Friday, April 16, 2020
6:00 PM
The Conservative Synagogue
of Fifth Avenue
invites you to
Kabbalat Shabbat Services
with our very own
SARAH KING
and
RABBI DAVID GAFFNEY
This Friday afternoon
April 16, 2020 at 6:00 PM
via ZOOM
"The Next Best Thing to Being at CSFA on 11th Street"
Enjoy the beauty of welcoming Shabbat with your CSFA friends and with the beautiful voice of
SARAH KING
and a D'var Torah from
RABBI DAVID GAFFNEY
Friday afternoon at 6:00 PM
Join us at the following ZOOM link
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Weekend Activities
Saturday, April 17, 2021 -
Friday, April 23, 2021
5-11 Iyar, 5781
Parshat Tazria - Metzora
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Friday, April 16, 2021
Candlelighting is at 7:18 pm
While there are no services taking place at the synagogue, we encourage you to welcome the arrival of Shabbat with prayer and song. Prepare a Shabbat Dinner for yourself, light the Shabbat candles, make kiddush over a glass of wine, and enjoy a Shabbat meal. Allow the peace and beauty of Shabbat to bring you a moment of peace and tranquility during these trying times.
וַיְהִי עֶרֶב וַיְהִי בֹקֶר
יוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי. וַיְכֻלּוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ וְכָל צְבָאָם
וַיְכַל אֱלֹהִים בַּיּום הַשְּׁבִיעִי מְלַאכְתּו אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה. וַיִּשְׁבֹּת בַּיּום הַשְּׁבִיעִי מִכָּל מְלַאכְתּו אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה
וַיְבָרֶךְ אֱלֹהִים אֶת יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי וַיְקַדֵּשׁ אֹתוֹ. כִּי בוֹ שָׁבַת מִכָּל מְלַאכְתּוֹ אֲשֶׁר בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים לַעֲשׂוֹת
סַבְרִי מָרָנָן וְרַבָּנָן וְרַבּותַי
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעולָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְרָצָה בָנוּ. וְשַׁבַּת קָדְשׁוֹ בְּאַהֲבָה וּבְרָצוֹן הִנְחִילָנוּ זִכָּרוֹן לְמַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית. כִּי הוּא יוֹם תְּחִלָּה לְמִקְרָאֵי קדֶשׁ זֵכֶר לִיצִיאַת מִצְרָיִם. כִּי בָנוּ בָחַרְתָּ וְאוֹתָנוּ קִדַּשְׁתָּ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים וְשַׁבַּת קָדְשְׁךָ בְּאַהֲבָה וּבְרָצוֹן הִנְחַלְתָּנוּ
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ מְקַדֵּשׁ הַשַּׁבָּת
(Quietly: Va-y'hee erev, va-y'hee boker.)
Yom ha-shishi. Vay'chulu hashamayim v'ha-aretz v'chol tz'va'am. Vay'chal Elohim bayom hash'vi'i milachto asher asa. Vayishbot bayom hash'vi'i mikol milachto asher asa. Vay'varech Elohim et yom hash'vi'i vay'kadesh oto. Kee vo shabbat mi-kol m'lachto asher bara Elohim la'asot.
Savri maranan v'rabanan v'rabotai. Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, borei p'ri hagafen.
Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'ratza vanu, v'shabbat kod'sho b'ahava uv'ratzon hinchilanu, zikaron l'ma'aseh b'reishit. Ki hu yom t'chila l'mikra-ay kodesh, zaycher l'tziat mitzrayim. Ki vanu vacharta v'otanu kidashta mikol ha'amim. V'shabbat kod-shi-cha b'ahava uv'ratzon hinchal tanu. Baruch ata Adonai, mi'kadesh ha Shabbat.
(Quietly: There was an evening, there was a morning.)
The sixth day: And the Heavens and the Earth and all they contained were completed, and on the seventh day God desisted from all the work that he had done. And God rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, for on that day he rested from all the work which he had done in creating the world.
[Leader:] By your leave, rabbis, masters, teachers!
[Diners:] To Life!
Blessed are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.
Blessed are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, how has sanctified us with his commandments and favored us, and given us in love and favor his holy Shabbat as an inheritance, as a remembrance of the act of creation. For this day is the beginning of all holy days, a remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt. For you have chosen us and you have blessed us from among all the nations. And you have bequeathed us your holy Shabbat in love and favor. Blessed are you, Lord, who sanctifies Shabbat.
