Terumah 5773: RABBI DAVID HARTMAN z"l and the Power to Listen Deeply

This week is all about listening.

Yesterday was Rosh Chodesh Adar – the first day of the Hebrew month Adar – a moment when we anticipate hearing laughter and joyfully listening to the Megillat Esther (the scroll of Esther) on Purim.

    Rabbi David Hartman z"l 1931 - 2013   

It was also a day when we heard news from Israel that again women were detained by police at the Kotel in Jerusalem simply because they silently wore a tallit (prayer shawl) typically worn by men.

And we heard sad news from Jerusalem about the death of one of Rabbi Ladon’s dear teachers and a teacher of mine and many others here, Rabbi David Hartman, may his memory be a blessing.

The power of listening to all this is prefigured in this week’s Torah portion, parshat Terumah.  The Torah portion amplifies an important aspect of listening when God talks with Moshe and refers to the cover of the Aron (ark) saying, “It is there that I will set My meetings with you and I will speak with you.”  (Shemot 25:22.)  Even though God could speak to Moshe from anywhere, in order for Moshe to listen he (Moshe) needed to be present in a particular place.  So it is with us, in order to listen to others we really need to be present with them. 

In a couple of weeks, while we are still in Sheloshim (the first thirty days of mourning) for Rabbi Hartman, we will read parshat Ki Tissa.  It brings another lesson about listening.  In that Torah narrative we learn that at the top of Mt. Sinai God gives Moshe two tablets inscribed by God.  As Moshe prepares to leave the mount, he experiences the camp of Israelites praying to a Golden Calf.  This angers both God and Moshe. 

When Moshe reaches the base of Mt. Sinai, Joshua who has been waiting for him there says “the sound of war is in the camp.”  (Shemot 32:17)  Moshe replies, “It is not the sound of victory or the sound of defeat, rather it is the sound of singing that I hear.”  In other words, Joshua hears noise from the camp and assumes it is a struggle.  But Moshe is discerning and listens to the people celebrating around the Golden Calf. 

Often times we just hear what is said around us and we neglect to really listen – to the tone of voice, to the intensity of speech, to the feelings that animate someone else’s voice.  We fail to authentically listen. 

The lesson that true leadership depends on listening and not just hearing was taught by my teacher of blessed memory, Dovid Hartman. 

He could listen, discern, and carefully understand what you were trying to say as well as any teacher I ever had.  He could finish your sentences for you – and often did.  He could 'hear' even more beautiful and powerful insights in your words than you were capable of expressing yourself. 

He was known around the world as a champion of diversity and pluralism within Judaism. And a champion of joyful and authentic encounters with Jewish texts and the Jewish people. 

And he often talked about how people listened to him.  After being a pulpit rabbi in Montreal for 15 years, Rabbi Hartman and his wife, Bobbie, made aliyah with their children.  Looking back on that moment Dovid would say, “I spent 15 years telling my congregation that we all should all make aliyah to Israel and when my family finally made aliyah in 1971, I looked around, saw we were the only family that had made aliyah that year.  I realized, after 15 years of talking, I was the only one who listened!” 

But Rabbi Hartman was wrong.  Philosophers, teachers, rabbis, and students have been listening to him deeply for more than 40 years.

He brought teachers and rabbis and philosophers and politicians from all different perspectives to listen to and learn from each other at Machon Hartman.  My daughter studied in hevruta with an orthodox rabbi for the first time at Machon Hartman, she wore a tallit at the Kotel with Women of the Wall on Rosh Chodesh ten years ago because of Rabbi Hartman, my own hevruta at Hartman brought together voices of a conservative rabbi, an orthodox rabbi, a reform rabbi as we struggled with text and context together. 

All because so many of us were listening to Rabbi Hartman.

Our ability to hear him is diminished by his death – but not our ability to truly listen to him.  The strength of his passion for pluralism within Judaism – the power to transform our lives by listening to and being in relationship with others – especially others whose views are different from our own.  Rabbi Hartman taught, “being is in relationship.”  There can be no being without relationship. 

So, in memory of Rabbi Hartman, and inspired by Moshe this week, I invite you to make this a week of relating to each other and to those who are important to you by going beyond merely hearing and instead to really listening to what others say and feel.