A Chanukah story - Hannah and her seven sons/ The Jewish people today
14/12/2023 09:06:02 AM
The Second book of Maccabees relates a story about a woman and her seven sons. This Biblical tale has been amplified with variations in different depictions found within Jewish literature.
Soon after Antiochus Epiphanes IV assumed leadership of the Syrian-Greek Hellenists, he outlawed Jewish practice and belief in God. In one particular scene, he summoned Hannah and her seven sons to worship idolatry, forsake belief in the one God, and abandon all forms of Jewish practice. When the family refused, Antiochus took the oldest son and dismembered the boy before killing him. Antiochus went on to kill all of the remaining sons, even the youngest, one after the other, with a mother having to witness the deaths of all her children. Depending on the version of the account, Hannah then either threw herself over the corpses of her sons, threw herself into a fire, or threw herself off a rooftop, dying after witnessing the barbaric murders of her children.
This haunting Chanukah tale comes to mind especially this year, when Hamas tortured and brutally murdered over 1200 Jews in one day, including the rape and murder of many women, as well as the dismembering and killing of many children. The brutality of Antiochus can indeed be compared to the evil Hamas monsters.
Hannah and her seven sons have their story recorded for posterity in our tradition. A mother and her children are considered martyrs having died a Kiddush Hashem, sanctifying God's name because they were Jews. Likewise, may the stories of all who have died at the hands of Hamas, civilian or soldier, have their stories recorded for posterity and be remembered as martyrs who sanctified the name of God in their deaths. May their memories be recorded as blessings for all time.
Rabbi Howard Morrison
Parshat Miketz - Joseph and us
13/12/2023 09:05:18 AM
How could something so good become something so bad? After two years in prison, Joseph is summoned to Pharaoh, interprets his dreams, and becomes second in command in all of Egypt. Things could not have been better for this Hebrew in Egypt at this time in Joseph's life.
Fast forward, a generation later, Joseph appears to be forgotten. A new Pharaoh arose over Egypt who did not know of Joseph. Rashi quotes two interpretations - This is the same Pharaoh as before but with a change or heart. Or, this is a new Pharaoh who chose not to regard all that Joseph had done for Egypt years earlier.
Many Jews living in the U.S., Canada, and other parts of the world are still dismayed at how things have changed so quickly for Jews in major Diaspora countries over the last two months. While some analysts are now studying the seeds of local forms of anti-Semitism, what seemed so good for Jews has become something so bad in such a short time. Post World War II, certainly in the last few decades, Jews have excelled in academic achievement and professional advancement in North America and elsewhere, even amidst moderate levels of anti-Semitism. But since October 7, it is as if a new Pharaoh or one with a change of heart has risen. Take the change of attitudes of some democratic leaders toward Israel. Take the rhetoric coming from presidents and others of leading universities. And the list goes on and on.
At the end of his story, Joseph comes to recognize that even amidst his success, the Egyptians view him and his family as Hebrews, as a form of outsiders, even when Joseph's family is seemingly treated honorably.
We too must come to understand that be it the Jews of Eastern Europe eighty years ago; be it the Jews who lived in many countries throughout the Middle Ages - we have always been recognized as Jew first whether we were religious or assimilated. So, why should we be so shocked and surprised now???
I offer no answer except to affirm with pride and courage our Jewish identities, something which Joseph ultimately learned after almost negating his cultural heritage for so long in Egypt.
We must do our utmost to stand up for our rights in our respective Diaspora communities by uniting together and working with society's leaders who best understand our plight. Ultimately, being a Jew will always define us first, and the name of the country in which we live will define us second.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Howard Morrison
Solidarity mission in Israel
12/12/2023 09:07:34 AM
Although our originally planned trip to Israel had to be postponed due to the war, lately, many Jewish institutions are planning up to one week solidarity missions in Israel during which time we help performs deeds of lovingkindness with and for our brothers and sisters in Israel.
Already, I have contacted Ramah Israel Institute, our original tour operator. They would be glad to organize a solidarity trip for us this coming Spring. Please note that this kind of mission is very different from a two-week tour. We would stay in nice but more economical accommodations. We would be working every day in appropriate service projects. We would try to get a first-hand glimpse at some of the events which have transpired. We would aim to spend a Shabbat in Jerusalem.
Toward this goal, I need to know if there is sufficient interest from you, our Beth Emeth family. I have scheduled a meeting for Sunday morning December 24 at 9:30AM to discuss with you.
May the lights of Chanukah dispel the darkness of the world.
Chag Urim Sameach,
Rabbi Howard
Vayeshev/Chanukah - Being dedicated brothers during times of distress
11/12/2023 09:06:37 AM
In this week's Parsha, Joseph experiences two dreams in which he sees himself being superior to his brothers and parents. As a result, his brothers are unable to speak peacefully to him. The Torah says, "V'Lo Yachlu Dabro L'Shalom." A close reading shows us that the word "Shalom" is spelled incomplete with three letters, not four. Rashi and other commentators explain that so great was the hatred of the brothers to Joseph that they could not even discuss basic matters with him.
Since October 7 (10/7), we, the brothers and sisters of the Jewish people, have shared a complete Shalom with each other, more than in years past. Last Monday, thousands upon thousands of Jews united in Ottawa on Parliament Hill, which included over forty-five members of our own shul who rode together on a Federation arranged bus. Some traveled with other affiliated groups or on their own. We saw no counter rallies. Rather, everyone was united in that all Jews have the right to express their Jewish identity in serious and meaningful ways. All streams of Jewish day schools, synagogues, and other Jewish institutions stood as one in the cold and snow for two hours.
As we celebrate Shabbat Chanukah, we are reminded of a time when conflict came from two sources. There were Hellenistic Jews who mocked Jewish tradition and who challenged serious pious Jews who wanted to express their Jewish identities. There were also the Syrian-Greek Hellenists who prohibited all forms of Jewish expression and who desecrated the Holy Temple.
Today, internal Jewish relationships are strong. I pray that will continue to be. However, the likes of Antiochus are paralleled today by Hamas and its supporters. While we have to be honest regarding our personal concerns for safety, I pray that we Jews do not dilute our expressions of Jewish identity. The Halakha teaches us ideally to place the Chanukiah where it can be seen in public in order to publicize the miracles of Chanukah. That same Halakha allows us to place the Chanukiah on a table away from public view if we feel our safety is at stake. I encourage us to make the decisions that are personally appropriate. Either way, let us light the Chanukiah each night.
Our tradition has us add an additional light each night so that we ascend in holiness and do not descend. May the continued lights of Chanukah bring more light to the darkness of the world and eventually drive out the darkness altogether.
In the Talmud, our Sages ask, for which miracle was Chanukah made into a holiday, suggesting there is more than one miracle - the miracle of the vial of oil which lasted not one day but a whole week. Many of us, especially children, hold on to that miracle.
There is also the miracle described in the Al Hanisim prayer - the few over the many; the righteous over the wicked, etc. We dare not neglect our principles when we are in the vast minority. Throughout history, we have often been the minority in terms of beliefs and moral principles. In each era, it has been the dedication to our ideals which has preserved our people and our way of life.