Saturday, April 17, 2021
There are no in person Shabbat Services at the synagogue this weekend because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, we encourage you to make some time for yourself to recite your individual prayers on Saturday morning and read the double portions of Tazria-Metzora.
FOR THOSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO WATCH A LIVESTREAM SHABBAT SERVICE, PARK AVENUE SYNAGOGUE IS OFFERING A LIVESTREAM SERVICE ON SATURDAY MORNING AT 9:45 AM.
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Tazria - Metzora
Torah: Leviticus 12:1 - 15:33
General Overview: The bulk of this week's portion, Tazria-Metzora, discusses various forms of tzara'at, skin maladies which are contracted as a result of engaging in forbidden gossip. Also discussed are garment discolorations which constitute "clothing tzara'at," and the symptoms and laws of "house tzara'at," indicated by certain stone discolorations. Following is a discussion of various ritual impurities, including the laws of the menstruating woman.
First Aliyah: The Jewish people are instructed regarding the ritual impurity contracted by a woman who gives birth. The timeframe of this period of impurity differs depending whether the child is a boy or girl. At the conclusion of this period, the woman immerses in a mikvah and is required to bring certain offerings in the Temple. Incidentally, the Torah mentions the obligation to circumcise a male child on the eighth day of his life. The Torah then begins discussing the laws of tzara'at, a skin discoloration — often inaccurately translated as "leprosy" — which renders a person ritually impure. This aliyah discusses various forms of white skin discolorations. A person who has the symptoms of tzara'at must be seen by a priest. If the discoloration is deemed "suspicious," the priest will immediately declare the individual impure or quarantine him for up to two weeks. At the conclusion of the quarantine period, the priest either declares the individual pure or impure. The Torah then discusses what is done in the event that the tzara'at spreads after the individual was declared pure, or if there is raw skin within the tzara'at, or if the tzara'at has spread over the entire body. We learn the laws of tzara'at which appears following an inflammation on the skin.
Second Aliyah: We learn the laws of tzara'at which appears following a burn to the skin. We discover that tzara'at can also affect the areas on the body covered by hair. The symptoms and laws of such a tzara'at are quite different than standard tzara'at. This section concludes with the laws of a person afflicted by multiple dull white areas on his skin.
Third Aliyah: This section discusses tzara'at which appears on a bald spot, as well a white discoloration streaked with red, which can appear anywhere on the body. Also discussed is the procedure followed by an individual who is afflicted with tzara'at, the main requirement being that he must remain outside the city until his condition clears up. The Torah then discusses "clothing tzara'at," a green or red discoloration which can affect certain types of materials. The garment is shown to a priest who quarantines it for up to two weeks.
Fourth Aliyah: At the conclusion of the quarantine period, depending on the circumstances the garment is either declared pure, or completely burnt, or only the part which was discolored is torn out and burnt. The Torah then describes the purification procedure for a person who contracted tzara'at. After the priest determines that the tzara'at has been healed, a ceremony involving two birds, a cedar plank, a scarlet thread and water from a live stream, is used for the initial stage of the purification. The individual also shaves his entire body. After a seven day wait, the person shaves again, and brings three animals and an oil offering to the Temple. The priest processes the offerings in the manner prescribed in this section. With this the purification process is completed.
Fifth Aliyah: If the individual suffering from tzara'at cannot afford the above sacrifices, two birds can be substituted for two of the animals. This section describes the slightly different purification process reserved for the impoverished person.
Sixth Aliyah: Homes, too, can be afflicted with tzara'at. If stones on a home become discolored — acquiring a strong red or green pigment — a priest is summoned. If indeed the discoloration seems to be tzara'at, the priest quarantines the home for up to three weeks. Depending on the spread of the discoloration, the home is either declared to be pure, or the specific stones are removed from the house, or, in the most extreme situations, the house is demolished. The Torah then describes the purification process for such a home — which is very similar to the initial stage of the purification of the human afflicted with tzara'at (described in the First Aliyah). After concluding the subject of tzara'at, the Torah discusses the ritual impurity of a man who issues a sickly and unnatural seminal discharge, as well as the method by which this person attains purity when the condition passes.
Seventh Aliyah: This section discusses the ritual impurity contracted by a man who issues a (normal) seminal discharge, the ritual impurity of a menstruating woman, and of a man who cohabits with her. All such people must immerse in a mikvah (ritual pool) in order to be purified. Under certain circumstances a menstruating woman was required to bring to the Temple two bird offerings in order to attain purity.
