My Final Sermon: Korach and Connecting Tissue

 

 

Korach and Connecting Tissue

Rabbi Joseph R. Black – Temple Emanuel

June 27, 2025

As you can tell by the sling that I am wearing,  I am dealing with the loss of the use of my left arm for quite a while. I’ve had to tell and retell the story of what happened many times, so here’s the Cliff Notes version:

• 2 weeks ago, I tore the tendons of my left bicep and then I had surgery following Ethan and Zahava’ s wedding.
• What my surgeon basically had to do - without being too graphic - was to take the connecting tissue – the torn tendons attached to my bicep that were separated and reattach them to the bone.
• I will be unable to use my left arm fully for a few months - and that also means that I can't play the guitar... which is hardest for me frankly.
• But I know that, with time , patience, and physical therapy, I will be good as new in  a few months.

In contemplating what I would say to you tonight on my last Erev Shabbat sermon as your Senior Rabbi -  I thought about the symbolism of the connecting tissue that was being repaired in my arm.

I couldn’t think of a more perfect metaphor…

In many ways, the past 43 years since I began the journey of becoming a rabbi has been all about making connections:

• between Judaism and individuals
• Between people – in families, in community
• between colleagues
• with communal and religious leaders,
• with Torah, tradition and history
• At moments of powerful joy and at moments of painful loss

In the last analysis, rabbis are like tendons. We bring people, text, tradition and time into focus for others. The sacred work that we do is akin to the connecting tissue that makes everything work in our community.

But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that, just as the complexities of arm surgery - where there are multiple nerve endings, muscles, sinews and bones that need to be carefully and tenderly cared for - there are also multiple aspects of what it means to be connected to a community and to one another.

This past week, we held our collective breaths as Israel, Iran, and the United States got intertwined in this horrible war and came perilously close to a much wider conflict.  Most of us, I would wager, felt a powerful connection  to our brothers, sisters, family and friends in Israel.

We prayed and followed on our television sets, social media platforms, and listened to reports as we worried about our loved ones in Israel who were huddled in bomb shelters and safe rooms – those who lived there as citizens, those who were visiting and couldn’t get out.

And we also felt the pain of the innocent Palestinians and Iranians caught up in the crossfire of a deadly conflict.

Certainly, we were connected by our love of Israel and our concern about the existential threat that Israel has been facing since October 7^th, 2023.  Regardless of our feelings about the current government, or how the war in Gaza has played out, our hopes for the release of the remaining hostages and an end to this conflict unites us all.

And yet, Israel is no longer a universal connector for the Jewish people.  Increasingly, The Jewish State is becoming a difficult and divisive topic – a flash point that is causing painful rifts in our community.

As I think about how the world has changed since I entered rabbinical school 43 years ago in 1982, one of the key differences I see is how we relate to one another and the disturbing unravelling of much of the Metaphorical “connecting tissue” that has been a given in terms of how we see ourselves in relationship to one another and the world around us.

I am worried that we are facing a looming crisis in the American Jewish community as we watch so many values, assumptions, and behaviors that have kept us strong and united for generations begin to unravel.

The advent of the Internet, and so many other important technological advances have given us many wonderful gifts. The fact that so many people are attending this service - both in person and online is truly blessing!

But, these gifts have come at a price. We are becoming disconnected:

• from families
• from our faith
• from our values
• from Zionism
• from one another
• from the basic institutions that have kept us strong, and, ultimately,
• from God.

The role of the rabbi, of community leadership and the shared values upon which so much of our history has been based are all rapidly evolving as we navigate the rapid changes occurring around us.

Rabbis Sacks and Hyatt – and the entire congregation – are facing a very different world than the one in which I began my rabbinate. The centrality of the synagogue and the role of the rabbi as community leader is not the same as it once was. There are myriad options for Jewish life, connection and involvement. Some of these changes are positive.  Some have the potential to be destructive.

This week's Torah portion, Korach, could not be more prescient. It is all about challenges to leadership and continuity.  It tells the story of a rebellion against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. In numbers 16: 1-3, we find the following:

וַיִּקַּ֣ח קֹ֔רַח בֶּן־יִצְהָ֥ר בֶּן־קְהָ֖ת בֶּן־לֵוִ֑י וְדָתָ֨ן וַאֲבִירָ֜ם בְּנֵ֧י אֱלִיאָ֛ב וְא֥וֹן בֶּן־פֶּ֖לֶת בְּנֵ֥י רְאוּבֵֽן׃

Now Korah, son of Izhar son of Kohath son of Levi, took himself, along with Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—descendants of Reuben — to rise up against Moses, together with two hundred and fifty Israelites, chieftains of the community, chosen in the assembly, men of repute. They combined against Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! For all the community are holy, all of them, and יהוה is in their midst. Why then do you raise yourselves above יהוה’s congregation?”

