Yom Kippur, Shofar, and Freedom
A D’var Torah for Parashat Ha’azinu and Yom Kippur
By Rabbi Irwin Huberman (’10)

Why is it that a holy day which is supposed to be “awesome” has a reputation for many as being “awful?”

The 10 day period between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is known as the Days of Awe – a time to reflect upon our lives, let go of the old, and chart an improved life path.

Yet, as we initially reflect upon Yom Kippur, so many of us tend to focus upon the discomfort of fasting. In many ways, fasting is counterintuitive to the way we currently live. We can watch television or access the Internet 24 hours a day. Shopping options are constantly available.

Yet, on Yom Kippur, while every instinct prompts us to open the fridge or cupboard to alleviate our hunger or thirst, we are told to push against that impulse – and to refrain from Read More >

The Torah and Quarantine 15
A D’var Torah for Parashat Va’ethanan
By Rabbi Irwin Huberman (’10)

There is a term associated with the deadly Covid 19, which has been making its way within medical and nutritional circles.

It’s known as Quarantine 15 – referring to the fact that so many Americans have gained weight during the pandemic.

In May, the website WebMD conducted a poll of 900 readers, reporting that 47 percent of Americans had gained between seven and 20 pounds during the first two months of the Covid crisis.

Of those polled, about 72 percent reported they had been exercising less. About 70 per cent stated that they had been “stress eating,” often feeding their anxiety through “comfort foods.”

And this week, the British government launched a program encouraging its citizens to address obesity caused in part by isolation during the pandemic. Laws limiting the advertising of “junk food” are being considered.

What does this have to Read More >

God Expands the Torah
A D’var Torah for Rarashat Beha’alotekha
By Rabbi Irwin Huberman (’11)

Can we incorporate within our personal theology a divine and all-knowing God, who agrees to change the laws of Torah upon human request?

It’s an interesting question that emerges both in this week’s Torah portion – Beha’alotekha – (when you light the lamps) and later in the Book of Numbers, where the Daughters of Zelofhad ask God to amend the Torah’s laws surrounding land ownership.

In this week’s parashah, an interesting interaction occurs between Moses and a group of men, who come in contact with a dead body.

According to the Torah, those who become ritually impure (tameh) through contact with a corpse are not permitted to participate in the Passover sacrifice. But, the men want to complete the commandment.

They take their case to Moses: “Impure though we are by reason of a corpse, why must we be debarred from presenting Read More >

The Torah and Social Distancing
A D’var Torah for Parashat Tazria Metzora
By Rabbi Irwin Huberman (’10)

Perhaps there has never been a better time to embrace — with open arms — a section of the Torah, which most years we tend to turn away from.

The double portion of Tazria-Metzora speaks about those bodily conditions that often make us socially and physically uncomfortable: Rashes, skin diseases, bodily purification and leprosy, to name a few.

But isn’t it remarkable, how, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, this week’s Parashah comes to life probably in a way it never has in our lifetime?

During this unprecedented time, we can’t help but marvel at how our tradition appeared concerned with public health, long before the field of medicine became a sophisticated practice.

Indeed, our tradition recognizes the importance of testing, treatment, quarantine, evaluation and re-integration as part of a communal approach to healing.

During this time of quarantine and social Read More >

Purim: When Israel truly accepted Torah
A D’var Torah for Parashat Tetzaveh
By Rabbi Irwin Huberman (’10)

One of the visual highlights of the regular Shabbat service occurs after we complete our weekly Torah reading.

Within the Asheknazi (European) tradition, the magbiah (the lifter) opens the Torah at least three columns wide, and raises it towards the heavens. The congregation responds by chanting, “And this is the Torah that Moses set before the people of Israel — upon the command of God, through Moses’ hand” (Deut. 4:44)

It is a beautiful tradition which acknowledges the Jewish people receiving Torah at Mount Sinai, more than three thousand years ago.

