Rabbi Daniel: Thoughts on Torah

Dear friends,

In 5786 we are reading the first triennial each week, which means starting each parsha at the beginning.  The second verse of the first aliyah (28:11) is: 

וַיִּפְגַּ֨ע בַּמָּק֜וֹם וַיָּ֤לֶן שָׁם֙ כִּי־בָ֣א הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ וַיִּקַּח֙ מֵאַבְנֵ֣י הַמָּק֔וֹם וַיָּ֖שֶׂם מְרַֽאֲשֹׁתָ֑יו וַיִּשְׁכַּ֖ב בַּמָּק֥וֹם הַהֽוּא׃
He came upon a certain place and stopped there for the night, for the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of that place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place.

In this verse we have Jacob coming to a place to rest for the night and choosing to use rocks for pillows.  The strange thing is that the Hebrew for what Jacob places under his head is in the plural rather than the singular. Later on, after his dream, the text says that Jacob removed the one rock from beneath his head.

The commentators ask the question, "How could there have been multiple rocks before and one singular rock later.  One explanation from the midrash is that because Jacob was a patriarch, all the rocks in the area wanted to lay under his head.  Miraculously all the rocks that had come forward toward him became one rock upon which Jacob could lay his head.  As we prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday, let us think about how one rock, Plymouth Rock, stood (and stands) as a symbol of religious freedom.  This "freedom of religion," which is among our country's Bill of Rights, ought to be a tenant upon which we spend some time reflecting this Thanksgiving. We have households within our community, as well as those from other faith groups, whose members are suffering at the hand of overt

of overt and/or hidden forms of religious discrimination.  Our Multi-Faith Thanksgiving program was a great sign of religious tolerance and appreciation but work needs to be done to bring that solidarity into our schools and workplaces.  

Remember also that while one doesn't necessarily have to turn their Thanksgiving meal into something resembling a full Passover Seder, one can sandwich the eating of delicious food with blessings and songs of praise and thanksgiving.   

I wish everyone a joyful and meaningful holiday.

In peace,
Rabbi Daniel