*Be the Change You Want to See In the World

B'ha'alotecha 5774

 

וַיְדַבֵּר ה', אֶל-מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר.דַּבֵּר, אֶל-אַהֲרֹן, וְאָמַרְתָּ, אֵלָיו:  בְּהַעֲלֹתְךָ,אֶת-הַנֵּרֹת, אֶל-מוּל פְּנֵי הַמְּנוֹרָה, יָאִירוּ שִׁבְעַת הַנֵּרוֹת. וַיַּעַשׂ כֵּן, אַהֲרֹן--אֶל-מוּל פְּנֵי הַמְּנוֹרָה,הֶעֱלָה נֵרֹתֶיהָ:  כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה' אֶת מֹשֶׁה --And Gd spoke to Moses, saying:'Speak to Aaron, and say to him: When you light the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in front of the candlestick.' And Aaron did so: he lighted the lamps so as to give light in front of the candlestick, as Gd commanded Moses. (Numbers 8:1-3)

On the words ‘And Aaron did so….as Gd commanded Moshe,’ Rashi comments that these words speak of the greatness of Aaron that he did not change anything.  Rebbe Meir of Parmeshlan asks what is it that we are to learn from Rashi’s comment – that is, are we to believe that Aaron would veer from the instructions that Gd gives to him via Moshe? Read as such, Rashi’s comment is insulting to Aaron! Rather, says Rebbe Meir, that even though Aaron was elevated to the most lofty of positions from his people – he is chosen to be the Kohen Gadol from amongst all the others – Aaron did not change his ways from earlier. Aaron continued to live among and be one of the people; he continued to work for peace and love among his brethren, between spouses, and to bring people closer to Gd and Torah. Rashi’s comment that ‘Aaron did not change anything’ teaches us that Aaron did not allow his character to be changed by his elevated status.

 

Naso 5774

 

יְבָרֶכְךָ ה', וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ. יָאֵר ה' פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ, וִיחֻנֶּךָּ.   יִשָּׂא ה' פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ, וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלוֹם – Gd will bless you and protect you. The light of Gd's face will shine on you and grant you graciousness. Gd's face will be raised to you and you will have peace. (Numbers 6:24-26)

These verses constitute the priestly blessing of hope placed upon each Israelite by the kohanim. Without explanation, the contents of the blessing are perhaps platitudes too abstract to give true comfort . So, how does our tradition understand the tachlis behind the words? According to Rashi: יְבָרֶכְךָ ה', וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ means blessed with wealth and possessions; and, since the wealthy are rarely liked by others...יָאֵר ה' פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ, וִיחֻנֶּךָּ, means that you will be blessed to be gracious to others with your wealth; and, since most people are not satisfied with what they have – even those blessed with great wealth – the third element of blessing...וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלוֹם that you should have internal tranquility by way of senses of satisfaction and fulfillment.

B'chukotai 5774

In light of the pain that struck the Jewish world this week via vandalism of our own doorstep...(see link below)

This shabbat we read the final portion of the Book of Leviticus, parshat B'chukotai. As is the practice for concluding each of the Five Books of Moses, the community will stand for the final verses of the book and say, “Chazak, Chazak v'nitChazek” (BeStrongandWewillbeStrengthened). For those present, it is a moment of great emotion and communal unity as we rise together, pronounce together, and bid farewell together to the book of the Torah that we have engaged with and which we will long for until we return to it next year. At that moment, there is a sense of standing again at Mt. Sinai; a band of folks from different houses, of various opinions, multiple styles and flavors who, by having a common ancestry and by sharing similar adversities at the hands of the non-Jewish world, forge a bond of brotherhood stronger than any pernicious force that others send our way. Indeed, as history has proven, the holiness of the Jewish People is predicated on us and no one else. Each and every community is a part of the connective interlocking tissue that serves to strengthen our People – no matter the malice of others or even our own, we will not waver in fulfilling the duty of our residence among the People Israel, in the Land of Israel, for the State of Israel.

