Torah and Haftorah Introductions

Rabbi Melanie Aron

Rosh HaShanah 5763 -- September 7, 2002

FIRST ALIYAH

This is the third year in our Torah reading cycle and so we are reading the very difficult story of the Akedah, the binding of Isaac, a story made more painful by recent events. How can one not think this year of the interviews of parents, fathers and mothers, whose sons and on occasion daughters, have become suicide bombers, killing themselves and others. Was the pride that these parents expressed in their children's actions merely a way of dealing with the pain of their loss - and what about those who are training others, even very young children, to follow in these footsteps?

This year has also seen, here in the United States, the uncovering of acts of unspeakable and grotesque cruelty towards children, confronting us with what humans are capable of doing.

I stand by the importance of the end of the story, which I believe is present even in the first verse. "And it came to pass that God tested Abraham". A test, or perhaps taking the word nisah, as banner or ensign, an important teaching, that generations later we still have trouble living up to- that we do not sacrifice our children even to our own most strongly held beliefs.

SECOND ALIYAH

Carol Delaney, writing in her book Abraham on Trial, finds most difficult the fact that Abraham is acting for Isaac. She sees this as the consequence of patriarchy where a child is viewed merely as the possession or extension of his father. Her book was prompted by a trial she attended in California several years ago, in which a father claimed that he killed his daughter on instruction from God. She herself puts Abraham on trial for taking Isaac up the mountain against his will.

But that has not been the Jewish reading of the story. Isaac is an actor in the ways Jews have interpreted the story. By the traditional chronology of the Bible Isaac is 37 years old and too large for his aged father to physically overcome him. In the midrash he wishes for this test. The midrash describes a conversation between Abraham's two sons. Ishamael boasts of his loyalty to God in being willing to undergo circumcision at age 13. Isaac, responds that he would be willing even to give up his life, if God were to demand it. Besides, the Hebrew words, vayelchu shenayhem yachdav, the two of them walked together, have been understood to mean, with no secrets between them.

In periods when matrydom was more common, in the Roman period and in the middle ages, especially during the Crusades, when Jews were being massacred in large numbers, Jewish commentators paint Isaac as protagonist of the story, and the focus is on his willingness to face death for his own beliefs. He is willing to allow himself to be put to death in order to save the lives of his people in the future.

THIRD ALIYAH

In this third aliyah we get to the moment when Abraham first sees the ram.

Rabbi Dawn Rose of East Brunswick New Jersey wrote this year.

"And Abraham lifted his eyes and he saw." Up to this moment Abraham was entirely focused on one thing to do, one way to respond to God, one avenue for the right and righteous, and all the dissenting voices inside and outside his body and mind he had silenced. He did not look to the right or to the left, but like a chariot horse with blinders on he thundered forward.

An angel called to him and stayed his hand, but he did not know what to do instead of killing his son, until he looked up and saw the ram. Until he allowed himself to see an alternative that might have been there the whole time.

We are most dangerous and in danger when we think we are absolutely unqualifiedly righteous and right. We are most likely to make a terrible mistake when we only look straight ahead. Lift up your eyes Abraham, there are paths other than estrangement and violence."

That is the message for us- when we confront a choice that we know is deadly, deadly to the body or to the spirit, lift up your eyes, there is another alternative.

FOURTH ALIYAH

All the nations of the earth shall be blessed through your descendents. This is our challenge as Jews, to be a blessing not only to ourselves but to the world as a whole. It is interesting that these are God's last words to Abraham, as if they seal the meaning of his being called into God's service.

HAFTORAH

I am often surprised in reading a familiar portion, how different it can seem from year to year. The prophetic portion we read this year, the one traditionally associated with the Akedah, is a portion from Jeremiah. It is not typical of Jeremiah, whose style is harsh scolding, and whose name has therefore come to mean a prolonged complaint or lament. Instead our portion this morning is full of words of consolation. It's the kind of beautiful vision that could inspire you to use this man's name for your son.

To me this year, the portion is incredibly Zionistic and full of parallels to the problems that we are facing today. In this portion, I see the Jews from France, Argentina, the former Soviet Union, whose children were students with Jeremy in the Ulpan in Jerusalem this winter, who had left places in which they felt unwelcome, and sought their future in the Jewish homeland.

Let me say a word of explanation about one verse "Venatu notim vechillaylu", translated in our text, "those who plant vineyards, shall enjoy their fruit". The Hebrew words more literally mean, "they shall plant vineyards and enjoy their secular use" This is a reference to the mitzvah of not eating the fruit of the vine for the first three years, but bringing those fruits as an offering to the Temple. Jeremiah's promise here is not just of a transient cease fire, but of more lasting times of security in the land.

There is also another aspect to this. This summer when we read in Deuteronomy about those exempt from the draft we read, "u mi haish asher nata kerem velo chalelo, is there anyone who has planted a vineyard but never harvested it for his own use?" But that exemption does not hold for a situation in which the people are attacked, when everyone must serve. Therefore we can extend the prophets image, "they shall plant their vineyards, and not be called away for service in the army". To me this is such a vivid contrast to the days we live in today when our friends and peers in Israel are called up for extended and very difficult reserve duty because of the matzav, the situation.

Rachel, your children have returned to your borders, now let the rest of your words find fulfillment. Let them sit everyone under their vine and fig tree and let none make them afraid.