'hus the g re a t e s t

advantage in a l l the land i s his ; he con t ro l s a f i e ld

t h a t i s c u l t i va t e d .



-:;

2 . Lut \',:,at a:"ol:.t the ~ ) 0 o p l e i:.l. the cul t iv3ted f ie ld

0 ': Ly Lai?

3. Do \-:e jus t think t lElt \Ve're in t.ilC midst of bad

til:'.·':;S·! Ci,'i;cre i s a time for evsryt:1ing . . . ?c'rhaps

\:e I re in our t ime of chaos and Ciot:l:lt.

1. \-7ho can st ra ighten \·,hat he has t\Visted? So in at i ~ c of good f o r ~ u n e , enjoy t ~ e good fortune, and

in a time of misfortune . . . r e f l ec t .

2. P a ~ 2 n t s are c 0 ~ s t 2 n t l y 0ar?ing tha t th i s generationthink3 too Q U C ~ l . ~ z ' r e too ser ious. ~ e don' t go ou t

and enjoy ourse:!.ves as much as \Ie should.

3. lte f l ec t ion .

2. The twenties were a time of geod fortune.

3. disfortune struck in the th i r t i e s \'lith the depression.

Pecple v _ ~ e r e fo::::-ced to re f l ec t on tile \'lay they had

been l iv ing .

2. But t imes p1cked up in the f i f t i e s . True, they slowed

down in the s ix t i e s •••

3. Re f lect ion in the seventies of how we've c11anged ourworld, or i s it how the world changed? Are we r e f l ec t -

ing because we're in a time of Qisfor tunc , or does

the misfortune cause us to re f lec t?

2. Does man cause his mVTI enjoyment and ilis o .......n mis

fortune? I'iha t v;i 11 come next? 1-7ill ,1e J ~ n m - ] hov] to

act?

1. Fear G-d and observe His cOQmandments! For th is

appl ies to a l l mankind; tha t G-d wil l ca l l every

creature to account for everything, be it good or bad.

2. So take to hear t a l l of Koheleth 's advice. Enjoy

wilat \ ' Ie have now and put our hearts into everything

we do. Learn, work, and do because it brings us en

joyment nm'" not fo r vlhat it may bring us in the

future. But fear G-d and what the consequences may

De.



" ,: .,.:.

,""'- - ..

. .. "-. . . ., "

-6. > , ~ " :. .' ' . ~ ~ < : . ',' ",' ' , . ~ ~ .

" • " • ' , ' :\:; ' _ :" • 1::""'-:":" •• : ., ••••• '. • .' . ., <

- • - ' , .. - '. -,' ' ' j - ~ ~ . ,,: ....... _,-3 •. But i s ' everything, 'as Koheleth says? : Things Just:,

• • •• .' • •

' . , ~ i happen arid haye b ~ e n . occuring :for. a 11 of time? Who,;. " ..beli 'eves tha 1:' this '; C C u r E ~ d 'a , thousand'; years,' a g o a . q d ~ ,; 'r':'

, w i l l ~ , o c c u r : a thousand years ' from now?', ..... : ' i" ', '" . , :". . r, " ' : , ' . : i ' .,

" , .,:'-::' .' _.,,- ,

(In"backgrmlnd, '. rec i ta t ion sof t ly ' bui lding' from " B u t " -

i s . ~ v e r y t h i r i g " ~ . . r io i s ,pover ty , ' s ta rva t ion ,bombings , , , '.: : ~ ; , : ' q : e a t h , war, "pol lut ion, ' d rugs ; overpopulat ion, ' disea'se, ".' i-"'" '. /

, ... et'i:: . .•. ) " . . . ' , . ~ : " : . . ~ , ~ : ':



J.. ~

:-;.;..;c-:e:r;; and ~ e d between fou r oups-

"Speak j u s t i c e , r e l i e v e ' t.."'1e oppressed ." I sa iah

"Judge the poor 2nd f a t h e r l e s s ; do j u s t i c e to th e a f f l i c t e d

and d e s t i t u t e . " Psalms

/ITo do r igh teousness and j u s t i c e i s more accept .able to th e

Lord than r i t u a l . " Proverbs

1 . What i s jus t . ice in t h i s case? To whom?2 . '\.,,7ho i s (are) t:.'1e oppressed?

3 . h'hat " r i t ua l " i s i:1Volved (bot.h JGv;ishly and l e ga l l y

and cus tomar i ly )?

2liThe g r e a t e s t type o f c n c r i t y i s t h a t the people c l o s e s t

to o n e s e l f take pre f e r ence . " haimonides

liThe h i g h e s t degree o f t z e d a t ~ a I beyond a l l o the r s I i s t o, old" ) ,. 1 . . . 0 r' h d /Iupn a poor man .:;£:; :tore ne loS comp er.e.1.Y l.mp ve 1.5. e •

Shulchan .):;rukh

1 . Who i s the p ~ e s c n c l o s e s t to yourse l f?

