Thursday, May 23, 2013

Tornados to Gossip to C-Span


Dear Haverim,

     Well, it’s been quite an eventful week for me.  Thank you to those of you who were able to celebrate Ariella’s bat mitzvah with us, meet our friends and family, and especially for those of you who honored us by co-sponsoring the Shabbat Kiddush Lunch.  I will be thanking you individually but I wanted to get a collective todah rabbah out ASAP!

     *Friday night,May 24,6:30 p.m. (Happy Hour 6 p.m.) Dvar Torah topic: Moore,OK:God in the ‘Still Small Voice’ NOT The Wind Storm

This is a special B’nei Mitzvah Shabbat, celebrating the students and families of our upcoming B’nei Mitzvah class.  Please come and make them all feel welcome as they begin their spiritual adventure and assume greater religious leadership roles in our Shabbat davening.

      *Saturday morning, May 25, 9:30 a.m. (Torah service: 10:15 a.m.) Dvar Torah: B’ha’alotecha: Discovering the Roots of Gossip

     I was honored to represent our synagogue before the U.S. Senate on Thursday morning.  I love CBS and Delaware, and have a profound love and respect for our Delaware Congressional team, for the kavod  they show me and for the support they have given to both Beth Shalom, locally, and the State of Israel internationally.

       Below, please find the C-Span clip of the prayer, as well as the New Journal coverage of the blessing.

        Shabbat shalom,

      Rabbi Michael

 

http://www.c-spanvideo.org/clip/4452928

Wilmington rabbi gives opening Senate prayer
Written by Nichole Dobo The News Journal
May 23, 2013 2:49 PM |
delawareonline.com

The opening prayer at the U.S. Senate was given today by a Wilmington rabbi.

The Congregation Beth Shalom’s Rabbi Michael Beals served as the guest chaplain today. He prayed for the community of Moore, Okla., which was devastated by tornadoes earlier this week. Beals was invited to do the prayer by U.S. Sen. Chris Coons.

Here is the text of Beals’ prayer, as provided by Coons’ office:

“Let us join together in prayer. Ribbonolam, Master of the Universe, we send our first prayer to the residents of Moore, Oklahoma. May be Your will that those who are missing be found alive and be cared for. Send comfort to those who have suffered loss, and with the help of those gathered here, send the resources required to rebuild. Eternal our God, You commanded us to care for the widow; the orphan; and you commanded us to care for — so appropriate today — the stranger in our midst. Thank you for giving our nation these esteemed United States Senators to help us as a nation fulfill the command to care for the most vulnerable in our midst. Into each of these honorable United States Senators, you have implanted Your divine spark. Help these senators, Your humble servants, find a way of working together for the common good. In doing so, may they best take their individual holy inner light and join them together, creating one unified shaft of light so strong that it will shine clear up to the firmament above. We pray this in your sacred and holy name, and let us all say, Amen.”

Thursday, May 9, 2013

CBS Israeli Art Fest to Shavuot

Dear Haverim:


There is SO much going on that I felt I should send my Rabbi Michael’s Musings a little early.

• TONIGHT, Thursday, May 9, 7-9:30 p.m. Join me at the CBS Israel Art Exhibtion and Sale featuring more than 1500 pieces of original art from more than 100 Israeli artists. Modest fee for entrance.

• Friday, May 10, 7:30 a.m. Rosh Hodesh Sivan (make your wife breakfast in bed). Morning minyan meets at Beth Shalom NOT AKSE on Torah reading days, including holidays like Rosh Hodesh. 9 am – 2 pm check out the Israeli art.

• Friday, May 10, 8 p.m. Kehilla Shabbat. Celebrate Shabbat with the tween-agers of CBS, who will regale you with everything they learned in their Hot Topics Class, from Israeli politics to the US Elections, from women’s reproductive rights to marriage equality – and what does Judaism have to say about any of this? Our tweens will help lead services.

• Saturday, May 11, 9:30 a.m. (Torah services: 10:15 a.m.). Drash: Celebrating Mother’s Day with the Imahot (every mom gets a rose and a blessing from the rabbi). 9 pm – 11 pm Havdalah and check out the Israeli art.

• Sunday, May 12, 9 a.m. Morning Minyan and check out the Israeli art, until 4 p.m.

• Tuesday, May 14, 8 p.m.Tikkun Leil Shavuot featuring cheese cake and lectures from three of the finest professors from the University of Delaware.

• Wednesday, May 15, 9 a.m. Shavuot Day I

• Thursday, May 16, 9 a.m. Shavuot Day II incl. Yizkor.

• Friday, May 17 – 18 My daughter Ariella becomes a bat mitzvah !!



And the Omer count concludes…

Friday, May 10, Day 45 ― Tiferet of Malchut: Compassion in Nobility

A good leader is a compassionate one. Is my compassion compromised because of my authority? Do I realize that an integral part of dignity is compassion? Tiferet ― harmony ― is critical for successful leadership. Do I manage a smooth-running operation? Am I organized? Do I give clear instructions to my subordinates? Do I have difficulty delegating power? Do we have frequent staff meetings to coordinate our goals and efforts?

