The Word Chesed

The Word  Chesed

Last weekend, Hollywood Temple Beth El was home to a beautiful and moving workshop on
Jewish meditation and music, The Tree of Life, led by Gilla Nissan and Yuval Ron. One of the
themes was that of “ Chesed”, which appears as an attribute of the Holy One in Kabbalistic lore.
As with so many Jewish terms, it is a word difficult to translate.  Gertrude Stein understood the
problem of definitions, when she stated” A rose is a rose is a rose. This gave rise to a
Jewish version, “A shofar—is a shofar.”  
What could be so difficult about Chesed, which we translate as “ Lovingkindness.”
In Jewish parlance we use this for  Gemilut Chasadim,acts of lovingkindness, Chasid,
a person imbued with a  sense of piety, or, in the case of a bride, always, kalah naah vechasudah
, a bride who is beautiful and graceful.”
Going back to last weeks workshop, the group chanted the song ( from a phrase in Psalms 89:3)
, “Olam Chesed Yibaneh”. The world will be  built through Chesed, which is the word for word
translation. However, the Biblical connotation is “ Chesed will be everlasting”. In it’s full context.
It means is that God’s “Chesed” to his people is eternal.
So here is this word Chesed, which we translate as “ Lovingkindness” . But what is that
So , what does it mean?
Loving-Kindness.
If you study the history of the English language, you discover that there is no such authentic
Anglo-Saxon, old or middle English term.
There was no such word in English until Miles Coverdale in the 1500’s translated the Bible
into English, and found no English word to match Chesed. He had to invent a compound word
to convey what he understood from the Hebrew. It  was intended to refers to God's unending
love for his people Israel.

Here are examples from the Bible.
This is the verse that is said when binding the tefillin around the fingers:
21 וְאֵרַשְׂתִּ֥יךְ לִ֖י לְעוֹלָ֑ם וְאֵרַשְׂתִּ֥יךְ לִי֙ בְּצֶ֣דֶק וּבְמִשְׁפָּ֔ט וּבְחֶ֖סֶד וּֽבְרַחֲמִֽים׃
22 וְאֵרַשְׂתִּ֥יךְ לִ֖י בֶּאֱמוּנָ֑ה וְיָדַ֖עַתְּ אֶת־יְהוָֽה׃
I will betroth you to me forever;
I will betroth you in righteousness and justice,
in love and compassion.(Hosea 2:21)
It is a pillar of the 3rd of the 10 Commandments, describing God as “Show Chesed
to thousands (generations)to those who love me and keep my commands”
וְעֹ֥֤שֶׂה חֶ֖֙סֶד֙ לַאֲלָפִ֑֔ים לְאֹהֲבַ֖י וּלְשֹׁמְרֵ֥י מִצְוֺתָֽי׃ Ex 20
and it is key to the answer to Moses request to know God (Ex 33m at the incident of
the Golden Calf)
Merciful and forgiving, full of Chesed and truth, keeping his Chesed to the thousands
( generations) וַיַּעֲבֹ֨ר יְהוָ֥ה׀ עַל־פָּנָיו֮ וַיִּקְרָא֒ יְהוָ֣ה׀ יְהוָ֔ה אֵ֥ל רַח֖וּם וְחַנּ֑וּן אֶ֥רֶךְ אַפַּ֖יִם וְרַב־חֶ֥סֶד וֶאֱמֶֽת׃
נֹצֵ֥ר חֶ֙סֶד֙ לָאֲלָפִ֔ים נֹשֵׂ֥א עָוֺ֛ן וָפֶ֖שַׁע וְחַטָּאָ֑ה וְנַקֵּה֙
(The Rabbis edited it for us, by eliminating the last part- “Lo Yenakeh”  will not
acquit those who willfully disobey.)
The upshot- God is God of justice, but his justice is far outweighed by his Chesed.
It’s used  in other locations”-‘mercy,' 'goodness,' and 'great kindness' 'favour' and 'kindness' .
Christian texts used “caris”, or “ grace”, from which, Charity. The Greek term is Agape,
which Dr. King used in his thesis and his preachings).
It is not used of kindness in general, haphazard, kindly deeds.
The theological importance of the word Chesed is that it stands more than any othe
r word for the attitude which both parties to a covenant ought to maintain towards each other.
God's loving-kindness is that sure love which will not let Israel go. God will not let go
even of a marriage that has gone sour.
For example, on Rosh Hashanah, we have verses of Zichronot-“Remembrances” of
God’s care for Israel. One of the verses is a quote Jeremiah- I remember the Chesed
of your youth, the love of our nuptials, when you went after me in the wilderness.
הָלֹ֡ךְ וְקָֽרָאתָ֩ בְאָזְנֵ֨י
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֜ם לֵאמֹ֗ר כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה זָכַ֤רְתִּי לָךְ֙ חֶ֣סֶד נְעוּרַ֔יִךְ אַהֲבַ֖ת כְּלוּלֹתָ֑יִךְ לֶכְתֵּ֤ךְ אַחֲרַי֙ בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר בְּאֶ֖רֶץ לֹ֥א זְרוּעָֽה׃-
Jeremiah 2:2
( ideas influenced by Norman H. Snaith,  A Theological Word Book of the Bible
http://www.bible-researcher.com/chesed.html)
What about Chesed for our Sages?
In Rabbinic use, it is used in pairing with gomel-gemilut chasadim.
Gomel. If I can’t translate “Chesed” I also can’t translate” gomel:
The root גמל has three meanings. 1) a camel - 2)  "to wean" or "to ripen" –
3) "to pay, reward, recompense".(  The prayer of thanks for recovery from illness or danger,
"HaGomel" - הגומל לחייבים טובות - God rewards the guilty with favors) There is the connotation
of “ Completion”, also of “ carrying a load” as a camel carries burdens for us.
From this we get gemilut chasadim גמילות חסדים –
(http://www.balashon.com/2006/06/gimmel.html)

