The Birthday Haggaddah: A Personal Seder

Shalom and blessings:

We invite you to tell your personal story in the narrative of this unique Birthday Haggaddah. The order of the Telling will be up to you. Every personal has an obligation to write their own Odyssey.

On Passover the Seders Haggaddah begins after we define four types of disciples; the wise, the wicked, the simple and the dumbfounded. To be wise one simply includes themselves in the story of our people.

We are children of Israel, Jew and Christians, and Jacobs story is our story. We wrestle with our identity and pray we emerge a victor in the struggles of life. The stories of our ancestors are signposts for all descendents. On Passover the heart of the haggaddah begins with Abraham, our first wandering and wondering founding father.

Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg, in her Reflections on Genesis, writes of the imperative of transformation given to Abraham. Abraham was ordered to leave his home. Moving changes ones destiny. Furthermore, Abraham was commanded to journey inward, to find the roots of his own soul. The first focus is place; the second, person, and the third will be in time. In time Abraham will encounter Ten Trials or Tests. No direct connection is made between the ten trials and the ten plagues, How did the plagues affect the Israelites? Our firstborn were saved; as was Isaac on his altar. In the history of Israel the tenth trial often lead to a more severe decree.

My story begins with my Father, an Abraham, actually an Abraham Isaac. As an eight year old his eyes witnessed almost unspeakable sufferings. I feel guilty, being only a second class survivor. I never heard my father Abrahams story until I was forty years old and presenting my genogram during Post Graduate Family Therapy training.

My fortieth birthday was for discernment.

You all know I have a fondness for the Irish poet W.B.Yeats, who writes that the aged are a paltry thing, a tattered coat upon a stick, unless,

 Soul clap its hands and sing…

Clapping and singing bring us back to our topic, the birthday and its meaning in the narrative of our life.

The philosopher Priest of the Book of Ecclesiastes opines that the day we die is better than the day we are born, that it is better to go to a house of mourning than a birthday party.

Is sadness better than laughter?

The only birthday party in the bible is for the Pharaoh, the hard hearted despot, our oppressor in chief! (Genesis 40:22).

So what is this Birthday Haggaddah Seder all about?

At the very end of Deuteronomy we are informed that Moses was 120 years young when he was translated from earth to heaven. He was strong (all his juices still flowing) and his eyesight still good.

That makes sixty precisely middle age.

So teaches a Mishnah (Avot 5:24) which we discuss below.

…at 60 Laziknah

towards old age, which is 120.

The generic Jewish Happy Birthday wish is BIs hundert und tzvantic.

“Toward 120.”

With all this our tradition does focus on the anniversary of ones death and not ones birth.

We turn to the Renewal movement to discover the case for ritualizing the birthday as sacred time. The founder, Rabbi Zalman Shalomi urges his disciples to move from Age-ing to Sage-ing. Rabbi Shohama Weiner sees the birthday as sacred jewish time.

Sacred is now also dual identity time, for we have two calendars we live by, one that marks time  A.D. anno domino and another according to Torah time.

This year, 5773 ,  marks not the years since the worlds creation; but the  years since we emerged from our caves.

For Jews the calendar is our only catechism, so we wonder if we celebrate our torah time birthday or our secular time birthday. No wonder Jews are just like everyone else, only in a double dose!

In all seriousness contact me and I will look up the day you were born according to the Hebrew calendar.

The Seder

This is a Seder you design and personalize, following the generic order for the meal.

Identify your favorite exotic foods and bless them before the meal ; if you want to inspire any children present, as we do on Passover.

Ask at least four questions:

Does Passover mark the birth of the children of Israel as a people?

What about Rosh Hashanah? January One?

Let them eat cake before the meal if this inspires a symposium.

Then wash and teach the civilized order of the meal that sanctifies time.

Make Kiddush.

Wash.

Bless the bread.

Let birthday become holiday, become holyday, as you sit with family and friends.

Textual resources

(Avot 5:23.) Judah ben Tayma teaches:

Be as bold as a leopard

As light as an eagle

As swift as a deer

And strong as a lion

To do the will of your Parent in Heaven

He added (5:24)

Age five for the written law of Moses

Age Ten for the oral discussions of Mishna

Age 13 for the fulfillment of the Teachings

Age 15 for Talmud

Age 18 for marriage

Age 20 to chase your dreams

Age 30 for power

Age 40 discernment

Age 50 for sage advice

Age 60 lazikna

Age 70 for the hoary head

Age 80 to lionize

Age 90 to bend

Age 100 towards the end.

We see in this Mishna the decades marking time. Which are you approaching?

A model text for creating birthday blessings:

(Depending on your age, and family, you bless your spouse and children; and then they bless, toast, or roast you.)

May I merit the qualities of our ancestors;

and have the laughter and love of Sarah

The vision of Rebecca

The modesty and radiance of Rachel

And the kindness of mother Leah.

May I be a founder like Abraham

With the awe of Isaac.

May I triumph in every struggle like Jacob

Who earned the name Israel.

May I have the wealth and worldliness of Joseph

And the wisdom to understand the blessings of his sons

Ephraim and Manasseh (Genesis 48:20)

The blessing is not to the first born alone

So may we merit the leadership of Judah

And learn to save our own life.

And make us like the midwives

Whose disobedience birthday our people.

So may we ascend with Moses

And be high priests like Aaron

Who bless one another with tradition

And dancing, and the sanctified spin:

Lord, I hear you singing happy birthday

Each candle a blessing, I am content with my portion.

I see the light of your face, it is my education

and your grace, more light, more life.

The veil lifted, I see you face to face

A bride, I feel your Peace.

May we then be like Joshua

And conquer our seven vices

And sue for Peace

and enter the Holy Land.

O Lord God of Israel

And Ishmael

Let there be Peace on earth

Let it begin with me.

May we find our soul in the songs of Miriam

And drink deeply from her well.

Next, the heart of the Haggaddah. your story.

Following are two short versions as models for your own personal Seder’s as a model.

The Haggaddah

Dear Lord

My father served the stranger, he survived.

I am only a second class survivor.

My story begins on 14 Teveth 5711 which corresponds to December 23, 1950. On that weekend a snowstorm blanketed the Berkshires, and we finished reading the Book of Genesis in the synagogue.

Happy New Year, 1951 I offered up my foreskin. My Zadie must have been the Sandak. The Godfather. Without consent I was entered into the Covenant of Abraham. I was then given my names.

What I mean is, Laurence Maurice Alpern then took upon himself a second identity, chosen by Elijah the Prophet, Aryeh Moshe. Named for my grandfathers brother Maurice Moshe Alpern I am still seeking to understand that identity. 

So, Elijah taught me that I have a dual identity. Am I Laurence Maurice American Jew, or am I Aryeh Moshe, Jewish American?

Being Rabbi Both/and and not Rabbi Either/or I am an American Jewish Rabbi named Laurence Maurice Aryeh Moshe Elijah Alpern. The R.E.A.L.

The challenge to modern Jews is to be at peace with a dual identity.

Christians, who in my opinion are true Israelites, are invited to take a biblical name and plug into the biblical calendar.

For all my wonderful colleagues who are Priests and Pastors I proclaim:

The Tikkun of Christianity is in you return to your Torah roots.

Embrace Biblical heroes. Embrace Torah time.

This has nothing to do with conversion. The branches need not convert to the roots. The trees of the field proclaim: When you eat the fruit kindly bless the root.

Actually the story itself predates Abraham and Sarah and begins in Eden.

The Original Teaching in Genesis is to be fruitful and to multiply and fill the earth with offspring, all of whom will celebrate the day of their birth once life has meaning as the sanctification of time.

You write your own Haggadah and you do the telling. When we are infants we are in Eden, where milk and honey flow from twin ruby fountains and our Cherubic faces inspire only smiles. Angels see to our every need as we crawl and then toddle, until we are up on uncertain legs looking for a way out.

Truth be told, it is time to turn birthday rituals inside out.

Send parents a thank you note for being.

Send them a present. And to siblings, even those who displaced you, send a greeting card of reconciliation.

If all you are able to do is send a hallmark card to honor your family, do so.

Better yet, design your own blank birthday cards and write a love note to your loved ones. Reconnect. This is how we grow up and out and light the candle that is in the heart.

Give hands and fingers to your heart and soul.

Plan your favorite meal and invite all your significant’s.

Discuss Friedmans The Birthday Party.

Second model

Talking points, (may expand upon)

ONE: Sixty winters ago I was born from my mother Rhoda Theresa Weiss and my Father Abraham Isaac aka Adolf Isadore Alpern. A Shabbat child I was destined to announce the Sabbath of history.

TWO: Aged five I had not heard one biblical story and had never been blessed by my parents according to the rituals of the Jewish tradition.

THREE: Aged ten I had not heard of Mishnah or the Oral tradition or been taught any history.

In fact I did learn mythology posing as history, the story of Abraham the Jew. I think I was expelled from Hebrew school for asking how Abraham could be Jewish if his great grandson had not yet been born. Was Judah an Abrahamite?

FOUR: At thirteen I was bar mitzvah but did not fulfill, as far as I knew, any of the Commandnments.

FIVE: At fifteen, when tradition teaches Talmud I took instruction from a Chaim Potok book,The Chosen, as good an introduction as any.

SIX: At UCLA I studied with Amos Funkenstein and met Lubavitzher Chassidim.

SEVEN: I went to Crown Heights and meet the Chassidic Messiah. He blessed me to be “Successful in every endeavor.”

EIGHT: Hearing Abrahams call to leave my fatherland I arrived in Jerusalem and studied with the Torah giants of our generation.

NINE: In graduate school I mastered the Gospels and Quran and enlarged my theological tent.

TEN:Returning to American Zion I slipped down the slope to Conservative Judaism since I was a radical egalitarian. Actually downhill sking is not the right metaphor. The Mountain is inverted over our heads. The pious claim the pinnacle. My climb to the Arête is literary and no longer religious, so language is everything.

ELEVEN: In Saratoga Springs I pulpited and worked as a prison rabbi. There I slid by Reconstructionist and Renewal Judaism as far too conservative, especially on the interfaith marriage issue. I entered prison. As A Chaplain, of course.

TWELVE: Now 28 years later I transform my programs for the incarcerated into Seders for the salvation of Jews Christians Atheist Agnostics etc. During that time i rewrote the Bible, as is visible from The A Mountain. Writing ones own Sefer Torah is one of the 613 Commandments. In my own way i am a very pious and observant Jew.

THIRTEEN: I dream of retirement and giving all my services as a birthday gift to my beloved people, each and every one of you.

Blessings

The very rabbi

FOURTEEN: Followup

Torah is always presented as a gift.

Called to the Torah we announce that our Creator is a Giver. A Notane

We learn to receive the Torah kabbalahed on Sinai.

The gift must be opened for the truth to be found.

It is then we begin to grasp the Tree of Life and the Story of the Garden.

Kindly send us your dates

And or Birthday Seder

For Posting.

Upside Down and Inside Out: Inscrolling The Megillah of Esther

Congregation Devar Jonah

 A Seder:

February 24, 25, 2013

A Seder? For Purim?

Anyway, like the drunk who is sober only on Purim we must first discuss the serious elements of the holiday, or should I say holyday. At first glance

Purim is the diametric opposite of our holiest day, Yom Kippur.

 The most secular Jew fasts on The Day of Atonement but would rarely consider feasting and drinking on Purim. The first is a holyday the second a holiday, right? Wrong. Comparing Yom Kippur to Purim we must conclude that Purim is holier. Hebrew scholars will take note that in Hebrew the Day of Atonement is Yom ha Key Purim. This translates to “A Day like Purim!

Does Purim offer the key to Atonement?

Wisdom is found in the power of this question. The Day of Atonement is a day like Purim because on both holydays we wear masks. The masquerade of Purim is obvious. We cross dress and wear the garb of our adversary. On the Day of Atonement we masquerade as pious Jews!

Our newest mask is Kaballah. Kaballah is all the rage. All the Rabbis are calling Judaism 101 classes Kaballah classes, or Jewish Mysticism. On Purim it is revealed that Kaballah is not mysticism. In fact Kaballah

based on Judaism simply means to be receptive to the inner meaning of the rituals of Jewish observance. True Kaballah understands that the rituals of Judaism make everything happen and transform everything. Authentic tradition (Kabballah) is Revelation and not hidden. Secrets become basics and the hidden revealed on the day that is like Purim and on the day of Purim itself. Upside down and inside out Purim gives order to the chaos of existence. In Kabballahistic terms it is the holy day of Keter Malchute.

Keter Malchute

Keter Malchute describes the essence of Purim. Queen Esther wore a keter malchute, a royal crown, upon her coronation as queen (Esther 2:18) Keter means crown. What is Malchute?

Malchute is the kingdom of heaven on earth, when tyrants wear no crown and the hidden becomes manifest. As we pray in our adoration, The Alenu,

“ the world will be perfected under the reign of the Almighty, all humanity will call upon Thy Name, and all the wicked of the earth will be turned to Thee.”

This is Keter Malchute. A day like Purim, finally!

On Purim we are reminded that everything is relative. Invite your family to experience the eternity of time in that every holyday has a dimension of every other holiday. The Day of Atonement is like Purim. The Sabbath is remembered as an Exodus from Egypt. Every Shabbat is a type of Pentecost as we pray for a revelation during the Torah reading.  We open our prayers for Chanukah and Purim with acknowledgements of the miracles and redemption performed for our relatives in the past. We note however how different the miracles are. On Chanukah the miracles are open, oil burns for seven extra days. Purim’s miracle is hidden, like Esther, and a God not even mentioned in the Megillah saves us. Purim is connected to Passover by the fact that Esther broke her fast on the first night of Passover! The King may have awoken with a hangover from the four cups of wine and indigestion from the obligatory matzos! Esther opens the door for Elijah! Also, our Rabbis teach that we are to begin our research and discussions of Passover thirty days before the holyday. Purim connects to Passover. We conclude with our original interconnection, Purim and Yom Kippur. Repentance by fasting is obvious. Repentance through joy is the key challenge.

On Purim everything is an ordering of chaos as we sanctify the sanctuaries of our minds and our homes by preparing a Seder.

Preparations

Materials

1.)  The Book of Esther, in English, unless you are a Hebrew scholar.

2.)  Food for a festive meal. (Purim Se udah)

3.)  Gifts of food to exchange. ( mishloach manot)

4.)  Money set aside for the poor. (Matanoat la- evyonim)

5.)  Two hamantashen per celebrant.

6.)  Surf, sail, or deep sea dive for more food for thought. When you order the chaos of information we call ignorance you will create your own Seder.

The Seder

The Kiddush:

While some rabbinic authorities insist on Ten cups of wine to drink, dedicated to the destruction of Hamans Ten Sons who represent the dark side of the Ten Dimensions of the Sepheroat; we take the more conservative view that Four cups are required.

The Four Cups of Purim represent the four exiles of our history. On Passover they remind us of Gods four promises of redemption. On Purim we are intoxicated by the knowledge of the destruction of our worlds by the tyranny of history. Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, are all remembered for turning the world on its head. They devoured Israel and laid waste her habitation. Called “civilizations”, in reality they left legacies of chaos and destruction. History, in fact, has been a day like Purim.

First cup:

Baruch ata adoneigh alohaynu melech haolam bora pri hagafen.   Drink

Second cup:

Modeam anacynu lach shata gam malca bora pri hagafen.

We now acknowledge You as Malchute (The Crown of Creation) creator of the fruit of the vine.

(The third and forth cup are consumed whenever you want during the Seder.)

The child who has mastered the power of the question says:

How different this night is from all other nights.

My eyelids are growing heavy and I think I need a snack.

The Hamantashen:

These are the hamantashen Haman wore on his head long ago in Persia.

The three sides represent the three Sepheroat: Chochma Bina and Daat  (Chabad). Haman crowned himself with dogma ignorance and persecution.

We devour this Hamantashen and send Hamans memory to the dunghill

of history.

Who knows Ten? Ten are the Utterance at Sinai, the basics of our tradition.

Ten are the Plagues of Egypt and Ten were the sons of Haman. Ten times ten are the tyrants of history:

1.)  Amalek

2.)  Pharaoh

3.)  Nebechanezer

4.)  Achashvarosh

5.)  Antiochus

6.)  Caesar

7.)  Hitler

8.)  Stalin

9.)  Saddam

10.)        Osama (OCM)

Discuss your top ten tyrants.

Musical interlude: Play selections of your top ten favorite anti- war anti- poverty anti- ignorance songs.

The Purim  Feast

Drink the third cup. Break bread. Eat.

Reading The Megillah around the table:

Start telling the story of Purim from memory around the table. (Hint: You may start in the book of Exodus and retell of the attack of the Amalakites.)

Now read all Ten Chapters  of Esther after the following blessings:

1.)  O Thou who is Thee, You reveal yourself  as She on Purim, enjoining us to wear the Keter Malchute.

2.)  Reveal to us the hidden miracles of old on the merit of our ancestors.

3.)  Lady our God we feel connected to you by sanctifying this time for you alone keep us alive and aware.

Ten of the twenty questions: (You ask the final ten)

1.)  Is this for real?

2.)  Fact?

3.)  Fiction?

4.)  True?

5.)  Did the King use the articles from The Temple in Jerusalem for his feast? What could God be telling us?

6.)  Does Esther teach that intermarriage led to the survival of the Jews?

7.)  The plots seem a bit contrived and convoluted. Is the Readers Digest version of the story Kosher to fulfill the obligation to read the story?

8.)  Will a modern version of Amalek and Haman take place in the Persia of our time?

9.)  Does Esther imply the messiah may be a woman?

10.)

Since we learn in chapter nine verse twenty two of Esther that Purim is a day of “entertainment and joy” is it permissible to fulfill our obligation to hear the story if we watch the movie version of the Megillah?

The Seder is ended. Back to chaos. You are now ready for Passover.

 Passover Seder

2013

(A Supplement)

Rabbi Laurence A. Alpern

Before beginning. This is a very short and open ended Passover supplement. It may be done in less than one half an hour.

 This Seder has ten reader leaders so you will have to divide up accordingly if you are less than a Minyan. Assign now.

First, three introductory readings, which are optional.

 Genesis and Exodus and the Song of Songs: A Discussion and a Decision

(Assign three readers, Genesis, Exodus, and Song of Songs)

Genesis: The Torah begins with me to teach that Judaism is much more than Law.

The stories set, forever, the future structure of our people. The exile from Eden foreshadows the exile into Egypt.

Exodus: True, but the story of our people begins in my book. We are forged in the crucible of Egypt. Our principle teachings are revealed in my book. I am a sequel but could easily stand on my own.

Genesis and Exodus argued throughout the night each scoring points about their importance. Each wanted to make one final point before breakfast.

Exodus: If not the story of our people, then what is Torah?

Genesis: If about Israel alone, what about the redemption of all of humanity from history?

Song of Songs: Sorry guys I will no longer sit here in silence. I see you try to avoid my eyes. Genesis you are Holy. And Exodus so are you. But the greatest of the rabbi’s, Akiba, has proclaimed me to be the Holy of Holies. Why not begin the Torah with my lovesong?

God said; Dayanew, enough already. This is my decision:

We will begin Torah in the beginning. Character is essential. The Matriarchs and Patriarchs are living Torahs. All their actions are exemplars for future generations for all people.

For you my, Children of Israel, ( I pray, you someday become the Adults of Israel), I will make the theme of the book of Exodus supreme.

Every time you say Kiddush, on the Sabbath and holydays you will sanctify time by mentioning the Exodus. The essence of our memory and remembrance will be the miracle of being led out of bondage.

Genesis and Exodus were not quite convinced. They pouted.

Listen, God said, Torah is a double helix with two supreme themes, Creation and The Exodus. I am the sovereign over nature and over history. Every week on the Sabbath during Kiddush you mention both. The Sabbath is a taste of the coming world of Tranquility and Redemption. We start the Sabbath with a singing of the Song of Songs because it is so special. I now announce the 614^th Commandment. Every Passover Seder must begin with some version of the Song of Songs. Every Seder is about emancipation and intimacy. Remember. To love is a commandment. In fact, it is the greatest of the commandments.

Exodus and Genesis, you are really a couple. You must learn how to get along if you expect people to reread you every year. Neither of you is greater than The Song of Songs.

So Exodus said to Genesis; “After you,” and Genesis said to Exodus; “After you.”

And God liked all this, and smiled.

A Song of Passing Over and of Spring

The song of songs which is for wisdom.

The power of asking

What and Why.

Four and forty and to the tenth power.

Passed over once, and in that spring

We sang our song.

But then in the mystery that is our history

You destroyed our Home.

We were a lover spurned

And still wrote you poetry

And sang your songs

And praised your Name.

Hallel lu ya.

But Babylon?

Xerxes?

Greece?

Gog and Magog?

Who will answer these four questions?

And a fifth.

Will a final redemption ever come?

A day like Purim?

Atonement? Peace?

You Command Love

A moment of whole heart.

Soulful.

Intense.

Of our very being

And with all this upon our hearts                                                                                      

You break us.

You break our hearts.

You attack.

And still and still.

We suffer in love

And daily weekly and each spring hear you say:

I love you

So, what may we say but

We love you too?

Listen none or perhaps some or a few

still recite Solomon’s Song of Songs

Sabbath to Sabbath

Passover to Passover.

O the mystery of history

Your face veiled if not hidden

Why do you hide?

May we begin again?

The Song of Songs by Solomon

The solo man

Who haremed love till his Ester came and sang this song:

A Passover Song.                                                                                                       First, a love song.

The love of a woman for a man.

Learn from human love.

Let her words instruct:

Pesach Seder Song

Raise the banner of love.

And again sing the old song.

The winter is over.

The rain is past and gone.

The flowers appear.

A Spring song within a song.

O solo mon o solo man.

This day we marry.                                                                                                              

Put on the crown your mother made you,

which circumscribes our hearts.

To what may I compare you?

That which is beautiful

I compare to you.

Open to me as I open to you.

I was asleep.

Yet my heart is awakening.

Running and returning.

Pulsating to your beat.

Drenched in dew.

Wondering.

Wandering.

Passedover?

Our firstborn is due next spring

Creation is renewed.

We live in a Garden.

Within our home.

You may wish to start your Seder with this reading:

Leader #1 Rabbi Joshua the son of Levi met Elijah the Prophet who was standing at the entrance to the cave of Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai, the entrance to the Garden of Eden.

“When will the Messiah come?

“Ask him yourself.”

“Where?”

“He sits at the gates of Rome.”

Rabbi Joshua went and asked.

“Today.”

Said the Rabbi to the Prophet, “He lied.”

Elijah explained: This is what he meant” Today if you would but listen to his voice.” (Psalms 95:7) (Based on Talmud, Sanhedrin 98a)

Searching for leaven. (Chamatez)

Before the Ten Commandments, which were given for Tikkun Olam, to fix our broken world, the children of Israel witnessed the Ten plagues. Updating the ten Plagues we have:

1.) Ignorance

2.) Idolatry

3.) Profanity

4.) Violence

5,) Dishonor

6.) Death

7.) Adultery

8.) Stealing

9.) Dishonesty

10.) Coveting

Discuss these Ten, fill in the particulars, and hide the pieces. (First, write the name of one plague on each of ten pieces of paper with a piece of bread.) Find and dispose.

The Seder Plate: Explain and add:

The Orange on the Seder Plate: A True Telling

Our story actually begins with toast. Wait a second. Bread on the Seder Plate?

Yes, this was the thought of gay’s way back when. Lesbian feminists felt as out of place in the Jewish community as toast on the Seder plate. My dear friend Susannah Heschel had a better idea. An orange. She thought of the orange as fruitful and juicy; and many segments making up a whole. Homophobia is the pits, to be spit out.

Being a new ritual the orange on the Seder plate was ripe for misunderstanding.

The misunderstanding is in the voice of a man who says a women on the Bimah ; or as I heard it, a women in a Minyan, is about as appropriate as an orange on the Seder plate. This Susannah tells me is a Midrash woven out of hot air.

The orange she puts on her plate is a symbol of acceptance of gays.

I suggest one for your Seder plate.

Miriams Cup

This year, next to Elijah’s Cup we are putting a cup for Miriam. Elijah’s is filled with wine and Miriam’s with water. Children who await Elijah sipping from his cup must now also be alert to see if the water in Miriam’s cup turns into wine. We honor Miriam with water since her Well followed the children of Israel in their journeys.

In our spiritual journey this evening we draw, with jubilation, the waters of salvation. Those with imagination will transform the water into sanctification. Imagine Elijah announcing a feminine redeemer.

 Shechena? Meshecha?

If we do not discuss this tonight, then when?

An Intense Telling of the Passover

Leader #1

Shalom and welcome. This Haggadah is a script for a participatory play.

You all will be given a part.

Leader#2

The supreme themes of the play are Freedom and Hope for a better future. These themes are relevant to every family. The reenactment of the Exodus at the Passover Seder is theatre for the recovery of experience. Yemenite Jews place a sack with their possessions on their backs and walk around the table saying “We were slaves. Now we are free.”

Leader#3

A meaningful Seder pivots on questions. The Four Questions in the Haggadah are for the child who does not know how to ask. The beginning of the Seder is ordered for that child.

Leader #4

How different this night is!  This is the observation of the wise and learned. The questions of the wise should drive this Seder. Ask everyone at the table to list their expectations and questions. Now. Discuss.

Leader#5

Remember, the reason we are together is to fulfill the mitzvah of the Haggadah, to tell the story in every detail. The Kabballahistic dimension is best described by our teacher Rabbi Sam Lewis. The Sod or secret of the story is revealed when you understand that the story of Passover is your personal story. Enjoy.

Kiddush

Reader #6

Remember, on the Sabbath and Holydays our custom is to recite Kiddush, wash our hands and without interruption or speech to break bread. The reordering prompts the children to question.

Kavannah (Meditation)

Reader#7

We are ready to follow Gods path with the first cup to recall the Redemption and the burden of our first exile and the afflictions of that Pharaoh.

Baruch ata adoneigh elohaynew melech haolam boray pree hagafen.

Urchatz.   We wash our hands.

Reader#8    We separate ourselves to the way of holiness. Praise be to the God of the Pharisees.

Karpas   Dip a green in salt water and say:  The First exclamation:

Reader#9

How different this night is from all other nights!

On all other nights to sanctify the holiness of time we wash and break bread without interruption. Tonight we eat a green in-between.

My friends, what other questions will we explore during this Seder? (Examples)

Why is everyone reclining? Why the pillows at the table?

Where is the bread? Why the bitter herbs? Passover in Prison?

The Four Questions and the Fifth

How different this Seder is from all other Seders!

At all other Seders the youngest asks four questions.

At this Seder all are to question:

What do you hunger for?

What is freedom?

What is this dream of redemption?

Who will lead?

When do we eat?

Eat now if the food is ready and you want to continue the narrative of the Haggaddah at the meal.

Yahchatz.

Reader #10

Everyone receives a Matzhah and splits it into two pieces. One piece is put in a napkin with a question for Elijah the Prophet. Everyone hides their piece (Afikomen) for the end of the Seder.

 (Examples)

When will we see a world without the plagues of poverty and war?

What would a leader who is a modern day Moses be like?

What will the role of religion be?

Maggid- The Haggadah

Reader#1

This is the essential moment of the Seder. If anyone is hungry it is time to eat. I ask all here to tell you their understanding of Passover in their own words. Continue.

We are going to tell this story in the round. When it is your turn, continue, ask for help or pass. A Hebrew pun reads Passover Pesach as Pe sach, the mouth speaks. Listen carefully for your part in the story.

Lift your Matzhah. Recite together:

(Reader#2 leads)

This is the bread of the poor, the same type our ancestors ate as slaves.

Let all who hunger enter, let all who yearn for wisdom question.

This year we are here. Next year let us be reborn as people of freedom.

The First Telling

Our story begins with the first exile, when Adam and Eve were forced to leave Paradise, the Garden of Eden. We are told in the Book of Genesis that a flaming sword flashing back and forth guards the way to the Tree of Life. This myth inspires us to ask: How do we turn our knowledge of the past into the wisdom needed to have a better future? How do we experience knowledge that leads to life?

Reader#3

Our story continues with a mixture of history and myth, the first time the children of Israel come (return) to their homeland. Joshua sets the stage for the future history of our people, when imprisoned strangers in a strange land return once again to the Land of Promise.

This night we review the Judges of Ancient times and the Kings as recorded in the Torah and we ask: Why were they so easily led astray? The memory and spirit of the Hebrew prophets demand an answer. Why were the ways of the Cohaneem and the Maccabbeans corrupted, leading to the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem?

Reader#4

Who are our leaders today and what is the way to our redemption?

When will the nations wars stop raging?

Who will redeem us from the plagues of our modern world?

Maggid

Reader#5

A Maggid is a storyteller. Tonight we tell our story, and retell, as we break this bread.” We then pronounce:

This is the bread that tells the story of the poor

Whose bodies were broken as bread by the taskmasters.

All who hunger now enter and eat.

All seeking wisdom, we welcome your questions.

This year we are here.

In the coming year we pray for redemption.

We pray for the end of this final exile.

Let liberty be proclaimed in every land.

Reader#6

Our story, retold yearly, must begin in the beginning, in Genesis. Adam and Eve, who are make believe, teach us many lessons. After they eat from the Tree of Knowledge their eyes are opened. They are not happy with what they see. God proclaims them to be free. They see into the future all the bad choices all of their children will make. Humans will forget that we all come from one set of parents, as the story is told, which means we are all brothers and sisters. Every beggar you meet on the street is a relative. How can you turn away? Every war is brother against brother. How can you join? The Earth began as a Garden. Good. How do we pass through the flaming sword? Why do we pollute? How do we return to the Garden, our Promised Land?

Reader#7

Our story continues with Joseph, the guy with the amazing techno-color dream coat. Joseph was exiled to Egypt by his own brothers. He was a stranger in a strange land and was exiled again within his exile by being thrown into prison.

All our people were incarcerated by history to be the slaves that built the giant grave markers called the Pyramids. The children of Israel were worked to death by the cruel taskmasters. To save time they were not buried but mortared into the stone bricks of the pyramids. All remember and visit the Pharohs who inspired these atrocities. This night we remember our brothers and sisters as the eye in the pyramids. Novas ordo memoriam.

Reader #8

The telling of our story includes a narrative of cruelty and persecution that is difficult to talk about and even more difficult to imagine. This is a night when we grow up, when children grow up, when the children of Israel become the adults of Israel, when meaning is more than food and ritual. This is the night we recite the overwhelming questions.

When will we be one family again?

When will we treat earth as a mother, once again?

When will all exiles end?

War?

Poverty?

Who am I in the context of this story?

How do I save my own life?

Is this story about me?

My family?

My people?

All people?

Reader#9

In the Jewish tradition Elijah the prophet is the answer man. At least one of you must dress up as Elijah and offer some form of an answer to all these questions. In fact, if all agree pass around Elijah’s cup and offer a question or an answer. Play a variation of musical chairs and move around the table giving all a chance to sit in the Chair of Elijah the Prophet.

O Elijah, Elijah:

When will all this suffering end?

Jealousy?

Strife?

War?

Tyranny?

Reader#10

When will a leader come?

After the heart of Moses?

To lead us into the Promised Land

Of an earth we till as a garden?

Who will inform our corrupt political leaders?

Who will inform our lost religious leaders?

Who will proclaim in the voice of Elijah

a declaration of independence from the violence that is history and the plagues of the modern world?

Let the symposium begin.

Watch the evening turn to morning

Elijah is coming for all this and for more!

The Ten Plagues (Traditional) May be done in Hebrew.

Reader#5 Updated version

1.) Aids

2.) Pollution

3.) Anthrax

4.) Mad cow disease

5.) Tuberculosis

6.) Malaria

7.) Acid rain

8.) Locusts

9.) Fallout

10.) War

Compare with:

1.) Blood

2.) Frogs

3.)Vermin

4.)Flies

5.)Cattle disease

6.)Boils

7.) Hail

8.) Locusts

9.) Darkness

10.) Death of the firstborn.