While we celebrate miracles during Chanukah, we are not allowed to rely on miracles from above. We have to do our part. The Maccabees understood this. They were the ones who originated that we are commanded to violate the laws of Shabbat and defend ourselves, lest there be no Sabbaths in the future. Today, we all have to be modern day Maccabees, with each of us using our own personal talents to express our Jewish identities seriously and to actively advocate for Israel and condemn the surge of Jew-hatred in all its forms.
The story of Joseph and his brothers, coupled with the celebration of Chanukah, could not have come at a more appropriate time. May all Jews truly see ourselves as brothers and sisters and glean lessons from Chanukah to help us navigate these challenging times.
Shabbat Shalom and Chag Urim Sameach,
Rabbi Howard Morrison
Parshat Vayeshev/Chanukah/Israel
08/12/2023 09:04:24 AM
In this week's Parsha of Vayeshev, Joseph appears to go down and down. At first, he is cast into a pit by his brothers. How could siblings, even if estranged from Joseph, do such a thing to him? The Torah informs us that the pit was without water. The good news is that Joseph will not drown. The bad news is that Joseph may die of thirst.
Soon after, Joseph is sold. The Torah informs us that literally, Joseph was taken down to Egypt, another level of descent. After an awkward scene in the home of Potiphar and his wife, Joseph is sent to prison, another downward spiral in his young life.
As we read about Joseph enduring and surviving in a pit and in an Egyptian prison, I think about the hostages who were and still are, God willing, enduring and surviving in secret tunnels and downward places under the reign of Hamas. Survivors have already reported their horrific treatment while in captivity. One can only hope and pray for the wellbeing and future return of the hostages still in captivity.
Among other things, Chanukah celebrates the ascent from lowliness and despair. We follow the view of Hillel who explains that we should light the Chanukiah in ascending sequence from night to night. The Talmud explains Hillel's view, "Maalin B'Kodesh V'Ain Moridin - We ascend in holiness and do not descend."
May the remaining hostages soon ascend from that low place of physical and moral depravity. When that happens, we will truly say, "Nes Gadol Haya Sham - A great miracle happened there."
Shabbat Shalom and Chag Urim Sameach,
Rabbi Howard Morrison
Our voices in Ottawa
05/12/2023 12:12:46 PM
On Monday December 4, thousands upon thousands of Jews and some non-Jews too stood in solidarity in Ottawa on Parliament Hill.
We stood in support of Israel and against the surge in anti-Semitism.
Standing in snow and cold temperatures, we heard from families of hostages, rabbis, a Cantor, politicians, musicians, Jews and non-Jews representing different ethnicities and the LGBTQ community. All shared a love for Israel and a condemnation of Jew-hatred.
I was proud to be among forty-five Beth Emeth attendees who shared the same bus. This group included our shul president, executive director, past presidents, individuals, couples, and multi-generational families. Other Beth Emeth members traveled on their own or with other affiliated groups.
We showed the nation's capital that we are a unified Jewish people that cares about all of its people and homeland.
In the spirit of Chanukah, we will show again the miraculous victory of the few over the many and the righteous over the wicked. We will ensure that light dispels the darkness of our world.
Chanukah Sameach,
Rabbi Howard Morrison
Parshat Vayishlach - "Jacob was left alone (Genesis 31:25)"
04/12/2023 09:29:35 AM
I am struck at how every Parsha speaks to our contemporary relevant situation. Over the last several weeks, all of my sermons have interfaced with the plight of Israel and Jews around the globe. During these tumultuous times, I actually feel guilty to concentrate on anything else, for our people's physical, spiritual, and moral life is at stake.
In Parshat Vayishlach, Jacob is forewarned that Esau is approaching with four hundred armed men. Like a military strategist, Jacob divides his family into two camps, one to potentially fight, and one to escape and keep the family alive.
Right after Jacob splits his family into two camps, prays to God for divine assistance, and sends gifts of appeasement, we are told, "Vayivater Yaakov Lvado - Jacob was left alone." How striking and relevant these words are right now. I, for one, and I believe for many of you and for many Jews around the world - we are feeling all alone. Almost no one understands our history, our experience, our suffering, our pain on real and existential levels. It is as if the prophecy of Bilam has come true again - Behold they (the Jewish people) are a nation that dwells alone, not recognized by the nations."
Maybe for a couple of days after October 7, there was international sympathy. But as one may have predicted, that sympathy did not last long. Overnight, Israel the victim became perceived as Israel the aggressor. The good are called the bad, and the bad are called the good. We are living in an upside-down world. Almost no one speaks with moral clarity. Almost everyone speaks with moral relativism, the likes of which we have heard before. Why is it so difficult to simply have people respond to the pure evil of October 7? Why do so many people avoid the question and bring up comments which are either factually wrong or simply irrelevant to the evil of October 7?
A few days after October 7, except for Jews, the U.S., and a few others, who is caring about and speaking about hostages? Who is caring about and speaking about rockets which continue to be hurled indiscriminately in Israel? Do I care about the loss of all life? The loss of lives in Gaza? Of course, I do. I consider myself a moral person. However, I also look at the root causes for the tragedies unfolding. The loss of life in Gaza is due to the people of Hamas and Hamas only! There was no loss of life prior to October 7. The loss of life since October 7 is due to the evil and indifference of Hamas to the people they are supposed to represent.
Jacob was left alone - We are left alone. Who do we speak with on an individual level? Who are our friends? Who understands us? Who even cares to understand our narrative, one which is based on irrefutable historical facts.
Jacob was left alone - We are left alone. Who do we speak with on an international level? With no disrespect, only the U.S., which is divided among itself, and a few others seem to understand Israel and support its needs.
Jacob was left alone - You have heard me say it before. But where are the clergy of other faiths and the adherents of other faiths? Here in Canada, don't they remember when rabbis and members of our synagogues formed rings of solidarity in years past when Churches and Mosques were attacked?
Jacob was left alone - In the aftermath of the Shoah, Pastor Martin Niemoller famously said, "First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me."
In his article, "The lonely people of history," Yossi Klein Halevi, of the Shalom Hartman Institute, writes, "First they came for LGBTQ and I stood up because love is love. Then they came for the black community and I stood up because black lives matter. Then they came for me, but I stood alone, because I am a Jew." Klein Halevi's thesis is "When even Israel's allies begin to lose moral clarity about the justness of this war, Jews will stand and proclaim our truth."
It is no accident that right after Jacob finds himself alone, he struggles, he wrestles - with God? with an angel? with himself? Not clear, perhaps some or all of the above. From that encounter, Jacob becomes identified with the word 'Yisrael-Israel," one who wrestles and prevails with God.
Today, the household of Israel finds itself alone in the vastness of the world. We are hurting; we are struggling; we are wrestling. But only by adhering to what we know is right and true will we prevail and move on as AM YISRAEL CHAI - the nation of Israel which is meant to live for eternity.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Howard Morrison
Parshat Vayishlach - Making history this coming Monday
30/11/2023 09:25:51 AM
Dear Congregational Family,
We at Beth Emeth will always remember bus #21, the bus on which some forty-five members of our shul will ride to and from Ottawa this coming Monday. The Canadian pro-Israel rally will be historic and memorable. Several hundred full buses along with many others driving and flying will create a scene unprecedented in Canadian Jewish history. At a time of loneliness felt by Jews around the world, we will know how united we are as Jews, and how the Jewish community comes together and cares for its own.
