Adult Learning

Adult B'not Mitzvah Class 2010 - Writings
June 5, 2010 23 Sivan, 5770

Adult B’not Mitzvah Liturgical Commentaries
Mishkan T’filah—A Reform Siddur  

Ronny Sydney—Yotzeir Or, page 110
All of us experience both light and darkness in our lives. The light represents our good times, our successes, and our hopes and dreams. The darkness represents our difficulties, our struggles, our losses and times of despair. It is these times of struggle and despair that really matter. There is so much more to learn from our losses than from our successes. If you really want to know a person, look at how they handle the difficult times in their lives. Do they pick themselves up and move on with life or do they dwell in their troubles and become bitter? Angry? Or just give up on life? More importantly, how do we behave when someone we know is going through a difficult time? Struggling to find their way? Is there something that we can do to help? Too often, there is not something specific that can be done. Sometimes, we cannot make it all better. At these times it is important just to stand beside the person and to be there with them. Doing nothing, because you are not sure what to do, is unacceptable.
It is so important that we have the courage to stand up for what we believe in, that we stand up for and beside our family and friends in their times of need. I wish for all of us, the courage to stand up and be counted, especially during the dark times.

Hilda Lopez—Ahavah Rabah, page 112
This prayer allows me to integrate my Latina and Jewish sides. My mom and dad valued education immensely. My dad used to say, “el papel aguanta todo lo que le ponen,” which means “the paper will hold all the words that one writes on it.” In the Latin tradition, this statement was used to remind us that words are cheap, that one must put one’s words into action in our everyday lives. One must give something back to our community, not just the Latin community, but the community of mankind by helping to repair the world in some small fashion by the way we live, the profession we select and how lovingly we treat others, not just those we love. My dad, who was not a very religious man, would be surprised to know that his wisdom was teaching my brother and me Torah. My dad’s words were a lesson on righteous living. As I matured, I came to realize that Dad’s teaching exemplified his love for me, in the same fashion that God showed his love for us by giving us the Torah.

Cassandra Warshowsky—Emet v’Yatziv, page 120

“This eternal teaching is true and enduring” and goes back a thousand years, but to me it is just as powerful today, and just as necessary. The world has always known hatred, war, destruction of families, rejection of the lost or alien, and these all continue today. But then and now, some people hearken to this lesson and observe its commands. There have always been people who have worked to stop war, to join families, and to treat outsiders as equals.
I was very close to my grandparents, whose lives in Eastern Europe were so different from what they faced after landing here. Times were tough and they were clearly outsiders, strangers. Listening to their experiences, I always felt a part of their lives including some of the dissonance that all strangers feel. But people lent a hand and helped my grandparents, reaching out to them as this blessing teaches us. It enriched their lives, as well as the lives of my parents’ and me, my husband and son.
We all need to hear this again and again as it is certainly “true and enduring.”
Diane Rosen—Kedushah, page 130
In the Kedushah, a central blessing of the Amidah, or Shemoneh Esrei, we are told that God is our creator, and God’s presence shines forth from where God dwells and is thus revealed in the sight of all living. God is the source of our strength and reigns over us from generation to generation. In our own congregation, we are able to feel the strength in our community, and our communal prayers, as we recite the same prayers and blessings today, as we know our ancestors did before us.
When I was a child in my junior congregation, I loved the Shemoneh Esrei for two reasons. In my school, girls were taught to read and lead the service, and it was a big honor to be chosen as leader. I led the service on several occasions during my years there. Adding the beautiful, flowing music made it feel extremely holy to me, and still does.
The second reason I loved the Shemoneh Esrei is that I had a childhood nickname completely made up by my parents. The name was “Schmunny”, so in our family, we called that part of the service, the Schmunny Esrei. Reciting this blessing today gives continuity to my childhood, and family, and accentuates, for me, the holiness and importance of L’dor V’dor, from generation to generation.

