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The Mishkan at Central Synagogue Cantor Ellen Dreskin and Rabbi Sarah Berman Parashat Matot-Masei, 10 July 2021 / 1 Av 5781

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The Mishkan at Central Synagogue Cantor Ellen Dreskin and Rabbi Sarah Berman Parashat Matot-Masei, 10 July 2021 / 1 Av 5781 The Mishkan at Central Synagogue Cantor Ellen Dreskin and Rabbi Sarah Berman Parashat Matot-Masei, 10 July 2021 / 1 Av 5781 Supplementary Prayers and Songs: Opening Song / Niggun Morning Blessings of Gratitude / Birchot HaShachar Makom Sh’libi Ohev (Leon Sher) Waking / Modeh Ani Makom sh’libi ohev, Sham raglai molichot oti (74) Gathering / Mah Tovu The Place that my heart holds dear, (76) Our Bodies / Asher Yatzar There my feet will bring me near (78) Our Souls / Elohai Neshama (BT Sukkah 53a) (80) Everyday Miracles / Nisim B’Chol Yom Vahasheivota / V’neemar (Shir Ya’akov) Songs of Praise / P’sukei D’Zimrah Vahasheivota el levav’cha (97) Psalm 145 / Ashrei ki Adonai, Hu HaElohim … (100) Psalm 150 / Hallelujah V’neemar, v’haya Adonai L’melech al kol HaAretz The Shema and its Blessings Bayom Hahu, yih’yeh Adonai echad (108) Call to Prayer / Bar’chu Ush’mo echad (110) The Wonder of Creation / Yotzeir Or (112) The Loving Gift of Torah / Ahavah Rabah (114) Proclaiming God’s Oneness / Shema (116) Love for God’s Teaching / V’ahavta (OOS) Redemption / Mi Chamocha - Tzur Yisrael Standing Prayer / Tefillah / Amidah (124) Open our Mouths / Adonai S’fatai Tiftach (126) God of Our Ancestors / Avot V’imahot (128) Life-Giving and Powerful God / G’vurot (130) Sanctifying God’s Name / Kedushah We Give Thanks / Modim Anachnu Lach Prayer for Peace / Sim Shalom May Our Prayers Be Heard / Yih’yu L’ratzon Prayer for Peace / Oseh Shalom (OOS) Returning from Silence / Makom Sh’libi Ohev Torah Service (246-250): Numbers 33 Prayer for Healing / Mi Shebeirach (253) Proclaiming God’s Greatness / Vahasheivota (OOS) Mourners’ Prayer / Kaddish Yatom (294) Closing / Makom Sh’libi Ohev (OOS) The Mishkan at Central Synagogue Cantor Ellen Dreskin and Rabbi Sarah Berman Parashat Matot-Masei, 10 July 2021 / 1 Av 5781 Text Study: An Ongoing Journey Numbers 33:9-18 ַוִּיְס עו ִּמָּמ ָָּ֔רה וַיָּב ֹ֖ או ֵא ִִּ֑ילָּמה ּ֠וְבֵא ִּּ֠ילם ְש ֵֵּ֣תים ֶעְש ֵֵ֞רה עֵינ ֹ֥ ת ַַ֛מִּים ְוִּשְב ִֹּ֥עים ְתָּמִֹּ֖רים ַוַיֲח ָָּֽׁנו־שם׃ ַוִּיְסֹ֖עו ֵמֵא ִִּ֑ילם וַַָֽֽׁיַחֲנֹ֖ ו ַעַל־ים־ָֽׁסוף׃ ַוִּיְסֹ֖עו ִּמַים־ִ֑סוף וַַָֽֽׁיַחֲנֹ֖ ו ְבִּמְדַבר־ ִָּֽׁסין׃ ַוִּיְסֹ֖עו ִּמִּמְדַבר־ ִִּ֑סין וַַָֽֽׁיַחֲנֹ֖ ו ְבׇדְפָָּֽׁקה׃ ַוִּיְסֹ֖עו ִּמׇד ְפִָּ֑קה וַַָֽֽׁיַחֲנֹ֖ ו ְבָּאָֽׁלוש׃ ַוִּיְסֹ֖עו מֵאָּלִ֑ וש ַָֽׁוַַֽיֲח נו ִּבְרִּפ ִָּ֔ידם וְל א־הָָּ֨ יָּה ָֹּ֥שם ַַ֛מִּים ָּל ָֹּ֖עם ִּלְשָֽׁתֹות׃ ַוִּיְסֹ֖עו ֵמְרִּפ ִִּ֑ידם וַַָֽֽׁיַחֲנֹ֖ ו ְבִּמְד ַֹ֥בר ִּסי ָָּֽׁני׃ ַוִּיְסֹ֖עו ִּמִּמְד ֵַּ֣בר ִּס ִָּ֑יני וַַָֽֽׁיַחֲנֹ֖ ו ְבִּקְבֹ֥ רת ַָֽׁהַתֲאָָּֽׁ וה׃ ַוִּיְסֹ֖עו ִּמִּקְבֵּ֣ רת ַָֽׁהַתֲאָּוִ֑ה וַַָֽֽׁיַחֲנֹ֖ ו ַבֲחֵצָֽׁ רת׃ ַוִּיְסֹ֖עו ֵמֲחֵצִ֑ רת וַַָֽֽׁיַחֲנֹ֖ ו ְבִּרְת ָָּֽׁמה ׃ They set out from Marah and came to Elim. There were twelve springs in Elim and seventy palm trees, so they encamped there. They set out from Elim and encamped by the Sea of Reeds. They set out from the Sea of Reeds and encamped in the wilderness of Sin. They set out from the wilderness of Sin and