But as our Talmudic tradition teaches, receipt of Torah is one thing, accepting it is another.

The Talmud implies, that in the desert, barely three months after their liberation, the Israelites really had no choice. They were totally dependent on God.

Supplies of food and water were limited. They Read More >

Antisemitism Then and Now
A D’var Torah for Parashat Shemot
By Rabbi Irwin Huberman (’10)

There is a gnawing question that has plagued many commentators, as we witness in this week’s Torah portion, what could be referred to as the first recorded case of antisemitism:

How did the Jewish people fall from grace to disgrace in such a relatively short period of time?

More specifically, what exactly happened during the two hundred years since the Israelites were welcomed into Egypt with open arms – to the point when a new Pharaoh arose and enacted policies that targeted the descendants of Joseph?

As last week’s Parashah ended, all appeared to be well between the Israelites and the Egyptians. The Torah tells us that officials from the highest levels of the Egyptian government accompanied Joseph as he travelled to Canaan to bury his father, Jacob.

This included, “…all the officials of Pharaoh, the senior members of the court, and all Read More >

Coming of the Messiah: Sooner or Later?
A D’var Torah for Parashat Ki Tavo
By Rabbi Irwin Huberman (’10)

Perhaps no Jewish themed text has been more quoted in recent times than the 1971 theater production, Fiddler on the Roof.

In one of Fiddler’s closing scenes, as residents of the fictional town of Anatevka continue packing their belongings, one of the local characters, Mottel the Tailor, turns to the community’s rabbi and asks:

“Rabbi, we’ve been waiting for the Messiah all our lives. Wouldn’t now be a good time for him to come?”

To which the Rabbi replies: “I guess we’ll have to wait someplace else.”

The idea of a great national savior to either facilitate or preside over a perfected world has captured the imagination of Jews, among others, for centuries.

Allusions to this character appear in many prophetic books, most notably Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Micah, Hosea, Zachariah and Daniel.

As hardships continued to besiege the Jewish people Read More >

Pinhas: Hero or vigilante?
A D’var Torah for Parashat Pinhas
By Rabbi Irwin Huberman (’10)

It may be strongly argued that within Judaism, there is no room or tolerance for committing murder in God’s name.

We view with distain fanatical groups such as ISIS or Boko Haran killing others for failing to adhere to a specific type of religious practice. Teenage girls have been kidnapped or enslaved for the perceived crime of receiving an education.

Within Judaism, we have witnessed in recent years numerous examples of religious zealotry – including the murder of Muslims in Hebron in 1995, or the stabbings at the 2005 Jerusalem gay pride parade, or the assassination in 1995 of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.

All of this has been universally condemned by the modern Jewish world.

So then, how can we embrace the text to be read this Saturday in synagogues throughout the world – named after Pinhas, grandson of Aaron Read More >

The “New” Tribes of Israel
A D’var Torah for Parashat Bemidbar
By Rabbi Irwin Huberman (’10)

Over the centuries, there has been much debate and speculation regarding the fate of the twelve tribes of Israel.

In recent years, with the advent of such genealogy programs as Ancestry.com and 23andMe, there has been considerable interest within the Jewish world and beyond in tracing our roots and countries of origin.

Yet, in spite of this new technology, few of us, with the exception of the Kohanim and Levi’im, know which tribe we descend from.

But, can we truly say, in 2019, that the idea of tribalism within Judaism is passé? Perhaps not.

In Biblical times, each Israelite knew where they came from. Each tribe has its own banner. Each tribe had its own personality. In the closing portion of the Book of Genesis, in his last days, Jacob gathers his twelve sons, and gives each tribe its own blessing according to Read More >

Hametz of the Soul: The Yeast Within

A D’var Torah for the first days of Pesah
By Rabbi Irwin Huberman (’10)

“And what prevents us from performing Your will? It is the yeast in the dough.” Rabbi Alexandri

The Vilna Gaon (1720-1797), one of our greatest rabbis, provided an important answer to a question which each of us may ask from time to time.