2 . I s t he re a .?oor p'2:cson in\'olvE::d v,'110 i s n o t compleb21y

i m p o v e r i s ~ ' 2 d ? :::J": could you uphold t h a t person?

3 . nOlo'; might ~ i e l p i r : 9 one person complete ly impover i sh

another:?

3

"One should : :2 ::-.:>S 1: caJ:2 ft:.l n o t to sh2IT:e one IS ne igr..bor

in pub l i c , \ : ~ ~ ~ h 2 = young or o ld , nor c ~ l l him an of fens ive

name, n or r s 1 2 ~ e in h is presence anything o f which he wouldbe asn2:!:',-:;d." S : : ~ J . l c ~ ! : c n ; ; r \ : . ~ ~ h

"3e ,:ho e::-l:<:.=:::-asses cno'!:her in pub l i c 1 0 8 2 5 h is sha::-e in

t he h 'o r l j to C;J ; : "2 . " Talmud

1 . "?:!10 would be r . : : ~ ~ l i c l y e.r.:barrassed by the dec i s ion?

:3. J..re words t . ~ - : 2 c:::.1y h'2.y a person can be embarrassedpub l i c ly?

3 . \ino i s nov.' p:.:::;licly e::-barrassca--pc:re: : ts , chi . ld o r s t a t e ?

4

T h ~:your

0::'2 f:1;st t ~ : s - t i : f ~ ' i:1. !.:'e:'131£ :>f O ~ 2 1 S 112ishbor if - : J n o : ~ : : : t : ~ ~ · . , ' ~c.:l1''!:hing o f \'21 ..,e o r hel l ' r.o hi!::1. S2conj , ly, cne ;:;Dc.clt:t>21y

~ u s t save ~ r o t ~ = t ~ ~ y = ~ 2 in p ~ j 2 i = o l danger .



Jewish I deals

by AIbe r t E ns fe ; n

The pursuit of knowledge for i ts own sake, an almost fanatical love ofjust ice a.nd the desire for personal inrlependencf! - these are the features

of the .levish tradition which make me thank my stars that I belong to i t .

T h o ~ e who are raging today agaim-::t, the ideals of reason and individual

l ibert.y a.nd are trying t.o establish a spir i t less state-slavery by brute

force f"ightly see in us their irreconcilable foes. History has given us

a diff icul t, row to hoe; hut so long as we remain devoted servants of truth,

just ice and l iberty, we shall continue not merely to survive as th e oldest

of living peoples, but by creative work to bring forth fruits which contri

bute to the ennoblement of the human race, as heretofore. ( ••• )

In th e philosophical sense theI€ is , in my opinion, no specifically Jewishpoint of view, Judaism seems to me to be concerned almost exclusively with

th e moral att i tude in l ife and to l i fe . I look upon i t as the essence of an

att i tude to l ife wnich is incarnate in the Jewish people rather than th e

essence of the laws laid dovn in the Torah and interpreted in the Talmud.

To ~ , th e Torah and th e Talmud are merely th e most important evidence of

the ~ ~ ~ ~ e r which th e Jewish conception of l i fe held 8Way in earl ier

times.

The essence of that conception seems to ~ to l ie in an affirmative a t t i t -

ude to the l i fe of a ll creation. The l i fe of th e individual only has .eaning

in so far as i t aids in ~ 4 k i n g the l ife of every living thing nobler and

more b e a u ~ i f u l . Life is sacred, that is to say, i t is the supreme value, to

which all other values are subordinate. The hallowing of th e supra-individual

l i fe brings in i ts train reverence for everything spiritual - a part icularly

characteris t ic feature of the Jewish t radit ion.

Judaism is not a creed: the ,Jewish God is simply a negation of superst i t ion,

an imaginary result of i ts e ~ i m i n a t i o n . I t is also an attempt to base the

moral law on fear, a regrettable :U1d disc-redi taUe attempt. Yet i t seems to me

that the s t r o n ~ moral t radit ion of the Jewish nation ha s to a large extent

shaken i t se l f f ree from this fear. I t is clear also thIt "serving God" was

"!quated \o{i th "sprving the living". The best of th e Jevish 'people, especial ly

the prophets and JesuS, contended t i re lessly for th is .

judaism thus no transcendental religion; i t is concerned with l i fe as we

live it and as we can, to a certain extent, grasp i t ,and nothing else . I t

sepms to me therefore doubtful ~ h e t h e r i t can be called a religion in th e

acceptpd sense of th e work, particularly 3S no "faith" bu t the sanctific,::ion

of l i fe in a supra-personal sense is demanded of th e Jew.

