NEWSLETTER, MAR. 9, 2020

SHALOM!

The world is topsy-turvy. This week we have felt that acutely. We have joyfully celebrated our conclusion of the Talmudic Book of Berachot, but our hearts have also fallen over the news of the thousands of deaths due to coronavirus. We have seen glorious weather after the rains, but have been aware of the news of the devastating tornado that ripped through Tennessee. And wherever you are on the political spectrum, this has been another week of turbulence.

 

Tonight, we begin the holiday of Purim which tells the topsy turvy tale found in the Book of Esther (known as the Megillah!). Briefly, a Jewish woman named Esther is chosen by the King to become his Queen. However, the King’s wicked advisor named Haman is incensed when Esther’s uncle Mordecai refuses to bow to him. Because of this Haman convinces the King to decree a day to exterminate the Jews. Esther realizes she needs to come out to her husband, the King, to save her people. She does and the Jews are saved!

 

Purim is celebrated with unbridled joy and celebration where halachically, people are told to get so drunk they can’t tell the difference between Wicked Haman and Good Mordecai. (Note: please don’t do this). But because of this, the whole holiday of Purim is a reminder that the world is wonky. 

 

As we experience these tectonic shifts (yes, even literally as there was an earthquake in Northern California this past week), we rely on our spiritual strength throughout. For some people that is found in friends, for some it is in music. For others it is in faith in God, or regular study or family. 

 

Whatever your constant is, may it fortify you for years to come!

 

Together we’re #keepingitsacred

CORONAVIRUS: 

 

This week my family cancelled a trip we had been meticulously planning for 2 years. It was to Italy. 

 

Yes, Coronavirus knocked out our plans. As of writing this article there are 550 confirmed cases in the US. With testing soon becoming more prevalent, we can expect the number of confirmed cases to expand this week. 

 

I get the chills thinking about the conferences that people attended while sick. AIPAC, CPAC, etc. Schools are closing and conferences like SXSW are shutting down. Big box retail stores are running out of cleaners- their shelves are empty. 

 

Congregations are closing their doors, too. They have cancelled or modified Shabbat services, Purim programming, Bar Mitzvahs. A bar mitzvah hosted online via Zoom just made it to the front page of CNN.com. The mother of the bar mitzvah boy reminded him of the old adage, “when life gives you lemons, adapt.”

 

We are painfully aware of what we can do physically to prevent the spread. 

 

Take precautions. 

Practice social distancing. 

Disenfect. 

Wash hands. 

Don’t kiss Torahs or Mezuzot. 

Pre-cut challah and serve with gloves. 

 

But how do we prepare spiritually for something like this?

 

Here is a question I learned to ask- it was taught by my advisor when I was a chaplain at UCLA medical center 13 years ago and has stuck with me. 

 

When you’ve done what you can to prevent what you can, but your wheels continue to spin with worry, the question to ask is “what is your theology here?”

 

That is, what is meant for you on a meta level? 

 

Are you worried that you might be punished with coronavirus for bad behavior? (Don’t laugh, an Israeli rabbi just blamed coronavirus on the LGBT Pride parades). 

 

Are you concerned that God created the world and left and there is no order, so coronavirus points to that chaos that you’re now subjected to?

 

Does God need you to pray for protection for you and your loved ones?

 

Do you believe that God has a plan and nothing you could do could save you if you’re meant to be afflicted or afflict you if you’re meant to be saved?

 

This is where I remember that saying to “work like everything depends on you to make a difference but pray as if that’s the only way.” 

 

My personal orientation toward coronavirus is rooted in the fact that I have some serious lung conditions. So, Melissa and I are erring on the side of caution. We are doing all the things we can do to stay safer, including practicing some extended social distancing. But after we do what we can within reason, my theology reminds me that ultimately, whatever happens is what is meant to be by The Divine orchestrator of life. In the end, I rely on God to lead my path. 

 

After all we learned just this past week, in the Babylonian Talmud, Berachot 64, that, 

“One who forces time, 

time will force him. 

One who yields to time, 

time will yield before him.”

 

To me, this reads like: don’t force things. When you do, things become harder. 

 

But if you go with the flow (of time), time yields to you. 

 

It’s like a saying I often use in my own life: ride the wave. Adapt to the lifts and falls in the contours of the wave. 

 

Or, like the principle we each learned when we were young: when you sit and watch the clock and wait for time to pass it feels like it takes longer. But if you resolve not to think about it and let it master you, it yields to you.

 

We have to do our due diligence and take precautions but ultimately, the world is out of our control and all we can do is pray. 

