by Rabbi Steven Saks
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are that of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the Union for Traditional Judaism, unless otherwise indicated.
Vayetze 5779: How Important is the Synagogue to the Jewish Community?
Vayetze 5779
Rabbi Steven Saks
Q: How important is the synagogue to the Jewish community?
A: Rabbi Steven Saks, Adas Kodesch Shel Emeth
The survival of Judaism depends on our ability to maintain our relationship with God. God entered into a Brit (covenant) with our Avot (forefathers) so they would be able to have a relationship with him and bring his goodness into the world.
The synagogue allows us to make Judaism portable and maintain that relationship as a people regardless of where we find ourselves. The ten northern tribes of Israel disappeared from history because they were not able to find a way to make Judaism portable. Their inability to find new ways to worship God after losing access to the cultic centers of their homeland made it inevitable that these tribes would adopt the practices of their host communities and assimilate.
Unfortunately, these tribes didn’t realize that their forefather Ya’akov (Jacob) had already established a precedent for making Judaism portable. Ya’akov was forced to endure exile in order to escape the wrath of his brother Esav (Esau), who sought to kill him. As Ya’akov fled, we are told Vayifga Bamakom (he encountered the place). Rabbi Yossi (Berachot 26b) teaches that Vayifga (encountered) denoted prayer and Makom, though meaning “place,” can also refer to God. Therefore, Vayifga Bamakom should be understood to mean “he prayed to God.” Since Ya’akov prayed at night, Rabbi Yossi concludes that Ya’akov’s encounter represents the creation of the Ma’ariv (evening service). Why did God appear to Ya’akov using the name Hamakom (the place), a name God rarely uses? This was to remind Ya’akov that, though he was away from home, he could access God in this new place, for God is “The Place.” In other words, God happens to be in whichever place you find yourself to be.
Ya’akov then dreamt of a ladder reaching to heaven. God appearing atop the ladder affirmed the patriarchal Brit, promising to safeguard Ya’akov. Ya’akov awoke, exclaiming “Surely, the Lord is in this place, and I did not know…this is the abode of God and the gate to heaven.” In essence Ya’akov had stumbled upon the world’s first synagogue, for he had found a way even away from home of connecting with God.
The descendants of Ya’akov, namely the kingdom of Judah, survived exile precisely because they learned the lesson of Ya’akov’s encounter and found ways to make Judaism portable by creating synagogues. By the time the second Temple was destroyed in 70 C.E. and sacrificial worship ended, the synagogue had been developing and was able to offer an alternative form of worship. In some places synagogues functioned primarily as prayer halls, in others as study halls, and yet in others as meeting houses (the Hebrew expression for synagogue is Bet Knesset, a place of assembly). All three usages have one thing in common: they allow Jews to connect with God and bring God into this world.
Ya’akov’s encounter reminds us that, even in the darkest of times and in the strangest of places, God can appear to us. But we shouldn’t simply hope that God will appear in the nick of time. We can invite God to join us by building houses that allow us to speak to God communally through prayer and hear God’s voice through Torah study. No matter where we find ourselves, let us not forget that God is looking to join us. Let’s be prepared to welcome him. By doing so, we remind ourselves of the covenant God made with our ancestors and of our divinely sanctioned mission of bringing God into our world.
Enjoying UTJ Viewpoints?
UTJ relies on your support to promote an open-minded approach to Torah rooted in classical sources and informed by modern scholarship. Please consider making a generous donation to support our efforts.
Rabbi Steven Saks is the full-time spiritual leader of Congregation Sons of Israel in Woodmere, New York. Previously, he served as the rabbi of Adas Kodesch Shel Emeth Congregation. In Wilmington, Delaware. Rabbi Saks received rabbinic ordination in August 2006 from Kollel Ayshel Avraham in Spring Valley, NY. He holds a B.A. from the State University of New York at Oswego and an M.S. degree in Human Resource Development from Towson University, as well as a black belt in Jiu Jitsu.
Prior to coming to Adas Kodesch Shel Emeth in August 2008, Rabbi Saks was the spiritual leader of Adath Zion Congregation in Philadelphia. His past experiences include teaching classes in religious and secular studies, working as a hospital chaplain, serving as a Big Brother through the Jewish Big Brother/Sister League, teaching Jiu Jitsu and participating in the Volunteers for Israel Army Program. Since coming to Adas Kodesch Shel Emeth, Rabbi Saks has served as the head of the Delaware Association of Rabbis and Cantors, head of the Vaad HaKashrut of Delaware, rabbinical head of the Chevra kaddisha (burial society) and member of the UTJ Board of Directors. He has visited Israel six times; he and his wife Anne led a community-wide trip to Israel in June 2014 and look forward to leading another trip in the future.
Rabbi Saks is active in communal organizations such as the Siegel Jewish Community Center of Delaware and the Albert Einstein Academy (the local Jewish day school) in addition to national organizations such as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and Israel Bonds. Rabbi Saks was awarded the Zionist Organization of America's 2016 "Guardian of Israel Award" and shared the " Adas Kodesch Shel Emeth 2016 Endowed Honor" with his wife Anne.
Rabbi Saks believes that there is a need to strengthen Judaism’s religious center, which has been referred to as “Traditional” and Open Orthodoxy. He sees our challenge as similar to that of the early Hasmoneans (Maccabees): to remain true to Jewish laws and practices while at the same time embracing the positive attributes of secular culture. Another important issue for Rabbi Saks is to build welcoming Jewish communities. Rabbi Saks believes that every Jewish person should endeavor to climb the ladder of mitzvot at his/her own pace and within his/her comfort level.
Rabbi Saks and Anne have four daughters: Talia, Gavriella, Elisheva and Margalit.
You can find Rabbi Saks’s sermons on the Torah parsha and holidays on his blog.