“We Are Responsible for One Another” Qabbalat Shabbat Sermon 3/7/25
Rabbi Suzie Jacobson
Qabbalat Shabbat, March 7, 2025
Temple Israel of Boston
In this week’s Torah portion we learn something new about Aaron, the first high priest –
He was quite the fashionista!
I kid you not. Exodus chapter 28 is devoted solely to the attire of this ritual leader. I know you all like commenting on the color palette of the clergy – I guess Rabbi Oberstein didn’t get the memo – but this is taken to the extreme.
Aaron’s clothing is a work of art.
I’m going to read some of our parasha that describes the detailed artistry of the high priests’ get up. And I want you to imagine what it looked like. If you feel comfortable, close your eyes, —
Ex. 28:2 You are to make garments of holiness for Aharon your brother,
for glory and for splendor…
Ex. 28:4 And these are the garments that they are to make:
Breastpiece and efod and tunic,
braided coat,
wound-turban and sash…
Ex. 28:6 ¶ They are to make the efod
of gold, of blue-violet and of purple, of worm scarlet and of twisted byssus,
of designer’s making.
Ex. 28:7 Two shoulder-pieces, joined, it is to have…
Ex. 28:9 You are to take two onyx stones
and are to engrave on them the names of the Children of Israel,
Ex. 28:10 six of their names on the one stone,
and the names of the six remaining ones on the second stone,
corresponding to their begettings.
Ex. 28:12 You are to place the two stones on the shoulder-pieces of the efod,
as stones of reminder for the Children of Israel.
And Aharon is to bear their names before the presence of YHWH
on his two shoulders,
As a reminder.
Ex. 28:15 ¶ You are to make the Choshen Mishpat, Breastpiece of Judgment…
of gold, of blue-violet, of purple, of worm-scarlet and of twisted byssus you are to make it.
Ex. 28:17 You are to set-it-full with a setting of stones,
four rows of stones—
a row of carnelian, topaz and sparkling-emerald, the first row,
Ex. 28:18 and the second row: ruby, sapphire, and hard-onyx,
Ex. 28:19 and the third row: jacinth, agate, and amethyst,
Ex. 28:20 and the fourth row: beryl, onyx, and jasper.
Braided with gold in their settings.
Ex. 28:21 And the stones are to be with the names of the Children of Israel,
twelve with their names,
[with] signet engravings, each one with its name, are they to be,
for the twelve tribes.
Ok. there’s a lot more – priestly underwear, bells and pomegranates on the hem, a turban with the words “Kadosh L’adonai” “Holy to God.”
What did you imagine? (crowd source?)
What stands out to you?
The rabbis are a little baffled by this description. The Talmud doesn’t bother trying to figure out the design, it’s too complicated- and those rabbis talk about everything.
Rashi is also kind of stumped, so he relies upon the French fashion of his day to try and make sense of it.
Other rabbis including Azzariah de Rossi a 16th century Italian physician and rabbi criticize Rashi’s poor research skills and instead attempt to recreate the priestly garments from eyewitness accounts. Unfortunately, he really doesn’t have the source material. Neither the literary or the historical method help us understand this ancient artistic costume.
Today, you find images like this on the internet (show image).
Is this what you imagined? Maybe? We can’t really be sure.
Here’s the amazing thing about the art described in the Torah – this costume, the menorah, the mishkaan with its cherubim – they all have incredibly detailed descriptions, but they are impossible to recreate. If Michelangelo left a verbal description of his statue of David, even the best sculptors would undoubtedly recreate a different David.
Art is visual, tactile, experiential – what we are left with is not the actual art, but rather, the inherent values of its construction.
As High Priest, Aaron was a central leader in the Israelite community. And from his mythological founding, came hundreds of high priests each responsible for the spiritual life of their community.
The most important part of this artistic description is not the art at all. It’s what his garments are meant to represent.
A stone on each shoulder with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.
As he serves the people, the High Priest can feel the weight of leadership on his shoulders. The metaphorical becomes physical. He is responsible for them, his role is not about self aggrandizement, or personal power. His responsibility is for the whole, not any portion or faction of the people.
And on the choshen mishpat – the breastplate that rests on his chest, over his heart is a precious jewel representing each tribe. Each of the 12 stones are magnificent and different – each a different color. The people he leads are not uniform, but a tapestry of human life – and he must keep them all in mind as he serves the people. The people – from twelve different tribes, living in different places with different needs and different perspectives and experiences – are all on his heart in every moment.
This is what the Torah has to teach us about true leadership. A leader has many functions, jobs and responsibilities – but their most basic obligation is to keep the people they lead on their heart – all the people they lead, in all their diversity.
Right now, the President of the United States, his representatives both confirmed and unconstitutional – do not have all the people of these united states on their hearts.