 

The other truth that has come to light in the wake of the outbreak is the undeniable truth of the butterfly effect. Now we KNOW: When a butterfly flaps its wings in China it can cause a tornado halfway around the world. When an illness breaks out in China, it affects the entire world and its inhabitants. The world is connected. We are connected. For better or worse. 

PHOTOS

Social media is such a powerful tool of connection. I especially love life updates from dear ones. Recently, Steven and Don sent me these amazing photos from their wedding a couple of years ago. You can feel the joy right out of the photos. 

CONCLUDING BERACHOT

This week, we marked the conclusion of the study of the tractate called Berachot— Blessings! There were some truly wonderful and enriching teachings in this tractate.

 

For example:

Blessings for all kinds of things  like seeing rainbows or lightening or an unusual looking person. 

 

There are great stories like the first one where Rabbi Gamliel’s kids come home late from a party and wonder if they’d missed their window of time to recite the shema. 

 

There were nuggets on how to treat ritual objects around the bathroom and in general how to use the bathroom in the most respectable way, including which way to face relative to the Temple. 

 

But my most favorite texts centered around Torah study. 

 

Berachot 28 tells a story where a rabbi opened up study to the masses, and the town had to add 700 benches to the study hall to accommodate all of the new students. 

 

Berachot 47 describes people being sparked and lit up in their love of Torah study by their rabbis. 

 

And finally, Berachot 63 notes that in a generation that loves Torah, we should share it widely. 

 

Much of my role as rabbi is to engage, motivate, and empower people’s study of our tradition; to invite everyone to join this 2,000 year old discussion so that we can, together, help shape it for future generations. 

 

If you would like to join our closed, secret Facebook group, please let me know by emailing me at rabbiheathermiller@gmail.com or contacting me via Facebook. Ours is a warm, welcoming and guilt-free environment where people read and engage in whatever way suits them. Whatever you get and whatever you share, we will all enrich one another’s experience of this precious life. 

 

One more note: in this women’s history month, we realize, too, that because of technological advances that enable us to access this material remotely and in translation, and because of the #metoo movement that is empowering women to claim our space, we are the first generation of women who are lifting our voices and contributing a whole wonderful beautiful layer to the Talmud en masse. It is a pleasure to study with each of you, and the woke men alongside us who are applauding and affirming our engagement. 

 

Thank you all for breathing new life unto these ancient texts. Click on the image below to be taken to the #Talmudgrams and click on the individual photos you like for gems from the text. Don't forget to like, share, and comment!

TORAH OF THE WEEK:

And, finally: happy new week! The reflection on this week's Torah portion, Ki Tisa, called "Body and Soul" can be found by clicking HERE:

Torah

THE IMPACT OF DAILY TALMUD STUDY

Join us!

Above, I shared an invitation to join our closed, secret Facebook group-- but did you now we have a new structure? We will continue to feature a brief outline of the page, and a #Talmidgram, BUT it will also now feature HIGHLIGHTS OF GEMS each day. 

 

Join us to see what it’s all about and unsubscribe anytime if you’re not getting anything from it. I asked participants questions about their experience; here are some of their answers:

 

I ASKED: What are you getting out of Talmud study?

 

I have learned that my soul is deeply rooted in Judaism; this feeling is both familiar and surprising.  

 

I have once again confirmed that our traditions hold great symbolism - which leaves room for more thoughtful discussions - and I enjoy every opportunity to widen my perspective. 

 

The text about not engaging in prolonged prayer reminded me to stay in the present moment; refusing to get caught up in what might (or might not) happen later, along with consequences, which might fail to be in alignment with what I’d prayed for in the first place! In hindsight, this text becomes both practical and delightfully reasonable, sidestepping anguish (over fervent wishes) in the future.

 

I have surprised myself that I’m enrolled in your program. You helped redirect my “online time” into something profoundly meaningful; you have invited me to pause each day to open my mind and heart to ancient wisdom and that feels like an honor; thank you.

 

I have learned that the rabbis care greatly for extreme details - and if my first reaction is that they are over the top in this way, I also remind myself that hey if I was studying 12+ hours a day, daily, for my entire life, I would no doubt also fall into deep details through the lens of my tireless concentration. 

 

I love the beautiful and inspiring "memes" you have been pulling from the Talmud. I enjoy this learning and I want to keep enjoying it.

 

I learned that our tradition is even more varied and "crazy" in a good way than I'd thought. That it is full of stories I didn't know yet (and I know a lot of stories!) That it should not be taken too seriously. 

 

I think Berakhot disproves the very widespread academic idea that the Rabbis were making up a new kind of Judaism and pretending it was some kind of oral tradition from Sinai. On the contrary it is very clear that they were taking seriously what they had received, and whoever created the Talmud as we know it put huge amounts of energy into gathering and structuring all these stories and sayings and passing them on to be studied forever after.