To view news coverage of vandalism:  Click Here

B'har 5774

The opening verses of this week’s parasha speaks of 2 mitzvot related solely to the Land of Israel: Shmita and Yovel. Shmita is the teaching that every 7^th year the land is to lay fallow and not be sowed or harvested. Yovel, translated as Jubilee, is the concept that every 50 years the land’s ownership returns to its original holders. Whereas Shmita is still practiced in some form in modern Israel, observance of Yovel was only applicable when the tribes of Israel resided in the land. Upon entering the Land of Israel, each member of the 12 tribes was given a parcel of land to possess. Individuals were at liberty to sell the land, but only for the number of years remaining until the Jubilee year. In this way, the Torah safeguards that one born into an impoverished situation would have the chance to improve her lot. Once tribal ownership was eliminated via expulsion from the land, observance of the Yovel was no longer practical/applicable. In modern times, a properly implemented ‘estate tax’ may be seen as an attempt at the redistribution of wealth in order to assist the less fortunate both financially and psychologically in the attempt to climb the financial social ladder – and as a measure to prevent the power of affluence to remain in the hands of the same families for perpetuity.

Emor 5774

 

 וּסְפַרְתֶּם לָכֶם,מִמָּחֳרַת הַשַּׁבָּת,מִיּוֹם הֲבִיאֲכֶם,אֶת-עֹמֶר הַתְּנוּפָה:שֶׁבַע שַׁבָּתוֹת,תְּמִימֹת תִּהְיֶינָה– And from the day on which you bring the sheaf of elevation offering – the day after the Sabbath [yom tov of Passover] – you shall count off seven weeks, they must be complete. (Leviticus 23:15)

This verse found in parshat Emor is the instruction from which we learn we are to daily ‘Count the Omer’ (Sefirat HaOmer) – the 7 weeks between Pesach and Shavuot. Question: why are there not two counts made each night in the Diaspora similar to the practice of Yom Tov Sheni? The answer is contained in the commentary of the Magen Avraham (17^th century, Poland) on the Shulchan Arukh who teaches that if a person does not understand Hebrew and counts the Omer in Hebrew that person has not fulfilled the mitzvah of the counting. He was challenged by others who said that since there is no requirement to understand the Hebrew of Kiddush or Hallel and the like, why should it be so for the ‘counting’? Says the Magen Avraham that for those other ritual elements it is the reading or saying of them that is required, but the essence of counting is the knowledge and certainty of the day being counted. Despite the diasporic practice of celebrating extra days of the pilgrimage festivals, since the set calendar allows us to know the precise beginning of Pesach, we know the precise beginning of the Counting and to make two counts would be to negate the mitzvah of Sefirah.

Metzorah 5774

 

זֹאת תִּהְיֶה תּוֹרַת הַמְּצֹרָע – This will be the law of the metzorah [leper]. (Leviticus 14:2) 

The gemara teaches that metzorah means motzi shem rav – to cause someone to have a bad reputation; that is, to speak Lashon Harah.  It is told that one evening the great Chafetz Chaim was walking in his town of Rahdin during a heavy rain.  The streets were empty but for a lone Jewish stranger whose carriage passed him and asked, ‘where lives the town’s rabbi, the tzaddik, the Chafetz Chaim?’  The scholar said of himself, ‘firstly he is no rav and secondly he is no tzaddik.’  Said the stranger in astonishment, ‘But everyone holds him to be a man of great faith and righteousness!’  The rabbi’s reply, ‘I know the Chafetz Chaim very well and I assure you that is a great exaggeration and tall tale.’  The stranger became enraged; he cursed the scholar and then hit him with the whip in his hands.  The rabbi was greatly troubled that he had caused the stranger to transgress in such a way.  A while later when the Chafetz Chaim returned home he found the stranger waiting at his door.  When the stranger realized what he had done, he was so shaken he nearly fainted.  The rabbi said to him, ‘you did nothing wrong as I deserved the beating; for not only is it forbidden to speak Lashon Harah about others, it is also forbidden to speak Lashon Harah about oneself.’