R. K. Shelley Schwartz—Modim Anachnu Lach, page 138

This blessing expresses my deep feeling of appreciation of the Eternal, who has led, taught, strengthened and protected me throughout my life of nearly seventy-five years, as G-d has guided all of our generations from Abraham until the present day!
I praise G-d through all that I do, through every step that I take, because I KNOW and understand that my life and my soul have been (and are) in G-d’s precious care. I have personally experienced G-d’s miracles, His great mercy, kindness and tremendous compassion in all that I have done, through the pain and suffering, through the joy and celebrations, throughout my growth and development thus far. G-d has my complete and total faith, trust and love, and is my hope!
To my Brothers and Sisters, all of you who are here sharing this blessed occasion of Bat Mitzvah with us, for these six women who prize their Judaism, and for G-d’s guidance and direction as we move through the life which G-d has given to us: we offer our deepest thanks.

Donna Rubenoff—T’filat HaLev, page 142

T’filat HaLev, the prayer of the heart, connects me to my inner voice. The voice is my conscience. The voice tells me to live my life open to all possibilities and see the beauty in everyone so that I may live a life of peace. My conscience helps me to be fully aware of how I act and feel, and to speak to people in a genuine, compassionate way no matter how others might speak to me or feel about me.
I strive to be present in life’s wonderful moments and grateful for all that I have, knowing all of life is precious. When faced with a challenging situation, my faith in God helps me to change what I can and surrender to what I need to accept. In my daily mediation practice I try to quiet my mind and focus. In that focused awareness I feel a connection to myself, others, life and God. In this state, I can deeply look at and work on healing a
negative emotion that does not help me live a happy life. I also focus on imagining myself the way I desire to be. I do not want to judge myself or others, or get attached to feelings of good or bad. Drawing close to God in meditation helps me hear the voice of my conscience that guides my life.


Adult B’not Mitzvah Divrei Torah
Parashat Sh’lach L’cha (Numbers 13-16)

Hilda Lopez

When I read the portion for our Bat Mitzvah, at first I was disappointed by it. I did not care for the word “spies” or “scouts” nor was I very excited by God’s decision to punish two generations. The section I was especially attracted to was at the very end of the portion: the reference to the tallit.
After wandering in the desert, the Israelites are commanded to scout the land about which they and their ancestors had heard and dreamt. Each scout is charged with the responsibility of reporting back to Moses. They all see the same landscape, the same towns and cities, and the same people. Yet when they return to the Israelites, each reports the unique reality that each has seen. This portion gives us the opportunity to consider the many factors that influence our perceptions and experience. Sometimes we see exactly the same thing, but the ways we make sense of the same data depend on who we are, what we are, where we have been, and where we believe we are going. Our experiences, emotions and expectations affect the way in which our minds process information and the way we see something. For example: Is the glass half full or half empty?
According to Rabbi Akiva Eger, when Moses tells the spies to inspect and reconnoiter, he directs them to look at the land in terms of future generations and eternity. According to the commentary, Moses fears that they will look at the land with an eye only to themselves and their own generation’s immediate well-being. Moses advises the spies to utilize a wide-angle lens, so that they can capture a broader view and long-term perspective. Only two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb, return with an encouraging report and this long term perspective and broader view. The other ten focus on the details that represent immediate challenges and return with dire and fear-inducing reports. Joshua and Caleb never lose their faith. They were not disillusioned like the others. As leaders, the two of them are guided by faith and not fear; they are men who are able to maintain a vision.
Growing up very poor in Spanish Harlem, along with challenges I have encountered in my personal and professional life, has given me the opportunity throughout my life to decide how I react to obstacles, how I face challenges, and how to remain optimistic in the face of adversity. A way to keep my faith and do the best I can under the circumstances.
As some of you know, I am a lawyer by profession. In one of my cases recently, I did everything I could but I was initially unable to help the client resolve the case positively. When my client and I were speaking, she asked me what else we could do. I told my client what my mom used to say: “when all else fails, pray and keep the faith.” My client spoke to her family and friends. They started a chain of 200 people who prayed for my client and me for strength to continue the struggle. Within three weeks, the case was resolved favorably. Was it a coincidence or actual divine intervention? I do not know, but I do know that when she told me that 200 people were praying for strength and justice for the two of us, that I got goose bumps. I was touched emotionally. In addition, that my client actually listened to my suggestion to pray, even though after I made the statement I wondered if it was an appropriate professional response to her question, gave me eternal hope in continuing to work with families in crisis. My client and I found the courage to remain hopeful in the face of adversity in a case which seemed impossible. Likewise, I admire Joshua and Caleb’s attitude, faith, and courage, their optimism in the face of pessimism, their faith in the face of despair, and their willingness to go against the majority. The Torah uses the expression ruach acheret, a different spirit, to describe the quality that set them apart. That expression is very important to me since it exemplifies the spirit we should all strive for in our every day lives.