Reader#6

Chief Rabbi Gamliel taught: The spirit of the ritual of the Seder includes three supreme themes:

1.) The Passover Sacrifice

2.) The Matzah

3.) The Maror Bitter herbs

(The Pesach Passover offering is discussed because The Holy One passed over

the homes of our ancestors. The unleavened bread is eaten because we had no time to wait for the bread to rise. The bitters are eaten to experience the bitterness of our lives back then.)

Hallel  Singing (Traditional and modern songs about freedom)

Reader#7

The Second Cup

We are ready to fulfill the teaching of remembering the Exodus by recalling the second promise of Redemption (Exodus 6:6) “I will deliver You from bondage”

Bless the wine.

Rachtzah Washing of Hands

Kavannah

Reader#8

In Ancient times, in The Holy Home of Our Lord, the Temple in Jerusalem, the Priests were required to wash their hands before approaching the Altar.

In our time we have no Temple, no Sacrifices and no Priests as of old.

May this Covenant Meal hasten our Redemption.

We do this in Remembrance of You

Lord our God

Guardian of the doorposts of Israel.

Washing of Hands

Reader#9

“Lift up your hands toward the Sanctuary and bless The Lord.” (Psalms 134:2)

Baruch ata ado nigh elohanu melech haolam asher kiddhsanu b mitzvotav vitzivanu al netalat yadim.

Praised are you Ado nigh, ruler of the world, who sanctifies us through the commandments and commands us to wash our hands.

The Meal

Reader#10 Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai teaches that three who eat at one table and discuss the truths of Torah dine with the divine, as The prophet teaches, (Ezekiel 41:22) “This is the table which is in the presence of the Lord.”

Discuss.

(Note that Ezekiel’s vision of the future Temple includes the Table that holds the Bread of God’s Presence and the mystic Rabbi Shimon is teaching that this also refers to your dining room Table.)

Reader#1

Rabbi Chalafta adds: How do we know this also applies to two?  “Then those who revered the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard.”(Malachi 3:16.) Study the Chapter. Discuss.

(Malachi is teaching that those who practice true religion discuss the truth at their tables.)

How do we know the above applies even to one person? This was taught to Moses in The Book of Exodus, after The Ten Fundamental teachings:

“In every place my name is mentioned I will come to you and bless you. (20:24)

(Our rabbis teach that it is a great virtue to invite guests to your table. “With a multitude of people is God’s glory” (Proverbs 14:28). Still, if you are alone, and mention your creator, the meal is set as a Table for two.

Motzee Matzah

Look at the Ten fingers holding the Matzah and recite the following ten words in Hebrew:

Baruch Attah Adoneigh Elohanu Melech Haolam Hamotzi Lechem Min Ha arêtez.

Combine with bitters and add:

We eat these bitters as a reminder of our bitter lives as slaves.

We take responsibility for the Egypt of our incarceration.

Combine with charoset and add;

In remembrance of the ancient custom we eat this charoset, symbolic of the mortar used to make the Tombs for the tyrants of old. We will eat this mortar as a reminder of the Temple which we will rebuild with our own hands, beginning with our homes and then every structure sanctified in your Name, the Lord of Peace.

Eat. Quotes from order of meal.

 At the Meal continue discussing the Exodus

A.)   As the story of the liberation from Egypt

B.)   As The story of every tyrant and liberation.

C.)   As the story of the life of each and every one of us.

Revealing the Hidden. Afikomen

Now the real Haggadah begins. Go in search of the hidden pieces of Matzhah from the beginning of the Seder. Discuss the questions you will ask Elijah. Agree upon their order of importance. Ask one another. Ask Elijah to come and answer.

May the All merciful send us Elijah the prophet, who brings good news deliverance and comfort. (From the traditional Grace After meals)

The Cup of Blessings. (Drink half)

Baruch Ata Adoneigh elohanew  melech haolam boray pri Hagafen.

We finish this cup only when our exile ends.

Feed all who are hungry Lord,

Save us from ourselves.

Teach us that to be your people.

We must be one people.

Turn the hearts of parents to children

And children to parents. Send us Elijah and our Redeemer

So the final chapter of your story, The Redemption, may begin.

Amen. Sealah.

Continue by passing around Elijah’s Cup. Ask and answer and discuss.

Shalom:

Rabbi Alpern

Shalom. This Seder is the order for a home service to welcome the Sabbath. The phrase “Shabbat Shalom” expresses the essence and uniqueness of our tradition. Shalom means greetings and Peace. A wonderful Peace is experienced when we transform our dining room table into an altar. The wine is poured, the grail cup lifted, and sanctification recited. Our hearts are in our homes and our homes become Temples as the prosaic week is transformed by the poetry of Shabbat. This is why The Sabbath is included in the Ten Commandments, and why we refer to our Temple as Temple Shabbat Shalom.

The Seder

1.)  The Candles

2.)  Family Blessings

3.)  Kiddush

4.)  Wash Hands

5.)  Motzi (break bread) Table conversation  (Altartalk)

6.)  Readings

7.)  Grace and seven blessings     

The Candles

Meditation

We delight in the Sanctity of your day, Dear God, as we place your teachings on our hearts. We remember by the flame of each light our individuality and the illumination of our traditions. We are romanced by your teaching of covenant love and its weekly renewal in this Sabbath ritual.

 We ask you to bless … , our family and friends and all of humanity with peace in our hearts and homes and lands. We pray for the Sabbath of history when nations learn war no more and all receive their daily bread. Amen. Sealah.

We now acknowledge you, Lord our God, who instructs  us to Remember and Observe The Sabbath by lighting these candles.

Baruch ata adoneigh Elohaynew melech haolam asher kidshanu

b mitzvotav v itzevanu ladleak nair shell Shabbat.

Family blessings 

Traditionally we bless our sons to be like the sons of Joseph and our daughters to be like the matriarchs (you may use all the blessings for sons and daughters, and/or one another).

May you be inspired by God to be like Ephraim and Manasseh

To be a parent of many, like Father Abraham

To be inspired with the awe of Isaac

To triumph in every struggle like Jacob, who then earned the name Israel

May you have the wealth worldliness and wisdom of Joseph

For in his children’s names we bless our children to this day.

(Add other role models)

May your life be filled with:

The laughter and love of Sarah

The vision of Rebecca

The modesty and radiance of Rachel

And the kindness of mother Leah.

(Add other role models)

We continue with the blessings of Aaron:

May God bless and protect all that we do

May Gods light guide us on a Path of Grace.

May we catch a glimpse of Gods Presence

and be  illuminated with Peace.

Kiddush

This Kiddush once again announces our weekly honeymoon with one another and with our Creator.

(Raise Kiddush cup)

Our Table is set and ordered and we invite You, Lord of The Sabbath, to our meal, set upon Your Altar, where all mysteries are revealed.

This is The Holy grail of your Holy Meal, The Cup of Salvation,

A Cup of Immortality, where Eternity is poured into a moment,

And weekly announces our coming Final Age of Freedom.

This Kiddush promises Shalom and Redemption

As we Remember and Observe your command

And drink deeply from the Cup of Liberation and Joy.

(A Full Kiddush may be recited in Hebrew and English.)

Baruch ata adoneigh Elohanu melech haolam bo ray pri ha gafen.

May our wisdom in time

Ripen as the fruit of the vine

Amen. 

The Motzi

All wash hands.

Baruch ata adoneigh Elohanu melech haolam ha motzi lechem min ha

aretz.

We are fed

Satisfied with our portion

As we break this bread.

All who hunger

We invite to this Holy Meal.

Shabbat dinner is served.

Altartalk

During and after the meal is for Altartalk, a time of sanctified speaking and singing. Traditionalists discuss the weekly Torah portion and prophetic reading. Include the wisdom literature of your canon. Remember wisdom is discovered in the power of questioning and the highpoint of every Seder is the asking of questions. Elijah the prophet may even show up, as tradition teaches, if your questions merit his answers. Elijah also comes to turn the hearts of parents to their children and children to parents. Bridge the generation gap with your Altartalk.

Readings

Inviting The Presence to your Table:

 “Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai said;” Three who eat at one table and engage in Altartalk places God at their table as Ezekiel teaches;

“This is The Table in The Presence of The Lord.”

Rabbi Chalfta adds,”How do we know this applies to two? Malachi teaches: “Those who revered The Lord spoke to one another.”

How do we know the above applies to one?

 Moses teaches, after the Ten Principle teachings Exodus 20:24)

 “In every place my Name is mentioned

I will come to you and bless you.”

Psalm One: a Poetic Translation

Happy, Indeed, are The Couple

Who embrace

A tradition

Walking in The Way

Of the wise.

They delight in the path of creation

Bringing forth fruit like trees

Planted by flowing wellsprings

Our roots entwine and branches proclaim

The Secret of The Garden:

The Tree of Knowing A Tree of Life

To know and to be

Come together as one

In the saying, and

The song of the Psalm.

Shabbat Seder Grace

This is a supplement to birchat ha mazon.

We have eaten, we are satisfied, and we bless You, Lord of The Sabbath, comforter of Zion, for prosperity, life, peace and all that is good. With You as Shepard we lack nothing.

May the All-merciful reign forever and ever.

Teach us to bring Heaven down to Earth.

Grant us an honorable livelihood.

Break the yoke off our back and grant peace and security to our land and the entire world.

May the All-merciful send blessings to this Home;

And this Table we have dedicated as Your Altar.

Send us Elijah the prophet with the good news of Salvation and comfort.

Mat the All-merciful bless those at this table; (Each person offers a personal prayer in the form)

May The All- merciful………………

Finally we pray for that time which is continually Shabbat and rest and peace in the coming world of salvation.

Grant us life in the days of the Messiah and The World to Come.

Give us strength.

Bless us with Shabbat Shalom.

Rekindling The Seven Blessings

1.)  This Cup of Blessing is a renewal of the vows and covenants of our marriage.

2.)  May the veil lift once again as we witness the glory of the Coming of The Bride.

3.)  On this night we find our Shalom; our humanness and wholeness, beings, created in your Image.

4.)  By the Light of Your Eternal True Teachings we reenter Eden.

5.)  My children, may the world experience the joy and Peace of this Home.

6.)  May The Shalom of this Shabbat illumine a path for Peace on Earth.

7.)  May we all experience the joy of Zion as we hear in every city and alley the rejoicing of bride and groom under the Chuppah.  O Lord our God, spread your Canopy of Peace over all of humanity as we prepare for the Age that is all Shabbat and Shalom.   Amen. Sealah Baruch ata adoneigh elohanu melech haolam boray pri hagafen.

The Birthday Haggaddah: A Personal Seder

Mezzuzzah Home Dedication

Seder of Daily Prayer

Seder of The Meal

Seder of Eating

Shabbat

Intimate Seder for Couples

A WEDDING ON SATURDAY

A Poets Passover

ASederforshabbathagadol

a SHAVUOT SEDER

(DRAFT: KINDLY E MAIL COMMENTS AND TYPOS)

Shavuot (Pronounced Sh-vu-oat) is the Festival of Weeks, seven weeks of seven days after Passover, and links the liberation of our people to the receiving of the teachings of God at and on Mt. Sinai.

The countdown from Passover to Shavuot is a forty-nine day ascent, (Aliyah), to the Revelation on Mt Sinai (Pronounced See-nigh in Hebrew.) The first revelation in this linking is that freedom requires responsibility. Our response to The Giving of the Torah at Sinai is described in The Book of Exodus right after the revelation of the Ten Principle Teachings. What did we see nigh? (Word play is part of our tradition and truly awesome when it works in Hebrew and English.)

“And the entire nation saw the voices and the thunder, and the sound of the Shofar and the mountain was consumed with smoke. The people saw and were frightened: therefore they stood at a distance. They said to Moses “You speak to us and we will here, but God shall not speak to us lest we die.” (20:15-16).

Open the text to see Moses response. Rashi explains how the people could see the thunder:

“They saw the sounds; that which is usually heard and impossible to see under different circumstances.” (20:15). Is this what frightened the children of Israel?

Why? Is Revelation not an experience of all the senses?

Science calls this experience of seeing sounds synesthesia. This was the experience at the base of the mountain. Imagine what Moses saw and heard on the Arête, the top of the mountain. Aliyah, ascending, you may experience what Moses saw and heard. Not everyone is ready for this peak experience. The world, according to Abraham Maslow, one of our greatest psychologists of all time, is divided into peakers and non- peakers. Of course those who refuse Aliyah quote scripture to justify their position so they do not see the thunder. Only those with courage experience revelation face to face.

Sinai was truly see-nigh a great revelation near and at hand. Why did the children of Israel fear direct contact with Gods words? Mt. Sinai is referred to in Hebrew as har gavnunim, a ragged and rugged mountain with many peaks. The English equivalent (from the Greek) is Arête, which also means, in the thought of the Greeks, the sum of all good qualities. For our people Shavuot is the greatest moment in history, the Arête of the Jewish experience. Our ascent or Aliyah leads to a peak, a sharp crested ridge that is a potentially dangerous place. The arête is where we experience personal revelation, as did Moses.

We are taught (Exodus 24:12) that Moses received The Stone Tablets, the Torah, and the Commandments, written for instruction. Moses did not receive Ten
Commandments. Limiting the commandments to ten, according to our Rabbis is a dangerous teaching. Written on the Tablets are The Ten Principle Teachings.

What Torah and other commands did Moses receive? Our Rabbis teach that the Ten Teachings on the tablets were principles that defined 613 commandments in the Five Books Of Moses that are the basis of The Oral Law that defines Rabbinic Judaism. This Second Torah is also given to Moses on Sinai. Moreover the Revelation on Sinai is perceived as an event that continues to this day, when any precocious student may discover a new insight into the Torah. This means the Torah is an ideal constitution open to ever new revelation.

AN ALIYAH TO THE ARÊTE

One who receives an Aliyah alights to the level of Moses, and sees from the Arête Torat Emet, the deep truths of Torah. The Aliyah that leads to the Arête teaches character excellence and true virtue. On the Arête we also learn the meaning of courage and the sum of all good qualities that open our hearts and minds to be receptive to Revelation. My Rabbi and mentor wondered why the children of Israel were more intent on learning the teachings at the base of the Mountain rather than the Arête. The decisive things and deep truths are best viewed from the peaks. The only danger in our generation is in not lacing your hiking boots for the ascent.

The Seder

How is The Seder of the Evening of Shavuot different from all other Seders? All other Seders have a beginning and end, but this Seder continues every day of the year.

At all other Seders we are what we eat. On this night we are what we read.

On all other holiday prayer services we receive an Aliyah only as part of a minyan of Ten, This night we will learn how to ascend as Moses ascended.

After we eat we will study Torah from a Tikkun. We will also do a Tikkun ha hanefesh and Tikkun ha guf (soul, heart, and body repair) based on the revelations of Torah this Shavuot.

THE MEAL

Kiddush

We invite You, O lord our God, to dwell with us this holyday of Shavuot, the season of The Giving of the Torah.

Baruch ata adon nigh alohaynu melech ha olam bo ray pri ha gafen.

We praise your name adon nigh ,Lord who is near ,by the sanctification of this fruit of the vine.

Breaking Bread

We end our observance of Passover and Counting of The Omer by humbly offering these two loaves as the symbol of your Presence at this table.

Wash your hands and say: All praise is due to our creator for commanding the washing and uplifting of hands.

Lift the bread with both hands and recite the ten words:

Baruch ata adonigh alohaynew melech haolam homotzi lechem min haaretz.

Tikkun

Before Grace after meals we will experience Tikkun leil Shavuot
(Reconstructing Perfection on the night of Shavuot.) The myth and metaphors of this evening of Pentecost focus on the shattered set of Tablets. Moses breaks the first set of tablets upon seeing the worship of the golden calf. The children of Israel are given a second chance by a God who is compassionate and forgiving. The reconstructed set of Tablets allows us to move from the golden calf to the golden path. This is Tikkun.

This process actually begins in Genesis. In the beginning is our ending. Creation is the ordering of chaos which is why we have a Seder this evening.

Our fictional ancestors Adam and Eve are told they will die if they eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. They did not die but were exiled from Eden. God is benevolent from the very beginning.

The Book of Genesis is our starting point to reconstruct our sacred library. This evening we reread the story of Cain and Abel and experience a myth history has lived by. Civilization wears the mark of Cain, as murder and violence are the supreme themes of our story. We speak of Gods hidden face, blaming God for the Holocaust. This night we discuss how we hide from God.

The end of Genesis is a story about the end of days, in the messianic age. Jacob who is Israel has a prophetic vision of his children that illuminates the end of
their story. Jacob/ Israel’s’ poetic charge to his children is brutal in its criticism and praise of his sons. We the children of the children of Israel have been as unstable as water and the first born have not merited the staff of leadership. Our pruning hooks we have turned into swords used in uncivil war. Our redeemer will come from Judah for he is a son of peace. When the nation is tribally divided, Israel prays we reunite, so the blessings do not become a curse. All of this we review this night of Tikkun before we enter the Book of Exodus.

Moses lives to lead the people out of Egypt because of an act of civil disobedience. Retell the story of the midwifes (Shifra and Puah) ,and how they inspired Yocheved to save her son Moses. Reread the story of the Exodus and discuss the Exodus of the Passover of the Future.

Rabbinic narrative teaches that just as Creation continues so does Revelation.

God in her infinite goodness renews at every moment the workings and story of creation. The Torah is given every day to those who will Kabballah, who will receive. Redemption is also happening, one person at a time. Once we stop dancing around the golden calf and ascend to the peak of the mountain we see nigh the way of sanctification. The Path is sometimes straight and sometimes narrow but always leads to the Second Set of Tablets. The God of the second chance is by definition a forgiving God who dwells in realms of mercy.

Heaven and Earth meet on The Arête where we accept the gift of The Two Tablets of Testimony. This is also the Tikkun of the evening of Shavuot; The Day of At One Ment.The first set of Tablets was broken by Moses to represent the broken worlds of the broken Covenant. The Second Set represents the World of Tikkun.

A Tikkun Different From All Other Tikkun

On this night we discuss the books we chose to study and create a canon.
For Jews the canon includes The Torah, The Prophets and The Writings. Our tradition is to read the Book of Ruth publicly in the synagogue. The Book of Ruth will be our focus this evening of personal and family practice. Your Tikkun will include selections from Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy etc. and takes most a year to review so do selections. Use a traditional Tikkun for the Evening of Shavuot as a guide. We also have to answer the question of what God has been up to for the past two thousand years.

In the Christian Bible Ruth follows Judges. Note also that the Christian Bible ends with Malachi to connect Elijah and The Book of Matthew. Check to see now which version you are using. The Hebrew Bible ends with Chronicles and the dream of Aliyah and a reconstructed Temple.

For Christians the canon continues with four Gospels, Epistles, and Revelation. The Temple of the future in Revelation is a repeat of the vision of Isaiah of a new heaven and earth. Isaiah also asks the question of the meaning of the Temple in

Jerusalem. Reread Chapter 66. God is drawn to the humble and penitent and cannot be contained by any Temple. or church.

What are we to make of a New Testament? Is this a New Covenant which triumphs over and supercedes the old? What then of Islam that teaches the newer testament, the Holy Quran? Does The Quran trump the Christian Bible?

Bahai offers the newest testament. Should we all become Bahai? In my opinion these questions are answered by Dr. Franklin Littel in his study on the Crucifixion of the Jews.

The Quran is not the Final Testament.

Israel is the Suffering Servant.

The Messiah is open to discussion.

The covenant is ever in need of renewal, never in need of triumphilism.

We do better with Ruth and Naomi then with the theologians on these issues.

The Book of (T)Ruth: A reading around the Table

We open the book of Ruth to discover Torat Emet, a Torah of Truth.

The Blessings:

Baruch ata adonigh elohanu melech halom asher kidshanu b mitzvotav vitzevane lokroat hamegillah shel Root v Naomi.

We acknowledge now that YHVH is our God ruler of every nation who speaks to us of unity and redemption in the story that teaches truth through Ruth and Naomi.

Read the Four Chapters around the table or out loud to yourself.

THE TEXT

Questions for discussion:

1.) Why the Book of Ruth and not The Book of Naomi?
2.) What other book is named for a woman?
3.) How do they compare.
4.) How did Ruth convert?
5.) Two thirds of The Book of (T)Ruth are in dialogue. What do we learn from this fact?
6.) Naomi means pleasant, Ruth friend, Orpah turning away, and Mahlon and Chilion sickly and fading away. Does this mean thay are fictional characters?
7.) This evening of Shavuot, according to our torahs truth represents the marriage of The Oral Law (Malchute) and The Written Law (Tifferet). What does this marriage give birth to?
8.) What does The Book of Ruth teach about intermarriage?
9.) Are The Teachings on The Two Tablets of Testimony for everyone or for the Jews alone?
10.) What does Kabballah teach about all these truths?

Grace after meals: Recite a full grace or

We acknowledge your grace in feeding us this bread and the wisdom of the words we learned at this table. We have eaten and we are satisfied.
We pray for the day when your vision is real, a world at peace, all land holy.

The Seder continues

O Lord we hear your commandment to learn love and live love in every domain of our lives and to teach this to our children and disciples. Our homes and hearts and minds we dedicate to You, each and every day a revelation.

We order our lives by the words of your Torah to attain truth.

We end by beginning again.

ASCENDING TO THE ARÊTE UPON RECEIVING AN ALIYAH

(For evening or morning services, and may be done with a minyan of one.)

The blessing upon being called for an Aliyah begins the same as the call to prayer. Prayer is devotion of the heart. An Aliyah is also a call to engage the intellect and more. If you know the traditional melodies recite in Hebrew and then the following updated interpretive translation:

Barchu et adonigh hamvorach
Lord accept this study as a prayer

All respond:

This study is praise to the eternal One

Baruch adoneigh hamvorach l olam va ed.

We acknowledge your Name is One
And that we are chosen to teach every nation
Of The Gift of The Giving of The Torah
And to proclaim our portion of God
In the Ascent of this Aliyah.

Torah reading: The Ten Utterances: Ten Wor(l)ds

Chant with traditional trope. Translate. Follow with these Ten Words for Our Time:

1.)Trust in God. We will be lead out our bondage to ignorance and embrace truth.
2.) Remove the idols of false ideals. Religions, like people, get lost.
3.) Do not profane Shalom, which is Gods sublime Name.
4.) Remember to observe The Sabbath, paradigm of inner and world Peace.
5.) Honor and love your mother and father, together the image of God.

6.) To life
7.) To love
8.) To give
9.) To witness
10 The Ten are basics. Do not Covet them as secrets, teach fundamentals, not ism.

Blessing after The Revelation
(First with Hebrew and traditional melody if you know it, then)

We now proclaim your Crown on Creation
For these teachings lead to Redemption
By living the Truths of Torah
Seeds of eternity planted in our gardens
The Tree of Life now within our grasp
Ever expanding the boundaries of our worlds
as we Kabballah you’re Torah.

Kaddash (Kiddush)

Remember, on the Sabbath and Holydays our custom is to sanctify time by reciting Kiddush, washing for the meal, and then remaining silent until we make the Motzi,
the prayer for breaking bread. This night the order is momentarily transformed into chaos to inspire children and the young at heart to ask questions. For younger children it is best to do a Seder before the Seder and discuss Passover on their terms.

The Four Questions and the Fifth

How different this Seder is from all other Seders!
At all other Seders the youngest asks four questions.
At this Seder all are to question:

What do you hunger for?
What is freedom?
What is this dream of redemption?
Who will lead?

When do we eat?

Eat now if the food is ready and you want to continue the narrative of the Haggaddah at the meal.

Maggid

A Maggid is a storyteller. Tonight we tell our story as we break this bread. Passover in Hebrew is pronounced Pe sach which means “the mouth speaks.” We then pronounce:

This is the bread that tells the story of the poor
Whose bodies were broken as bread by the taskmasters.

All who hunger now enter and eat.
All seeking wisdom, we welcome your questions.

This year we are here.
In the coming year we pray for redemption.

We pray for the end of this final exile.
Let liberty be proclaimed in every land.

For children, Teens, and the Young at Heart:

Our story must begin in the beginning, in Genesis. Adam and Eve, who are make believe, teach us many lessons. After they eat from the Tree of Knowledge their eyes are opened. They are not happy with what they see. God proclaims them to be free. They see into the future all the bad choices all of their children will make. Humans will forget that we all come from one set of parents, as the story is told, which means we are all brothers and sisters. Every beggar you meet on the street is a relative. How can you turn away? Every war is brother against brother. How can you join? The Earth began as a Garden. Good. How do we pass through the flaming sword? Why do we pollute? How do we return to the Garden, our Promised Land?

Our story continues with Joseph, the guy with the amazing techno-color dream coat. Joseph was exiled to Egypt by his own brothers. He was a stranger in a strange land and was exiled again within his exile by being thrown into prison.

All our people were incarcerated by history to be the slaves that built the giant grave markers called the Pyramids. The children of Israel were worked to death by the cruel taskmasters. To save time they were not buried but mortared into the stone bricks of the pyramids. All remember and visit the Pharos who inspired these atrocities. This night we remember our brothers and sisters as the eye in the pyramids.Novas ordo memoriam.

The telling of our story includes a narrative of cruelty and persecution that is difficult to talk about and even more difficult to imagine. This is a night when we grow up, when children grow up, when the children of Israel become the adults of Israel, when meaning is more than food and ritual. This is the night we recite the overwhelming questions.

When will we be one family again?
When will we treat earth as a mother, once again?
When will all exiles end?
War?
Poverty?

Who am I in the context of this story?

How do I save my own life?
Is this story about me?
My family?
My people?
All people?

In the Jewish tradition Elijah the prophet is the answer man. At least one of you must dress up as Elijah and offer some form of an answer to all these questions. In fact, if all agree pass around Elijah’s cup and offer a question or an answer. Play a variation of musical chairs and move around the table giving all a chance to sit in the Chair of Elijah the Prophet.

O Elijah, Elijah:

When will all this suffering end?
Jealousy?
Strife?
War?
Tyranny?

When will a leader come?
After the heart of Moses?
To lead us into the Promised Land
Of an earth we till as a garden?

Who will inform our corrupt political leaders?
Who will inform our lost religious leaders?
Who will proclaim in the voice of Elijah
a declaration of independence from the violence that is history and the plagues of the modern world?

If not now, when?

Let the symposium begin.

Watch the evening turn to morning
Elijah is coming for all this and for more!

Before the Meal: An Updated Rachtza; ANew Ritual

Before the hand washing for the meal, stand, in the opening of a door with a Mezzuzzah and recite, in unison:

(In Ancient times, around two thousand years ago Israelite worship focused on the Temple in Jerusalem. The Temple, in Hebrew, was called the Bayt Hamigdash. Bayt is a form of Bayit, which means house or home. This is instructive for today when our homes are considered our own holy Temple. In the past the Israelite Priests lead the worship. They were required to wash their hands before approaching the Altar.)
For this reason all of us will wash our hands and/or the hands of all present. We are all leaders and the high-priests of our home.)

We proclaim:

This home is our holy Temple
This Table is our Altar
This Seder is our Passover Sacrifice.

As you Passover our home
Marked with this Mezzuzzah
Protecting us from all plagues
And even from the angel of death

We pray this covenant meal protects every home
Marked by your name, O Lord God of Israel and All Nations
May this meal hasten our redemption
We do this in remberance of You our Redeemer
And our exodus from Egypt.

As we proclaim the greatest of the teachings

Listen Israel

God’s Seder

Is my house not right with God?
The Everlasting Covenant ordered
in all things, and sure? ( 2 Samuel 23:5)

Creation in Genesis is an order. God orders all things into being. The universe unfolds, from chaos to creation. Revelation is an ordering of
Torah into principle teachings, ten in number, which reflect the ten utterances of creation. Freedom is also engraved upon the Tablets of the Ten Teachings, which opens the door to chaos and the shattering of our moral universe. In the end, following the example of David, we acknowledge the Tikkun of creation and revelation is found when all things are in a Seder, and sure. This is how we create The Everlasting Covenant.

David, the idyllic King, promised to be ordered in all things, and dreamed of a Temple to house his beloved Ark of the Covenant. King David desired to funnel his energy into an ordered Temple worship. He was not worthy to build the Temple, but the Messiah is a son of David who will. The First and Second Temple were built on orders from God and destroyed by orders from God, who is the Lord of history in a way that appears chaotic to the mind. Strange to moderns is the idea that the nations are agents of God’s wrath against a Sinning Israel. Is God responsible for the nightmare of history? Were the Nazi’s divine agents?

Moderns rightly question the assumption that God orders the persecution of the children of Israel. We have no prophets in our time who explain the chaos and idolatry of power in the nightmare that is history. The news is always bad. Jerusalem is a city at war. Israel struggles with the irrational hatred and violence of her neighbors. Do the modern day children of Israel provoke God’s anger and wrath, as a returned Jeremiah might well preach?

We do well to focus on other dimensions of prophetic teaching, including God’s love of Israel and the dreams of a messianic future. For the Rabbi’s The Messiah Son of David would restore the order of the past and bring to an end the chaos of history. The Temple will be rebuilt and the final chronicling of history will be a fulfillment of the prophetic dream of peace and wisdom and prosperity for all nations. In the meantime we all live in the whirlwinds of events that is the bad news of daily living. Our only solution is personal and domestic, the ordering of our tables into altars. The question of our exalted leader remains.

Is my house right with God? Is the Covenant ordered in my life, and sure?

Passover 2013

On Being a Twenty First Century Person

Happy Passover and Easter to each and every one of you. Call or e mail if you would like personalized guidance on how to run your Seder. In the meantime enjoy the following food for thought:

To be a person in the 21st century is to be offered the challenge of self definition. As the decades pass we are forced to redefine the terms of our existence. Redefinition begins with questions.
What is Temple Shabbat Shalom? What does it mean to be a member? Is it possible to combine faiths? What is a faith? A religion? Since half of our congregation is Jewish and the other half Catholic, Protestant and other religions how do we function as an organization? How do we support the Temple?

More to the point: Rabbi Alpern, how do you define your diverse group in terms of religion? How will we raise our children? When others turn us away, Rabbi, how can you embrace with open mind, heart, and arms?
How is it possible to grant “full rights and privileges” as a member of the Temple to a person who is not a Jew? The most liberal Reform and Reconstructionist Temples do not go this far! Why are all people welcome to join Temple Shabbat Shalom?

The complete answers to these questions require a dialogue and lengthy discussion, so I begin answering with a practical challenge, Passover.
If you are a Christian all of your worship is inspired by the original Passover story of the children of Israel leaving bondage. Your story is a retelling. Jesus celebrated Passover. A Seder is an opportunity to transform your home into a sanctuary and make your religion personal to you and your family.
Since Christians are also children of Sarah Rebecca Rachel and Leah; Abraham Isaac and Jacob, called Israel, I consider you children of Israel, and heirs to the promises of the patriarchs and matriarchs.
This belief is the basis of my faith and religion, and the result of self definition.

This is why I officiate at your weddings.
This is the mission of Temple Shabbat Shalom, a radical redefinition of everything old and new!

AGAIN, HAPPY PASSOVER AND EASTER TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.STAY IN TOUCH. CALL OR WRITE. WE ARE HERE FOR YOU!

Rabbi and Karen Alpern

A Seder for the 15th of Av (Draft)

This Seder is an outline for the observance of one of the most fascinating and mysterious of the holydays, and certainly the most ignored. One Rabbi, Shimon the son of Gamaliel, teaches that the 15th of Av is a festival equal in importance to Yom Kippur. Rather than trailblazing one of my meandering maps to ascend the Arête I send you now to our Top Ten websites to gather your material to order your personal Seder for the 15th of Av. My version demands editing and may be read before, during, or after the meal, or in parts.

Reader: (One two or three etc, assign parts)
Shalom and welcome to our Seder for the 15th day of the Hebrew month Av. This is a time to create new rituals since our guidebooks mention only that on this day we do not say prayers of supplication or confession. The holiday promises much more. This is the day our mourning turns into dancing, our sackcloth into robes of joy.