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D'var Torah:
When We Talk About Birth, We Need To Talk About Death
By Ilana Kurshan
The Torah’s discussion of purity and impurity in parshiot Tazria and Metzora begins, somewhat surprisingly, with the laws governing a woman who has just given birth. Unlike some of the other conditions discussed in these parshiot—such as irregular emissions from the genitals, or the scaly skin disease commonly translated as leprosy—childbirth is a natural process and generally a welcome one. And yet the Torah stipulates that after giving birth, a woman becomes impure. Even following her period of impurity, she must wait several weeks before coming into contact with sacred items or entering the Temple precincts. In the biblical and rabbinic worlds, impurity was associated with death – the highest form of impurity is a dead body. The laws governing purification following childbirth in our parsha remind us that birth and death are intimately connected, and that even today, childbirth is as much about confronting our own mortality as it is about life.
The Talmudic discussion of childbirth reflects an awareness of the dangers inherent in giving birth and the precariousness of new life. The rabbis teach that it is permissible to desecrate Shabbat so as to assist a woman in labor – if the laboring woman demands light, for instance, it is permitted to turn on a light for her on Shabbat even if she is blind and merely wants the light for the sake of those in the room with her (Shabbat 128b). The rabbis were aware that a woman giving birth is in touch with something very primal and elemental – they note that there are three sounds that resonate from one end of the earth to the other, one of which is the howl of a woman in labor (Yoma 20a). (One of the others is the sound of the soul leaving the body, which further serves to underscore the connection between birth and death.) The rabbis also note that a woman must bring a sin offering after giving birth because every woman, in the throes of labor, vows never to have relations with her husband again; since she will inevitably renege on this pledge, she must bring a sacrifice for vowing in vain (Niddah 31b). Childbirth was not just a time of danger and distress for the mother, but for the baby as well – the rabbis state that if a baby dies within thirty days of birth, it is not mourned, because it is considered a “nefel,” a stillbirth (Shabbat 135b). Although several modern halakhic decisors rule otherwise, in Talmudic times, it was only after thirty days had elapsed that a baby was considered fully viable (Niddah 44b).
Of course infant mortality rates are significantly lower in an age of medicalized births and increasingly sophisticated interventions. Yet even in modern times, a woman in labor pushes her body to extreme physical limits, and childbirth remains haunted by the specter of death. Women who are fortunate to have given birth to healthy babies are nonetheless likely to have encountered medical scares along the way. In so many births there is that moment of panic when the umbilical cord wraps around the baby’s neck, the fetal heartbeat plummets, the labor stops progressing. “When we talk about birth, we need to talk about death,” writes Dr. Chavi Eve Karkowsky, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, in her recent book High Risk: A Doctor’s Notes on Pregnancy, Birth and the Unexpected. She describes the extent to which modern obstetric protocols are guided by an attempt to avoid stillbirth—this is the reason, for instance, that a woman who has passed her due date must receive regular fetal heartrate monitoring, and it is the reason that labor is often induced after 41 to 42 weeks of pregnancy. As Karkowsky and her colleagues are all too aware, childbirth remains a time of tremendous vulnerability for infant and mother alike.
“There are three sins for which women die in childbirth,” the Mishnah states in a tractate Shabbat, and then proceeds to enumerate them: “Because they are not careful about the laws of menstrual purity, the laws of separating a portion of challah for the priests, and the lighting of Shabbat candles” (M. Shabbat 2:6). Each of these commandments is specifically associated with women – this is evident from a rabbinic midrash about Hannah, who in pleading with God for a child, insists that she deserves to become pregnant because she has been careful about these three mitzvot (Brachot 31b). The rabbis ask why it is specifically in childbirth when women are punished for these lapses, and respond that “when an ox falls, sharpen the knife” (Shabbat 32a). It is easiest to slaughter an ox that has already been weakened by a fall, and likewise, whatever punishment a person deserves is more likely to befall her when she is already vulnerable. A woman is most vulnerable while giving birth; a man, the Talmud goes on to relate, is most vulnerable while crossing a bridge. “Only a bridge and nothing else?” the rabbis ask, and then respond, “Anything that is like a bridge.”
Childbirth is like a bridge – a woman birthing a child is shepherding a soul across the bridge into this world, and tragically, the soul does not always make it safely. As Karkowsky writes, invoking similar imagery: “On the day of a stillbirth and the subsequent labor and delivery, I feel like a hooded Charon, a guide across the river of death… She [the birthing woman] will never be grateful for this trip; it is still the worst day of her life. But having it only be the worst day of her life is the sole gift that Charon can give.” Karkowsky’s book reinforces the message that in that moment of crossing the bridge into life, we must remember that the journey is always precarious. Or, as the rabbis put it in their discussion of childbirth and bridges, “A person should never stand in a place of danger and count on a miracle – lest a miracle not happen.”
