A Judeo-Spanish proverb advises: Va ande te llaman y no ande te queren. Go where you are invited, not where you are (or think you are) wanted. Wait for a formal invitation; do not assume that you are welcome unless you are invited. If one shows up without having been invited, this creates an unpleasant social situation that is embarrassing to host and guest alike.

This proverb reflects a sense of propriety and respectfulness. A person should not impose him/herself on others. Likewise, a person who wants someone present should take the trouble to actually invite him/her. Just as one should not assume he/she is invited, so the host should not assume that the person will attend without an invitation.

This week’s Torah portion offers a detailed description of the travels of the Israelites during their forty year sojourn in the wilderness. It lists the name of each stop on their route from Egypt on their way to the Promised Land.

Here are a few recent news items: (Please have your aspirins ready!)

A former Prime Minister of Israel was sentenced to a prison term for illegal business dealings.

An Israeli man was arrested for trying to export jet parts to Iran.

An Orthodox head of a Jewish charity agency in New York was arrested and pleaded guilty to embezzling millions of dollars.

An Orthodox rabbi and three accomplices, who were ostensibly raising funds for a school for disadvantaged children in Brooklyn, were arrested for embezzling millions of dollars.

All of these people are well educated. They all know right from wrong. They all know that their deeds were illegal and immoral. Yet, they went right ahead and committed crimes.

Why?

A story is told about a famous musician who was to perform a violin concert. The orchestra began the program, but just as the musician put his bow to the violin one of the four strings snapped with a loud pop. The audience gasped. The conductor stopped the orchestra.

The violinist immediately signaled the conductor and orchestra to continue with the program. He played the entire concert with a violin of three strings…and he played masterfully. He was able to improvise and compensate so that the missing string was not noticed. At the conclusion of the performance, the audience gave an enthusiastic standing ovation. Everyone was amazed.

The Torah indicates that the Holy Ark of the Mishkan was covered by Keruvim, angelic figures. “And the Keruvim spread out their wings on high, screening the ark-cover with their wings, with their faces one to another; toward the ark-cover were the faces of the keruvim” (Shemot 37:9).

In describing Solomon’s Temple (Chronicles II 3:13) the Bible reports that the countenances of the Keruvim “faced the house” i.e. the Temple. This seems to indicate that the Keruvim’s faces were not looking at each other.

Ruth Calderon, a new member of the Israel Knesset, has a Sephardic father and an Ashkenazic mother. She was raised outside the Orthodox religious establishment in Israel, but has earned a doctorate in Talmudic literature from the Hebrew University. She works to bridge gaps among all segments of Israeli society.

In her inaugural speech in the Knesset, she made an impassioned plea for all Jews to draw on the wisdom of Torah. The Torah heritage does not belong to one segment of the Jewish population, but to all Jews.

Shalom uvrakha. I hope the academic year is going well for you.

Here are a few items of interest to members of the University Network of the Institute for Jewish Ideas and Ideals.

CAMPUS FELLOWS PROGRAM

The Institute sponsors Campus Fellows on campuses throughout the United States and Canada. Campus Fellows receive a modest stipend to arrange several programs per semester. The goal is to create an environment for serious study, open and honest discussion in the spirit of an intellectually vibrant, compassionate and inclusive Orthodox Judaism.

LET US ALL OFFER SPECIAL PRAYERS FOR THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL AT THIS VERY DANGEROUS TIME. MAY THE ALMIGHTY GRANT SAFETY, SECURITY AND STRENGTH TO THE STATE OF ISRAEL AND ALL ITS INHABITANTS. MAY THE ALMIGHTY GRANT ISRAEL A GENUINE PEACE, AND MAY HE BLESS ALL GOOD PEOPLE EVERYWHERE WHO STRIVE FOR PEACE AND UNDERSTANDING AMONG HUMANITY.

Thoughts for Rosh Hashana 5774

A story is told about Rabbi Yitzhak Elhanan of Kovno, one of the great rabbinic sages of the 19th century. He was held in high regard among the Jews of Lithuania; even the “enlightened” Jews thought him to be progressive and broad-minded.

On one of his travels, his train stopped briefly at Vilna. Hundreds of Jews came to the train to see the famous rabbi. A certain maskil (“enlightened” Jew) decided to enter the train in order to meet the rabbi in person. He found Rabbi Yitzhak Elhanan wrapped in talit and tefillin, reciting his prayers. The rabbi had a long beard and was dressed in the “old fashioned” garb of religious traditionalists of those days.

The Torah devotes many verses to describing the building and dedication of the Mishkan, the Israelite’s sanctuary during their 40 years in the wilderness. The Mishkan and its service served as the prototype for the later Temples built in Jerusalem in ancient Israel.

The emphasis on the Mishkan underscores an important aspect of religious life. While God cannot be limited to a particular space, yet, human beings can set aside a place and recognize it to be sacred, a point of connection between humans and the Almighty. Human understanding cannot confront the vastness of God without being overcome with overwhelming fear and trembling. But a sacred space, being limited and comprehensible, enables us to feel a sense of personal connection with God.