It is noteworthy that in the week's Parsha, we read the origin of the name Yisrael-Israel, which means one who has struggled with God and prevailed. The origin story harkens to the patriarch, Jacob, who wrestles with some kind of being or within himself. In his physical and existential struggle, Jacob understands that the destiny of the people of Israel will be a nation which struggles on one level and which always prevails on another level.
For those joining us on bus #21, we will daven Shacharit on the way for those who are saying Kaddish and/or want to pray in a Minyan. It is up to the individual to bring Tallit and Tefillin. While we will bring some Siddurim on the bus, you may choose to bring your own. We will also bring handouts which will enable us to recite the prayers for Israel, the IDF, the hostages, and some other passages together. While APEX catering will provide two meals, individuals should bring additional food and drink if they wish.
On this coming Shabbat which introduces the name "Yisrael," how meaningful it will be when thousands upon thousands of Canadian Jews unite in our nation's Capital because of our love and support for the people and the State of Israel.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Howard Morrison
Parshat Vayetze - If I were Jacob at the "Lavan (White) house"
27/11/2023 09:27:21 AM
In this week's Parsha of Vayetze, Jacob flees from Esau at his mother's request, to find safety and security at his uncle Lavan's house. Did you know that the literal translation of Lavan is "white." So, if you will allow me, Jacob is sent to find peace and tranquility at the "White house."
With this poetic joke in mind, if I were Jacob (a symbol of the Jewish people), and if I were sent to the White House or to Ottawa's equivalent, I might say the following to the Lavan in charge:
Do you believe that what took place on October 7th is an example of moral depravity of the worst kind?
Do you believe that the victims of October 7th are truly the victims? and the perpetrators of those events are advocates of pure hatred?
Do you believe that the victims of October 7th have the right to defend themselves so that such depravity never again occurs on my (Jacob's) soil?
If nations of the past were validated and understood for fighting fully against Nazism, imperial Japan, Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, Isis, and other forms of pure evil, then why is my people not accorded the same right and understanding? Why I am the only nation in the world being pressured to have a cease-fire when the enemy for evil still stands strong?
Dear Lavan, or whatever your name is in your contemporary "White house:"
If you are not able or willing to speak with moral clarity, do you know that you are supporting hatred and violence against me, Jacob, and my people in your country?
Do you know that you are complicit in hatred perpetrated against Jews on campus and for an ideology of hatred on campus?
Do you know that you are complicit in Jews being fearful of attending school? wearing symbols of Jewish pride and commitment? displaying age-old Jewish symbols on the doorposts of our homes?
Do you know that you are complicit in anti-Semitic pictures being displayed at a downtown coffee shop? in a bomb threat at a Jewish high school one week ago which forced students and staff to evacuate to a nearby synagogue? to attacks at synagogues and other Jewish institutions? in the ripping apart and removal of pictures showing the faces of innocent hostages, young and old, taken away by brutal monsters?
Dear Mr. Lavan, or whatever your name is, let me ask you:
If over 1200 local citizens were slaughtered in your country on a single day; if among them babies were decapitated and cooked; if women were raped and then shot; if over 200 young people were murdered attending a music festival; if some 240 innocent people, young and old, were taken hostage - - - All on the soil of your country, I ask you, what would you do???? and what if the attack came from right outside your border????
3500 years ago, my ancestor Jacob thought he could dwell with his community safely under the jurisdiction of Lavan. Jacob thought wrong. Ultimately, he had to take his family away. I pray that for the people of Jacob today, we will never have to flee the countries of our "White houses."
Without moral clarity from top leadership, however, we the descendants of Jacob now live in constant fear and anxiety.
Without moral clarity from top leadership, we the descendants of Jacob are re-experiencing the angst and pain of the 1930's in Eastern Europe.
But we are the descendants of Jacob, not in the 1930's, but in 2023. We will not remain in fear, shock, or denial. We are now angry. We will not accept the hate directed against our people. We will not accept the moral relativism. We will not accept weakness in leadership, be it at universities, businesses, or in government. We will fight back.
We will not fight back by defacing stores, cars, or by burning flags.
We will not fight back by attacking people.
We will fight back by assertively using legal and moral principles to protect our rights, our safety, and our place as a "Jacob" in society.
The original Lavan did not mend his ways. Jacob had to flee. I pray that the Lavan leaders in democratic countries will see what is morally clear, so that the Jacob of today will not have to flee but will be able to call his Diaspora his home.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Howard Morrison
Thanksgiving - Today and Always
23/11/2023 10:08:11 AM
Being born in the Boston area, today I observe U.S. Thanksgiving. As a child, my family always celebrated with relatives and close friends. My mom always cooked up a storm with the traditional foods.
Once I moved to Toronto, my family would alternate visiting the two sides of the family when the kids were young. In more recent years, I would gather with local American born rabbis and their families.
In Judaism, every moment is a time for Thanksgiving. Each morning, we begin our day by reciting " Modeh Ani - I give thanks." In every Amidah, we recite in the plural "Modim Anachnu - We give thanks."
In Parshat Vayetze, we read the birth of Judah- Yehuda, from whom all Jews are called. The name is based on its meaning, "I will give thanks."
Even amidst our challenging times, we must be true to our ideals, which begins with Thanksgiving.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Howard Morrison
Lamed Vavnicks
22/11/2023 09:03:35 AM
Tradition has it that in every generation there are 36 anonymous righteous people called the Lamed Vavnicks. Could it be they have been identified?
During the Hamas imposed war, three Israeli tanks were targeted and destroyed, each with seats for 12 soldiers. Due to a mechanical error in the first tank, the soldiers got out ahead of the destruction. Upon seeing the first 12 get out with no explanation provided, the other 24 soldiers in the following two tanks got out also before the destruction.
36 lives were spared. A Chanukah Kislev miracle? A contemporary lamed vavnick story?
In an interview, some soldiers felt that they were saved because world Jewry is praying for them, and they feel the spiritual power.
We here cannot do much. We can give Tzedakah and perform acts kindness. We can advocate for Israel. And we can and will continue praying for Israel, the IDF, and Jews around the world.
Rabbi Howard Morrison
Parshat Toldot - All's WELL that ends WELL - really?
20/11/2023 09:15:19 AM
The well is a significant place in Sefer Berishit - the book of Genesis. Isaac comes from "Be'er Lachai Roi - the well of the vision of life" when he meets Rebecca and is destined to marry her. That narrative was read in last week's Parsha.
The origin of that well appears when God appears to Hagar and Yishmael in the Parsha we read two weeks ago.
The well is also a place of meeting. Abraham's servant meets Rebecca by a well enroute to fixing her up with Isaac, as we read one week ago.
In next week's Parsha, Jacob will meet Rachel at a well.
In this week's portion of Toldot, we find many references to wells, but in a disheartening manner. In our first scene, after Isaac had become wealthy and blessed by God, the Philistines stopped up all the wells which Isaac's father Abraham had dug, filling them with earth. Avimelech, king of the Philistines, says to Isaac, "Go away from us, for you have become far too big for us." Is this remark one of propaganda and a Biblical form of Jew-hatred, comparable to Pharaoh in the book of Shemot-Exodus when he says that the Israelites have become too numerous and populous for us?????