"-_. • • . . • ,..." ... l " . . . . . . . . . . ~ .,-'

3



But the Jewish t radi t ion also contains something e l se , something which finds

splendid e x p r e ~ s i o n in many of the Psalms, namely, a so r t of intoxicated joy

I:IIld amazelTK'nt a t the beauty an d grandeur of th is world, of which man can form

a fa in t notion. This joy i s th e feel ing from which t rue s c i e ~ t i f i c research

draws i t s spi r i tual sustenance, but which also seems to l ind expression in the

song of birds .. To t.ack th is feel ing to th e idea of God seems mere chi ld ish

ahslIrdi ty.,

]s ",hat I ha.ve d('srribed a d i s t i n g u i s h i n ~ mark of Judaism? Js it to be fotuld

an.y·where else IInder another name? In i t .s pure form, it i s nowhere to be fotuld,

not even in Judaism, where the pure doctr ine is obscured by much worship of the

1l ' j · , · ( ,1 ' . Ye t ,Julia st'f'ms to me one of i t s purt 'st and most vigorous manifes tat ion.

Tlli s appl ip s JlHrI.i ('1I1arly 1.0 th e fllnoam('ntHl principl e of th e sanc t i f ica t ion of

Ii 1'1;' ..I t i s character is t ic that the animals were expressly included in the command to

keep holy the Sabbath day, so stroqgwas the feel ing of the ideal so l ida r i ty of

a l l l iv ing things .. The ins is tence on the sol idar i ty of a l l human beings finds

s t i l l s t ronger expression, an d it i s no mere chance tha t the demands of social ism

were fo r the most par t f i r s t raised by Jews.

How strongly developed th is sense of the sanc t i ty of l i fe i s in the Jewish people

i s admirably i l lm;tra ted by a Ii t t l e remark which Walther R a t : ~ e n a u once made to

me in conversat ion: "W'hen a Jew says t ha t he 's going hunting to amuse himself , he

l i e s .. " The Jewish eense of the sanc t i ty of l i fe could not be more simply expressed.

Motivating Questions:

1 . "In the philosophical sense there i s : in m.v opinion, no spec i f i ca l ly Jewishpoint of view."

Is Judaism an irliom for th e expcessiun of universal values , or has it

in t r insic values of i t s O'l-TJ?

2.0 ttrJudaism is not a creed •• <1 it is np t r ~ F ' } s c e n d e n t a l r e l ig iono"

Cw Judaism only be described by negat ive def in i t ion , or are there pos i t ive

at t r ibutes tha t ca n serve to define i t ?

3. "The ins is tence on t t " sul ic tari tv of cdl human beings finds s t i l l s t ronger

pxpression; an d i t i s no mere chiUlce tha t the demands of social ism weI'e. for

the most part f i r s t ra ised by .Jpws" "

C,Ul go so far as to say tha t tal ism as a social philosophy i:'i inco:npatible

.... i th ,Judaism, as it plaet 's a primacy on the competit ion bet..,e''ll individua ls and

inviHiably involves notions such as exploi ta t ion?

4



: ~ : ' : i c l e s~ h e first two a r t i c l e s in t h i s f i n a l s e c t i o n were w r i t ~ e n

:: l c{'"evrei tnua. ~ o s ~ e ~ u d i n ' s p iece i s an encapsu la t ion

: ' s fe : 'ence s t ru c t u re of t r a d i t i o uewisn so u rces : in o:he=

~ ~ r t s , a d o - i t o u r s e l f guide tD a ng tne ~ , i b l e , ;.. id rash ,

: ' u c ~ e r wri t e s a bou t the r o l e o f ;iOiOen 1:-1

J'J.caiSIrl a.nd 0 r s some very co n c re t e i d eas regara a"t s"teps

~ e , as a t n u a , can t a ~ e in a s i t ive d i J ~ e c t i o n .The ning a r t i c l e s are K ~ r o u n a m a t e r i a l s

serve as ed u ca t i o n a l t o o l s , o a c ~ ounds- fo r di scuss ion , or

Shabat re i



Tradi t ional Jewish Knowledge- How to Get i t , What to Do With I t

By fa r the most oft heard commeniregarding the re-

introduction of Judaism in the MovemeRt i s tha t the idea

i t s e l f i s impor1;ant and constructive, but who has the k n o w l e ~ g enecessary to put a Jewish cul tura l education program into

effect? How can madrichim, themselves lacking Jewish background,

hope to communicate values of which they are unaware? The areas

where most chevrei lack knowledge are double:

1. What are the basic bel iefs , values, mythic elements, and

at t i tudes of normative (pre-modern) Judaism?

2. How were and are these ideas put into practice in a harmonious

l i fes ty le?

This ar t ic le deals with these areas of knowledge. Therei s absolutely no need or purpose in my se t t ing down ult imate

statements regarding Judaism. Everyone can decide for her/himself .

I am going to br ief ly outl ine the basic organizat ional s t ructure

of the vas t majori ty of Jewish sources. With the knowledge of

where to look for what, anyone can quickly discover the sources

and become involved in the dynamics behind them. The main problem

is tha t few know where to find what. Concepts run through Jewish

sources l ike r ivers to the sea. The whole diff icul ty l ie s in

how to connect up with the concepts tha t one seeks.