“The world rests upon three things, Torah, avodah, and gemilut hasadim.” Pirkei Avot 1:2
Torah-God’s teachings and study, Avodah, worship of God ( sacrifice, prayer), and “Gemilut
Chasadim”.
The Talmud dedicates an entire Sugya(discourse) to the theme of Chsed and Gemilut Chesed
In  Talmud Sukkah 49b . Below are some of the original in Talmudic Hebrew and translation.
At the end, I have appended a text on what it means to be Godlike, from Talmud Sotah,14a,
on the burial of Moses.
It references  Micah’s- 3 pillars: (6:5)- Justice, Chesed , and Humility- What does God want:
Create justice, do gemilut chasadim, and be modest , don’t boast, about piety.
והיינו דא"ר אלעזר מאי דכתיב (מיכה ו, ח) הגיד לך
אדם מה טוב ומה ה' דורש ממך כי אם עשות משפט ואהבת  חסד והצנע לכת עם אלהיך עשות משפט זה הדין ו
אהבת חסד זו גמילות חסדים והצנע לכת עם אלהיך זו הוצאת המת והכנסת כלה לחופה והלא דברים ק"ו ומה
דברים שדרכן לעשותן בפרהסיא אמרה תורה הצנע לכת דברים שדרכן לעשותן בצנעא על אחת כמה וכמה
Zedakah greater than sacrifice. Gemilut Chasadim-greater than Zedakah
א"ר אלעזר גדול העושה צדקה יותר מכל הקרבנות שנאמר
(משלי כא, ג) עשה צדקה ומשפט נבחר לה' מזבח וא"ר אלעזר גדולה גמילות חסדים יותר מן הצדקה שנאמר
(הושע י, יב) זרעו לכם לצדקה וקצרו לפי חסד אם אדם זורע ספק אוכל ספק אינו אוכל אדם קוצר ודאי אוכל
Finally, Zedakah is rewarded only on virtue of the “ Chesed” that is behind it
א"ר אלעזר אין צדקה משתלמת אלא לפי חסד שבה שנאמר זרעו לכם לצדקה וקצרו לפי חסד
3 merits of Gemilut Chasadim above Tsedakah- a) involves effort, given to all, rich or poor,
and to all, living and dead.
ת"ר בשלשה דברים גדולה גמילות חסדים יותר מן הצדקה צדקה בממונו גמילות חסדים בין בגופו בין בממונו
צדקה לעניים גמילות חסדים בין לעניים בין לעשירים צדקה לחיים גמילות חסדים בין לחיים בין למתים
Zedakah and Justuce bring Chesed to the world
וא"ר אלעזר כל העושה צדקה ומשפט כאילו מילא כל העולם כולו חסד שנאמר (תהלים לג, ה) אוהב צדקה
ומשפט חסד ה' מלאה הארץ שמא תאמר כל הבא לקפוץ קופץ ת"ל (תהלים לו, ח) מה יקר חסדך אלהים
(חסד ה' מלאה הארץ) וגו' יכול אף ירא שמים כן ת"ל (תהלים קג, יז) וחסד ה' מעולם ועד עולם על יראיו
There is a Torah with Chesed and a Torah without Chesed
א"ר חמא בר פפא כל אדם שיש עליו חן בידוע שהוא ירא שמים שנא' חסד ה'
מעולם ועד עולם על יראיו וא"ר אלעזר מאי דכתיב (משלי לא, כו) פיה פתחה בחכמה ותורת חסד על לשונה וכי
יש תורה של חסד יש תורה שאינה של חסד אלא תורה לשמה זו היא תורה של חסד שלא לשמה זו היא תורה
שאינה של חסד איכא דאמרי תורה ללמדה זו היא תורה של חסד שלא ללמדה זו היא תורה שאינה של חסד:




