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By: Rabbi Fred Morgan AM, Rabbi Emeritus,
Temple Beth Israel
, Melbourne, Australia and Professorial Fellow,
Australian Catholic University
In terms of Jewish liturgical practices relating to the reading from the Torah, this Shabbat is one of the most complicated. It is, first of all,
Shabbat Tazri’a. Tazri’a
, one of two portions from the Book of Leviticus that deal with the topic of
tzara’at
, usually (mis)translated as “leprosy,” is the weekly portion for this Shabbat in the annual cycle of readings from Torah.
But this week is also
Shabbat Hachodesh
. “
Hachodesh
” is the last of four special Torah readings that range over the weeks that overlap Purim and precede Pesach. The other special Shabbatot, now past for this year, are
Shekalim, Zachor
and
Parah
. These four special readings focus our attention on themes relating to the period as well as the festival of Pesach.
Shekalim
relates to the Temple taxes that were to be paid at the beginning of Nisan; it is read at least a month in advance as a reminder, like the letter that modern-day tax offices send out in advance of the due date to alert us to prepare our tax returns (this seems to be universal practice across our diverse World Union!).
Zachor
reminds us of the Amalekites, a Godless nation who opportunistically attacked the weak rear-guard of the Jewish people as we came out of Egypt and began to cross the wilderness. In the Book of Esther, Haman is described as a descendent of Amalek.
Parah
gives us directions for a ritual involving the burning of a red heifer (
parah adumah
); its ashes were to be dissolved in water and used to purify the sacrificiants who had come into contact with corpses during the year and needed to be purified in order to bring their Pesach lambs into the sanctuary for sacrifice. Finally,
Hachodesh
recounts the command to the Jewish people while still in Egypt to establish a ritual calendar, with the month of Nisan, the spring month (
aviv
) and the month in which Pesach falls, as the first month of the Jewish year. This is the very first mitzvah in Torah that is charged to the whole of the Jewish people, and not an individual. In a profound sense, the shared marking of sacred seasons creates the community of Israel.
By adding these special readings to our liturgy we heighten the anticipation of Pesach and at the same time bring to the surface the deep memory of Jewish tradition that set the readings in the first place. They are considered so important to the liturgy of this period that we not only add them to our Torah recitation, but we also replace the haftarot with prophetic readings that capture similar themes for each of these special weeks.
Yet, that is not all. This Shabbat is also
Rosh Chodesh
, the beginning of the Hebrew month of Nisan. Though
Rosh Chodesh
also involves an additional Torah reading and a special haftarah, it is not to be confused with the “
Hachodesh
” reading that we’ve just explained. Tradition marks every
Rosh Chodesh
through the year with an additional reading from the Torah and the Prophets, as well as the inclusion of a special prayer in the
T’filah
and the recitation of an abbreviated “
Hallel
” (Psalms 113-118). By a calendrical coincidence, this
Shabbat Hachodesh
is also
Rosh Chodesh
.
The upshot of all these details is that, in many synagogues of a traditional bent around the world (whether Orthodox, Reform, Progressive, Masorti or any other type), this Shabbat will see three Torah scrolls taken out from the Ark, processed and read before the congregation: one for
Tazri’a
, the second for Hachodesh and the third for
Rosh Chodesh
. As a result, those synagogues that follow traditional custom will be able to experience a relatively rare and especially impactful occasion surrounding the Torah. Each of the three readings highlights a different dimension of Jewish life.
The fact that ours is a self-consciously progressive movement does not in itself make such rituals any less meaningful for us, and this Shabbat, with its triad of Torah readings, is a good opportunity to reflect on that. Too often, when we introduce traditional elements into our synagogue regimen – whether it be taking multiple scrolls from the Ark, or introducing more Hebrew into the service, or any of a myriad of other examples – we are accused by some members of the community of “making the
shul
more Orthodox.”
I’m never sure what such a comment is supposed to mean. On the one hand, there’s a great deal in traditional Orthodox practice that we, too, can appreciate. There is no reason why we should allow Orthodoxy as a “movement” to claim sole possession of some of the most evocative elements of our tradition. The genius of Progressive Judaism is that we are encouraged to reflect on which of these traditional elements enhance our Jewish experience and which undermine or impair it, and then build up our portrait of Jewish life accordingly.
On the other hand, at its most extreme to be Orthodox means to hold to a certain rigid and uncompromising attitude towards inherited norms; to put principles ahead of people out of a fear that, if one norm of behaviour is altered to allow for difference, the whole edifice will come tumbling down. This attitude leads to interminable fence-building and hurtful protectionism. But it is precisely the rejection of this
attitude
, and not the acceptance or rejection of
specific ritual behaviours
, which sets Progressive Judaism apart.
In this attitudinal sense it is possible for Reform Jews to display an orthodox outlook as much as, and sometimes even more than, some of those who belong to Orthodox synagogues. I’ve met many “Orthodox Reform” Jews in my time. They see no place for the re-introduction of traditional rituals such as multiple scroll readings on the special Shabbatot or an increase in the amount of Hebrew used in our worship, because “our founders did away with such things” and what our founders put in place is right for all time.
In reality, our tradition is rich with discarded or “
outmoded
” rituals that are revived to take on new meanings for later eras. To me, this is what the “progressive” in Progressive Judaism is all about. It sees Judaism as an ever-turning kaleidoscope of meaning, and I have no problem in looking to the past in order to enrich our present experience. Reading from three scrolls on this Shabbat is exactly that.