On the surface, his words are not all that blasphemous:  , “You have gone too far! For all the community are holy, all of them, and יהוה is in their midst. Why then do you raise yourselves above יהוה’s congregation?”

After all we are all holy. And God is in our midst.

And yet, Korach and his followers were severely punished by God, and Moses's leadership was firmly cemented among the people.  Why?

·       Rashi:  commenting on the Hebrew word, וַיִּקַּ֣ח  (vayikach – “and he took” 

o   “He betook himself on one side with the view of separating himself from out of the community.

What was Korach’s crime?

He removed himself. He separated himself. He Set himself apart from the connecting tissue that bound all of the Israelites together.

And as I enter into this last Shabbat as your senior rabbi, I want to leave you with words of connection. Temple Emanuel is a remarkable and holy congregation. Under the inspired leadership of your new Sr. Rabbis and their team, I know that the tradition of excellence, caring, spiritual depth and commitment to the Jewish future that has always been central to our sacred community will not only continue on - but will shine brighter than ever.

Over the past several weeks, people have been asking me how I feel as I approach this new stage in my life. Am I excited? Nervous? Sad?  And the answer, of course, is Yes – all of the above. 

But of one thing I am absolutely certain: Temple Emanuel is at a vitally important crossroads.  We are in a time of radical change. We face multiple challenges as we address the upheaval taking place around us.  And I am thrilled that Rabbis Hyatt and Sacks and Steve Stark – your Senior Leadership team - as well as Steve Brodsky, Rabbi Margo and Cantor Lehrman – along with the rest of our incredible staff team and lay leadership – are exactly the right people to lead us – to strengthen the connecting tissue that binds us together and that stretches from Mr. Sinai to Denver.

I have loved being your rabbi – and I know that there will be more opportunities to be part of the “connecting tissue” that will continue to hold us all together In my new role as Rabbi Emeritus.  I will miss being part of the daily life of our congregation. But I am also looking forward to what comes next: music, travel, family time. While I won’t be here a lot for the first year – I will always be part of Temple Emanuel. I look forward to being a “Jew in the pew” with Sue…

My blessing at this holy moment is that we will continue to grow - in size, in spirit, in creative innovation, and in maintaining the tradition and magic that fills the spaces of this beautiful building, as well as the hearts and souls of all who are part of our holy community.

May we embrace and find ourselves intertwined within the connective tissue of Jewish life – and may we go and grow from Strength to Strength.

AMEN – Shabbat Shalom.

 

 

 

 

 

Broken Tablets - Invocation For the Colorado House of Representatives at the End of the Session

 

We all know the story: Moses ascends Mt. Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments.  He descends and finds, to his horror, that in his absence, the people have built a Golden Calf.  Smashing the tablets in anger and disgust, he once again ascends God’s holy mountain.

Upon returning, Moses gently puts the second set of the Ten Commandments into the Ark of the Covenant. 

Throughout their forty years of wandering, the Israelites see that Ark and those Tablets wherever they travelled.

The rabbis of old asked a question:  What happened to the original, broken set of tablets?  Were they discarded?  Recycled? Abandoned?

One answer is that they were given an honored place inside the Ark next to the second pair that was whole. 

Why? 

So that the people could see them and realize that brokenness is as much a part of life as completeness.

Let us pray:

Dear God – As we prepare to end this year’s legislative session, we delight in our successes and despair over our incompleteness. We know that, despite all of the valiant efforts to mend, heal, repair and replace some of the chaos in our world, there still is brokenness around us: 

·       On the streets of our cities;

·       In the cries of children and parents who cannot care for them;

·       In our parched landscape that thirsts for moisture;

·       In schools where students thirst for knowledge;

·       In the eyes of the innocents;

·       In the lies of guilty

But let us not stop with mere perception – lest we build another Golden Calf of apathy and callousness.  We pray that our seeing and hearing might spur us to action.

May the pristine surroundings of this beautiful chamber not blind us to the incompleteness that awaits us once we end this session and leave these hallowed halls.

On this day of deliberation and as we approach the end of this legislative session, may these legislators be healers – recommitting themselves to repair the brokenness that propelled them to serve in the first place.

May we understand that we share in the pain of others - that we are all  connected by a chain of humanity that both defines our weakness – when we refuse to see, and shows us our strength when we reach out in solidarity.

May this day be a day of hope, of wholeness and of collaboration.  May all that is broken be healed – and may we heal ourselves as we try to heal others.

