Friday, June 7, 2024/1 Sivan, 5784

Friday, June 7, 2024/1 Sivan, 5784

Parashat B’midbar Numbers 1:1−4:20

Dear Friends,

And God spoke to Moses “B’midbar Sinai, (in the wilderness of Sinai).” That is how our Torah portion begins this week. I wondered why the Torah had to be so specific. It tells us that this communication took place in the Tent of Meeting. Why should we care? Perhaps because we are being shown that environment, surroundings, matter and we respond to them. Holy Sites are holy because we need them to be just that, places that are set aside to be special. In addition, we are given the date when this happened because we need to have sacred moments in time as well as space. Shabbat would be a prime example of this.

So let us consider the Havdalah (separation/division) ceremony that symbolically ends Shabbat. Technically, Shabbat is over before we begin Havdalah. Otherwise, traditionally, we could not light the Havdalah candle. So the ceremony is symbolic, and that is the point as symbols are incredibly powerful. For example, no matter which side of an issue you are on, watching a flag being burned is going to evoke an emotional response. America’s national anthem centers on the symbol of our star spangled banner and all that it can mean. 

It is through the ceremony of Havdalah, by manipulating symbols, that we emotionally separate Shabbat from the new week that will follow, thereby creating a sacred place in time. Within that sacred place, we do what Judaism does so well, we mark time to acknowledge its continual flow. The goal is to heighten our awareness of that fact. Psalm 90 attempts to cast this awareness in a particular light: So teach us to number our days, that we may attain a heart of wisdom.

For me, a truly compelling moment in Havdalah comes when I hold my fingertips up to the flame and the light passes through, turning my fingernails red. It is a reminder that I am flesh and blood, and time bound. It calls me to number my days. Recently, Logan Wallsh, as her burning question, asked, “What is the purpose of life?” Havdalah asks that of us as well in a very personal way. What is the purpose of your life? Are you living it to the fullest?

On this Shabbat, at least for a while, why not try to enter the wilderness. Not a wilderness devoid of life, but a wilderness devoid of the myriad distractions of life. And in that construct, like being in the tent of meeting, separated from the mundane, seek the sacred. Find the exquisite pleasure of the scent of a rose, and the enjoyment of its beauty. Pause to experience the awe of a sunset, or the crash of a wave on the shore. Open your heart to forgiveness and healing, while you take pleasure in something you accomplished in the week that has passed. And, remember that if none of that happens this week, Shabbat will come again in the next week and call to you, once again, to pause, contemplate, and celebrate in a sacred space in time.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Marv
rabbischwab@bethelsp.org

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Ilan Davidson

Cantor

Cantor Ilan Davidson has been pleasing audiences with his singing since before he could read. At age five, he began singing with his Cantor, Philip Moddel, and hasn’t shut up since. At ten, he made his Operatic debut with the Fullerton Civic Light Opera’s production of Bizet’s Carmen, as a street urchin. Since then, he has performed roles in opera and musical theatre, performing, directing, and producing world-class productions.

Among his many accomplishments, Cantor Davidson is also known as a contemporary Jewish songwriter and performer, having delighted audiences all over the world, including Israel and Lithuania with the soulful sounds of his music. His recordings, Stained Glass (1995) and In A Hanukkah Mood (2007) are collections of original and covered songs by himself and many contemporary Jewish artists. His most recent recording, God Is In This Place (2020), is a collection of original liturgical pieces for the Friday night Shabbat Service, commissioned and written in honor of his 25th Anniversary as the Cantor of Temple Beth El.

Cantor Davidson left the stage and in 1995 joined the Temple Beth El family, in San Pedro, where, in his nearly 30 years of service, he has brought many new programs and much enthusiasm to all he does. Coming from a long line of Cantors, it must have been Besheret for Cantor Davidson, although talented in all areas of musical performance, to finally settle down into his career as Hazzan for Temple Beth El in San Pedro, California. In 2007, Cantor Davidson founded a new foundation, KindredSPIRITS, producing an annual world humanitarian aid event. KindredSPIRITS premiered on June 5, 2008 at Walt Disney Concert Hall, adding that prestigious concert hall to the ever growing list of venues around the world, where Davidson has performed. During the 10 years of humanitarian events, Global KindredSPIRITS, Inc., as an official 501©3, raised awareness and close to $500,000 for its beneficiaries over the decade.
As a past president of the South Coast Interfaith Council, Ilan fought for tolerance and understanding of ALL faiths in a difficult climate. For the past 7 years, Cantor Davidson has been service as an LA County Commissioner, representing the 4th District on the Human Relations Commission, where he currently serves as President. Whether it is raising his voice for justice, Hazzanut, Pop, Opera, Musical Theatre, or folk music, Cantor Ilan Davidson shares his soul and genuine love in every note.

When asked about his finest accomplishment, Cantor Ilan invariably responds, “After all the great concerts, services, and roles, my finest role in life is that of husband to my beautiful wife, Jodi, and daddy to my gorgeous daughters, Jordan and Zoe.”

cantor@bethelsp.org

Office: (310) 833-2467 Ext. 106

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