Temple Beth Sholom 401 Roslyn Road, Roslyn Heights, NY • www.tbsroslyn.org • 516.621.2288 November/December 2018 • Cheshvan/Kislev/Tevet 5779 • TBS PRESENTS • Cantors on Dueling Pianos SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18 • 6:30 PM Starring CANTOR OFER BARNOY & CANTOR RANDY HERMAN wiTh ThE GuThRiE BRoThERS oN GuiTaR & dRumS & BRiaN GlaSSmaN oN BaSS $72 • Cabaret style seating • dinner inCluded during the show Sponsorships Available FROM THE RABBI’S DESK by Rabbi Alan B. Lucas Some thoughts: On Miracles and Hope ome time ago I gave a sermon on what I called, “the real miracle of It was FDR who famously said in his inauguration speech in 1933 at an SChanukah.” My contention was that the “real” Chanukah miracle even darker period in American history, “the only thing we have to fear was not that the oil, which was only enough to last one day – lasted is fear itself! Nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes eight days, but that the Maccabees lit the menorah at all. What would needed efforts to convert retreat into advance…” you have done confronted with the dilemma that it would take a week to produce a new supply of consecrated oil and in the meantime you It is no less true today. Fear – paralyzes the needed efforts to convert only had enough oil to last for one day. retreat into advance. I am sure that is what our ancestors felt at the shore of the Red Sea – paralyzing fear – until Nachshon put his foot into If you think about it – it was rather a useless gesture. They were the water and the sea split. I am sure that is what the Maccabees felt confronted with two choices – wait a week until they had renewed confronted with the overwhelming task of rebuilding the Temple with their supplies of consecrated oil – or light the supply they had – which no supplies and little strength left – but then they decided to light the would burn out after one day and then wait for a week in darkness menorah and a miracle occurred. for the new supplies to arrive. Given the choice wouldn’t the sensible choice have been just to wait until they could do it right? In each of these cases the miracle was not the result of some heroic effort on our part – but a effortless step into the sea, and a simple act But, they did not wait. And because they chose to act despite all reason of hope – kindle the light and leave the rest to God. – we celebrate Chanukah. So was the real Chanukah miracle that oil that lasted longer than it was supposed to or that Jews chose to light We have many challenges that confront us and demand our response. that menorah at all? Gun control, election reform, and political activism to demand better representatives who are prepared to do the work we send them to I believe we have lost the true meaning of miracles. Yes, miracles are Washington to do. But the choice is ours whether to be paralyzed by “wow” moments when something incredible happens. But who is the fear – or to kindle one little light that enables the miracle to happen. one doing something incredible? Tuesday, November 6 is Election Day. Vote! Most of us imagine miracles as moments when we are passive and God is active and we just stand idly by as we witness the limitless power We can disagree about whom to vote for, but there is no disagreement of God; we are wowed by God. The more traditional Jewish notion of on the importance of voting. An American who does not exercise miracles is that we act and God is wowed by our faith to react.God the right to vote is an embarrassment. A Jew who does not exercise responds to the limitless ability of human optimism and hope. God the right to vote has not learned anything from 4000 years of Jewish does not inspire us – we inspire God. survival. Think of the miracle of the Red Sea. Most of us imagine the people Vote! standing around waiting as God does all the hard work. But the midrash When Nachshon put his toe in the water – did he imagine he was describes a very different scene. In the midrash - at first the people are about to change the world? When the Maccabees gathered to light indeed just standing around with the sea before them and Pharaoh’s the menorah did they have an inking that their simple gesture would troops closing in fast. But then Nachshon ben Aminadav acts – he begins reverberate throughout the ages? walking straight into the sea – and when the water is literally about to The miracle of Chanukah is not that God was able to make oil last for drown him, almost over his head, then God acts, splits the sea and the more days then it should – that is child’s play for God. No, the miracle children of Israel pass through safely on dry land. God is inspired by of Chanukah is that God created people who have the capacity to Nachshon’s faith. God is moved by our belief in the possibility of hope. dream and to hope – to believe in each other and in God and to use the No matter where we look in our contemporary world there seems to power of that belief to forge a better world. Of course God can perform be a malaise – a cynicism, a negativity. We don’t feel that the economy miracles. But we Jews believe in something even more incredible, that is as good as they keep telling us it is. Our political system seems people created in God’s image, can also bring light into this dark world. hopelessly broken – tribalism and partisanship are the terms most So you have two opportunities to celebrate miracles – the miracle of often used to describe Washington. In Israel progress toward peace Chanukah when we will gather with family and friends and light our seems more remote than ever. School shootings and random acts first candle on Sunday evening December 2. of gun violence have become a regular part of our society and there seems to be nothing we can do about it. Even the increasingly frequent And on Tuesday, November 6 when I hope you will exercise your right hurricanes seem to carry with them a sense of things getting worse and to vote. out of control. All of these realities of our contemporary world seem to Unless we kindle the light, unless we do our part – the miracles which highlight our hopelessness and our helplessness. we need cannot, will not occur. God is waiting for us to act. When did we become such a defeatist nation? When did we become such a negative people? 2 • Temple Beth Sholom Rabbi Alan B. Lucas CANTOR'S NOTES by Cantor Ofer Barnoy Be a Shamash, a Servant of Humanity s we approach one of our favorite holidays, Chanukah, a key serves others in the capacity of a teacher or a mentor becomes Aitem that we use to celebrate with is the Chanukiyah elevated because he or she is using a set of superior or the Chanukah Menorah. This candelabra has skills to make others great too. Good teachers and 9 branches and we’ve all learned that eight of mentors inspire us to grow by expecting the best the branches represent the eight days of the from us and they make us better people. Like miracle of lights and the ninth one is the Like the Shamash, the Shamash, they give us the spark that Shamash, the utility light that we use to when we help someone in enables us to shine brightly. light the other eight. need we need to remain alongside During this upcoming Chanukah holiday Why do we need the Shamash? Why them until they can stand on their make an effort to be a Shamash, a can’t we light the other candles with servant of humanity. Find someone to a match or a lighter? In Judaism we own. We should not be like a match help, to teach or to mentor and thus always ascribe higher meaning to all which is extinguished as soon as it has may you be elevated as you elevate of our practices and this is no different served its purpose to light something others and may your light shine ever so here are a couple of ideas. but rather we should remain alongside brighter when you use it to light a The Shamash serves a practical our friends or even strangers until raging fire of goodness. purpose because we are commanded they are no longer in need of our Happy Chanukah! by our sages that we are not allowed to use the Chanukah candles for any other assistance. purpose than to publicize the miracle of the Cantor Ofer Barnoy Cantor Ofer Barnoy lights so the Shamash is available as an extra candle in case you have a need to light your stove etc. and this is also the primary reason why we let the Shamash burn alongside the other candles so it is already lit and available if you need it and won’t mistakenly FEATURED ARTICLES reach for one of the Chanukah candles. Of course, there is a deeper meaning to it all. The Shamash which From the Rabbi's Desk page ................2 has only one tiny light can light many others without going out. From the Desk of Cantor Barnoy page ................3 So it is with us. We can give of ourselves to help others without From the Desk of Rabbi Allen page ................4 diminishing our power and strength.