Tazria 5774

אָדָם, כִּי-יִהְיֶה בְעוֹר-בְּשָׂרוֹ שְׂאֵת אוֹ-סַפַּחַת אוֹ בַהֶרֶת, וְהָיָה בְעוֹר-בְּשָׂרוֹ, לְנֶגַע צָרָעַת...-- When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, or a scab, or a bright spot, and it become in the skin of his flesh the plague of leprosy… (Leviticus 13:2)

According to the sages of the Talmud, the skin afflictions described above occur as a punishment for engaging in Lashon Harah. The question that begs asking: why is it that in ancient times when people were seemingly more pious and good were there instances of these skin afflictions and today when most people seem to be involved in Lashon Harah this leprosy is almost non-existent? Explains Rabbi Moshe Alshich (Tzfat, 16^th cent.), these types of skin disorders are signs of a hidden illness in the soul of a person – the skin affliction is caused by one’s deep-seated humility sending the affliction to the host as a call to make teshuvah. However, a soul that is far removed from all things holy will not have the mechanism by which to alarm the host. In short, today's rampant Lashon Harah blinds us from even recognizing it as a problem.
!לשון הרע לא מדבר אלי

 

Shemini 5774

This week’s parashah, Shemini, contains the infamous story of the death of Aaron’s two sons.  Aaron and his 4 sons have been assigned the priestly mantle and sons Nadav and Avihu soon err and bring a ‘strange fire’ before Gd.  In an instant Gd strikes them dead.  Though the story certainly raises theological questions, the more immediate question may be:  why did Lynne and I choose the name Nadav for our first born child?  Permit me to explain…We wanted a name from the Bible but one that is still modern enough to be identified with the pride of the contemporary State of Israel.  We wanted a name whose meaning would be a blessing for our child’s character– נדב means ‘giving’and is the root for the Hebrew word נדיב (generous) and מתנדב (volunteer) – it also describes his grandparents’ nature.  With sensitivity for of our American mishpacha and our son, we wanted a name that is pronounced the same in English as in Hebrew.  Finally, I refer to the film, “The World According to Garp.”  In the movie, Garp is viewing a house for purchase.  Suddenly, a twin engine plan crashes into the house destroying the top floors (the pilot is okay).  Garp exclaims, “We’ll take it!”  When confronted by his wife he says “what are the chances of a plane ever hitting this house again?!”  Amen, selah. 

Purim 5774

A person is obligated on Purim to get drunk until he does not know between cursing  Haman and to bless Mordechai (B.T. Megilah 7b), thus reads the Gemara with reference to the appropriate celebration of Purim. Does Judaism require a level of intoxication at such a dangerous level? Teaches the Rambam: ‘imbibe to the point where one falls to sleep in his intoxication’ i.e., when asleep one cannot differentiate between Haman and Mordechai. Another understanding of this Gemara explains that the gematria/numeric values for the Hebrew words ‘cursed Haman’ (ארור המן) and ‘blessed Mordechai’ (ברוך מרדכי) are the same, so one who drinks to the point where she cannot calculate the gematria values has fulfilled the inebriation requirement. A third explanation says that there was a traditional rhyme that had complicated, similar sounding verses that alternatingly cursed Haman and blessed Mordechai; the smallest tipsiness of intoxication sufficed to err in blessing and curse. Finally, the Yad Ephraim teaches that ‘until he does not know’ means one must stop drinking before losing the ability to differentiate between cursed is Haman and blessed is Mordechai. L’chaim!

 

Vayakhel 5774

This week’s parsaha begins: וַיַּקְהֵל מֹשֶׁה, אֶת-כָּל-עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל--וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם – Moshe then gathered the whole of Israel and said to them… (Exodus 35:1).

In the Five Books of Moses, Moshe addresses the Israelites several dozen times and only this once does it use the expression ‘gathered the whole of Israel’ which, of course, leads us to ask ‘why?’ One explanation teaches that during the receiving of Torah at Mt. Sinai the Israelites were of one heart (Rashi); the episode of the golden calf split us and now Moshe is gathering everyone together to repair the fracture. A different explanation points to the senseless hatred amongst Jews as the origin of the destruction of the Holy Temple; this portion's emphasis on Moshe’s convening everyone to participate in the building of the tabernacle is a lesson that the stability our most holy sanctuaries depends on Israel’s unity. Is the modern State of Israel a holy sanctuary? Should it be?