Donna Rubenoff

In Parashat Sh’lach L’cha, the Israelites stand before the Promised Land, ready to start a new life. However, God has plans to test the whole Israelite community to see if they are worthy of the promise. He tells Moses to send scouts, a representative from each of the twelve tribes, to survey the land and bring back pertinent information concerning its limitations and potential. So the scouts set out to look at the land carefully and critically
based on the parameters Moses has given them. When they return, they report their findings to Moses, Aaron, and the Israelite people. Ten out of the twelve scouts are afraid of what they saw, while two of the scouts, Joshua and Caleb see only possibilities. The ten men who are fearful defend their fear by exaggerating the danger to the people. At this point, Moses and Aaron are beside themselves and distraught with how the people are behaving. Joshua and Caleb plead with the Israelites to listen to their positive opinion of the land and its inhabitants; they say with faith in God there is nothing to fear. However, it is too late for the people to regain themselves for they are overcome by the force of their fear. God appears and threatens to bring great harm and suffering to the people for their lack of faith. Moses, being a great leader, is able to move beyond his frustration and look upon the Israelites with compassion. So he pleads with God to forgive the people of their wrongdoings. But God decrees that the people who did not have faith will die in the wilderness and never see the Promised Land.
In the portion Sh’lach L’cha, I can’t help wondering, “What if?” What if Joshua and Caleb were able to say to the Israelites, “Don’t you see that the fear you feel after hearing the reports is the way you always react to stress?” What if Joshua and Caleb were successful in banding together a group of people who would have stood up to the fearful scouts? Would the Israelites’ lives have been spared?
A Midrash entitled “The Silent Ones Died Also” says, “All the Israelites over twenty years of age were condemned to die in the desert, even those who silently disagreed with the majority and favored Joshua and Caleb.” The Midrash goes on to ask, “Why?” It answers, “Because they did not speak up.”
It is important to have the courage to stand up for what you believe even when others might not agree with you. Joshua and Caleb had the courage to stand up for what they believed.
I am reminded of the film, “12 Angry Men.” The film tells the story of a jury made up of twelve men who deliberate, on the basis of reasonable doubt, the guilt or innocence of a teenage boy accused of murder. An initial vote is taken and eleven of the jurors vote “guilty.” There is one juror, the lone dissenter, played by Henry Fonda, who is able to convince the other jurors that the boy deserves a fair deliberation and that the evidence presented is circumstantial. He begins to question the reliability of the only two witnesses and the testimony of how unique the knife was that was used in the murder. As the lone juror defends his position one other juror reverses his initial vote and feels that further discussion is warranted. One by one, the jurors build consensus and the final vote is unanimous for acquittal. The lone juror was able to persuade the others to see past their personal prejudices, biases and fears. The lone juror had the courage to stand up for what he believed to be right, just like Joshua and Caleb. It is also a wonderful example of someone who was able to take control of a stressful situation by problem-solving, and by staying focused, receptive and positive.
Two years ago, I was faced with a stressful family situation that would test my courage to stand up for myself and empower me to change the way I reacted to stress. The situation overwhelmed me and began to impact my health. I felt like my body was breaking down. I did not know how to pull myself out from under, even though I wanted to. I held deepseated distortions and fears and over the course of my life I had been conditioned to react to stress in the same way. It’s not how I wanted to be, but I felt powerless to change the force that always moved me to inner turmoil and pain. Just like the Israelites, I felt powerless against that force that seemed bigger and mightier then me.
At the time of this personal situation, I had been walking for exercise and although it made me feel good it wasn’t enough to buffer my negative thoughts. One day, guided by an inner voice, I decided to walk and run during my three-mile workout. Over the course of the summer I slowly grew stronger. A big first for me was when I was able to run up Saint Paul Street from Beacon Street. As the summer neared its end, I was running the entire three miles. While running I felt energized and empowered; I was able to feel positive about myself and the circumstances of my life.
I continued to search for ways to stand up to my fears and reduce my stress. I wanted to be able to heal the fears that led me to suffer. I found meditation and have since found the peace and quiet of a daily practice. I am learning to do my best and trust the outcome, believing that everything will be okay. I have learned the benefits of being in the present moment and of looking towards the future positively.
Through it all, I never lost my faith in myself during times of extreme doubt. I had the courage to stand up to my fears and focus on healing myself. I began to experience a shift in my thinking and became wiser, calmer and more balanced. Tomorrow I will be running in my first 5K run for AIDS Walk Boston. I had the courage to stand up to my deeply conditioned beliefs that did not serve me.
The lesson offered by the Torah in Sh’lach L’cha is that our life depends on standing up to our fears and cultivating positive attitudes. For only then will we be able to meet our life challenges with resilience. The Israelites lost their way and their faith. Each person was overcome by the fear that they were powerless against those who awaited them in the Promised Land. They let their fear keep them out of the Promised Land. What if Joshua and Caleb were able to convince the Israelites to maintain their faith in God despite their fears? Then their faith in a positive outcome would have brought them into the Promised Land. During my personal struggle, I lost my way and was overcome by pervasive fears. I was able to reclaim my life by taking direct action to restructure the way I deal with difficulties. Ultimately, it is up to each one of us to look within ourselves, overcome our deep-rooted fears, and heal our suffering. If we do, then the world will be a Promised Land.