In Judaism, a l l begins in the Torah. Any idea even

brief ly mentioned in the chumash (Torah), is given exhaustive

t reatment in a thousand other places throughout the sources.

The Torah i s a good s tar t ing place fo r finding out about Judaism.

Suppose you find a passage in the chumash: "You wil l not stand

idly by while the blood of your neighbor stains the ground, I

am the Lord. 1I What does this mean to us? What has this meant

for the Jewish people throughout history? The f i r s t place togo is the Midrashei Halacha.

The Midrashei Halacha are t h ~ v e r y ea r l i e s t commentaries

written on the Torah. They are col lect ions of discussions,

laws, legends from the time of the tannaim. I f you don' t know

what a tanna i s , read on. Most of the Midrashei Halacha have

been t ranslated into English. Here i s a l i s t of them:

~ . ( o o 1 r of r.· .. d '.. veneS1S- no h l rash ~ a l a c h a was writ ten.

;".L u



i s because only a fe'"", laws, thE/rocUS of the kidrahsei Halacha,

ar in ' Jenesis.

On odus- the name of the r":idrash Halacha i s the Iiiechil tao

On vi t icus- the Sifra

On Numbers and Deuteronomy- the

These early works give references a l l ove r the place. Theyserve as a kind of index system.

Akin to the Midraahei Halacha are the Midrashei Agadah,

these deal with more sp i r i tua l aspects of the t ext . Themost

well-known Midrash Agada is the Midrash Raba, which covers the

ent i re chumash. Kind of obtuse, but often very useful . Also

avai lab le in t ranslat iDn.

The M i d r a ~ h i s only the very f i r s t step in discovering

what l i e s within a Jewish concept. Now, we need to jump.

There i s a l i t t l e book cal led the Torah Shleima. I t

contains a chumash and the references to the subjects dea l t

with throughout Rabbinic l i t e ra tu re . I t i s untransla ted, but

very easy to understand to one with only a moderate hebrew

background. The Torah Shlaleima wil l lead you to the M shnah

the primary t ext of the Talmud. The Mishna i s divided in to six

par t s : Zeraim (agr icu l tu ra l laws, Jewish concept of time, space,

char i ty , several great 1 ends, and a wonderful discussion in

the f i r s t chapter of the second masachet called Damai),

(Holidays, time, laws, more legends. ) , Nashim (marriage, divorce,

more legends, slavery, contractual agreements, advice) , Nizikin

(c iv i l law- tremendously involved), Kodshim (Holy s tu f f - also

complex, dealing with the Temple), and Taharot (Laws of pnr i ty ,

see R a b b i c A ~ i v a ' s answer in thibeginning of masechet Megilot .)

The Mishna i s tremendously important along with the more obtuse

Gemara. Never study any Jewish t ex t alone. Two thinking people

can unlock almost any passage.The next layer of sources in the development of Halacha

i s ' the responsa l i t e ra ture of the medieval period and then

the works of the great Halachis ts- Rambam(Mishna Torah, arranged

topical ly extremely great ) , the Rosh, and the Rif. These namesof a bb . t · The and 'course, are reV1a 10ns. Rosh- Rabeinu Asher, the

Rif, Rabeinu Alfasi , have never been t ranslated . The ftiishna

",;"



Torah by the Ram bam , tha t is Maimonodies, thegreatest miild of

Spanish Jewry who were known for great minds, has.

The three abovementioned authors were synthesized in the

mid fifteenhundreds by Rav Joseph Caro of Tzfat and published

under the t i t l e of The Shulchan Anuch, a topical ly arranged

guidebook of legal Judaism. I t i s good for understanding

Jewish law, thoBgh very sketchy concept-wise. Caro didn ' t

mean fo r it to replace Talmud study, only to make it easier

to keep the mitzvot. I don ' t use it too much in my own work.

All r ight , what does th is a l l mean? I will r ight now

demonstrate. I reach into my bookshelf. I grab the book of

Exodus. I open it randomly: Exodus, 22:21- IIAny widow or

orphan you will not a f f l i c t . " Thisin terests me. What dows

the Midrash say about i t? Wait. Fi r s t of a l l , it is important

to check the most useful and simple commentary of the ent i re

ros ter of Jewish commentaries: Rashi, the eleventh-cenmury

scholar who l ived in France. He is often a consolidator of

other sources: liThe same law appl ies to everyone, but the

Torah speaks of them in especial because the widow and the

orphan are usual ly unable to help themselves and i t is theywho are frequently victims of abuse." Surprise! Rashi has

quoted from the Hechil ta. What does th is mean? What does

this show regarding Jewish values?

