Rabbi Janet Marder

May 15, 2010

Blessing for Confirmation Class of 5770

The butterfly: member of the order Lepidoptera; a creature linked in my mind with my childhood: long, lazy afternoons in the backyard wandering around doing not much of anything; watching swarms of them sail around on drifts of warm air, trying to catch them for a moment in my fingers, feeling the dust of summer on their delicate wings; sensing the pulse of life in their long kicking legs; letting them go to soar aloft again on the breeze.

These days butterflies are harder to find. Some species are rare and endangered. Once gone, they are irreplaceable.

The butterfly: a creature distinguished by its brilliant spectrum of color and patterns – plain or with spots, bands, stripes or scallops. Some have wings that are gossamer thin, almost transparent; others have wings that are big and bold. There are some 28,000 species of them, all of them different. There are small, modest brown ones and little white ones that dart around quickly. They are large and eye-popping with bright blue wings; and elegant silver gray with lacy edges; dark iridescent green; copper-colored; purplish; red and black. There are majestic Admirals, Skippers, Swallowtails, Painted Ladies.

The butterfly passes through stages: an egg laid on a leaf; a larva, called a caterpillar, which does nothing except look for food and eat with its powerful jaws; the pupa, or chrysalis, sometimes encased in a silken cocoon (a resting stage); the adult, ready to fly and mate.

The flight of butterflies, the lift they generate, is something of an aerodynamic miracle, not fully understood by scientists. When they are not flying they like to sip nectar from flowers or bask in the sun, collecting the heat energy they need to take wing. Their communication mechanisms are rather mysterious. They put on some spectacular courtship displays.

Some butterflies stay local; others migrate, like the Monarch, traveling two thousand miles or more over the course of many months, from Canada to Mexico, where they hibernate through the winter and then fly back again. They navigate by the sun, even when it is not visible.

Monarchs, like most butterflies, do not live very long – the adults survive only about 4 or 5 weeks. So the migration takes place over the course of many generations. The eggs hatch, grow into maturity and then, mysteriously, take to the air to resume the journey started by their great-great-grandparents.

Butterflies: symbols, in some human cultures, of the soul (their ancient Greek name is “psyche.”). Symbols of metamorphosis – as the pupa emerges from hibernation transformed into a new creature. In Japan, two flying butterflies symbolize lovers. Here in the land of liberty, we see the butterfly as a symbol of freedom.

And I see them, as you must have guessed by now, as symbols of these precious creatures whose emergence we celebrate tonight. The Confirmation class of 5770: human beings, members of the order Primates; one species only – Homo sapiens. You pass through several stages. In some of them, you hibernate for long periods. In some, you do nothing but for look for food, and consume it incessantly.

You are a rainbow of colors and patterns of personality: fair and dark and coppery; with and without freckles. Some of you are tall and powerful; some carry yourselves with elegance; some are small, perky and energetic. Some of you are quiet and thoughtful; others are brash and bold. In this class there are Admirals who are always in charge. There are Skippers, who are agile and quick. There are Painted Ladies.

Your communication systems are a mystery to those around you. You put on some spectacular courtship displays. Each of you is beautiful. All of you can fly.

Your parents keep you for a while cocooned in silk, hoping to protect you from predators and environmental threats. They know you cannot stay that way, nor should you. You should soar aloft – and, someday, mate. We hope that, when you finally take to the air, you will want to continue the journey that your ancestors began many generations ago – to follow the Jewish path that we traveled as best we could. We hope that when you go to places we’ve never seen, you will navigate by the radiant lodestar of Torah, guided by its light even when it’s cloudy or dark.

Confirmation class of 5770: here’s what I wish for you. As we stand on the cusp of summer, season of warm days and freedom and fun, may you spend some long, lazy afternoons basking in the sun, soaking up the energy you’ll need to take wing. May you stop worrying about the future and experience joy in the life that is pulsing in you right now. May you nurture the friendships you’ve made in this class, for those connections can nourish you. May you love deeply, and be loved as you deserve.

All of your teachers hope you will stay connected to us and to Beth Am through your high school years and beyond. Here in this place, we are committed to nourishing your soul – the part of you that the rest of the world ignores. Know that we think about you and care about you and want to teach you and learn from you. Know above all that you are cherished – not because of what you will do or what you will become some day – but because, right now, each of you is irreplaceable.