2003-04-02 - 7:59 a.m.
As promised a while back, here is Day-Hay�s talk that she gave at her Bat Mitzvah.
Day-Hay�s Bat Mitzvah Speech
Shemini, the name of my Torah portion, sounds like Jiminy Cricket. We all know that Jiminy Cricket stands for conscience and sincerity. Shemini is like Jiminy Cricket because it deals with conscience and sincerity.
Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron ,who was the Cohane Gadol (editor�s note: high priest), were playing around when they were doing an offering. They were supposed to do the offering by the rules. According to my Haftorah portion, which comes from Ezekiel, we learn that there were different kinds of offerings. Different animals were offered for different sins and purposes. These offerings were used to cleanse the soul and the head.
Anyway, in the Torah portion, Nadab and Abihu were being insincere when they made their offering. They might have been drinking or have left the Tent of Meeting when they should not. God hated this, of course, and God took the life out of Nadab and Abihu. God did not kill them exactly. God just took the life out of them. They were still alive but they really didn�t have their spirits.* People who act insincerely have no spirit in their work and have a void inside.
Shemini teaches us that sincerity and conscience should be strong inside each individual and the Jewish community. The definition of sincerity is the quality or state of being in honesty of mind and free from hypocrisy. The first three letters of sincerity spell out the word sin. The honesty of mind in the definition and shows us the path from sin to sincerity. Cerity, the second half of the word, sounds like certainty and when you put sin with certainty you have a definition of judging an offense against religious or moral law.
Jewish adults should look into sincerity and do the judging of an offense against religious or moral law. Now as I enter adulthood I learn along the bridge from childhood how to be sincere and judge sin. I will be sincere as I give tzedakah to homeless people and animals annually. Furthermore, I will explore the adult community among the Jewish people and find my niche while welcoming other Jews who have just crossed the bridge from childhood and lend a hand while they cross. My becoming a Bat-Mitzvah today will steady the others I have parted the sea for to cross on dry land which is the miracle of the passing to another stage of life. L�Chaim.
Now I would like to extend my hand to the people who helped me cross the waters of transition. Rabbi S and Rabbi S, thank you for helping me interpret my torah and haftorah portions. Cantor B and other Bat-Mitzvah tutors, thank you for helping me with Hebrew and trope (editor�s note: musical notes for chanting the portion from the prophets) every Monday. Kat, thank you for always being there as my sister, even when you didn�t want to. Mom and Dad, thank you for always helping out from first riding my bike to practicing for this day. The B family, you are my second family and have been there for me since I was nine. Everyone here today, thank you for being here to help in my transition.
* The ancient rabbis taught that God had not physically killed the two. Their evidence supposedly was that God would not have deprived Aaron of the opportunity to mourn if they were really dead. I find that version of the story not really supported by the text but Day-Hay was within the traditional interpretation.
LAST YEAR: Recipe for a Peaceful Adults� Night Out
New Again
Silenced by Visions
What Can�t Be Undone
Needing a Little Exercise
War
Keys, Glorious Keys
previous - next
|
Copyright 2006 by Ellen |
