Minyan Replay with Rabbi Lizzi — Smashing Idols And Glass Ceilings

What do Abraham and Debbie Friedman have in common? Find out in this episode taken from our October 26th minyan!

Big programming note — Rabbi Lizzi is taking a well deserved sabbatical. This means that while we will continue with our Morning Minyans every weekday and you'll still see services, sermons, and minyan content in this feed, we won't be hearing from R'Lizzi until February 2024. We hope you'll enjoy hearing from Rabbi Steven and guest hosts in the meantime!

https://www.mishkanchicago.org/im-going-on-sabbatical/

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Produced by Mishkan Chicago. Music composed, produced, and performed by Kalman Strauss.

Transcript

Transcript

Rabbi Lizzi Heydemann  
Hello, and welcome to this half hour dose of weekly Jewish spirituality brought to you by Michigan's Thursday morning minion. Jews have a tradition of praying three times a day and at Mishkan. We have a daily virtual minion at 8am Central to get your day started. folks join us from across the country and across the world as we begin each day with words and songs of gratitude, inspiration, healing and Torah. If you miss us in the morning, join us here every week for the replay of our Thursday minion hosted by me, Rabbi Lizzi Heidemann. Without further ado, I invite you to breathe a little deeper, connects a little more with yourself with God with Torah, with this community and with the world around you, wherever you are, whatever your timezone.

Speaker 2  
All right, good morning, folks. Yeah, as you can hear, I'm a little vocally compromised here. So as with last Monday, I thought, or Today's Thursday, as with Monday, which was only three days ago, I brought some readings and other stuff in addition to doing kind of minimal singing, but maximal kava non maximal intention. So to begin us this morning, I wanted to I wanted to kick us off with well, you know what, Parshaa, we're in the midst of that we're in the we're moving toward this Shabbat reading from the third part of the Torah left Alyssa. And we started this a few days ago, we started talking about what are the things about Abraham, that make Abraham worthy of telling whole story about him and his family? Right, of course, in the first part of the Torah, we encounter the character of God. You know, brace sheet Bara Elohim, and in the beginning, well, wisdom, something, something created God. And then God said, Let there be light. And then you know, you get a whole, you get a whole chapter of all the things that God created, and then humanity. And then by the end of the book of Genesis, God is ready to destroy humanity, because humanity was so full of violence and corruption. We remember this, right? It's like the tragic first parts of the Torah. But there's one guy who God sees and is like, maybe this guy will be the future. My covenant on Earth, you know, with people, and so he chooses Noah, and puts no I in a boat with all the animals and etc. and says to Noah, you know, you you carry forward my dream for humanity, for you know, the people who will be my hands and feet and eyes, and be able to create in this beautiful world that I have, you know, laid before them, you know, a continue humanity. And of course, no a stumbles out of the ark and plants, a vineyard, and then gets wasted, because he's so traumatized by everything he's gone through. And that's another 10 generations before, there's another guy who God says, You know what, let me try again. And we meet Abraham. And that's where we begin this week store portion. And so what I did on Monday, with you, if you were here was, I read through a couple of the Midrash, like pieces of Midrash, about Abraham, because the Torah, it really doesn't make clear why, like, what was it about this guy that flagged HIM FOR the Master of the Universe as worthy of noticing? You know, like, we hear more about Moses, for example, we hear more like Moses stopped and looked at the burning bush, for example, and stared at it, and you hear his inner monologue. Is this bush burning but not consumed? Like what is going on? You know, no, Moses is looking at the world, trying to put it together. We don't hear anything about Abraham. And so the Midrash fills in a great deal about him. And I'm thinking a lot about Abraham. How every the first the first Hebrew every and the word every I in that race means to cross over, you know? And so he's thought of as like the boundary cross or the transgressor, the iconoclast. And so we read on Monday about you know, how he smashes the idols in his father's shop, and his father says, What are you talking about, you know, they don't have any power. And Abraham says, Your ears should hear what your mouth is saying, Dad. You know, like apply the like the intellectual consistency you're asking of me. Now you you try using it, Dad, you know, and we learn about Abraham is sort of like thinking, thinking with a kind of magnificent coherence about the world around him and not falling into the kind of idol worship literally, that he is surrounded And so he's called how you've read the the heat, the Israelite the boundary crosser. And so of course, left luffa go to yourself for yourself is where the Parsha begins. And I had to do this this morning, because, of course, the way I learned this parser was with the song. And so I wanted to bring in a little Debbie, Debbie Friedman, who, of course, was way ahead of her time, and not only set the opening words of this parsha to music, but feminize them, cause lack of the five means go for yourself or to yourself for your benefit, but it's masculine. And so of course, he or she is singing with what looks like a temple youth group or something. And, you know, now we might not think to ourselves, oh, it's, you know, like, what's the big deal? It's a bunch of women up there singing. Like back in the 80s this was actually a pretty big deal. So anyway, this was, this is lefty laugh. Leslie Pham the song that she put these words to, I just want to invite you as you're listening just to you know, do some of the things that we usually do the beginning of minion here which include rolling your shoulders and letting you know getting a little movement in your neck and breathing into your belly. So that you feel a little more awake and well situated as we sit here together. Here we go.