“Why are we here?”

Indeed, we navigate our lives, apply our God-given talents, interact with others, but ultimately what is the purpose of it all?

The Vilna Gaon considered this question, and suggested that, simply stated, the purpose of life is to turn ourselves into something better.

In his commentary on the Book of Proverbs – the Vilna Gaon expanded on verse 4:13 which reads “hold fast to discipline; do not let it go; Keep it. It is your life.”

And how did he interpret the phrase “it is your life?” The Vilna Read More >

What is a Half Shekel Worth?
A D’var Torah for Parashat Ki Tissa
By Rabbi Irwin Huberman (’10)

About three years ago, a mysterious envelope with no return address arrived on my desk.

I opened it cautiously, slowly pulling out a blank white folded card which contained half of a twenty dollar bill.

Was this some kind of slur? Was it a practical joke? I paused for a moment, shook my head, and slipped the half bill in my desk drawer and continued with whatever I was doing.

About a month later, I rediscovered the torn bill under a cluster of papers, and later, while making a bank deposit, presented it to the teller.

“What do I do with this?” I asked. “Is there some way I can give it to charity? What is half of a twenty dollar bill worth anyway?

And she coldly replied, “It is worth nothing without the other half.” She then pulled a Read More >

Hearing more voices in the Passover story
A D’var Totah for Parashat Va’era
By Rabbi Irwin Huberman (’10)

The story of the enslavement of Jewish people in Egypt is perhaps one of the most powerful stories within the entire Torah. It is the stuff of heroes and villains, slavery and liberation.

It has captured the imagination of those across many faiths and cultural backgrounds, and continues to inspire Passover – perhaps the most observed holiday across all of Judaism.

Yet, there are so many gaps and unanswered questions.

Indeed, while this week’s Parashah, Va’era (And God appeared) engages us in a thrilling narrative of miracles and plagues, there is perhaps one central perspective which is sorely lacking: “Where are the voices of the Israelites and Egyptians – those who were the most affected by this dramatic story of slavery and human suffering?”

Isn’t it interesting that the entire Passover story is told almost exclusively through three main Read More >

“Mom Always Liked You Best!”
A D’var Torah for Parashat Toledot
By Rabbi Irwin Huberman (’10)

During the late 1960s, one of the most popular comedy programs on television was the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.

The team of Tom and Dick Smothers was a mainstay of CBS’s Sunday night programming, for two distinct reasons.

As public discourse over the Vietnam War heated, the brothers’ comedy would bring the anti-war protest directly into American homes, eventually leading to their cancellation by the network.

However, fifty years later, what endures most about the Smothers Brothers’ comedy was its ability to capture the subtleties of human relationships—in particular between two brothers.

Invariably, as the dialogue between these two siblings would deteriorate, it was Tommy Smothers—always portrayed as the dimmer of the two—who would attempt to trump his brother’s well-reasoned arguments with the accusation, “Well, Mom always liked you best!”

This week, as our Torah portion turns to the relationships within the Read More >

Miriam’s Obituary:
A D’var Torah for Hukat
by Rabbi Irwin Huberman (AJR ’10)

“The Israelites arrived in a body at the wilderness of Zin on the first new moon, and the people stayed at Kadesh.  Miriam died there and was buried there.” (Numbers 20:1)

The descendants of Miriam wish to advise you of the passing of our beloved ancestral mother, during the reading of this week’s Torah portion.

While the Biblical version of Miriam’s passing is limited to a short mention in this week’s parashah, we, the inheritors of Judaism’s oral tradition, would like to tell you more about her life and her legacy.

Additional stories, contained in the Midrash, Talmud and other commentaries, provide additional layers to her story.  These teachings from our oral tradition are important, as we eulogize her today.

