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August 18, 2023 (1 Elul 5783) Parashat Shoftim - Greetings from an Elder - 103 & Counting!
Dear Friends, I hope this correspondence finds you doing well and enjoying the last few weeks of the summer season. We invite you, as always, to join us for our Shabbat morning services, which will take place this Saturday morning at 10:15am in our sanctuary and over the regular Zoom prayer link. We would like to thank Annette and Laura Ashkenazi for sponsoring the Kiddush, this Shabbat morning, in appreciation of our community, before they relocate to Florida. Annette and Laura have only been members of our Shul for a few years and have been a regular presence at services since we reopened for services. We wish them much Mazel for their relocation. In this week’s Torah portion, we read of one of the biblical designations for community leaders, the Shoftim, or judges. While this terminology is somewhat self-explanatory, it is of note that the Torah text has diverse nomenclature for individuals representing a myriad of community leadership roles. The sensitive reader of the text, therefore, may ask for a distinction of similar textual terms such as Nasi (head), Sar (prince), Nagid (leader), Menasseach (supervisor), Chacham (wise one) and even, Zakan (elder). It is said that the most frequently occurring of these terms is the Hebrew term, שר, which is used 381 times in the Bible. This term is used to denote many types of leaders, from tribal chiefs (Judges 5:15) to noble or royal figures (Jer. 26:11), to priestly officers (Ezra 8: 24), to officials of many different offices within a functioning court bureaucracy (Gen 40:2). (You likely recall this term from the Joseph Saga.) A second frequently occurring Hebrew term, נשיא, can likewise be translated as “leader.” This term, derived from the verb Nāśā, and thus having the connotation of being lifted up, chosen, or elected, is used 128 times in the Bible. The term is used to refer to leaders of tribes (Num. 34:18), leaders of the community (Josh 9:18), leaders of Israel (1 Kings 8:1), and other offices related to the governing of a people. (You likely recall this term from Parashat Naso, which describes the dedication of tribal gifts for the dedication of Temple.) A third Hebrew term, נגיד, implies “one who models behavior,” and is used in three primary ways throughout the Bible. It can refer to generic leadership, whether within the military (1 Chr 13:1) or the Temple staff (1 Chr 9:20). The term can also be used in construct with a noun to denote a specific office, such as leader of the palace or leader of the House of God. (This term occurs only a handful of times and therefore, I do not expect you to recall it!) The fourth term, מנצח, is found throughout the Psalm texts and represents someone in charge and often refers to the “conductor” of the Levitical chorus and Temple instrumentalists. With all that said, the term Elder, זקן, is best known and can be found cross-culturally throughout the religious world (certainly both within Judaism and Christianity). In Jewish tradition, an Elder refers to wisdom and maturity fashioned though the crucible of years of experience, learning, and life. In Christian tradition, a church elder is a person who has spiritual authority in the church. In simplest terms, a church elder is a long-time church member, typically older, who is there to offer guidance and mentorship for fellow members of a congregation. An Elder, may also refer to a male missionary, who is entrusted to spread the good word of the religion. The title of Elder, in the New Testament, refers to leaders and rulers of a community or heads of households. Here, the Christian church followed the Jewish tradition of appointing more mature men of wisdom as church elders. This week I had the opportunity to visit, in person, with one of our most mature, wise, and elderly congregants, Harry Spiser. I would like to refer to him as CBIOTP’s community Elder, or Zakan. Harry celebrated his 103rd birthday this past April! Harry, who has been a member of the Fort Lee Jewish community for decades, was married to his beloved wife, Edith, for 70 years and is blessed with one son and two grandchildren. He is also blessed with remarkable physical condition that allows him to live totally independently, to hear well, and to be quite ambulatory. Harry is also cognitively acute and reads the New York Times daily. Emotionally, he follows the adage of the Mishna in Pirkei Avoth, which stipulates that the key to contentment is to rejoice in one’s portion. Harry watches Friday Night and Shabbat morning services each and every week on a large screen TV, but due to visual impairments, he does not expect to be able to attend High Holiday services this year. As we approach the High Holy Days, I would like to share with you some perspectives that Harry shared with me regarding American and Jewish life:
Following the words and thoughts of our respected Elder, I wish you all a Shanna Tova U’Metuka for the upcoming year of 5784. May we all follow Harry’s example and be blessed and inscribed in Hashem’s Book for a long and meaningful life! Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Eric L. Wasser, EdD, Hon.DM
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