As we look to the future, may we find the beauty in our attempts to fix the brokenness in our state – and even within ourselves - Then shall we all be a blessing.

Amen

 

Tilling our Gardens in a Time of Spiritual Intensity - Opening Prayer for the CO House of Representatives

Our God and God of Times and Seasons.

At this time of year, people of faith around the world have celebrated or will soon celebrate festivals that reflect new life and redemption.  Easter reminds Christians of the potential to be reborn with faith and hope. Ramadan celebrates revelation, community, and spiritual depth.  Passover teaches my community the vital message of redemption and renewal.

These days and weeks are all about the search for the sacred.

We have come to this chamber this morning to find opportunty, purpose and bring about change.  The dynamic process of debate and discussion that begins with drop of the speaker’s gavel, while sometimes imperfect, represents our human desire to bring our world one step closer to holiness.

Legislation will be carefully crafted.

Words will be chosen with exquisite care – designed both to provoke and to move the hearts and souls of colleagues on opposite sides of the isle.

Alliances will be forged, broken and forged again.

In truth it is a messy process.

This holy time of the spiritual calendar teaches us that there is always an opportunity for new beginnings.  As seasons change and winter turns to spring, we see new growth all around us.

The walls of this chamber sometimes seem to be all consuming, and yet, outside it is almost time for planting.

Those who dream of gardens know that the soil must first be prepared; last autumn’s debris removed and nutrients must be liberally applied.

The seeds that promise both blossom and harvest lie dormant in the palms of our hands – waiting to be nestled in the warm embrace of fertile soil soaked in life-giving water.

Holy Creator - may these men and women who labor on our behalf become gardeners.  Give them the strength to till the fields; to break new ground, to water new shoots and, (dare I say it?), spread the fertilizer necessary to bring to harvest a better vision for our state.

Give them the tools they need.  Help them to remember that the ever-changing climate of Spring will soon give way to the consistent warmth of summer. 

May ours be a balanced garden – filled with both beauty and sustenance.  May the harvest of this holy session overflow with goodness and compassion.

We pray for rain.  We pray for strength. We give thanks for the ability to be your partner in growing a better world.

AMEN

Sermon: Pekude – Sacred Space and The Limits of Exclusion - March 29, 2025

Dear Friends,

Every Thursday, for the past 14 years, I have been honored to deliver the opening prayer at the Colorado House of Reresentattives at the State Capital.  Walking into that historic building underneath the golden dome takes me back to an earlier time.  In addition to the strict security measures in place, There are protocols and rules about dress, behavior and civility.  Certain areas are off-limits and these restrictions are strictly enforced.

Visitors can enter the chamber only when accompanied by an official. There are areas for the public and places that are off limits for visitors. In many ways, parts of that chamber have an extra level of sanctity – only the elected are allowed to be there. And that actually feels right – giving the process of legislating an aura of mystery and holiness

Now I know that adage about those who like sausage should never watch it being made also applies to politics – and, in the 14 years that I have been serving as a House Chaplain I have witnessed a lot of chaos and ugliness - believe me!  At the same time, I also have felt the presence of something else – something filled with awe, tradition and sanctity.  The rules rules and rituals of the state capital help to ensure that the sometimes messy and sometimes ugly process of creating legislation is held to a high standard.

In this weeks torah portion, Pekude – we conclude the book of Exodus with the formal dedication of the Mishkan. 

WE read:  (Exodus 40:34‑8)

The cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the presence of God filled the Mishkan/sanctuary. Moses could not enter the tent of meeting, because the cloud had settled on it and the presence of God filled the mishkan. When the cloud lifted from the Mishkan, the Israelites would set out on their various journeys; but if the cloud did not lift, they would not set out until it did lift. For the cloud of God was over the Mishkan by day, and fire would appear in it by night, in the view of all the house of Israel throughout their journeys."

 

As I thought about these dual images of the House floor and the dedication of the Mishkan, I realized that they something in common:  they both dealt with being prevented from entering hallowed space.

·      In the Capital – you cannot enter the Senate or House Chambers unless you are given permission

·      In the Mishkan – even Moses and Aaron could not enter if God was present - as represented by the pillars of both fire and clouds.

Now I’m not saying that this is wrong or improper.  On the contrary.  These institutions, by definition, are unique and holy BECAUSE of the limitations placed upon them.

 

There are times when it is vitally important to restrict access to places and position.  But there are also times when restrictions are not only inappropriate, but they are also immoral – especially when they are used to deny basic human and civil rights to members of society based on criteria such as race, gender, religion, political affiliation, immigration status, or sexual orientation.

