Invocation for Colorado State Senate Tuesday May 25, 2021

Invocation for State Senate by Rabbi Eliot Baskin Tuesday May 25, 2021 Seventy-Third General Assembly Tuesday, May 25, 2021 STATE OF COLORADO 102d Legislative Day

As we gather together this morning I'd like to share with you an archaic word, Respair, that I think merits rejuvenation.   It's coined from Latin roots meaning “again” and “hope.” Respair was last used in the Middle Ages following  the plight of the bubonic plague.   Respair means “the return of hope after a period of despair.”  I believe that "Respair" is  ripe for reviving during this period of emergence from our Covid pandemic

Let us pray:

Grant, Source of all Life, Makor Chayyim, that you Senators and staff be imbued with a spirit of respair as you reflect on your first 100 days of legislative work of healing and transformation.  May peace and harmony always prevail in your midst so that the challenging pandemic needs of our state receive your undivided attention, unhampered by personal differences and partisan animosities.

May the Fount of Wisdom, Chonain HaDaat, provide upon all in this chamber knowledge, understanding and intelligence tempered by compassion, righteousness and hope as you legislate during this time of respair for the good of all here in Colorado. 

Amen.

Naso: Beam me up, Aaron! The WUPJ Final Frontier Torah Study 5/21/21

 

Invocation for Colorado State Senate May 18th, 2021 Shavuot

Tuesday May 18, 2021 Shavuot, Pentecost, Revelation Revealed

Seventy-Third General Assembly Tuesday, May 18, 2021 STATE OF COLORADO 95th Legislative Day

Let us pray:

As we  count this 95th Legislative Day, we pause to reflect on the sacred counting of the three Abrahamic faiths and their revealed timeless truths of human equality, social justice and prophetic transformation

Today marks the the end of the 50 day counting period for Jews who celebrate Shavuot, the revelation of the Torah at Sinai  50 days after Passover. 

For Christians, Pentecost which falls next Sunday is celebrated 50 days after Easter  (on May 23rd) and  commemorates the gift of the Holy Spirit.

For Muslims, Ramadan just ended with the celebration (Laylat al-Qadr or) “the Night of Destiny” — a time Allah sent the Angel Gabriel to Mohammad to reveal the Quran.

Ramadan, Pentecost and  Shavuot all celebrate the gift of  Revelation through the Quran, the Torah and the Holy Spirit.

The sanctity of life is central to these three  faiths and their revealed scriptures. 

We ask the Source of Wisdom to reveal to us all the ways we are the same and to honor the sacred paths we share.

At this auspicious time, we pray for all those here in our gorgeous state, in the Mid East and throughout the world of every faith (and those with no professed faith) to keep dreaming,  working for justice,  and pursuing shalom/salam/peace as we count on each other to make each piece of legislation count.

Amen

Revelation Revealed: What in Heaven was revealed at Sinai? Shavuot 5781

Revelation Revealed: What in Heaven was revealed at Sinai? Shavuot 5781 

Source Sheet by Eliot J Baskin

Telluride, CO 5781

W5:    Who What When Where Why Who? 

What? 

 1. Exodus 24:3-12 (3) Moses went and repeated to the people all the commands of the ETERNAL and all the rules; and all the people answered with one voice, saying, “All the things that the ETERNAL has commanded we will do!” (4) Moses then wrote down all the commands of the ETERNAL. Early in the morning, he set up an altar at the foot of the mountain, with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel.... (12) The ETERNAL said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and wait there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the teachings and commandments which I have inscribed to instruct them.” שמות כ״ד:ג׳-י״ב (ג) וַיָּבֹ֣א מֹשֶׁ֗ה וַיְסַפֵּ֤ר לָעָם֙ אֵ֚ת כָּל־דִּבְרֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וְאֵ֖ת כָּל־הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֑ים וַיַּ֨עַן כָּל־הָעָ֜ם ק֤וֹל אֶחָד֙ וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ כָּל־הַדְּבָרִ֛ים אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה נַעֲשֶֽׂה׃ (ד) וַיִּכְתֹּ֣ב מֹשֶׁ֗ה אֵ֚ת כָּל־דִּבְרֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֣ם בַּבֹּ֔קֶר וַיִּ֥בֶן מִזְבֵּ֖חַ תַּ֣חַת הָהָ֑ר וּשְׁתֵּ֤ים עֶשְׂרֵה֙ מַצֵּבָ֔ה לִשְׁנֵ֥ים עָשָׂ֖ר שִׁבְטֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (יב) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה עֲלֵ֥ה אֵלַ֛י הָהָ֖רָה וֶהְיֵה־שָׁ֑ם וְאֶתְּנָ֨ה לְךָ֜ אֶת־לֻחֹ֣ת הָאֶ֗בֶן וְהַתּוֹרָה֙ וְהַמִּצְוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר כָּתַ֖בְתִּי לְהוֹרֹתָֽם׃ 

