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April 28, 2023 (7 Iyar 5783) Parshiyoth Acharei Mot/Kedoshim
Dear Friends, I hope this correspondence finds you doing well and in good health. Please join us in the sanctuary this Saturday morning at 10:15am for our weekly Shabbat services, which will also be available on our regular Zoom prayer link. The name of the first Parasha this week is Acharei Mot, which discusses the aftermath of the untimely death of Aaron, the High Priest’s, sons. The name of the second Parasha, Kedoshim, as its name suggests, deals with the philosophy and practices related to Kedusha, or holiness. The first Parasha resonates with me today, as I share with you that this past week, my family and I observed the ninth Yartzheit of my twin brother, Joel. It is hard to believe that almost a decade has passed since his tragic passing. We are, nonetheless, grateful that his children are well; two of them are engaged and shortly to be married. The youngest is only 10, so we wait on her engagement! In honor of the solemn occasion, our family was blessed by the Zoom-presence of our childhood friend, Rabbi Ron Muroff, who shared a Hasidic teaching. (I will tell you more about Ron at another time. He is one of the 36 righteous people that keep God’s world afloat.) As background, Ron shared a text of Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, who was the first Piaseczner Rebbe. Born in 1889 to a renowned Hasidic family, he was appointed in his early twenties as rabbi of Piaseczno, near Warsaw. There, he established the Yeshiva Da'at Moshe in 1923. He was passionate about education, stressing positive methods that would create connection and joy, and he authored several important educational works. Imprisoned in the Warsaw Ghetto, he took an active role in supporting Jewish life. Rabbi Shapira was murdered in a mass shooting in the Trawniki work camp on November 3, 1943. His manuscripts were later discovered, buried in a milk canister in the ghetto. Rabbi Shapira taught in one of his writings, called The Embodied Aspects of Torah Study, the following inspirational challenge, which I will paraphrase (in Italic): “What must we give to Torah? Ourselves! It should not be that we stand outside of it and look upon Torah, but rather that we give our entire selves to Torah and enter our entire souls into Torah.” My brother was entirely devoted to Torah with every aspect of his being. He believed in study, the power of preaching, and the power of the word accompanied by the power of deeds. He was one of the first Rabbis in the country who established a Midnight Run program, taking privileged teens from their luxurious suburban homes to care for the homeless in the slums of New York City. From the moment he awoke until he slept, his adult life was about sharing the richness of learning and doing Torah. “For the one poor in awareness, who stands outside and only looks at the Torah with his eyes of intellect, does not feel any excitement or fervor of holiness of the Torah experience.” My brother’s unique pulpit style involved identifying a specific Torah commentator at the beginning of the year and then weaving the words of that scholar into each of his own weekly sermons. He would always acknowledge the historical figure by saying, for example, in a dramatic voice, “As noted 16th Century Spanish Talmudic commentator Obadiah Bartenura would say…” He would then use that phrase and go on to highlight that intellectual for 52 straight weeks! Trust me, it is very difficult to extract wisdom from any ancient personality and tie it to the weekly reading week after week, but he did it. He would joke, “By the end of the year, my congregants may not remember what the guy said, but they will sure know who that dude was!” Rabbi Joel was blessed with the mind to stand on the outside of the Torah exclusively with the eyes of the intellect, but he chose to do so much more. “After all, the delight that derives from this excitement and enthusiasm is the delight of the Garden of Eden. And to experience fully the Garden, you must place yourself fully within its midst. When one learns with one’s intellect and with one’s full self and full soul, one uncovers not only the mysteries of Torah but the mysteries of self. According to the effort that one gives to Torah, the Torah gives in return to the person.” From the beginning of his pulpit career in Elmira, New York, to his tenure in Tampa, Florida, Joel devoted self and soul to building and enriching Jewish community. Whether on the pulpit preaching, in chambers counselling, on the basketball court sweating, or even at karaoke events singing, each ounce of his life-force was driven to make the world a better and holier place. While the effort was immense, the results were magnificent. “The one who gives mind, body, heart, and soul to the Torah, merits the Torah of the World to Come.” Joel led numerous trips to Eretz Yisrael, where he found the greatest of סיפוק נפש or fulfillment of the soul. His eldest daughter, Ayala, has visited close to twenty times. His middle daughter, Shira, lived there for two years. His son, Yoni, has frequented the Holy Land. And, his youngest, Nahara, lived there for almost a year. The holiness of Israel allowed the fullest expression of Joel’s mind, body, heart, and soul, all of which found their fullest expression, being closest to Hashem in Israel. Finally, when I look back at my brother’s accomplishments in the rabbinate, in Torah, in family, and in community, I cannot help but picture in my mind the Ark in the sanctuary of the synagogue in Florida that he built. As you can see in the photo, above the eternal light, in sparkling letters of gold, reads the inscription of Psalm 100, עִבְד֣וּ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֣ה בְּשִׂמְחָ֑ה, Serve God with Joy. Rabbi Shapira would be proud. The Psalmist would be proud. We are proud. While Rabbi Joel’s life here on earth was short of years, it was full of passion for religious education, sharing positivity for Judaism, creating connection in synagogue community, and never missing a day to create the joy of Torah through fullness of presence. We know that, as the Piaseczner Rebbe taught, my brother’s soul will surely merit its own Torah of the World to Come. Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Eric L. Wasser, EdD, Hon.DM
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