tbhrich

Our congregation is a “big tent.” We have members who believe in God and see their Jewish practice as based on that belief. We have other members who belong because they see themselves as part of the Jewish people and seek a way to engage in Jewish life. We have other members who participate because they want to be part of a Jewish community. Whether they believe in God or not, they believe in Jewish community. There is room for all of our beliefs at Temple Beth Hillel. But each of us, regardless of our belief system, receive the most when we give the most of what we each have to offer. This is reflected in this week’s Torah portion, where we read, “But if you search there for the Lord your God, you will find Him, if only you seek Him with all your heart and soul.”  Each of us has needs, for community, for acceptance, for service, and each of us has gifts. As this week’s Torah portion reminds us, when we give fully of ourselves, we receive more than we could ever imagine.

What is mercy? In a society of zero tolerance, do we understand nuance anymore? Our Torah is criticized for promulgating a harsh form of justice, with the death penalty for many crimes that we never consider to justify execution. But this week the Torah shows remarkable subtlety, even in the extreme case of murder. First it stipulates a difference between murder, which is intentional, and manslaughter.  Manslaughter is defined this way, “But if he pushed him without malice aforethought or hurled any object at him unintentionally, or inadvertently dropped upon him any deadly object of stone, and death resulted…” (Numbers 36:22-25) Further, a murderer, one who kills intentionally, can only be executed if convicted on the testimony of two or more witnesses, “the testimony of a single witness against a person shall not suffice for a sentence of death.” (Numbers 36:30) Thus the burden of proof in ancient Israel is higher than in our country today. Our Torah teaches us the need for discernment and understanding, even in the most difficult situations and that there are no simple solutions to society’s problems.

A blessing in Hebrew is a bracha. It is the building block of Jewish prayer. Maimonides (Egypt 12th century), said that every Jew should recite 100 blessings a day. This isn’t so hard if you pray the statutory services in the evening, morning and afternoon. Why this focus on blessings? One reason is that blessings can help us be fully present to the moment, such as when we say the blessing over bread before we eat. Another reason is that blessings help us focus on the needs of others, as when we ask for God’s blessing and healing for those who are ill. This week, King Balak of Moab hires the prophet Bila’am to curse the Israelites. But despite Balak’s promise of generous financial compensation, in the end Bila’am just cannot do it. When he sees the camp of the Israelites, he blesses them instead. We know this blessing, “How goodly are your tents, Jacob, your dwelling places Israel,” because we recite them at the beginning of every morning service. Blessings can be a reflection of reality, as in the case of Bila’am whose blessing recognizes the holiness of the Israelites or it can create a more positive reality like when we see the best in others when we bless our children, or bless one another.