Torah Portion - June 12, 2009

Redeeming the First-born Son or Daughter,  6-12-09

D'var Torah  Rabbi Mark S. Kram, Temple Beth Or,  Miami, FL

Numbers 8:15-19

15 "Thereafter the Levites shall be qualified for the service of the Tent of Meeting, once you have cleansed them and designated them as an elevation offering. 16 For they are formally assigned to Me from among the Israelites: I have taken them for Myself in place of all the first issue of the womb, of all the first-born of the Israelites. 17 For every first-born among the Israelites, man as well as beast, is Mine; I consecrated them to Myself at the time that I smote every first-born in the land of Egypt. 18 Now I take the Levites instead of every first-born of the Israelites; 19 and from among the Israelites I formally assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons, to perform the service for the Israelites in the Tent of Meeting and to make expiation for the Israelites, so that no plague may afflict the Israelites for coming too near the sanctuary."

 

So 30 days after the first boy (we would add girls too!) the parents present their son/daughter to the "priests" to consecrate them to Jewish service.  Pidyon HaBen (V'bat) – redeeming the son or daughter from today's "priests" by giving tzedakah.  Who are the "priests" of today – those representatives of the entire Jewish community.  Is it the Jewish Federation Executive Director/CEO?  What about the President of the Temple or the Rabbi?  How do we recognize an age-old custom and make the old new, and the new holy?

Recognizing that each child's birth is unique, that although the first-born son in ancient times inherited specific and special responsibilities as well as a larger portion of the family estate, today, estates should be split evenly among all children.  Is there a special place for the eldest?

Maybe.  The one that does the "firsts."  The one who breaks in the parents and makes the path for younger siblings easier and a little smoother.  But what about the middle child?  They, of course are special because of their traditionally peace-making role, bridging the gap between oldest and youngest.  They are the caring, giving children…

The youngest, the last, the "baby."  What a special place they inherit.  Independent thinkers and doers.  Thoughts of "are they really from the same family?"  They do their own thing.

So ALL of the children are special and valued.  Somehow, recognizing that and each of their uniqueness places us on a path which reflects new thinking and new customs.

So join me in creating something new!

Shabbat Shalom!

Mark