Here is a straight translation, courtesy of Sefardic.org
Text of Sukkah 49 b
1)And this is what Rabbi Elazar said: What is the meaning of that which is written
: “It has been told you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord does require of you;
only to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8)? “
To do justly”; this is justice. “To love mercy”; this is acts of kindness. “To walk humbly
with your God”; this is referring to taking the indigent dead out for burial and accompanying
a poor bride to her wedding canopy, both of which must be performed without fanfare.
The Gemara summarizes: And are these matters not inferred a fortiori? If, with regard
to matters that tend to be conducted in public, as the multitudes participate in funerals and
weddings, the Torah says: Walk humbly, then in matters that tend to be conducted in private
,e.g., giving charity and studying Torah, all the more so should they be conducted privately.
2) Rabbi Elazar said: One who performs acts of charity is greater than one who sacrifices
all types of offerings, as it is stated: “To perform charity and justice is more acceptable to
the Lord than an offering” (Proverbs 21:3), including all types of offerings. And Rabbi
Elazar said: Acts of kindness, assisting someone in need, are greater than charity,
as it is stated: “Sow to yourselves according to charity, and reap according to kindness”
(Hosea 10:12). This means: If a person sows, it is uncertain whether he will eat or whether
he will not eat, since much can go wrong before the seed becomes food. However, if a
person reaps, he certainly eats. In this verse, charity is likened to sowing, while acts of
kindness are likened to reaping.
3) And Rabbi Elazar said: The reward for charity is paid from Heaven only in accordance
with the kindness and generosity included therein and in accordance with the effort and the
consideration that went into the giving. It is not merely in accordance with the sum of money,
as it is stated: “Sow to yourselves according to charity, and reap according to kindness.”
4) The Sages taught that acts of kindness are superior to charity in three respects: Charity
can be performed only with one’s money, while acts of kindness can be performed both with
his person and with his money. Charity is given to the poor, while acts of kindness are
performed both for the poor and for the rich. Charity is given to the living, while acts of
kindness are performed both for the living and for the dead.
5) And Rabbi Elazar said: Anyone who performs charity and justice is considered as
though he filled the whole world in its entirety with kindness, as it is stated: “He loves
charity and justice; the earth is full of the kindness of the Lord” (Psalms 33:5). Lest you
say that anyone who comes to leap and perform an act of kindness may simply leap
and do so without scrutiny, the verse states: “How precious is your kindness, O God”
(Psalms 36:8). It is a precious and rare occurrence to perform an act of kindness properly. . .
6) Rabbi Ḥama bar Pappa said: With regard to any person who has grace about him,
it is certain that he is God-fearing, as it is stated: “But the kindness of the Lord is from
everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him.” When one sees that a certain individua
l is endowed with grace and kindness, one can be certain that he is a God-fearing person.
And Rabbi Elazar said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “She opens her mouth
with wisdom, and a Torah of kindness is on her tongue” (Proverbs 31:26)? The Gemara asks:
Is there, then, a Torah of kindness and a Torah that is not of kindness? Rather, it is Torah studied
for its own sake that is a Torah of kindness, as one studies it wholeheartedly; and it is Torah
studied not for its own sake but for some ulterior motive that is a Torah that is not of kindness.
Some say that it is Torah studied in order to teach it to others that is a Torah of kindness;
it is Torah studied with the intent of not teaching it to others that is a Torah that is not of kindness.


Finally,how do we become Godlike..?(   Sotah 14a on the death of Moses)
And Rabbi Ḥama, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, says: What is the meaning of that which is written:
“After the Lord your God shall you walk, and Him shall you fear, and His commandments
shall you keep, and unto His voice shall you hearken, and Him shall you serve, and unto
Him shall you cleave” (Deuteronomy 13:5)? But is it actually possible for a person to follow
the Divine Presence? But hasn’t it already been stated: “For the Lord your God is a devouring fire
, a jealous God” (Deuteronomy 4:24), and one cannot approach fire.
He explains: Rather,the meaning is that one should follow the attributes of the Holy One,
Blessed be He. He provides several examples. Just as He clothes the naked, “The Lord
God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skin, and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21),
so too, should you clothe the naked. Just as the Holy One, Blessed be He, visits the sick,
as it is written about Abraham following his circumcision: “And the Lord appeared unto him
by the terebinths of Mamre” (Genesis 18:1), so too, should you visit the sick. Just as the Holy
One, Blessed be He, consoles mourners,  “ after the death of Abraham, that God blessed Isaac
his son” (Genesis 25:11), so too, should you console mourners. Just as the Holy One, Blessed be
He, buried the dead, as it is written: “And he ( Moses) was buried in the valley in the land of Moab”
(Deuteronomy 34:6), so too, should you bury the dead.
On this, the Rabbi Simlai taught The Torah opens with an act of  Chesed, and concludes with an
act of Chesed!
“