"So, Isaac departed from there and encamped in the wadi of Gerar, where he settled. Isaac dug anew the wells which had been dug in the days of his father Abraham and which the Philistines had stopped up after Abraham's death, and he gave them the same names that his father had given them. But when Isaac's servants, digging in the wadi, found there a well of spring water, the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaacs herdsmen, saying, 'The water is ours.' Isaac named that well Esek, because they contended with him. And when they dug another well, they disputed over that one also, so he named it Sitnah (hostility). Isaac moved from there and dug yet another well, and they did not quarrel over it; so, he called it Rehovot, saying, 'Now at last the Lord has granted us ample space to increase in the land (Genesis 26:17-22)."
Time and time again, Isaac had to dig and re-dig wells based on hatred coming from his Philistine and Gerar neighbors. In a legendary Midrash, which is cited in the Artscroll commentary, the three wells dug by Isaac refer to three Temples in Jewish history. The first was destroyed because of Esek, contention with the nations of the time. The second was destroyed because of Sitnah, hostility from the nations of the time. The third yet to be built, will be based on Rehovot, when contention and hostility will be things of the past. I would add that the first two Temples were also destroyed because of contention and hostility which resulted from strife within the echelons of the Jewish people.
Now, I am not proposing a third Temple will be built now or anytime soon. Just a few months ago, Israelis were sharply divided over governmental concerns. Over the last several weeks, however, Israelis and Jews around the world are united as never before because our very Statehood and survival as a people are at stake. I pray that this unity will remain not only in the weeks to come, but in months and years to come.
It is noteworthy that as we read about the wells called contention and hostility that one of the first places massacred by Hamas was Kibbutz Be'eri, which literally means "My well." I have read and heard that the residents are eager to reinhabit their Kibbutz and rebuild their homes and their community, symbolic of a resilient people.
In the Biblical events surrounding a well and in the events of our time, I pray for when the well will always be known as Be'er Lachai Roi, literally, the well for life and where God sees me. This is the place where Hagar was blessed by God. This is the place at which Isaac lifted up his face and saw Rebecca. The fact that the same well is mentioned in separate narratives with Hagar and Isaac prompts the Midrash to suggest that Isaac went to Be'er Lachai Roi because he knew Hagar was there and brought her back for Abraham to marry her after Sarah's death.
We need a Be'er, a well, a place in the world, which will be defined by love, blessing, peace, and promise.
Shabbat Shalom
Remembering two of my teachers
17/11/2023 09:04:03 AM
On Wednesday, November 15, this week, I learned that two of my professors from rabbinical school at the Jewish Theological Seminary passed away - Rabbi Israel Francus, a renowned Talmud scholar and Rabbi Avraham Holtz, a renowned scholar of liturgy and rabbinic texts.
In addition to my learning from both of them, I also had the privilege of sitting next to them during services in the Stein Chapel. For years, I sat in the second row right behind Rabbi Francus, who sat in the front row. Rabbi Francus, who lived close to the Seminary, attended virtually every service in the Seminary synagogue, morning, afternoon, and night, whether there were lots of attendees or even by himself at times. A true scholar, he was also a mentsch. His final exams were known as "Francathons." He was dedicated to making sure his students knew how to learn Talmud texts and the Rishonim, the early commentators on the texts.
Rabbi Holtz commuted to the Seminary and often sat right next to me primarily at Mincha time in the Stein Chapel. While I did not have the privilege of taking a formal class with him, I benefited from countless informal conversations. I remember always seeing him with a book or article, something he was reading or writing. I was a rabbinical student when the original Siddur Sim Shalom was published. Rabbi Holtz served on the Siddur committee. During that time, we shared many discussions on the nature of Jewish prayer, statutory rules and where and when modifications could be made in the liturgy. I will always remember and treasure those conversations. Rabbi Holtz, like Rabbi Francus, combined the virtues of being a scholar and a mentch at the same time.
Yhi Zichram Baruch - May their memories be a blessing.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Howard Morrison
Parshat Toldot - "The voice is the voice of Jacob"
16/11/2023 09:09:40 AM
After Rebecca instructs Jacob to dress himself as Esau and receive his father's blessing, we read the visually impaired Isaac's response, "Ha'Kol Kol Yaakov V'Ha'Yadayim Ydai Esav - The voice is the voice of Jacob, and the hands are the hands of Esau."
Our Sages interpret this verse as follows: " When the voice of Jacob is weak, the hands of Esau dominate, but when the voice of Jacob is strong, his voice dominates."
The way of the Jewish people is through the voice, whereas others rely on the violence of their hands. We Jews fight back, as Israel is doing defensively, when there is no alternative.
The voice is the voice of Jacob - All Jews must speak loudly and clearly with our voices. We must educate ourselves and others about the history and authenticity of Israel. We must denounce the propaganda and the blood-libel lies.
The voice is the voice of Jacob - We Jews are speaking and must continue to speak in one shared collective voice.
The voice is the voice of Jacob - We Jews must assertively speak to elected officials, media representatives, university administrators, lawmakers, clergy and adherents of diverse faiths, and others with moral clarity. What is at stake is light versus darkness, right versus wrong, and righteousness versus evil.
For some four thousand years, we, the people of Jacob-Israel, have been known by the accuracy and integrity of our unified voice.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Howard Morrison
Annual General Meeting - November 12, 2023
15/11/2023 09:03:03 AM
Getting back on track:
It is a pleasure to say a few words at the AGM meeting this morning.
First and foremost is the Mitzvah of Hakarot Ha'Tov, acknowledging the good and giving thanks:
I wish to thank you - our entire congregational family - for your continued support and involvement in our shul: From chesed knitters, to our Sunday Alef-Bet Chadash School, to attending adult classes and lectures, to attending daily Minyan or Shabbat services, to participating in person or on livestream, and much more - Thanks to you - our entire community - for your continued support of Beth Emeth.
I wish to thank our professional team - Candace - her office staff, Maxim - his custodial team, Avivit ( our young families program and Hebrew school director), our Shinshinim - Omer and Sharon, Shlomo (our Torah reader), Ron (our director of spiritual engagement) - - You have all made positive impacts on the present and future of our shul.
I wish to thank our outgoing president Steve Werger, his executive, board of directors, our advisory/ritual committee, and all the other committees - You all came into voluntary office as we were still coming out of Covid. You have all worked seamlessly and harmoniously to get our shul back on track.
I wish to thank our incoming president Miriam Ziegler Goldberg, her incoming executive, board of directors, and new committees who will lead us into the next chapter of our shul's legacy.
This past HHD, for the first time since pre-pandemic, we had more people in shul and less people on livestream. Whereas livestream will continue to be available for those in any kind of need, having more people in shul was a great sign of where we are and the direction we are heading.
While the horrors of October 7 and beyond continue to haunt us, we did have over 20 people on board to tour Israel. This would have been our first synagogue tour since pre-pandemic when we visited Spain, Gibraltar, and Portugal. I pray that we will be able reschedule our tour to Israel sooner than later. The fact that we had a group ready to go before the trip had to be postponed is also evidence of getting our shul back on track.