Exercise for the day: Review an area where you wield authority and see if you can polish it up and increase its effectiveness by curtailing excesses and consolidating forces.

Shabbat, May 11, Day 46 ― Netzach of Malchut: Endurance in Nobility

A person's dignity and a leader's success are tested by his endurance level. Will and determination reflect the power and majesty of the human spirit. How determined am I in reaching my goals? How strong is my conviction to fight for a dignified cause? How confident am I in myself? Is my lack of endurance a result of my low self-esteem? Do I mask my insecurities by finding other excuses for my low endurance level?

Exercise for the day: Act on something that you believe in but have until now been tentative about. Take the leap and just do it!

Sunday, May 12, Day 47 ― Hod of Malchut: Humility in Nobility

Sovereignty is God's gift to each individual. Hod of Malchut is the humble appreciation of this exceptional gift. Does my sovereignty and independence humble me? Am I an arrogant leader? Do I appreciate the special qualities I was blessed with?

Exercise for the day: Acknowledge God for creating you with personal dignity

Monday, May 13, Day 48 ― Yesod of Malchut: Bonding in Nobility

Examine the bonding aspect of your sovereignty. Healthy independence should not prevent you from bonding with another person. On the contrary: self-confidence allows you to respect and trust another's sovereignty and ultimately bond with him. That bond will strengthen your own sovereignty, rather than sacrifice it.

Does my sovereignty prevent me from bonding? Could that be because of deeper insecurities of which I am unaware? Do I recognize the fact that a fear of bonding reflects a lack of self-confidence in my own sovereignty?

Exercise for the day: Actualize your sovereignty by intensifying your bond with a close one.

Tuesday, May 14, Day 49 ― Malchut of Malchut: Nobility in Nobility

Examine the sovereignty of your sovereignty. Does it come from deep-rooted inner confidence in myself? Or is it just a put-on to mask my insecurities? Does that cause my sovereignty to be excessive? Am I aware of my uniqueness as a person? Of my personal contribution?

Exercise for the day: Take a moment and concentrate on yourself, on your true inner self, not on your performance and how you project to others; and be at peace with yourself knowing that God created a very special person which is you.

After the 49 days of Counting the Omer, after having fully achieved inner renewal by merit of having assessed and developed each of our 49 attributes, we arrive at the fiftieth day. On this day we celebrate the Festival of Shavuot, the giving of the Torah (Matan Torah). After we have accomplished all we can through our own initiative, then we are worthy to receive a gift (matan) from Above which we could not have achieved with our own limited faculties. We receive the ability to reach and touch the Divine; not only to be cultivated human beings who have refined all of our personal characteristics, but divine human beings who are capable of expressing ourselves above and beyond the definitions and limitations of our beings.

Excerpted from "A Spiritual Guide to Counting the Omer"

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Liberty Bell to Tikkum Olam to the Wizard of Oz


Dear Haverim,

*This Friday, May 3, 6:30 p.m. Kabbalat Shabbat (6 p.m. Happy Hour). We begin the celebration of Jacob Morris’ bar mitzvah and celebrate ALL May birthdays. My sermon topic: Slavery & the Liberty Bell Through the Lense of the Parsha.

*This Saturday, May 4, 9:30 a.m.(Torah service: 10:15 a.m.) Guest darshan: Jacob Morris.Topic: Keeping the Law & Repairing the World.

*This Sunday, May 5, 10 am., Sisterhood Brunch featuring Ellen Pell, Master Gardener.

*Also THIS Sunday, May 5, 6-8 p.m., Peace Drums: A Galilean Steel Band at the Delaware Art Museum.  I am the co-chair of this kick-off event designed to bring Jews (of all opinions on Israel) together with Christians and Moslems as we work towards creating a music-based peace-making project between Jews and Arabs in the Galilee section of Israel. This is a Caribbean-themed evening, featuring the UD Steel Band, rum-based punch (courtesy of Fairfax Liquors), dignitaries, and a full explanation of the project.

*Wednesday, May 8, 10:30 am & 7 pm, Wizard of Oz, produced by AEA @ the Siegel JCC Auditorium.  Free, child-friendly show features many CBS students and adults.  Come be supportive.

 

And the Omer count continues…

With the mitzvah of counting the 49 days, known as Sefirat Ha'Omer, the Torah invites us on a journey into the human psyche, into the soul. There are seven basic emotions that make up the spectrum of human experience. At the root of all forms of enslavement, is a distortion of these emotions. Each of the seven weeks between Passover and Shavuot is dedicated to examining and refining one of them.