“

Israeli Folk Dancing at Congregation Beth Yeshurun

Peace and harmony through dance.
I was recently in Houston for the Bar Mitzvah of my nephew’s son.
While there, I went to see our dear friends, Rachel and Eddie Weisblatt, at the weekly Israeli folk dance session.
44 years ago, I opened this dance program with Rachel and it has been going strong ever since, through oil industry recessions and terrible floods, through thick and thin.
We held a regional dance seminar with Israeli choreographer , Moshiko, and participants came from all over Texas and Louisiana.
The dance group held its first public performance with  two male and two female lead dancers for Jerusalem,a decade after the Six Day War.
Right after the performance, someone in the audience  came up to and said, Rabbi ,that was a wonderful performance, but how come the lead male made a sign of the cross just as he started.
“No surprise, he’s a Catholic. The other fellow didn’t, because he ‘s a Moslem from
 Turkey “ !

If we could get Jew, Christian and Moslem together then through dance,maybe it will happen again, not just for a quartet, but for the whole world.

Query for the Candidates for Sheriff of Los Angeles County on Issues of Jewish Security

            In advance of the upcoming elections for Sheriff of Los Angeles County, I have addressed this request to incumbent Sheriff, James McDonnell, and contending candidates, Commander Robert Lindseyand Lieutenant Alex Villanueva. The replies of the two contenders is posted below. The incumbent has not yet sent in a reply.

*******************************************
Please provide us with a statement as to how you propose to tackle the specific concerns of the Jewish community in Los Angeles county in general, and West Hollywood in particular.
This is the reason for my query:
Our congregation, historic Hollywood Temple Beth El, shares its facility with two other Jewish institutions—the Iranian American Jewish Federation and Touro College. Furthermore, there are two other synagogues in West Hollywood: Kol Ami and Russian Chabad. All our institutions depend on the Sheriff’s Station in West Hollywood for
our security.We have heightened concerns, as Jewish institutions are most prominently targeted by haters out of all other religious institutions. FBI statistics have reported Jews as the target of 54% of hate crimes reported, out of all religious groups, even though we are but 2% of the US population. Their statistics show that perpetrators are of all stripes and backgrounds, not just the “usual suspects” of “Neo-Nazis” or KKK.
            We all await your response.
            Thank you in advance.
Sincerely yours,
Rabbi Norbert Weinberg
Hollywood Temple Beth El
1317 N. Crescent Heights Blvd,
West Hollywood, CA 90046

**********************************************************************************Statement of Lieutenant Alex Villanueva:

Rabbi Weinberg, thank you for communicating with me regarding this matter of utmost concern to all, in particular those of the Jewish faith.  There is so much that needs to be done in order to better serve our communities of faith, and it starts with the resources we currently have in place at West Hollywood station and all patrol stations for that matter.  Plainly stated, we don't have enough deputies on the streets, and the few we do have are working under a cloud of uncertainty due to Sheriff McDonnell's mismanagement.  In order to be successful in the war against terrorism we have to enlist the support of the entire community to work hand in hand with law enforcement, but we are not living up to our end of the bargain. I plan on doubling the amount of time each deputy spends in patrol in a specific community, with the mandate to establish long term relationships with the residents and institutions that reside there.  I also plan on working to increase our staffing level to get back the 1,500 deputies we've lost due to a lackluster recruitment effort and a toxic organizational culture that forces early retirements.

A fully staffed and motivated station, working in conjunction with communities of faith and the Los Angeles Joint Regional Intelligence Center (LAJRIC), will serve as the first line of defense against acts of terror.  Educating community members to report suspicious activity (if you see something say something!) to the JRIC hotline is an important step.  Having properly trained and experienced investigators working in a collaborative environment with other local and federal investigators, sharing tips, leads, and trends, is also part of the overall effort at keeping our community safe.

The most basic think I can do as sheriff to make our community safe is to start valuing the hard work our deputies do in the field, instead of taking them for granted.  The LASD culture ascribes a low value to serving the community in patrol, and it is considered a dead-end job for career advancement.  I intend to change that to become the single most important thing a deputy can do for a healthy career: serve the community.  My platform of Reform, Rebuild, and Restore was developed specifically to create a new LASD, lean, effective, and motivated to serve every community within our jurisdiction.  I look forward to serving you as sheriff and building a strong partnership with the Jewish community for a safer Los Angeles County.

Thank you for reaching out to my campaign.  Please don't hesitate to contact me directly at (562) 754-1242 if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Alex Villanueva

*******************************************************************************************

Response of Commander Robert Lindsey

April 26th 2018

Dear Rabbi Weinberg and the Congregants of Temple Beth El,

As the 70th anniversary of the nation of Israel is being heralded across the globe, we celebrate along with you, your loved ones and millions across the globe. However, no matter how proud and joyfully we rejoice this historic moment as ordained success, we sadly know such milestones attract hatred from those who seek to destroy the great faith of the Jewish people.