Reader: The Talmud teaches that the 15th of Av is when the daughters of Jerusalem would dance in the vineyards and “whoever did not have a bride would find a bride.” The greatest joy is finding ones soul mate.

Reader: The 15th of Av also was the day our wandering in the wilderness ended. We await entrance to the Holy Land with the announcement of the Redemption. Tradition also records the month of Av as the birthday of our Anointed One, the Messiah.

Reader: The 15th of Av is also the date the tribes of Israel were permitted to intermarry. At first women were forbidden to marry out of their tribe as we learn in the 36th chapter of the Book of Numbers.

Reader: On this 15th of Av we open discussion between the monotheistic tribes on intermarriage today.

Reader: At the end of a Jewish wedding we break a glass in remembrance of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. Will this ritual be set aside if and when the Temple is rebuilt?

Reader: What will happen when the Temple is rebuilt?

Will we offer animal sacrifices as in ancient times?

On the 9th of Av we chant from Lamentations:

” Help us turn to You, we shall return. Renew our days as of old.”

Those familiar with the liturgy remember we chant this as we return the Torah to
the Ark after the reading:

Hashevaynew Adon nigh v’nashuva. Chadaysh yamynew k’ kedem.

The key word is kedem. Most translations read “days of old” which is accurate to
a point, but how far back are days of old? Certainly we do not want to rebuild the
Temple on the same ancient model that led to destruction. Our vision of the
future must transcend a return to our imperfect past. The Midrash on
Lamentations teaches that Kedem refers to The Garden of Eden. Our
lamentations end when the Temple is the entrance to the Garden.

Reader: The Talmud also refers the 15th of Av as “The day of the breaking of the
ax.” When the Holy Temple in Jerusalem functioned the annual cutting of the
firewood was concluded on this date. There was no greater festival.

Reader: Why break the axes? Will the Third Temple need firewood for burnt
offerings? It appears to me that the reinstitution of animal sacrifices is a
backward vision. Nor do I expect to see the scapegoat ritual on The Day of
Atonement in the Final Temple. Perhaps we will need split firewood for the
incense offerings.

Reader: Every day we pray for the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple.
Rabbis are planning, as we speak, the reestablishment of the ancient Sanhedrin.
We must define and discuss our vision of the rebuilding.
Reader: Forcing the issue is fraught with danger. Our religion is not about
constructing new walls. We do need a roof over the Altar, and a clear
understanding of the offerings. If any metal even touches the stones of the altar
the altar is unfit. (Exodus 20:22) Our Rabbis of blessed memory explain: “Iron
shortens life. The altar was created to bestow long life. That which shortens may
not touch that which lengthens and gives life.” (Talmud. Middot 3:4)

Reader: Even the firewood is prepared with this consciousness. The final
redemption happens when instruments of war are transformed into instruments
of Peace,
“And they shall beat their swords into plowshares (the iron points that were tips
on wooden plows) And their spears into pruning hooks: Nation will not take up
sword against nation; they shall never again know war.” (Isaiah 2:4)
This explains why Rabbi Shimon Ben Gamaliel considers the 15th of Av equal to
the Day of Atonement.
Reader: Our pious ancestors in Eastern Europe who lived the fullness of a life
dedicated to Torah understood all this. In less than one week, from the 9th to the
15th of Av, we transform our reliving of history. Exile becomes a blessing when
we grasp the lesson of the breaking of the axes. When we embrace the teachings on the building of the altar we merit the rebuilding of the Temple. Every year many of our Eastern European ancestors (such as those in the Galician town of Brod) would tear up their booklets containing lamentations and prayers as an act of faith that the Messiah was coming to proclaim the Final Redemption.
Reader: The fact that Av occurs in summer, when many are on vacation, means that the 9th and 15th of Av are often ignored. Since we have proclaimed this Table an Altar we now discuss our own visions of The Temple, Messiah and dreams of a better world. Choose some of the following to guide your discussion.

1.) How many generations will Israel have to wait for Peace? When will the dying in our times end?
2.) Who are Israelites today? Jews and Christians see themselves as legitimate heirs of the ancient promises.
3.) The struggle between Jews and Christians is foreshadowed in Genesis 25:23 where we learn of the future struggle between Jacob and Esau. Is it possible both of Rebecca’s children have the birthright?
4.) How will intermarriage be defined when we move beyond tribal religion?
5.) With the roads opened to visit Jerusalem, how do we apply the lessons of history to our vision of rebuilding?
6.) How do you imagine worship in the Final Temple?
7.) The dream of a better age to come is part of our tradition. How do you see this?
8.) What do you consider essential holidays?
9.) Do you include the 15th of Av?
10.) Finally, on the 15th of Av, 148 C.E. the dead of the fortress of Betar, which fell on the 9th of Av, were allowed to be buried. Bar Kochba, who Rabbi Akiba thought was the Messiah, was laid to rest. Before we recite Grace After Meals and focus on an additional prayer added to those blessings in commemoration of Bar Kochba, we link the 15th of Av to The Day of Atonement by discussing martyrdom. Rabbi Akiba was one of ten we commemorate on Yom Kippur, martyred by the Romans. The martyrology on The Day of Atonement was actually composed after the first crusade and the crucifixion of the Jews in 1096 C.E. Discuss your understanding of martyrdom.
Before Grace After Meals: A Reading
During Grace After meals we pray that “The All Merciful send us Elijah the Prophet, of blessed memory who will deliver good news of redemption and consolation. Elijah also facilitates dialogue between the religions and opens the door to peace between the religions. Elijah answers the most difficult questions. Now is the time to ask.

Grace After Meals

Recite a traditional Grace after meals, or go around the Table asking for prayers of thanksgiving, then add:

All praise to You,
Our Thou,
Our only Ruler,
Our Mother, Father
Holy, of Jacob Rachel and Leah,
Our Shepard
And Shepard of all Israel.

O God, You are Good
To All
Throughout all time
You have done
Do,
And will forever
Give us grace kindness and compassion
Sustenance and Success
Deliverance
Prosperity
and Peace of Mind.
May we ever know You as The Very Good
Of creation.

Our fasting has turned to feasting
With integrity and joy.

Temple Shabbat Shalom Shabbat Seder

Shalom. This Seder is the order for a home service to welcome the Sabbath. The phrase “Shabbat
Shalom” expresses the essence and uniqueness of our tradition. Shalom means greetings and
Peace. A wonderful Peace is experienced when we transform our dining room table into an altar.
The wine is poured, the grail cup lifted, and sanctification recited. Our hearts are in our homes
and our homes become Temples as the prosaic week is transformed by the poetry of Shabbat.
This is why The Sabbath is included in the Ten Commandments, and why we refer to our Temple
as Temple Shabbat Shalom.

The Seder

1.) The Candles
2.) Family Blessings
3.) Kiddush
4.) Wash Hands
5.) Motzi (break bread) Table conversation (Altartalk)
6.) Readings
7.) Grace and seven blessings
The Candles

Meditation

We delight in the Sanctity of your day, Dear God, as we place your teachings on our hearts. We
remember by the flame of each light our individuality and the illumination of our traditions. We
are romanced by your teaching of covenant love and its weekly renewal in this Sabbath ritual.

We ask you to bless …, our family and friends and all of humanity with
Peace in our hearts and homes and lands. We pray for the Sabbath of history when nations learn
war no more and all receive their daily bread. Amen. Sealah.

We now acknowledge you, Lord our God, who instructs us to Remember and Observe The
Sabbath by lighting these candles.

Baruch ata adoneigh Elohaynew melech haolam asher kidshanub mitzvotav v itzevanu ladleak nair shell Shabbat. Amen

Family blessings

Traditionally we bless our sons to be like the sons of Joseph and our daughters to be like the
matriarchs (you may use all the blessings for sons and daughters, and/or one another).

May you be inspired by God to be like Ephraim and Manasseh
To be a parent of many, like Father Abraham
To be inspired with the awe of Isaac
To triumph in every struggle like Jacob, who then earned the name Israel
May you have the wealth worldliness and wisdom of Joseph
For in his children’s names we bless our children to this day.
(Add other role models)

May your life be filled with:
The laughter and love of Sarah
The vision of Rebecca
The modesty and radiance of Rachel
And the kindness of mother Leah.
(Add other role models)

We continue with the blessings of Aaron:

May God bless and protect all that we do
May Gods light guide us on a Path of Grace.
May we catch a glimpse of Gods Presence
and be illuminated with Peace.

Kiddush

This Kiddush once again announces our weekly honeymoon with one another and with our
Creator.
(Raise Kiddush cup)
Our Table is set and ordered and we invite You, Lord of The Sabbath, to our meal, set upon Your
Altar, where all mysteries are revealed.

This is The Holy grail of your Holy Meal, The Cup of Salvation,
A Cup of Immortality, where Eternity is poured into a moment,
And weekly announces our coming Final Age of Freedom.

This Kiddush promises Shalom and Redemption
As we Remember and Observe your command
And drink deeply from the Cup of Liberation and Joy.

(A Full Kiddush may be recited in Hebrew and English.)

Baruch ata adoneigh Elohanu melech haolam bo ray pri ha gafen. Amen

May our wisdom in time
Ripen as the fruit of the vine
Amen.

The Blessing for Washing your Hands
“We thank you, Lord, for your commandment to wash our hands. Amen
Baruch ata adoneigh Elohanu melech haolam asher kidshanu b’mitzvotav vitzt vanu ol natealot
yadim. Amen

All wash hands.

The Motzi

Baruch ata adoneigh Elohanu melech haolam ha motzi lechem min ha
aretz. Amen

We are fed
Satisfied with our portion
As we break this bread.
All who hunger
We invite to this Holy Meal.
Shabbat dinner is served
Altartalk

During and after the meal is for Altartalk, a time of sanctified speaking and singing.
Traditionalists discuss the weekly Torah portion and prophetic reading. Include the wisdom
literature of your canon. Remember wisdom is discovered in the power of questioning and the
highpoint of every Seder is the asking of questions. Elijah the prophet may even show up, as
tradition teaches, if your questions merit his answers. Elijah also comes to turn the hearts of
parents to their children and children to parents. Bridge the generation gap with your Altartalk.

Readings

Inviting The Presence to your Table:
“Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai said;” Three who eat at one table and engage in Altartalk place God
at their table as Ezekiel teaches;
“This is The Table in The Presence of The Lord.”

Rabbi Chalfta adds,”How do we know this applies to two? Malachi teaches: “Those who revered
The Lord spoke to one another.”
How do we know the above applies to one?
Moses teaches, after the Ten Principle teachings Exodus (20:24)
“In every place my Name is mentioned
I will come to you and bless you.”

© Rabbi Laurence Aryeh Alpern -5-

Psalm One: a Poetic Translation

Happy Indeed, are The Couple
Who embrace
A tradition
Walking in The Way
Of the wise.

They delight in the path of creation
Bringing forth fruit like trees
Planted by flowing wellsprings

Our roots entwine and branches proclaim
The Secret of The Garden:

The Tree of Knowing, A Tree of Life
To know and to be
Come together as one
In the saying, and
The song of the Psalm.

Shabbat Seder Grace

This is a supplement to birchat mazon.

We have eaten, we are satisfied, and we bless You, Lord of The Sabbath, comforter of Zion, for
prosperity, life, peace and all that is good. With You as Shepard we lack nothing.

May the All-merciful reign forever and ever.
Teach us to bring Heaven down to Earth.
Grant us an honorable livelihood.
Break the yoke off our back and grant peace and security to our land and the entire world.
May the All-merciful send blessings to this Home;
And this Table we have dedicated as Your Altar.
Send us Elijah the prophet with the good news of Salvation and comfort.

May the All-merciful bless those at this table; (Each person offers a personal prayer in the form)

May The All- merciful………………

Finally we pray for that time which is continually Shabbat and rest and peace in the coming world
of salvation.

Grant us life in the days of the Messiah and The World to Come.

Give us strength.

Bless us with Shabbat Shalom.

© Rabbi Laurence Aryeh Alpern -6-

Rekindling The Seven Blessings

1.) This Cup of Blessing is a renewal of the vows and covenants of our marriage.
2.) May the veil lift once again as we witness the glory of the Coming of The
Bride.
3.) On this night we find our Shalom; our humanness and wholeness, beings,
created in your Image.
4.) By the Light of Your Eternal True Teachings we reenter Eden.
5.) My children, may the world experience the joy and Peace of this Home.
6.) May The Shalom of this Shabbat illumine a path for Peace on Earth.
7.) May we all experience the joy of Zion as we hear in every city and alley the
rejoicing of bride and groom under the Chuppah. O Lord our God, spread
your Canopy of Peace over all of humanity as we prepare for the Age that is
all Shabbat and Shalom. Amen. Sealah Baruch ata adoneigh elohanu melech
haolam boray pri hagafen. Amen
© Rabbi Laurence Aryeh Alpern -7-

The Seder (Order) of the Meal ( Generic Order)

(Start here to learn how to construct your own Seders)

Parental Blessings:Bridging the generation gap

The eve of Sabbaths and holydays we begin our home sanctuary services by inviting Elijah to help us bridge the generation gap by the blessing of their children by parents. Hands on their heads, we ordain our children to be teachers of the way of dialogue and communication. See Seder Shabbat Shalom for the blessings. Consider writing a blessing children say to bless and thank parents in your family. The blessing begins with Elijah’s
teaching us to turn the hearts of parents towards their children and how children reconcile with parents. ( Malachi 3:23).

(On the Sabbath we continue with Shalom Alachem and Proverbs 31.
Consider your own blessings for fathers to supplement praise of moms.)

kiddush (Shabbat and holidays)

Baruch ata adonigh elohanu melech haolam boray pri hagafen.
Praised are you Ado nigh, ruler of the world, creator of the fruit of the vine.
(Full Kiddush is found:

Washing of Hands

“Lift up your hands toward the Sanctuary and bless The Lord.” (Psalms 134:2)
Baruch ata ado nigh elohanu melech haolam asher kiddhsanu b mitzvotav vitzivanu al netalat yadim.
Praised are you Ado nigh, ruler of the world, who sanctifies us through the commandments and commands us to wash our hands.

The Motzi (Bread or Matzah)

Baruch ata adonigh elohanu melech haolam ha motzi lechem min ha aretz.
Praised are you Ado nigh who brings forth bread from the earth.
“You are Lord forever, merciful in all acts, helping those in trouble, lifting the fallen, all the living look hopefully to You, so that you should give them their food in the correct time.” (Psalms 145: 13-15)

The Meal

Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai teaches that three who eat at one table and discuss the truths of Torah dine with the divine, as The prophet teaches, (Ezekiel 41:22) “This is the table which is in the presence of the Lord.”
Discuss.
(Note that Ezekiel’s vision of the future Temple includes the Table that holds the Bread of Gods Presence and the mystic Rabbi Shimon is teaching that this also refers to your dining room Table.)
Rabbi Chalafta adds: How do we know this also applies to two? “Then those who revered the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard.”(Malachi 3:16.) Study the Chapter. Discuss.
(Malachi is teaching that those who practice true religion discuss the truth at their tables.)
How do we know the above applies even to one person? This was taught to Moses in The Book of Exodus, after The Ten Fundamental teachings:
“In every place my name is mentioned I will come to you and bless you. (20:24)
(Our rabbis teach that it is a great virtue to invite guests to your table. “With a multitude of people is God’s glory” (Proverbs 14:28). Still, If you are alone, and mention your creator, the meal is set as a Table for two.

Grace after meals

Construct your own grace based on the following links:

Concise Grace

We have eaten and are satisfied and bless The Lord our God. (Deuteronomy 8:10)
Thank you.

The Key to the Seders

The key to the Passover Seder is that the traditional order of the meal is disrupted to teach our children the significance of the day. The key to all the Seders is © Rabbi Lawrence Aryeh Alpern
based on a daily and weekly structuring and ordering of our lives around sanctified meals. The recipe for Peace in the home begins in the kitchen, as we prepare our daily weekly and holyday meals. The ingredients are essential, so we will share resources including specific food recipes. Send them to RabbiAlpern@Aol.com.
A Seder exchange is also essential.
We see from the myriad variations on the Passover Seder that our daily Shabbat and holyday home services will change every year as we learn from one another.
Kindly send me your families version of any Seder and I will post it under your name as a resource to help others.
Chazak Chazak Va neatcahazkae. Be strong, be strong; and let us strengthen one another.

Rabbi and Karen Alpern

A Seder for Christmas

Shalom and blessings. Kindly review the concise Seder and agree on how you will bless the meal. My choices are below. Table talk will focus on the character of Jesus and the various understandings of his teachings. The following prayers are suggestions for how to sanctify the Christmas meal:
The Candles: We light two candles this Christmas evening, each reflecting the light of our traditions.
O Lord our God you are the giver of gifts including The Teachings and The Teacher. We will receive your instructions into our hearts and follow in the footsteps of your Teacher. We offer praise and thanksgiving to The Lord, God of Israel, One.

Parental Blessings: Bridging the generation gap

The eve of Sabbaths and holydays we begin our home sanctuary services by inviting Elijah to help us bridge the generation gap by the blessing of their children by parents. Hands on their heads, we ordain our children to be teachers of the way of dialogue and communication. See Seder Shabbat Shalom for the blessings. Consider writing a blessing children say to bless and thank parents in your family. The blessing begins with Elijah’s
teaching us to turn the hearts of parents towards their children and how children reconcile with parents. (Malachi 3:23).
Make a list of questions for Elijah concerning the Messiah and Jesus.

Kiddush

Baruch ata adonigh elohanu melech haolam boray pri hagafen.
Praised are you Ado nigh, ruler of the world, creator of the fruit of the vine.

WASHING OF HANDS

“Lift up your hands toward the Sanctuary and bless The Lord.” (Psalms 134:2)
Baruch ata ado nigh elohanu melech haolam asher kiddhsanu b mitzvotav vitzivanu al netalat yadim.
Praised are you Ado nigh, ruler of the world, who sanctifies us through the commandments and commands us to wash our hands.

THE MOTZI (BREAD OR MATZAH)

Baruch ata adonigh elohanu melech haolam ha motzi lechem min ha aretz.
Praised are you Ado nigh who brings forth bread from the earth.
“You are Lord forever, merciful in all acts, helping those in trouble, lifting the
fallen, all the living look hopefully to You, so that you should give them their food
in the correct time.” (Psalms 145: 13-15)

THE MEAL

Now is the time to discuss Jesus according to who is at your table.
Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai teaches that three who eat at one table and discuss the
truths of Torah dine with the divine, as The prophet teaches, (Ezekiel 41:22) “This
is the table which is in the presence of the Lord.”
(Note that Ezekiel’s vision of the future Temple includes the Table that holds the
Bread of Gods Presence and the mystic Rabbi Shimon is teaching that this also
refers to your dining room Table.)
Rabbi Chalafta adds: How do we know this also applies to two? “Then those who
revered the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard.”(Malachi
3:16.) (Malachi is teaching that those who practice true religion discuss the truth
at their tables.)
How do we know the above applies even to one person? This was taught to
Moses in The Book of Exodus, after The Ten Fundamental teachings:
“In every place my name is mentioned I will come to you and bless you. (20:24)
(Our rabbis teach that it is a great virtue to invite guests to your table. “With a
multitude of people is God’s glory” (Proverbs 14:28). Still, If you are alone, and
mention your creator, the meal is set as a Table for two.

GRACE AFTER MEALS

Construct your own grace based on the following links (See Top Ten)

CONCISE GRACE

We have eaten and are satisfied and bless The Lord our God. (Deuteronomy 8:10)
Thank you.

THE KEY TO THE SEDERS

The key to the Passover Seder is that the traditional order of the meal is disrupted to teach our children the significance of the day. The key to all the Seders is based on a daily and weekly and holyday structuring and ordering of our lives around sanctified meals. The recipe for Peace in the home begins in the kitchen, as we prepare our daily weekly and holyday meals. The ingredients are essential, so we will share resources including specific food recipes. Send them to RabbiAlpern@Aol.com.
A Seder exchange is essential.
We see from the myriad variations on the Passover Seder that our daily Shabbat and holyday home services, including Christmas, will change every year as we learn from one another.
Kindly send me your families’ version of any Seder and I will post it under your name as a resource to help others.
Chazak Chazak Va neatcahazkae. Be strong, be strong; and let us strengthen one another.
Rabbi and Karen Alpern

ECO-Sure:The Seder of Eating

Elijah.As the name, so is the character.
The literal translation of Elijah is “My God is YHVH.” Transliterated Elijah is pronounced A Lee Ya Who. My God is Ya who, pronounced the same as the search engine. The name defines the character, Elijah is the one who brings heaven down to earth and uplifts earth to heaven.
Elijah the Tishbite was a prophet in Israel in the ninth century B.C.E. As we learn in other Seders Elijah is the forerunner of the messiah and the mediator between parents and children, bridging the generation gap.
Elijah is also the final arbiter in the most difficult questions of Jewish law. An unresolved debate in the Talmud is labeled Taiku an acronym that means “Tihsbi (Elijah) will resolve all our questions and difficulties.”
A practical question. W.W.E.E.? What Will Elijah Eat? We need to know since I hear his footsteps approaching.
This very moment Elijah is at your door. This year he translated back to earth to be at your Seder table.

A SHORT BACKGROUND OF YOUR GUEST THIS EVENING.

Tradition teaches that Elijah never died. Elijah the prophet is our most fascinating personality since he may be disguised as any person you meet on the street. Each persona he takes on broadens his character. He is an arête man who loves the mountain tops but has learned to live with us, the people of the valley. His earthly acts of loving kindness are penance for losing faith in the people of his time. He has learned a lot the past three thousand years. Like Moses, Elijah must also learn to forgive us even as we dance around our golden calves. When Elijah becomes our advocate, as Moses did, he is ready to reveal the image of our redeemer. Then, hopefully, he will let us know.
Elijah spends his free time studying since our rabbis refer all difficult legal questions to him to answer right before the end times. Elijah’s answers will literally be food for thought.
For Kabballahists the ultimate revelation is a gelouy a lee ya who, an actual physical appearance of the prophet, which we all await. Now that we agree Elijah is coming this year we ask again: What will Elijah eat?
The list of what Elijah will eat (w.E.w.e.) is open to discussion.
Locusts and honey?

RAVENS BROUGHT HIM MEAT AND BREAD.

An angel delivered to Elijah a cake baked on a hot stone and water and Elijah walked forty days and forty nights to The Mountain. Now that is nourishment.
O here he is. Ask Elijah what he will eat.

You: W.W.E.E.? What will Elijah eat?

Elijah: No meat, even on a holy day, since I announce our return to Eden, but I still enjoy wine. For Passover I make my own Matzah, by hand, which I keep in my satchel along with some spring water. My daily bread is also homemade and whole wheat since all white bread with no bran is not edible, as our Rabbis teach.

You: Elijah what is your diet? What may we serve you?

Elijah: My diet is a live it. I live by the teachings. What goes into the mouth is important for it influences what comes out of the mouth. Food for thought.

You: So what is kosher in your opinion?

Elijah: Food that is fit to eat. Our Rabbis teach us how to be label readers and this is crucial, part of cosher (read co-sure) consciousness. I personally eat no processed food, and I do not eat in restaurants, but you need not be as strict as I am. Also learn how to bless your food, before and after you eat. Ask your Rabbi. Never eat without washing and uplifting your hands to God, the Amen Sealah.

You: Elijah what is your kosher diet?

Elijah: My Cosher way of eating is (ECO) Sure. A live- it.

You: Seriously, Elijah I want to serve you.

Elijah: I have my own food.

You: That just won’t do. How can I do the mitzvah of hachnasat orchim (hospitality)if you will not eat my food.

Elijah: I have my whole wheat Matzoth so we will be able to say grace together.

You: What about the grace of eating together as one family. Next time you are here I want you to join us in our meal. I promise to follow your instruction to the t.

Elijah: Very well. Serve dinner and I shall teach you the recipes for a cosher live it.

Dinner is served.

Live it: The Seder of Eating

In the story of creation Eve and Adam are told that if they eat from the tree of knowledge they will die. They ate but did not die.
They realized they were naked and went on a diet.
A diet. The term sounds like death. For this reason we call the Seder of eating a live it. After eating we praise God who is the life of the world. Knowing how to bless our food is the sign of a civilized human being. In fact the code of life in Judaism for everyday living is called The Ordered Table. The white table cloth, bread, wine, and food announce that we are elevating this world as God joins us at our tables. The ordering of our food at table is as significant as the books we read and art we hang on our walls.
Knowledge of what to eat, and how to eat, affirm life. Diets somehow seem to have the opposite result. Almost every unhealthy person I know is on a diet. These people all need to see a Rabbi and then a Doctor.
Better yet a Rabbi- Physician.
Again, this is why I prefer to refer to sanctified eating as a “live-it”
Knowledge and food walk hand in hand. I turn to our greatest rabbinic creator of order, Rabbi Moses Ben Maimon (Maimonides), in Hebrew the Rambam. In the Book of Knowledge of his legal code The Mishnah Torah he lists the precepts considered essential fundamentals of the Torah of Moses, including the existence of God, to love and revere our Creator, and to listen to the Creators messengers, the prophets.
One of them is me, Elijah.

Next Rambam (in Laws Relating to Knowing Ethical Conduct) frames eating within the context of being in Gods image. One of my favorite cartoons of all millennia shows a rather rotund patient being told by their Rabbi- physician that if they are created in the image of God, God might have to think about going on a diet.
We imitate the ways of God by giving a Seder to the chaos of life. Creativity and order are a couple. We are commanded to cleave to Rabbi-Physicians such as the Rambam to learn how to live by the Teachings (Torah).
Our discussion of cosure consciousness and this live-it begins with the laws of eating found in Rambam. We will discuss each point.

HILCHOT DAYOT: THE BOOK OF KNOWLEDGE

1.) Chapter Five Halacha One…”a scholar will not be a glutton but will eat to live, only food conducive to health, and never any food to excess.” Discuss. In other words eat to live (live-it) do not live to eat. Living to eat leads to an early death, or to dieting. Discuss.
2.) “The wise eat a modest meal in their home, at table. Only in extreme emergencies may one eat on the street or in a restaurant.” Discuss.
3.) Halacha 15…”over-eating is a deadly poison and the principle cause of all diseases. This includes an excess of wholesome foods.” Discuss.
4.) Chapter Four: Halacha One: To Halacha (walk) the path with God one is obligated to keep a healthy and sound body…cultivate habits conducive to health. Halacha two. “One should not eat until the stomach is full.” Discuss. The translators vary here, saying two thirds full or three quarters full, or not to eat to satiety. Actually we are taught to eat, and to be satisfied, and then to bless God for the food. In my opinion Rambam is teaching to eat until we are satisfied but not stuffed. Discuss.
5.) Rambam gives a specific list of foods never to be eaten, including large salted stale fish, or cheese, or salted meats. Does he mean kosher salami? Discuss.

Elijah: Now that we have opened the discussion I will tell you my favorite ecosure foods. Start with Ezekiel 4:9 pasta. Food for life is always ecosure. Add organic tomatoes and garlic into a sauce. Serve with a fresh organic salad and organic wine and I am ready to dine with you.
Join our discussion forum and recipe exchange for all of our Seder meals and for the Seder of eating everyday. E-cosure is our future so e mail questions and recipes today.

Temple Shabbat Shalom
Thanksgiving Seder

Rabbi and Karen Alpern

A THANKSGIVING TABLE CEREMONY

PREPARATIONS:

* Review the ceremony and feel free to make additions.
* Musical interludes are welcome.

The Seder

* Welcome to our Thanksgiving Table Ceremony. Before the feast we will fill our minds and hearts with the 
Thanksgiving Story and the events that inspire giving thanks.
*This ceremony is designed to be read around the table. During the meal we will continue our conversation and then
end with Grace.

THE CANDLES

Baruch ata Adoneigh elohanu melech haolam asher kidshanu bamitzvotav lehadleak Ner shel yom tov.
All praise to You, Lord our God, who teaches us the way by the light of these festival candles.

THE WINE

To Life! May all who hunger come and eat and find nourishment here. Wine gladdens the heart and we drink it today
to remind us that everything material may be lifted up to the Lord.
Baruch ata adoneighn elohanu melech haolam boray pri hagafen.
* We sanctify this home as a sanctuary with our words.
We are about to fulfill the greatest commandment – To proclaim that we all worship the same God and that our
mission is to promote liberty and justice for all.

THANKSGIVING AND THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT:

We love You Lord our God with heart and soul, and all we have. We hear Your teachings, which You renew every
day. We teach them diligently to our children, speak of them in our homes and sanctuary’s, when we journey,
everywhere, every morning and evening. Your teachings are the focus of our minds eye. We write them as a reminder
on our hands and our doors, in our homes and on the gates of our cities. By loving You we learn to love our neighbor
and to love ourselves.

NARRATIVE (EVERYONE READS A PORTION)

* Our story, as far back as we go, is one of exile, redemption, and return. Our history moves from slavery to freedom,
as individuals and as a people.

* Our American ancestry, the Puritans, were slaves to the king of England. They were freed by a mighty hand, and
their courage, as they set sail to their promised land. The pilgrims had a dream of heaven on earth, in a New England,
to build a New Jerusalem and Zion.

* Our modern American prophet, Dr Martin Luther King Jr. also had a dream, that we ever live the meaning of our
creeds, that self evident truth become evident by being realized. We dream of a nation without hunger, with liberty for
all, including opportunities that allow every citizen to pursue happiness.

* These truths become evident as our history unfolds. So we pray with Dr. King, that the clanging gongs of discord
soon harmonize into a beautiful symphony of true equality. Then we will proclaim liberty throughout the land unto all
our inhabitants.

* When the pilgrims arrived on the rocky shores of the Atlantic in 1620 they landed in the territory of the Wam-pa-noag
Native Americans.

* The Wam-pa-no-ag feared the whites since they had been raiding their coastal waters for the past century.

* Still, their religion teaches the giving of charity to the helpless and food to the hungry.

* The Wam-pa-no-ag celebrated six Thanksgivings a year. Giving thanks is an essential part of their religion.

* Plants and harvested corn is thanked for sustaining life. All animals are thanked for their nourishment.

* For the Wam-pa-no-ag Thanksgiving is a time for gift giving. The act of giving away material things teaches
thankfulness for abundance.

* Who is rich? Only those happy with what they have, according to the Talmud.

* In the light of our modern celebration of Thanksgiving it is interesting to note that our Native American ancestors
celebrated with sporting events.

* Now it is time for our sacred meal which we celebrate with blessings, grace, and song.

GRACE BEFORE THE MEAL

Lord our God, God of our ancestors, of our hearts, and minds, we acknowledge Your presence as we break bread in
Your house. Amen.
Baruch ata adoneigh elohanu melech haolam hamotzi lehem min haaretz.

WE EAT

* Throughout this sacred meal we will continue our discussion of Thanksgiving.

* Our sages teach: At the table we are obligated to discuss the word and its work in the world to fulfill the vision of
Ezekiel.

* “This is the table which is in the presence of the Lord.”

THE NARRATIVE CONTINUES:

* As we discussed earlier the pilgrims fled from England to establish a New England.
Our progress as modern day pilgrims is now open to discussion.

* We share with our ancestors a vision of an American life with the possibility of heaven on earth, our Eden. Our
puritan founders were brave and earnest souls, but did not separate church and state. All issues were dealt with from
this perspective. The Puritans could not accept the fact that the natives had the right to practice their own religion.
The colonists sought to persuade the natives that they were descendants of the ten lost tribes of Israel. They also
sought to convert them. They had more success with the natives than with the Jews.

* Then there arose a hero among the puritans, by the name of Roger Williams. He was a minister in Salem,
Massachusetts who believed in the separation of church and state. His radical teachings included the idea that the
lands of the colonies belonged to the native inhabitants.

* So in the beginning Puritanism was exclusive, no other citizens were recognized as citizens.

* By the end of the 18th century when our republic was founded the puritans moved to accept the Protestants.

