By Rabbi Lana Zilberman Soloway

 

Moses received the Torah at Mount Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua,
Joshua [transmitted it] to the elders,
The elders to the prophets,
The prophets to the people of the great Assembly.
They said three things: Be patient in the way of justice, raise many students, and make a fence around the Torah.

– Pirkei Avot Chapter 1 (from the Mishnah)

These words were written in the land of Israel by a group of male Rabbis, approximately eighteen hundred years ago. For thousands of years, the Torah was transmitted from generation to generation until it reached every single one of us. 

Actually, for thousands of years the Torah was shared mainly, if not only, with men, and not with all people. Don’t think for a moment that this custom of keeping Torah for men is mentioned anywhere in the Torah. This was a decision both made by and manifested by men. 

Luckily for us, we live in a different world. As Reform Jews, we believe in full equality between men and women, including regarding learning, interpreting, and teaching Torah.

In the new Israeli Reform siddur (prayer book) produced by the Israeli Movement for Progressive Judaism (IMPJ), the above quote is read as we take the Torah from the Ark. Next to this ancient text from the Mishnah appears a modern composition by Rinat Sefania, a young Israeli woman Reform Rabbi. Rabbi Sefania’s addition to the ancient text invites women to participate in reading, learning, and interpreting Torah by reminding all of us about the numerous important and famous female figures in Jewish history. She writes:

Miriam received the Torah at Mount Sinai, and transmitted it to the daughters of Zelophehad,
The daughters of Zelophehad transmitted it to Deborah,
Deborah to Ruth and Ruth to Beruriah.
They said three things:
Speak up your mind, raise many students, and interpret the Torah. 

One of  the many metaphors in Jewish tradition to the Torah, is water. The Midrash of Shir Hashirim (Song of Songs) explains that just as we cannot live without water, our lives will lose their vitality and become empty without the study of Torah. Water is an instrumental part of this world, one of the fundamental building blocks of life and creation. In a real, tangible way, the world would cease to exist without the elegant molecule H2O. Isn’t the same true for the Torah?

What is the meaning of Torah to American Reform Jews in the twenty-first century? Is it important to be grappling with the moral and religious complexities of modernity? Is it interesting to strive and bring holiness into every moment of your life? Can the study of Torah affect our daily routines and become an existential part of our lives, just like water?

If these questions awaken your curiosity, please consider joining our every other week, exciting Torah learning session on Shabbat morning.

The Torah was received by Moses and Miriam at Mount Sinai, and now it is being transmitted to you! It is yours to be read, learned, interpreted, and discovered. Come learn and experience!