Four Weeks of Elul 5776 Week Three: Personal and Professional Relationships

Dear Friends,

In the beginning of the Book of Genesis 2:18, God states, “It is not good for Humans to be alone.”  This profound statement teaches us the importance of relationships.  Each of us is involved in many different kinds of relationships – from families and loved ones, to work associates, to acquaintances we see only occasionally.  Our tradition teaches that every person with whom we come in contact reminds us of the fact that all humanity is created in the image of God.  As such, all of our interactions with others – from the most intimate to the merely mundane – contain the potential for holiness.  If we approach them from this perspective, maintaining healthy relationships takes on a sacred dimension.

Our tradition teaches that on Yom Kippur the sins we have committed against God will be forgiven if we are truly repentant. The sins we commit against others, however, cannot be forgiven unless and until we have asked those whom we have wronged to forgive us.   In many ways, this is one of the most difficult aspects of Cheshbon Ha-nefesh – taking an inventory/accounting of our souls.  It means that we have to take risks by reaching out to others.  We may encounter resistance, anger, or resentment.  Sometimes it is impossible to reach out to others – and yet, it is our duty to do all that we can to assess whether or not reconciliation is possible.  If there is even the slightest hope then we need to try - even if we fail.

The following questions are designed to make us think about the current status of the many different relationships in our lives.   Again, this is by no means a complete list.  Hopefully it will provide you with a starting point for improving the relationships in your lives.

1.      Have I taken part in any business or personal transactions this past year that were against my religious, moral or ethical principles?

2.      Have I ignored or been impatient with those I love the most?

3.      Are there people I have wronged that I need to ask to forgive me?

4.      Will I be able to forgive those who come to me to ask for my forgiveness?

5.      Have I taken time recently to let the most important people in my life know how much I care about them?

6.      Have I done all that I could to repair damaged relationships in my life?

7.      How have my actions towards others influenced their opinions of me?

Again, these questions are in no way complete.  If answering any of them causes you to want to speak to one of the Temple clergy, Rabbi Immerman, Cantor Sacks and I would welcome the opportunity.  Note that all of these materials will also be available in hard copy at the Temple Office. If you know of anyone else who might want to receive these mailings – whether or not they are members of the congregation, contact the Temple and we will send them to you.

L’shanah Tovah U’metukah – May you have a good and sweet new year,

Rabbi Joseph R. Black

Invocation for Colorado Remembers 9/11

I was asked to deliver one of the opening prayers for Colorado's commemoration of September 11, 2001.  Here is my text:

September 11, 2016

Rabbi Joseph R. Black – Temple Emanuel, Denver, CO.

Our God and God of all people:

God of the Rich and God of the Poor

God of the Progressive and God of the Conservative

God of the Immigrant and God of the Children of immigrants

God of the Muslim, the Christian, the Jew, the Hindu, the Sikh – God of every faith, race and nation.
God of those who have no God.

We have come together on this sacred occasion to remember, to commemorate and to show strength as one community – united in both grief and resilience – to raise our voices in prayer and humility and to state that we will never allow those who would use fear and violence as a weapon to divide us.

We need to come together, O God.  These are troubling times.

Our unity gives us strength,

Our strength is reflected in our determination

And our Determination brings us together  - united as one great State of Colorado;

One Nation under God – indivisible

One Human family created in Your image.

Today we remember those who perished in the fires of hatred and those who died extinguishing those fires  - in selfless acts of courage and commitment.

15 years ago – on September 11^th 2001 – our nation witnessed a horror and received a blow that changed us forever.  Over 3,000 precious souls were wiped out in an instant – victims of baseless hatred and evil. While most our wounds have mended, the memory of those who perished and the implication of their deaths remain as a scar that will always be a part of us.

Today we pray for continued healing – of body and soul.

Today we proclaim our strength.

Today we come to give thanks for the power and beauty of community.

Bless this gathering.

Bless our leaders – and those who serve:  soldiers, first responders,  peacekeepers, fire fighters and police officers

Bless us all – as we remember and pray for a better world – a world of peace.

