At this time of year, that question becomes surprisingly complicated.
Because this Shabbat, Jews in Israel and Jews in much of the Diaspora are reading different Torah portions. In Israel, where Shavuot is observed for one day, communities moved ahead in the Torah cycle this past week, whereas in much of the Diaspora, where Shavuot is celebrated for two days – overlapping with Shabbat this past week – we are a week “behind.”
So who’s right?
Well—both. Which is perhaps the most Jewish answer imaginable.
The Torah itself only describes Shavuot as a one-day festival:
“On that same day you shall hold a sacred celebration.” (Leviticus 23:21)
And yet the rabbis instituted yom tov sheni shel galuyot – the second festival day observed outside the Land of Israel. Originally this was practical: diaspora communities far from Jerusalem could not reliably know when the new moon had been declared. The Talmud later insists: Hizaharu b’minhag avoteichem biyedeichem – “Be careful to preserve the customs of your ancestors.” (Beitzah 4b)
Even after calendars became fixed, the second day remained. Tradition became identity.
And especially for communities like ours, with many non- or anti-Zionist members, this opens deeper questions:
What is the center of Jewish life?
How do we honor the land of the Torah and Mishnah without making the modern state of Israel the sole organizing center of Jewish existence?
What does it mean to build vibrant Jewish life rooted where we actually are?
What some call “this week’s parasha,” Parashat Nasso includes the priestly blessing:
Y’varechecha Adonai v’yishmerecha… – May the Holy One bless you and keep you (Numbers 6:24)
It is written in the singular: you. The commentators notice that the blessing somehow speaks personally while addressing the entire people at once.
Maybe Jewish time works that way too.
For many years, I have followed the one-day-chag approach and aligned my Torah cycle with the calendar as laid out in Torah itself. In doing so, I’ve sometimes said: “I live in the center of my Judaism,” or “the place where I live — my local Jewish community — is the center of my Jewish life.”
But this year, for the first time in a while, I find myself questioning that practice. Because it is also the wisdom and lineage of Diaspora Judaism that formed me and sustains me. The creativity of Jews building sacred life with multiple centers has roots with the ancient Israelites and we see it to be still true today. And as long as they act with integrity, justice, and repair among themselves and their neighbors, may we be able to hold these multiple centers as multiple truths. To show this embrace of multi-centeredness, in the coming weeks, some Kadima b’mitzvah will follow the Torah cycle according to the calendar of Torah itself, while others will follow the Torah cycle through the inherited rhythms of Diaspora tradition.
Either way, there will be Torah.
And there will be questions. And yes, there will likely be bagels as well.
As the Talmud so often says, ta sh’ma – come and learn.
Shabbat shalom,
R’ David
Because this Shabbat, Jews in Israel and Jews in much of the Diaspora are reading different Torah portions. In Israel, where Shavuot is observed for one day, communities moved ahead in the Torah cycle this past week, whereas in much of the Diaspora, where Shavuot is celebrated for two days – overlapping with Shabbat this past week – we are a week “behind.”
So who’s right?
Well—both. Which is perhaps the most Jewish answer imaginable.
The Torah itself only describes Shavuot as a one-day festival:
“On that same day you shall hold a sacred celebration.” (Leviticus 23:21)
And yet the rabbis instituted yom tov sheni shel galuyot – the second festival day observed outside the Land of Israel. Originally this was practical: diaspora communities far from Jerusalem could not reliably know when the new moon had been declared. The Talmud later insists: Hizaharu b’minhag avoteichem biyedeichem – “Be careful to preserve the customs of your ancestors.” (Beitzah 4b)
Even after calendars became fixed, the second day remained. Tradition became identity.
And especially for communities like ours, with many non- or anti-Zionist members, this opens deeper questions:
What is the center of Jewish life?
How do we honor the land of the Torah and Mishnah without making the modern state of Israel the sole organizing center of Jewish existence?
What does it mean to build vibrant Jewish life rooted where we actually are?
What some call “this week’s parasha,” Parashat Nasso includes the priestly blessing:
Y’varechecha Adonai v’yishmerecha… – May the Holy One bless you and keep you (Numbers 6:24)
It is written in the singular: you. The commentators notice that the blessing somehow speaks personally while addressing the entire people at once.
Maybe Jewish time works that way too.
For many years, I have followed the one-day-chag approach and aligned my Torah cycle with the calendar as laid out in Torah itself. In doing so, I’ve sometimes said: “I live in the center of my Judaism,” or “the place where I live — my local Jewish community — is the center of my Jewish life.”
But this year, for the first time in a while, I find myself questioning that practice. Because it is also the wisdom and lineage of Diaspora Judaism that formed me and sustains me. The creativity of Jews building sacred life with multiple centers has roots with the ancient Israelites and we see it to be still true today. And as long as they act with integrity, justice, and repair among themselves and their neighbors, may we be able to hold these multiple centers as multiple truths. To show this embrace of multi-centeredness, in the coming weeks, some Kadima b’mitzvah will follow the Torah cycle according to the calendar of Torah itself, while others will follow the Torah cycle through the inherited rhythms of Diaspora tradition.
Either way, there will be Torah.
And there will be questions. And yes, there will likely be bagels as well.
As the Talmud so often says, ta sh’ma – come and learn.
Shabbat shalom,
R’ David
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