What? Where? Who? 

2. Leviticus 26:46 (46) These are the laws, rules, and instructions that the ETERNAL established, through Moses on Mount Sinai, between Godself and the Israelite people. ויקרא כ״ו:מ״ו (מו) אֵ֠לֶּה הַֽחֻקִּ֣ים וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים֮ וְהַתּוֹרֹת֒ אֲשֶׁר֙ נָתַ֣ן יְהוָ֔ה בֵּינ֕וֹ וּבֵ֖ין בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל בְּהַ֥ר סִינַ֖י בְּיַד־מֹשֶֽׁה׃ (פ) 

What? Where? 

3. Numbers 36:13 (13) These are the commandments and regulations that the ETERNAL enjoined upon the Israelites, through Moses, on the steppes of Moab, at the Jordan near Jericho. במדבר ל״ו:י״ג (יג) אֵ֣לֶּה הַמִּצְוֺ֞ת וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֧ה יְהוָ֛ה בְּיַד־מֹשֶׁ֖ה אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל בְּעַֽרְבֹ֣ת מוֹאָ֔ב עַ֖ל יַרְדֵּ֥ן יְרֵחֽוֹ׃ 

Who? What? 

4. Deuteronomy 31:9-24 (9) Moses wrote down this Teaching and gave it to the priests, sons of Levi, who carried the Ark of the ETERNAL’s Covenant, and to all the elders of Israel….(24) When Moses had put down in writing the words of this Teaching to the very end. דברים ל״א:ט׳-כ״ד (ט) וַיִּכְתֹּ֣ב מֹשֶׁה֮ אֶת־הַתּוֹרָ֣ה הַזֹּאת֒ וַֽיִּתְּנָ֗הּ אֶל־הַכֹּהֲנִים֙ בְּנֵ֣י לֵוִ֔י הַנֹּ֣שְׂאִ֔ים אֶת־אֲר֖וֹן בְּרִ֣ית יְהוָ֑ה וְאֶל־כָּל־זִקְנֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (כד) וַיְהִ֣י ׀ כְּכַלּ֣וֹת מֹשֶׁ֗ה לִכְתֹּ֛ב אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֥י הַתּוֹרָֽה־הַזֹּ֖את עַל־סֵ֑פֶר עַ֖ד תֻּמָּֽם׃ 

What? Who? Where? 

5. Sifra Midrash, Bechukotai, Chap 8 Vayikra 26:46) "These are the statutes and the judgments and the teachings": "the statutes": These are the midrashoth; "and the judgments": These are the laws; "and the Toroth": This teaches us that two Toroth were given to Israel, one written, and one, oral. "on Mount Sinai by the hand of Moses": We are hereby taught that the (entire) Torah — its halachoth, inferences, and interpretations — was given by Moses at Sinai. ספרא, בחוקתי, פרק ח "אלה החקים והמשפטים והתורֹת": "החוקים"-- אלו המדרשות; "והמשפטים"-- אלו הדינים; "והתורות"-- מלמד ששתי תורות ניתנו להם לישראל; אחד בכתב ואחד בעל פה. "בהר סיני ביד משה"-- מלמד שניתנה התורה הלכותיה ודקדוקיה ופירושיה על ידי משה מסיני. 

What? 