 

As Jews, we know all too well the implications of such restrictions.  Most of us are not old enough to remember the feeling of being excluded from certain neighborhoods, organizations or Universities because of the fact that we are Jews – but the truth is, we are not talking about ancient history.  Exclusionary covenants, racist organizations, and denials of rights should be a relic of a dangerous and shameful period in our history.  But unfortunately, they are alive and well – sometimes under the radar, and, increasingly in plain sight.

 

I cannot tell you how many times I – and every member of our clergy team – during the past three months - have been approached by members of our congregation and others who are experiencing fear and insecurity as they watch powerful leaders of our government taking steps to deny them basic rights. Whether they are LGBTQ+, immigrants, government employees, educators, medical professionals or those dependent on Medicare, Medicaid or social security, the ramped-up rhetoric of exclusion and condemnation coming from the current administration is alarming.

Now the rhetoric we see around combatting anti-Semitism is problematic.  On the one hand, it’s hard to protest against efforts to seemingly protect Jews – especially those on college campuses – from anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist attacks. On the other hand, combatting Jew hatred by limiting the rights of others seems incongruous and antithetical to our Jewish values. I fear that Jews are being used as pawns to further an agenda of intolerance and persecution. History has taught us that our people never fare well in these types of environments.

A few weeks ago, someone came into my office whom I had never met before and asked if I could help them make Aliyah to Israel.  I asked them if they had ever been to Israel.  No – they hadn’t. I asked why they wanted to make such a radical change in their lives.  The answer was chilling. The person who sat in my office was a transgender woman who had a Jewish mother. She had never been involved in the Jewish community and was functionally illiterate in terms of Jewish history, tradition or culture – but she knew that, under the current Law of Return, she could become an Israeli citizen. She was afraid for herself and her (non-Jewish) partner. She felt that it was safer for them both – as a trans people– to move to a country that was in the middle of a war – than to stay here in the United States and face whatever new laws and policies that may be introduced.

The draconian and dangerous pronouncements of this government increasingly seem to be based on exclusion, fear mongering, revenge, and attempts to control how we think, speak, love and interact with one another. Overnight, we are moving from a society where the values of caring and social responsibility - here and around the world - are being torn down and replaced by intolerance and persecution. It is rapidly becoming clear that, for those who do not fit a narrow definition of proper beliefs and behaviors, there is little room for acceptance. 

My friends – this is antithetical to all that we, as Jews, believe and practice.  I say these words – not from a political perspective, but, rather in light of the Jewish values and principles that underpin our faith and are the backbone of Judaism and Temple Emanuel. A few weeks ago, our clergy team presented a matrix of Jewish values around which we would try to decide when, how and in what forums we would comment on current events.  Here is a link to that document. (Click HERE.)  Judaism teaches us that every person – no matter who they are, where they come from, who they love or how they love – even when we disagree – is created in the image of God and is sacred.

This concept is antithetical to so many of the recent actions of this government and, I must share with you – I am very worried.

In Pekude, we conclude the book of Exodus. The Mishkan is erected and God’s presence dwells among the people.  One of the key figures in the story of the creation of the Mishkan is Bezalel – the chief architect and builder of this sacred structure. Bezalel has a very important pedigree. He is lifted up by both God and Moses and comes from the tribe of Judah – the most prosperous and important of all of the 12 tribes.

But there is another figure who also was essential to the creation of the Mishkan.  Rabbi Andy Gordon – from Baltimore – writes how 

“…the Torah also mentions another individual, almost equally important to this project, Oholiab, son of Ahisamach, from the tribe of Dan. The tribe of Dan is the smallest, least powerful and least respected tribe. Why would the Torah recommend Oholiab to be by Bezalel’s side throughout this endeavor? Why does the Torah make such a point of mentioning that Oholiab comes from the smallest and least powerful tribe?

Our rabbis teach that exceptional talent is not restricted to one group of people. Indeed, God’s insistence on bringing a person from the largest and smallest tribes serves as a reminder that all should be involved, not just the powerful or the prosperous. More importantly, we should not let our assumptions get in the way of our work. We must say goodbye to all our stereotypes, so that all are able to prove themselves by the talents they possess[i].” 

As our nation continues on a pathway of exclusion and persecution, it is incumbent upon us to push back and let our voices be heard on behalf of those who are being pushed to the margins and excluded. Those who are working to end equality and inclusion see themselves as being like Moses and Aaron – the only ones with access to the most sacred of spaces. This is not who we are. This is not who we can become.

Shabbat shalom.

