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Drash for Shemini
Atzeret Shemini Atzeret has a long and symbolic history, one that is fun to read about. It is a holiday that was tacked on to Sukkot as a joyous ending for one of the two long pilgrimages, Sukkot and Pesach that were made so long ago. Of the two, Sukkot was the most important festival. Unfortunately, the week of feasting and drinking sometimes turned into a bacchanalia which the prophets, Amos and Hosea, deplored. However, putting wine guzzling aside, Shemini Atzeret deals with tithing, the care of the needy and the dietary laws. Plaut says, "...the Deuterononic emphasis ...is both on personal holiness (for we must always remember that we are children of God) and on humanitarian concerns (for as His children we are responsible for others)." God's care for us is shown by understanding the difficulties of getting the tithe to a sanctuary for sacrifice. The goods or tithe of the harvest could be sold and the money used to buy food for the festival at the sanctuary. Deuteronomy 14:26 states, "...and you shall feast there in the presence of the lord and rejoice with your household." While this passage deals with tithing and dietary laws, it also provides an outline of Jewish principles that has set the pattern of Judaic living for these past fifty-seven hundred years. Reverence for God is demonstrated when we give tzedakah, help the needy, comfort the sick and are ethical in our behavior. The keeping of these Jewish ideals was demonstrated by the Henry Jones, Isaac Rosenbourg, William Renau and Reuben Rudacher founded B' nai Brith in 1843. They and others felt that their group should be a benevolent one that would care for widows and orphans in their new, secular country. The very first act of B'nai B'rith was to establish an insurance policy so that a widow would receive money toward the funeral expenses, plus a dollar a week for life with extra money for children. This amount was upped to $1000-2000 in the 1860's. Orphanages were created during the Civil War and cared for all of the orphaned of both the Confederacy and the Union. This concept of caring for others caught on rapidly and B'nai B'rith expanded with a rapid formation of lodges both domestically and internationally to provide opportunities for all Jews to participate in various forms of tzedakah. Even today, B'nai B'rith is a major international Jewish force that is listened and counseled within diplomatic circles all over the world. It is most appropriate that on this day of Shemini Atzeret that we gather to celebrate the 120th anniversary of our own Sajuaro Lodge No. 763, a lodge that joins all other lodges in demonstrating the true meaning of personal holiness and humanitarian endeavors. |