Unknown Speaker  
Today, I will show you love to place you

Speaker 3  
on your journey I will bless you and you shall be blessing you shall be blessing you shall be blessing

Speaker 3  
I shall make your name great

Unknown Speaker  
to the place

Unknown Speaker  
to replace you do

Speaker 3  
this and you shall be you shall be shall be.

Unknown Speaker  
You do not know

Unknown Speaker  
Your journey you shall be shall be shall be blessed

Unknown Speaker  
I sang that at my sister's Bar Mitzvah. It was one of the first places I played guitar on a stage.

Speaker 2  
All right, I want to invite you to stand if you are able, and I want to. And if you're if you're not able or just don't feel like standing up, then we can do these blessings from where you are sitting, or lying. I'm going to stand to stand up straight let your shoulders relax Varaha and Ohio human as your notes on the CSV now there have been when you're moving Lila, I am grateful for the ability to make distinctions between day and now hide by rule. I don't I mean, I'm gonna call them just Sani. But Sambo, I am grateful that I was created in your image. Speaking of the creation stories that we're wending our way through right now, actually, all human beings are created in God's image that is not just reserved for me, or for you or for the people we care about. Every human being descended from the first by ruleta I don't know no matter how old I am Chessani sorry, Israel. But this one does apply to me. I am grateful to be a Jew, a god wrestler. By rule ha i don't i Oh, he no matter how old I am, put chaos aeverine I am grateful that you opened my eyes each day with new vision. Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha with my beach I remain. I am grateful that you clip put clothes over my naked body. Bar ohata I don't know there will be no Monica on my tear our supreme. I'm grateful for my ability to release what is all tied up. But of course I'm also grateful for the reminder each morning material as supreme, that the releasing of captives is one of our highest priorities and first meets vote that we are given in the Torah. Actually, in this week's Torah portion, Abraham goes and takes quite a large risk in rescuing his nephew lock two is being held captive and it's one of the first places you see one human being going to great lengths to rescue another. And it's where we learn that rescuing captives is in fact, deep Jewish value. Barrel hunt I don't I don't you know manikato lambs okay, if goofin Go ahead and release release your fingers release your elbows and shoulders if you want to take forward then and sort of let your head hang and your vertebrae bend so that you can then straighten back up then that your knees bend to your waist and then straight and your knees rising your pelvis let your spine set when vertebrae on top of the next shoulders relaxed

Unknown Speaker  
like a balloon is pulling the back of your head out by a string elongating your spine letting you breathe more deeply feeling your feet on the earth that will hurt i don't i don't know medica with them Roca RSL Hi my name I'm grateful for the stability of the earth over the water.

Speaker 2  
And for what sometimes feels like the illusion of stability of the earth over the tumultuous pneus of the world by Royal attire I don't I know he no matter how many females it got here. I am grateful that you prepare my steps by regatta I don't either you know Melaka or chef salik cold turkey. I am grateful that you provide all my needs by Rohita i don't i No he no matter how well that Ham was very sweet ale big hoorah. I am grateful that you give strength to me and my people. Borrow Hurtado in America with Oteri Surah Al booty Farah. I am grateful that you crowned me with dignity and beauty. Go ahead if you have already let yourself slouch or I lost that good posture you had a moment ago. Let that balloon, carry the back of your head up elongating your spine, so you can put on that crown of T Farah. Dignity and beauty.

Unknown Speaker  
Breathe into your belly where we just blessed that source of strength. You can even put a hand on your belly and just feel it expanding

Speaker 2  
and deflating contracting every time you breathe out. I spent so much time as a kid trying to master the art of rubbing my tummy and patting my head at the same time. Now I feel like I've become a real master of multitasking. As an adult Of course none of us really are we just think that we are however, just stop that for a second and try to breathe into your belly while also imagining that you have a crown sitting on your head

Unknown Speaker  
it's an entirely different sensation of stillness and strength that you can practice and you can practice this anytime of day.

