It’s always an honor to address the congregation on our Sisterhood Shabbat. (Sermon delivered on Friday, May 13th, 2016).
On Shabbat, it’s traditional for women to have a special blessing – Eshet Chayil – recited over them by those with whom they share their lives (traditionally, it was their husbands): So today, I offer a modern, liberal rendition of this blessing:
Eshet Chayil: A Woman of Valor
A mother of generations
a woman of valor,
she is precious in the gifts that she has given to our family.
Her children have found trust and truth in these gifts.
We follow in patterns that she taught.
She is robed in strength and dignity,
and she smiles at the future.
She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
We benefit and learn from her wisdom.
May she always be credited
for the fruit of her labor and her achievements.
May she live on in glory.אֵשֶׁת־חַיִלמִייִמְצָאוְרָחֹקמִפְּנִינִיםמִכְרָהּ׃
בָּטַחבָּהּלֵבבַּעְלָהּוְשָׁלָללֹאיֶחְסָר׃
גְּמָלַתְהוּטוֹבוְלֹא־רָעכֹּליְמֵיחַיֶּיה׃
דָּרְשָׁהצֶמֶרוּפִשְׁתִּיםוַתַּעַשׂבְּחֵפֶץכַּפֶּיהָ׃
הָיְתָהכָּאֳנִיּוֹתסוֹחֵרמִמֶּרְחָקתָּבִיאלַחְמָהּ׃
וַתָּקָםבְּעוֹדלַיְלָהוַתִּתֵּןטֶרֶףלְבֵיתָהּוְחֹקלְנַעֲרֹתֶיהָ׃
זָמְמָהשָׂדֶהוַתִּקָּחֵהוּמִפְּרִיכַפֶּיהָנְטַע [נָטְעָה] כָּרֶם׃
חָגְרָהבְעוֹזמָתְנֶיהָוַתְּאַמֵּץזְרֹעוֹתֶיהָ׃
טָעֲמָהכִּי־טוֹבסַחְרָהּלֹא־יִכְבֶּהבַלַּיִל [בַ][לַּיְלָה] נֵרָהּ׃
יָדֶיהָשִׁלְּחָהבַכִּישׁוֹרוְכַפֶּיהָתָּמְכוּפָלֶךְ׃
כַּפָּהּפָּרְשָׂהלֶעָנִיוְיָדֶיהָשִׁלְּחָהלָאֶבְיוֹן׃
לֹא־תִירָאלְבֵיתָהּמִשָּׁלֶגכִּיכָל־בֵּיתָהּלָבֻשׁשָׁנִים׃
מַרְבַדִּיםעָשְׂתָה־לָּהּשֵׁשׁוְאַרְגָּמָןלְבוּשָׁהּ׃
נוֹדָעבַּשְּׁעָרִיםבַּעְלָהּבְּשִׁבְתּוֹעִם־זִקְנֵי־אָרֶץ׃
סָדִיןעָשְׂתָהוַתִּמְכֹּרוַחֲגוֹרנָתְנָהלַכְּנַעֲנִי׃
עֹז־וְהָדָרלְבוּשָׁהּוַתִּשְׂחַקלְיוֹםאַחֲרוֹן׃
פִּיהָפָּתְחָהבְחָכְמָהוְתוֹרַת־חֶסֶדעַל־לְשׁוֹנָהּ׃
צוֹפִיָּההֲלִיכוֹתבֵּיתָהּוְלֶחֶםעַצְלוּתלֹאתֹאכֵל׃
קָמוּבָנֶיהָוַיְאַשְּׁרוּהָבַּעְלָהּוַיְהַלְלָהּ׃
רַבּוֹתבָּנוֹתעָשׂוּחָיִלוְאַתְּעָלִיתעַל־כֻּלָּנָה׃
שֶׁקֶרהַחֵןוְהֶבֶלהַיֹּפִיאִשָּׁהיִרְאַת־יְהוָההִיאתִתְהַלָּל׃
תְּנוּ־לָהּמִפְּרִייָדֶיהָוִיהַלְלוּהָבַשְּׁעָרִיםמַעֲשֶׂיהָ׃
Proverbs 31: 10-31I think of these words every day when I look at the portrait of my late mother, Judith Rosenthal Sobel, z”l, that sits on my dresser. In the photo, my mother sits with a beautiful Shabbat tablecloth and challah cover she embroidered; with brass candlesticks from her grandmother from the “old country” (which she bequeathed to me). My mother imbued within me a strong sense of my Jewish identity, my Zionist ideals, my independent spirit and so much more. My mother did not have an easy life and yet – she was a survivor. And she found ways to always volunteer and give back to the communities in which she was involved on so many
different levels. She studied Torah and taught Torah. She planted groves and groves of trees in Israel. She bequeathed to me not just candlesticks and things – but my deep sense of spirituality. My mother tried to affirm the words of our parasha this week, “K’doshim t’hi’hu” – be holy – with every fiber of her being. She was a true “eshet chayil”.