The seven emotional attributes are:

  1. Chesed ― Loving-kindness
  2. Gevurah ― Justice and discipline
  3. Tiferet ― Harmony, compassion
  4. Netzach ― Endurance
  5. Hod ― Humility
  6. Yesod ― Bonding
  7. Malchut ― Sovereignty, leadership

The seven weeks, which represent these emotional attributes, further divide into seven days making up the 49 days of the counting. Since a fully functional emotion is multidimensional, it includes within itself a blend of all seven attributes. Thus, the counting of the first week, which begins on the second night of Pesach, as well as consisting of the actual counting ("Today is day one of the Omer...") would consist of the following structure with suggested meditations:


Bonding needs to be not only loving but also compassionate, feeling your friend's pain and empathizing with him. Is my bonding conditional? Do I withdraw when I am uncomfortable with my friend's troubles?

Exercise for the day: Offer help and support in dealing with an ordeal of someone with whom you have bonded.


An essential component of bonding is its endurance; its ability to withstand challenges and setbacks. Without endurance there is no chance to develop true bonding. Am I totally committed to the one with whom I bond? How much will I endure and how ready am I to fight to maintain this bond? Is the person I bond with aware of my devotion?

Exercise for the day: Demonstrate the endurance level of your bonding by confronting a challenge that obstructs the bond.


Humility is crucial in healthy bonding. Arrogance divides people. Preoccupation with your own desires and needs separates you from others. Humility allows you to appreciate another person and bond with him. Healthy bonding is the union of two distinct people, with independent personalities, who join for a higher purpose than satisfying their own needs. True humility comes from recognizing and acknowledging God in your life. Am I aware of the third partner ― God ― in bonding? And that this partner gives me the capacity to unite with another, despite our distinctions.

Exercise for the day: When praying acknowledge God specifically for helping you bond with others.


Every person needs and has the capacity to bond with other people, with significant undertakings and with meaningful experiences. Do I have difficulty bonding? Is the difficulty in all areas or only in certain ones? Do I bond easily with my job, but have trouble bonding with people? Or vice versa?

Examine the reasons for not bonding. Is it because I am too critical and find fault in everything as an excuse for not bonding? Am I too locked in my own ways? Is my not bonding a result of discomfort with vulnerability? Have I been hurt in my past bonding experiences? Has my trust been abused? Is my fear of bonding a result of the deficient bonding I experienced as a child?

To cultivate your capacity to bond, even if you have valid reasons to distrust, you must remember that God gave you a Divine soul that is nurturing and loving and you must learn to recognize the voice within, which will allow you to experience other people's souls and hearts. Then you can slowly drop your defenses when you recognize someone or something you can truly trust.

One additional point: Bonding breeds bonding. When you bond in one area of your life, it helps you bond in other areas.

Exercise for the day: Begin bonding with a new person or experience you love by committing designated time each day or week to spend together constructively.


Bonding must enhance a person's sovereignty. It should nurture and strengthen your own dignity and the dignity of the one you bond with. Does my bonding inhibit the expression of my personality and qualities? Does it overwhelm the one I bond with?

Exercise for the day: Emphasize and highlight the strengths of the one with whom you bond.




During the seventh and final week of counting the Omer, we examine and refine the attribute of Malchut ― nobility, sovereignty and leadership. Sovereignty is a state of being rather than an activity. Nobility is a passive expression of human dignity that has nothing of its own except that which it receives from the other six emotions. True leadership is the art of selflessness; it is only a reflection of a Higher will. On the other hand, Malchut manifests and actualizes the character and majesty of the human spirit. It is the very fiber of what makes us human.

Malchut is a sense of belonging. Knowing that you matter and that you make a difference. That you have the ability to be a proficient leader in your own right. It gives you independence and confidence. A feeling of certainty and authority. When a mother lovingly cradles her child in her arms and the child's eyes meet the mother's affectionate eyes, the child receives the message: "I am wanted and needed in this world. I have a comfortable place where I will always be loved. I have nothing to fear. I feel like royalty in my heart." This is Malchut, kingship.


AEA’s Wizard of Oz @ JCC Auditorium, 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Healthy sovereignty is always kind and loving. An effective leader needs to be warm and considerate. Does my sovereignty make me more loving? Do I exercise my authority and leadership in a caring manner? Do I impose my authority on others?

Exercise for the day: Do something kind for your subordinates


Although sovereignty is loving, it needs to be balanced with discipline. Effective leadership is built on authority and discipline. There is another factor in the discipline of sovereignty: determining the area in which you have jurisdiction and authority.

Do I recognize when I am not an authority? Do I exercise authority in unwarranted situations? Am I aware of my limitations as well as my strengths? Do I respect the authority of others?

Exercise for the day: Before taking an authoritative position on any given issue, pause and reflect if you have the right and the ability to exercise authority in this situation.


A good leader is a compassionate one. Is my compassion compromised because of my authority? Do I realize that an integral part of dignity is compassion? Tiferet ― harmony ― is critical for successful leadership. Do I manage a smooth-running operation? Am I organized? Do I give clear instructions to my subordinates? Do I have difficulty delegating power? Do we have frequent staff meetings to coordinate our goals and efforts?

Exercise for the day: Review an area where you wield authority and see if you can polish it up and increase its effectiveness by curtailing excesses and consolidating forces.