Miriam was born in Egypt during a time of slavery and persecution.  Without Miriam’s intervention, it is conceivable that Moses, our greatest Read More >

Torah, sexuality and #MeToo
A D’var Toroh for Aharei Mot/Kedoshim
by Rabbi Irwin Huberman ’10

Within Judaism, there exists a debate regarding the reading of some explicit sexual material on the afternoon of Yom Kippur.

Orthodox Judaism encourages us to read from the Torah what are commonly referred to as the arayot – forbidden sexual relationships.

Conservative Judaism offers an alternative — suggesting a second reading dealing with interpersonal relationships, business practices, ritual behavior and criminal law.

Reform Judaism often bypasses sexuality, choosing Biblical texts that highlight reconciliation, ethical behavior and social justice.

Indeed, the discussion of forbidden sexual practices on the holy and reflective day of Yom Kippur is a challenging one.

Yet, is it possible that the same Torah reading, which so many rabbis and congregations have struggled with in recent years, demands a rereading in light of so many sexual abuses and allegations that have come to light this past year?

More specifically, is there a thematic connection Read More >

Society’s Golden Calves
A D’var Torah for Ki Tissa
by Rabbi Irwin Huberman, ’10

While attending a conference last year on future trends in Judaism, one of the presenters – a rabbi – told the story of how he had aroused the fury of one of his congregants.

One evening, as he taught a class on the ethics of technology, his phone began to ping.

Because his device had been tucked in his jacket hanging in the back of the room, he was not able to immediately respond to the text messages.

After his lecture ended, when he had the opportunity to check his messages, he realized that his lack of immediate response had triggered the rage of a usually mild mannered congregant.

“Rabbi, can I ask you something?” the first text read.

“Rabbi, I need your advice on something,” the next message read.

And then a series of messages followed in rapid fire: “Where are you?”

“Why are you Read More >

The Power of Your Hebrew Name
A D’var for Parashat Shemot
by Rabbi Irwin Huberman ’10

A popular website which monitors facts relating to pregnancy, birth, and babies recently released its list of the most popular baby names for 2017.

According to this site, BabyCenter, top names for newborn boys were Jackson, Liam, Noah, and Aiden. For baby girls the most popular choices were Sophia, Olivia, Emma, and Ava.

Those who study these trends also note that names like Asher, Ezra, Atticus, and LeBron are on the upswing, along with Cora, Isabella, Amelia, and Charlotte.

Those are the secular choices. But what about Judaism? Although few statistics are kept within the Jewish world, we can remain pretty confident that worldwide there was no significant change between 2017 and 2016, or for that matter, for hundreds of previous years.

This is largely because, within Judaism, we attach a unique meaning to names. The Kabbalistic tradition links word for a person’s Read More >

Hanukkah: In Praise Of The Righteous Gentile

By Irwin Huberman

Often at this time of the year, it feels as if the entire world is enveloped in darkness. Daylight is at a premium. Cold air chills our bones. And especially during these times of economic challenge, there is no shortage of cynicism in the world. Many Americans have lost faith in their leaders and institutions. True heroes are so hard to come by.

Indeed, where can true hope and light be found?

But as the story of Hanukkah teaches us, sometimes in life our greatest sources of light can come from everyday people performing remarkable miracles with extraordinary grace.

The second blessing over the Hanukkah candles not only praises God for performing miracles during times of the Maccabees, but also thanks God for continuing these remarkable feats to this day.

The story of Mary Katz Erlich and her rescuers Egle and Aurimas Read More >

GOSSIP UNDER OUR SKIN

By Rabbi Irwin Huberman

With the increased use of text messages and emails, and social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, society is currently experiencing an unprecedented change in the way we communicate with each other.

Through time, the Torah and Talmud, and such great rabbis as Maimonides and the Hafetz Hayyim have warned us about careful use of words, and the pitfalls of Leshon Hara (evil tongue and language).