* We thank God that our founding fathers demanded a separation of church and state allowing the citizenship of
Jews and Catholics. In our time we welcome as citizens the poor, immigrants, anyone who yearns to be free, of any
religion.

* We welcome as citizens of The American Covenant, all those seeking a more perfect life, to partake in this feast of
unfolding freedom.

A GRACE AFTER THE MEAL

* First an Iroquois (Seneca) Prayer:

GWA! GWA! GWA!

Hear us- Lord of the Sky, we are here to speak the truth, for You do not hear lies, we are Your children, Lord of the
Sky.
You say we should always be thankful, for our earth and for each other, this is why we are gathered here, and we are
Your children Lord of the Sky.

THE PURITANS PRAYER: A PSALM

* To honor our pilgrim ancestors we continue the custom of “lining”, repeating each line after the reader.

Listen as each part of Psalm 23 is read and repeat line per line:

* Lord feed me

* I shall not lack

* in green pastures

* God makes me lie

* and gently leads me

* still waters by

* Return my soul

* For Your sake

* in paths of justice

* lead me quickly back

* Though I walk

* in the shadow of death

* with me Thou will be

* I will remain unafraid

* Thy promise and Thy power

* shall my comfort be

* this table -ordered – ready made

* will my persecutors see

* humbly anointed

* high priests and prophets

* shall we be

* our cup runneth over

* All the days of our life

* Thanksgiving,

* each and every day

* in goodness and mercy

* we then dwell – and rest – quietly.

Thanksgiving

* Prayer for our Puritan ancestors was completely from the heart and extemporaneous.

We will now go around the table to give our Thanksgiving thoughts.
Each participant expresses: I am thankful for…..

* Prophesy was an important part of the original Pilgrims worship. In the spirit of a modern prophet, Dr. Martin Luther
King we now go around the table to express our dreams for all mankind.
“I have a dream of……..

Formal Grace

* We end with a formal grace:

* O Lord God of our United States of America, we have eaten Your bounty and heard Your words, we are delightfully
satisfied , so we give thanks to You once again.

* We thank You for the all the nourishment and the produce of the field.

* For the lovely and spacious land You gave our ancestors as a heritage, to eat of the fruit and enjoy its good gifts,
we offer Thanksgiving.

* Have mercy, Lord our God, on all Your people, in Washington, Your city, and all of our leaders.

* May the Pilgrims dream of Zion be fulfilled in our lifetime and our democracy be a light to all peoples in the world.

(WE ALL RECITE TOGETHER)

May the Lord watch over us and enlighten us with the grace of presence.

Amen. Sealah!

Temple Shabbat Shalom Christmas-Chanukah Table Service (Seder)

Shalom and welcome to our Seder. Before ordering your table service kindly review the Chanukah Seder. Review the texts of the Book of Judith and Daniel. Review the book of John and notice that Jesus celebrated the holyday. (10:22-23).
We move to a new level of observance when we discuss Christmas at the Chanukah Seder and Chanukah at a Christmas Seder. Interfaith dialogue is most crucial to couples who are living in relationships that demand understanding. The Catholic theologian Hans Kung teaches that the final goal of ecumenicism is real Peace between the religions. His program is three tiered:

No Peace among the nations without Peace among the religions.
No Peace among the religions without dialogue between the religions.
No dialogue between the religions without investigation of the foundations of the religions.

We add: No dialogue and investigation of foundation teachings without opportunities to dialogue. Also, as we enter this new Promised Land we need reconnaissance troops to fight the only true holy war, the war against ignorance and the confusion about fundamentals that leads to fundamentalism.

Step one is to go beyond folk tales and ask the difficult questions. Our efforts are not to ignore our differences and create a new age uniform religion. The Church still insists that it is better for Christians to marry Christians. Liberal Judaism seeks the conversion of Christians to its reformed vision of Israelite religion. Misunderstanding between Jews and Muslims is so great that one rarely finds Jewish Muslim couples. In fact, Temple Shabbat Shalom has more Hindu Jewish couples.

For children Santa Claus exists and the oil actually burned for eight days. Teaching our children magical stories makes sense for the enchanted world of children. Then we must grow up and put on our critical thinking caps and experience wisdom based on the power of our questions.

1.) Why do Christians not celebrate Chanukah?
2.) Did Jesus ? See John 10:22-23.
3.) How many years ago did the Chanukah story take place? Add 167 to the date and you have your answer,2,174 in 2007.
4.) If my religious instruction stopped at adolescence where do I look for an adult understanding of Chanukah and Christmas?
5.) Where do I learn the fundamentals of religion?

Remember, as we attempt to answer these questions, religion is always part of
our culture and helps define how people live. Folk tales and customs are an
essential part of life. When we return to the sources and read on our own we
discover that Jesus did in fact celebrate Chanukah and
The entire point of the question;” What would Jesus do” is that all Christians do it too.
Chanukah predates Christmas by more than a century and a half. If the revolt   had
failed, and the Jews destroyed, we would not have Christianity.

If you have time review the Chanukah Seder. Then contact Ezra the Bookfinder
(Google or yahoo and click)and purchase:

1.)Rebecca’s Children by Allan F. Segal
2.)The Crucifixion of The Jews, The Failure of Christians to Understand the
Jewish Experience by Franklin H. Littell
3.) A Handook of Judaism by Aryeh Kaplan

For parents with children:

For parents with children we focus on fun-damentals. What type of cookies will
we bake for our wonderful December Seder? Whole wheat of course, perhaps
Tree of Llife Menorah treats. Keep a Seder cookbook. We will do recipe
exchanges.

Remember the Seder will change year to year depending on who is at your sacred
table, the guests, and your choices on the Haggaddah or narrative.
What follows are resources and suggestions.

A Seder for December

Kindly reference the generic Seder for the order of the meal.

The Four Exclamations:

How different this December night is from all other nights!
On this night we honor two great traditions and proclaim opportunity, and not dilemma!
On this night let us light only unity candles.
On this night we discuss the estrangement between our religions so we may then discuss reconciliation!
On this night we move beyond presents to The Presence!

The Haggaddah

Our story begins in the beginning, where God creates the order (seder) of creation by speaking. Imitating god we create our worlds by the ordering of chaos. Religion and ritual are true when they teach us how to master the mystery of righteous living, so let this Seder begin.

We speak of the Abrahamic Religions when we seek to master the core teachings of the monotheisms. Actually our Patriarchs and Matriarchs existed before religion; and that is their enduring charm. They served from love, since the Torah had not been revealed, and remain role models for those who move beyond fundamentalism in modern religions.

The Exodus was experienced by all; past and future Israelites, and the Passover Seder is universally understood as Our Story. The Ten Principle Teachings of Moses revealed on the Mountain are also universally embraced. Only a Joshua could conquer the Promised Land and only modern Joshua’s and Rahab’s sue for Peace between the religions.

We did not live a holy life in the holy land so exiles become our only possible Tikkun. Our Judges lacked judgment and our Kings forgot they had a King so we devolved into civil war. Israel scattered like the spores of a dandelion and the twelve tribes were no more. The tribe of Judah would define the future of our people.

Judah Maccabbee was the first Rabbi, conducting the revolt according to his understanding of the Book of Deuteronomy. The over pious of his time, the First Chassidim, hid in caves and allowed themselves to be slaughtered in the name of tradition. His High Priest successors took the title of King, violating the Torahs separation of those powers. The Temple they rededicated is destined for

destruction along with the Israelite religion based on the ancient models of holiness.
The original teachers of the Oral Law, like Judah Maccabbee based their innovative reading of Torah on the evolving canon of written scrolls. In Pirkay Avot, part of the Mishna usually translated as “Chapters of our Fathers”, (but more accurately “Principle Teachings”) we discover the first mention of a rabbi, as Rabban Gamaliel teaches us that we are all to be masterteachers (Rav) the Hebrew root word for Rabbi. The Apostle Paul sat at the feet of Gamaliel, and this must be kept in mind when we study Paul’s teachings.

Rebecca’s Children: The Struggle Begins

As Professor Segal teaches the time of Jesus marks the beginning of Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism. This is foreshadowed in The Book of Genesis (25:23) talking about Rebecca’s children:

Two nations are in thy womb
And two people shall be separated from thy bowels;
And one people shall be stronger than the other people
And the elder shall serve the younger.

I know this is not what you learned in Sunday school. Esau was born first, but, according to the Rabbis, Jacob was conceived first.

Rebecca’s response to the struggling is “Why am I?”, something to reflect upon.
Each claim to be the beloved firstborn until today.
The birthright actually goes to all who acknowledge that both are Rebecca’s children.
The Bible remains divided, as were the brothers, into first born and sup planter, into Old and New. Both claim to be Torah, God Truth.

Another way to think of the Bible is : The Father Scripture, from Genesis to Malachi; and The son scripture, from Matthew to Revelation. This puts Elijah literally in the middle. Elijah commands the father to turn to the son.
Elijah warns that calamity will befall an estranged relationship between Rebecca’s children or grandchildren.

The New Testament does not supercede the Old. No son has a right to dishonor his father. Nor does Jacob displace or supplant Esau.

We are one family sitting at one table in worship and this must be the future of humanity or religion will fail.

We open our family Bible to rediscover Judah and Jesus and Paul and Rabban (Rabbi) Gamaliel.

We celebrate this Chanukah and Christmas the way Jesus did, by visiting the temple and declaring our dedication by the lights of Gods teachings,
Amen Sealah.

The first night’s reading: (or read all in one night)

Chanukah is a major holiday for Jews. We also invite non-Jews to
celebrate this holiday with us today. You will learn that with all the legends,
prayers, food and gifts associated with Chanukah, in the end we turn to the
Hebrew prophet Zechariah to teach the true meaning of this holy day. In our
age which often seems devoid of inspirational leadership, the Prophets
words are especially welcome.
In America, Chanukah is celebrated as a children’s holiday, and this is
great for the children, who look forward to many presents.
Chanukah offers other gifts. Remember the Chanukah story predates the
story of Christmas by almost 2 centuries. If our people had assimilated or
been destroyed our story would have ended with Judah the Maccabbee.
It is time to examine the history of Chanukah. The Greek persecution of the
Israelites was a war of a dominant culture against a subjugated minority. The
main battle focused on the Temple in Jerusalem. The Temple was
established on a rock upon which stood the Ark of the Covenant, containing
the original 10 commandments. This Temple was thought of as the gateway
to heaven.

The Temple was illuminated by a huge golden Menorah. The size of the
Menorah was the same as an adult with their arms reaching out. (See Exodus
25:31-40) The Menorah symbolizes the essence of the Jewish religion. The
Menorah burns with 6 lights and an Eternal Light in the middle. This
represents creation and its diversity. Truth has many dimensions. The
Greeks, in contrast, saw culture from only one narrow perspective, by their
own light.

The Prophet Zachariah gives us a vision of Peace as the name and spirit of
God and the messianic future of our people. We will see by the light of the
Menorah that this is the true meaning of the holiday Chanukah.

The Second night’s reading:

Zechariah is read on the Shabbat of Chanukah.

First a prayer before reading the Prophet

Blessed is the Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who has chosen faithful
prophets to speak words of truth. Bless the Lord, for this revelation of Truth:
Zachariah Chapter four:

The angel who talked with me came back and woke me,
He said “What do you see”
And I answered “A lamp stand of gold with a bowl above it, seven lamps on
seven arms
And next to the Menorah, two olive trees one on the right, one on the left.”
I in turn asked the angel who talked to me, “What do these things mean?”
The angel replied “You really don’t know what they mean?”
“No” I answered.
Then the angel explained “This is the word of the Lord ”
“Not by might
Nor by power
But by my spirit” says God.
The selection of this prophet for Chanukah is meant to teach that the
holiday is above all a vision of a peaceful messianic future. This is the
meaning illuminated by the Menorah. The reason the military victory of the
Maccabeans is not stressed will become evident as we add new light each
night to our understanding of this major holiday.

Night Three

Each night, after lighting, we traditionally say this prayer:
We light these lights on account of the miracles and wonders, triumphs
and battles God performed for our ancestors through the holy priests in those
days, at this season.

In all other services, including Grace after meals we add:

We thank you God, for the miracles, for the redemption, for the mighty
deeds and triumphs and for the battles which you performed for our
ancestors in those days at this season.
In the days of the Hasmonean Mattathias Ben Yochanan, the High Priest,
a wicked Hellenic government arose against your people to make them
forget your Torah and to transgress its teachings.
Thou, O lord, stood by us in this test, championing our cause, defending
our rights. You delivered the strong into the hands of the weak, the many
into the hands of the few, the impure into the hands of the pure the wicked
into the hands of the righteous and the arrogant into the hands of the students
of your teachings.
All this sanctified your Holy Name in the world, and your people
acknowledge this deliverance until this day.
Then our children’s children entered your home, cleaned your Temple,
purified the Sanctuary and kindled lights in your Holy courtyards. They
designated these eight days for giving thanks and praising your great Name.
For all this you are blessed and exalted forever and ever.

Night Four: The Talmud

What is the miracle of Chanukah? The survival of our people?
A Military victory, the few defeating the many?
In the Talmud the Rabbis tell us specifically what they believe the
miracle to be.
Our source is the Babylonian Talmud, Tractate on Shabbat, page
21 side b:
What is Chanukah? The Rabbis teach that on the twenty fifth day
of the Hebrew month Kislev the eight days of the holyday begin.
During these eight days we do not eulogize the dead or fast.
When the Greeks entered the sanctuary of the Holy Temple in
Jerusalem they defiled all of the consecrated kosher olive oil used
in the Menorah. When the Kingdom of the Hasmonean priests took
power they searched and could only find one container of oil with
the seal of the High Priest, and it contained only enough olive oil
to burn for one day.

A miracle occurred, and they lit with this oil for eight days.
The next year they made these days for a festival, for praise and
Thanksgiving.

Night Five The Menorah asks: What? And Why?

The Menorah is the symbol of Biblical religion, the Temple in
Jerusalem and Rabbinic and Prophetic Judaism.

The Hebrew letters Mem nun vav resh hey, when transposed spell
Nur Ma
Which means: light that asks what and why.

1.) What is the miracle of Chanukah?

2.) Why do the Rabbis of the Talmud not mention the military
victory?

3.) What does the choice of Zachariah as the reading for the
Shabbat of Chanukah teach?

4.) What ever became of the Maccabbes and the Hasmoneans?

5.) What do we learn from the leadership of Judah Maccabbee,
who in The Book of Maccabbes conducted war according to the
teachings of the Torah?
(Deuteronomy Twenty)

6.) Why then are the two books of Maccabbes found in some
Christian bibles not in the Hebrew bible?

7.) What is the role of women in the story?

8.) What does Chanukah teach us today?

Night Six: History or A Fable Agreed Upon?

The Rabbis of the Talmud agreed to stress the miracle of the Menorah over
the military victories for good reason. Hundred of years after the event the
Rabbis knew they could not extol the virtues of the Hasmonean dynasty
which ultimately became corrupt as the Priests waged wars of conquest. The
two books of Maccabbes were not canonized as the Rabbis asserted their
own authority and created the legend of the miracle Menorah and its oil.
This legend has helped our people survive the dark night of history. The
Temple in Jerusalem is twice destroyed, first by the Babylonians, and then
the Romans.

The Greeks in the Chanukah story converted the Temple into a pagan palace.
Symbolically we are left with a drop of olive oil. With faith sufficient only
for one night we survive and dream of a better future. The miracle continues.
Judah the Maccabbee was, in a way, our first Rabbi. Fundamentalists of his
time refused to protect themselves on the Sabbath since scripture gives no
clear direction on this in Deuteronomy Chapter Twenty. Judah understood
that a higher, fundamental, principle would save his people. The Torah
teaches that the covenant was cut to live by the teachings, not to die by them.
He taught self defense on the Sabbath and in this Rabbinic law begins.
Today we may marvel at the insight of the Rabbis as the Menorah continues
to illuminate with its message. We are back in our homeland. For those
living in Israel Chanukah is a major holiday. Many Israelis see themselves as
modern day Maccabbes. Each and every year the prophet Zachariah is
resurrected and his message chanted: The Menorah teaches not might, nor
power, but the light of salvation.

We pray that all people of faith understand that the Temple in Jerusalem is
anointed with the olive branch of Peace. The Temple is a home of Peace and
a house of Prayer for all people.

Also, the return of the Sechinah glory, Gods feminine presence in history, is
a reminder of women’s role in the original Chanukah story as we shall see
on days seven and eight of Chanukah.

Night Seven: Chag Ha Banote

Welcome to our celebration of women in our history. We call this version
herstory.We invite Sarah Rebecca Rachel and Leah, Yael Judith and Bruria.
These seven are models of virtue and courage. On Chanukah we tell the
story of Judith.

Judith means Jewess in Hebrew, she represents every woman. In ancient
times her entire book was read as part of the Chanukah celebration. Before
she tells her story, a few words of explanation are in order. The book takes
on the establishment, which was not politically correct, so Judith refers to
Antiochus as Nebuchadnezzar (the Babylonian) so she could speak freely.

This reading is from

A Merging of the Two Jerusalems, One Old and One New; by The Aria:

History and Herstory: A Dialogue (Selections)

History: I am history, the narrator originator and generator of civilization.
Patrimony is the legacy of every nation. The Fathers of philosophy:
Aristotle, Socrates and Plato. The Masters of art Michelangelo, da Vinci to
Van Gogh.
Even the Lord, of course, a man.

Herstory: History a pompous diary, crusades, world wars, tirades, young
boys dying for their Fatherland. Bowing to the blasphemy of God “A man of
war”.

History the “has been”, documentation of oppression and fear of the future,
as the cycle repeats again. Remember 90% of this and you get an A.
Now women draw near, for it is time to hear the voice of our matriarch,
resonant, and clear:

A  Psalm of Judith:

My God is the One
Who crushes war
Cruelty and slaughter.
Warrior against history
The murderer of our sons
The raper of our daughters.
I Judith Thank Thee My Lady
Who made me a women
One bold and without fear, who
In the time of Nebuchadnezzar
Took on the mighty terrorist General Holofornes
Who surrounded our homes
To starve our children and bury our village
In its own tomb
Then I, Judith
Enticed Holofornes with my curves
And comeliness of form
Till he beseeched me to his bed
And promised the safety of my people
If I did, so, instead of cowering
Like our leaders
I plied the Babylonian with wine
Drew near to the bed
Took hold of his hair
And with two strong hacks
Severed his head
And took it for a trophy
In my sack.

Night Eight: A Kabballahistic Haggaddah

A Kabballahistic Haggaddah means a telling and retelling of the
Chanukah story that enlightens and reveals secrets. We invite the
prophet Jeremiah as one of the eight leaders of our people:
Call to me and I will answer you and I will tell you about extraordinary
events.
Secrets you have not known. For thus says the eternal Being, the God of
Israel
Concerning the houses in the city and the palaces of the leaders of Judah… I
am going to bring her relief and healing. I will reveal to them an abundance
of Peace and truth. (Jeremiah 33:3-6)

The truth of peace is revealed first in our homes and then in the palaces. Our
homes are holy sanctuaries, marked by Gods word written on our doors and
this Menorah, which we light for eight nights.

We begin with a meditation:

For the unification of Gods holy name, which is Shalom,( Peace), the joining
Of the Hebrew letters yould hay and vav hay,the male and female
dimensions of divinity, we pray for unity. Hear O Israel, the Lord and God is
one. So shall we be one nation upon Gods Earth. With reverence and love,
Lord our God, we ask you to answer us on this day that we call out to you.
As we light these eight lights may we be receptive to the secrets revealed
and darkness illuminated by their light. The original Menorah was the size of
a human with arms reaching out to teach us that we are all Menorahs
awaiting the anointing of the oil of Shalom. The Torah the Menorah teaches
is the Zion of Peace, when no nation lifts up weapons against another, nor
learns or teaches war any more.

O Lord our Lady , we pray for this Eden, for the Menorah is A Tree of Life and Light.

We pray for Eden, and not Armageddon.

Light candles.
(In the Kabballahistic tradition you may add: Psalms 90:17 Psalm91 Psalm
67)

Ushpizin Seder: Constructing a Sukkah of Shalom

We invite Elijah to help us construct our Sukkah of Shalom. The moment the Day of Atonement ended we began the joyous task of making our list of those we are inviting to our Sukkah of Shalom. Traditionally we invite the patriarchs; along with Joseph Moses, Aaron, and David, a most worthy list. I would add Joshua, Samuel, Nathan, and those on the short list of righteous Kings of Judea and Israel. Isaiah has a seat of honor in my Sukkah of Shalom, along with Ezekiel and Zechariah. Hillel and Shammai are honored guest along with Rabban Gamaliel, Rashi, Rambam, and Ramban. Our list also includes The Baal Shem Tov and Rebbe Shlomo and Rebbe Zalman.

Why limit our list to “our People”? I would love to break bread with Lao Tzu and The Buddha, with Jesus, and Muhammad, of blessed memories. This is a Sukkah of Peace where we seek the wise counsel of all our great teachers. Our list is not limited to the famous but excludes the infamous. No Sukkah could ever be constructed that could contain the vast number of tyrants of history.

The sanctification of time happens after focused preparation. We are able to fulfill the teachings of Sukkah after we identify our heroes and teachers. They must all be invited.

Do not forget the thirty six hidden righteous Ushpizin that may visit in person. By their merit the world continues to exist. Do not forget the homeless, or women in shelters,or you will forget why you are commanded to live in a temporary shelter for a full week.

Do not forget to invite the Ushpizot: Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah, Miriam Channah, and Esther. Invite Deborah, and Ruth, and Brururia, along with The Holy One Blessed be She.

Remember it is not enough to repeat rituals again and again, year in and year out, without pouring your spirit into the act. Be bold. This year invite your parents, grandparents, great grandparents and their parents to your Sukkah. What are the patterns of your family? Where have you been and where are you going?

When we return to our homes after dwelling in our Sukkah for one full week we say the following prayer:

May it be thy will, Lord our God and God of our ancestors that as I have fulfilled Thy teaching to dwell in the Sukkah, so in the future I merit to dwell in the Sukkah of the Leviathan.

The Sukkah of Shalom is constructed according to the instructions of Elijah. Elijah is the forerunner and announcer of the messiah. This task is far more
difficult than the battle against Baal remembered at the end of The Day of
Atonement. Who will accept his choice? Is this the first or second coming? What
if the messiah is in the image of The Shechina? Who says now is the time? Is
today the very last day? Or did the Messiah come yesterday? Many teach that the
Messiah is no longer necessary.

Is the Messiah a teacher or an era? If an era, who will lead us into that era?
Many quote my Rebbe (Franz Amschel ) and his enigma that the Messiah will
come only on the day after his arrival, when no longer necessary. This echoes the
Rabbinic teaching that The Messiah comes when we deserve. On the other hand
the Rabbis also dream of Messiah as a leader who leads us out of the wilderness
of war and strife. My Rebbe also teaches that the graves will open when freedom
reigns and The Ten Truths are resurrected. The Messiah ignites this spark in
every individual.

The hope of a perfected world is the prophetic dream of our people. This hope is
summed up in every prayer when we ask God to bless us with Peace.

The Final Seder is a wonderful meal where all the righteous will feast on
Leviathan. The most difficult questions are asked and answered at this Seder.

Modern day Jonahs, we are swallowed whole by totalitarian states that legislate
against individualism. Behemoth religious organizations add to the agony when
they do not practice Tikkun Olam.

O Lord Spread over us your Sukkah of Shalom, stretched out from the skin of
Leviathan.

Elijah: O beloved children, sisters and brothers, welcome to our Sukkah. First we
invite all who are hungry, as we do on Passover. All who are in need are the first
invited guests to this Sukkah. Now we are here, in our holy home. Next year we
will make real the vision of all land as holy. This year we are still slaves to
antiquated beliefs. Next year we will be free warfare and strife.

First leader: For over forty days we have recited Psalm 27.

One thing we ask before we begin, that a canopy of Peace be spread over the
world, and, encircled by this majestic glory we come to understand all that is
holy. Thy presence, O Lord, we seek. Our hope is real that all nations will decide
to beat their swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks when nation
will not lift up sword against nation and will not learn war any more.

Elijah: For this reason I invite first all the teachers of Peace to this Sukkah.

I invite these sublime guests this evening to our Sukkah: Enter Holy guests from
on high: Mother Teresa, who taught us to redefine the circle of our families to

include all people. I invite Martin Luther King who taught that equality is achieved by non violence and that all are truly created equal. I invite Abraham Joshua Heschel and family who keep the prophetic voice alive and demand that this and every ritual be done with inwardness and vision. We invite Rebbe Reb Zalman Schecter- Shaolmi who opens the door to renewal and to Rebbe Reb Shlomo Carlbach who gave voice to loving-kindness and taught us how to pray and sing. We invite the Dalai Lama to our Sukkah, to teach chantings for Peace and an end to every exile.
We pray for Peace for his people, and an end to their Diaspora, speedily in our time.
Finally I invite Shechinah to our Sukkah before her return to her Temple in Jerusalem to teach the Torah from Zion.

Second leader: Raise high these roof beams, carpenters for we invite our patriarchs and matriarchs and all the holy souls of our noble lineage from past to present and present to past.

Enter our Sukkah sublime and holy parents and grandparents; enter with our ancestors Abraham Isaac and Jacob, Joseph Moses and Aaron and David. Enter Nathan and Isaiah and Ezekiel, Jonah and Zechariah. Enter Sarah Rebecca Rachel and Leah, Miriam Hannah and Esther. Enter Ima Shalom and Emma Lazarus, and enter meshecha.

Third leader: We invite you all this evening and every evening to dwell in our Sukkah of shalom.

An Ushpizin symposium; how we get to Simchat Torah

Elijah: Welcome, Welcome. You are all honored guests who come in the in the name of God who is Lord. All that quest for wisdom we invite to this seder.

All: Baruch haba Rebbe

Elijah: I am delighted to be called Rabbi. I thank you for waiting, for your patience know that for many generations you have asked that I come speedily to announce the final age and redemption

First I announce the path for individuals and families. Order the chaos of life into holiness. Begin with the Seder of Shabbat. The Sabbath has always been a gift that is a foretaste of the world to come. Rejoice in the sanctification of time by observing the holydays of the Torah, which are a path to God. Emulate the God of creation. © Rabbi Lawrence Aryeh Alpern
We learn that all of creation is “very good” in the weekly study of the Torah portion. We sit at the feet of the prophets when we learn the weekly prophetic reading that defines the Torah reading. We hear Isaiah reminding us that all people from every nation will one day worship together on every New Moon and Sabbath.
Then fundamentalists will again learn fundamentals and the mystery on the Mountain will be mastered on the Plains. The gold of every calf and cow and shrine will be melted down into gifts to be given to the poor. Then the final dance around the mountain will begin.

Atonement, and peace, then joy, like the oceans, will cover the earth. Amen. Sealah.

Seder for the end of Yom Kippur(Draft)

From Priesthood to Prophecy. Navigating through the Day of Atonement

The drama of Yom Kippur begins with our prophet Moses, moves on to the Priesthood of Aaron and ends with the two prophets Jonah and Elijah. The prophet Isaiah, the haftorah for the Day of Atonement, mediates our understanding of Aaron’s priestly service. In Hebrew we refer to the Day of Atonement as Yom Hakippurim, in the plural, read Day of Atonements. The Revelation of Moses on the Mountain must be brought down to earth. On earth Aaron and other priests must confront the want of the people to dance around gilded idols. This atonement is the domain of religion. Sacrifice, incense, and prayer are the domains of the Priest. In Leviticus the scapegoats facilitate atonement. Affliction and fasting are commanded in the priestly code. The prophet teaches the true meaning of the day. Without the prophetic reading of Isaiah the Yom Kippur service is mere ritual. Until we plumb the depths with Jonah Yom Kippur remains a mystery. Elijah the prophet arrives at the very last moments of the day, navigating us to the truth that “The Lord alone is God.” This is also the essence of the Torah of Moses, which we accept with The Second Set of Tablets.

The Yom Kippur Service described in Leviticus Chapter sixteen I read as a lesson in history, not the ideal for worship. I do not dream of a return to scapegoats and sacrifice. We sanctify the past by learning from it and not by always repeating. In this case transcending the past is a reasonable goal. We have no Temple, or altar, but we do have Isaiah, Jonah, Elijah, and Repentance.

Yizkor: Memorial Service

This is The Day, one day a year devoted entirely to atonement with God and humanity. God leads the way by teaching kindness empathy and forgiving. This is the day when our hands let go of jealousy and our hearts open to being better neighbors and to love. This is the day we alight and see things as angels. As penitents we redesign our lives and recreate ourselves.

During the 40 years our people were in the dessert Aaron was able to enter the Holy of Holies at any time. We all live in a wilderness of words and the thought of death leaves us mute. We have no priests or prophets, but we do have their teachings.

At this moment of remembrance, now High Priests of our own existence, we enter the holy of holies of a memorial to all the immortal souls who rest in Peace under the wings of The Shechinah. We pray that we will leave the wilderness of being lost souls by learning from their virtues.

At this time we will have a moment of silence to meditate on our loved ones who
are no longer living.

(If you are in a group, tell stories that give a glimpse into what your departed had
to teach.)

THE PRAYER

God, Yizkor the soul of ——– who has moved on to the next World. They are
under your divine wings and their example shines forth like the light of creation.
They live on as we remember. Their atonement will one day be our atonement.
May they rest in Peace. Amen.

MOURNERS KADDISH

Yitgadal Vayitkadash shmay raba

Great and Holy is Gods Name, teaching
From life to death to eternal life,
This is God’s will.
Establish Your Rule in our life, while we are living
For all humanity, and for the people Israel and say. Amen.

May Your Great Name be proclaimed now and forever

Blessed and praised, glorified and exalted, extolled and honored, adored and
pronounced be the Name of The Holy One, even though no prayers or
consolations spoken in the world have the eloquence of the angels, still we affirm
by saying. Tell us your name.

May we and all people experience heaven on earth as we say with one voice.
Amen.

May the Peace and perfection inherent in creation be experienced by all as we say
once again, Amen.

Be not afraid of any terror
Or the coming storms of evil.
Their plots and plans shall not prevail
For God is with us.
Even when old and white headed I will sustain you.
I have made you .I will carry you. I will wait. I will save you.

May this remembrance teach us to be better people as it foreshadows our own
immortality.

Read the Book of Jonah. (Go to top ten websites or google or yahoo on your own)
From the depths to the Arête: Ten meditations on Jonah

Is this a true story? A dream? May we learn truth from a dream?

Jonah in Hebrew is Yonah a dove. Is Jonah, like Noah, content to save himself in his Ark?

In verse one Jonah is called ben Amittai, son of Amittai. The Rabbis read this to mean a son of truth, referencing The First Book of Kings 17:24. This means that Jonah is the child Elijah resurrected from the dead. Does Jonah act like a disciple of Elijah? Was he a true prophet? Did his prophecies come true?

The renowned psychologist Dr. Abraham Maslow is remembered for his description of peak experiences and gave us a view from the Arête. He also spoke of a Jonah syndrome, one we all suffer when we do not reach the heights of our potential and fall into the depths of despair. In the Book that has his name everyone (even the beasts of the field) repent. Did Jonah? We do not hear his response to Gods question. What do you think Jonah said?

Our response to Jonah?

What were the Rabbis thinking, choosing the universal message that all people who repent will be forgiven for Yom Kippur? If this is true why don’t we invite our gentile friends to celebrate Yom Kippur with us?

That’s this year, next year we will organize a Yom Kippur service for all our gentile friends.

For The Very End of Yom Kippur. A Seder Welcoming Elijah

Our tables are set yet we have no food for we will not eat until the arrival of Elijah.

Lift Elijah’s cup and say: This is the Cup of Elijah. I will now fill the cup with wine for Elijah who is coming in his own good time.

Elijah comes to bridge the generation gap, to turn the hearts of parents to children and children to parents.