This Mishnah about mothers dying in childbirth appears in tractate Shabbat in the context of the laws of candlelighting, and it is recited between Kabbalat Shabbat and Maariv as part of the traditional Friday night liturgy. This association with Shabbat hints at another aspect of the experience of childbirth. We observe Shabbat so as to imitate God; like the Creator, we engage in productive labor for six days and then rest on the seventh. Perhaps for the rabbis, it stood to reason that if a woman were not careful about emulating the Creator by keeping Shabbat, she would not merit to emulate the Creator by bringing life into the world. According to this understanding, childbirth is not just about crossing the bridge between life and death, but also about bridging the human and the divine by fulfilling our ultimate creative potential.
The ability to birth a child is a great privilege, but also a great risk. At a time when we can no longer undergo the Torah’s purification rituals or bring sacrifices to God, may an awareness of our vulnerability heighten our appreciation for the miracle of birth and the sanctity of all new life.
Haftarah Commentary:
Getting Out of the Gate
Bex Stern Rosenblatt
Our haftarah, 2 Kings 7, tells a story of reversals. Lepers, the outcasts of society, become heroes. The invincible Aramean army disappears overnight. The besieged starving city, Samaria, is overcome by a surplus of food. And just as it becomes clear that the horrors of war are over and all will be well, the aide of the king of Samaria is fittingly trampled to death by his own people.
We can juxtapose the death of the aide and the uplifting of the lepers. The story of the lepers begins with them sitting at the opening of the city gate, as the city starves. They turn to each other and say, ‘What are we doing? Sitting here until we die?’ They conclude that their current situation can’t get any worse, so they may as well turn themselves over to the Arameans, who do have food, with the hope that the Arameans will be kind to them. And if the Arameans kill them, well, they would have been dead from starvation anyway. This is an interesting decision. On the one hand, these lepers seem to be deserters, abandoning their people to cast their lot with the invaders. On the other hand, the lepers show remarkable courage and initiative. They are willing to change their mindsets totally when the situation calls for it. They are resilient and adaptable.
Meanwhile, back in the city, Elisha the prophet has made it known that the next day food will become abundant in the city. This seems totally unbelievable - the city is experiencing devastating famine. The aide to the king responds to Elisha mockingly, disbelieving that such a thing could be possible. This too is an interesting decision. Elisha’s words do seem unbelievable. From the current state of the city, there seems to be no way to achieve abundance of food within a day. They are being besieged by a more powerful army and have no hope of victory. Based on all available evidence before Elisha’s proclamation, no one would think that the situation would change. And yet, a prophet has made this proclamation. The aide remains stuck in his old way of thinking, unable to take in this new piece of information. He cannot fathom that change might be possible. He does not even bother asking Elisha for more details, instead rejecting evidence which does not conform to his existing worldview.
The lepers go on to discover the Aramean camp abandoned. After each of them has eaten and drunk and amassed a fortune, they decide to go back to the city which viewed them as outcasts in order to let their people know that salvation had come. They take care of themselves and then turn to take care of the city they once abandoned.
When the truth of their words is confirmed, the people go running out of the city to plunder the abandoned Aramean camp. And as they rush out of the gate, they trample the aide to death. The very place where the lepers had once sat contemplating their own deaths if they did not make a change becomes the place of death for the aide who could not open his mind to change. Elisha had foretold the death of the aide, saying to him, ‘Behold, your eyes will see [the food,] but from it you will not eat.’ As the world reopens, may we also let our minds be open to growth and change, that we may partake fully in the new world we create.
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Saturday Night
April 17, 2021
8:30 PM
PLEASE NOTE
TIME OF 8:30 pm.
SHABBAT IS NOW BEGINNING TO GET LATER EACH WEEK. WATCH FOR UPDATED TIMES.
"LIVE ...
FROM NEW YORK...
IT'S SATURDAY NIGHT"
CSFA HAVDALAH WITH
SAM SWARTZ AND
SARAH KING.
That is right... CSFA is proud to present Havdalah with Sarah and Sam.
Say "Good bye to Shabbat with your CSFA friends.
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Tuesday,April 20, 2021
12:00 noon
The Conservative Synagogue of
Fifth Avenue
is proud to announce
an online class
taught by
RABBI SAMUEL ROSENBERG
PIRKEI AVOT
"THE ETHICS OF OUR FATHERS"
Tractate Avot in the Mishnah (Pirkei Avot), is different from all the other Tractates of the Mishnah. The Tractate is a collection of sages' sayings on matters of morality and worship. We will read the tractate in order, and while studying we will try to understand the world of the sages and their Philosophy.