Speaker 2  
And finally, by rule that I don't I don't no matter how old I am an attendee if COA I am grateful that you give me strength when I am tired.

Unknown Speaker  
I mean

Speaker 2  
hiring rainy Myka Bella della yet meets vertebrae, they are have to re Alpha Kappa Alpha. Behold, I accept upon myself the creator's commandment that I have to learn for como how you will love your neighbor as yourself. I'm going to zoom forward, we are standing. So we're going to stay standing I want to invite you to face east if you're able. If you can unmute so that we can have the back and forth of the Borough Hall. We go from this posture of confidence and standing to a posture of humility and receptivity and bowing and then back up with whatever it is we gained having bowed and back up ready to face today. Barry who at i don't i Han Bora

Unknown Speaker  
Adonai Hannibal Ross

Speaker 2  
Utair oral Horikoshi kosher Jose shut down. We will re attacco I may rather write a letter M La Habra homie with divan. Mahadesh tuvo Bohol young Tommy la savory she or her dash outsi on 10 year when he scaffold and Mahira little row by row attire I don't I use their helmet or row. You know, I want to I want to do a little bit of studying, I'm going to do so much studying on my sabbatical. I'm so excited. When I come back and have you know, a whole new crop of stories and reference points instead of just recycling the same old ones. You've probably heard a million times for me at this point. But um, there is debate among the rabbis about this blessing, you know, the way that that Jewish blessings are constructed in a prayer service very often is there's what's called a pity hot and a hottie MA and opening and closing. And then in the middle, there's elaboration, and so, show you what I mean by that pizza and opening. This one that we just did borohydride. And I hit him and I found yoga or wearing kosher essential number reticle. You create light, and you create darkness, you create peace, and you create everything. So what that tells us with this pity heart opening tells us is this blessing is about light and darkness. It is about the creation of everything. That's the opening. And so the closing is also very likely going to be a reference back to this God you are the creation of light and dark, you create everything. Okay? This is like a universal blessing. And you have heard me talk about this before, the way that the blessings around the Shema are constructed. It goes creation, Revelation, redemption, and Shama is in the middle. And that kind of cycle of creation meaning a universal experience, Revelation, a particular experience of insight, wisdom, that's a variable that's coming next. And then the Shema is situated inside of that revelation. This is how we relate to the world we as Jews understand everything to be one everything to be connected at halftime and you will love. But like, that's not enough. It's not enough just to be aware of the oneness to have had revelation. No, there has to be a point it has to be going somewhere we have to do something with it. That's redemption. That's when we get to me ha ha, literally like golly, Israel and the blessing is golly, Israel Redeemer of Israel. But the point is liberation, there has to be a direction we are moving. And that is the direction of liberating ourselves and humanity and the world. Creation, Revelation redemption, and apparently that is, that is something you can see. It's like a fractal, throughout Jewish tradition in many, many places. We are in the creation blessing. This is universal. So that objection that the rabbi's have brought. And you can see, by the way, there's a we there are pages of that elaboration that go in between the pity fat and hajima, the opening and the closing of this blessing. We cut most of it out for the purposes of this online CDR. But you can see here like how many era when we sing this or when we say this, you light up the world and the heavens with kindness each day you renew them and make them good, these works of creation. This is in that theme. This is in that same theme of creation. So then, why on earth? Would we throw in basically out of nowhere? Or ha dash out CEO into IR? May a new light shine on Zion? And may we be worthy of its light? Bless it, are you I will have title now. Yotsuya Hmail wrote the creator of the lights, sort of like in the last blessing, it's it like reverts back to that focus on lights expansiveness. But they throw in this reference to Zion, May a new light shine on Zion. And so you can what what why would why would anybody who is a student of the construction of Jewish blessings object to putting Zion here in this blessing? Not a rhetorical question, honest question. It's not universal. Yeah, exactly. We haven't gotten to Revelation yet. We haven't gotten to the thing that is ours, our specific relationship with God, our Torah, our land, we haven't gotten there yet. So why are we sticking it in here feels very premature. And anything else? You know, I mean, that's what I was thinking. But anything else that are coming to mind?

Unknown Speaker  
When you say it on Shabbos, it's like, what do you call asking for something?

Unknown Speaker  
A request a Bucha. Che? Yeah, exactly.

Unknown Speaker  
Which you're not supposed to be doing?