I am grateful to the security personnel and police personnel who make sure that we are safe and comfortable anytime we choose to enter our precious Beth Emeth. I hope that we make a point to thanking them for protecting us.
While I hope I have not erred by omitting anyone - I and all of us should observe the Mitzvah of Hakarat Ha'Tov, of thanking and acknowledging the good from all who make our shul the best it can be, from staff to volunteer.
Shavua Tov (a good new week)
Chazak Ve'Ematz (be strong and have courage)
Yachad Ne'Natzeach (together we will be victorious)
Am Yisrael Chai (The people of Israel lives)
Rabbi Howard Morrison
My remarks at Beth Emeth's Holocaust Remembrance evening - November 12, 2023
14/11/2023 08:48:16 AM
This evening, I am wearing a yellow badge with the words "Never Again." When I saw Israel's U.N. delegates do so a couple of weeks ago, I was very moved. The badge itself reminds us of the horrors of the Shoah which, according to many, became acceptable on the night of November 9, 1938, when Jewish homes, shops, and synagogues were smashed, burned, and destroyed without any form of social protest or legal consequence.
Ever since October 7th, we are seeing some parallels. People around the world, even in Toronto, Montreal, and other parts of Canada, are verbally and physically beating up on Jews, accosting Jewish students at universities, defacing Jewish institutions, propagandizing with blood liberal rhetoric, all without any social protest or legal consequence.
The essential lesson we learned from the Shoah are the words "Never Again." More than a slogan, "Never Again" is now. We have a State of Israel since 1948. We have Jews of all backgrounds and persuasions who have united as never before because we have learned the lesson that "Never Again" is now.
I urge us all to be pro-active in as many ways as possible: Donating funds, preparing materials and goods through organizations which will ensure they go directly to Israel, recite Psalms and prayers, attend synagogue, support Israeli and Jewish owned establishments, get involved legally and politically, and more.
Tonight, we remember history. We must also learn from history and take action right now. "Im Lo Achshav Eimatai - If not now, when (Pirkei Avot)."
Am Yisrael Chai
Chazak Ve'Ematz
Yachad Ne'Natzeach
Rabbi Howard Morrison
Shabbat Sermon: Chayei Sarah - Kristallnacht, Remembrance Day, and Now!
13/11/2023 08:44:58 AM
Today, I wear a poppy. We remember all Canadians who made the ultimate sacrifice for our peace and well-being. We honor all the veterans who served and wish them well.
Today, I wear a yellow star, bearing the words "never again." We remember the anniversary of Kristallnacht two days ago, and we say "never again" is now as Israel and Jews around the world stand in peril, enduring a silence or hatred from much of the world at large.
Today, we read Parshat Chayei Sarah. In it, a generation comes to an end. The deaths of Sarah and Abraham are both recorded in today's Torah lesson. The middle section, however, focuses on the next generation, the generation of Isaac. He will be the definitive patriarch who never leaves his homeland, who maintains a steadfast faith to his heritage and his place of origin.
As the Parsha bridges two generations, we today do the same. We recall the horrors of the Shoah just over 80 years ago. In the last eight decades, we have said "never again" will such hatred be unleashed against our people. Who could have thought that during this week of the anniversary of Kristallnact (Nov 9, 1938), that world-wide Jew-hatred is back, with such words as "gas the Jews, cut off their heads, from the river to the sea." Jews at risk in a Russian airport. Jews at risk at university campuses, blockaded in a library at Cornell university, Jews accosted at Concordia, and made to live in fear in neighborhoods throughout the world?
Over 80 years later, we will not be defeated. In Israel, the unifying expression is "Yachad Nenatzeach - Together, we will be victorious." In a bold and courageous move, Israel delegates at the U.N. are wearing the yellow badge, imposed on Jews during the Shoah, but which now reads "Never Again."
While Jews live today in Israel and around the world, most Jews are proud to call ourselves Zionists, meaning we believe in the land of Israel as the rightful and sovereign homeland of the Jewish people. In this regard, we pay homage to the second patriarch of our history, the one who called Israel his home throughout his entire life - Yitzchak Avinu, Isaac our patriarch.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Howard Morrison
A week of remembering
09/11/2023 08:19:27 AM
Today, Thursday November 9th, is the anniversary of Kristallnacht, the night of broken glass, in 1938. Many people associate this tragic date and events with the beginnings of the Shoah. Jewish homes, shops, and synagogues were smashed and burned, along with all kinds of edicts legislated against the Jewish people. One cannot help but feel that kind of hatred once again with the rise of Jew-hatred around the world and in the support of Hamas, which murdered over 1400 innocent lives on October 7th and which took well over two hundred hostages, including young children and the elderly.
On this coming Shabbat, November 11th, we will commemorate Remembrance Day. At the eleventh hour, we will pause and reflect on the memories of all those Canadians who made the ultimate sacrifice fighting for our freedoms today.
Next Shabbat, I will proudly wear the poppy, a State of Israel tie, and a yellow star badge bearing the words, "Never Again." I am proud to be a Canadian. I am proud to be a Jew. Am Yisrael Chai!
Rabbi Howard Morrison
Parshat Chayei Sarah - Focusing on the "life of . . . "
07/11/2023 12:16:48 PM
While the Torah portion this week details the death and burial of matriarch Sarah, the title, Chayei Sarah, actually means the life of Sarah. While some other cultures glorify death, we do not. We affirm faith at a time of death, but we do not celebrate it. Rather, we celebrate life, cherish life, and recall the merit of one's life even after one's passing from this world.
When we think about the founding family, Abraham and Sarah, both of whose deaths are recorded in this Parsha, we focus on their attributes: Building a faith-based nation, opening their home to the needy, and much more.
Today, marks one month that the horrors of October 7th took place. Over 1400 dead. Some 250 taken hostage. Young IDF soldiers who have died since. So many of us hurting in a variety of ways. In my humble opinion, it is our challenge and mandate to talk about those who were slain, to talk about those who have been taken hostage - and to talk about the attributes of their lives. It is incumbent upon us to keep the memories of the dead alive and to keep our hope for the hostages alive.
Parshat Chayei Sarah instructs us to remember the "life of" those dear to us at all times.
Rabbi Howard Morrison
Parshat Vayera - Reverence for our children
06/11/2023 09:18:20 AM
It is impossible not to read today's parsha with one eye without keeping another eye on Israel and the Jewish world.
We are introduced to the relationship of Yitzchak and Yishmael. Yishmael is "Metzachek" on Yitzchak. The meanings are vast. He made sport of, made fun of, abused in some way - all really bad - So bad that while Abraham is unsure what to do, Sarah has moral clarity. Yishmael and Hagar must be banished for the sake of Yitzchak. God says to Abraham to listen to Sarah's voice.
This text reverberates for us. Yitzchak is the Jewish people. Yishmael for us right now represents a particular evil segment neighboring Israel called Hamas. Listen to Sarah's voice. The latter cannot be allowed to be Metzachek on Yitzchak.
Let's analyze the most perplexing chapter of the entire Torah, the binding of Yitzchak. Books have been written on it. A modern etiological approach suggests that this narrative points to the litmus test distinction between the ethos of Abraham versus the world. The Abrahamic Hebrew way will never allow for the killing of children to worship God. Animal offerings are Biblically instituted as a substitute. This while the pagans of the time killed children in their worship.
