Texas Jewish Post (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 72, No. 8, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 22, 2018 Page: 20 of 24
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TEXAS JEWISH POST $ SINCE 1947
Jews are the Chosen
because we chose the' I on ih
Shooting may
have claimed
Thank you, Seth K.
future Esthers
F’
that of “light unto the
.4
Laura Seymour is director ofcamping aervices
at the Aaron FamilyJewish Community
Center of Dallas.
IN MY
MIND’S I
Dear Rabbi Fried,
Why are the Jewish people called the Chosen Peo-
ple, and not the Chinese, Hispanics or Christians, for
that matter?
By Laura
Seymour
ASK THE
RABBI
By Rabbi
Yerachmiel
D. Fried
SHALOM
FROM THE
SHABBAT LADY
20 I February 22,2018
Columnists, opinion from the TJP _____
1
able for what they considered
their role in the world. The Jews
accepted it unconditionally, out
of the love and trust in God that
was handed down by the patri-
archs and matriarchs, and there-
by became the Chosen People,
entrusted with instructing the
world in God’s design and pur-
pose to creation and life.
This Chosenness comes with
many obligations, together with
its “perks” of special endear-
ment and closeness to God, by
fulfilling the charge we have
been entrusted and empowered to fulfill. It is a con-
cept that has, sadly, been largely lost to today’s gen-
eration of Jews. The loss of this awareness is probably
the single greatest cause for the widespread assimi-
lation we are witnessing today. The key antidote for
assimilation is a deeply felt Jewish pride in what we
are and what we represent. Only with the notion of
Chosenness can we truly perpetuate that pride and
the dedication that goes with it to ensure marrying
Jewish and remaining involved in the Jewish com-
munity. Without Chosenness, we are, with the na-
tions, all essentially the same in our purpose in this
world. Hence, sadly, many feel there’s no reason to
remain Jewish.
The morning Torah blessing teaches that through
study of Torah we retain that connectedness and
Chosenness — and hence — Jewish continuity.
Rabbi Yerachmiel Fried is the dean of Dallas Area Torah Association
(DATA).
ized. Never to be mended holes in the
hearts of their loving families.
But we should consider this, espe-
cially at Purim this year: There have
been other Es-
thers in our Jew-
ish history, other
women who
may not have
saved an entire
people, but who
have contribut-
ed to the better-
ment of many,
in many ways,
in many Helds
of
First, it was Columbine in 1999.
Thirteen dead. Thirteen years later,
26 dead at Sandy Hook. Last week,
Parkland, Florida: 17 dead. In the in-
terim between first and most recent
(I’m afraid to say “last”), there have
been 25 school shootings in our be-
loved country.
My Boubby the Philosopher
would have said “There’s something
wrong when children die before their
parents.” She knew that from person-
al experience. I hum under my breath
that old refrain of Peter, Paul and
Mary: “When will they ever learn?”
The “they” is us...
Last Saturday’s Dallas Morning
News proved without having to say
so that at least two of the most recent
victims were Jews. We know because
their funerals were reported on the
front page: Alyssa Alhadeff, age 14,
at Star of David Chapel; Meadow
Pollack, 18, at Temple Koi Tikvah.
We know because they were buried
first, because we Jews do not wait to
inter our dead. Who can imagine the
unfulfilled plans, the future dreams
their loving parents buried with
them?
We are readying for Purim, eager
for our annual romp, a time of cos-
tumes and groggers, of honoring Es-
ther, that most reluctant of heroines,
the queen who saved her people. Our
people. How can the families of those
two martyrs make merry? They will
be welcomed as mourners into their
separate congregations tomorrow
evening; they will Join in the welcome
of the Sabbath Queen. Maybe they
will be thinking, as I am now, that
their daughters might have grown
up to be queens themselves. Perhaps
they too might have been brought to
high estate at some time in their fu-
ture lives, as Mordecai reminded his
niece that she had been, for some-
thing great, something important,
something of benefit to many people.
About these two, we will never
know. When children die before
their parents, their futures are forever
unknown; left are only tears, and
“why’s” and “what if’s” — all those
great questions for which there are
no answers here on earth. Potentials
unexplored. Achievements unreal-
Dear Families,
The internet is wonderful for
wondering Jews — so much in-
formation. I try to read as much as
possible and, as I say to my adult
students, find what works for you.