As anti-Semitism is by far the oldest and most established threat to the Jewish people across the world, I remain in a state of alarm by the resolve of your enemies. From Palestine to the neighborhoods of Los Angeles County hides an evil presence whose obsession with the destruction of the Jewish community cannot be underestimated. This ancient and not-so ­ancient animus cannot be allowed to exist and must be efficiently shaped to extinction.

As your sheriff, I will seek a path to social justice and peace for your communities. I will fight on your behalf and ensure to the best of my ability that peace and security follows each member of your faith. I understand that talk is cheap, but I promise that the evil which stalks the Jewish community in the county of Los Angeles will be dealt a severe blow when I am elected sheriff.

First and foremost, I understand that no matter how many law enforcement tools are available to me, their effectiveness is limited and temporary without a true partnership with the Jewish community. Therefore I promise to begin the effort by establishing a Community Advisory Committee comprised of Jewish community stakeholders who will have direct access to my office, the Office of the Sheriff. These advisory committees will meet with me quarterly to help guide policy, establish proper training for my personnel, and hear the experiences and concerns of Rabbis, doctors, business owners and all good citizens of the Jewish faith.

I will establish a department training curriculum that will be guided by your community. It is imperative that all employees of the sheriff’s department understand the origins and history of the 70-year-old Jewish State, how it relates to the Jewish-American experience and why your community suffers a disproportionate degree of hate crimes.

It is of utmost fundamental necessity that we view hate crimes against the Jewish community as uniquely motivated acts of animus based on ignorance or fear. These are not ‘simply’ crimes of violence and should not be treated as such. This is why I vow to establish and retain a working cooperation between the sheriff’s department and the United States Department of Justice. Through this cooperation between my department and elements of the United States Attorney, we will look past prosecuting hate crimes on a state level and seek Federal prosecutions to send a message to all; hate will not live in our community. When elected sheriff, my department will instill a zero tolerance policy of such crimes motivated by hate and will push hard for swift, aggressive and harsh punishment to deter future crimes. As you know, the Federal sentencing guidelines can be extreme and will send a message that can dramatically deter future crime.

Furthermore it is my vision to stop these crimes before they can even happen. With 8,000 sworn members of the department we are ready to dedicate the necessary resources, implement education and give our men and women the tools to predict, intervene and overcome this continuing threat. These things I commit to you if elected sheriff.

Under the current sheriff, the sheriff’s department has not only diminished its protection of the Jewish community, it is not even a priority. The current sheriff has made deep cuts to deep intelligence gathering

decimated the sophistication of his preventative analysis teams and has eliminated the participation of the Muslim community who for years assisted the department in the fight against ideological hatred. This is frightening.

Events across the nation and across the globe greatly punctuate the amplified danger to your constituency, your worshippers and your dedicated, peace-loving people. As Los Angeles County proudly remains on the world stage for its richness in culture and diversity, we simultaneously understand these American values attract those who hate.

Of particular concern to me is the West Hollywood community which is a society rich with Jewish heritage. As such, there are multiple places of congregation meant to commingle, study, and worship. Landmarks such as Temple Beth El, or at Kol Ami and Chabad are meant to exist in the highest American traditions where freedom of faith is guaranteed. Tragically in today’s society, we must be vigilant and protect these holy sites. I wish for the future where simply practicing one’s Jewish faith is a day without fear, the displaying a Yarmulke does not attract condescension and a feeling of peace will prevail among all people. But today we have work to do toward that goal. With the ntensification of hatred toward those who simply wish to live in peace among others, this is our time for action.

As Sheriff, I intend to deepen security measures and generate hate crime operations to reduce the vulnerability of likely targets. As in Israel, I will contain the threat using preemptive operational tactics akin to Unit 217, (frequently called Duvdevan) to the greatest extent allowed under United States law. I intend to reintroduce resources to your local community that were eliminated under the current sheriff. This will include under-cover activity, the use of confidential informants, the implementation of electronic and live intelligence and the power of community involvement. This will allow the close observation of multiple high risk threats from White supremacy to radical Islamic groups. More overt deterrence is universally required, becoming more open and visible but maintaining an unpredictable presence.

We must be dedicated to forming a coalition of preventative protection councils which would include synagogue security and protection elements integral to other religious facilities, cultural locations and places of worship. These councils can cultivate best practices for building security, alarm and camera monitoring and expertly train constituents in safety and protocol. It will provide valuable updates to clergy in real time so your community can be rapidly informed, better advised and more alert.

In our security lexicon, politics must never drive law enforcement. Rather the rule-of-law and a clear understanding of the dangers must dictate our operational stance. Our immense diversity demands a community approach that has of late been allowed to wither on the vine.

As Sheriff, I will refocus and promulgate the department’s community outreach to address the particular needs of each with the understanding that one-size does not fit all. Regular interaction between the sheriff’s department and all members of the community has been all but lost under the current sheriff and will be reinstituted.