Speaker 2  
Yeah, sure. Also, that it's sort of like, Wait, I thought we were blessing. I thought we were just praising here. But instead, no, it's sort of like, hey, you know, while we're at it, God, could you please, you know, it's like sticking in just a little request. Yes. And, and they were crafty about it actually, because, or ha dash, they they made it kind of fit thematically shine a new light, because this is a blessing about light. So God shine a new light on Zion, and may we be worthy of its light. In any case, when when I opened when I when I started speaking, I said like, I want to study this, because I actually do want to understand why at the end of the day, they left this here, because because at some point, somebody made a conscious choice not to be kind of thematic ly and intellectually consistent. But to leave this here, and I have to imagine that the reason why I mean at least one thing, I Oh, wait, Sarah, I'm reading here. When you say we haven't gotten there yet, like time is linear, whereas in Judaism time is often more cyclical. Yes, yes. Totally. Yes, Sarah, time is that was exactly what I was saying about creation, Revelation redemption, and that that's actually like, a cycle that we go through. But there are these like distinct phases within it, or are there but the way that this, the way that the service is constructed, is there is a blessing for creation, there is a blessing for revelation, we're about to do it. And then there is a blessing for redemption. And the objection to sticking this in here is that this feels like wait a second, this is in the wrong blessing. So I mean, what do we do, then as Jews, we've inherited texts, and then we spend our time trying to piece them apart, pick them apart and make sense of them. And so, so this prayer does stay here. Just the way that it's written. It's still it was still controversial in rashes time. Oh, that's interesting. Eric, all I knew that was that it was controversial. I didn't know kind of at what point it was added or became contrary, it's just interesting. But I think, you know, it reflects right now for me. The ways in which like when And when there's a place in the world, certainly a person, but a place in the world that you care so deeply about, that you feel is hurting, or that needs new light. Then, like you thinking about it all the time, you put it everywhere, everything sort of like relates to it every article you read every, you know, piece or piece of poetry, you know, Story movie Frozen to, you think, oh my gosh, this is about that place that I love. You know. And so here's this blessing that's about light and about the creation of light and the rabbi's sitting wherever they were in the world thought you know, this this special place for us hasn't yet been illuminated re illuminated since the Romans knocked it all down and exiled us and you know, the Year 70 May a new light shine there. As long as we're as long as we're praising God for the possibility of light each day. May a new light shine there. I can get behind that. I mean a man Yeah. So that people have a vision Zion for their future. Yes, yes. Felicia. Yeah. All right. And we move and we move into Revelation. Which of course we feel with the emotion of a Hava of love. Her Vera bath tiny I don't know. He knew I'm like a doula via Tara hamata Elena, you have given us a great love you have heaped upon us grace and compassion. Our parents or ruler are sovereign but avoid a volcano. Shabbat hooba Ha. On behalf of for the sake of our ancestors who trusted in you, but tell them damn Okay, Hi, I'm Ken to connect with Lambay No. Teach us cook a time. ways of living, life affirming ways Cainta funding it with lambino Teach us grace s. A venial have her aka man Hamra. hemraj femme Alina be merciful to us. Help us embody your mercy. A 10 Billy bein hula winola has skill Ishmael ll medulla medley, SJ more or less so it will look I am at call the rate I'm going to attack of the I have a place in our hearts the ability to have discernment. To understand one thing from another to use our intuition and intelligence to listen, to teach, to learn, to study to do to uphold all of the teachings of your Torah with love and error in a new light up our eyes. With your teachings. Deb Beckley beno Let our hearts cleave to your meats votes the Fed live of no bring our hearts together. Like I have that old era Hmm. to love and to revere to have are in the presence of your name. The lone devotionally LM the ad and we will never be ashamed keep a sham Concha hagadol the handle Robert Agnew like 11 Nice mahabir Shiota Ha, let us rejoice and be grateful in your deliverance. And I want to invite anybody who you're thinking about for healing prayer, as we gather the four corners of our Tsetse at imagining like gathering everyone who needs a prayer who needs to be held in safety and in love and in a sense of unity and collectiveness and support to be held. Oh Cindy, I'm sorry. Yes, praying for you.

Speaker 2  
Praying for the safe return of every soldier getting called up praying for no more civilian casualties, praying for hostages to be returned. Praying for us to be able to speak to each other with love and with respect.