In most cases, these sacred texts and rabbinical commentators were referring to gossip which occurred face to face in homes, synagogues or other public places.

But today, we, and in particular our children communicate less “face to face” and more “screen to screen.” Read More >

Judaism’s Prime Directive

By Irwin Huberman

There have been many attempts in our tradition to boil down the
entire Torah into one clear directive.

Over the generations, Jews and those from other faiths have wrestled with the difficult question, “what exactly does God want from me?”

The Talmud (Shabbat 31a) tells the story of three persons who wished to convert to Judaism. In each case, they were initially rejected by the scholar Shammai, known for his strictness, but they were later accepted and converted by the more lenient Hillel who, when asked to describe the essence of the Torah “on one foot” responds, “What you dislike, do not do to your friend. That is the basis of the Torah. The rest is commentary; go and learn!” Read More >

Moses learns a lesson in management
Irwin Huberman

There once was a CEO of a major corporation whose dedication to his work and to his employees was legendary.

He would arrive at his desk at sunrise, and would not return home until well past nightfall. For the entire day he would not only attend to his own responsibilities, but would also assist his employees to navigate the pathways of their own lives.

People would come to him with not only with their own work issues, but also with their interpersonal problems. The CEO was wise and revered, and the lineup outside his office door was constant and never ending.

One day, his father’in-law, Yitro, a person of wisdom and experience, came to visit and noticed not only the long lineup, but also the physical toll it was taking on his son-in-law.

And he uttered the words, which would be forever inscribed in the corporate Read More >

The courage to say “I’m sorry.”
By Irwin Huberman

There are two short phrases which are among the most powerful in our tradition.

They are “I’m sorry,” and “I forgive you,” and they both come into play in this week’s parashah, Vayishlah, as our forefather Jacob comes to grips with two enemies who have haunted him since his departure from Isaac and Rebecca’s household.

They are Esau, and himself.

The story of how Jacob tricked Isaac into receiving the family birthright is one of the most famous in our tradition. In the weekly Torah portion that we read two weeks ago, Jacob disguises himself as his gruff brother Esau, and accepts the “blessing of the firstborn” from his confused father. Aside from some token signs of remorse, Jacob, prompted by his mother, coolly executes the plan of deceit.

To this point, Jacob is less than what we could consider a model forefather. Read More >

Everything I Need, I Learned at Sinai
By Irwin Huberman

During the mid-1980’s a series of books captured the imagination of readers across America under the general theme of “All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten.”

The book’s premise was that this complex and often troubling world could somehow be tamed and explained through a series of general themes that we originally learned during a pure and relatively uncomplicated time in our lives.

Of course, in spite of this popular series of books and articles which also claimed that everything we needed to know could be gleaned from our cat, dog or reruns of Bonanza or The Nanny, in reality, the world which God created is complex, often troubling, and beyond the reach of general explanations and classifications.

We as humans possess a tendency to seek absolutes and firm directions to understand life, but indeed, Judaism through its system of debate, discussion Read More >

Israel’s ‘New’ Tribes
By Irwin Huberman

This week, as we begin reading Bemidbar, the fourth book of the Torah ‘ Numbers ‘ God commands Moses to conduct a count of males 20 years of age and older.

The parashah (the weekly Torah portion) goes into painstaking detail describing who the leaders of each tribe were, and ultimately how many men were counted in each.

The Torah tells us that, excluding the Levites whose role it was to tend to the Mishkan, Israel’s primary place of worship, there were 603,550 males over 20 years old. The figure inspires us to ‘do the math’ to estimate shortly after the exodus from Egypt, how many children of Israel, including women and children were part of the initial journey from Egypt to the land of Canaan.

The Torah reminds us through the account of the census the importance of our tribes and affiliations. Our tradition tells us Read More >

What God Wants of Us
By Irwin Huberman

For thousands of years, rabbis, scholars, and commentators have parsed, dissected, and analyzed the laws of the Torah to help better understand one thing:

What does God want of us?