 

 

 

 

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[i] https://www.jewishtimes.com/parshat-pekudei-each-person-matters/

 

Our Divine Dance: Opening Prayer for the CO House of Representatives

A few years ago, I learned a powerful lesson from a friend of mine - the Reverend Jim  Ryan – Director Emeritus of the Colorado Council of Churches. He taught me about a new way to look at the prophet Micah who writes in Chapter 6, verse 8:

It has been shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what the Eternal GOD requires of you:
Only to act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

Powerful words – but what do they really mean?

Acting justly and loving mercy seem to make sense… but walking humbly?  With God? 

Why does the text state:  “Walk humbly with your God?”   Why doesn’t God walk with us?
The answer is simple – yet profound.  The prophet is teaching that if God walks with us – then it might seem that we are leading the way.

If we walk with God, however, then we have no choice but to travel on the path that God has set before us……  We are not in control.  Our humility opens us up to both vulnerability and the potential for change. We don’t know the twists and turns that we might take – or the remarkable souls that we might encounter along the way.

It’s as though we are partners in a Divine dance - propelled forward by the rhythm of an unseen orchestra:  God leads and we follow - with each subtle touch, or push, or weight shift we are propelled in a different direction - whirling and spinning for the sheer joy of the music and the mystery of the next cadence.

Dear God,

On this day of deliberation, as we look ahead to the tasks that await these legislators and, indeed, every soul in this chamber, we pray that we might all consider the direction of our Divine dance.

Help us to walk with You – to dance with You.  Teach us to find new paths that might bring us to a greater understanding of Your purpose.

In our journey together, may we find solace, inspiration and a renewed commitment to forge partnerships that transcend politics and party.

May each step propel us to act with justice, to love mercy, and find humility in the awareness of the responsibility we all share to better ourselves and our great State of Colorado.

Let us all journey together – in humility and in Love.

AMEN

 

 

Opening Prayer for the CO State House at the Halfway Point of the Session: "The Urgency of the Halfway."

Our God who calls us to reflect on who we are and why we are here:

This morning, we come together in this sacred place as we near the half-way point of our legislative session.  We marvel at the passage of time while simultaneously feeling the anxiety of the layers of unfinished business that loom in front of us.  In a world that all too often demands unyielding perfection from its leaders, there is little, if any, margin for error.  Words of condemnation come easy in political parlance.  But as hard as we are on our colleagues, we are even more merciless on ourselves.  Those who have been chosen to serve feel the burden of answering the clarion call of the people:  to make a difference; to change the unchangeable; to fix the flaws in our laws, fate of our state and the holes in our souls.  And yet, the realities of time and space force us to acknowledge that we cannot complete every task.

 

And so we pray:

 

Dear God, You created us with imperfections.  Watch over all who serve in this chamber:  the legislators and the lawyers, the captains and clerks; the interns and the innovators.  Give them both the strength to pursue the task of governance, and the patience to accept that there is always more to accomplish than is humanly possible.  Protect the souls of your servants who are exposed to the harshness to human expectation.  Help them to support one another –even in the heat of debate and disagreement.  Let any conflict that arises be for the sake of the greater good and teach us to quickly forgive and forget the sting of slogans and slights that are thrown about in the messy process of crafting legislation.   As the end of this session looms ever larger in the forefront of our consciousness, may every person here become reconciled to the sacred necessity for compromise and communion.

 

We thank You for the ability to make a difference.  We see You in the passion of our colleagues.  We seek Your presence in our daily lives.  AMEN

Finding God Amidst Our Doubts: Opening Prayer for the CO State House. 2-27-25

 

Our God who dwells on High.

Our God who walks in the street.

Our God whose voice rolls down like thunder.

Our God whom we find in the silent questions that plague us in the middle of the night.

Our God who punishes and chastens the evildoer.

Our God who finds mercy for the sinner.

On this day of deliberation – help these legislators find You – not in the absolute or categorical imperatives that draw lines in the ideological sands of partisanship; but rather let them see you in their doubts, in their questions, in their struggles to fulfill the needs of our community.  Help them to move one another and to be moved.  Open their hearts to the possible and the improbable.  Help them to find the human and the divine in their colleagues, their constituents and in themselves.

Help us all to stay balanced, O God.

Help us to find humor and banish hubris.

Give us – all of us - this day – a moment of tranquility and transcendence so that we might rise above our ordinariness and glimpse the glory of Your greatness.

 Let us see it in ourselves.  Let us see it in these deliberations.  Let us see it in one another.

Then, and only then, will we merit the gifts You have bestowed upon us.

May this day bring change.

May this day bring hope.

May this day bring love.

 AMEN