Torah Portion

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BECOME A MORE EFFECTIVE JEW?

Come and hear

Rabbi Matthew Futterman

Jewish Theological Seminary Scholar-in-Residence

Seven Habits for Becoming a More Effective Jew:
An Application of the Works of Stephen Covey

Monday, October 30, 2000
8:00 - 9:30 p:rn.

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For more information, please contact Debbie Ornstein at the
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Shemini Atzeret, Like Torah,
Views Eternity, Not History

brate with the Torah — are holidays
that transcend time. They are called
Atzeret or stoppage, for they con-
clude our historical exercise and
vault us into a different dimension.
An all-night vigil of Shavuot; ecstat-
ic dancing on Simchat Torah — each
in its own way takes us beyond time
and space, and into the eternal realm
of Torah.
The number eight signifies the
hen I entered rabbinical
completion of history and the onset
school, I assumed that
of redemption. Each of these cele-
Jewish history would be
brations of Torah comes after the
my favorite subject. I
historical experience of
had learned that a Firm
seven (days, and weeks).
grasp of the past was neces-
The Zohar teaches istak-
sary to grapple intelligently
boraita ubara alma (God
with the present and to
consulted the Torah, and
plan for the future.
created the world). This
I was surprised, however,
mystical claim is based
to find myself more
upon Proverbs 3:19, Adonai
inclined to delve into study-
b'chochma yasad aretz (The
ing primary texts ahistori-
Lord founded the earth
cally, and less interested in
upon wisdom).
their abstract analysis from
This radical notion
RABBI DANIEL
the clinical distance of a
indicates
that the light of
NEVINS
historian.
Torah
was
prior to all else,
Special to the
Perhaps this explains my
even to the creation of our
Jewish News
fascination with the two
universe. By this reckon-
Jewish festivals that bear
ing, history unfolds
the title Atzeret or "stoppage" —
through Torah, rather than the
Shavuot and Shemini Atzeret. Both
opposite. The light of Torah endures
festivals follow immediately after our
beyond the narrow band of experi-
great sustained historical reenact-
ence, which we call history,.
ments. Passover is the historical
My movement, Conservative
backdrop for Shavuot, which trails it
Judaism, was for a time known as
by seven weeks. Sukkot is the histori-
the "positive historical school," and
cal backdrop for Shemini Atzeret,
many of our leaders have been
which trails it by seven days.
trained historians. The historical
Seven is, of course, the biblical
perspective is a necessary tool, but it
marker for historical time — from
is also insufficient for fostering love
creation through redemption, time
of Torah.
comes in cycles of seven. Seven days
Sometimes, we must embrace the
of creation, seven weeks of counting
Torah in its entirety, rather than
the omer, a seventh month (Tishrei)
analyzing it for all of its sources and
of festivals, seven years until a sab-
layers. We must move from the
batical and seven cycles of seven
realm of history to the realm of eter-
years yield a jubilee.
nity, from Sukkot to Shemini
True to their nature, the seven-
Atzeret, in order to experience true
day festivals of Passover and Sukkot
love of Torah.
are rich in ritual and reenactment,
Having risen to the heights of
effectively allowing us to feel present
insight, we can then return to regular
in the past. They are celebrations of
time and experience, recharged by the
history.
celebration of a Torah beyond time. E
But after we've passed through the
Jewish time warp; after we've reen-
tered the exhilarating era of the our
birth as a nation; after all that ritual
— then we enter a new dimension,
Shemini Atzeret and Shavuot are
where history recedes and timeless
devoid of all props aside from
Torah emerges.
the Torah itself. Would these
Shavuot, the festival of revelation,
holidays be more popular if they
and Shemini Atzeret, when we cele-
had more ritual? Can you sug-
gest a Shemini Atzeret ritual?

Shabbat Shemini Atzeret:
Deuteronomy
14:22-16:17;
Numbers 29:35-30:1;
I Kings 8:54-66

IV

Conversations

Daniel Nevins is a rabbi at Adat
Shalom Synagogue.

Ak:NWAWN