CROSSROADS

Reflecting on this week’s tragedy on the streets of New York suggests that our society is in trouble. A different set of priorities are needed to stem the tide of our societal maladies.

  George Orwell’s classic book 1984 is about an evil society.  He creates for the reader a frightening world where black is white, good is bad, evil is justified and the innocent one is guilty. Well “Hello”! I do not think 20014 is far off from Orwell’s 1984.

  Somehow, people believe that making nice to the tiger diminishes its’ appetite. We end up making the victim the bad guy, and the good guys who are working furiously to assure the safety of our country are the scapegoats for injustice.

  What a strange and dangerous world we live in!

  Permit me to share with you a story of the motorist who came to a busy intersection and could not decide how to proceed. The traffic lights turned from red to green to amber three times while he was trying to make up his mind. At last the traffic policeman came over to him and asked ‘What’s the matter Sir, don’t we have the color you like?” Is this dilemma a parable of life? Many of us find ourselves, repeatedly, at moral and ethical crossroads and sorrowfully we have lost our sense of direction.

  The question I pose to all of us, “How to proceed to reach our life’s destination successfully?”

   Our Torah reading this week, Pashas Vayigash, relates that after 22 years of separation, Joseph, finally, meets up with his brothers. They stood face to face and his brothers did not realize that the viceroy of Egypt was Joseph their brother whom they sold into slavery. Suddenly and unexpectedly they heard these frightening words.  אני יוסף אחיכם אשר מכרתם אתי מצרימה

   “I am Joseph your brother whom you have sold into slavery in Egypt”   

  What a day of Judgment, what a dramatic outcome! Mind you, Joseph did not rebuke or threaten his brothers.  He merely reminded them of what they did by saying, “I am Joseph your brother.  In spite of what you did, I am still your brother. But now I am not the helpless brother, but rather Joseph the Viceroy. G-d had different plans for me and you were merely the pawns of Hashem.”

  This truth stares the brothers in their faces.  This type of retribution can serve for greater feelings of admonition by Joseph  just looking at them,  resulting  in a more dramatic way for acts of Teshuvah,

   In a like manner, the truth stares us in the face, when evil rears its ugly head.  All we need is to have Joseph’s attitude, “ I am Joseph the messenger of G-d – remember who I am!” In our society we need to make a similar declaration;   “I am a man of G-d, I am a human being!  Remember me.!”  In this way we can change the course of the evil in our society.

   I implore The State of Israel to have this same attitude towards all of its enemies.  Let the dignitaries of the Israeli Government state, “Remember me?  I am Joseph.  I stand against all acts of terrorism.   Let the world not forget!  I am Joseph/I am the Jew who will not permit evil to exist in our country.”

  Remember well, “Hate spreads like a wild fire and makes no distinction when it strikes. It, sorrowfully, take the innocent along with everyone else.”

  Do not stand by idly when wrong and evil exists in our midst.  We need to state unequivocally, “I am Joseph your Brother! I am a messenger of G-d, a messenger of peace, security and brotherly love.

    May we continue to be inspired by the Holiday of Chanukah and may our lights of inspiration burn brightly in our hearts leading to an everlasting peace for humanity.

REDEDICATION

             As we light our Chanukah Menorah I see the tapers as our 'message ambassadors' to enlighten our way to a world of spirituality.

      The message is clear and unambiguous.  It is a message of non-conformity. The victory of yesterday which we commemorate on Chanukah is  a victory  of traditional Judaism over hellinization of our Judaic way of life.

    The Maccabees reaffirmed and re-educated themselves to the belief and observances of traditional Judaism. They were sending a message to the world - the Jewish people will not conform to the mores of modern society and their way of life. We will light the menorah and these little lights of inspiration will tell the world we are nonconformists when it comes to our religious beliefs. We will maintain our way of life and deny the tide of assimilation.  We will maintain our individuality with pride and bring the light of Yiddishkeit to the world. 

    We need to light the menorah  מהדרין מן המהדרין ,suggesting that the proper way of lighting Chanukah candles is to have every member of the family involved, and to encourage everyone to bask in the light of Torah and Mitzvot.

    In our Parsha this week we read about יוסף הצדיק.  Like the Maccabees, Yosef was truly a non conformist in denying any intrusion into maintaining his way of life taught to him by his father Jacob - even in Egypt where he was its leader.

     As we light our Menorah and recite הנרות הללו קודש הם, 'the candles are holy', let us affirm that we, as a People are equally Holy. To maintain our  קדושה, we must never conform to the mores of the society and always be who we are--loyal Jews to our Torah way of life.

    Wishing everyone a Freilichan and Inspirational Chanukah.

