Taking the Initiative

Posted on July 18, 2025 by Rabbi Noah Diamondstein

Thank you again for continuing to welcome me so warmly. My first Shabbat in person with you all was memorable, warm, and full of ruach, spirit, and I know they’ll continue to feel that way even when we have somewhat less than two hundred of our members present. (If you missed last week’s service, you can find it on our YouTube channel here.)

This week’s parashah, Parashat Pinchas, features two different mini-narratives about members of the community taking initiative in the face of steep challenges and high stakes.

First is Pinchas himself. The Eternal, in response to events in the previous parashah in which Pinchas killed an Israelite man and the Midianite woman he had brought into the camp in order to stop a ghastly and deadly plague that their arrival had triggered, gave him a pact of eternal priesthood and friendship. A gory story, to be sure, no matter how you slice it. As Mr. Spock says in Star Trek, “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one.” Easily said, much more difficult to apply.

Second are the Daughters of Zelophechad. Zelophechad has died, and has no sons to inherit his property. He did, however, have a few daughters but the existing law suggested that land be apportioned to sons upon a man’s death. Seeing that the daughters may have had a real case, Moses brings the matter directly before God, who confirms the justice of their cause. Henceforth, in families where there were no sons, daughters would get first right of inheritance–about as big a win for feminism as one could hope to find in the ancient world.

In the days ahead, I hope you’ll take initiative the way our biblical role models did. Okay, perhaps more in the vein of the Daughters than of Pinchas–we are a nonviolent congregation!

Seriously though, please do consider stepping up in the following ways:

• Sign up as a volunteer worker for our 4-H fundraiser–when life gives you lemons, squeeze them to help your Temple Beth-El community! (Sign Up)
• Upload your picture to your Shulcloud Member account for our “SMILE for Rabbi Diamondstein” campaign–there is a QR code in our lobby, or you can email pictures to memberphotos@templebethelnj.org.
• Sign up for one of our many Meet-and-Greets–this is a great way for me to get to know our members. (sign-up for a meet-n-greet)
• Join Michael Einiger and me for Havdallah at our campfire this Saturday, July 19–come ready to sing and s’more, and bring a dessert for our pot luck!

If you can’t make one of these events, I’m certain other ways to get involved will make themselves known very soon. Take that initiative, Temple Beth-El!

 

Rabbi Noah Diamondstein