This country includes a vibrant, colorful, diverse in every way tapestry of humanity. The country includes children, the elderly, the poor. It includes immigrants, folks with disabilities, transgender people. This country includes working adults of every conceivable occupation, 6 million who are unemployed and 50 million who are retired. We are the most linguistically diverse country – with approximately 430 languages spoken. There is not a single human identity or demographic not represented in this country.
Leading this country, remembering and representing all people is an enormous moral responsibility. You’d need far more than 12 gemstones to symbolize the plurality that makes up these United States.
And right now our top leader is bringing a sledge hammer to the national institutions and infrastructure that is meant to support, protect and care for us all.
I could stand up here and take aim at any number of institutional disasters that are having a real impact on our lives. I’ve spent much of the last month listening to our community members whose work and families are directly affected.
This week, I’m particularly worried about the impending attempts to close or drastically reduce the Department of Education. Our newly confirmed secretary of Education wrote in a memo entitled “Our Department’s Final Mission” that her goal is to “restore the rightful role of state oversight in education and to end the overreach from Washington.”. And though it is Congress’s constitutional decision whether to open or close a federal bureaucracy, as is happening to other departments, the President is able to drastically reduce their staff and chop down their influence to minimal functionality.
Republicans have wanted to do this since Reagan. But in the 40 years since Reagan the Department of Education has been responsible for countless programs and initiatives that cannot be quickly dismantled with a sledgehammer. At least not without seriously hurting the fabric of education in this country.
The federal department of education has little to do with what is taught in the classroom. Funded locally through property taxes, states and local districts make decisions about curriculum. The role of the federal department is to support making sure all students have fair access to education. And this is essential.
Speaking to reporters yesterday, John B. King who served as education secretary during the Obama administration and is now chancellor of the State University of New York said:
“The history of the Education Department is as a civil rights agency, the place that ensures that students with disabilities get the services they need, that English-learners get the help they need. Taking that away harms students and families.”
The majority of public schools rely on some form of federal funding to serve their students. In particular, Title I provides money to help districts that serve lower income communities. And the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act provides funding to help districts support students with differing educational, emotional and behavioral needs.
Transgender students are particularly at risk now. In his campaign materials around “Great Schools” Trump took aim at transgender students in 8 of his ten points. I worry that even the most well meaning districts in places like Boston will be compelled to create environments that are hostile and unsafe for transgender and nonbinary children. These populations of young people have a terrifyingly high rate of depression, anxiety and suicidality. If districts don’t comply with our President’s directives around transgender youth, they may risk losing the funding that supports students with disabilities, English- language learners and other high needs populations.
Rather than recognizing the need to equitably teach and care for all our children, our President is pitting children and their families against one another.
The Department of Education is also the reason why so many Americans are able to access higher education.
I would not be standing before you today were it not for the federal student loans that helped me pay for college and Rabbinical School. And at this moment, my loans are held in court cases, and I can’t access my account or reach an actual human on the telephone because there is no one there. I can’t imagine how terrifying it must be for folks with serious financial struggles. CNN reported this week that 40% of borrowers are struggling to pay their loans and are currently in some form of delinquency. Millions risk financial ruin if these changes aren’t managed well – can this country weather the fall out if a sledge hammer is brought down upon a system that involves millions of borrowers and trillions of dollars?
I don’t need to stand up here and tell you how Judaism values education. If you throw a dart at the Talmud you are likely to fall upon a passage that places learning at the height of our moral, social, and spiritual values. Our tradition recognizes that different children must be instructed differently. That education is the responsibility of the parent, of the community and of society as a whole.
Our Jewish institutions – synagogues, day schools, camps and community centers need to be prepared to support families as they weather what is to come. If we can’t rely on our federal government to care about our children – all of our children, then we need to stand together to make sure that no one falls through the cracks.
While our ancient High Priest was dressed to impress, it was not about the bling. The High Priest’s clothing represented his acceptance and awareness of his responsibility to all of Israel. All of Israel was metaphorically and literally on the High Priests heart.
I do not believe that our current leadership is not able to metaphorically or literally hold that kind of diversity on his heart. He is not capable of caring and working for the safety, health and well being of all Americans.
He will not. But we can. What can we do to support our children? What can we do to support our elders? What can we do if our neighbors lose their work or their healthcare or their ability to live freely in their own gender? How can we embody the spirit of the high priest, and recognize Kol yisrael aravim zeh b’zeh – all of Israel is responsible for one another. What if we say – all of America is responsible for one another?
At this moment, I’m not sure what actions I will take. I am not sure what the future holds for my children, your children, all our children. But I do know this – our tradition will give us strength. Our tradition will inspire us. Our tradition will give us the language and the institutions and the community we will need in the weeks, months and years to come. There is work to do, and this we must keep upon our hearts. Shabbat Shalom.