And let us say, AMEN

The Four Weeks of Elul - Week Two: Our Spiritual Selves

For many of us who are fortunate enough to live in the State of Colorado, the Rocky Mountains provide a backdrop of beauty that fills us with awe. Spending time in, or simply gazing at the mountains from a distance can often prompt us to feel both grateful and insignificant. On the one hand, we give thanks for the opportunity to appreciate their splendor.

When we hike, bike, ski or simply go for a drive in the mountains, our mind opens and our consciousness expands to give thanks for the glorious vistas we encounter.  On the other hand, when reflecting on the evolutionary processes that had to occur for the mountains to form - the millions of years, the geological upheaval and the movement of glaciers - we sometimes can't help but feel small and unimportant in contrast to the vast expanses that spread out before us.

These two contradictory experiences - feeling grateful and insignificant - are the central building blocks of spiritual growth. Rabbi Simcha Bunim Bonhart of Peshischa, an 18th century Chasidic master, once taught that every person should carry two pieces of paper: one in each pocket.  In our left pocket should be written the words: "I am nothing but dust and ashes."  In our right pocket, it should say:  "For me the world was created."  On those occasions when we are feeling full of ourselves and our accomplishments; when we feel invincible and important, we should reach into our left pocket to remember that we are mortal, fallible and, in the vast reaches of God's creation, merely a blip on the cosmic screen of existence.  But on those occasions when we are feeling too small and insignificant, we reach into our right pocket and reflect on the fact that our lives are a gift and we are incredibly fortunate to be alive.
Becoming a spiritual person is less about what we believe and more about what we feel.  Spirituality is about keeping one's balance between gratitude and existential angst.

During the month of Elul, our process of Cheshbon Ha Nefesh - self reflection and evaluation  - one of our tasks should be contemplation our relationship with the Divine (however we define that word...) and our Jewish sacred texts and traditions.  The following questions are designed to provoke introspection and self understanding. As always, they should not be perceived as a complete listing – they are merely a beginning. If you have other questions that you think may help others in our community, I would love to receive them.  I will post them on my blog – which is linked to both Facebook and our Temple Emanuel website.

QUESTIONS – WEEK TWO – SPIRITUAL SELVES

1. How often during the course of the past year have I taken the natural beauty that surrounds me for granted?
2. What events have caused me to question my faith during the course of the past year?
3. When/where was the last time I felt close to God (however I define God)…?
4. Jewish tradition teaches that all of us are created in the Divine Image.  When was the last time I looked for holiness in the people that I love the most?
5. What aspects of my personality reflect the values that I have inherited from my family? From society? From Popular culture? From my own inner holiness?
6. When was the last time I was able to pray without any distraction?
7. How often, during the course of the past year, have I been able to set aside my own needs for something bigger than myself?

Again, these weekly lists are in no way complete.  They are designed to help us as we prepare for the High Holy Days.  If any of these questions has caused to you want to speak to me or any of the other clergy at Temple Emanuel, please do not hesitate to call us at 303-388-4013.  You can also send me an email at Black@EmanuelDenver.org.

May you utilize these and all of your questions to help you gain a better understanding of your spiritual selves.

L’Shanah Tovah,

Rabbi Joseph R. Black

Four Weeks of Elul- 5776. Week One

The Four Weeks of Elul 5777 – Week One

My Dear Friends,

This Sunday, September 4th, marks the first day of the Hebrew month of Elul – the month preceding the High Holy Days. It is customary during this holy month to begin intensive personal preparations for the New Year. This process, called Cheshbon Ha-Nefesh – ‘an inventory of our souls’ – requires that each of us engage in a process of self-examination. During this sacred season we look closely at our relationships, thoughts, deeds, fears and dreams. We do this so that we can enter into the Yamim Noraim – the Days of Awe – spiritually and personally refreshed and prepared for the process of teshuvah (repentance/returning). Our tradition teaches that the month of Elul is when ask those around us whom we have wronged to forgive us for our actions. We are also commanded to forgive those who ask us as well.