I thought of these words this morning as I sat with a dear friend who shared with me that tonight is her mother’s yahrzeit. Her mother was also a true “Eshet Chayil” – a woman of valor. She was the kind of person who only saw the good in people and never complained about anything in life. She was a professional woman, at a time when most women did not work outside the home. This served her well, since her beloved husband died at a young age. Her strength, her resilience of spirit, her zest for living and her keen sense of humor enabled her only child and herself to keep moving forward with living, despite the gloom that death visited upon their home.
She was a role model for her child, her grandchildren, her friends and her community. And when she died in her sleep at the age of 97, everyone who knew her realized they had been blessed by the gift of her presence, the gift of knowing her and having her in their lives for all these many years. This “eshet chayil” has left a living legacy through those that came after her. Their actions and deeds are imbued with all the gifts that she taught and she lives on through them.
I thought of the words of Eshet Chayil as we were busy preparing for our busy weekend with our many activities and Mitzvah Day at Temple Isaiah this week. We are so blessed by the many special “women of valor” (and the men too) who make things happen here at Temple Isaiah. Penny Gentile, Morgan Shapiro, Irva Steinweis and Pam Shulder in the office. Iris Schiff, Shelley Fleit, Sheila Silberhartz and so many others who are working tirelessly to make Mitzvah Day and our day of Tikkun Olam happen.
They are taking the words of this week’s Torah portion to heart:
וַיְדַבֵּריְהוָהאֶל־מֹשֶׁהלֵּאמֹרדַּבֵּראֶל־כָּל־עֲדַתבְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵלוְאָמַרְתָּאֲלֵהֶםקְדֹשִׁיםתִּהְיוּכִּיקָדוֹשׁאֲנִייְהוָהאֱלֹהֵיכֶם׃
And the Eternal spoke to Moses saying: Speak to the entire community of Israel and say: Be holy, for I the Eternal your God am holy.
Leviticus 19:1The Torah portion outlines a series of laws detailing what it means to be holy: how to treat other people, how to behave in relationship to God, how to observe Shabbat and the festivals, how to care for those less fortunate. These laws tell us that holiness can be found in daily life, in our treatment of others, in our relationship with the divine.
When we come together on Mitzvah Day this Sunday, we are exemplifying that sense of holiness as a community by working together for common goals, by working together to repair the world, by working together to create community, by working together to build friendships. The key of course, is to remind ourselves that we must be holy each and every day. Our mitzvot don’t take place only on Mitzvah Day – but we need to do these mitzvot every day. Holiness is a way of life.
I think of these words of Eshet Chayil as we celebrate the wonderful women of our Temple Isaiah Sisterhood. In the past few weeks alone, Sisterhood has sponsored a Purim hamantashen baking workshop, led a meaningful Miriam’s seder, organized and hosted a rummage sale which provides clothing and goods for people in tremendous need, provided scholarships for our young people to attend our URJ Reform Movement Summer camps and Israel programs, is partnering with Brotherhood in hosting our Mitzvah Day BBQ and so much more. We know that we can count on the Women of Temple Isaiah Sisterhood to greatly enhance the life of our sacred community. Each and every one of you is an “eshet chayil” a woman of valor. Each and every one of you helps bring a level of k’dusha – holiness – to our congregation. We are so grateful for all Sisterhood does in our community.
On this Sisterhood Shabbat, this Shabbat Kedoshim, may we be inspired by each and everyone of these N’shei Chayil – Women of Valor, past and present.
Jewish women, and women who have chosen to link themselves to the Jewish people through friendship and love, from the women of valor extolled in the Bible, down to each and every one of you today, represents faith, strength, loyalty and love.
We are surrounded by others who share that faith and care as we care.
We know each other, not only by name, but by commitment.
We have experienced the strength we can impart to each other when our hearts are joined in spirit.
We know the impact we can have upon our community and society when our minds are of a single purpose.
We have seen the contribution we can make to our community when our hands are united.
We are adding to the voices of our Jewish history when we translate Jewish principles – and the principles of our Torah portion “be holy – k’doshim t’h’yu” into action and concern.
paraphrased from Covenant of the Heart: Prayers, Poems and Meditations from the Women of Reform Judaism, 1993, New York, page 77May we continue to be enriched and blessed by the gift of your presence, the deeds of your hands, the love of your hearts, the ideas of your minds, as we strive to strengthen our community of Valor, our K’hila K’dosha.Shabbat Shalom.