The Jewish people revere human life, especially as it pertains to our children. The evil despots show no regard to protecting their children toward their fundamentalist beliefs
Today, an empty chair adorns our Bimah. Surrounded by a Tallit and Siddur, symbols of faith and hope, the sign reads, "BRING THE HOSTAGES HOME." They are all our children.
With so much anti-Jewish hatred here and around the world, we pray for all our children. It is no accident that once our patriarchs become a nation, we are called Bnai Yisrael, the Children of Israel.
May the hostages come home soon and safely, and may all the Children of Israel be safe in Israel and around the world
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Howard Morrison
November 4 1995 and 2023
02/11/2023 08:22:09 AM
On Saturday night November 4, 1995 at a peace rally in Tel Aviv, Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin was assassinated by a fellow Jew. Any adult Jew knows where he/she was at the time. I was walking to my Long Island shul for Shabbat Mincha. When Israel was striving for a genuine peace with her neighbors, internal crisis led to the first murder of a Jew in office by a fellow Jew since Biblical times.
Now, twenty-eight years later, Israel and the Jewish people are under attack by Hamas, its sympathizers, and Jew-haters around the world. This tragic time, however, the Jewish people are united as one body with one heart. Synagogues all over the world recite a prayer for Israel, the IDF, and the hostages. Many synagogues are adding reflective psalms, Am Yisrael Chai, Ha' Tikvah, and more.
In many cultures, it is said that a stick alone is breakable, but a bundle of sticks is unbreakable.
Amidst the horror, loss of life, injuries, trauma and false propaganda, we the Jewish people are united as never before.
We will not break. We may bend, but we will stand strong and proud as befits the Jewish people over four thousand years.
Sincerely,
Rabbi Howard Morrison
Parshat Lech Lecha - An eternal covenant
27/10/2023 09:06:46 AM
God singles out Abram (later - Abraham) to start a unique way of life based on belief in one God and a particular set of norms. Known As "Avram Ha'Ivri - Abram the Hebrew," Ivri literally means one who stands on one side, while others stand on another side.
Sadly, and tragically, many Jews feel all alone and isolated right now, notwithstanding that the crisis began with unprovoked acts of savagery and barbarism initiated by Hamas on October 7th.
In Parshat Lecha Lecha, God promises to Abram the land of Canaan-Israel as a major feature of an eternal covenant. For four thousands years, we Jews have called Israel our home physically and spiritually. For Diaspora Jews like myself, we feel like the medieval Judah Ha'Levi, who famously said, "Libi B'Mizrach - My heart is in the East (Israel)."
While much of the world protests against Israel and aligns itself with Hamas for reasons I will never understand, there is moral clarity here. Hamas uses children to protect weapons. Israel uses weapons to protect children. Hamas attacked innocent civilians with such brutality as rape, decapitation, hanging, mutilation and other acts of graphic savagery. Conversely, Israel uses many forms of media outreach to warn civilians in Gaza to get out of harm's way. It becomes the responsibility of those living in Gaza, Egypt, and the Arab world to secure safe passages of entry. Israel's only goal, completely moral, is to eradicate Hamas.
While we Jews may not feel the blessings given by God to Abram right now, the Torah does state "Those who bless you will be blessed, and those who curse you shall be cursed."
Chazak Ve'Ematz - We the Jewish people must be strong and courageous during these overwhelming times.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Howard Morrison
I am Noach
24/10/2023 09:09:27 AM
My name is Noach. I am watching my world fall apart. I do not know if I have any friends, or if I can trust anyone. I am concerned about taking my children to school. I will not feel safe until there is a new world order. In the meantime, I will find refuge in an Ark which contains an inside spiritual light and a window from which to see the outside world.
My name is Jew on October 7th and beyond. I am watching my world fall apart. I do not know if I have any friends outside my faith. I am not sure who I can trust. I am concerned about taking my children to school. I will not feel safe until there is a new world order. In the meantime, I find refuge with my people at shul with its Ark, eternal light, and a window from which to see the outside world.
Rabbi Howard Morrison
Parshat Noach - "Is morality relative or absolute?"
23/10/2023 08:56:43 AM
A colleague of mine relates a lesson he had with his high school students. If you found yourself visiting an island on the other side of the world and the inhabitants worshiped with human sacrifice, what would you do? Most of the students responded that while they would not believe in such a thing, they would not intrude on the ritual practice of another culture. We have our truth, and they have theirs.
Really? Is all morality relative?
Can it simply be that we call Hamas pure evil, and their followers call them resistance fighters, freedom fighters, fighters for decolonization? And all is morally relative?
Can it simply be that there is a moral equivalence between Hamas monsters, not killing, but murdering peace lovers at a concert? babies, some barely out of their mother's wombs? hurling grenades in bomb shelters filled with innocent people? torching bodies? abducting elderly Holocaust survivors? That all of this equivalent to an Israel Defense Force patiently and with calculation seeking to eradicate only evil and not innocent life?
Can it simply be that an Israeli nation compelled to defend its own be expected to have an equal obligation to defend innocent civilians who are being purposely used as pawns, propaganda, and as human shields by evil Hamas?
Can it simply be that when Hamas or Egypt refuses to provide refuge for civilians that Israel be the one condemned for not being humanitarian?
If there is one lesson that Parshat Noach teaches us, it is that there are some absolutes in life for all humanity. Noach is not considered the first Jew. That will be Abraham, whose saga begins next week. Noach is considered the father of all humanity. After evil is allegedly flooded from the world, and a rainbow is brought in as a sign that God will never flood the world again, seven universal norms are introduced according to Jewish tradition so that basic decency and ethics will govern all mankind. The first of these seven universal norms is the prohibition of murder. The Parsha is very clear; "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for in His image did God make man (Genesis 9:6)."
It is sad and tragic that all over the world, even in Canada and the U.S., there are politicians, journalists, academics, and even clergy who refuse to call Hamas terrorists; who refuse to specifically refer to Israel and Jews as the victims of monster-like savagery and barbarism; who even before Israel began to respond argued for a proportional response, whatever that means.
One journalist, from England, perhaps gave the best definition of a proportional response in a rhetorical way. Perhaps, then, Israel should look for a peace festival and murder everyone there. Perhaps, then, Israel should look for a bomb shelter and hurl a grenade at those inside trying to survive. Perhaps, then, Israel should look for a Kibbutz and murder babies and burn parents of children. Oh! But there would be no peace festivals or protective bomb shelters or kibbutzim of ethically minded people under the tryanny of Hamas.
Rabbi Angela Budahl, the senior rabbi of Central Synagogue, a large Reform synagogue in Manhattan, laments that after all the work she has done in multi-faith clergy dialogue, she could not find one Christian or Muslim body of clergy to call out unconditionally the evil perpetrated by Hamas, which was directed at Israelis/at Jews. She is not alone!