Next, we check the Torah Shleima, the Jastrow's Dictionary

of the Talmud, or another Jewish Bibl ical concordance. This

includes many refErences. One of them is to a passage in the

Talmudic t rac t of Nashim, dealing with the responsibi l i ty

of the communilhy in caring gor the widows and orphans of even

one who o w n ~ d n g - ~ a B d . Again, what does this show about the

values of Judaism wi thin this .flistoric oontext? 'vihat can w'e

accept? Viha t is not acceptable? Check the i-:idrash llalacha

on the passase, refer to the other sources mentioned in the

Torah Shleima or in the Talmud (references in the ~ e m a r a are

5 i ven in toe upper ri€;ht and left-hand corners of the p'J.c;8).

tf . par t icular idea tnrou0 n

;;'. v,11,"',": n '

the oevelopE:en 0 a_Vh. . . . l .

'.• 0: i; ; i s ref lected io L-lCi la is incredioly irLl-' lve



and in teres t ing. There i s no bet ter way to gain in understanding

of the t radi t ion andthe meaning of Jewish values. I t is not

a l l tha t di f f icu l t to do th i s , nor does it require years of

t ra ining. Background helps, but as personal experience has

taught , pers is tance conquors a l l .

Before concluding this encapsulat ion, it is worthwhile to

bring up one more resource. I am a b i t hes i tant to ~ e n t i o n the

Encyclopedia Judaica as a source of Jewish ideas because, while

the accounts it gives on anything and everything Jewish are nearly

exhaustive, br i l l i an t , and easily understood, you lose the

experience of di rec t confrontation with the source i t se l f . Let

me propose a compromise: i f the method I have outl ined above i s

i.\Tlpractible for some reason, and i f you have access to an Ency

clopedia Judaica, then look up the reference and then read it

in the orig inal source.

I have gone on long enough. I think the information pro

vided in th is ar t ic le i s enough to allow anyone with minimal

background to apprehend a Jewish text . With th i s knowledge,

discussions on the inclusion of Judaism in tb Movement wil l move

up a l evel ; chaverim wil l understand more what i s meant byJudaism. We wil l be equipped with what ear l ie r generations of

Habonim and Dror acquired outside of the Movement. We wil l be

in a position to offer creat ive, intelligi:4t!lt, and informed opinions.

One more hin t - make sure toencouter Jewish texts in groups.

This is the t radi t ional way todo things- in pairs , called "chevruta."

This makes things go much smoother. Now, as Rav Hil le l said :

"The res t i s commentary, go and study-"



The Role of Women in Judaism - H a d a ~ Tucker

I fee l no compulsion e i the r to j u s t i fy , v ind ica te , o r be ra te

what my ances tors d id two or t h ree thousand years ago - I simply c o u l d n ' t care l e s s . • . That ' s no t qu i te t rue ; as a Jew I s t a r te d learn ing about my grea t -g rea t -g rea t grandpeople even before

" Roots and Kunta Kin- te , ye t , al though t h e i r ac t ions helpedIto shape mine, my act ions have no e f f e c t over t he i r s . They ' re

dead. I may not approve of th e way Joshua went galavan t ingthrough th e promised l and, k i l l i ng every Canaani te in e igh t , but

I can hardly "disapprove" . On the o ther hand, when Begin andSharon invade Lebanon I do speak ou t . • • loudly . . • in the hope t h a tit 'll do some good. With t h i s unders tood, I turn to th e ro l e o f

women in Jewish soc ie ty -pas t , p resen t , and fu tu re , which, a f t e ra l l , i s the top ic o f t h i s paper .In anc ien t I s rae l , Jewish women did no t enjoy second c lass s t a t us ;ou ts ide o f t h e i r ro le as II Mothe r" they d idn ' t en joy any s t a tus

a t a l l . Women only exis ted in r e l a t i on to men. The Mishnaicsystem o f women dea l s with women as wives , women as mothers , whata husband can expec t , e tc • • . There are probably no t ten l i ne s in

the en t i r e Talmud dea l ing with women as women. I s r ae l i t e soc ie ty

ordered i t s e l f on pa t r i a rcha l l i nes . In o th e r words, it was man

cente red . For example, King David based t axa t ion upon the numb er of a d u l t males and sheep within a family - sometimes womencounted h a l f , sometimes they d i d n ' t count a t a l l . • The a t t i t u d e sand balues o f a soc ie ty are re f lec ted within i t s language, - t h a t ' swhy a l l Habonim-Dror publ ica t ions conta in funny looking th ings l ike

"H/er" , "S/he" ,"M/R/s" , "Chairperson" , "Telperson (Jeremy)" e t c .The word fo r housewife in hebrew, akere t bay i t , comes from the roo t

eekar ba y i t , meaning "belonging to " th e house . A "mazkir" may bethe head o f an organizat : ion, b u t "mazkira" gene ra l ly means se c re

t a ry . F ina l ly , when a husband wanted to divorce h is wife he gaveh is wife a "ge t" ; "get" also meant "Freeing o f s laves" .