Unknown Speaker  
Praying for all the folks in this Minion

Speaker 2  
the heavy angel in the shallow Arbor can FOTA IRAs but totally fine no commute the art saying who? Ke l poll you should have that title vulnerable vitamin colon Villa Sean Vokera Putana Lucien ca cloud How to Celebrate I met the whole Dhokla cloud Lea fed HA HA HA HA by rule ha I don't I

Unknown Speaker  
have Oh Claire but I'm always throw a bit ah ha ha

Unknown Speaker  
Shema Israel I don't know Halloween I don't know

Speaker 2  
that I have eight I don't know haha the whole love of the whole at NAB shall have the whole metadata there how you had very much a there? Share I know he meets up ha ha yo malaba She Lanta and living near Haverty bar to bomb. But she had a cup of a data overload for the Harvard era shuffled out of coma, or Showtime they are your data by Yoli talked about being a NASA booked after armas is old beta alpha v Sharrah. Yeah. While we're fleshly, man to everybody you mentioned. And Casey, thank you for mentioning everyone in Maine. It's that was such a sort of jarring moment yesterday to listen to a headline. That was another tragic headline, but just completely out of left field given the headlines that I've been obsessed with over the last three weeks. And so yes, praying for everybody in Maine. Yeah, Sarah wrote here thinking out loud about the question I raised earlier, our Jewish liturgy is a replacement for the temple service, right? The answer is yes. If you didn't know that, once upon a time to connect with God, Jews went to the temple and brought a turtle dove or a pigeon or a goat or something, and the priest would sacrifice it. And then with the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, we stopped doing animal sacrifice. I'm glad about that. I'm not sad about us not doing that anymore. But nonetheless, they had to create a whole service of ODA. Like literally worship before it was called EVO Tao. What we do here is called EVO da, this is Abba Dasha Bell Labs service of the heart. And so she said, coming out of the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem, it kind of makes sense that the tug and the struggle for Zion would be intertwined hard to get away from even if it's not part of the intended prayer structure hard to get away from so we're gonna go now into Cadiz Shia tome, because of course, I can't stay. I can't just do it. 30 minutes service. You know, it always ends up being a few minutes longer. I'm sorry. I feel like today actually, here at 834 We're doing pretty well. So thank you bearing remembering your mom and

Unknown Speaker  
Lauren say that Feldman, my mother

Speaker 2  
and David Rose. Anyone else people are remembering this morning. You'll see glimmer? We've actually we've, you know, the more folks I talked to in our community, the more I am learning. This person has an ex husband whose niece was killed in one of the kibbutz is this you know, person has a cousin who was called up in the reserves and was one of the first people who got killed in Gaza. And so I just I really want to hold the reality of all of the relationships right now that I know this seems like a big headline over there. But this is a degree of separation away for many of us. Jim props mom who died yesterday, Andrew Clark, Uncle Arthur R and Ben Mordecai. Yes, Glenn's mom Muriel Kornbluth. Anyone else there anybody who would like to lead us in Congress this morning

Speaker 4  
I would do it okay Admiral. It could Alveus be it could Ashley rubber meet Alma the brass who retired me and with my forte but Hi phone have you maps on site as a whole base Roebuck I love was minecart up Maru mee, mee. Mee Rabbim for athletes follow me on my youth Baroque fish to bath be Romain Viet Savior her Darby to Libya to allows me to go to Sharpe ratio who Leila be called your hot tub is your touch. Hot tub in a hot tub the mirror I'm beyond mom be remote. You Maru me Hey Schlemmer Robert Mitchum, I have hired emmalin Have y'all call us rail they may also show me my mom who we are I say Shalom I'll call you Israel the MARUO che type out T that the Maru AMI

Speaker 2  
and then a man may their memories be blessings every one of them

Unknown Speaker  
well,

Speaker 2  
if you want to see something life affirming you know in the in the spirit of Am Yisrael Hi, Mike, are our people goes on. I will show you my son teaching my daughter to read the first line of this week's parsha he is six he can barely read English, but as part of his day school curriculum. They have the first graders learn a line of Torah. And so this is his week. And after I get off minion with you, I'm going to go to school and watch my kid read to her for the first time. So here you go, ready? Let's see if you can hear it.

Speaker 5  
And math Sahaj OB Marathi Cefa Nemo logic Jaffa only bei me de IV ha ve l ha read all edge us share our Raqqa shell

Unknown Speaker  
There you go. That's the first verse of this week's Torah portion.

Rabbi Lizzi Heydemann  
You've been listening to contact high a production of Mishkan Chicago. If you were inspired or informed by this episode, please leave us a five star rating on Apple podcasts so that others can encounter our work. And if you appreciate what Mishkan is doing, I invite you to join as a builder or make a donation on our website at Mishcon chicago.org Shabbat shalom.