6. Babylonian Talmud Sanhedrin 99a It is taught in another baraita: “Because he has despised the word of the Eternal”; this is a reference to one who says the Torah did not originate from Heaven. And even if one says the entire Torah originated from Heaven except for this verse, i.e., any one verse, claiming that the Holy One, Blessed be God, did not say it but Moses himself said it on his own, this is included in the category of: “Because he has despised the word of the Eternal.” סנהדרין צ״ט א תניא אידך כי דבר ה' בזה זה האומר אין תורה מן השמים ואפילו אמר כל התורה כולה מן השמים חוץ מפסוק זה שלא אמרו הקדוש ברוך הוא אלא משה מפי עצמו זהו כי דבר ה' בזה ואפילו אמר כל התורה כולה מן השמים חוץ מדקדוק זה מקל וחומר זה מגזרה שוה זו זה הוא כי דבר ה' בזה 

What? Who? 

7. Babylonian Talmud Megillah 31b Abaye said: They taught this only with regard to the curses that are recorded in Leviticus, but with regard to the curses that are recorded in Deuteronomy, one may interrupt them by having two different people read them. What is the reason for this distinction? These curses in Leviticus are stated in the plural, and Moses pronounced them from the mouth of the Almighty. As such, they are more severe. However, these curses in Deuteronomy are stated in the singular, and Moses said them on his own, like the rest of the book of Deuteronomy מגילה ל״א ב אָמַר אַבָּיֵי לֹא שָׁנוּ אֶלָּא בִּקְלָלוֹת שֶׁבְּתוֹרַת כֹּהֲנִים אֲבָל קְלָלוֹת שֶׁבְּמִשְׁנֵה תוֹרָה פּוֹסֵק מַאי טַעְמָא הַלָּלוּ בִּלְשׁוֹן רַבִּים אֲמוּרוֹת וּמֹשֶׁה מִפִּי הַגְּבוּרָה אֲמָרָן וְהַלָּלוּ בִּלְשׁוֹן יָחִיד אֲמוּרוֹת וּמֹשֶׁה מִפִּי עַצְמוֹ 

Who? What? 

8. Babylonian Talmud Bava Batra 15a The Master said above that Joshua wrote his own book and eight verses of the Torah. The Gemara comments: This baraita is taught in accordance with the one who says that it was Joshua who wrote the last eight verses in the Torah. This point is subject to a tannaitic dispute, as it is taught in another baraita: “And Moses the servant of the ETERNAL died there” (Deuteronomy 34:5); is it possible that after Moses died, he himself wrote “And Moses died there”? Rather, Moses wrote the entire Torah until this point, and Joshua wrote from this point forward… Rabbi Shimon said to him: Is it possible that the Torah scroll was missing a single letter? But it is written: “Take this Torah scroll” (Deuteronomy 31:26), indicating that the Torah was complete as is and that nothing further would be added to it. Rather, until this point the Holy One, Blessed be God, dictated and Moses repeated after God and wrote the text. From this point forward, with respect to Moses’ death, the Holy One, Blessed be God, dictated and Moses wrote with tears. בבא בתרא ט״ו א אָמַר מָר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ כָּתַב סִפְרוֹ וּשְׁמוֹנָה פְּסוּקִים שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה תַּנְיָא כְּמַאן דְּאָמַר שְׁמוֹנָה פְּסוּקִים שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה יְהוֹשֻׁעַ כְּתָבָן דְּתַנְיָא וַיָּמׇת שָׁם מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד ה׳ אֶפְשָׁר מֹשֶׁה מֵת וְכָתַב וַיָּמׇת שָׁם מֹשֶׁה אֶלָּא עַד כָּאן כָּתַב מֹשֶׁה מִכָּאן וְאֵילָךְ כָּתַב יְהוֹשֻׁעַ דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוּדָה וְאָמְרִי לַהּ רַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אֶפְשָׁר סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה חָסֵר אוֹת אַחַת וּכְתִיב לָקֹחַ אֵת סֵפֶר הַתּוֹרָה הַזֶּה אֶלָּא עַד כָּאן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אוֹמֵר וּמֹשֶׁה אוֹמֵר וְכוֹתֵב מִכָּאן וְאֵילָךְ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אוֹמֵר וּמֹשֶׁה כּוֹתֵב בְּדֶמַע 

What in Heaven was Revealed by Who to Whom then at Sinai & now here?