One of the “wonders of the world” that is the State of Israel and her “amalgam of Jews,” is a critical part of the amalgam that is the diversity of Los Angeles and we shall ensure the protection and preservation of all. A sheriff’s department under my command will work hand­in-glove with our national and world-wide partners in counter-terrorism to ensure that locally, our Jewish neighbors singular security needs will be pro-actively met and surpassed.

As the Hebrew saying roughly states: “we are all responsible for each other.” On this you can depend and trust in the future.

In Friendship,

Robert Lindsey

Contact phone: 800-969-4817

What a busy weekend at HTBE!

We have had a triple -header this weekend at Hollywood Temple Beth El

I. The Sheriff's Election Campaign Forum, Thursday evening, April 19

We had two of the three candidate for the office of Los Angeles County Sheriff attend.The incumbent Sheriff, James McDonnell, was out of town, but the other two candidates showed up, Commander Robert Lindsey and Lieutenant Alex Villanueva. It was a spirited and lively presentation and highlighted for all of us how  critical this Sheriff's Department is, the largest in the entire US and the one responsible for safety at HTBE ( West Hollywood. Station). Two key issues emerged: a rising crime rate in LA County ( as opposed to a dropping rate in the rest of the state) and morale and hiring issues at the Department.  I am asking the three candidates for their suggestions for enhanced security for Jewish institutions in the light of the primacy of our institutions being the #1 target of hate incidents in the US.

 From left of image to right, Dr. Allen Zuckerman, moderator, Commander Lindsey, and Lieutenant Villanueva. From facebook page of Candidate Villanueva

Here are the websites of the candidates, in alphabetical order
http://alexvillanueva.org/about.html
https://sheriffboblindsey.com/
http://sheriffjimmcdonnell.com/

II. Israel's 70th Birthday- Saturday, April 21

We had a joint service with our Iranian counterparts. It's good that we can get together, two different historic Jewish traditions, and worhship and celebrate together, as we did. 
We were happy to welcome Roy Stein, Director of Video Production for Stand With Us, together with Rebecca Sacher, who helped coordinate our event. Roy spoke of the work of Stand with Us in combating Antisemitism and anti-Zionism on college campuses today.( See their website for more information:http://www.standwithus.com/).
Our Cantorial Solist, Bryce Emily Megdal, joined us to lead  a round of popular Israeli songs and hora dancing.We don;t have any images from Saturday, but you can enjoy her music at http://brycemegdal.com/



III. Tree of Life Workshop: A Journey into the Inner World. Sunday. April 22

We held our workshop under the leadership of Gilla Nissan, teacher of Jewish meditation and Yuval Ron. accomplished musician today.
Participants explored the mystical Tree of Life, a system of ten energy centers, which exist in our bodies as well in the world around us. "Attunement of these energy centers may lead to mindful and wholesome way of living, improving health and well-being and will lead to a quick and light yet, deep and transformative, experience."


 This was done with a grant from Jewish Wisdom & Wellness, a biennial Festival of Learning, where Jewish wisdom reveals new perspectives on life’s challenges.  http://jewishwisdomandwellness.org/ Programs continue throughout LA this week.

Enjoy a video clip of "Olam Chesed Yibaneh"

Our presenters, Gilla Nissan, on the floor,left, and Yuval Ron, on the floor, right

Center, a wood carving of the Ten Sefirot of Jewish Mysticism

 

Two Great Events at Hollywood Temple Beth El This Weekend- Israel's 70th and Tree of Life Workshop

Celebrate Israel’s 70th Birthday with

Hollywood Temple Beth El and

the Iranian American Jewish Federation

                70 years ago, the impossible happened. A people almost wiped off the face of the earth reestablished an independent state of Israel after 2000 years of foreign colonialism, ethnic cleansing and genocide. On Saturday, April 21, the members of Hollywood Temple Beth El and the Iranian American Jewish Federation will celebrate the State of Israel’s 70^th birthday with a joint program at noon, following their Shabbat morning services which begin at 9:45 AM.

           

            Gary Ratner, Senior Executive of Stand with Us will address the gathering. Stand with Us is an international education organization whose mission is to disseminate the facts about Israel and the Middle East conflict and to counter the misinformation and misconceptions that are prevalent in the general community here and abroad. Stand With Us works on campuses, in high schools, in communities, churches and synagogues. Stand With Us has offices across the United States, Canada, the U.K, Australia, South Africa and Israel. For more information, go to their website: www.standwithus.com .

                There will be a musical presentation of popular Israeli songs led by Cantorial Soloist, Bryce Emily Megdal.  Megdal is a dynamic and thrilling vocalist and song-leader who  officiates at High Holy Day and other special events for Hollywood Temple Beth El.

