Avihu shabbat biography of michael

But innovation is also a key part of Jewish life and renewal over the centuries. Rabbi Jacobs encourages us to think about how we can continue to reboot and rekindle Jewish life.

Avihu shabbat biography of michael: The first place I

Each week Rabbi Rick Jacobs, the president of the Union for Reform Judaism, shares a little bit about the weekly Torah portion in about 10 minutes or less. This week, rabbi Jacobs teaches us about Parashat Sh'mini and asks about change, when it is dangerous and when it is necessary. And in chapter 10 of the book of Leviticus is the following narrative, which can never be read or heard without a reaction.

So, it's a story of Nadav and Avihu. These are two sons of Aaron the High Priest. What we've heard at the very opening of Sh'mini is that they're ordained in an elaborate celebration of their leadership as the first generation of priests who will officiate in the portable praying place that our ancestors built in the desert and carried with them.

And this is the ritual that they performed. And offered an esh zaraha strange fire before the eternal, which God commanded them not. And there went out a fire from the Eternal and devoured them. And they died before the Eternal. Then Moses said to Aaron, this is what the Eternal spoke saying, I will sanctify-- I will be sanctified in them that come near to me.

And before all the people I will be glorified.

Avihu shabbat biography of michael: Lesson 1: Bereishit | The Creation

And Aaron was silent. So, we have this narrative. It's their first day on the sacred job of officiating in the ancient Tabernacle. And on their first day they do something that's so egregious, something so sinful, something so wrong, that they are consumed in fire in the midst of their first day on the job. Can I just, like, say something?

When I was first ordained, I thought about this portion. I thought, oh, my gosh. What if I do something wrong? You know, I read the wrong prayer in the wrong order on the wrong day. And, you know, it's not an easy message. Or, what do I say to the bar or bat mitzvah who has this portion? If you make a little mistake nothing terrible will happen!

Did you read the portion? Something terrible happens in the portion. But it actually is a profound teaching, and one that needs some unpacking. So, let's go to it. So, what is the actual sin? This strange fire? This esh zarah? What is it? Now, some of the commentators say, well, what probably happened is that Nadav and Avihu were drunk.

They got inebriated.

Avihu shabbat biography of michael: In this baraita Rabbi

That's what they did on their first day. Either they were so joyful for the celebration, or they were so nervous about this new role that they got drunk. And what they did was simply doing something that wasn't commanded, because they were literally out of their mind[s] with the alcohol. It turns out that there are others who have said, no, that's too simplistic a reading.

But this really has nothing to do with him. Well, maybe not nothing. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Avihu shabbat biography of michael: Born and raised in

Type your email…. Continue reading. My old friend Dr. Michael Chigel tagged me on Facebook this morning with his remarkably kind and generous unsolicited review of Torah from the Years of Wrath. He holds a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Toronto, awarded for an exceptionally deep dissertation on the Book of Job, speaks and reads about a dozen languages, and is especially au courant with twentieth-century thought on the Holocaust and Jewish philosophy.

Mike and I go back a long time. His review should certainly be viewed within this context. Looking a little deeper, however, I reflected on the composition—you, the reader, sandwiched between the hoary tradition of Midrash Rabbah and Gemara behind you and a paperback volume on the Holocaust. He was a parish priest for a few years before being sent to the University of St.

Joseph in BeirutLebanon, to study Arabic language and literature. Shortly thereafter, he became director of schools for the Latin Patriarchate. He served in that position until the Arab-Israeli war in Sabbah then moved to Djibouti to teach Arabic and Islamic studies untilwhen he began doctoral studies in Arabic philology at the Sorbonne. Inhe was named President of the Bethlehem University.

Sabbah resigned as Patriarch on 19 Marchafter reaching the age of 75, the age of retirement. Sabbah served as the Grand Prior of the chivalric Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalemone of the knightly orders founded in Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read Edit View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version.

In other projects.