“Joe Lieberman, one of the highest-ranking Jews in American politics, a pro-Israel senator and Al Gore’s running mate (and vice-presidential candidate) in the 2000 election, has passed away. It is important to remember Lieberman’s unique voice within the Democratic party, which stood in sharp contrast to the opinions voiced by some party members today.
 But I would like to focus on his other very significant, non-political legacy.
 Amongst his many accomplishments, he wrote a book entitled
The Gift of Rest: Rediscovering the Beauty of the Sabbath*.
 Lieberman said that he had written a book about Shabbat because he wanted to communicate to young Jews around the world that they don’t have to give up their heritage in order to achieve the highest levels of professional success. In fact, he claimed, the opposite was true. His Sabbath observance, especially in the middle of an election campaign, only strengthened people’s admiration for him as a man of principles and integrity.
 He also wanted young Israelis to understand this too: that on Shabbat, he wasn’t “the honorable Senator,” and not even Joe, but Yosef Yisrael ben Chanan, his name when he was called up to the Torah.
 In his book, Lieberman describes how listening to the Shabbat Torah reading was especially meaningful for him because he knew that he wasn’t listening to another political speech but to the words of Gd. He writes how during the three Pilgrim Festivals (Pesach, Shavuot, and Succot), the Jewish people would travel to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, but we have the opportunity each and every week to welcome the Holy Sabbath directly into our kitchens and living rooms.
Perhaps the most powerful line of his book: “When they ask me: How can you interrupt your work as senator to observe Shabbat every week? I respond: How could I manage to accomplish all the work I do as senator six days a week by if I didn’t stop to keep Shabbat?”
These words are a paraphrase of Sivan Rahav Meir’s words about Joe Lieberman.
Senator Lieberman’s thoughts about the weekly Torah portion are inspiring as they reflect our weekly pursuit to plumb the Torah, authored by Gd, for nuggetsof wisdom, which can inform, enhance and direct our lives.
This week’s Torah portion is Tzav, which means to command.
It refers to the fact that Aaron was commanded regarding the various offerings and sacrifices to be brought in the Temple.
The first service of the day that the Priests were to accomplish would be the removal of ashes from the day before.
During the day, the Temple was a beehive of activity as sacrifices were being offered on the Altar.
After the day was completed, the detritus of the sacrifices, the ashes, would accumulate on the Altar.
So the first order of business, the housekeeping so to speak, involved removal of those ashes.
We know that the Torah messages are eternal, and we know that sacrifices are no longer being brought, so what can we possibly learn from this process?

Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, 19th century Torah scholar, teaches that the picking up of yesterday’s ashes connects us to the previous day.
This means that our “today” is built on what came before us, our ancestors. Our today is also built on our own self growth, we can only achieve today if we build on yesterday’s accomplishments and achievements.
Another insight we gain from the Priests collection of the ashes is the importance of remaining involved in the mundane. Often people who are elevated lose sight of the plebeian day to day functions of life. The menial tasks assigned to the Priests were reminders to them not to separate themselves from the people and the real life functions of daily living.
A budding Torah scholar once approached Rabbi Gifter, 20th century Torah giant, with a dilemma. The young man reported that his wife was dissatisfied with his involvement in helping out at home. She felt that taking out the garbage should be one of his responsibilities. The young man demurred. He felt that it was not seemly for someone of his erudition to be engaged in such menial activity. His wife disagreed. He consulted with Rabbi Gifter who said that while the man should help his wife, it was not his legal obligation to do so.
Early the next morning there was a knock on the door of the young scholar’s home. He opened the door to find Rabbi Gifter standing there.
He asked Rabbi Gifter in shock
“What is the Rabbi doing here at this early hour?”
To which the Rabbi responded
“I’m here to take out the trash.
It may be beneath your dignity to take out the garbage, but it’s not beneath mine!”
In the Temple times, the priests enthusiastically participated in this ritual.
Who wouldn’t want to take out Gd’s “garbage”.
The ashes from the sacrifices tell the tale of what came before.
Lessons from the war:
Day 174
The Kibbutz of Nir Oz was one of the hardest hit on October 7, with many of the homes utterly destroyed and reduced to ash. There is a story about one of the incinerated homes.
When the terrorists came to that particular house, there was an elderly couple and their grandchildren hiding in the safe room. They hid under blankets and although the terrorists checked the room they remained undetected. The terrorists set up shop in the front room and when they were ready to leave, they put the house on fire and left. The two couples, the grandparents - one of whom has dementia, and the grandchildren, who took care of them, realized they must leave or they will be burned alive. They escaped and miraculously were not noticed and survived.
Life emerged from those ashes.
I actually met Senator Lieberman once. I went to pay a shiva call in Jerusalem.
The family was old friends from Manhattan. The Bendheim family are influential and hugely philanthropic. While I was there, Senator Lieberman came to pay his respects. It was a rare opportunity for me to watch the interaction between two Jewish leaders of note. The Senator and the matriarch of the family who had suffered the loss of her daughter.
Two people have helped to shape Jewish history in America.
Their conversation was one focused on the future and building on the ashes, with hope.
October 7 and it’s aftermath adds to the story.
Because the Bendheim family lost two of their own, grandchildren who lost their lives defending our country.
One of them, Ben Zusman HYD left a legacy in his last Will.
He said that being able to serve on behalf of his country was a fulfillment of a dream and his mission. He is the outgrowth of a family who forged on to make a difference.
We may be left with a taste of ashes in our mouths, but our hearts are uplifted by the leaders we have birthed.
May the legacy of Joe Lieberman and Ben Zusman who lived their lives proudly as Jews, be a blessing.
Lieberman passed away this past week at the age of 82 before he had a chance to observe another Shabbat and learn the lessons of another Torah portion.
But we have the opportunity to do so.
Shabbat Shalom and so much love!!