At last week's meeting here of the Toronto Board of Rabbis, we, an organization of rabbis from all the streams of Judaism, were admittedly chagrined that we had not received any outreach from any organization of local clergy. In years past, when churches or mosques were attacked, we rabbis formed rings of solidarity around non-Jewish congregations to show our concern and compassion for all people created in God's image. We were so saddened and upset that we posted a statement of our anger and frustration, which I will share with you now:
An Open Letter to Canadian Faith Leaders
From the Toronto Board of Rabbis
On October 7, Hamas slaughtered over 1300 Israelis and abducted more than 150. They kidnapped children, tortured elderly Holocaust survivors, murdered entire families, slew over 250 concertgoers, paraded the dead as war trophies, and did unspeakably worse. It was the largest murder of Jews on a single day since the Holocaust. These are indisputable facts.
We are grateful to those of you, our colleagues, who have reached out to us, and we thank you for your ongoing comfort and support. For those who have kept quiet, we who formed Rings of Peace around your churches and mosques when terror struck your communities must ask: Where are you? Your silence is both sobering and clarifying.
Some of you have issued statements. Distressingly, many minimize Hamas’s massacre of innocents by decrying violence “on both sides,” woefully failing to recognize the moral distinction between those who butcher and those who are butchered, between intentional carnage and self-defense against that carnage. Like you, we also pray for the safety of all civilians and for peace. However, Hamas is a Canadian-designated terrorist organization whose stated goal is the annihilation of Jews. Their callous disregard for life extends even to their own people. There are no “two sides” to that reality.
We call upon Canadian faith leaders and organizations to unequivocally condemn Hamas for their murder, torture, and kidnapping of Jews and non-Jewish Israelis, permanent residents, and tourists; to call for the immediate return of hostages; and to denounce the horrifying and deeply un-Canadian displays of support for Hamas in our streets and online. Since Hamas claims to act in the name of Islam, we especially call upon leaders within the Muslim community to speak out publicly against these inhumane acts of terror.
Your Jewish friends and neighbours are suffering. We hope we can count you as our allies. We, your colleagues in spiritual leadership, await your response.
My friends, if you were to visit an island on the other side of the world only to see human sacrifice taking place, I hope that you would not consider that act to be appropriate to a particular place or culture. Unprovoked murder is MURDER, "Shefichut Damim," the spilling of blood, and is forbidden for all humanity.
At this time, Israel's goal is to eradicate an evil whose purpose is to murder Jews here, there, and everywhere. Israel's purpose is not to hurt anyone else. The fact that Israel warns a citizenry with texts, leaflets from the sky, and a delayed ground response are all evidence of Israel's concern for life.
As Golda Meir famously said - if only they would care for their children more than wanting to murder our children.
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Howard Morrison
Righteousness vs Hamas - Parshat Noach
20/10/2023 09:14:29 AM
Noach is introduced as a wholly righteous person in his generation. A few verses later, the text says twice that the world was filled with Hamas.
The Hebrew Hamas has been translated as robbery, corruption, violence, lawlessness, and more. Perhaps the pure evil associated with the Hebrew term makes it hard to translate. It seems to me that the terrorist group of the same name resembles the Hebrew word Hamas.
Noach is the father of humanity. Now is the time for all civilized humanity, not just small Israel, to wage battle against the Hamas of our time.
May righteousness win out over evil speedily in our day.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Howard Morrison
Noach as Survivor - From then to now!
17/10/2023 06:55:13 AM
One cannot help but care for and reach out to survivors of the horrors unleashed over a week ago in Israel. families have lost parents, siblings, children, grandchildren, and grandparents. Families have watched death take place in front of their eyes graphically. Families have learned minutes or hours later the terrible fates of loved ones. Some of our people are survivors in a literal sense. All of Israel and the Jewish people are survivors. We are all walking in a fog, feeling helpless, and paralyzed.
In this week's Torah portion, we read about the very first survivor, Noach. He witnessed an entire world rooted out in a flood. While Noach is known for his righteousness at the outset of the parsha, he turns to alcoholism after the flood when he considers all that has transpired.
Tragically, we are a people of survivors. Many of our parents and grandparents survived the horrors of the Shoah. It is unbearable to think of Holocaust survivors now having to hear about the evil of Hamas and feeling like survivors all over again.
I pray that none of us turn to alcohol or other vices to deal with our pain. Turn to your rabbi, to your synagogue, to mental health support provided by UJA-Federation and Jewish Family and Child Services, and other resources in the community. Attend shul and bond spiritually/emotionally with your community.
No one should have to be fearless and brave all alone. We are here for each other.
Chazak Ve'ematz (Be strong and have courage)
Rabbi Howard Morrison
Shabbat Bereishit - A New Beginning
16/10/2023 09:38:41 AM
Today is Shabbat Bereishit, literally, the Sabbath of new beginning, as we start to read the Torah anew. This year, the new beginning of our Torah reading cycle takes on new meaning. Last Shabbat, when Israel was to begin celebrating Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah on one joyous day, what should have been rejoicing turned into horror, tragedy, terror, and death. Today, a week later, we begin our Torah just as Scripture records the nature of the earth before the actual creation narrative:
"The earth was unformed and void with darkness over the surface of the deep (Genesis 1:1)."
Such a darkness has befallen Israel and the Jewish world over the past seven days. We have known of pogroms throughout our history. Now, a pogrom of the largest proportions actually took place in our modern sovereign homeland perpetuated with Nazi-like behaviors from evil animals.
Within our Beth Emeth community, we have member families living and visiting in Israel. We have member families whose children or other relatives are serving in the IDF as we speak. We have Israeli families in our shul whose relatives are living in fear at this moment. We have our beautiful Shinshinim, Omri and Sharon, who are living separate from their families so far away.
It is noteworthy in our Parsha today that the first act of creation by God is the creation of light. "God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness (Genesis 1:3)."
We dare not confuse light and darkness. We dare not succumb to moral equivalence and relativism. We dare not be seduced into false notions that there is good and bad on both sides of the current horror. There is no ambivalence, no ambiguity, no doubt, no question.
There is clear light, and there is clear darkness.
There is clear right, and there is clear wrong.
There is clear righteousness, and there is clear evil.
Israel was provoked by sudden acts of barbarism, cruelty, and savagery. Israel has been pulled into a DEFENSIVE war not of its making.
You and I can help to shed light over the darkness:
- Share the truth
- Reach out to government officials and the media
- Remind Israel that she is not alone
- Donate money
- Connect with family and friends in Israel
- Pray as individuals and in communal settings
Shabbat Bereishit is a call to action. We Jews are united in all of our diversity. We Ashkenazim or Sefardim, liberal or traditional, left-wing or right-wing are united as one family, as one people. We are united in our grief, and we are united in our resolve. We are ONE.
Sadly, this crisis of so many dimensions will not be resolved so quickly. When we gather for Parshat Noach next week, the Torah reading begins with the words, "Va'Timaleh Ha'Aretz Chamas - chamas ( translated as either lawlessness or violence) filled the earth (Genesis 6:11)." While the Hebrew word, chamas, is linguistically distinct from the Arabic abbreviation of chamas, it is noteworthy that the Biblical Hebrew word means "violence" or "lawlessness" depending on the translation. The Hebrew, chamas, implies more than just the brute force attacks we think of when we hear the English word, violence. It can also include injustice, oppression, and cruelty. I dare say the Hebrew, chamas, aptly describes the evil animals who have murdered over a 1000 Israelis, injured thousands more, and taken a 100 or so as hostage.
