Reasonable, spiritual, authentic Judaism
Exploring a reasonable and relevant Judaism - authentic and current, inclusive and welcoming - Rabbi Jonathan opens and develops discussions delving into Jewish life, learning, and meaning. “Jewish and...” means Judaism enhanced because today's Judaism is: multi-faith, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, pluralist, pro-LGBTQ+, feminist, and multi-generational. “Jewish and…” starts with Jewish sources: Torah, Midrash, Talmud, Commentaries, Israel, Yiddish, Hebrew, Food, Klezmer, and anything else that connects us to our Jewish selves.
Yesod, a solid foundation on which to balance, in Tiferet, a harmonized whole in equilibrium - two fundamental elements of resolution at the same time.
Building on something solid may see mundane, and still we need firm ground in order to accomplish loftier beauty. Good ideas are built on solid reasoning.
Hod, the grace of being tiny, in Tiferet, balanced harmony - even our smallest efforts contribute to a beautiful whole.
In the same way, attention to details, however small, may contribute to a grand vision.
Often to make progress we need to both see the forest for the trees, and see each individual tree as contributing to the forest.
Netzach, enduring victory, in Tiferet, balanced beauty - perhaps we can see another element of the deeper understanding of beauty. In order to achieve harmony we must think beyond immediate needs. True beauty never fades.
Tiferet, balanced harmony in itself - a day of contemplating what qualities of beauty make things beautiful.
Finding beauty in difficulty, in the everyday, in the undesirable, these paths help us create an inclination towards more harmony and balance within ourselves.
Gevurah, strength, rigor, and restraint, in the area of Tiferet, balanced and harmonized beauty - we seldom identify strength as a pass towards balance, perhaps in the same way that we identify beauty as an emblem of strength.
When we recognize beauty as something far more powerful than whatever society trends towards as "hot" at any given moment, we may see the power in realizing something beautiful as something well-crafted that can stand in the face of resistance.
Chesed, compassion and loving mercy, in Tiferet, balanced beauty - the first element of creating harmony may start with a sense of compassion.
Perhaps perfection may only be reached when we mercifully excuse ourselves from an unattainable standard.
Malchut - the practical, the real, the grounded, in Gevurah - the restrained structure.
The strength behind our structures works best when supported by tested and pragmatic methods. Fanciful thoughts may be beautiful, strong structures must be grounded.
Yesod, a solid and balanced foundation, in Gevurah, rigid and organized strength - let us not be lulled into the notion that these are simple ideas.
Most strong structures are supported by complexities - interlocked beams and joints with inner failsafes.
Let us embrace the finer details needed to make a strong foundation.
Hod, grace, smallness and humility, in Gevurah, rigorous structure and restraint - all of our strength and all of our strivings to contain things must be placed in the context of the infinite.
No matter how great our aspirations and pressures, they are tiny when seen from a global or universal perspective.
This shift in view offers us a key to our strength, for from such a view all of human accomplishment may be seen as small, and perhaps in our reach. Similarly, we can see our strength as connected to everyone else's, and maybe greater than we thought.
Netzach, enduring victory of the self, in Gevurah, rigorous structure - building a structure that endures is a great achievement.
What is such a thing?
Strength that endures may best be seen in ideas and not physical things. Enduring concepts may be built out of complex and layered thoughts more than elevator talks and sound bites.
Let's find the strength and fortitude to see, and aim for, the long view.
Tiferet - beautiful, harmonious, balance; in Gevurah - power, strength, and rigor.
The use of balance enhances our application of rigor. Whether pursuing justice, holding a strict line, or pushing hard through a difficulty, finding just the right amount of force creates motion without breaking things.
Gevurah, strength, power, and rigor, in itself - an act of strictness backed up with force must still be deliberated. How much power is enough? When will the use of force be most strategic and not self-defeating? If every action causes a reaction than rigorous actions create drastic reactions, so we must consider them carefully.
Chesed, lovingkindness, in Gevurah, power and rigor - the application of strength requires the temper of generosity. True justice still contains mercy.
Malchut, the practical world, in Chesed, loving kindness - giving requires consciousness of its real impact. An effective gift comes from insight into another's actual needs.
Yesod, a solid and balanced foundation, in Chesed, lovingkindness - we cannot extend a hand in kindness without firm footing.
Consider this the same principle as walking over difficult terrain - only with a foot on a solid place can we reach out and help a companion.
Hod, the grace of small things, in Chesed, lovingkindness - an easy piece of wisdom and a hard one to follow. We must see ourselves as part of a greater picture to find motivation to fix something outside of ourselves, to do kindness to others.
Recognizing a need starts all human action, and recognizing others needs starts all kindness.
Netzach means victory, or eternity, and we often define it as the sense of ego that allows us to see ourselves as important - all history has resulted in us and all that is to come may result from us. In Chesed, lovingkindness, Netzach reminds us that all acts of giving require us to believe that we have something worthy to give. We cannot be kind if we don't believe in our own value.
Tiferet is beauty - an intrinsic resolution, a balanced aesthetic. It seems obvious that there would be balance in Chesed, in lovingkindness - to offer a kindness often brings things into greater harmony. Perhaps then today comes to teach us to aim our kindness informed by beautiful balance. When kindness considers both what we can offer, and what others need, something beautiful may occur.
Power in lovingkindness - kindness must sometimes be tempered. The kindest thing at times may be refraining from caring, hard as that is to contemplate.
[Included in Temple Beth El's Seder Supplement - full text here]
“Elijah the prophet” heralds the world to come, a world of peace and justice.
As Jews we embrace the notion that an ideal world, a world worthy of Elijah’s arrival, would be one where all receive equal treatment. Passover calls upon us to envision that ideal place in which all are included. We must ask ourselves as North Carolinians faced with an Amendment restricting marriage between a man and a woman “as the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this state,” whether such restrictions lead us towards our visions of inclusion.
In such a world, we might imagine preserving rights, as opposed to restricting them. We might imagine achieving inner peace that would not depend on the private activities of our neighbors. In the Jewish ideal vision, dissent would be respected, and heard, and we would all allow ourselves the time and space to listen, find common ground, and then work together.
Let us transform our seder tables, and our State, into places where people can disagree with civility. As we make this decision on May 8, let our hopes for a world of justice and fairness guide us in our actions. We may best herald Elijah’s arrival when we create a world of equality and peace, when we embody Elijah’s spirit in the creation of communities steered by fairness.