                According to Rabbi Norbert Weinberg, “The State of Israel is one of the modern wonders of the world. The State of Israel is now an amalgam of Jews from such diverse regions as the Middle East, Europe, Africa, India, and central Asia. One of the oldest languages of the world, Hebrew, was reborn as a living, common tongue of this reborn people. In its short history, a gathering of impoverished refugees has become the  leading innovator in medicine, science, technology, and  agriculture. “

                The celebration will be held at the main sanctuary at 1317 N Crescent Heights Blvd, West Hollywood. For more information, please call 323-656-3150 of email: temple@htbel.org

Tree of Life – A Journey into the Inner World

Sunday, April 22 | 10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Join us for a day of workshop combining heart-opening music, guided meditations, sacred movements and chants from ancient texts. 

We will explore the mystical Tree of Life, a system of ten energy centers, which exist in our bodies as well in the world around us. Attunement of these energy centers may lead to mindful and wholesome way of living, improving health and well-being and will lead to a quick and light yet, deep and transformative, experience.

Yuval Ron is an internationally renowned world Music artist, composer, educator, peace activist and record producer. His book Divine Attunement: Music as a path to Wisdom, won the Gold Medal Award for Best Spirituality Book at the Indie Book Awards 2015. For more information visit: http://www.yuvalronmusic.com/

Gilla Nissan is a teacher of spirituality and meditation, a prize winning poet and a captivating speaker. Her forthcoming book is The Hebrew Alphabet-Allow the Magic to Fascinate You a ground-breaking teaching on the Letters. For more information, please visit: http://www.TheHebrewLetter.com/ or email gilla29@msn.com

Free Admission- Advance registration required. Limit to 50 participants
Bring your own lunch ( dairy, vegetarian or kosher) or get a bite in local eateries
Registration information:http://jewishwisdomandwellness.org/…/tree-of-life-a-journe…/

In conjunction with Jewish Wisdom and Wellness: A Festival of Learning, a project of Kalsman Institute/HUC-JIR and Cedars Sinai Medical Center.

Venue: Hollywood Temple Beth El, 1317 N Crescent Heights Blvd. Los Angeles, 90046

Food for Thought on Chametz and Matzah

Food for Thought on Chametz and Matzah   


            You know that on every one of our 3 festivals, we are to rejoice, so I will begin 
my comments with a few words of humor before I actually get to my theme of this
Shabbat:
            You know we Jews love to play on words, especially when we can do so in two
or three languages.

For example, Do you know why we have an Haggadah at Passover?
A: So we can Seder right words.

Of course, all Jews are born psychologists, and Freud was merely verbalizing

what we all know instinctively.  What do you call someone who derives pleasure from the
bread of affliction?


 A matzochist.

Then, of course, all Jews are either doctors, have doctors in the family, and

believe we know more than the doctor . Did you hear that  a group of leading medical
people have published  data  that indicates that Seder participants should NOT partake
of both chopped liver and  charoses.  It is indicated that this combination can lead to
Charoses of the Liver.

There 's a story about a very wealthy, yet very modest, Jewish chap named

Hyman  Goldfarb. Because of his large donations to charities through the years, the
queen wanted to knight him, but he was going to turn it down.
"That's a great honor," a friend asked. "Why would you turn it down?"
"Because during the ceremony you have to say something in Latin," he said. "And I don't
wish to bother studying Latin just for that."
"So say something in Hebrew. The queen wouldn't know the difference."
"Brilliant," Hy complimented his friend, "but what should I say?"
"Remember that question the son asks the father on the first night of Passover? ... Can
you say that in Hebrew?"
"Of course," he said. " Thank you, old sport, I shall become a knight."
At the ceremony Hy waited his turn while several of the other honorees went before the
Queen.
Finally they called his name. He knelt before Her Majesty, she placed her sword on one
shoulder and then on the other, and motioned for Hy to speak. Out came "Ma nishtana
ha leila hazeh."
The queen turned to her husband and said, "Why is this knight different from all other
knights?"

            Enough, enough, now is  time for some wisdom for Pesah, about matzah- mah nishtanah- not just haleila hazeh- the one night, but "sheva yamim", seven days, you shall eat matzah.! Why matzah ? Why not, in the words of Marie Antoinette, let them eat cake!

            In this zman herutenu, Season of Liberation, Pesah, Passover, no element so dominates the festival as the contrast between "Chametz" and "Matzah", leavened and unleavened bread.

            Our official explanation is that our ancestors left Egypt in haste on the night of liberation and had only enough time to prepare the simple matzah for the journey into the desert. That simple fare has remained for us Jews as the symbols par excellence of our freedom as human beings, subject to no other human being, bound only by the moral and spiritual responsibilities emanating from the Eternal One. Because of that event, the Jew, even in exile, under oppression and persecution, remained free in the heart.

            But mazah is even older than pesah! Lot, Abraham's nephew served it to his angelic visitors 400 years before. Matzah was not only for Pesah-- The Kohanim, the priests, ate matzah through the year with their sacrifical meals.

            The choice of Maztah over Chametz is ironic. After all, the similarities greatly outweigh the difference at first sight.