As we reflect back over the past year, it is important that we put every aspect of our lives into perspective. As in previous years, during the month of Elul I will be sending out weekly lists of seven questions (one for each day of the week) to members of our community and to all who wish to receive them. These questions are designed to help us examine our lives in all of the varied aspects and arenas in which we live: Communal Spiritual, Physical, and Interpersonal. Hopefully, by answering these questions we will be better prepared to enter into the New Year. The purpose of these questions is not to make us feel bad or unworthy, but rather to “nudge” us into looking at these vitally important aspects of our lives. There will be seven questions in each list – one for every day of the week.

I welcome your comments and suggestions for additional questions and formats that we can use.   If answering these questions causes you to want to speak to one of the Temple clergy, Rabbi Immerman, Cantor Sacks and I would welcome the opportunity.  Note that all of these materials will also be available in hard copy at the Temple Office.  They also will be posted on my blog and linked to both the Temple website and Facebook page. If you know of anyone else who might want to receive these mailings – whether or not they are members of the congregation, please contact the Temple office and we will be happy to send them out.

The Four Weeks of Elul 5777 – Week One

Week One: Communal Selves

As you know, there are many changes taking place at Temple Emanuel.  This year, we will be introducing our new Machzor (High Holyday Prayerbook), Mishkan HaNefesh.  This will be Cantor Sack’s first High Holydays as our Sr. Cantor.  Our Cantoral Soloist and Music Director, Steve Brodsky  - while certainly not a new face at Temple -  will nonetheless be taking on a much larger role at services. While we are confident that the beauty and traditions of the High Holydays at Temple will not only remain as powerful as they always have been, but will also be enhanced, we know that change of any kind can be unsettling. 

Rav Abraham Kook, the first Chief Rabbi of the State of Israel wrote: 

“Hayashan Yitchadeysh V’Ha Chadash Titkadeysh

Let the old be renewed and the new be made holy.”

This is our goal in introducing new liturgies and melodies at Temple this year.

One of the key ways that we both celebrate and assimilate change is through our community.  As Jews, we see the power of coming together to celebrate, worship, find comfort and forge new paths in concert with one another.  Most of us are part of multiple communities.  Sometimems they intersect and sometimes they don’t, but our ability to forge meaningful relationships with those with whom we share our lives are vitally important aspects of our overall health.

The following are a few questions designed to help us explore our communal selves as we begin the process of Cheshbon Hanefesh:

1.      Have I taken advantage of all that my congregation and community have to offer?

2.      Have I taken my own comfort for granted and “looked the other way” when I saw poverty or despair in my community?

3.      Have I allowed the current divisive rhetoric so prevalent in the presidential elections to impact my relationships with people in my life?

4.       Regardless of political perspective, have I been vocal in my support of the State of Israel?

5.       When I am at synagogue, have I done all that I can to make others feel welcomed in the same way that I want to feel welcome?

6.       When asked to help support the important institutions in my community, have I given as much as I could or should?

7.      How often many times, during the course of the past year, have I listened to or spread malicious gossip without thinking of the consequences of my actions upon myself, the people or persons about whom the gossip was spread, or upon the fabric of the community that it affected?

These questions are in no way complete.  They are designed to help all of us to begin the process of looking deep within ourselves and our souls as we enter into the month of Elul.  Again, we want to hear from you. If you have thoughts, questions or comments about anything we encourage you to let us know. 

May we utilize these and all of our questions to help us to gain a better understanding of our communal selves.

L’Shanah Tovah,

Rabbi Joseph R. Black

Dialogue, not Diatribe. Letter to the Denver post.

Over the past several  months, I have been part of a consortium of interfaith clergy sponsored by Colorado's Interfaith Alliance. Entitled "Interfaith Force For Good" and under the inspired leadership of Reverends Jim Ryan and Amanda Henderson, we are comprised of multi-racial and multi-cultural Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Sikh clergy and involved laity who come together for the express purpose of showing a face of religious leadership that is neither fundamentalist nor intolerant of others. Through the use of letters to the editor, Op-Ed pieces, social media, public pronouncements and personal example, our goal is to educate our community that the words "religious" and "tolerant" are not mutually exclusive.