By: Rabbi Fred Morgan AM, Rabbi Emeritus,
Temple Beth Israel
, Melbourne, Australia and Professorial Fellow,
Australian Catholic University
In terms of Jewish liturgical practices relating to the reading from the Torah, this Shabbat is one of the most complicated. It is, first of all,
Shabbat Tazri’a. Tazri’a
, one of two portions from the Book of Leviticus that deal with the topic of
tzara’at
, usually (mis)translated as “leprosy,” is the weekly portion for this Shabbat in the annual cycle of readings from Torah.
But this week is also
Shabbat Hachodesh
. “
Hachodesh
” is the last of four special Torah readings that range over the weeks that overlap Purim and precede Pesach. The other special Shabbatot, now past for this year, are
Shekalim, Zachor
and
Parah
. These four special readings focus our attention on themes relating to the period as well as the festival of Pesach.
Shekalim
relates to the Temple taxes that were to be paid at the beginning of Nisan; it is read at least a month in advance as a reminder, like the letter that modern-day tax offices send out in advance of the due date to alert us to prepare our tax returns (this seems to be universal practice across our diverse World Union!).
Zachor
reminds us of the Amalekites, a Godless nation who opportunistically attacked the weak rear-guard of the Jewish people as we came out of Egypt and began to cross the wilderness. In the Book of Esther, Haman is described as a descendent of Amalek.
Parah
gives us directions for a ritual involving the burning of a red heifer (
parah adumah
); its ashes were to be dissolved in water and used to purify the sacrificiants who had come into contact with corpses during the year and needed to be purified in order to bring their Pesach lambs into the sanctuary for sacrifice. Finally,
Hachodesh
recounts the command to the Jewish people while still in Egypt to establish a ritual calendar, with the month of Nisan, the spring month (
aviv
) and the month in which Pesach falls, as the first month of the Jewish year. This is the very first mitzvah in Torah that is charged to the whole of the Jewish people, and not an individual. In a profound sense, the shared marking of sacred seasons creates the community of Israel.
By adding these special readings to our liturgy we heighten the anticipation of Pesach and at the same time bring to the surface the deep memory of Jewish tradition that set the readings in the first place. They are considered so important to the liturgy of this period that we not only add them to our Torah recitation, but we also replace the haftarot with prophetic readings that capture similar themes for each of these special weeks.
Yet, that is not all. This Shabbat is also
Rosh Chodesh
, the beginning of the Hebrew month of Nisan. Though
Rosh Chodesh
also involves an additional Torah reading and a special haftarah, it is not to be confused with the “
Hachodesh
” reading that we’ve just explained. Tradition marks every
Rosh Chodesh
through the year with an additional reading from the Torah and the Prophets, as well as the inclusion of a special prayer in the
T’filah
and the recitation of an abbreviated “
Hallel
” (Psalms 113-118). By a calendrical coincidence, this
Shabbat Hachodesh
is also
Rosh Chodesh
.
The upshot of all these details is that, in many synagogues of a traditional bent around the world (whether Orthodox, Reform, Progressive, Masorti or any other type), this Shabbat will see three Torah scrolls taken out from the Ark, processed and read before the congregation: one for
Tazri’a
, the second for Hachodesh and the third for
Rosh Chodesh
. As a result, those synagogues that follow traditional custom will be able to experience a relatively rare and especially impactful occasion surrounding the Torah. Each of the three readings highlights a different dimension of Jewish life.
The fact that ours is a self-consciously progressive movement does not in itself make such rituals any less meaningful for us, and this Shabbat, with its triad of Torah readings, is a good opportunity to reflect on that. Too often, when we introduce traditional elements into our synagogue regimen – whether it be taking multiple scrolls from the Ark, or introducing more Hebrew into the service, or any of a myriad of other examples – we are accused by some members of the community of “making the
shul
more Orthodox.”
I’m never sure what such a comment is supposed to mean. On the one hand, there’s a great deal in traditional Orthodox practice that we, too, can appreciate. There is no reason why we should allow Orthodoxy as a “movement” to claim sole possession of some of the most evocative elements of our tradition. The genius of Progressive Judaism is that we are encouraged to reflect on which of these traditional elements enhance our Jewish experience and which undermine or impair it, and then build up our portrait of Jewish life accordingly.
On the other hand, at its most extreme to be Orthodox means to hold to a certain rigid and uncompromising attitude towards inherited norms; to put principles ahead of people out of a fear that, if one norm of behaviour is altered to allow for difference, the whole edifice will come tumbling down. This attitude leads to interminable fence-building and hurtful protectionism. But it is precisely the rejection of this
attitude
, and not the acceptance or rejection of
specific ritual behaviours
, which sets Progressive Judaism apart.
In this attitudinal sense it is possible for Reform Jews to display an orthodox outlook as much as, and sometimes even more than, some of those who belong to Orthodox synagogues. I’ve met many “Orthodox Reform” Jews in my time. They see no place for the re-introduction of traditional rituals such as multiple scroll readings on the special Shabbatot or an increase in the amount of Hebrew used in our worship, because “our founders did away with such things” and what our founders put in place is right for all time.
In reality, our tradition is rich with discarded or “
outmoded
” rituals that are revived to take on new meanings for later eras. To me, this is what the “progressive” in Progressive Judaism is all about. It sees Judaism as an ever-turning kaleidoscope of meaning, and I have no problem in looking to the past in order to enrich our present experience. Reading from three scrolls on this Shabbat is exactly that.