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This class will meet on
TUESDAYS at 12:00 noon
Tuesday,
April 20, 2021
The Zoom Link Follows:
or
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4 Tuesday Nights
Starting Tuesday, April 20
If you are interested in registering for this class, please mention that you are a CSFA member when you register to receive the discounted "partner" rate.
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Wednesday, April 21, 2021
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
RABBINIC STORIES
OF THE TALMUD
with
Rabbi Daniel Shibley
A General introduction:
This series of classes will be devoted to Rabbinic stories of the Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmud. We will gain exposure to Talmudic story telling by learning the stories together, extract themes, lessons, and discuss their implications. Previous experience with Talmud is not necessary, each session will be an independent unit.
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Abaye vs. Rava
Round Two
We will continue our exploration of Talmudic stories and rabbis with Abaye and Rava. Like Rav and Shmuel, Abaye and Rava challenged each other in legal debates throughout their careers in Babylonia.
Rava triumphs over Abaye in all but six cases. Despite the apparently lopsided legal scorecard, the inclusion of both opinions in the Talmud remains part of a dynamic halakhic practice that informs rabbinic courts today.
In honor of Yom HaZikaron our session will also include some reflections on three dear friends from the IDF who gave their lives defending the State of Israel.
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"Virtual Zoom Class on
WEDNESDAY,
APRIL 21, 2021
NEW TIME: 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
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Rabbi Daniel Shibley is originally from Washington, DC. He holds a B.A. in Sociology from Clark University, and an M.A. in Security and Diplomacy Studies from Tel Aviv University. Daniel has learned at Yeshivat Hadar, Pardes, and Yeshivat Har Etzion. He made aliyah to Jerusalem in 2012 and completed military service in a combat unit. Rabbi Shibley received rabbinic ordination from Rabbi Daniel Landes in 2016 and was a member of the faculty at Pardes in Jerusalem until August, 2019. Daniel is now adjunct faculty at Pardes, a Hebrew tutor, and is pursuing a master's degree in international relations at New York University. Daniel enjoys cooking, gardening, and long distance running. |
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Wednesday, April 21th, 2021
8:00 PM
Here is information about an online series connecting you to the people, food, and culture of Israel over
16 Wednesday evenings. Click on the links below.
The Series Continues...
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Thursday, April 22, 2021
12:00 noon
PARSHA HASHAVUA
WITH
RABBI SAMUEL ROSENBERG
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This Week's Parsha is
ACHAREI MOT/
KEDOSHIM
Thursday, April 22, 2021
12:00 noon
Please Join Us!
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Thursday, April 22, 2021
7:30 pm
The Conservative Synagogue of Fifth Avenue
welcomes you to
MOVIE CLUB DISCUSSION
OF A FILM
YOU WATCH AT HOME.
The way it works is you watch a movie at home between today and the time the Movie Club meets, and then we get together to talk about the film.
It is kind of like a Book Club for Movie Buffs.
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Our next film,
which is available on
amazon prime
and other streaming services
including VUDU and AppleTV
is
"SHIVA BABY"
The TIMES OF ISRAEL says,
"The next great ‘Jewish movie’ was just made by a 24-year-old female director.
Danielle (the main character) humorously figures out how to navigate her own identity without causing a rift with the wider community in relatable ‘Shiva Baby’ by newbie Emma Seligman"
Stuck in post-grad ennui, Danielle is fine living off of her sugar daddy Max and lying to family about her revenue source. But her worlds clash at a shiva with her parents, where she faces the wrath of her ex Maya, and the arrival of Max and his wife. When tense conversations threaten to expose her secrets, Danielle must escape before the passive aggression in the house becomes all too aggressive.
We will meet to discuss the movie on
THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021
7:30 PM
AT THE FOLLOWING ZOOM LINK:
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CSFA MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
If you have received your dues invoice, please respond as quickly as you are able. If you did not receive an invoice, please contact the synagogue office. Your demonstration of support of CSFA by paying your membership dues is critical at this time.
If you prefer to pay online, you can use the following links:
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MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR
TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 2021
FOR THE
CSFA ANNUAL JOURNAL AND GALA
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TO VIEW A LETTER FROM CSFA PRESIDENT, BETH FARBER AND FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THIS YEAR'S JOURNAL AND GALA
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