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January 17, 2003/Shevat 14 5763, Vol. 55, No. 21
Rediscover the joy of Sabbath worship
Torah study
RABBI KAREN BENDER
B'shalach/Exodus 13:17-17:16
Focal point
"Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her in dance with timbrels. And Miriam chanted for them, 'Sing to Adonai.' " (Exodus 15:20-21)
D'var Torah
Years ago, Julius Lester, a black Jew-by-choice, was asked why more blacks aren't converting to Judaism. He responded that it is due to that fact that most Jews lack a sense of joy in their Judaism.
After crossing the Red Sea from the darkness of Egypt, our ancestors had every reason to weep. But instead they sang and danced.
Many Jews today are searching for greater meaning, relevance, and accessibility in their worship. We have clergy blaming lay apathy, and lay people blaming clergy dullness.
And who is the victim? Shabbat: She is burdened with bearing all of our community's needs. If you want to mourn, heal, learn or participate, you go to Shabbat services.
In the old days, healing and participation took place during the Torah service on Saturday. Today, the bar mitzvah has swallowed Saturday morning worship. In the old days, during the initial seven days of mourning, you prayed at home, and you attended daily worship at synagogue when a loved one's yahrzeit fell, usually on a weekday. In the old days, there were other days to go than Shabbat to study Torah.
Today, in most Reform synagogues, all of these needs are supposed to be met on Friday night.
In addition, while some people prefer their Shabbat services to provide an individual experience of serenity, calm, and meditation, the primary value that Shabbat services present is the opportunity to worship and celebrate as a community.
My dream for our synagogues is that they generate more joy and celebration. If we all go to synagogue on a Friday night prepared to celebrate and rejoice, then we may someday match our black cousins by worshiping with energy and perhaps even with ecstasy.
By the way
In regard to the men, it states, "They believed in God and in Moses, God's servant." They believed that Moses was the only one capable of performing miracles and without him, God would not save them. That was why, when Moses went up to Sinai, they wanted an image upon which God's divine presence would dwell. But the women believed in Miriam, too, even though she had not performed any miracles. That is why they did not follow after the golden calf. They believed that if Moses had disappeared, there would be other prophets upon whom God's divine presence would rest. (Hatam Sofer in "Torah Gems," Volume 2, by Aharon Yaakov Greenberg)
Your guide
- What does believing in a leader mean, and how does the relationship between a worshiper and a spiritual leader impact the prayer experience?
- How would Moses' song and Miriam's song and dance have differed had the Israelites remained in Egypt?
- What is the best way to approach prayer, and what do you consider to be the best balance between celebration and reflection, ecstasy and meditation?
Rabbi Karen Bender serves as associate rabbi of Temple Judea, Tarzana and West Hills, Calif.
Torat Hayim, produced by the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, is on the Internet at www.uahc.org/growth.
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