blogs/cantor-herschel-fox

This week's sidra is Tetzaveh. May I share with you a few thoughts?Tetzaveh talks about the Ner Tamid�"the eternal light. For almost 2000 years, the Jewish people had no country. From 70 A.D. until the middle of the 20^th century, Jews wandered and settled throughout the world. But always, the light of Judaism burned bright in every synagogue in the world. The Ner Tamid was a symbol of our will to live and our passing on Torah and Jewish tradition. Yiddish songs in Europe often referenced the Ner Tamid as the symbolic center of the synagogue and our tradition. May it continue to burn forever and bring us the light of Judaism�"the wonderful way of life of our people, and may each generation find their own direction.

Another aspect of Tetzaveh is the role of the Kohen Gadol, and indeed the elaborate dress code he had to follow. The Torah describes his dress in public as “l'chavod u l tifaret,” regal, majestic. He wore a beautiful short coat, a breast plate with 12 jewels. He even wore a crown. Today, when there is no Beit Hamikdosh, we dress the Torah in the synagogue in a glorious and beautiful way.

It is interesting that some people feel we dress too informally in the synagogue, while mostly an older generation feels that dressing more formally brings respect to the synagogue experience and service. In my opinion, they are both right. We have an ever-living, ever-changing tradition based on our Jewish historical life. Some people feel that it is more comfortable to dress informally. Other people think that it shows respect to be “dressed up” when we go to shul. Let me know what you think. Have a wonderful Shabbos. Shabbat shalom.

Cantor Herschel Fox
e-mail: hfox@vbs.org