Why did women rec ieve th i s (non) s ta tus? The pr in i t i ve blood t a boo probably played some p a r t - which would help expla in the Mikva

r i t u a l whereby a menstruat ing women pur i f ie s he rse l f within th e

sacred water . Another theory c la ims t h a t the Liv i te p r i e s t s in the

f i r s t Aliyah (1100 b.c . e . ) purposely r e lega ted women to man's domain in an e f f o r t to wipe out the wide-spread worship o f Asta r te ,

the f e r t i l i t y Goddess. Worshiping Astar te involved s a c r i f i c ing

(burning) s ix month o ld female babies ; perhaps the pr i e s t s ~ a n t e dto h a l t t h i s horr ib le prac t ice . Assigning women to men could havebeen a p r o t e s t aga ins t the dominant matr ia rcha l system o f th e t imes .

Some proof fo r t h i s theory came from our very own Tel Gezer near

kibbutz Gezer. Unfortunate ly, none o f t h i s r ea l l y hangs toge ther

very wel l . The c ruc i a l element, why women were "dangerous ll "unpure"

o r "nas ty" remains unknown. .Our roo t s are in th e pas t . Now we jump severa l thousand y e a r ~ .Feminism has made i t s advent in to soc ie ty . The E.R.A. i s dead bu t

no t fo rgo t ten . In th e 1980 Ve' ida "feminist" proposa l s were accepted as gu ide l ines fo r the movement. On account o f t he i r femin i s t

viewpoint s , more and more young Jews f ind themselves a l i ena ted fromJudaism and /o r I s r ae l . Aside from t ry ing to impress my r eader s , myprimary reason fo r dea l ing with anc ien t Judaism i s to he lp answerthe ques t ion; what makes it ha lakh ica l ly impossible to orda in fe male rabbis?



The debate , recent ly jo ined by th e Conservat ive movement, deserves

more space then I have here . Ult imate ly , the answer i s t h i s : no th

ing . The Halakhah ne i the r p roh ib i t s nor endorses female r abb is • • •

it never contemplated the poss i b i l i t y . For th e most pa r t , womens'problems in Judaism soc io log ica l r a t h e r then dogmatic. Soc io log i

c a l problems can be solved. Indeed, the conservat ive movement d e

cided t h a t in most cases females could become r abb is . The Reform

movement reached t ha t nobody implemented it u n t i l much l a t e r . The

Orthodox a lone still maintain t h a t female rabbis a re not mandatedby th e Law. In t r u th , the halakha would have considered orga in ing

females as r abb is a t about th e same t ime as it considered M ar t iansas rabbis • • . t h a t i s , never .One arguement I cannot avoid . Women in Judaism are exempt frommost pos i t ive t ime bound commandments. For example, donning t a l l i sand t e f i l l i n da i ly . The exemption allowed women more t ime a t home

with th e k ids . Yet, voluntary prayer does not car ry th e same fo rce

as mandatory prayer .

Therefore , no mat te r how much they wanted to pray, women were ex

cluded from the minyan, and consequent ly , from the communal s p i r i t u a l l i f e . However, these c l a s s i c a l arguements corne from i n t e rp re

t a t ion o f the ora l law, not the law i t s e l f . The b ib le does not say ,

"Thou s h a l t not have female r abb is " . In ce r ta in areas customs d ief a s t e r then in othe r areas . Two years ago, the Lubavi tcher Rabbi(remember him, M.B.nikim?) del ivered a speach re-af f i rming d i f f e

r e n t ro l e s fo r th e sexes. In o th e r words, separa te but equa l .

Egal i t a r i an reform, them, has excel led a t about the same speedwithin Judaism as within th e r e s t of western soc ie ty - s lowly moving,b ut moving.The one g re a t b ig embarassing except ion i s th e s t a t e o f I s r a e l .

While American women have been "progress ing" (from roy viewpoint) I s r a e l i women have been regress ing; only in the p a s t few years has afemin i s t begun to mean anything o ther then some crackpot who d o e sn ' t

look good in designer c lo thes . Actua l ly , I should say , begun aga in .

During th e war of independence women were needed and u t i l i zed as s o l d ie r s . Afte r the war, women were moved to non-combat ro les • • . ands tayed t h e re . Perhaps women were no longer c ru c i a l to soc ie ty . ThisI can unders tand, y e t I can ' t r ea l l y understand what happened on ~ h ekibbutz im. The ea r ly cha lu tzo t ac tua l ly begged to work out in th e

f i e l ds with th e men. The kibbutz women in her blue work pan t s and"tembel" h a t became a na t iona l symbol. However, in modern t imes th e

exodus ou t o f the k i tchen has reversed . While on kibbutz G ro f i t l a s tyea r , I not i ced only e i g h t women in produc t ion jobs , f ive of whomwere workshopers . I got th e impress ion t ha t most modern I s r a e l i women simply do not want l i be r a t i on ... I won ' t t r y to f igure o u t why;

my p o in t i s t ha t the problem involves both men and women, so we can

n o t s ing le ou t men in our e f f o r t to l i be ra t e th e women.