Diane Rosen

In our Torah portion, Sh’lach L’cha, we have already seen that the Israelites have been whining about leaving Egypt, and they talk about heading back from whence they came. They are very worried about any real or perceived obstacles that may lie ahead. They fear they will be killed in the new land, and wish they had already died in Egypt. Even though God has shown multiple signs of presence and support, it is not enough to convince the majority of the people.
In the verses (11-14) that I am chanting, God complains to Moses that the Israelites have spurned God, that they have no faith in God despite all the signs that God has performed in their midst. God then threatens to strike them with pestilence and disown them. God would then make an even larger nation all descending from Moses.
But Moses tells God that if the Egyptians hear that God has broken all vows with the Israelites, the Egyptians will tell it to the inhabitants of their land and the new land. Moses reminds God that the Egyptians have heard that God appears in plain sight when God goes before the Israelites in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. These images are interpreted by many sources as signs of God protecting the Israelites by shielding them from the sun by day, and lighting up their path by night. If God kills the Israelites, the other nations will think God was not powerful enough to lead them to the new land, or to keep God’s promise.
In these few lines we can see so many parallels to our current lives. As the Israelites reject the new land, they also reject their relationship with God. They show a complete lack of trust in God. How many times do our own children denounce what their parents want and hope for them? Often they choose rebellious life-styles for themselves, sometimes severing all familial ties. Not only do they not trust us to know what is best for them, they do not credit us with any knowledge or experience.
As God complains to Moses, we parents often complain about our ungrateful child, “after all we’ve done for him/her.” We bemoan the fact that our “perfectly, morally, religiously, spiritually, educationally” raised child is sporting head to toe tattoos and enough body piercings to break the airport scan machine. “Where did we go wrong?” parents commonly wonder. Just as some children break out of the family unit, some parents also wind up disowning their children. Sometimes parents will pick a favorite compliant, loving child and offer more attention and resources to that child than the others, just as God offers to make Moses and his descendants into a bigger and more powerful nation than the Israelites.
Just as the Israelites were frightened of what lay ahead, the fear of the unknown is a huge deterrent for many people. We are often see people stuck in unproductive, unsupportive relationships, jobs or living conditions just because the known entity is more comfortable than forging ahead. Even when what lies ahead is imagined to be good or exciting, and is something we desperately want to do, we can still find ourselves with a daunting challenge.
When I was embarking upon my move to Spain at age 19, I was so excited, as this had been my dream for many years. I could not wait to go, and even felt that I was meant to travel there. Still in all, I wondered how I would manage in this new country. I had never been completely on my own in my native country! I would have to rent an apartment in Madrid, let alone do so while speaking Spanish! Ay! In the airport, I told my mother and father that I did not know if I wanted to put an ocean between us. My mother’s response was, “You don’t need us, get on the plane.” Had she said anything else, I would not have felt as able and might have opted out. I would have then lost out on the greatest growth experience of my life. The Israelites were going to allow their fears to prevent them from leaving Egypt for their new life. If they had not eventually left, we might all be living in Egypt now!
Like the Israelites envisioning disaster in the new land, how many times have we had an image of something that may or may not be based in reality? It can be a very limiting viewpoint, causing us to miss out on great things, or take part in very negative things. This has been the case with me on many occasions. I have thought that I would not enjoy, or conversely, enjoy, a particular class, movie, book, lecture, or restaurant. Yet, after the fact, my actual experience was totally the opposite of what I had imagined. We see that Moses appeals to God to save God’s reputation among the nations. Saving face is a much sought after condition. Most of us long to be thought of with respect, dignity, and integrity. We want to be known as following through with our promises. After all, even many criminals have their own “code of conduct”, by which they expect each other to follow through with their commitments, and maintain their reputations. Moses ultimately urges God to relent and forgive the people. Today we often see someone interceding on behalf of someone else in regard to the “authorities.” This is what often keeps lawyers, mediators, union reps, and even clergy in business!
I am reminded of an incident that occurred five years ago here in Brookline that exemplifies the importance of reputation and interceding on one’s behalf. There was a 9th grade girls’ basketball coach who was very unpopular mainly because he was an inexperienced coach, and had an off-beat personality. Although he was a good man, those two character traits set him up for a bad experience. One girl accused him of being inappropriate with her at the gym, and the school Headmaster stood behind her unconditionally. The coach’s face was immediately plastered all over the television and newspapers, and his reputation was shattered inside of one day.
The circumstances around the accusation were hazy at best. It supposedly happened in plain sight in an open gym full of kids. Several girls on the team, including my daughter, denied vehemently that this had happened. They said there was no way this could have happened without them being aware of it. I told my daughter that I felt then that this was a travesty of justice, and that we had to act on his behalf. She and I, plus another team member and her mother met with the coach’s lawyer. After that I attended every court date for a year. Because the accuser would not recant, it took a long agonizing time to prove innocence, but eventually he prevailed. Much psychological damage had already been done however. Appearing weak and unbalanced in the eyes of the community was particularly difficult, just as Moses felt God would appear to the Egyptians and inhabitants of the new land.
Thus there are important lessons in these lines for all of us. We have seen how very difficult it is to keep faith when we encounter troubles and fears. The Israelites felt so overwhelmed by the situation ahead of them, that they rejected all of God’s signs. Without experiencing something first hand, it is so hard to rely on the word of another, often leading to dire consequences. After all, the Israelis were condemned to stagnate an extra 40 years in the desert because they gave into their anxieties.
Of course we can all experience different reactions to the same new situations. Some of us may enjoy a particular film, book, or place that others dislike. However, it is extremely important to keep an open mind and evaluate other perspectives and viewpoints. The insights of someone who has experienced what you are about to undertake can be especially helpful. You never know when someone else may present a solution, or intercede on your behalf, to help calm your anxieties!