Elijah comes to bridge the religion gap, to teach the word repeated by his disciple Jonah that the heart of The Jew must turn toward the Christian and the Christian to the Jew.

The Introduction
(Lift the two loaves that will be broken to break the fast)

This is the bread of the humble who seek the face of God and the meaning of the Seder of the mystery. Let every one who seeks wisdom enter and eat. Let all who starve for meaning learn to eat these words. This year we are here. Next year we will begin when we understand that the entire world may become the Holy Land.

THE NARRATIVE

On this Day of Atonement we have asked that we be forgiven as the children of Israel were forgiven in the time of Moses. We have heard Gods response to the prayer of Moses; we are forgiven according to our words and deeds. We have heard The Torah of Aaron’s Yom Kippur worship in ancient times and Isaiah’s explanation of the true fasting required by our Maker. We have sailed with Jonah into the depths of depression as he is swallowed by Leviathan. We await the coming redemption of humanity knowing that the story of Jonah is still the key.
Government of people without the true leader (God) has lead to tyranny, as it did in the days of the kings of Judah and Israel. In those days Elijah the prophet arose and announced the evil of The King Ahab. King Ahab sinned more than his father King Omri who sinned more than his father king Jeroboam. Even with this steady decline and descent of the Kings of Israel, in the end Ahab repented after Elijah’s defeat of the enemies of Israel at Mt. Carmel. Jezebel, his queen, is another story. Jezebel was the power behind the throne. She is the personification of amoral leadership. Her table was the meeting place of those who wished to kill Elijah and his disciples. Her power was independent of the King. Jezebel ordered Elijah’s murder after he defeated the pagan priests. A prophet who challenges the powers that be must always be in fear for their life. The prophetic revolution begins with this story and Elijah’s understanding based on Gods revelation that through disciples like Elisha Jonah and the Messiah the tradition of speaking truth to tyranny continues. The genius of the Rabbi’s is clear in their insistence that Isaiah Jonah and Elijah be part of the Yom Kippur service.
(Someone is knocking on our door!)

All:Could it be Elijah?

Elijah enters.

All: Baruch Haba Rebbe! Welcome. Blessings come with you Rebbe!

O, Elijah for forty days we have prepared for your coming! You are our great hero and we want to know when you will announce the coming redemption? When will the Redeemer come to Zion? Who is the Messiah?
Is today the day?

Elijah: Yes, today is the day if this has been a day of atonement for you.
Have you done Tikkun Olam? Have you put your pieces of the broken covenant back together again? Are the Ten teachings now engraved within your heart? Have you experienced the freedom inherent in revelation?

Wise child. I thought you were the answer man and we get to ask the questions.
Elijah (smiling). Actually I am the revealer of secrets. One finds wisdom in the strength of their questions. I begin with a question. My name reveals my essence. What does my name mean?

Wise child: I know. I know. “Elijah” is a mangling of the Hebrew. Your name is A lee ya who. It means My God is Ya.

Elijah: Ya?

Wise child. Ya. Ya. Yes. The Lord. The Holy One. The name of God we do not pronounce. Y.H.V.H. The name mispronounced Jehovah, or Yawe, or Ya way.

Elijah. Excellent. How does my name transmit my teachings?

Wise child :(beaming) This was my Haftorah. When we read in the Torah about Moses second ascent up the mountain your story is the Haftorah prophetic reading.
I should have known. We always expected you at our Passover Seder. When I was very young I think one year you came and had a sip from your cup. Now it all makes sense. Once we accept the teachings of the Tablets of Atonement you appear.
In fact your story is the final haftorah of Yom Kippur! The First Book of Kings. Chapter 18. Chai. We are to live by the teachings. Listen. This teaching is real: Y.H.V.H., Ya, is God. Ya. Alone. A lee ya who. This Elijah teaches.

Elijah: I could not have said it better myself. Continue.

Well, the prophets who were your students had to hide from Jezebel. She wanted to kill all of you. She had nine hundred and fifty false prophets at her table. The table is the place we either embrace dead doctrines or order our table into an altar with a sacred meal dedicated to Gods teachings of wisdom.

The same is true of community worship. The children of Israel gathered around Mt Carmel just as they had surrounded Moses during the revelation at Sinai. Similar to Moses you asked:

“How long will you hop between two opinions?
If God is Lord keep the covenant,
If Baal rules join with Jezebel.”

Then you set up a cool miracle.
The priests of Baal tried to sacrifice an ox, but it did not ignite. Dead meat.
Then you ordered our people to draw near as you repaired the broken altar. Twelve stones were used as reminder that the Tribes must be one as our God is one.

Then you prayed:

O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel.
I do this for you.
Answer me so the people know
You alone are Lord, O God.

Then, I am not sure what the Hebrew means, but you said something like: ”For you have turned their hearts backward”

Elijah: But what did I mean?

Wise child: You’re asking me? They are your words!

Elijah: True. I prayed, like Moses, Lord, Lord, only you can turn their hearts back to you again. They have little faith. They need a sign.

Simple child: and God burnt the offering and you won. I remember this is the last thing we say on Yom Kippur. Seven times. “The Lord is Our God.”
And that’s your name. Elijah. I was listening.

Child who knows how to question: But isn’t this depending on a miracle?

Elijah. Yes, and even though we are not to depend on a miracle, according to the Rabbis, my life became a miracle.
I fled for my life after Mt. Carmel. The King repented, but his Queen wanted my disciples’ dead and me dead. I ran for forty days toward the mountain of Moses. I was broken and angry. I felt abandoned by God. I thought I had failed my mission. Then I understood that my disciples would continue my work.

Child who knows how to question: Today we read once again the Book of Jonah, one of your disciples. Did he follow in your footsteps? Did you pray that Jezebel and Ahab and the false prophets of Baal would repent?
Elijah. Yes. Remember Ahab did repent.

Child who knows how to question: Would you have been happy if Jezebel repented?

Elijah. Yes.

Child who knows how to question:Then what was Jonahs problem?

Wise child: Maybe the same as Moses and our Elijah. Like Jonah Moses wanted to die at one point in his life. Elijah you also wanted to die, thinking you were the only survivor of those who worshiped God.

Child who knows how to question: Moses wanted to die if God did not forgive. Jonah was in despair because the Ninevites were forgiven. Elijah can speak for himself.

Elijah: Yes. When Jonah awoke from his despair he was given a second chance. He did his job as a prophet. God has the last word in the book of Jonah. God says even those nations whose leaders have the intelligence of beasts and are pagan idolaters will one day dwell in peace with Israel. Jonah understood but kept silent. I thank God for the Book of Jonah for it is the portal to atonement.

Wise child. We are given a second chance like Jonah. No matter how far we have wandered and how many circles we have danced around the golden calf The Lord who is our God is ready to forgive.

All: Yes. This is the message of the day.

The simple child. I have one more question. On Passover you, Elijah ,A lee ya who do not appear until we stand and say how angry we are. Are we angry with God? Was Jonah?

Elijah: In every generation our enemies have tried to put an end to our people. We are told that we must wait for our redeemer even though every delay means more persecution. We feel forsaken and forgotten. Many also feel abandoned by God.
I am the messenger and this is the message:

Be strong and let your heart fill with courage. Strengthen one another. Weekly you recite the prophets’ wisdom. Now live by that wisdom. The Lord our God is a merciful God. The Lord who is God will redeem us from degradation. The world will embrace true religion. All will be given a choice. Each and every one of you must announce my message: Choose life. L Chai em.

I will announce the Redeemer who is coming to Zion, who will announce that the Lord alone is God. The Lord alone is King. The Lord alone is Minister. The Lord alone is our Messiah.

God alone will anoint the leader I am simply the announcer.

A Moses, the Messiah will teach from the mountain of the Lord.
From Zion Isaiah’s teaching will go forth that nation will not lift up arms against nation as we experience an end to all war.

Sound a Tekiah Gedolah on the Shofar.

Elijah lifts his cup.

“This is the Cup of Atonement and the coming redemption. This is the cup of our great leader. I drink from this cup of sanctification at every meal that is an offering to the God who is a true God. The All Merciful has sent me to declare the good news of the bridging of the generation gap. Peace on earth begins with Peace in the home. Redraw the circle of your family. Every human is your sister or brother. Redraw your maps with Jerusalem in the center and with all lands called Holy. Next year may we all live in this land, our inheritance when we are all righteous.
Shalom to the North.
Shalom to the East.
Shalom to the West.
Shalom to the South.
This is
The Torah from Zion.
The meal to break the fast is served.

(Our Table talk Torah focuses on how to construct our Sukkah of Shalom and the Heros we invite as our Ushpizin.)

The Feast before the Fast: A Yom Kippur Seder

Our sages teach (Brachote 8b) that eating and drinking the evening before Yom Kippur is equal to fasting on The Day of Atonement. This reminds us that Yom Kippur is a holyday and a holiday. Rejoicing on a holiday is celebrated by eating and drinking. We sit at this Seder wearing white in anticipation of being forgiven for our transgressions. May this meal remind us that our homes are holy and our tables’ altars when we order our eating according to Gods teachings. This is a true Seder.

The Festival Lights for The Day of Atonement

Kavvannah: Tender Parent of mercy and forgiveness, forgive our trespasses, purify our hearts, send healing. By your light may we see the light and delight in your teachings. Amen. Sealah.

Remember us for life, for you desire life, inscribe us in your book of life.

Light the candles and say:

Baruch ata adonigh alohaynew melech haolam Ahshare kidshanu bmitzvotav vitzivanu L hadleak ner shel Yom Hakeypurim.
Blessed art thou O God of mercy for lighting our path with this light in honor of The Day of Atonements.

Kiddush

Baruch ata adonigh alohaynew melech haolam bo ray pri hagafen. Amen

Washing of hands

Wash and say: We lift up our hands as the priests in the Temple and proclaim our hands will be pure.
The Salt
Our prayers take the place of the sacrifice and this salt proclaims our table an altar.
The Bread

This is The Bread of Atonement, our final meal. Then we will be with the angels,
fasting, in prayer and meditation calling to one another your praises.
We recite the ten words in Hebrew that promise atonement and renewal:
Baruch ata adonigh alohaynew melech haolam ha motzi lechem min ha aretz.
Blessed art Thou O Lord Our God who will bring us forth like bread from the
Earth.

The Four Exclamations:

How different this night is from all other nights!

1.) On all other nights we eat until we are satisfied. Tonight we over eat.

2.) On all other nights we wear garments of any color, on this night we wear
white, the color of atonement.

3.) On this night we proclaim our meal sacred by asking one another for
forgiveness. Stand and embrace.

4.) On this night we proclaim the word to Jonah: We pray for the peace
of all humanity. Amen. Sealah

Eat

Recite full grace after meals or:

We have eaten, and we are satisfied and bless You.

Devar Torah (Discuss)

Isaiah 57:14- 58:14

Now it is time to find a minyan for Kol Nidray.
If you are unable to attend a service call me today and we will create a service for
you. Rabbi Alpern

Erev Rosh Hashanah Family Seder for Parents with Young Children

Shalom and welcome to Temple Shabbat Shalom’s Brief Seder for parents with young children.

THE SEDER

• Rosh Hashanah is the season when farmers begin to harvest their fields. Learned farmers know that the corners of the fields are for the poor and a tenth of the crop – the tithe- is for
  charity.
• Before the Seder set aside some coins to put in your “Pushki” (Charity Box) and explain to your children where the money is going. Set aside food for your local food bank.
• Food is an important part of Rosh Hashanah. We all remember the apples and honey and this year we will learn some ancient customs to renew. In Rabbi Isaac Lipi’s book “Excellent Sources for Sanctified Jewish Practices” he teaches us the custom of baking a Challah in the form of a ladder or a bird.
• A bird Challah invites the children to question “Why a bird?” We parents answer that just as a bird hovers over its nest to protect its young so God protects the Children of Israel. (Isaiah 31:5)
• A ladder Challah reminds us of the nature of Rosh Hashanah. Remember Jacob’s dream at Beth-El (Genesis 28:10). We are like Angels going up and down the ladder. Also, prayer, like a ladder connects Heaven and Earth. Finally a ladder reminds us of the Spiritual law of gravity. What goes up as prayer must come down and become acts of love and kindness. © Rabbi Laurence Aryeh Alpern

The food for Rosh Hashanah, as on Passover, may be used to fulfill the Mitzvah “teach all this diligently to your children”.
Rabbi Joseph Chaim, explaining the Apple, teaches that this fruit has three aspects: taste, appearance and fragrance. So on Rosh Hashanah we pray for good children, long life, and being happy with all that we have. These teachings are made even sweeter as the apple is dipped in honey .Pomegranates are an important part of our Rosh Hashanah Seder plates. Pomegranates have so many seeds, they remind us of the stars – too many to count.
The Prayer of Rosh Hashanah is that the Heavenly Court will count our good deeds as numerous as the seeds of the Pomegranate.
Create your own explanations as you enjoy your meal and teach your children- that this night is different for all others.

A Family Prayer

I hear the birds heading south and see the leaves turning red
The seasons are beginning to change
the world reborn once again.
On this Rosh Hashanah
We pray that our thoughts, feelings and spirits
Turn towards heaven
to the source of all blessings
as we look up
to see within.
May we all be more merciful
and understanding.
As God parents with mercy
so may we be
merciful parents. Amen.

BEFORE THE MEAL (SEDER CONTINUED)

1. Asking for forgiveness
Dear God,
Before we ask you to forgive us when we have not been good; we know we must first ask our family and friends to forgive us for anytime we may have done wrong- so we say:

“I am sorry if I have harmed you in any way since last Yom Kipper

I will do my best to act better so please forgive me

As we forgive those who have hurt us we ask you Lord God to forgive us,
For you alone turn Judgment to Mercy.
AMEN

2. Bless the Wine and Bread

Discuss your bird and ladder Challahs, apples, honey and pomegranates.

Wish one another a sweet New Year and add:
We sound the Shofar on the New Moon of the New Year to sanctify time
in the joy of the Festival.
This observance is my connection to Israel, given by the God of Jacob. Psalm 81

3. Blessing of Children:
For Daughters
Place your hand on your child’s head and say:
“May Almighty God bless you with the laughter and love of Sarah , The vision of Rebecca, The radiance of Rachel, And the kindness of Mother Leah”
You may add:
May you be blessed with the songs of Miriam
With the heart of Rahab
May you experience the Truths of Mother Ruth
And the learning of Bruria,
In the coming year.
(Add your own heroines and their qualities) © Rabbi Laurence Aryeh Alpern

Bless your Sons
Place your hand on the child’s head and say:

“May Almighty God make you a father of many like Abraham
Like Isaac filled with laughter and awe.
May you triumph in every struggle like Jacob who then was called Israel.
May you have the wealth and worldliness of Joseph for in his son’s
Names Ephraim and Menasha (Genesis 48) we bless you this New Year
day.

Bless all of your children together:
“May the Lord bless you and protect you.
May the Lord show you kindness and be gracious to you.
May the Lord bestow favor upon you and grant you peace.
Numbers 6:24-26

4. Conclude

As parents and children of Israel we pray that as the Names of Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah; Abraham, Isaac and Jacob live on in us
So may our names live on in our children. May they also be parents of
uncountable children.
AMEN and AMEN

5. Grace after Meals:

We have eaten, and we are satisfied, so we bless you, and we say thank you
For the food, our family, and the dream that one day all your children will live in Peace and be content.
Amen.

The Rosh Hashanah Seder

1. Candle Lighting

Barukh atah Adonai, Elohaynu melekh ha-Olam
Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the Universes

Asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav, v’tzianu

who santifies us with his commandments, and commands
us

l’had’lik neir shel yom tov (Amein)

to light the candles of the holiday (Amen)

2. Shehecheyanu

Barukh atah Adonai, Elohaynu, melekh ha-olam

Blessed are you, Lord, our God, king of the universe

She-hecheeyanu v’keey’manu v’heegeeyanu la-z’man ha-zeh (Amein)

who has kept us alive, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season (Amen)

3. Kiddush Blessing over the wine

Barukh atah Adonai, Elohaynu, melekh ha-olam boray pri hagafen.

4. Ha-Motzi-Blessing over the Bread

Barukh atah Adonai, Elohaynu, melekh ha-olam ha-motzi lechem min ha-aretz.
Blesses are you, Lord, our God, king of the universe who has brought us bread from the Earth.

5. The Shofar

If you have one, sound it now. and read:
(From Rabbi Moses ben Maimon)
“The sounding of the Shofar on the New Year, a decree of the Written Law, has a deep meaning, as if saying, “Awake, awake, O sleeper, from your sleep; O slumberous, arouse yourselves from your slumbers; examine your deeds, return in repentance, and remember your Creator.
continued from column one this page
Those of you who forget the truth in the follies of the times and go astray the whole year in vanity and emptiness (which neither profit nor save,) look to your souls; improve your ways and works. Abandon, every one of you, your evil course, and your thoughts that are not good.
It is necessary, therefore, that each person should regard himself throughout the year as if he were half innocent and half guilty and should regard the whole of mankind as half innocent and half guilty. If then he commits one more sin, he presses down the scale of guilt against himself and the whole world and causes his destruction. If he fulfills one commandment, he turns the scale of merit in his favor and in favor of the whole world, and brings salvation and deliverance to all his fellow creatures and to himself, as it is said, “The righteous are the foundation of the world” (Prov.10:25) that is to say, one who acts justly presses down the scale of merit in favor of all the world and saves it.
Because of these considerations, all are accustomed to increase their charities and other good deeds form the New Year to the Day of Atonement and engage in meritorious actions during this period to a greater degree than during the rest of the year. All are accustomed to arise while it is still night and to pray until the dawn, with fervent entreaties and supplications.

6. The Shema

Sh’ma Yisrael Adonai Elohaynu Adonai Echad
Here, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One
Barukh Shem k’vod malkhuto l’olam va-ed
Blessed be the Name of His glorius kingdom for ever and ever
And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be in your heart. And you shall teach them diligently to your children, and you shall speak of them when you sit at home, and when you walk along the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up. And you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes. And you shall write them on the doorposts of your home and upon your gates.

7. For discussion:

A. What is perfect repentance? (Answers Rabbi Moses ben Maimon)
“ It is so when an opportunity presents itself for repeating an offence once committed, and the offender, while able to commit the offence, nevertheless refrains from doing so, because he is penitent and not out of fear or failure of vigor. “

B. What is Tshuva?
(Answers Rabbi Moses ben Maimon)
“ It consists in this: that the sinner abandon his sin, remove from his thoughts, and resolve in his heart never to repeat it, as it is said,”
“let the wicked forsake his way, and the man of iniquity his thoughts” (Is. 55:7);
that we regret the past, as it is said,
“Surely, after that I turned I repented, after that I was instructed.” (Jer. 31:19);
that s/he calls the God who knows all secrets to witness that we will never return to our sin again,
as it is said,” neither will we call any more the work of our hands our God, for in Thee the fatherless find mercy” (Hos. 14:4)
It is also necessary that we make oral confession and utter the resolutions which we made in our heart.

C. “All the prophets charged the people concerning repentance. Only though repentance will Israel be redeemed, and the Torah already offered the assurance that Israel will, in the closing period of exile, finally repent, and thereupon be immediately redeemed, as it is said.
“ And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you shall take it to heart among all the nations, wherever the Lord your God has driven you, and shall return to the Lord your God, and hearken to His voice according to all that I command you this day, you and your children, with all your heart, and with all your soul, that the Lord your God will turn your captivity, and have mercy upon you, and will return and gather you from all the nations, wherever the Lord your God has scatted you” (Deut. 30:1-3)

9. Apples and Honey

After your Seder dinner dip an apple in honey and wish everyone a year of study and worship and of turning our lives around.
During Rosh Hashanah, it is traditional to eat apples dipped in honey, to symbolize our hopes for a sweet new year. The apple is dipped in honey the blessing for eating fruit is recited, the apple is tasted, and then the apples and honey prayer is recited.

Barukh atah Adonai, Elohaynu, melekh ha-olam
Blessed are you, Lord, our God, king of the universe borei p’riy ha-eitz (Amein)
who creates the fruit of the tree (Amen)
Take a bite from the apple dipped in honey, then continue with the following:
Y’hee ratzon mee-l’fanekha, Adonai Elohaynu v’elohey avoteynu
May it be Your will, Lord our God and God of our
ancestors
sh’tichadeish aleinu shanah tovah um’tuqah.
That you renew us for a good and sweet year. (Amen)
Next year in Jerusalem
May we all worship in Isaiah’s Temple. A House of Prayer for All People.

Ellul: The Ascent to The Days of Awes: A Seder and Siddur

Introduction :

Imagine this: New Years Eve, Times Square, a million people with hats and horns awaiting midnight. But wait. Everyone is sober. Prayers are flashing on the big screen:

O Lord, Lord, a God of mercy and grace bless us all with this vision of your face: As you are merciful we will be merciful. As You are gracious we will be gracious. As You are holy we will be holy, long suffering righteous and upright.
As the clock strikes twelve all the former tribes are united and together sound the Rams horn. Happy New Year.

So much for fantasy.

The reality: The prayers for the Jewish New Year are on behalf of “all the inhabitants of the earth.” We do pray for everyone. Everyone is judged at this time of year. At some point Americans are going to seek a liturgy of remembrance for September 11th. We begin the process with Psalm 27911 in this Seder.

A SECOND CHANCE: THE ASCENT

We are about to start a journey that will take us from the end of the Hebrew month Menachem Av to Simchat Torah, the holiday of rejoicing in the Law. We will sanctify time by reliving some major events in our history. For the entire Hebrew month of Elul we will prepare for the Days of Awe by ordering the chaos of our lives through prayer meditation and soul searching. We will prepare for Rosh Hashanah, Judgment Day, as any intelligent person about to appear in court. What is the case against us? Who will give us advice on how to prepare?
When will the verdict be issued? Who is prosecuting? Who will stand with me to offer a defense? If guilty, do I admit my guilt? How do I achieve forgiveness and atonement?

On the 30th day of Menachem Av, we begin to put the broken pieces of our lives back together. The broken pieces of the Tablets were placed in the Ark of the Covenant for safekeeping. Our brokenness becomes holy when we reconstruct our lives into a whole. We are offered a second chance, as we were when, as a people, we worshiped the Golden Calf.

Moses begins his second forty day ascent of the sacred mountain on this date. He arrives on the peak on the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur. The prayers of Moses for mercy are answered, and we are told that God forgives “As you ask,”

(Numbers 14: 20). The verse may also be translated “according to your words and deeds.”

Our words in the thirty day period of the Hebrew month Elul preceding The Ten Days of Awe are preparations for our pleas on Rosh Hashanah for the mercy of the court. Our deeds focus on making amends to all those we may have harmed. Our metaphor is an ascent up the Mountain, following in the footsteps of our great leader. We arrive on the Arête of the mountain on Yom Kippur. There we receive the revelation of how to acquire the sum of all good moral and ethical attributes, which is also the meaning of Arête. The Arête may also be a place of danger if we do not understand the Ten Teachings, and that morality is defined by a specific ethic. The base of the mountain is also a place of danger. We have built there our various Houses of Worship to experience community. They are modeled on the ancient Temple in Jerusalem and reenact the service of the High Priest. We forget the High Priest was reenacting the ascent of Moses. For this reason we begin our Seder with the following modern Midrash (based on The Dybbick (S.Anski) :

Among the Holy Lands of the world is Israel. In Israel the holiest city is Jerusalem. There the holiest place is The Temple. In the Temple the holiest place is The Holy of Holies.
Among the holy people of the world is Israel. Holiest among Israel are the tribe of Levi. The holiest Levites are the priests. The holiest priest is the high priest.
Among the days of the year the holidays are called Holy. Higher than the holydays is the Sabbath. Among The Sabbaths is The Sabbath of Sabbaths, The Day of Atonement.
Among the holy languages is Hebrew. The most holy Hebrew is the Torah. The holiest Torah is The Ten teachings. The holiest teaching is The Name of God.
Only once during the year are all these at one. On Yom Kippur the high priest pronounced the awesome and unutterable Name. This was a moment of danger for the priest and all of Israel. If the priest had a sinful thought or mispronounced the unutterable Name the world would be judged for destruction.
Every Day is Judgment Day whether we know it or not. Every person, being created in Gods Image, is a high Priest. Every place our feet step may be made holy. Today is The Day of Atonement if you speak with sincerity The Name of God.

This is my favorite reading for The Days of Awe. My favorite teaching is by the Kelemer Maggid, (as mentioned in our Purim Seder ) a great preacher and teacher, who asked: Why is The day of Atonement called in Hebrew Yom ki Purim , a day like Purim?

On Purim we masquerade, and so too on Yom Kippur when we masquerade as pious Jews.
Remember the spiritual law of gravity states that what goes up must come down. This Seder teaches us how to put our lives in order and to pray from the heart. Enjoy.

Elul: The Ascent Begins

We prepare for The Ten days of Awe the entire preceding month of Elul. We recite Psalm 27 from The first day of Elul until Simchat Torah to frame the “High Holy” days from beginning to end. At the end of the Psalm we proclaim that even if we are orphaned and friendless, and feel deserted we still desire to walk with God on the path of Torah.
The Psalm continues “Oy, what would I be without this hope.” We read the Hebrew Lule as Elul. During Elul we hope to see the goodness of the Lord in our daily lives. We fill our Forty days with prayer and repentance. Then we build a Sukkah to remind ourselves we remain sons and daughters of Jonah still striving to be the best person we can be. What goes up into the head must come down to the feet. We return from the top of the mountain, where we have received the reconstructed Tablets and we are ready to dance on Simchat Torah.
Why do we need an entire month to prepare for The Ten days of Awe? Why not do simple countdowns from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur? We begin to formulate an answer with the help of Rabbi Abraham J. Twersky M.D.
Changing character and behaviors requires time. We tithe more than a tenth of the time of a year to reflect on our persistent failures. The period of Repentance is even longer if we count from the 9th of Av to Yom Kippur. Dr. Twersky explains that the two are linked. On the 9th of Av we weep over the greatness we have lost, and on Yom Kippur we imagine all we may become and are filled with joy.

PREPARATIONS

Everyone needs a ram’s horn (Shofar) for this forty-day journey.

In all other Seders we invite God to dine with us. This Seder invites you to order your thoughts and prayers before you go to sleep and upon awakening. As simply as possible this Siddur highlights the prayers we say during our ascent to the Arête (Revelation.)

On Rosh Hashanah we have a new Seder, and a countdown, and on Yom Kippur we also return to our tables for a Seder before the fast.

We conclude with a Siddur for The Day of Atonement, a study of Jonah and a service to welcome Elijah the prophet to bring his insights into the New year. Enjoy.

THE SEDER OF SHEMA AT BEDTIME

We begin this Seder on the 30th day of the Hebrew month Menachem Av. I understand Menachem Av to mean we comfort our Father in Heaven by acknowledging all of our failings as people and as a people. From Av to Elul we transition from lamentation to Tikkun. We pray that we learn how to fix our bodies, our hearts, our minds and our soul. We pray that we relearn the Ten Words that teach us how to rebuild the world. We pray that we learn how to go to bed at night and how to awaken every morning. I highly recommend you continue with The Shema at Bedtime after Yom Kippur and throughout the year.
In our Seder for the 9th of Av we learned how to awaken and now we learn how to go to sleep. The founder of the Chassidic movement, Rabbi Israel, The Baal Shem Tov, teaches that unless we acknowledge that God renews the work of creation every day our practice of religion becomes rote and grows old and tired and tedious. This is learned from the Psalm “Cast me not off in the time of my old age”, which means do not let my world grow old. This is also learned in Lamentations, “They are new every morning, great is Thy faithfulness” In other words God trusts that we will renew our world each day, following her example.

THE SHEMA

The first Rashi of the first tractate of the Talmud teaches the importance of The Shema at bedtime. With great Awe we proclaim that God alone is Lord over our existence. We proclaim our love for God in every dimension of reality. Being receptive to the deep truths of Kabballah we say:

REBONO SHEL OLAM

Designer of all Worlds
I now forgive All
Who have harmed me or done me wrong
Against my body or spirit
With intent or by accident
In word or deed
In this life or any incarnation
I forgive all who have trespassed against me.

May it be your will
That I experience you as my God
As well as The God of my ancestors
That I turn from transgression
That I not repeat my persistent failures
And that my actions awaken your mercy
And that I do good, as you command.

Forgive my trespasses
Show me a face of compassion as atonement
And not sickness or suffering.
May the Words of my mouth guide the meditations of my heart
The actions of my hands and direction of my feet thus being acceptable to You, O Lord, my Rock and Redeemer.

SHEMA

Listen, struggle to hear, O Israel, The Lord is our God, The Lord Alone.

The Coming of Your Kingdom Proclaimed to Eternity when:

You will Love The Lord your God with all your heart, and soul, and might. Take this instruction to heart, the teachings are given today. Let your children cut their teeth on them. Debate them today and every day in your home, and even when you journey. Do all of this every evening and morning. Bind them to your hands and they will guide your minds eye. Write them on the doorposts of your homes and on your gates.

May I lie down in Peace
May I awaken in Peace
Let my sleep be tranquil
May I awaken renewed.

In the name of the Lord God of Israel may Michael the Angel be at my right, Gabriel at my left, Urial in front of me and Rapael behind. May the Shechina hover over me.

I am in Awe.
I am about to recite my confession
And vow never again
To live a life of transgression.

Traditionally we stand for the communal confession:

We: abuse, betray, (are) cruel, destroy, embitter, falsify, gossip, hate, insult, jeer, kill, lie, mock, neglect, oppress, pervert, quarrel, rebel, steal transgress. We are unkind violent, wicked, xenophobic, yielding to evil, zealots for darkness and death.

Sit or lay down:

Into your hand I commit my spirit
When I sleep and when I wake,
I have no fear, atonement near
In bodyandsoul I shall be whole.

SIDDUR OF DAILY PRAYERS

The moment we awaken, as our eyes open we daily offer this Tisha b Av prayer:

Modah ani lefanecha melech chai v kiyam sh hachazarta B nismatea bechemla raba emunatecha.

I awaken in your presence, living and sustaining God. You have mercifully restored my soul. Great is your faith in me.

PSALM 23911

The Lord is my Shepard; I shall not want
Tucking us into green bedded pastures
Leading us to the still waters; restoring our souls
For on this day we walk down streets and avenues of darkness © Rabbi Lawrence Aryeh Alpern
Overshadowed by death; and we are afraid.
Only when you are with us, Lord our God
Do we feel no harm
Only your rule and your staff comfort.
Our Tables remain spread
In full view of our foes
We offer to share our bounty
The cup that runneth over.
But those drunk on hatred
Prefer to murder in Gods Name.
Still, we anoint our heads with the oil
Of the branch in the mouth of the dove
Surely saved in this goodness mercy and love.
O lord this day has been a lifetime.
We pray we dwell in your house forever
A house of prayer for all who seek your name of Peace.

PSALM 27911

The Lord is my Light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life; who should I be afraid of?
Evil men fly at us from all directions; to slander and eat us alive
Devoured by their hatred; homicides and suicides.
One thing we ask and one thing we seek:
The Lord in our hearts all the days of our life
To observe the Lords loveliness in every neighbor.
To be merciful as God is merciful.
O Lord you alone our shelter and protection
Peace your Tabernacle and foundation stone.
Our enemies have raised our heads to the cries of the sacrificed
Each of the thousands a suffering servant and atonement.
But a veil of dust and destruction clouds our vision;  
Have you rejected us O Lord? Have you abandoned us? Why have you forsaken me?
We feel like a child whose own parents have attempted to drown.
O lord when the cloud lifts lead us not into the temptation of hate
We commit into your hands, and spirit, and we wait.
This day always in the season of the fall,
Also the time when your teachings, O lord transform knowledge to life.
The Rams horn is sounded and we hear your call.
We believe we will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living
So trust in the Lord, hope and patiently wait. Take courage.
The Lord God who is mercy will strengthen You.
Hope and just wait!