 

I have long been happy to see the many times that the Talmud bounces two positions off each other and then analyzes each one to show that it is reasonable, and then drops the topic. And this still makes me happy and seems like a pattern to live by.

 

AND THEN I ASKED: What would the rabbis have learned from you/us?

 

From me I suppose the rabbis could have learned that it is possible to be pretty darn Jewish while really enjoying and respecting other religions and spiritual traditions; and to be a Jewish man while seeing women as peers and equals in ways that they don't seem to have done. 

 

The rabbis might be pleased to learn that a female senior citizen, hundreds of years beyond their lifetimes, is enjoying reading what they cared about so deeply, because a female rabbi brought their passages to light, making “everything old is new again”.  

 

It has been such a joy to study with each of you.

 

At home, even my 4 year old loves to study a little nugget of text each day. It started when I was studying and he asked to learn too. The first time he learned was a page about how to pee without splashing and insisting that a person drink water frequently to avoid bad breath. His 3 year old little brother came by and he said “Hey! You gotta read this Talmud! They’re talking about peeing and bad breath!” More profoundly, he is learning that he has a place in the conversation. And so do you!

 

Study with us!

 

We are 54 members strong from:

Los Angeles, New York, Canada, Colchester Essex England, 2 in Las Vegas, Orange County, San Diego, 2 in SF, Upstate NY, 2 in Minnesota, 2 in Iowa, 2 in Wisconsin, Washington State, 2 in Indiana, Maryland, Vermont, Florida, 2 in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and 2 in Virginia.  

 

We are:

Professors of Jewish studies

People interested in becoming Jewish

Members of various Jewish denominations as well as transdenominational

Some are Reconstructionist Rabbis

Reform Rabbis

Jewish Professionals

Reform Cantors

Retired people

People of other faiths

 

We are in our 20s to 80s

 

We are everywhere on the spectrum of gender.

 

And, we are each of us are affirming of one another’s journey in the sea of Talmud!

To join us, send Rabbi Miller an email or DM on Facebook to be added to the closed, secret Facebook group.

Request to join here!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

 

FAITH-BASED WORKING GROUP FOR VETERANS

March 10 at 11:30am in Tustin, CA, Rabbi Miller will join interfaith clergy colleagues to celebrate and discuss working meaningfully with veterans. If you're an interfaith clergy member and you'd like more information, please email rabbiheathermiller@gmail.com for more information.

 

APRIL 3 SHABBAT SERVICES 

Celebrate Shabbat Services with Rabbi Miller. For those unable to attend, you may tune in via livestream at: https://livestream.com/tioh or attend in person 6:30-7:30pm at Temple Israel of Hollywood.

 

APRIL 21 YOM HASHOAH OBSERVANCE

Rabbi Miller and Temple Israel of Hollywood Lay Leadership have planned moving Yom HaShoah/ Holocaust Remembrance Day programming. Stay tuned for more. 7-9pm at Temple Israel of Hollywood.

 

MIDRASHIC METHOD AT ST. JOHN’S CHURCH in RSM THIS SPRING

Rabbi Miller will teach a class on the practice of filling in the gaps in biblical texts, a Jewish genre of literature known as Midrash, at St. John’s Church in Rancho Santa Margarita this spring. Stay tuned for more. 

 

COUPLES’ RETREAT: COMING THIS SUMMER!

We are working on planning a Keeping It Sacred Couples’ Retreat for this summer. This retreat will be geared toward:

  • those who were married by Rabbi Miller and would love to add new dimensions to their prior Spiritual Couples Counseling,
  • those who are already married and would like to benefit from a modern, relevant Jewish spiritual framing of relationship building, and/or
  • those who are newly engaged and would like to see what the tradition has to offer in terms of modern, practical and spiritually wise relationship advice.

This retreat is in the beginning stages, but please contact rabbiheathermiller@gmail.com to let us know what timing works best for you. 

 

THANK YOU!

You are a cherished member of this community and we love to hear from you-- what questions do you have? Reach out to rabbiheathermiller@gmail.com or via phone at 818-312-8388 anytime to let us know what you’re finding meaningful, inspiring and what you’d like to see.

 

And, THANK YOU for Keeping It Sacred!

 

...together, we're #keepingitsacred

Be sure to follow us on Social Media!
Follow on Facebook
Follow on Instagram
Follow on LinkedIn

We'd love for you to forward this to a friend to invite them to sign up, too!

GO TO RABBIHEATHERMILLER.COM
27068 La Paz Rd. #781 Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
818-312-8388

Share on social

Share on FacebookShare on X (Twitter)

www.rabbiheathermiller.com