encamped at Dophkah. They set out from Dophkah and encamped at Alush. They set out from Alush and encamped at Rephidim; it was there that the people had no water to drink. They set out from Rephidim and encamped in the wilderness of Sinai. They set out from the wilderness of Sinai and encamped at Kibroth-hattaavah. They set out from Kibroth-hattaavah and encamped at Hazeroth. They set out from Hazeroth and encamped at Rithmah. ⮚ Question: What is it like to listen to this list of places? How does the melody of the ta’amim (trope) affect your understanding? ⮚ Question: Why do you think this list (and this is only a small part!) is included in the Torah? Rashi (French, 11c.) commentary on Num. 33:1 Why are these stations recorded here? In order to make known the loving acts of the Omnipresent: that although He had decreed against them to make them move about and wander in the wilderness, you should not think that they wandered and moved about without cessation from one station to another station all the forty years, and that they had no rest. … R. Tanchuma gave another explanation of it (of the question why these stages are here recorded). A parable! It may be compared to the case of a king whose son was ill and whom he took to a distant place to cure him. When they returned home the father began to enumerate all the stages, saying to him, “Here we slept, here we caught cold, here you had the head-ache, etc.” (Midrash Tanchuma 4:10:3) The Mishkan at Central Synagogue Cantor Ellen Dreskin and Rabbi Sarah Berman Parashat Matot-Masei, 10 July 2021 / 1 Av 5781 ⮚ Question: How does the Israelites’ wandering reflect God’s love for Israel, according to Rashi? BT Taanit 20a-b An incident occurred in which Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, came from Migdal Gedor, from his rabbi’s house, and he was riding on a donkey and strolling on the bank of the river. And he was very happy, and his head was swollen with pride because he had studied much Torah. He happened upon an exceedingly ugly person, who said to him: “Greetings to you, my rabbi,” but Rabbi Elazar did not return his greeting. Instead, Rabbi Elazar said to him: “Worthless person, how ugly is that man. Are all the people of your city as ugly as you?” The man said to him: “I do not know, but you should go and say to the Craftsman Who made me: How ugly is the vessel you made.” When Rabbi Elazar realized that he had sinned and insulted this man merely on account of his appearance, he descended from his donkey and prostrated himself before him, and he said to the man: I have sinned against you; forgive me. The man said to him: I will not forgive you until you go to the Craftsman Who made me and say: How ugly is the vessel you made.” [Rabbi Elazar] walked behind the man, trying to appease him, until they reached Rabbi Elazar’s city. …Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, entered the study hall and taught: “A person should always be soft like a reed and he should not be stiff like a cedar.” ⮚ Question: What lesson does Rabbi Elazar learn between exiting one house of study and entering another? How does he change his cedar-like behavior into reed-like behavior? ⮚ Question: How have the lessons you’ve learned in life helped you grow and change? .
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