Change. That ' s the key. We run around and bi tch and kvetch andwri te nas ty l e t t e r s to Begin, a l l in a ques t fo r change. One o f Habon i -D ro r ' s p r inc ip le jobs i s to crea te o r a id progress ive change within

I s r a e l . Of course , the bes t way to do t h i s i s to move to I s r a e l o u r

se lves , and then to run around, b i t ch , kvetch , and wri t e na s ty th ings

to Prime Minis t e r Begin.How can we a f f e c t change within the Jewish woman's ro le?

Here a re a few ideas :



1. Do not take par t in a minyan tha t e i ther exludes women or separa tes them behind a cur ta in .

2. Do not accept an a l iya up to the torah in a synagogue where women are not ca l led up (and explain your reasons) .

3. Do not enter a dancing c i rc le which excludes the opposite sexwhen there are members of t ha t sex nearby.

4. Read Blu 5reenbergs new book, WOMEN IN JUDAISM, and then ta lkabout it a lo t .

5. Think up f ive more Ideas and send them to National Office , andthen actual ly do one of them.

I wil l conclude with a passage from Blu Greenberg's book:

"Much of the s t rength of the Jewish t rad i t ion has derived from i t sf l ex ib i l i t y and responsiveness to the successive changes of the environment in which it has been dest ined to l ive . In an age when theal ienat ion of young Jews from Judaism i s a major concern fo r the

Jewish community, we can hardly afford to ignore ful ly one-hal f ofyoung Jewry".Judaism combined with the challenge of feminism, provides a vehiclefo r change ••• it i s up to us to use it.



THE SABBATH: ITS MEANING FOR ~ ~ O D E R N MAN

Abraham Josua Heschel

The Sabbath as a day of abs ta in ing from work i s not a deprec ia -

. ~ . ~ i o n but an a f f i rma t ion of l abor , a divine exa l t a t ion of i t s

d ign i ty . Thou sh a l t abs ta in from l abor on th e seventh day i s

a sequel to th e c o ~ ~ a n d : 'S ix days s h a l t thou l abor , and do a l l

thy work. '

"Six days s h a l t thou l abor and do a l l thy work; but the seven th

.. day i s Sabbath unto the Lord thy God.: J u s t as we are commanded

to keep the Sabbath , we are commanded to l abor . "Love work ... "

The duty to work fo r s ix days i s j u s t as much a p a r t of God's

covenant with man as the duty to abs ta in from work on the seven th

day.

To s e t apar t one day a week for freedom, a day on which we would

not use the ins t ruments which have been so eas i ly turned in to

weapons of des t ruc t ion , a day fo r being with o u r s e l v e s ~ a day of

detachment from the vulgar , of independence of ex te rna l o b l i

t ions , a day on which we stop worshipping the ido l s of t e chn ica l

c i v i l i za t i on , a day on which we use no money. a day of armis -

t i c e in the economic s t ruggle with our fel low ~ e n and the forces

of nature - i s the re any i n s t i t u t i on tha t holds out a grea te r

hope fo r man's progress than the Sabbath?



The seventh day i s the armis t i ce in man's c ru e l s t rugg le fo r

ex i s t ence , a t ruce in a l l c o n f l i c t s , persona l and so c i a l , peace

between man and man, man and natu re , peace within mani a day on

which handl ing money i s considered a desecra t ion , on which man

avows h is independence of t h a t which i s the wor ld ' s ch ie f i d o l .

. ""The seventh day i s the exodus from t ens ion , th e l i be ra t ion of

man from h is own muddiness, the i n s t a l l a t i on o f man as a sovereign

in the world o f t ime.

In the tempestuous ocean o f t ime and t o i l t he re a re i s l ands o f

s t i l l n e s s where man may en t e r a harbor and rec la im h is d ign i ty .

The i s land i s the seven th day, the Sabbath, a day of detachment

from th ings , ins t ruments and p ra c t i c a l a f f a i r s as w el l as o f

at tachment to the s p i r i t .

The Sabbath must a l l be spen t " in charm, grace , peace , and

grea t love ... fo r on it even the wicked in h e l l f ind peace."



n .~ G ' - " - :..J

In a s ~ a : : v ~ __ agE _0. ~ a : e s ~ i n e there l ived three f r i ends , a Moslem,

a Chr i s t i an anG a : e ~ . ~ ~ e ~ o s l e m kept h is Sabbath on Friday, the

Chr i s t i an on Sunday, and t t e Jew, of course , on Saturday .

On Friday the Jew and the Chris t ian se t out fo r t he i r f i e lds .