We are a people always filled with hope. Our anthem is correctly entitled, "Ha'Tikvah."
Kohelet, the book of Ecclesiastes, associated with Shemini Atzeret, contains the famous expressions: "a time to kill and a time to heal . . . a time to weep and a time to laugh . . . a time to mourn and a time to dance. . . a time to keep silence and a time to speak . . .a time for war and a time for peace."
Sadly, right now is a time to kill evil, a time to weep, a time to mourn, a time to speak, and a time for war. May the day come soon when we can say it is a time to heal, a time to laugh, a time to dance, a time to keep silence, and a time for peace.
Each morning at the outset of our daily prayers, we recite a psalm which concludes with the words:
"Hafachta Mispdi L'Machol Li, Pitachta Saki Va'T'Azraini Simcha - You turned my mourning into dancing; you changed my sackcloth into robes of joy (Psalm 30)."
May this daily sentiment come true and speedily in our day.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Howard Morrison
Performing same sex unions/commitment ceremonies.
12/10/2023 01:02:41 PM
Over the last couple of years of years I have been deliberating over the topic of performing same sex unions/commitment ceremonies. In recent weeks, I have shared my thinking with our shul’s leadership.
Below, you will see a video in which I share my perspective, and you may also read the background paper on this subject.
I invite the congregation to learn more at an open forum next Tuesday, October 17th at 7 pm in our Chapel.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Howard Morrsion
Israel in the aftermath of the festivals
10/10/2023 10:25:49 AM
During the seven days of Sukkot, the Torah readings instructed the ancient Israelites to bring seventy offerings which corresponded to the notion that there were seventy nations in the world. These Jewish rituals evidenced Jewish concern and responsibility for the world at large.
Similarly, the first eleven chapters of the Torah describe universal narratives and myths. The Jewish part of the Torah begins in chapter twelve with Abram/Abraham. The prior chapters of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah and the flood, the Tower of Babel, and more depict the worldly stage prior to the entry of the first Jewish family.
The afore-mentioned two examples demonstrate Jewish recognition and respect for the world at large. Now, Israel needs the nations of the world to understand, respect, and support Israel during an unprecedented time of horror and savagery. Anti-Semitism is on the rise world-wide. Last weekend, Hamas unleashed the worst evil Israel has seen within its sovereign borders, on Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah and on the English anniversary of the Yom Kippur war fifty years ago.
We, the Diaspora Jewish community, can and must help Israel now:
We must educate, if possible, those who are naive about Israel's rightful place in the Middle East.
We must unite ourselves at a time when the very existence of Israel is in jeopardy.
We must reach out to our brothers and sisters in Israel in solidarity.
We must give as much Tzedakah as we can.
We must communicate effectively with government leaders and media representatives.
We must pray - with the words of our Siddur, Scripture, or Psalms; or with the authentic cries from our hearts and souls.
Sadly, our Beth Emeth trip to Israel this Fall has been cancelled. It is just not safe for us to go, and it is unfair to expect those in Israel to look after us when their very lives are in peril. We hope to go soon after calm has been restored.
In the meantime, there is so much we can and must do. "Kol Yisrael Areivim Zeh La'Zeh - All the Jewish people are bound one to the other."
Rabbi Howard Morrison
Shemini Atzeret- Our joy is diminished this year
10/10/2023 09:06:40 AM
Today, Shabbat/Shemini Atzeret concludes the Fall holy day and festival season. Both, Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret are regarded as Zman Simchatenu - the season of our joy. The two holidays are independent and separate. Sukkot, understandably, is a season of joy. It comes a few days after Yom Kippur and is filled with the joyous rituals of the Sukkah and the four species. On Shemini Atzeret, whether it falls out on Shabbat or not, there is no taking of the four species. In addition, there is no obligation to dwell in the Sukkah on this day. So, why is Shemini Atzeret also called a season of our joy?
Our ancestors understood today as a one day holding over. "Atzeret" means to hold back. Thus, after the High Holy Days and Sukkot, God tells the Jewish people to hold back one more day, a twenty-four-hour period about you and Me, like two close friends sitting together. There is no prayer for forgiveness, no prayer for repentance, no specific holiday rituals - Just God and Israel sharing a close bond together for one more day. Now, what can be more joyous than that? Our ancient Sages deduce this interpretation from the fact that in Temple times, the Torah ordained seventy sacrifices to be brought over the seven days of Sukkot, which corresponded to the nations of the world. However, the Torah ordained only one sacrifice to be brought on Shemini Atzeret, to accentuate the bond between God and Israel.
Already for many generations, today's joy is tempered with the recitation of Yizkor. While remembering loved ones should bring back fond memories, Yizkor also provokes sadness in that these loved ones are no longer physically with us. Or, in some cases, our relationships with some loved ones may not have been such a blessing or even marred with acts of physical and/or emotional abuse.
In our congregation and in many others, Yizkor is also defined by remembering the martyrs of the Shoah, six million brothers and sisters who died a Kiddush Hashem, an act of martyrdom. They died because they were Jews. While Canada was not the most welcoming country during the war; while Canada was noted by much anti-Semitism back in the day; the fact of the matter is that many Holocaust survivors found their place of refuge in Canada, and many of them in the GTA. It in this community, where many survivors came with almost nothing. They began their lives anew, found love, raised families, achieved levels of prosperity. Many survivors who have already left this world also left behind children, grandchildren, and even great grandchildren. Amazing stories of courage and resilience have defined the Canadian Jewish narrative. The success and growth of many synagogues locally, like Beth Emeth, can be attributed in large part to survivors and their families who helped to make our Jewish community what it is today.
With all of this in mind, the joy associated with Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret is marred even further this year. While the news came out on a Tuesday the day after Yom Kippur, on the preceding Friday between the High Holy Days, our federal government at the insistence of its Speaker of the House of Commons, Anthony Rota, publicly honored and celebrated as a hero a 98-year-old man, Yaroslav Hunka, who was designated as a Ukranian-Canadian war veteran. It was discovered after his being celebrated that this same man served and fought in a voluntary unit under Nazi command.
As a Jew, I was completely shaken when I heard this news the day after Yom Kippur when preparations for joy were supposed to have begun. I am the child of American born parents. I cannot begin to imagine the shock and anguish found amongst many of you, survivors of the Shoah, along with your children and grandchildren. Our Joy is so deeply diminished on this final day of the Yom Tov season.
In our Beth Emeth recitation of Yizkor, we mention the Nazis with the term, "Yimach Shemam - May their names be blotted." How paradoxical it is this year saying these words when our own country naively honored a Nazi member two weeks ago. While a resignation and apologies have ensued, the emotional and spiritual damage has been done. Never again can such an act happen.
We the Jewish people will recover. We will be fine. That is the feisty nature of the Jewish people. And in spite of it all, two weeks ago and the perils of a 4000-year history, we continue, will continue and must continue celebrating the joy of our heritage. We can not let our legitimate pain prevent us from celebrating the joy of being Jewish.
And so, I say today - ZMAN SIMCHATENU - THE SEASON OF OUR JOY AND CELEBRATION.
Chag Sameach,
Rabbi Howard Morrison