THE GREAT COMMAND: OUR MISSION STATEMENT

Kavvannah: Our great teacher Rambam teaches that the greatest commandment leads to repentance. We are commanded to love God with all “Your heart and Soul” Deuteronomy 6:5. Our love of God is according to our knowledge. The Song of Songs teaches the wisdom of intimacy. Loving God we learn to love one another. Love means not harming others, being honest in business, defining the world as our neighborhood and every individual as our neighbor. This love leads to repentance. Then we hear and live the teachings of the “I am God.” (Leviticus 19:18)

Morning Shema

Chant:

Al melech ne eh man

God is our true leader,
God is truth.
The Lord is a True God,
God trusts we will be true
In God we trust.
Our God is a true God.

Listen, struggle to hear, O Israel, The Lord is our God, The Lord Alone.

The Coming of Your Kingdom Proclaimed to Eternity when:

We love you, ya the great ah ha va (AHVH) with heart and soul and our very being. Your wor(l)ds heard and created anew every day I place upon my heart.( I pray they sink in).
Raise up sharp students speaking loves wisdom in the home and on vacation, every evening and morning.
Give hands to your heart by focusing your minds eye.
Write all this on the mezzuzoat of your dwellings, your gates, the gates of your cities and the gates of your nations.
This is the Lord our Gods order of holiness. True.

Daily Prayer

May these words awaken my heart to your Presence.
I am not worthy to stand before you in prayer
So hear me in the names of my righteous ancestors.
I am in search of your true path to order my life to your word.

I am yours.

Ani ladodi

Be mine, beloved

V Dodi lee

O, I Am
Take my name
And give me yours
One.

Help me to know that which is righteous
To master the mystery, to order my chaos
Imitating creation, in this, my new beginning.

Forgive my transgressions
As I forgive those who have trespassed against me.

Return and dwell in your Zion of Peace
Fill our hearts and homes and sanctuaries
With the blessings of your Mountain home
A House of Prayer ofAll The Nations.
Amen. Sealah

Seder for Shabbat Hagadol: Welcoming Elijah

Shalom and welcome. The weekend before Passover we call the Sabbath “Shabbat Hagadol”, the Great One. The prophetic reading for this Shabbat is about our great prophet Elijah (also Hagadol, the greatest of the Hebrew prophets) who we pray also makes an appearance at our Passover Seder.
Elijah holds the key that unlocks the gates for a redeemed Israel and humanity. Elijah also reveals the identity of our messianic redeemer. The prophetic reading (Haphtorah) begins mid paragraph to start on a positive note: ”Then the offerings… will be pleasing to God as in the past.” (Malachi 3:4)
The book of Malachi is a dialogue based on rhetorical questions, setting the structure for the Seder. The end of the book is an announcement of judgment day where Elijah teaches a simple formula for receiving a blessing rather than a curse:
And he (Elijah) will turn the hearts of parents to children
And the hearts of children towards parents. (Malachi 3:24)
Hearts turn when truth is spoken between the generations. We are here to tell our children that the story of the Passover is our story. Elijah traditionally is the one who answers all of our questions, even the most difficult.
To prepare to welcome Elijah we begin with a question. At the end of every prayer service we sing from the prophet Zechariah (14:9) that the Day of Judgment will proclaim that God and Gods name will be one.
What does this mean?
Elijah appears:
Elijah: Allow me to introduce myself to answer your question. My name in Hebrew is pronounced A Lee Ya Who. This means my God is Lord.
Zechariah, a late disciple of mine expects everyone to know that Our God is Lord. This is taught by my name and in my name. On Judgment day all must declare that they are working toward creating the kingdom of heaven on earth. All who oppress the worker or widow or orphan by stealing from them their daily bread will be severely judged.
On Judgment Day those who are not charitable are proclaimed to be robbers. They know not Gods Name.
Before I play my role as the answer man I ask you the following questions:

With the insights of Religion, Democracy and Psychology and so much talk about
Gods unity why do we not experience peace and prosperity and liberty and
justice for all?
What do you think God responds when you daily proclaim Gods unity
in your prayers?
What do you expect from this prophet when you have been given all the Wisdom,
Knowledge and Understanding to make this a better world?
You know me also as The Master of the Kabballah. You pray in grace after meals
that “ the All merciful send Elijah the prophet, remembered for good, to
announce the good news of salvation and consolation.”
What more may I reveal without robbing you of your free will?
We will discuss these four questions during our Shabbat Hagadol Seder.

Preparations:

If you have not attended Temple to hear the prophetic reading open to Malachi
and read the entire book.
If you truly seek my revelation and desire to know who I am review Chapter 18 of
the First Book of Kings. Ask yourself about the idolatry of our times.
Why do religions devolve into fundamentalism, ignoring fundamentals?
Why do people think Kabballah is about secrets and not basics, obfuscation, not
revelation ? How do the ideals of democracy become swallowed whole by the
modem Leviathan states and Behemoth religions?
Why is history the study of Wars, Generals, dates, and repetitions rather than a
prophetic protest against the idolatry of power?
After over a hundred years of psychology why is the world in such mental
depression?
Who have you invited to this Seder? I come to turn the hearts of parents to their
children. Where are your children or disciples?
The process begins with parents. Have you welcomed home your prodigal sons and daughters? Have they squandered wealth or wisdom or both? Make contact with your estranged children.
Judaism is the parent religion. Have you taught the principle teachings? (Avot)
Rabbis’, are you teaching Torah to the world?
Set out one cup for each participant in the Seder and one for me Elijah. On my cup write GRL, Or Grail. In Hebrew write gimel resh lamed. This is the cup that contains the secret of our destiny.
My first revelation: The Kiddush cup is the Holy Grail. This evening and at the Passover Seder we live the legend, from ritual to romance to revelation. The Kiddush cup is The Cup of Remembering and Reconciliation. Chivalry is not dead when we break the bread of affliction and transform it into the bread of Gods presence.
This is the sacrament of Peace. Oedipus regains his sight when he drinks from the Grail. Peace on Earth begins with Peace in the family. This is the essence of my teachings. Parents who await the Messiah son of David, turn to the children of the Messiah son of Joseph and Passover together again as one family. The branches are not ungrateful to the roots, or the children to the parents.
Jews have you invited Christians to your Seder?
Prepare a simple meal with two small loaves per participant. Prepare your questions for me beforehand. Remember if revelation is the answer you must know the questions. The Hebrew word for preparation comes from the same root as the Hebrew word for time. ( Lehazmean – zman )You sanctify time by the quality of your preparation. Make time.

The Seder

Kavvannah: We are now ordered by time to fulfill the essence of the Seder, to tell our story over this bread, and to be filled and satisfied by the wisdom of Gods Torah.
Reader: At this Seder we are all leaders.
Elijah: Thank the good Lord.
Reader: Elijah how do we order this Seder?
Elijah: The order of the Seder always depends on who is present. The rituals must bridge the generation gap and speak to all present or the “spirit” will not appear. Start with everyone’s questions. Make a list.
I have one to begin.
Why is Moses not mentioned in the Passover Haggadah even one time?
Reader: Since you are a second coming of Moses perhaps Moses appears as you, Elijah.
Elijah: Moses does not appear to remind us that, in the end, every great teacher must reject, outright, any followers.
At the Seder you learn to lead.
(The patriarchal father centered Seder is dead.)
Greek Jews thought of Moses as almost divine. The Rabbis do not teach this Moses. In fact, according to the rabbis the Torah of Moses is now in the domain of the human. The Torah is not in heaven. I explained to Rabbi Nathan that God smiles when we understand the essentially democratic nature of Torah. We must remember to make the Torah of Moses our Torah.
Reader: You are to announce the true Messiah. Isn’t the true Messiah a leader who will have disciples?
Elijah: A true disciple Kabballahs Torah (receives instruction) and is not a follower.
It is now time to bless the wine.
Baruch ata adoneigh Elohanew melech haolam boray pri hagafen.
Blessed art Thou Lord our God, King of the world creator of the fruit of the vine.
© Rabbi Laurence Aryeh Alpern
Reader. One moment Elijah.
King of the world? If you teach a new model of leadership why not change the form of the blessing over the wine?
Elijah: Great question. We disguise the Hebrew word melech, King, by translating “ruler” What do you suggest?
Modeam anachnew lach, shata adoneigh elohaynew hashechinah boray pri hagfen.
We acknowledge your eminence, Shechinah, as creator of the fruit of the vine.
Elijah: Bravo! Next.
Reader: The Hebrew Bible ends with the Book of Chronicles and a dream of a rebuilt Zion. The Christian Bible divides the Old and the New with your words at the end of Malachi heralding the coming of the Messiah. How are we to understand this?
Elijah: My role, in the Christian version, is to turn the heart of the father
to the son, and then the son to the father. The father turns first. We are the parent religion.
The principle teachings of the father are in the Torah of Moses. Rabbis must teach Christians Torah. This is a Commandment. The son grows up by this instruction. Father and son must be of one heart again.
Reader: How?
Elijah: By sitting together at Seder, breaking bread and discussing the teachings of Torah.
Reader: Some think the differences are irreconcilable.
Elijah: Listen we all have to move beyond Sunday school conceptions of religion. Look to Rebecca the matriarch and prophetess who had two nations in her womb, the twin sons Jacob and Esau, struggling from the
beginning. Rebecca prays for reconciliation and asks, if her children continue their conflict, “Why am I?”
In the history of Israel the two sons become Judaism and Christianity. If we do not learn how to get along then Rebecca’s birth pains were in vain.
Reader: So Elijah, how do we pray for this reconciliation?
© Rabbi Laurence Aryeh Alpern
Elijah: We begin with what we have in common, the Greatest Commandment. You recite the Torah I will comment.
Shemah Yisrael Adoneigh Elohaynew Adoneigh Achad
Reader: Listen Israel , Lord and God are One
Elijah: So must you be One People on Earth.
Reader: Blessed be the Name of God which is the glorious kingdom forever and ever.
Elijah: Shalom
Reader: And you shall love your Eternal God with all your heart, with all your soul and with your very being. These words which I command you this day are upon your heart. Teach them repeatedly to your children, speak of them in your home and when you journey, every evening and morning. Connect with them as a sign upon your hand and let them be a symbol before your eyes. Inscribe them on the Mezzuzoat of your home, and upon your gates.
And Love Your neighbor as yourself, I am God.
Elijah:
Every home a Temple
Every heart an Altar
Every person a prophet and priest.
Reader: Elijah I hope you know the majority of modern Jews have given up hope in the arrival of the Messiah as a person. We believe in the Messianic era.
Elijah: Well this era certainly remains a mess.
Perhaps you need a new paradigm and parable. Many stalk Elijah forgetting they will most certainly be burned by his fiery message. Listen to what God reveals. We are switching metaphors once again.
The story and characters are never new, but always renewed.
We have only one father, our parent in heaven. In the renewed telling (Haggaddah)God has two sons. The younger son takes his inheritance and squanders his wealth. The older son is always obedient and respectful, ever adding to his father’s inheritance.
The younger son repents and returns home, and is received with open arms. This angers the obedient son. The father pleads that the older accept the younger sons return.
The meal is prepared for both.
Those with wisdom will understand.

The Breaking of the bread:

Wash your hands. Recite the ten word Hebrew blessing:
Modeam anachnu lach adoneigh elohaynew hashechina hamotzi lechem min ha- aretz.
We acknowledge your presence in this Bread
That you bring forth from the Earth
A miracle that awakens the Dead.
Dinner is served.
The Haggaddah begins.

A Seder for Easter

A Seder for Easter may appear, at first glance, to be an oddity. Let Passover be Passover and Easter be Easter some might say. In fact Easter is Passover transformed into the sacrament of the Lords Supper, a holy communion that is the central rite of Christianity. For interfaith couples religions must not divide the house. This Seder is an invitation to help build a bridge.

Jews and Christians follow separate calendars that sanctify time differently and create distinct realities that often do not intersect. Some years Easter has more in common with Esther, when Easter takes place at the same time of year as Purim.
What does the Book of Esther have to do with the story of Easter? On Purim we are commanded to remember that the spirit of Amalek (Deuteronomy 24:17-18) exists in every tyrant, including Haman and Pontius Pilate, and that we all await liberation from the Pharaohs of history. The early church fathers mention that Christians once celebrated Passover in the synagogue. This was then forbidden to distinguish the new sect from its origins. Purim was forgotten and Passover transformed.

A Place Where “Judaizing” is not a Pejorative.

In our Congregation, Temple Shabbat Shalom, we welcome all Jews who are married to Catholics and Protestants. Our Temple is a place for Jews to learn about Christianity and Christians to learn about Judaism. Our name, Shabbat Shalom, means “Sabbaths Peace.”
One may fairly ask how much Peace one finds in homes where one partner defines the Sabbath as Friday evening and Saturday, and the other as Sunday. Of course the blessing of the Sabbath has always come as a double portion, like the manna in the wilderness. In fact, modern weekends are two days, something not even the Ten Commandments imagined when it teaches “Six days shall thou work.”
A Jew married to a Christian honors their spouse by attending Easter services and sharing the holyday meal with the family. This Seder is meant as a private celebration in the home of the couple. Remember, the communion of the church service will be redefined in your domestic sanctuary. We see in the various Seders around the year that wine and bread are essential elements in the sacred meal in your home. As the leaders in your home sanctuary you will direct the discussion on the meaning of the Easter season for a Jew and Christian. This requires a great deal of preparation, including a review of all the A.L.P.E.R.N. Seders with a focus on Passover.

I have had the privilege to lead a Catholic Seder in Lake George, New York the
past few years. The Haggadah for the Seder, The Passover Celebration is printed by The Liturgy Training Publications of the Archdiocese of Chicago (1980), and is
so generic it could be used in any traditional Jewish home for Passover. This
Easter Seder will go beyond The Passover Celebration since it is designed
specifically for interfaith couples for Easter.

Preparations

Kindly consider this the roughest draft among our various Seders since it awaits the comments and additions of you and the Priests and Pastors of your families.
Consider the following one Rabbi’s version, which is completed only by your
editing. You may want to begin with the Shabbat Hagadol Seder and review the
Passover Seders for the first and final days.

Be sure to discuss menus and recipes for this Seder.

Consider beginning your Seder with readings from the Song of Songs. About two
thousand years ago Rabbi Akiba proclaimed the Song the holiest of all sacred
writing. He and the Rabbis read the history of Israel in the verses of the Song. The
Church Fathers read the Song as the relationship between Jesus and the church.
Remember in its essence this is a love poem between bride and groom. May your
Seder represent the love of God in all its dimensions.
Since Elijah’s voice is always welcome we will begin again with Elijah.

A Reading

You may wish to start your Seder with this reading:

Rabbi Joshua the son of Levi met Elijah the Prophet who was standing at the
entrance to the cave of Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai, the entrance to the Garden of
Eden.
“When will the Messiah come?
“Ask him yourself.”
“Where?”
“He sits at the gates of Rome.”
Rabbi Joshua went and asked.
“Today.”

Said the Rabbi to the Prophet, “He lied.”
Elijah explained: This is what he meant” Today if you would but listen to his voice.” (Psalms 95:7) (Based on Talmud, Sanhedrin 98a)
Study the Psalm and Talmudic reference and discuss.

The Seder (Order) of the Meal

Parental Blessings: Bridging the generation gap

The eve of Sabbaths and holydays we begin our home sanctuary services by inviting Elijah to help us bridge the generation gap by the blessing of their children by parents. Hands on their heads, we ordain our children to be teachers of the way of dialogue and communication. See Seder Shabbat Shalom for the blessings. Consider writing a blessing children say to bless and thank parents in your family. The blessing begins with Elijah’s
teaching us to turn the hearts of parents towards their children and how children reconcile with parents. (Malachi 3:23).
(On the Sabbath we continue with Shalom Alachem and Proverbs 31.
Consider your own blessings for fathers to supplement praise of moms.)

Kiddush (Shabbat and holidays, including Easter)

Baruch ata adonigh elohanu melech haolam boray pri hagafen.

Praised are you Ado nigh, ruler of the world, creator of the fruit of the vine.

(You may want to discuss Kiddush and how it is understood in the Catholic and Protestant traditions)

Washing of Hands

“Lift up your hands toward the Sanctuary and bless The Lord.” (Psalms 134:2)
Baruch ata ado nigh elohanu melech haolam asher kiddhsanu b mitzvotav vitzivanu al netalat yadim.
Praised are you Ado nigh, ruler of the world, who sanctifies us through the commandments and commands us to wash our hands.
(The washing of hands has been an issue between Church and Synagogue. Discuss.)

The Motzi (Bread or Matzah)

Baruch ata adonigh elohanu melech haolam ha motzi lechem min ha aretz.
Praised are you Ado nigh who brings forth bread from the earth.
“You are Lord forever, merciful in all acts, helping those in trouble, lifting the fallen, all the living look hopefully to You, so that you should give them their food in the correct time.” (Psalms 145: 13-15)
(The Bread in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem was Lechem Hapanem, the Bread of Gods Presence, or more literally The Bread of Gods Face.)

Discuss.

The Meal

Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai teaches that three who eat at one table and discuss the truths of Torah dine with the divine, as The prophet teaches, (Ezekiel 41:22) “This is the table which is in the presence of the Lord.”
Discuss.
(Note that Ezekiel’s vision of the future Temple includes the Table that holds the Bread of Gods Presence and the mystic Rabbi Shimon is teaching that this also refers to your dining room Table.)
Rabbi Chalafta adds: How do we know this also applies to two? “Then those who revered the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard.”(Malachi 3:16.) Study the Chapter. Discuss.
(Malachi is teaching that those who practice true religion discuss the truth at their tables.)
How do we know the above applies even to one person? This was taught to Moses in The Book of Exodus, after The Ten Fundamental teachings:
“In every place my name is mentioned I will come to you and bless you. (20:24)
(Our rabbis teach that it is a great virtue to invite guests to your table. “With a multitude of people is God’s glory” (Proverbs 14:28). Still, if you are alone, and mention your creator, the meal is set as a Table for two.

A Family Discussion of Easter

The drama of Easter is retold in the prayers of the church based on a number of versions in the Gospels and Epistles. Open your family Bible and Discuss.

Compare to Genesis 22. Ask any children present to tell and explain the story. Then ask all present their questions. Discuss.
Grace after meals
We have eaten and are satisfied and bless The Lord our God. (Deuteronomy 8:10)
Thank you.
The Key to the Seders
The key to all the Seders is based on a daily and weekly structuring and ordering of our lives around sanctified meals. The recipe for Peace in the home begins in the kitchen, as we prepare our daily weekly and holyday meals. The ingredients are essential, so we will share resources including specific food recipes. Send them to RabbiAlpern@Aol.com.
A Seder exchange is also essential.
We see from the myriad variations on the Passover Seder that our daily Shabbat and holyday home services will change every year as we learn from one another. This is most true of our experimental Easter Seder.
Kindly send me your families’ version of this Seder and I will post it under your name as a resource to help others.
Chazak Chazak Va neatcahazkae. Be strong, be strong; and let us strengthen one another.
Rabbi Alpern

A Seder for the Final Day of Passover (DRAFT)

We must get it out of our head that this is a doomed time
That we are waiting for the end.
We love apocalypses too much.
Very tired of the modern form of historicism which sees in this civilization
the defeat of the best hopes of Western religion and thought,
the question of ordinary human experience is the principle question,
the strength of virtue
or spiritual capacity measured by ordinary life.
Saul Bellow Herzog

Proem

Passover is the time to discuss the Pascal offering, the bread of affliction, and the bitter dispute between religions about the messiah. This Seder is a continuation of the traditional Passover Seder. We discuss the past two thousand years of western civilization to imagine a redeemed world. We all dream of a time without war jealousy or strife. We are not doomed. A Seder meal is the ideal time to discuss the virtue that leads to salvation . Our holyday and ordinary meals are the time to discuss what our traditions say about the messianic era and the type of leadership required to achieve Tikkun Olam, the reconstruction of our broken world. We have chosen this night to discuss these issues because we cannot end our Passover without talking about the Messiah. They may be discussed every night.

Introduction

The tradition of a Seder on the final day of Passover is an innovation of Rabbi Israel (BAL Shem Tov) the founder of the Chassidic movement. The Rabbi taught that the wellsprings of salvation would overflow when his teachings quenched the thirst of all. In our time the Chabad Lubavitch movement celebrates this Seder as a focus on the leadership of their Grand Rabbi (Rebbe) Menachem Mendel Schneerson. The Rebbe has been declared Messiah, sparking controversy in the Jewish community. Chabad Lubavitch, following Jewish law understands that the Jewish messiah is expected to be a literal savior. This means that the Messiah leads the people from exile back to the Promised Land, rebuilds the Temple and inspires world peace. Since the Rebbe has ascended to heaven he will have to return to finish his work. The idea of a Second Coming strikes most Jews as very Christian. On the other hand, after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem

God gave the children of Israel a second chance and a Second Temple. The
Second Temple was destroyed because of sectarian fighting. The pattern is set
by the destruction of the First Set of Tablets and Moses second ascent up Mount
Sinai to receive the second set of tablets. In a way this is the second coming of
the law. The children of Israel carried the shattered pieces of the first set in an
Ark, as a reminder of the incident of the Golden Calf, and a forgiving merciful
God. We all live in a shattered world and do well to learn the lessons of the
second chance.
The Christian Bible is split into Old and New Testaments. This implies that the old
world order is based on ruined sacred truths that have been replaced by a newer
better version.
I think of the Bible as a library of books bound in one volume. The Hebrew Bible
is the Prime Testament and the Gospels a re-vision. I do not use the terms Old
and New. The New Israel does not supercede and triumph over the Old. I am open
to all new teachings, excluding the notion that I am a Semitic fossil.
If you google The Final Testament you will find references to The Quran, the
sacred scripture of Islam. This makes sense if one accepts the logic that the
latest model is always the best.
Also, following the logic that the latest is the best, we must consider another final
trump, communism, Das Kapital and its messianic visions superseding
Jerusalem. Furthermore the Book of Mormon supercedes all that it precedes,
following the concept of strict progressive revelation. Then, at some point we
wonder if Freud was preaching a replacement religion.
To reconstruct our sacred truths this Seder is the beginning of a discussion on
religion revelation and redemption. We do not expect to fix two thousand years of
misunderstanding in one night of dialogue.
Approaching my fortieth year as a master teacher (Rabbi) I do think it is essential
that I mention how I read all sacred scriptures. I consider The Torah, Gospels,
Quran and all other texts of revelation “scription”. Scripture is a unique genre,
scriptural fiction. Scription is description. All scripture is the handwriting of
humans who imagine Gods plan for this world. God is created in the image of the
human mind. God and the imagination are one. Scripture is fiction. Literalism
creates fundamentalism and dogma. Dogma and dialogue do not mix. I am open
to how others read, and welcome opening our discussion on that topic.

Preparations

The preparation for this Seder begins with a review of all the other Seders.
This Seder cannot be scripted for you. You must make time to prepare your own text. Also, a real symposium is not over scripted so you may have an open ended discussion as your Seder. You are invited to also use “Who is driving Elijah?s chariot? A role playing game” found in the Seder.
Passover begins with Shabbat Hagadol and the first appearance of Elijah. The presence of Elijah is essential at this Seder. Elijah appears only after extensive preparation. Be prepared and ready to make time. When you make time, time becomes holy, opening to an understanding of eternal truths. A simple meal becomes a sacrament when you make time holy. Make Kiddush. Break bread. Experience the presence of your creator waiting to be your redeemer.
Elijah has the answers if you have the questions. The focus at this Seder is the announcement of the messianic redeemer. All other Seders are about past events. This Seder ascends to the Arête at the top of the mountain. This Alpine (Arête) event is called a peak experience by Abraham Maslow.An Arête is a sharp crested dangerous place like the highest ridges of the Alps. The lofty ideas of messiahs often fall off these high ridges. Still, we agree with Martin Buber that the concept of the messiah is “Judaism?s most profoundly original idea.” This is also true of Christianity.
Step one is the ascent. On the Arête we find the sum of all good qualities that create character. Arête means the perfection of excellence valor and virtue. Arête is virtue that gives arms and hands to our most cherished human ideals and dreams of a better world. Elijah comes to teach us how to interpret that dream.
Step two in your preparation is being ready to receive the message of Elijah. This means leaving outdated ways of thinking at the door. We humbly admit that religion has been powerless over tyranny and tyrants.
Whatever our religious belief or political affiliation we admit that Gods face seems hidden. Manslaughter murder and war are the headlines every day.
Our history is about the abuse of power. We seem to have no modern prophets to speak truth to this power. We turn to our comedians for comic relief from the news, and often give up hope for any real change in the daily reporting of our history.
If the Messiah is The Arête on the arête, how will she or he transmit her teachings? Ask Elijah.
This Seder begins a dialogue about the future of humanity and history. People from all religious traditions are invited. We also invite atheists and agnostics. Unlike our Seder at the beginning of Passover this Seder is not necessarily for children. In fact, we are going to discuss topics way beyond a Sunday school understanding of religion, history, and the future of humanity.
Ten Topics and Questions before beginning

(Kindly make your own list)
1.) Why is Moses not mentioned in The Passover Haggaddah?
2.) Was Moses the first Messiah?
3.) Why is Elijah the announcer of the Messiah?
4.) Is John the Baptist Elijah?
5.) Was Jesus the Messiah? A Messiah? How do Jews understand Jesus?
6.) Is Christian worship based on Jewish foundations?
7.) Why have Christians failed to understand the Jewish experience?
8.) Why have Jews failed to understand the Christian experience?
9.) How do Jews and Christians dialogue with Islam?

Finally, prepare notes on what you what you think of Hans Kung?s formula to discuss at the Seder:

No Peace among the nations
Without peace among the religions.

No Peace among the religions
Without dialogue between the religions.

No dialogue between the religions
Without investigation of the foundations of the religion.

Introduction

This Seder is structured according to Jewish tradition The Christian community transforms the Seder into a commemoration of events in the life of Jesus. The early church fathers often mention temptations to attend Jewish worship. Judaizing was discouraged as a new religion differentiated the old from the new. Now Judaizing is not a pejorative and is part of the task at hand.
In the Jewish home meals are the foundation of liturgy and ritual. Ritual washing before the meal is required. As water flows freely for all so does the wisdom of Torah. Life comes from water, as does purity. The earliest apostles attended the Temple daily and ate communal meals. (Acts 2:46)
The early Christian understanding of the Eucharist is an offering of praise and thanksgiving, much like the Rabbis Grace after meals. Christian worship is a love © Rabbi Laurence Aryeh Alpern
feast and the Seder of Messiah on the Seventh day of Passover an ideal time to compare worship and to worship together.

The Messiahs Feast

A local Chabad House has invited all Jews to Moshiachs (Messiahs)Feast on the final day of Passover. The word “final” appears over and over again. The final day of Passover is about the final liberation. The Founder of the Chassidic movement, as explained, created the concept of a Seder for Messiah.
Is this the year we will be redeemed from the final exile?
If so, how will the final liberation take place?
Has the Messiah, finally, arrived?

Is Menachem Mendel Schneerson the Chabad Lubavitcher Rebbe (Rabbi) the Final redeemer?

The announcement that the rabbi is Messiah is discussed heatedly.
Chabad is criticized for proclaiming a Messiah who has passed away and will be returning. Most Jews are skeptical that a true messiah will ever come since all previous messiahs have been false. The doctrine of a personal Messiah has fallen on hard times in the Jewish community. The Messianic dimension of Judaism causes many great embarrassments.

This Seder is the ideal time to reopen discussion about the Messiah.

Rabbinic legalists admit that Christianity and Islam served the interests of the God of history. Maimonides discusses The Messiah at the end of The Mishna Torah including a complete job description with qualifications.
This is the starting point of all traditional Jewish discourse about the messiah.

Reviewing the worldview of Maimonides in the Mishna Torah I am struck by its being limited to ancient models of government and leadership. As an orthodox Rabbi I considered his rulings the final word. I no longer do.

The Messiah is evaluated in the final section called The Laws of Kings and Their Wars. Twenty three commandments are listed, including the appointment of a king. The laws also outline the need to exterminate the Amalakites and rebuild the Temple.

The final chapter (eleven) refers to Messiah as King, one who will return us to the good old days of King David, gather the dispersed of the Diaspora back to Israel and reconstitute the ancient judges and Sanhedrin. King David is referred to as Messiah, so, in a way, Messiah is the second coming of David.

The returned Messiah is not required to walk on water or to show any sign or wonder. Also, Maimonides reminds us it is human to err on the identity of the Messiah, as did our great rabbi Akiba who proclaimed a warrior, Bar Kochba, the redeemer.

Of course, the Messiah must be a success. Maimonides did not consider Jesus the Redeemer. Maimonides seems to accept as fact the verdict of the Bet Din (Court) that Jesus should be put to death. In other words our great Rabbi accepts the myths of his times a facts. Did the Rabbis kill Jesus? This needs further discussion since Maimonides, our greatest legalist was not a historian. This opens him to accepting the a historical as fact.
The facts are not clear from any source. Also, the Sadducees of the story no longer exist and the Pharisees are only precursors to the Rabbis. Every effort must be put forth not to connect whatever happened at the trial of Jesus to today?s Jews. We must be careful quoting our own sources. We are not responsible for the death of the Christian Messiah.

Maimonides does see positive Christian and Muslim contributions to Tikkun Olam.

Messiah will declare that the New Testament does not supersede the “Old”.
Maimonides knew that the Quran is called a “Final Testament” but Messiah will teach that it does not have the last word.

As in these Seders Elijah plays a key role in the future of religion. Maimonides teaches that Messiah comes to bring peace to the world, as Elijah announces. We do not know the details of the coming of the Messiah or how Elijah knows the identity of the true messiah. This gives the real power to Elijah.

One may wonder why people who think they are Jesus not have the far loftier fantasy of being Elijah.

Why Elijah?

Elijah welcomes us all in to the covenant of Abraham and Sarah.
Elijah attends every Seder, which he considers the table of God.
Elijah is the moderator of the final symposium on the end of the violence of history.
Elijah teaches all that they are messiahs, leaders, capable of transforming secrets into basic teachings. Elijah brings us from mystery to mastery.
Elijah teaches the transformation of dream into reality.

Our greatest dream is to accomplish Tikkun Olam under the leadership of God almighty. This is the role of messianism. Cynics scoff at the dream, modern Professors teach that Death is the Messiah, or, after the holocaust, the angel of death. We restate with Martin Buber that Messianism is “Judaism?s most profoundly original idea.” Messianism is the dream and hope of creating a better world.

To Read

Kindly contact me for suggestions for further reading.

Prepare to read and discuss the Song of Songs at your Seder.

As with every holyday the prophetic reading for that day defines the supreme themes of the day. We read Isaiah 10:32-12:6.

A discussion of the Haftorah is essential for this Seder.

The final day of Passover celebrates the final redemption. The final liberation according to tradition is inspired by the leadership of the Messiah. Commenting on the Passover Haggadah the Lubavitcher Rebbe teaches that ultimately personal redemption leads to the collective redemption from our final exile. Lubavitcher Chassidim believe the Rebbe is Messiah. Hopefully this will inspire dialogue between Jews and Christians about the fulfillment of messianic prophecy. In the end we ask ourselves about the role of a human messiah in the drama of redemption. Remember, if we think of all of recorded history as a Seder we have not completed the meal. The table remains the focus of fellowship as we let the bread and wine speak. Praise God who is always our salvation and hope.

Sealah: Master the Mystery

Our sages teach that “the first redeemer is the final redeemer”. This does not mean we are awaiting the second appearance of Moses. Moses is a Levite and the messiah, according to tradition comes from the tribe of Judah. Genesis 49:10 is often quoted as a verse that refers to the final redeemer of Israel and the nations. Jacob gathers his twelve sons to tell them, in a prophetic vision what will happen “In the end of days”. Leadership will come from a descendent of Judah according to verse ten:

The scepter shall not depart from Judah
Nor the rulers staff from between his feet
Until the coming of Sheloh (Shiloh)
To messiah shall the obedience of the people be.