            Eve the Hebrew spelling is close.  Chametz and Matzah,  share two root letters, Mem   and Tsadi .  The third letter is similar .

חמץ  מצה    מ  צ ה  ח

The only difference between the letter Het  ח of Hamezt  and Heh ה of Matzah is only a tiny space that closes the gap. In pronunciation, the two are similar; again, the difference is a little friction in the throat for the sound of Het .

.           The real difference between the two  is a result of bio-chemistry.

            What can be Chametz?  Only five grains, which by common tyranslation in Europe are-- barley, rye, oats, wheat, and spelt and only when immersed  in  cold  water  for  at  least  eighteen  minutes,  or immediately in hot water or salt water.

 (Modern scholars , however, suggest this translation:

 שיפון Shippon (shifon) – einkorn wheat (Triticum monococcum),
כוסמין Kusmin – emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccon),
חיטים Ḥittim – durum wheat (Triticum durum) and bread wheat (Triticum aestivum),
שעורים Se’orim – six row barley (Hordeum vulgare), and
שיבולת שועל Shibbolet shual – two row barley (Hordeum vulgare).)

Rice and legumes, which Ashkenazic Jews avoid during Pesah, are treated as Chametz only by custom, as there was a concern that flour substitutes made from these foods might be mistaken with real flour. These plants  can never leaven, only ferment. That is why Sefardic Jew use rice and beans in their cooking and why an Ashkenazic Jew may eat at a Sefardic meal at which rice is served, even though by tradition, he doesn't eat the rice, unless-- unless the cook is his wife if she is Sefardic.)

            These grains share a scientific peculiarity. Only these five grains of all plants have a combination of four enzymes- B Amylase, A Amylase Oxydase,  and Proteinase. This is the chemistry lesson : it is just that combination of enzymes, in the presence of water, that causes the release of  carbon dioxide which causes the dough to  rise. Other plants degenerate or ferment, causing a  bad smell. Hence, to be chametz, the gain must pass the smell test, which is also required of the grain to be considered as bread, for purposes of the mitzvah of matzah and hamotzi.

            So now, what is matzah?

            It's the same thing as Chametz. A matzah can only be made of those five grains,  never from corn flour, nor rice nor potato flour. Only that which  can become Chametz may be used for matzah.

            What makes the difference? Only  eighteen minutes separate the one from the other, the time between the mixing of the dough and the putting into the oven.

            How so?.

            The dough is baked in an extremely hot oven. This instantly dries up the water, before the leavening can take place, and destroys the key enzyme B Amylase. There is no leavening and  no release of carbon dioxide, the bread stays flat, and you have matzah.

            So why this oddity, this peculiarity that so much effort is made because of eighteen minutes of baking--that which is kosher throughout the year is suddenly forbidden, yet it is replaced by something made from the same source, which is now commanded. This peculiarity becomes the symbol of our liberation from bondage.

The moral lessons are plentiful.

1)     Matzah must be made new, while  Chametz can be old. Matzah must be made fresh and quickly. This is the rule for life--­we have to start each time, in life, renewed, fresh. We can not rely on last years efforts, nor allow ourselves to go stale.

2)     Matzah is simple, while  Chametz is fancy. Matzah reminds us of our ancestral simplicity in life . Chametz symbolizes  all the trappings of  human civilization. Once a year, we put some of it aside, to remember us to return to the basics of our ancestors in a simpler time.

3)      Matzah is flat, while Chametz is puffed up. A Matzah is humble and modest,  true and straight--what you see is what you get. A loaf of bread is all fluff , a lot of air, and less substance. An ounce of Matzah and an ounce of Chametz must  weigh the same, but the Chametz seems greater only because it is filled with hot air. So too, with people-- we are to be straight and honest, filled with human substance,  and not inflated for show  with vain ego.

4)      A Matzah is pure, while the Chametz has impurity in it, a souring of the dough. Matzah is our basic nature, created clean and pure. Chametz is the souring and the gas that is produced in our lives by giving in to our passions and instincts  and the choosing evil instead of good.

5)     A Matzah is fast food, while Chametz is slow.  The Torah describes the matzah as being made in haste, and that the children of Israel could not linger . Legal  contracts always say 'Time is of the essence' and that is true here. The Chametz is puffed up because we waited  too long, we missed opportunities to do good in our lives and with ourselves. The Matzah is permitted to us because we have acted speedily and resolutely.

6)      A  Matzah is poor, while Chametz is rich."Ha lahma anya  - This is the bread of poverty that our ancestors ate in Egypt." Better the poor Matzah made with hard work, than the rich Chametz,  gained by letting things spoil or earned without effort.

            That is why Chametz and matzah are so near, yet so far apart. Hence, the matzah, so poor in texture and appearance, is so rich in meaning for us as we celebrate with our families and friends through the rest of the holiday.

            Hag Kasher v'Sameach--May you have a truly Kosher for Passover holiday and a joyous celebration with all those you love.