R.K. Shelley Schwartz

Dear Friends,
My D’var Torah today is taken from our reading of Sh’lach L’cha, Numbers 13-16, and its analysis and discussion of the Nation of Israel’s approach to our Promised Land, which the Eternal originally intended to give to us after giving us the Torah through Moses.
G-d postponed our access to our Promised Land due to the failure of many among us to have FAITH in Him, even with our personal awareness of His many miraculous Blessings bestowed upon our People, Israel. That failure bespoke a failure of Faith in G-d, and also, a failure of Faith in ourselves as His Children – and as His People – whose destiny is ever His!
Earlier in our Service, I shared with you my comments on the Shabbat Prayer Liturgy, “Modim Anachnu Lach”. I told you that G-d has my complete and total Faith, Trust, Love and Praise, through every step that I take, because I know that I (and all Israel) am in His care. I, like our Brothers and Sisters whom He brought out of Egypt after the miraculous plagues and our escape through the sea, have experienced G-d’s miracles throughout my life, as He has ordered my steps. I have always had deep faith in His total protection, as I have moved along the paths in which he has directed me (and opened for me).
From beginning to end, Sh’lach L’cha is about FAITH and BELIEF in G-d, and the critical importance of our total acceptance of G-d, and the following of His precepts, laws, guidance and direction, allowing our FAITH to reveal His vision in all that we see, feel and understand, thereby permitting us to fulfill His vision!
Through Moses, G-d sent us on a mission – to scout our Promised Land! We could not have forgotten that G-d had opened the sea through which we walked on dry land as we escaped excruciating pain and suffering and sorrow in servitude in Egypt! We could not have forgotten that G-d drowned our pursuers in that Sea! We could not have forgotten that, even as we feared starvation, G-d fed us manna for sustenance as we moved toward His destination for us! And we deeply knew that G-d led us through His pillars of Fire and Cloud as we traveled on His way!
We had only to believe in G-d enough to understand that, through Him and with His help, we had the power to act to fulfill His promise – no matter how difficult the challenges which we met in pursuit of G-d’s wishes!
Moses chose important Leaders of Tribes to send as scouts to our Promised Land. Moses must have assumed the integrity, the intelligence, and the Faith of those Leaders, to report their findings regarding their travels in our Promised Land in such a way as to facilitate the planning required to design a victorious effort to take over the land which G-d intended us to have! But, with the exception of Joshua and Caleb, these sons of Tribal Chiefs (presumed to be pillars of our community), failed to see and understand the positive possibilities which their eyes beheld! And so these “Leaders” failed to successfully complete the tasks to which they were assigned; they misled the People of Israel into unnecessary fear and trepidation that was the basis upon which our tribes rejected the true and faithful reports of Joshua and Caleb, which accurately described our Land of Milk and Honey – our Land, Given by G-d, who intended to lead us into victorious battle to make our Land our own!
Through FAITH – through understanding of the TOTAL POWER of our G-d, we have the strength, the knowledge and the understanding, to accomplish that which is inconceivable on a level of merely human understanding. It should have been through FAITH in G-d and all that He had done and could accomplish, that Israel should have been able to accept the evaluations reported by Joshua and Caleb, and girded themselves with an understanding of their own power through G-d, to move forward to Israel’s rightful victory!