To integrate Jewish practice into
our lives, it must make sense on
many levels. Just this week I read a
blog by Laura Duhan Kaplan. She
titled the piece “Pray Before You
Post” and wrote about comments
from people about her pieces.
First, she reminds us not to
blame social media telling of ugly
comments she received after writ-
ing letters to the editor. Her com-
ment is important for us — “It’s
the people, not the medium.”
When Kaplan responds politely,
kindly or generously, her friends
said: “I wish you would be less
like the peacemaking Aaron and
more like the angry Moses.”
Words hurt — we have the
C h o f e t z
Chaim to
teach us the
many rules of
lashon hara,
evil speech.
We say that
gossip is a
part of life,
but does that
mean it is
OK to talk
about oth-
ers and share
secrets? We could spend months,
even years, studying the Chofetz
Chaim, and yet does it help us
control our words?
Judaism is about action and
words, but not about thoughts.
Unfortunately often our thoughts
come out of our mouths before
we have thought it through, and
now our fingers text, email and
more without pondering a bit
Dear Seth,
Before we ponder why we are called the Cho-
sen People, let us first consider what it means to be
“Chosen.” Chosen for what? What does Chosen en-
title us to?
One of the morning blessings in the Siddur prayer
book recited daily says, “Blessed are You, God, King
of the universe, Who has chosen us from among the
nations and given us His Torah, blessed are You, G d
Who gives us His Torah.”
This blessing is predicated upon the concept that
we are, indeed, Chosen. It also defines that Chosen-
ness: We were chosen to be the recipients of God’s
Torah. As recipients and custodians of God’s Torah
we were given a mission
nations” (Isaiah 49:6).
The word “Torah” comes from the root orah,
which means light or illumination. Carrying the
message of Torah to the world illuminates the entire
world with the will of God. The Jews have done Just
that throughout the generations by introducing to
mankind the concepts of monotheism, the precepts
of the Torah as they apply to the world at large (and,
of course, bagels, lox and guilt).
The Talmud explains that the Torah was first of-
fered to the other nations of the world, to give them
a chance to be the receivers, before finally offering
it to the Jewish nation. One by one, they turned it
down after asking what it says and finding it unsuit-
Think about your words
before hitting ‘send’ button
more.
Kaplan says that ever day she
reflects on the personal prayer
of fourth century Jewish spiri-
tual leader Mar bar Ravina. His
prayer is in the traditional siddur,
at the end of the Amidah’s daily
silent reflection:
“My G-d, stop my tongue from
gossip and my lips from haughty
speech. When others curse me,
quiet my reactions; help my be-
ing be as porous as dust.”
There is a blessing for every-
thing in Judaism — the most
important thing is not to remem-
ber the “right” blessing but to
remember to bless. So imagine
what the world would be if each
person said this prayer Just before
hitting “send”?
By Harriet
P. Gross of endeavor;
right here in our country, called on in
their varied, different lives, they have
done so, and they are still doing so.
This is something we might all think
about as we boo the villain Haman
and cheer our heroine Esther.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg is an Esther.
Natalie Portman is an Esther. Aly Ra-
isman is an Esther. And Gabby Gif-
fords is an Esther. Just a few of the
Jewish women in our own time and
place who have stepped forward —
albeit often reluctantly — to stand
proudly as forces for real good. Gins-
burg, the living symbol of law in the
highest court of our land. Portman,
portraying the iconic Jackie Kennedy
on the big screen and in the process
becoming an icon of sorts herself.
Raisman, speaking out on behalf
of many abused after years of pain-
ful silence — the speaking out in its
way even more painful than the si-
lence. And Giffords, who by all rights
should have died from the shot to her
head, but has lived on to fight for that
most elusive of needs in our time and
place: gun control. Who can say that
she was not raised to her own gov-
ernmental high estate Just for this?
My Boubby the Philosopher was
from an older time; she would have
read her paper, first cheered that
the shooter didn’t have a distinc-
tively Jewish name, then turned to
the sacred business of mourning
the dead. Her Jewish dead, and all
the others. And now, we must do
the same, for all the others, but
especially for our lost potential
Esthers.
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Wisch-Ray, Sharon. Texas Jewish Post (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 72, No. 8, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 22, 2018, newspaper, February 22, 2018; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1305629/m1/20/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; .