When the Jew saw t h a t th e Moslem's f i e ld was bu t ha l f ploughed, he sa id : "Today my f r iend can do no work. I t i s h is Sabbath da'y. Tomorrow it may r a i n , and he may not have h is f i e ld ploughed

i ~ . ~ i m e fo r th e sowing. I s h a l l plough h is f i e ld a little, and tnereby it may be t h a t h is work wi l l be eas ie r fo r him." In the

meantime, the Chr i s t i an had sa id much the same th ing to him se l f ,

so t ha t , unaware o f the presence of one ano ther , each o f them ploughed th e Moslem's f i e ld ; one from the e a s t , the othe r from

the west .

On the next day when the Moslem came and found h is f i e ld a l lploughed he wondered, saying to himself , "Who could have ploughedmy f i e ld? It must be t h a t God has sent His angels to help me."

Months passed by, and the t ime of reaping came. I t was Sunday.

The Jew and the Moslem had gone to t he i r f i e lds , and the Chr i s t i anremained a t home to keep h is Sabbath. When the Jew saw t h a t

h is Chr i s t i an f r i€n d 's corn was fu l l and ready to be cu t , he s a id :

"Today my neighbor cannot cu t h i s g ra in , tomorrow a wind maycome and s c a t t e r h is seeds . I s h a l l cu t a little fo r him whileI have the t ime ." NOw, s t range to say, while the Jew was th inking

of h is Chr i s t i an f r i e nd ' s corn , the Moslem had the same thought ,

so t ha t , unseen by one ano ther , they cu t the Chr i s t i a n ' s gra in ,

the Jew from the south , the Moslem from th e nor th .

Next ddy the Chr i s t i an went out t o cu t h is corn and found it a l ldone. He was so su rp r i sed t h a t he could not exp la in it. " I tmust be t ha t God has sen t His good ar-.gels t o cu t my corn fo r me, II

he mused.

Reaping t ime passed and the season o f threshing approached. It

was Saturday . The Jew remembered his Sabbath day " to keep it

holy . " The Chr i s t i an and the Moslem were a t work. Looking up

a t th e clouded sky the Moslem thought to himself : "Ah, th e ra in

i s coming, and it i s th e day of r e s t of our Jewish f r i end . Alas!the r a in wi 11 wash h is gra in a\\:ay I" and going to h i s Chris t i an

neighbor he s a id , "Come, neighbor, l e t us thresh the gra in fo r

our f r i end , the Jew." To th i s the Chris t ian gladly agreed, anda f t e r th resh ing the gra in they bound it up and covered it withst raw t o p r o t ec t it from th e r a in .

When Sunday came and th e Jew s e t out for h is f i e ld , he found h is

gra in not only wel l th reshed , but dry under the s t raw. Then l i f t i n gup h is eyes to Heaven, he exclaimed. "Blessed are you, 0 Lord,who send Your angels to help those who remember Your Sabbath day

' t o keep it holy . '"



l.

THE NATION

Our nat ional renaissance i s not mere nat ional freedom or r e j u

venat ion: our nat ional rev ival i s l ike a resurrec t ion of the

dead, an event t ha t has no pa ra l l e l . For such an achievement

in ~ e ~ e ~ a : , anc for our nation in par t i cu l a r , one ru le must

.• : · · ~ O · : E : - : - . : e::. : : : - . e ~ t:::ere i s complete achievement or none a t a l l .

:: ~ ~ : - t:::e creat iveness of the human s p i r i t has not

- - : : : .=- . -.:=...;:;--- ----- . ~ t e human sp i r i t must grow in proport ion

= : - : ~ : : ~ t ~ ~ a n consciousness . This cannot take place

~ : : . : : ~ - ~ -a

: : : : - : - = ~ g : :regenerat ion of the nat ion . The nat ion may

t€ : : ~ e ~ e ~ ::c a ~ u n n e l : a t i t s wide receivinG end endless

e x i 5 : : e ~ = e i s pcured in , while through i t s concent ra ted , re

s t r i c : : e ~ e ~ ~ t:te funnel e2pt ies i t s contents into the soul of

. - .

man. ~ a : : : : ' = ~ , t ~ e r e : c r e , ~ s ~ o r c e which crea tes the

sp i r i t of. ~ a ~ .~ . . "

ind iv idual to t:-.e ~ i f . e o ~ :--:-.a;-'" . : . : - ~ c 2.:-. '.:: to the Kcrld a t l a rge .

This is the bas is of O ~ : - :=e2., ::::e :::e2. cf. c ~ r r ev iva l and re

demption; it i s founded C ~ t t i s ~ ~ a : c o ~ c e ~ : : : tuman-nation,

nation-man. Where there i s DC "na::i::::-.-:::-,2.:-." re la t ion , there i s

no "man," no indiv idual rna;!, ~ : : c s::culd be more aware of t h i s

than we Jews? At the cos t of untolc suffer ing we have acquired

the priv i lege of being the f i r s t to sponsor th is crea t ive pr in -

Out of the misfortunes and the purgatory which we have

suffered , we generated a secre t J iah t . This l igh t we sha l l

c i rec t in to the open.

habonim jewish renewal booklet aleph

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