It is unfortunate that, all too frequently, the loudest religious voices come from the far right. These are often voices of extremism, condemnation and intolerance. They foment anger and fear against some of the most vulnerable elements of society - including the LGBT community, Muslims, and minorities. During this volatile period in our nation's history-when we are divided along political, racial, religious, ethnic and economic lines, it is more important then ever to find reasoned, spiritual voices of moderation and acceptance.
Here is my letter to the editor that was recently published in the Denver Post:

To the Editor:

Our nation’s founders understood that tyranny and oppression were incompatible with Judeo-Christian principles.  They created a government that allowed a multiplicity of voices and opinion to be expressed.  Reasoned and respectful debate was built into our national DNA.

As a member of the Denver clergy, I am increasingly concerned by the tenor of political and societal discourse. People are afraid to talk to one another.  Friendships have been lost. Lines are being drawn in the sand. Fruitful dialogue has been replaced by hurtful diatribe.  This year’s presidential campaign, in particular, has been painful and divisive.

Now is the time for us to remember the words of the book of proverbs 18:21: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Isaiah urged us:  Come and let us reason together.” Our faith traditions provide us with powerful messages of tolerance. We need to heed them before it is too late.

Rabbi Joseph R. Black- Temple Emanuel, Denver, CO. 

(Click HERE for a link to the Denver Post Page:  )

New Song: God Plays Hide and Seek

One of the integral aspects of our humanity is our search for meaning and purpose.  To know God is to understand that our lives are not inconsequential or accidental.  Finding God is often a complicated and frustrating proposition.  This song is a reflection of that search.

Click Here:  Youtube link: "God Plays Hide and Seek"

God Plays Hide and Seek

Words and Music (c) Rabbi Joe Black - Lanitunes Music.

August, 2016

God plays hide and seek

Leaving trails of crumbs for us to find

With twists and turns along a crooked road that winds 

Among the valleys and the peaks 

God plays hide and seek

God plays hard to get

With feigned indifference to our daily toil 

Like a pot-  you watch it, but it never boils 

Like a sideways silhouette 

God plays hard to get

But even when you're  halfway thru the race 

And you find yourself in hot pursuit 

Take some time and think about the chase 

It's not the finish line you seek- it's each step along the route 

God plays fast and loose

The rules change daily at a moment's whim 

There's no devotion, prayer, or ancient hymn 

To bring about a truce 

When God plays fast and loose

Opening Prayer for the Mayor’s State of the City Address- 7/11/16

Opening Prayer for the Mayor’s State of the City Address

Rabbi Joseph R. Black

 Temple Emanuel – Denver, CO

July 11, 2016

Our God and the God of all people.

God of the rich.

God of the Poor.

God of the hunted.

And God of the protector.

God of the faithful

God of those who have no God.

We come here today to celebrate our great city, our mayor and other public  officials, and to share in the power of vision, community and purpose.

These are troubled times, O God.

Our cities are in turmoil.  Young Black men live in fear of violence and police officers are targeted while they work to protect the peace.

Too many lives have been tragically snuffed out by the blindness of bullets and those who use them.

Tensions are high, O God. Grief, anger and hopelessness for too long have been the watchword of those who labor to better your world. On this day of self-awareness, bless our City and its leaders.

Bless our citizens – those who live in comfort and those who live in fear; those who are hopeful and those who only know despair.

Help us to look deep into ourselves and our souls so that we might atone for our sins and peel away the layers of denial and diversion that keep us from seeing the ugliness that lies in plain sight.

But in the midst of our atonement, let us not lose sight of the breathtaking beauty, promise and potential that all of us share.

We, who are blessed to live in this beautiful place must find time to see You, O God – in the majestic mountains, in the towering buildings, and in the faces of our leaders and our fellow citizens.

Governance is all too often a thankless task.  In our coming together – let us not forget to give thanks for those who struggle on a daily basis to ensure that our great city of Denver Colorado will serve as a model of tolerance, cultural and educational excellence, financial growth and sacred communion with every person created in God’s image.

We ask your blessing on this gathering; on our mayor, our leaders and upon us all.

Oseh Shalom Bimromav, hu yaaseh Shalom:

May the One who makes peace on high, bring peace to our city, our nation and our world.

AMEN