Tradition tells us that we are created B’tzelem Elohim – in the image of God. If only we could grasp the true meaning of Torah, perhaps we could better understand how to be true partners with God in creating a perfect and complete world.

Throughout the generations, rabbis and commentators have debated how to properly follow the 613 Mitzvot (Commandments) contained in the Torah.

Some rabbis and commentators have guided us towards the meticulous observance of each mitzvah, while others have suggested that capturing the essence of the commandments is most important.

This week’s Torah portion, Parashat Mishpatim, provides fodder for this ongoing discussion. No fewer than 51 mitzvot are contained in the parashah, Read More >

Joseph, Hannukah and Conservation
By Irwin Huberman

Tradition tells us that it is the responsibility of the Children of Israel to act as a ‘light unto other nations’ (Isaiah 49:6). This week’s Torah portion, Miketz, read on the second Shabbat of Hannukah, provides us with two sparkling examples of how to use that light.

How lucky we are to live in America where few of us worry about lack of food, or fuel to warm our homes. With winter upon us, there is a tendency to take these precious things for granted.

But this week’s Torah portion provides us with a reminder of how fragile our good fortune is. Joseph is brought out of captivity to interpret two of Pharaoh’s dreams. In the first dream, (Genesis 41-17) Pharaoh describes how seven scrawny cows consume seven plump cows, but in the end the first cows remain thin.

Pharaoh slides back into sleep and Read More >

By Irwin Huberman

During periods of war and conflict, it is difficult to get
up every day with a feeling of hope and optimism. On
a daily basis, the Biblical commandment to ‘love your
neighbour as yourself’ (Lev. 19:18) is put to
the ultimate test.

Rather than lean on values of compassion and loving
kindness which form the basis of Judaism, we are
pulled towards suspicion, fear and
trepidation.

This week’s Torah portion, Parashat Re’eh,
recognizes this natural conflict, and wastes no time
outlining the dilemma. God speaking through Moses
states in the beginning, ‘See, this day I set before
you blessing and curse.’ (Deut. 11:26) The
Torah clearly lays out the choices and ultimately
teaches us that in order to survive we must actively
choose life over death, and blessings over curses.

It is not easy. Every day, we are pulled by forces of
pessimism which encourage us to give Read More >

The Secret to our Survival
By Irwin Huberman

What is it about Judaism that has enabled it to survive for
thousands of years, in spite of constant prejudice, harassment and
affliction?

Since our inception, Jews have been under attack, both in Israel,
and throughout the world. How could any religion withstand such
pressure over such a prolonged period?

In fact, the odds have been so stacked against the Jewish people,
the Talmud tells us that potential converts must be warned when first
approaching a rabbi ‘that Israel at the present is persecuted and
oppressed, despised, harassed and overcome by afflictions.’ (Yabamot
47a-b) Those words, recorded almost two thousand years ago, were true
then, and continue to resonate today.

So what is the secret formula that leaders and followers among other
religions have sought for centuries? And are there lessons that Jews of
today can learn, as we grapple with the issues of assimilation and
continuity?

The secret of survival is no secret after all. It is contained Read More >

Looking Beyond Our Neighborhood
By Irwin Huberman

In the beginning . . . . the Torah reminds us not only to love our neighbor, but also to extend compassion to those in need throughout the world.

In recent months the television news has been dominated by a seemingly endless stream of images from New Orleans to Pakistan, as we witness the devastation caused by hurricanes, earthquakes and other natural disasters. It is often hard to grasp the significance of these events. For many, the non-stop images, the casualty totals and the ongoing requests for assistance have led to a feeling of numbness and powerlessness. It is often too easy to retreat and to turn a blind eye.

One of the most important arguments in Judaism, based on this week’s parashah, takes place in the Talmud as Rabbi Akiva and Ben Azzai debate what is the most important principle of Judaism. Read More >