G-d, through His patience, Love and understanding, refused to destroy Israel because of the foolhardy lack of FAITH in Him by many of us, but condemned our ancestors to wander in the desert until death, with the exception of Joshua and Caleb. Subsequently, new generations, possessing FAITH in G-d and vision born of that FAITH, arose to follow G-d to overtake and possess our Land of Israel. We have learned that it is only by G-d’s might and His Blessing, that we can overcome great challenges and tremendous adversity, in order to become victorious! Without Him, we are NOTHING!!!!
My hope is that we all have been inspired by Sh’lach L’cha to accomplish all that He intends for our lives, with FAITH in His strength, love and wisdom – with respect to all of our lives - and with love for our people Israel, with which He infuses us!

Ronny Sydney

This week’s Torah portion describes how Moses sent out spies to the Promised Land. He sent out one from each of the Twelve Tribes. Their mission was to scout out the land and bring back a report describing the land, the agriculture, the people and the fortifications so that when they entered the Promised Land they would know what to expect. It was not a question of whether or not they would go, but only of what they would find when they got there.
All of the spies were leaders in their own tribes, including Joshua and Caleb. They went into the land and all saw the same things. They all returned safely but the message that they brought back was not a single message. Ten of the scouts said that they were afraid of the people in the new land, that hey were very large people with well fortified communities. Although the land was bountiful with fruits from the rich soil, only Caleb and Joshua brought back the message that they should go forward as planned and that they would be successful in the Promised Land. The other ten spies instilled fear in the people and said that they would all be killed by these giant war-like people. They convinced the people that they would be better off staying in the desert and continuing to live the way that they had for the past forty years. This would perpetuate the status quo with the scouts continuing to be leaders with all the responsibilities and benefits that go with that status. They cautioned the people to be afraid of the changes that moving forward would bring. As we know, they were all punished and only Joshua and Caleb were allowed to live and enter the Promised Land.
Now, what if some of those scouts had been women? Would the message have been any different? What if one of those women had the diplomatic skills of Eleanor Roosevelt or Madeleine Albright? Or the leadership skills of Mary Richardson of Ireland, or Elizabeth I of England? Or the compassionate skills of Princess Diana or Florence Nightingale? Or the negotiating skills of Margaret Thatcher or Golda Meir? Or the courage of Amelia Earnhardt or Rosa Parks?
How about the women in this year’s Adult B’not Mitzvah class? What if we had been among the scouts? Would things have been different? Diane Rosen would have brought her compassionate social work skills and showed how everyone could get along and support each other. Hilda Lopez would certainly understand how to bridge a cultural gap and how to be strengthened by our differences. Donna Rubenoff could teach us all how to relax and meditate and also how to organize everyone. Cassandra Warshowsky would bring her wonderful strength and energy to pull everyone together. Shelley Schwartz would have made sure that the message was on point and well publicized. I would have used my persuasive skills to make sure that we were all in agreement.
We could have saved the Israelites forty years of wandering in the desert! Maybe we would be a lot closer to peace in the world if only women had been allowed to participate in scouting the Promised Land.
Thank you for the opportunity to participate in today’s world by becoming B’not Mitzvah now. We are all very grateful.