Many widely varying readings are given this verse. It is a fact of history that the Kings of Judah ceased after the destruction of the Temple. Does this mean the scepter of ruler ship did depart from Judah? Christians believe that Shiloh is Jesus, the new and future King of the Jews. The Rabbis and Christianity understand Shelow (Shiloh) to be a title of Messiah. The word Sheloh may be compared to the word Sealah a word that is often

listed as not translatable by biblical scholars. Rabbinic commentators, including Rashi read Sheloh (in Genesis 49:10) without the Hebrew letter yould, as if it is a poetic form of „peace?. My reading of the word is that the Messiah will bring tranquility to the soul, peace in the home, between the tribes, and finally between the nations.
The word Sealah occurs mostly in the Book of Psalms with a few mentions by the prophet Habakkuk. Sealah in the Psalms means either pause, or “lift up your voices”. Open the Book of Habakkuk and read the three chapters. Notice in Chapter three the prophet punctuates his prayer with “Sealah”.
Prophecy and poetry walk arm in arm, and prayer is set to music. The coming of Shiloh means the birth of a leader who is a prince of peace. Habakkuk prays that God pour out wrath and judgment on the tyrants of history and then remember compassion. This is Elijah?s cue at the Passover Seder to enter the door and sit with your family before singing The Hallel. Silence comes after the storm, and then song. The coming of
Messiah is a splendor no words describe. The righteous have always danced in Gods presence and absence, patiently awaiting a messiah with firm faith. This is described by our great rabbi poets, and by Habakkuk.

So „Sealah? means the uplifting of voice and hands to our creator, and describes our coming prince of Shelo. In our prayers we say: All the living shall ever thank Thee, Sealah
And sincerely praise Thy name, O God,
Who art always our salvation and hope, Sealah
In the final analysis Sealah is a reminder that God is our savior and the messiah, like Moses, is Gods Shepard.

A Sealah Seder

A prayer before beginning:
O God who is our Lord, we pray for heaven on earth. We share our daily bread at this Seder. This home is a place of searching study. Sanctity and innocence and beauty are born in the customs of this ceremony.
We rebuild your Temple when our homes are sanctified and become a house of prayer for all people. Amen. Sealah.

Bless the meal and eat.

At the meal discuss

The fundamentals of religion.
Peace between the religions.
Peace amoung nations.

Inviting the Presence to your Table:

“Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai said;” Three who eat at one table and engage in Altartalk places God at their table as Ezekiel teaches;

“This is The Table in The Presence of the Lord.”

Rabbi Chalfta adds,” How do we know this applies to two? Malachi teaches:

“Those who revered The Lord spoke to one another.”

How do we know the above applies to one?
Moses teaches, after the Ten Principle teachings (Exodus 20:24)
“In every place my Name is mentioned
I will come to you and bless you.”

Grace

Grace after meals: All say grace of their tradition and add:

“If the only prayer you say is “thank you” that is enough.” Meister Eckhart

Thank you.

The All Merciful Lord our God has sent us Elijah the prophet who teaches the Path and announces the good news of redemption.

May we all merit life in the days of our Anointed.

May we have a vision of the messiah within so we recognize the messiah without.

Texts for discussion

Rabban Gamaliel taught: The spirit of the ritual of the Seder includes three supreme themes:

1.) The Passover Sacrifice
2.) The Matzah
3.) The Maror Bitter herbs

Discuss.

This is the same Rabbi who appears in the New Testament. Rabban Gamaliel in Acts: 5(33-40). This is the discussion that lasts an evening.

Who is driving Elijah?s chariot? A Role Playing Game
Randomly assign the following parts in this role playing game:

Elijah:
An Atheist
An Agnostic
A Rabbi
A Priest
An Imam
Reader One, two three etc. as needed. In my version they are called arête hikers.
You may add to, or take away from any words of the script. (I have added Republican and Democrat to this version.) Print out one version per participant.
Atheist: Listen, I thank you for the meal but I am skeptical about welcoming any messiah. We must all save our own lives. No knight in shining armor is coming to redeem anything. I am thankful that we no longer sacrifice animals as a form of prayer. I no longer take Holy Communion because I do not want to reenact any ancient ritual involving blood. I thought blood was forbidden.
I do not deny that Jesus is the main character of our play for the past two thousand years. I do think some have been lead away by diverse and strange teachings. In my opinion the very idea of a messiah is false.

Agnostic: Atheists are as dogmatic as fundamentalists. If one has a proof that God does not exist we all will become atheists and we have no reason to discuss a redeemer and redemption. Agnosticism is a far more rational opinion.

Atheist: In the name of God nation lifts up sword against nation. Religion is responsible for more deaths the past two thousand years than any political movements.

Agnostic: There you go again with the dogmas of the atheist. More people were killed in the 20th Century than in all the wars up to that time. Your argument is based on fantasy not fact. The truth is the wars of the 20th Century have been political, inspired by secular tyrants.

Elijah: Let?s stay focused on fundamentals. Following chronology we will let the Rabbi speak first, followed by The Priest, then the Imam then the Reverend.

Rabbi: The Judaism?s have no consensus about the Messiah. Maimonides orthodoxy that we believe with perfect faith in the coming of messiah was never accepted as an article of faith, even by the orthodox community. After Jesus, Bar Kochba and Shabbatai Zvi we tend to focus more on the sparks of the Messiah within. The Bal Shem Tov taught that the messiah would come when Chassidic teachings filled the world. This explains the good works of Lubavitcher Chassidim.

The Priest: First I would like to thank you for inviting me to your domestic church. Passover is the essence of my religion. Death is not The Messiah. Redemption from death is the Messiah. For me, being here this evening is a homecoming.

Rabbi: Amen.

Elijah: Imam, what is the view of Islam concerning the messianic era, Jesus and the Messiah?

Imam: In the Name of Allah may we all submit to Peace. The fundamental teachings of Islam have little in common with the Islamic fundamentalists who hijack our religion. I can speak for all of Islam since we have no hierarchy. This is a blessing and a challenge since Imams play on a level playing field. Many Imams confuse politics and religion.
Shia Muslims, who are in the minority (less than twenty percent of my people are Shia) do have messianic teachings very close to those of Judaism and Christianity. The Mahdi of the Shia is a type of second coming who will reign until the return of Jesus and Judgment Day.
The majority of Muslims await a great leader who will inspire a revival of the faith. I personally believe ethical monotheism is the true religion, but as with Jews and Christians Muslims focus mainly on the redemption of their own community.

Elijah: Well said Imam.

Reverend; Thank the good Lord that we have more in common than many realize. I speak for all Protestants, in saying we are ready for the Messiah, whether one believes it is the first or second coming.

A Republican: Personally I am more focused on the next election. The President of the free world is the closest I can imagine a messiah to be, unless Jesus himself returns, and I do not think he will be on the ballot.

A Democrat: The messiah must be a democrat since he comes riding on a donkey, not an elephant.

Elijah: We see from politics that leadership is crucial and who becomes President a key to our future.

Republican: Say, Elijah, you?re the answer man. Is my man going to win the next election?

Democrat: Elijah is the expert on messianic election not mundane elections.

Elijah: Back to our discussion of Peace between the religions.

ReaderArête hiker one: Yes, foundations. Teach us Elijah.

Elijah: The first is that God is Lord. Existence is meaningful. Each of us has a purpose. The First of the Ten Principle teachings is that God is the Lord of history. The Final Redemption, which is announced at this Seder, perfects the first redemption of the first Passover. The Messiah finishes the task Moses began.

Arête hiker two: Will Messiah fashion a New (or Final) Set of Tablets or start a New Religion?

Elijah: No. You have all the wisdom and knowledge necessary to redeem the world. You need an understanding of how to live the teachings. Think of the first revelation of the Tablets that were shattered by our idolatry. Tradition teaches that they were placed in the Ark of the Covenant. They represent our shattered lives. We are given a second chance.

Arête hiker three: So tell us already who is the Messiah and when is he coming?

Elijah: Asked and answered.

Arete hiker four: What? Where?

Elijah: The Messiah will come when the teachings are fluent on every persons tongue. The waters that are drawn from the wellsprings of salvation are found in every religious tradition. The Messiah will come when the greatest individualism in religion is taught and the Messiah
teaches and represents this individualism. On that day the graves open themselves and the angel of death is defeated as we learn at the end of every Passover Seder.

Arête hiker five: So when does this all happen?

Elijah: Today, if you hear the voice.

Rabbi : With all due respect that does not answer the question.

Elijah: Why do you think I alone merit knowing the answer?

Rabbi: That is our tradition.

Elijah: This is the mystery I reveal: The messiah comes when we ignite the spark of messiah within. God is the Messiah. Moses is the prototype of his agent on earth. Moses set the stage for future redeemers.

Rabbi: We were hoping for a name.

Elijah: Religions speak of the Messiah within. Listen to the Elijah within.

Arête hiker six: How?

Elijah: Simple. Order your meals into sacraments like this final Seder. Talk. Teach. Learn. This year we are slaves. Next year we will be free. Amen. Sealah.
Finally, a reading from Rabban Jacob Neusner. This reading will be discussed for generations to come:

A Final Word

(My versification)

The ancient rabbis look out upon a world destroyed
And still smoking in the aftermath of calamity
But they speak of rebirth and renewal.
The holy Temple lay in ruins
But they ask about sanctification.

The old history was over
But they look forward to future history.
Theirs is a message:
What is true and real
Is the opposite of what people perceive.

God stands for paradox
Strength comes through weakness
Salvation through acceptance and obedience, sanctification from the ordinary and profane
which can be made holy.

Now to informed Christians
This mode of thought
Must prove remarkably familiar
For the cross that stands for weakness
Yields salvation
And the crucified criminal
is king and savior.
That is the foolishness
to which the apostle Paul makes reference.

Yet the greater the “nonsense”
Life out of the grave
Eternity from death
The deeper the truth
The richer the paradox!

So here with these old Jews
One group speaking of sanctification of Israel, the people
The other of salvation of Israel and the world
Separately they are thinking along the same lines
Coming to conclusions remarkably congruent to one another
Affirming the paradox of God in the world
of humanity in Gods image
In the rabbinical framework
of God in the flesh of Christian.

Is it not time
For the joint heirs of ancient Israel?s scripture and hope
To meet once more
In humility
before the living God?
Along with all humanity
Facing backward towards Auschwitz and total destruction
And forward toward total annihilation
Of the world as we know it
Is it not time?

(Judaism in the beginning of Christianity, concluding remarks, used with authors permission.)

TEMPLE SHABBAT SHALOM GUIDE TO CREATING YOUR FAMILIES SEDER

This year you and every participant of your families Seder are invited to lead. We believe in the self evident truth that all are created equal. Moses was our leader during the Exodus but the Seder suggests that we go beyond a single actor version of the story by not mentioning him. We do open the door to Elijah, inviting the question of why the world remains enslaved to tyrants and tyranny. History books are narratives of idolatry.
Nor do history books highlight the story of the children of Israel. In fact, in the oldest records of Egypt and Babylon we find no mention of our people.
Our great leader David is ignored by ancient chroniclers. The name of Solomon and the record of his Temple are found only in our Torah. We preserve our identity by telling our story from our book.
Your story begins in your home and on Passover is told in your home. Tell the story of your parents and grandparents and great grandparents all the way back to the generation of the first Exodus. Bring as many photographs that you can find to your table.
Now you are ready to create your actual Haggaddah. Remember, Haggaddah means “the story”. The text is a discussion guide.
A thousand years ago, before books, the text of the Seder was found in the general prayer book, hand written by a scribe. You would copy this Seder into a version used by your family in your home on the night of the Seder. Everyone edited the ritual to fit their need. The family Haggaddah was decorated with Hebrew letters or biblical illustrations. With the advent of the first printed edition of the Haggaddah at the end of The Fifteenth century this custom faded.
The Twenty First Century and the computer revolution invite us to recreate this wonderful custom. Create your own Seder.
Time to do some research. Kindly “google” Passover Seder and create your own outline for this years Seder. Now, add whatever you like from the following supplement to your Haggaddah.
Discuss with the participants of your family Seder. Assign readings. Design a cover and print a copy for everyone attending.

(Do not Forget Elijah!)

Kindly send us a copy of your family Seder for our Temple archives.
Searching for leaven. (Chamatez)

BEFORE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, WHICH WERE GIVEN FOR TIKKUN OLAM, TO FIX OUR BROKEN WORLD, THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WITNESSED THE TEN PLAGUES. UPDATING THE TEN PLAGUES WE HAVE:

1.) Ignorance
2.) Idolatry
3.) Profanity
4.) Violence
5,) Dishonor
6.) Death
7.) Adultery
8.) Stealing
9.) Dishonesty
10.) Coveting

Discuss these Ten, fill in the particulars, and hide the pieces. (First, write the name of one plague on each of ten pieces of paper with a piece of bread.) Find and dispose.

The Seder

KIDDUSH

Remember, on the Sabbath and Holydays our custom is to recite Kiddush, wash our hands and without interruption or speech to break bread. The reordering prompts the children to question.

Kavannah (Meditation)

We are ready to follow Gods path with the first cup to recall the Redemption and the burden of our first exile and the afflictions of the first Pharaoh.

Baruch ata adoneigh elohaynew melech haolam boray pree hagafen.
Urchatz. We wash our hands.

Prayer: (All) We separate ourselves to the way of holiness. Praise be to the God of the Pharisees.
Karpas Dip a green in salt water and say: The First exclamation:

How different this night is from all other nights!

On all other nights to sanctify the holiness of time we wash and break bread without interruption. Tonight we eat a green in-between.

My friends, what other questions will we explore during this Seder? (Examples)

Why is everyone reclining? Why the pillows at the table?
Where is the bread? Why the bitter herbs?

The youngest asks the four questions. All present ask their questions.
Yahchatz.

Everyone receives a Matzhah and splits it into two pieces. One piece is put in a napkin with a question for Elijah the Prophet. Everyone hides their piece (Afikomen) for the end of the Seder.

(Examples)

When will we see a world without the plagues of poverty and war?

What would a leader who is a modern day Moses be like?

What will the role of religion be?

Maggid- The Haggadah

This is the essential moment of the Seder. If anyone is hungry it is time to eat. Ask the children to tell you there understanding of Passover in their own words. Continue.
We are going to tell this story in the round. When it is your turn, continue, ask for help or pass. A Hebrew pun reads Passover Pesach as Pe sach, the mouth speaks. Listen carefully for your part in the story.
Lift your Matzhah. Recite together:
This is the bread of the poor, the same type our ancestors ate as slaves.
Let all who hunger enter, let all who yearn for wisdom question.
This year we are here. Next year let us be reborn as children of freedom.

The Story
Our story begins with the first exile, when Adam and Eve were forced to leave Paradise, the Garden of Eden. We are told in the Book of Genesis that a flaming sword flashing back and forth guards the way to the Tree of Life. This myth inspires us to ask: How do we turn our knowledge of the past into the wisdom needed to have a better future? How do we experience knowledge that leads to life?
Our story continues with a mixture of history and myth, the first time the children of Israel come (return) to their homeland. Joshua sets the stage for the future history of our people, when we return to our Land of Promise.
This night we review the Judges of Ancient times and the Kings as recorded in the Torah and we ask: Why were they so easily led astray? The memory and spirit of the Hebrew prophets demand an answer. Why were the ways of the Cohaneem and the Maccabbeans corrupted, leading to the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem?
Who are our leaders today and what is the way to our redemption?
When will the nations stop raging?
Who will redeem us from the plagues of our modern world?
Will religion be part of the cure and not the disease?
The Ten Plagues (Traditional) May be done in Hebrew.

Updated version
1.) Aids
2.) Pollution
3.) Anthrax
4.) Mad cow disease
5.) Tuberculosis
6.) Malaria
7.) Acid rain
8.) Locusts
9.) Fallout
10.) War

CHIEF RABBI GAMALIEL TAUGHT: THE SPIRIT OF THE RITUAL OF THE SEDER INCLUDES THREE SUPREME THEMES:

1.) The Passover Sacrifice
2.) The Mattzzah
3.) The Maror Bitter herbs

DISCUSS

(The Pesach Passover offering is discussed because The Holy One passed over the homes of our ancestors. The unleavened bread is eaten because we had no time to wait for the bread to rise. The bitters are eaten to experience the bitterness of our lives back then.)
Hallel: Singing (Traditional and modern songs about freedom)
The Second Cup
We are ready to fulfill the teaching of remembering the Exodus by recalling the second promise of Redemption (Exodus 6:6) “I will deliver You from bondage”

Bless the wine

Rachtzah Washing of Hands

KAVANNAH

In Ancient times, in The Holy Home of Our Lord, the Temple in Jerusalem, the Priests were required to wash their hands before approaching the Altar.
In our time we have no Temple, no Sacrifices and no Priests.

May this Covenant Meal hasten our Redemption.
We do this in Remembrance of You
Lord our God
Guardian of the doorposts of Israel.

Wash Hands

Motzee Matzah

Look at the Ten fingers holding the Matzah and recite the following ten words in Hebrew:
Baruch Attah Adoneigh Elohanu Melech Haolam Hamotzi Lechem Min Ha arêtez.

Combine with bitters and add:

We eat these bitters as a reminder of our bitter lives as slaves.

Combine with charoset and add;

In remembrance of the ancient custom we eat this charoset, symbolic of the mortar used to make the Tombs for the tyrants of old. We will eat this mortar as a reminder of the Temple which we will rebuild with our own hands, beginning with our homes and then every structure sanctified in your Name, the Lord of Peace.
Eat.

At the Meal continue discussing the Exodus
A.) As the story of the liberation from Egypt
B.) As The story of every tyrant and liberation.
C.) As the story of the life of each and every one of us.

Revealing the Hidden. Afikomen

Now the real Haggadah begins. Go in search of the hidden pieces of Matzhah from the beginning of the Seder. Discuss the questions you will ask Elijah. Agree upon their order of importance. Ask one another. Ask Elijah to come and answer.

May the All merciful send us Elijah the prophet, who brings good news deliverance and comfort. (From the traditional Grace After meals)

The Cup of Blessings. (Drink half)

Baruch Ata Adoneigh elohanew melech haolam boray pri Hagafen.

We finish this cup only when our exile ends.
Feed all who are hungry Lord,
Save us from ourselves.
Teach us that to be your people
We must be one people
Turn the hearts of parents to children
And children to parents.

Send us Elijah and our Redeemer

So the final chapter of your story, The Redemption, may begin.
Amen. Sealah.

Continue by passing around Elijah’s Cup. Ask and answer and discuss.

Shalom. Call (518) 893-0808 or e-mail RabbiAlpern@AOL.com and I will work with you on your family Haggaddah.

Happy Passover to you and yours, sincerely
Rabbi Alpern

Temple Shabbat Shalom Shabbat Seder

Shalom. This Seder is the order for a home service to welcome the Sabbath. The phrase “Shabbat
Shalom” expresses the essence and uniqueness of our tradition. Shalom means greetings and
Peace. A wonderful Peace is experienced when we transform our dining room table into an altar.
The wine is poured, the grail cup lifted, and sanctification recited. Our hearts are in our homes
and our homes become Temples as the prosaic week is transformed by the poetry of Shabbat.
This is why The Sabbath is included in the Ten Commandments, and why we refer to our Temple
as Temple Shabbat Shalom.

The Seder

1.) The Candles
2.) Family Blessings
3.) Kiddush
4.) Wash Hands
5.) Motzi (break bread) Table conversation (Altartalk)
6.) Readings
7.) Grace and seven blessings
The Candles

Meditation

We delight in the Sanctity of your day, Dear God, as we place your teachings on our hearts. We
remember by the flame of each light our individuality and the illumination of our traditions. We
are romanced by your teaching of covenant love and its weekly renewal in this Sabbath ritual.

We ask you to bless …, our family and friends and all of humanity with
Peace in our hearts and homes and lands. We pray for the Sabbath of history when nations learn
war no more and all receive their daily bread. Amen. Sealah.

We now acknowledge you, Lord our God, who instructs us to Remember and Observe The
Sabbath by lighting these candles.

Baruch ata adoneigh Elohaynew melech haolam asher kidshanub mitzvotav v itzevanu ladleak nair shell Shabbat. Amen

Family blessings

Traditionally we bless our sons to be like the sons of Joseph and our daughters to be like the
matriarchs (you may use all the blessings for sons and daughters, and/or one another).

May you be inspired by God to be like Ephraim and Manasseh
To be a parent of many, like Father Abraham
To be inspired with the awe of Isaac
To triumph in every struggle like Jacob, who then earned the name Israel
May you have the wealth worldliness and wisdom of Joseph
For in his children’s names we bless our children to this day.
(Add other role models)

May your life be filled with:
The laughter and love of Sarah
The vision of Rebecca
The modesty and radiance of Rachel
And the kindness of mother Leah.
(Add other role models)

We continue with the blessings of Aaron:

May God bless and protect all that we do
May Gods light guide us on a Path of Grace.
May we catch a glimpse of Gods Presence
and be illuminated with Peace.

Kiddush

This Kiddush once again announces our weekly honeymoon with one another and with our
Creator.
(Raise Kiddush cup)
Our Table is set and ordered and we invite You, Lord of The Sabbath, to our meal, set upon Your
Altar, where all mysteries are revealed.

This is The Holy grail of your Holy Meal, The Cup of Salvation,
A Cup of Immortality, where Eternity is poured into a moment,
And weekly announces our coming Final Age of Freedom.

This Kiddush promises Shalom and Redemption
As we Remember and Observe your command
And drink deeply from the Cup of Liberation and Joy.

(A Full Kiddush may be recited in Hebrew and English.)

Baruch ata adoneigh Elohanu melech haolam bo ray pri ha gafen. Amen

May our wisdom in time
Ripen as the fruit of the vine
Amen.

The Blessing for Washing your Hands
“We thank you, Lord, for your commandment to wash our hands. Amen
Baruch ata adoneigh Elohanu melech haolam asher kidshanu b’mitzvotav vitzt vanu ol natealot
yadim. Amen

All wash hands.

The Motzi

Baruch ata adoneigh Elohanu melech haolam ha motzi lechem min ha
aretz. Amen

We are fed
Satisfied with our portion
As we break this bread.
All who hunger
We invite to this Holy Meal.
Shabbat dinner is served
Altartalk

During and after the meal is for Altartalk, a time of sanctified speaking and singing.
Traditionalists discuss the weekly Torah portion and prophetic reading. Include the wisdom
literature of your canon. Remember wisdom is discovered in the power of questioning and the
highpoint of every Seder is the asking of questions. Elijah the prophet may even show up, as
tradition teaches, if your questions merit his answers. Elijah also comes to turn the hearts of
parents to their children and children to parents. Bridge the generation gap with your Altartalk.

Readings

Inviting The Presence to your Table:
“Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai said;” Three who eat at one table and engage in Altartalk place God
at their table as Ezekiel teaches;
“This is The Table in The Presence of The Lord.”

Rabbi Chalfta adds,”How do we know this applies to two? Malachi teaches: “Those who revered
The Lord spoke to one another.”
How do we know the above applies to one?
Moses teaches, after the Ten Principle teachings Exodus (20:24)
“In every place my Name is mentioned
I will come to you and bless you.”

Psalm One: a Poetic Translation

Happy Indeed, are The Couple
Who embrace
A tradition
Walking in The Way
Of the wise.

They delight in the path of creation
Bringing forth fruit like trees
Planted by flowing wellsprings

Our roots entwine and branches proclaim
The Secret of The Garden:

The Tree of Knowing, A Tree of Life
To know and to be
Come together as one
In the saying, and
The song of the Psalm.

Shabbat Seder Grace

This is a supplement to birchat mazon.

We have eaten, we are satisfied, and we bless You, Lord of The Sabbath, comforter of Zion, for
prosperity, life, peace and all that is good. With You as Shepard we lack nothing.

May the All-merciful reign forever and ever.
Teach us to bring Heaven down to Earth.
Grant us an honorable livelihood.
Break the yoke off our back and grant peace and security to our land and the entire world.
May the All-merciful send blessings to this Home;
And this Table we have dedicated as Your Altar.
Send us Elijah the prophet with the good news of Salvation and comfort.

May the All-merciful bless those at this table; (Each person offers a personal prayer in the form)

May The All- merciful………………

Finally we pray for that time which is continually Shabbat and rest and peace in the coming world
of salvation.

Grant us life in the days of the Messiah and The World to Come.

Give us strength.

Bless us with Shabbat Shalom.

Rekindling The Seven Blessings

1.) This Cup of Blessing is a renewal of the vows and covenants of our marriage.
2.) May the veil lift once again as we witness the glory of the Coming of The
Bride.
3.) On this night we find our Shalom; our humanness and wholeness, beings,
created in your Image.
4.) By the Light of Your Eternal True Teachings we reenter Eden.
5.) My children, may the world experience the joy and Peace of this Home.
6.) May The Shalom of this Shabbat illumine a path for Peace on Earth.
7.) May we all experience the joy of Zion as we hear in every city and alley the
rejoicing of bride and groom under the Chuppah. O Lord our God, spread
your Canopy of Peace over all of humanity as we prepare for the Age that is
all Shabbat and Shalom. Amen. Sealah Baruch ata adoneigh elohanu melech
haolam boray pri hagafen. Amen

An Intimate Seder for Couples

(draft)

Shabbat is an intimate encounter with our Creator. A Mezzuzzah on your bedroom door is a reminder that you are about to enter a sanctuary. Intimate encounters, we will see, may be considered a type of worship. The Kabballah focuses on intimacy and marriage as metaphors that teach secret truths.
Exploring the mystical text of the body is an exercise in drawing close to our Creator. The human body is the primary Temple of God. At the center of the Temple is the holy of holies. The preludes of prayer and mediation before entering are a “co-mingling from head to toe,” to quote William Blake, and not a high priest entering a holy place.
The teachings of truth within The Ark, the centerpiece of the holy of holies, are guarded by the Cherubim. The word cherub in Hebrew means “that which brings us closer.” The Cherubim are first a couple gazing at one another with love. They teach the sanctity of intimacy “Look at us and remember, you are beloved before God as the love between a man and women.” (Yoma 54a) Rashi adds “They (The Cherubim) cleaved to one another, holy in embrace.” In this embrace we catch a glimpse of the image of God. The end result of this creativity, children, are the usual image of the cherubim.

PREPARATION:

Welcome to Mitzvah night. The mitzvah is to be fruitful and multiply. The mitzvah of the night is a mitzvah every night, procreation, and recreation. The inner meaning of the Mitzvah is also one of re-creation. We are duty bound to perform every mitzvah with joy. As Adam knew his wife Eve, and Eve knew Adam, they learned that Knowing and Being are one. Intimacy becomes a form of prayer.
The Song of Songs is our primary text, a genre guide. A new reading every week is as welcome as flowers on your Table, set with Light, wine, bread, and a light meal. Love letters and books of poems are welcome.
The prayer that follows is based on Kabballah, and I suggest you add your own kavvannahs (Focused Meditations):
Abba and Emma of all worlds take our names and give us yours. Remember us. Strengthen our seed and nourish our earth, as we await good and loving children. Bless us with prosperity.
We are married forever. You are our greatest pleasure. In this we know God. May we pass this wisdom on to our children and grandchildren and all future generations. Amen.

Upside Down and Inside Out: Inscrolling The Megillah of Esther
A Seder:

INTRODUCTION

A Seder? For Purim? Whose goofy idea was this, anyway? Wait. I found all this captured like a butterfly on the Internet! Blame the Silkenwine family and their Purim Dis- Seder. Just google it. For the more traditional search for The Purim Hagaddah, Beis Maxwell House, featuring the commentary of the renowned Rabbinic scholar the Moshav Leitzim.

Anyway, like the drunk who is sober only on Purim we must first discuss the serious elements of the holiday, or should I say holyday. At first glance
Purim is the diametric opposite of our holiest day, Yom Kippur. The most secular Jew fasts on The Day of Atonement but would rarely consider feasting and drinking on Purim. The first is a holyday the second a holiday, right? Wrong. Comparing Yom Kippur to Purim we must conclude that Purim is holier. Hebrew scholars will take note that in Hebrew the Day of Atonement is Yom ha Key Purim. This translates to “A Day like Purim!
Does Purim offer the key to Atonement?

Wisdom is found in the power of this question. The Day of Atonement is a day like Purim because on both holydays we wear masks. The masquerade of Purim is obvious. We cross dress and wear the garb of our adversary. On the Day of Atonement we masquerade as pious Jews!
Our newest mask is Kaballah. Kaballah is all the rage. All the Rabbis are calling Judaism 101 classes Kaballah classes, or Jewish Mysticism. On Purim it is revealed that Kaballah is not mysticism. In fact Kaballah
based on Judaism simply means to be receptive to the inner meaning of the rituals of Jewish observance. True Kaballah understands that the rituals of Judaism make everything happen and transform everything. Authentic tradition (Kaballah) is Revelation and not hidden. Secrets become basics and the hidden revealed on the day that is like Purim and on the day of Purim itself. Upside down and inside out Purim gives order to the chaos of existence. In Kabballahistic terms it is the holy day of Keter Malchute.

KETER MALCHUTE

Keter Malchute describes the essence of Purim. Queen Esther wore a keter malchute, a royal crown, upon her coronation as queen (Esther 2:18) Keter means crown. What is Malchute? Go to aish.com,kabbala 101. Malchute is
the kingdom of heaven on earth, when tyrants wear no crown and the den becomes manifest. As we pray in our adoration, The Alenu,
hid
“the world will be perfected under the reign of the Almighty, all humanity will call upon Thy Name, and all the wicked of the earth will be turned to Thee.”

THIS IS KETER MALCHUTE. A DAY LIKE PURIM, FINALLY!

On Purim we are reminded that everything is relative. Invite your family to experience the eternity of time in that every holyday has a dimension of every other holiday. The Day of Atonement is like Purim. The Sabbath is remembered as an Exodus from Egypt. Every Shabbat is a type of Pentecost as we pray for a revelation during the Torah reading.
We open our prayers for Chanukah and Purim with acknowledgements of the miracles and redemption performed for our relatives in the past. We note however how different the miracles are. On Chanukah the miracles are open, oil burns for seven extra days. Purim’s miracle is hidden, like Esther, and a God not even mentioned in the Megillah saves us. Purim is connected to Passover by the fact that Esther broke her fast on the first night of Passover! The King may have awoken with a hangover from the four cups of wine and indigestion from the obligatory matzos! Esther opens the door for Elijah! Also, our Rabbis teach that we are to begin our research and discussions of Passover thirty days before the holyday. Purim connects to Passover. We conclude with our original interconnection, Purim and Yom Kippur. Repentance by fasting is obvious. Repentance through joy is the key challenge.
On Purim everything is relatives as we sanctify the sanctuaries of our minds and our homes by preparing a Seder.

PREPARATIONS

1.) The Book of Esther, in English, unless you are a Hebrew scholar. Chabad.org has a great side by side Megilla with commentary.
2.) Food for a festive meal. (Purim Se udah)
3.) Gifts of food to exchange. ( mishloach manot)
4.) Money set aside for the poor. (Matanoat la- evyonim)
5.) Two hamantashen per celebrant.
6.) Surf, sail, or deep sea dive for more food for thought in the net. When you order the chaos of information we call ignorance you will create your own Seder.

The Seder

The Kiddush:

While some Rabbinic authorities insist on Ten cups of wine to drink to the destruction of Hamans Ten Sons, who represent the dark side of the Ten Dimensions of the Sephirot. We take the more conservative view that Four cups are required.
The Four Cups of Purim represent the four exiles of our history. On Passover they remind us of Gods four promises of redemption. On Purim we are intoxicated by the knowledge of the destruction of our worlds by the tyranny of history. Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, are all remembered for turning the world on its head. They devoured Israel and lay waste her habitation. Called “civilizations”, in reality they left legacies of chaos and destruction. History, in fact, has been a day like Purim.

First cup:
Baruch ata adoneigh alohaynu melech haolam bora pri hagafen. Drink

Second cup:
Modeam anacnu lach shata gam malca bora pri hagafen.