Cassandra Warshowsky

Haftarah for Sh’lach L’cha, Joshua 2:1 – 24.
As we heard today, the Torah tells that Joshua himself was one of the 12 spies who earlier explored the Promised Land. In this Haftarah reading, Joshua is now Moses’ successor and he sends two spies to Jericho to scout out the land once more.
When the spies reach Jericho, they go to the home of a woman of ill repute and what she does is extraordinary. She immediately hides the two Israelites. Jericho’s king warns that the men she just received are spying on the country and demands that she “bring them out!” Her response is to lie, saying they have left and sends the King’s men on a wild goose-chase.
To me, one of the most astonishing things about this story is that the “lead role” is given to a woman, and a lowly one at that. She is not royalty, a prophet or a founder of Israel. In fact, she is a prostitute. And she is not even an Israelite! She has nothing, she is below the bottom rung of the social ladder and she’s a pariah to many.
But right at the beginning, we learn her name; it is Rahab. Except for Rahab and Joshua, no one else in this entire episode is named, not even the spies or Jericho’s king.
Clearly, Rahab is quite important.
Rahab knew immediately that the two strange men were the Israelite spies and she quickly made three remarkable decisions:
1. Nothing is as important as her husband, children and extended family and she must do anything to save them.
2. Israel is the nation to back, not her own city of Jericho.
3. The Eternal is the ruler she must believe in and follow.
Based on this, Rahab saves the spies and ensures Jericho’s men will not catch them; and exacts a promise from the spies to rescue her entire extended family when the Israelites conquer Jericho. Then she gives the spies the crucial information, which was – “the Eternal has given you this land…and all the inhabitants…are scared to death of you.” This gave Joshua the “all clear” to attack.
Most significantly to me, Rahab clearly accepts the Eternal by stating: “the eternal…is God in heaven above and here on earth”. Commentators point out that these were actually Moses’ own words spoken in Deuteronomy. Here, Moses’ words were put in Rahab’s own voice!!
What message does this send? To me, the message is plain: Our background or history need not dictate our actions. Our past need not dictate our future.
God gives us opportunities to make choices. I think this can be read as an affirmation of free will. We can’t get everything we want. But, like Rahab, identity does not hold us back. We are not preprogrammed. The highlight here is that God works through very unlikely and diverse people. We see that all the time.
Moses himself, a poor, condemned slave baby, became an Egyptian prince, a leader of an enslaved people, and the Eternal’s lead prophet. Barak Obama, what an unlikely background for a United States President! Helen Keller, blind, deaf and mute becomes a renowned author and international speaker, an inspiration to the world. We can go on and on with this list.
As for me, well, I don’t think my family expected to see me up here on the bema, explicating Hebrew passages today!
There was a time, not so long ago, when it looked as though I might never speak, read or write again (not even English, much less Hebrew!). I certainly didn’t think I would be a mother. But, voila! Here I am, with my wonderful son Max, my dear husband Jeffrey, my terrific family and friends.
My unhappy past condition did not dictate my happy future. But it did help teach me that no matter what our situation, we all make choices, decisions, commitments that can improve our own lives, and even the lives of others - maybe many others.
And in the end, it is similar to Rahab’s tale. She chose family and one God above all else, and she did this despite who she was. I think that Rahab is meant to teach us that no matter who we are, and whatever our choices may be, they are significant – and not only to us.


Adult Learning