We now acknowledge You as Malchute (The Crown of Creation) creator of the fruit of the vine.
(The third and forth cup are consumed whenever you want during the Seder.)

The child who has mastered the power of the question says:

How different this night is from all other nights.
My eyelids are growing heavy and I think I need a snack.

The Hamantashen:

These are the hamantashen Haman wore on his head long ago in Persia.
The three sides represent the three Sephirot Chochma Bina and Daat (Chabad). Haman crowned himself with dogma ignorance and persecution.
We devour this Hamantashe and send Hamans memory to the dunghill
of history.

Who knows Ten? Ten are the Utterance at Sinai, the basics of our tradition.
Ten are the Plagues of Egypt and Ten were the sons of Haman. Ten times ten are the tyrants of history:

1.) Amalek
2.) Pharaoh
3.) Nebechchanezer
4.) Achashvarosh
5.) Antiochus
6.) Caesar
7.) Hitler
8.) Stalin
9.) Saddam
10.) Osama

Discuss your top ten tyrants.
Musical interlude: Play selections of your top ten favorite anti- war anti- poverty anti- ignorance songs.

The Purim Feast

Drink the third cup. Break bread. Eat.

Reading The Megillah around the table:

Start telling the story of Purim from memory around the table. (Hint: You may start in the book of Exodus and retell the attack of the Amalakites.)

Now read all Ten Chapters of Esther after the following blessings:

1.) O Thou who is Thee, You reveal yourself as She on Purim, enjoining us to wear the Keter Malchute.
2.) Reveal to us the hidden miracles of old on the merit of our ancestors.
3.) Lady our God we feel connected to you by sanctifying this time for you alone keep us alive and aware.

Ten of the twenty questions: (You ask the final ten)

1.) Is this for real?
2.) Fact? Fiction?
3.) True?
4.) Do the Ten Chapters correspond to the Ten Sephirot?
5.) Did the King use the articles from The Temple in Jerusalem for his feast? What could God be telling us?
6.) Does Esther teach that intermarriage led to the survival of the Jews?
7.) The plots seem a bit contrived and convoluted. Is the Readers Digest version of the story Kosher to fulfill the obligation to read the story?
8.) Will a modern version of Amalek and Haman take place in the Persia of our time?
9.) Does Esther imply the messiah may be a woman?
10.) Since we learn in chapter nine verse twenty two of Esther that Purim is a day of “entertainment and joy” is it permissible to fulfill our obligation to hear the story if we watch the movie version of the Megillah?
The Seder is ended. Back to chaos. You are now ready for Passover.

Upside Down and Inside Out: Inscrolling The Megillah of Esther

A Seder:

Purim 2011

Introduction

A Seder? For Purim?

Anyway, like the drunk who is sober only on Purim we must first discuss the serious elements of the holiday, or should I say holyday. At first glance

Purim is the diametric opposite of our holiest day, Yom Kippur. The most secular Jew fasts on The Day of Atonement but would rarely consider feasting and drinking on Purim. The first is a holyday the second a holiday, right? Wrong. Comparing Yom Kippur to Purim we must conclude that Purim is holier. Hebrew scholars will take note that in Hebrew the Day of Atonement is Yom ha Key Purim. This translates to “A Day like Purim!

Does Purim offer the key to Atonement?

Wisdom is found in the power of this question. The Day of Atonement is a day like Purim because on both holydays we wear masks. The masquerade of Purim is obvious. We cross dress and wear the garb of our adversary. On the Day of Atonement we masquerade as pious Jews!

Our newest mask is Kabbalah. Kabbalah is all the rage. All the Rabbis are calling Judaism 101 classes Kabballah classes, or Jewish Mysticism. On Purim it is revealed that Kabbalah is not mysticism. In fact Kabbalah based on Judaism simply means to be receptive to the inner meaning of the rituals of Jewish observance. True Kabbalah understands that the rituals of Judaism make everything happen and transform everything. Authentic tradition (Kabballah) is Revelation and not hidden. Secrets become basics and the hidden revealed on the day that is like Purim and on the day of Purim itself. Upside down and inside out Purim gives order to the chaos of existence. In Kabballahistic terms it is the holy day of Keter Malchute.

Keter Malchute

Keter Malchute describes the essence of Purim. Queen Esther wore a keter malchute, a royal crown, upon her coronation as queen (Esther 2:18) Keter means crown. What is Malchute? Go to aish.com, kabbala 101. Malchute is the kingdom of heaven on earth, when tyrants wear no crown and the hidden becomes manifest. As we pray in our adoration, The Alenu,

“the world will be perfected under the reign of the Almighty, all humanity will call upon Thy Name, and all the wicked of the earth will be turned to Thee.” This is Keter Malchute. A day like Purim, finally!

On Purim we are reminded that everything is relative. Invite your family to experience the eternity of time in that every holyday has a dimension of every other holiday. The Day of Atonement is like Purim. The Sabbath is remembered as an Exodus from Egypt. Every Shabbat is a type of Pentecost  as we pray for a revelation during the Torah reading.  We open our prayers for Chanukah and Purim with acknowledgements of the miracles and redemption performed for our relatives in the past. We note however how different the miracles are. On Chanukah the miracles are open, oil burns for seven extra days. Purim’s miracle is hidden, like Esther, and a God not even mentioned in the Megillah saves us. Purim is connected to Passov! er by the fact that Esther broke her fast on the first night of Passover! The King may have awoken with a hangover from the four cups of wine and indigestion from the obligatory matzos! Esther opens the door for Elijah! Also, our Rabbis teach that we are to begin our research and discussions of Passover thirty days before the holyday. Purim connects to Passover. We conclude with our original interconnection, Purim and Yom Kippur. Repentance by fasting is obvious. Repentance through joy is the key challenge. On Purim everything is relatives as we sanctify the sanctuaries of our minds and our homes by preparing a Seder.

Preparations

Materials

1.) The Book of Esther, in English, unless you are a Hebrew scholar.

2.) Food for a festive meal. (Purim Se udah)

3.) Gifts of food to exchange. ( mishloach manot)

4.) Money set aside for the poor. (Matanoat la- evyonim)

5.) Two hamantashen per celebrant.

6.) Surf, sail, or deep sea dive for more food for thought in the net. When you order the chaos of information we call ignorance you will create your own Seder.

The Seder

The Kiddush:

While some Rabbinic authorities insist on Ten cups of wine to drink to the destruction of Hamans Ten Son  who represent the dark  side of the Ten Dimensions of the Sepheroat we take the more conservative view that Four cups are required.

The Four Cups of Purim represent the four exiles of our history. On Passover they remind us of Gods four promises of redemption. On Purim we are intoxicated by the knowledge of the destruction of our worlds by the tyranny of history. Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome, all remembered for turning the world on its head. They devoured Israel and laid waste her habitation. Called “civilizations”, in reality they left legacies of chaos and destruction. History, in fact, has been a day like Purim.

First cup:Baruch ata adoneigh alohaynu melech haolam bora pri hagafen. Drink

Second cup:

Modeam anacnu lach shata gam malca bora pri hagafen.

We now acknowledge You as Malchute (The Crown of Creation) creator of the fruit of the vine.

(The third and forth cup are consumed whenever you want during the Seder.)

The child who has mastered the power of the question says:

How different this night is from all other nights.

My eyelids are growing heavy and I think I need a snack.

The Hamantashen:

These are the hamantashen Haman wore on his head long ago in Persia.

The three sides represent the three Sepheroat Chochma Bina and Daat  (Chabad). Haman crowned himself with dogma ignorance and persecution.

We devour this Hamantashen and send Haman’s memory to the dunghill

of history.

Who knows Ten? Ten are the Utterance at Sinai, the basics of our tradition.

Ten are the Plagues of Egypt and Ten were the sons of Haman. Ten times ten are the tyrants of history:

1.) Amalek

2.) Pharaoh

3.) Nebech chanezer

4.) Achashvarosh

5.) Antiochus

6.) Caesar

7.) Hitler

8.) Stalin

9.) Saddam

10.) Osama

Discuss your top ten tyrants.

Musical interlude: Play selections of your top ten favorite anti- war anti- poverty anti- ignorance songs.

The Purim  Feast

Drink the third cup. Break bread. Eat.

Reading The Megillah around the table:

Start telling the story of Purim from memory around the table. (Hint: You may start in the book of Exodus and retell of the attack of the Amalakites.)

Now read all Ten Chapters of Esther after the following blessings:

1.) O Thou who is Thee, You reveal yourself as She on Purim, enjoining us to wear the Keter Malchute.

2.) Reveal to us the hidden miracles of old on the merit of our ancestors.

3.) Lady our God we feel connected to you by sanctifying this time for you alone keep us alive and aware.

Ten of the twenty questions: (You ask the final ten)

1.) Is this for real?

2.) Fact?

3.) Fiction?

4.) True?

5.) Did the King use the articles from The Temple in Jerusalem for his feast? What could God be telling us?

6.) Does Esther teach that intermarriage led to the survival of the Jews?

7.) The plots seem a bit contrived and convoluted. Is the Readers Digest version of the story Kosher to fulfill the obligation to read the story?

8.) Will a modern version of Amalek and Haman take place in the Persia of our time?

9.) Does Esther imply the messiah may be a woman?

Since we learn in chapter nine verse twenty two of Esther that Purim is a day of “entertainment and joy” is it permissible to fulfill our obligation to hear the story if we watch the movie version of the Megillah?

The Seder is ended. Back to chaos. You are now ready for Passover.

Purim Begins: Sundown March 19th

Thank you to Our Sustaining Donors

Robert and Lila Tickman

The Reagan Family

Ron and Liz Tickman

Jim and Sandra Shuster

Marc and Kate Haber

Ronna Freiberg and Bill Wise

Irv and Dorothy Goldman

Welcome to our Newest Members

Dharshini and Warren                                    Anne and David

Jaclyn and Jonathan                            Elana and Michael

Matthew and Kristina                         Michael and Genevieve

Jesse and Steven                                 Emily and Clifford

Mazel Tov on our Newest Bundles of Joy

David and Allison on the birth of their twin sons Nicolas and Joshua

Ben and Leanne on the birth of their daughter Annie

Mazel Tov to Susan Angel on becoming a Bat Mitzvah

Mazel Tov to our Newlyweds

Franklin and Alisa- Brooklyn     Adam and Brianna-Virginia              Matt and Shara-New York

Lynnie and Andy-Lake Placid    Gabrielle and Vincent-New Jersey   Ilana and Allen-Brooklyn

Emily and Eric –Westchester    Jaclyn and Jeff- New York

“If religion is to survive, it will have to be profoundly personalized.”

-Victor Frankel

The Seder of Daily Prayer

The first time we encounter Elijah the prophet in the Talmud he tells Rabbi Yossi
to abbreviate his prayers. Elijah tells the Rabbi that God responds to prayer (not
according to length or loudness) by “Cooing like a dove” for his children who are
exiled from his home and table.
I invite you to reconnect with God in your home and at your table. Short and
simple prayers work best. Kindly contact me so I may recommend a personalized
prayer service for you and your family. Consider the following as starters:

The Seder of Shema at Bedtime

REBONO SHEL OLAMN

Designer of all Worlds
I now forgive All
Who have harmed me or done me wrong
Against my body or spirit
With intent or by accident
In word or deed
In this life or any incarnation
I forgive all who have trespassed against me.

May it be your will
That I experience you as my God
As well as The God of my ancestors
That I turn from transgression
That I not repeat my persistent failures
And that my actions awaken your mercy
And that I do good, as you command.

Forgive my trespasses
Show me a face of compassion as atonement,
not sickness or suffering.

May The Words of my mouth guide the meditations of my heart
the actions of my hands and direction of my feet. May this be acceptable to You,
O Lord, my Rock and Redeemer.

Shema

Shma Yisra-ale adonigh Elohaynew adonigh Echad

Listen, struggle to hear, O Israel, The Lord is our God, The Lord Alone.

The Coming of Your Kingdom Proclaimed to Eternity when:

Love The Lord your God with all your heart, and soul, and might. Take this
instruction to heart, the teachings are given today. Let your children cut their
teeth on them. Debate them today and every day in your home, and even when
you journey. Do all of this every evening and morning. Bind them to your hands
and they will guide your minds eye. Write them on the doorposts of your homes
and on your gates.

May I lie down in Peace
May I awaken in Peace
Let my sleep be tranquil
May I awaken renewed.

In the name of the Lord God of Israel may Michael the Angel be at my right,
Gabriel at my left, Urial in front of me and Raphael behind.
May the Shechina hover over me.

I am in Awe.
I am about to recite my confession
And vow never again
To live a life of transgression.

We: abuse, betray, (are) cruel, destroy, embitter, falsify, gossip, hate, insult, jeer,
kill, lie, mock, neglect, oppress, pervert, quarrel, rebel, steal transgress. We are
unkind violent, wicked, xenophobic, yielding to evil, zealots to the end.

Sit or lay down:

Into your hand I commit my spirit
When I sleep and when I wake,
I have no fear, atonement near
In body and soul I shall be whole.

A Seder of Morning Prayers

The moment you awaken:

Modah ani lefanecha melech chai v kiyam sh hachazarta B nismatea bechemla

raba emunatecha.

I awaken in your presence, living and sustaining God. You have mercifully
restored my soul. Great is your faith in me.

Psalm 23

The Lord is my Shepard; I shall not want
Tucking us into green bedded pastures
Leading us to the still waters; restoring our souls
For on this day we walk down streets and avenues of darkness
Overshadowed by death; and we are afraid.

Only when you are with us, Lord our God
Do we feel no harm
Only your rule and your staff comfort.

Our Tables remain spread
In full view of our foes
We offer to share our bounty
The cup that runneth over.

We anoint our heads with the oil
Of the branch in the mouth of the dove
Surely saved in this goodness mercy and love.
We pray we dwell in your house forever
A house of prayer for all who seek your name of Peace.

Morning Shema

Chant:Al melech ne eh man

God is our true leader,
God is truth.
The Lord is a True God,
God trusts we will be true
In God we trust.
Our God is a true God.

Listen, struggle to hear, O Israel, The Lord is our God, The Lord Alone.

The Coming of Your Kingdom Proclaimed to Eternity when:

We love you
with heart and soul and our very being.
Your wor(l)ds heard and created anew every day
I place upon my heart.
Raise up sharp students speaking loves wisdom in the home
and on vacation, every evening and morning.
Give hands to your heart by focusing your minds eye.
Write all this on the mezzuzoat of your dwellings, your gates, the gates of your
cities and the gates of your nations.

This is the Lord our Gods order of holiness. True.

Daily Prayer

(This may be said at anytime during the day)

May these words awaken my heart to your Presence.
I am not worthy to stand before you in prayer
So hear me in the names of my righteous ancestors.
I am in search of your true path to order my life to your word.

I am yours.

Ani ladodi

Be mine, beloved

V Dodi lee

O, I Am
Take my name
And give me yours
One.

Help me to know that which is righteous
To master the mystery, to order my chaos

Imitating creation, in this, my new beginning.

Forgive my transgressions
As I forgive those who have trespassed against me.

Return and dwell in your Zion of Peace
Fill our hearts and homes and sanctuaries
With the blessings of your Mountain home
A House of Prayer of All Nations.

Amen. Sealah

MEZZUZZAH HOME DEDICATION SERVICE

(Kindly e mail me and i will guide you through the process of this service)

Every home a Temple
Every heart an Altar
Every person a prophet and priest.

Kavvannah (Meditation) before beginning

We are ready to fulfill the Greatest Commandment, to bring heaven down to earth, by affixing this Mezzuzzah to our doorpost.

The door of this home is open to all in need. Our walls echo with wisdom order and celebration. More than our castle, this home is our Sanctuary.

The Blessing: If you need help with the blessing kindly e mail or call me.
The Blessing for affixing a Mezzuzzah begins with the ten word Hebrew formula:

Baruch ata adoneigh Elohaynew Melech haolam ashare kidsanew bamizvotav vitzevanew Leakboah Mezzuzzah.

which translates poetically :

We bow to your command, O our God, ruler of the world, who makes us special and holy and teaches the obligation to affix a Mezzuzzah.

THE SHEMA

Listen Israel: The Eternal One is Lord, The Eternal alone!

Blessed is this time honored concept forever.

And you shall love your Eternal God with all your heart, with all your soul and with your very being. These words which I command you this day are upon your heart. Teach them repeatedly to your children; speak of them in your home and when you journey, every evening and morning. Connect with them as a sign upon your hand and let them be a symbol before your eyes. Inscribe them on the Mezzuzoat of your home, and upon your gates.

And Love Your neighbor as yourself, I am God.

Posted on October 20, 2011 by rabbi
Thanksgiving 2011

seder new year

We give thanks for the opportunity to retell the narrative of this American holyday. It is argued that Columbus went to his grave convinced that he had discovered a new world on the shores of Asia. Columbus thought he had landed near India. This is the reason we named the native inhabitants “Indians.”

If you would like to relive history I recommend a Thanksgiving Day visit to Plymouth Plantation in Massachusetts. The day I visited I worked side by side with the pilgrims, helped split wood, and observed the daily life of our Puritan ancestors, and shared in the traditional feast. At the end of the day my wife and I entered the tent of the original
Native inhabitants we call “Indians” and listened to their story. They observed Thanksgiving as a day of mourning.

To rethink the narrative or Haggaddah of Thanksgiving I suggest beginning with a book by Charles C. Mann, 1491-New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus, Vintage, New York, 2005. Chapter Two is must reading to understand the story from the viewpoint of the Wampanoag “Indians”.

Next we turn to the original Seder I wrote a number of years ago. Kindly e mail me if you need a copy. Similar to the many editions of the Passover Seder I have a dream of many editions of the Thanksgiving Seder. The story you learned in school, Mann argues, is not wrong, but it is misleading. Obviously the story is told differently from the Puritans
versus the natives point of view. In a note the historian who wrote 1491 reminds us that the Puritans did not like to be called “Puritans.” They thought of themselves as separatists, saints, and “Pilgrims”.

They had a point. To this day the term “Puritan” has negative connotations, as Webster defines, as “a person as extremely or excessively strict in matters of morals and religion. They preferred to think of themselves as saints in search of the Promised Land. The Bible being their map in hand, these saints came marching in with a sense of manifest destiny and holy war. Mann explains that the natives were willing to massacre whole villages of other natives, but not the settlements of the pilgrims. In other words, native animosity was more inter-tribal than against the new settlers. In the end, the Pilgrims triumphed not because of ideology, or technology, but because so many natives died in the epidemics brought by the Europeans in 1616 and 1632.

Temple Shabbat Shalom is dedicated to creating a platform for the many editions of the Thanksgiving Seder. The resources above are just a beginning. I would love to post your edition, songs, recipes etc. over the next few years.

TSS DEcember Seder

Posted on October 20, 2011 by rabbi
Thanksgiving 2011

We give thanks for the opportunity to retell the narrative of this American holyday. It is argued that Columbus went to his grave convinced that he had discovered a new world on the shores of Asia. Columbus thought he had landed near India. This is the reason we named the native inhabitants “Indians.”

If you would like to relive history I recommend a Thanksgiving Day visit to Plymouth Plantation in Massachusetts. The day I visited I worked side by side with the pilgrims, helped split wood, and observed the daily life of our Puritan ancestors, and shared in the traditional feast. At the end of the day my wife and I entered the tent of the original
Native inhabitants we call “Indians” and listened to their story. They observed Thanksgiving as a day of mourning.

To rethink the narrative or Haggaddah of Thanksgiving I suggest beginning with a book by Charles C. Mann, 1491-New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus, Vintage, New York, 2005. Chapter Two is must reading to understand the story from the viewpoint of the Wampanoag “Indians”.

Next we turn to the original Seder I wrote a number of years ago. Kindly e mail me if you need a copy. Similar to the many editions of the Passover Seder I have a dream of many editions of the Thanksgiving Seder. The story you learned in school, Mann argues, is not wrong, but it is misleading. Obviously the story is told differently from the Puritans
versus the natives point of view. In a note the historian who wrote 1491 reminds us that the Puritans did not like to be called “Puritans.” They thought of themselves as separatists, saints, and “Pilgrims”.

They had a point. To this day the term “Puritan” has negative connotations, as Webster defines, as “a person as extremely or excessively strict in matters of morals and religion. They preferred to think of themselves as saints in search of the Promised Land. The Bible being their map in hand, these saints came marching in with a sense of manifest destiny and holy war. Mann explains that the natives were willing to massacre whole villages of other natives, but not the settlements of the pilgrims. In other words, native animosity was more inter-tribal than against the new settlers. In the end, the Pilgrims triumphed not because of ideology, or technology, but because so many natives died in the epidemics brought by the Europeans in 1616 and 1632.

Temple Shabbat Shalom is dedicated to creating a platform for the many editions of the Thanksgiving Seder. The resources above are just a beginning. I would love to post your edition, songs, recipes etc. over the next few years.

The Future

What is the future of religion?

Will we all attend mega churches or Temples with celebrity preachers and a variety show liturgy?

We do not know. This is the trend.

We agree with Noam Zion of The Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem that we must change our focus to a do-it-yourself approach.

Empowerment means being the leader of your own life in exercise and prayer and eating and ritual observance. In this the Home is seen as a primary sanctuary, along with our bodies.

What is the future of the Jews?

Same answer, with the addition of our Chief Rabbi in America, Jacob Neusner:

“The plain fact is the future of American Jewry
will not be decided by the synagogues, Federations, Centers, Committees, or Anti-Defamation League, nor by raising billions for Israel, Education,
Culture.

The future, for better or for worse will be decided by our ideas.

The third generation erected a building.
Now is the time to place a foundation under that building.
That foundation does not take dollars, but ideas.

We agree with the Chief Rabbi, and add that the two primary ideas are
personal affirmation and home made religion.

This is the future as envisioned by Temple Shabbat Shalom.

An archive of older A.L.P.E.R.N. Seders

Mezzuzzah Home Dedication

Seder of Daily Prayer

Seder of The Meal

Shabbat

Intimate Seder for Couples

Shabbat Hagadol

Purim

Passover

Seder for Final Day of Passover

Easter

Shavuot

Fasting Days

17th of Tammuz

Tisha B Av

15th of Av

Ellul

Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah for parents with young children

Seder before Yom Kippur

Seder for after Yom Kippur

Succoth Ushpizin Seder

Chanukah

Chanukah and Christmas

Christmas

Thanksgiving

Seder of Eating

Ushpizin Seder: Constructing a Sukkah of Shalom

We invite Elijah to help us construct our Sukkah of Shalom. The moment the Day of Atonement ended we began the joyous task of making our list of those we are inviting to our Sukkah of Shalom. Traditionally we invite the patriarchs; along with Joseph Moses, Aaron, and David, a most worthy list. I would add Joshua, Samuel, Nathan, and those on the short list of righteous Kings of Judea and Israel. Isaiah has a seat of honor in my Sukkah of Shalom, along with Ezekiel and Zechariah. Hillel and Shammai are honored guest along with Rabban Gamaliel, Rashi, Rambam, and Ramban. Our list also includes The Baal Shem Tov and Rebbe Shlomo and Rebbe Zalman.

Why limit our list to “our People”? I would love to break bread with Lao Tzu and The Buddha, with Jesus, and Muhammad, of blessed memories. This is a Sukkah of Peace where we seek the wise counsel of all our great teachers. Our list is not limited to the famous but excludes the infamous. No Sukkah could ever be constructed that could contain the vast number of tyrants of history.

The sanctification of time happens after focused preparation. We are able to fulfill the teachings of Sukkah after we identify our heroes and teachers. They must all be invited.

Do not forget the thirty six hidden righteous Ushpizin that may visit in person. By their merit the world continues to exist. Do not forget the homeless, or women in shelters, or you will forget why you are commanded to live in a temporary shelter for a full week.

Do not forget to invite the Ushpizot: Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah, Miriam, Hannah, and Esther. Invite Deborah, and Ruth, and Brururia, along with The Holy One Blessed be She.

Remember it is not enough to repeat rituals again and again, year in and year out, without pouring your spirit into the act. Be bold. This year invite your parents, grandparents, great grandparents and their parents to your Sukkah. What are the patterns of your family? Where have you been and where are you going?

When we return to our homes after dwelling in our Sukkah for one full week we say the following prayer:

May it be thy will, Lord our God and God of our ancestors that as I have fulfilled Thy teaching to dwell in the Sukkah, so in the future I merit to dwell in the Sukkah of the Leviathan.

The Sukkah of Shalom is constructed according to the instructions of Elijah. Elijah is the forerunner and announcer of the messiah. This task is far more difficult than the battle against Baal remembered at the end of The Day of Atonement. Who will accept his choice? Is this the first or second coming? What if the messiah is in the image of The Shechina? Who says now is the time? Is today the very last day? Or did the Messiah come yesterday? Many teach that the Messiah is no longer necessary.

Is the Messiah a teacher or an era? If an era, who will lead us into that era?
Many quote my Rebbe (Franz Amschel) and his enigma that the Messiah will come only on the day after his arrival, when no longer necessary. This echoes the Rabbinic teaching that The Messiah comes when we deserve. On the other hand the Rabbis also dream of Messiah as a leader who leads us out of the wilderness of war and strife. My Rebbe also teaches that the graves will open when freedom reigns and The Ten Truths are resurrected. The Messiah ignites this spark in every individual.

The hope of a perfected world is the prophetic dream of our people. This hope is summed up in every prayer when we ask God to bless us with Peace.

The Final Seder is a wonderful meal where all the righteous will feast on
Leviathan. The most difficult questions are asked and answered at this Seder.

Modern day Jonahs, we are swallowed whole by totalitarian states that legislate against individualism. Behemoth religious organizations add to the agony when they do not practice Tikkun Olam.

O Lord Spread over us your Sukkah of Shalom, stretched out from the skin of Leviathan.

Elijah: O beloved children, sisters and brothers, welcome to our Sukkah. First we invite all who are hungry, as we do on Passover. All who are in need are the first invited guests to this Sukkah. Now we are here, in our holy home. Next year we will make real the vision of all land as holy. This year we are still slaves to antiquated beliefs. Next year we will be free warfare and strife.

First leader: For over forty days we have recited Psalm 27.

One thing we ask before we begin, that a canopy of Peace be spread over the world, and, encircled by this majestic glory we come to understand all that is holy. Thy presence, O Lord, we seek. Our hope is real that all nations will decide to beat their swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks when nation will not lift up sword against nation and will not learn war any more.

Elijah: For this reason I invite first all the teachers of Peace to this Sukkah.

I invite these sublime guests this evening to our Sukkah: Enter Holy guests from on high: Mother Teresa, who taught us to redefine the circle of our families to include all people. I invite Martin Luther King who taught that equality is achieved by non violence and that all are truly created equal. I invite Abraham Joshua Heschel and family who keep the prophetic voice alive and demand that this and every ritual be done with inwardness and vision. We invite Rebbe Reb Zalman Schechter-Shaolmi who opens the door to renewal and to Rebbe Reb Shlomo Carlbach who gave voice to loving-kindness and taught us how to pray and sing. We invite the Dalai Lama to our Sukkah, to teach chanting for Peace and an end to every exile.
We pray for Peace for his people, and an end to their Diaspora, speedily in our time.

Finally I invite Shechinah to our Sukkah before her return to her Temple in Jerusalem to teach the Torah from Zion.

Second leader: Raise high these roof beams, carpenters for we invite our patriarchs and matriarchs and all the holy souls of our noble lineage from past to present and present to past.

Enter our Sukkah sublime and holy parents and grandparents; enter with our ancestors Abraham Isaac and Jacob, Joseph Moses and Aaron and David. Enter Nathan and Isaiah and Ezekiel, Jonah and Zechariah. Enter Sarah Rebecca Rachel and Leah, Miriam Hannah and Esther. Enter Ima Shalom and Emma Lazarus, and enter meshecha.

Third leader: We invite you all this evening and every evening to dwell in our Sukkah of shalom.

An Ushpizin symposium; how we get to Simchat Torah

Elijah: Welcome, Welcome. You are all honored guests who come in the in the name of God who is Lord. All that quest for wisdom we invite to this seder.

All: Baruch haba Rebbe

Elijah: I am delighted to be called Rabbi. I thank you for waiting, for your patience know that for many generations you have asked that I come speedily to announce the final age and redemption

First I announce the path for individuals and families. Order the chaos of life into holiness. Begin with the Seder of Shabbat. The Sabbath has always been a gift that is a foretaste of the world to come. Rejoice in the sanctification of time by observing the holydays of the Torah, which are a path to God. Emulate the God of creation.

We learn that all of creation is “very good” in the weekly study of the Torah portion. We sit at the feet of the prophets when we learn the weekly prophetic reading that defines the Torah reading. We hear Isaiah reminding us that all people from every nation will one day worship together on every New Moon and Sabbath.

Then fundamentalists will again learn fundamentals and the mystery on the Mountain will be mastered on the Plains. The gold of every calf and cow and shrine will be melted down into gifts to be given to the poor. Then the final dance around the mountain will begin.

Atonement, and peace, then joy, like the oceans, will cover the earth. Amen. Sealah.

Fast Days: Prayers, Readings, and Reflections The Seder

“Thus says our Commander: The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth month, the fast of the seventh month and the fast of the tenth month shall become occasions for joy and gladness, happy festivals for the House of Judah but (first) you must love honesty and integrity. (Zechariah 8:19)

Fasting is a tradition on days when tragic events occurred in our history. Feasting takes place to celebrate times of joy. Acknowledging the providential design of national calamities, and Gods promise of redemption, tradition teaches that one day the fast days will become feasts. The word becomes F(e)asts.

Fasting inspires us to turn our hearts to repentance and to confess our transgressions (Leviticus 26:40). According to our Rabbis ,of blessed memory ,we are commanded to fast whenever trouble befalls the community. Our reading of Numbers 10:9 is that we are to cry out in prayer and sound an alarm whenever we are oppressed by famine, pestilence, or war. According to our understanding of Jeremiah (5:25) this crying out will turn us towards repentance and avert evil decrees. As Zechariah, quoted above promises, if we love honesty and integrity our fasting will be transformed into feasting.

Traditional fast days include:

1.) Tammuz 17th for the Golden Calf, which Zechariah mentions as the fast of the fourth month.
2.) Tisha B Av, the fast of the fifth month.
3.) Tishri 3, for Gedalia ben Ahikam was slain on this day, sealing the decree of exile, the fast of the seventh month.
4.) Yom Kippur.
5.) The 10th of Tevet, commemorating the fall of Jerusalem, the fast of the tenth month.
6.) The Fast of Esther, the day before Purim.
7.) The Fast of the Firstborn, the day before Passover.

Prayers for Fasts and Times of Distress.

Lamentation:

I am the one whom God has corralled
With a stun gun of wrath.
I am the one prodded on and on
In reeling shock…
(continue with chapter three of The Book of Lamentations)

The Psalm of F(e)asting. ( Based on Psalm 30)

A psalm of praise for getting ones house in order.
I thank you for saving me, O Lord
from those already dancing on my grave.
Unreal this chaos, this disorder
this his story,
not the Lords, who is our friend.
Go tell this on the mountain:
Ascend and your sorrow becomes dancing
Your fast a feast.
Ascend or the mountains stones
Will mark our grave.
Pray for the Aliyah.
Now let songs of praise begin.

Prayers and Praise

We await an answer. Answer us, for we have asked, by the emptiness of our
fasting, to be filled with your presence. We pray for your kindness and comfort.
We pray we see the world through your vision. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, who
answers us in times of trouble.
Every moment you Renew, (since you are essentially Good,) the Workings and
Story of creation. (Ma ah say B ray sheet) Cast us not off in the oldness of age,
we ever pray for renewal. May the spirit of prophecy return to each and every one
of us.
We acknowledge that you, O Lord our God, are in search of us, that you have
great faith in us, that we will awaken with the dawn, to a world daily, and every
moment, reborn. Amen. Sealah.

Chanukah Temple Shabbat Shalom 05 06