DREAMS

Our Parsha this week discusses the relationship between Joseph and his brothers. Joseph had two dreams, two visions. He dreamt of his אלומת, sheaves, which rose and stood up high while the sheaves of his brothers came and bowed down to him. Then he dreamt of the sun and the moon and the stars bowing down to him. These dreams angered his brothers greatly and aroused much envy.

The Rav, Rabbi Soloveitcik זצ׳ל, interprets these two visions in a truly insightful way. He says that the first dream speaks of material and economic power. The second dream revolved around the spiritual greatness - of achieving great spirituality which was evident by the heavenly grandeur that was seen in this vision.

The Rav seems to probe the qualities of man and wonders, "Can man achieve  and fulfill both dreams in life?" Can one truly be successful in the economic and material world and at the same time achieve a life of spirituality and ethics.

Yosef was sure that this could be done and as his life progressed we see that he did fulfill both these visions in a magnificent way, albeit under great hardship.  I sense, for this enormous accomplishment, Yosef is referred to as יוסף הצדיק.

The Rav also points out that the כתונת פסים , the multi colored coat that Jacob made for Joseph , alludes to this multifaceted life expierences of combining the materialistic and the spiritual in our lives and finding success in both fields of endeavor.

  מעשה אבות סימן לבנים , we need to use יוסף as our model in our life and especially in the lives of our children. We need to show them that we can live in our modern world and be a success in any endeavor that we choose and at the same time hold tenaciously and proudly to the ways of our Torah and to the ethics that our Judaic way promulgates to us. 

The dreams of Joseph must become our reality to assure our Torah oriented way of life will be our glorious future.

As we approach the holiday of Chanukah, this lesson is extremely important as we light the Chanukah candles and recite הנרות הללו קדש הם, these lights are holy for they represent the spirituality and religiosity that dispels the darkness of alienation and assimilation.  

Chanukah means dedication and with the influence of Yosef,  we will  infiltrate our lives with spirituality and worldly achievement.

Remembering well that Yosef was always a dreamer and as long as he dreamed of a glorious time for the Jewish People  then hopefully they will find their salvation.

Let us keep this dream alive. Through our passion we will nurture our dreams of peace and security.

May the glow of our Chanukah candles illuminate our lives with meaning and purpose and brotherly love and to be זוכה,once again, to light the Menorah in our Holy בית המקדש in ירושלים.

( This D'var  Torah is written לעלוי נשמת אליעזר צבי בן חנא יהודה ליב )

GOING HOME

The more we study Torah and Jewish Philosophy, the more we begin to appreciate that G-D has provided us with insights that help us to discern between right and wrong and thereby become empowered to make the right decisions in life.

Rabbi Nachman taught; "All sin is rooted from a persons inner unhappiness." 

A person would not run after all kinds of worldly pleasures if he was truly happy and satisfied with his situation. It is ones' inner unhappiness that causes a person to run after material pleasures of this world. The evil inclination always tries to work on a person's mind to make him unhappy and dissatisfied with what he has. 
The way to drive away these forces of evil is through happiness. 

The Parsha this week tells how Jacob is running away from Lavan , fearing his encounter with his brother. Esau, bringing him much 
anxiety.  All Jacob wishes, at this point, is to "go home". He is unhappy in his exile and the שרו של עשו wants to hold him back from "going home."

Robert Frost wrote; "Home is when you go there, they have to let you in".

Jacob appears lonely.  The way to remove his loneliness is to take his family home, the place which he was forced to leave and now finally has the courage to return to.

We, the descendants of Jacob have, for so many years, prayed and beseeched the Almighty to take us home, out of this Galut of hatred and anti Semitism. Baruch Hashem our Prayers have been answered and we are "going home"- home to our homeland to our promised land. 

Just as Yaakov encountered many obstacles on the road home, so have we been faced and continue to face many enemies who have tried to deter us from "going home". Like Jacob did after his encounter with שרו של עשו, we have assumed the name of ישראל and with our acts of courage and fortitude, finally, have arrived home.

How apropos that יעקב referred to the place of the בית המקדש as ״בית״, a home.

I sense that Jacob's  motivation in life was always to "go home" "and thus in his desire to "go home" he achieved a state of happiness which had eluded him for so many years.

Happiness lies at the intersection between pleasure and meaning.
True happiness is an expression of our gratitude for our life and to savor the wonderful things in life.

"Dream as if you have forever. Live as if you only have today"

The most precious ability we possess is the power of vision. It helps us to chart new ways, opening up new avenues of action. It gives us the opportunity to live better lives. What can be better than the ability to "go home?"

GRATITUDE

Today my mind turns to gratitude and feelings of appreciation. I remember a prayer that I once read “You have given so much to me. Give me one more thing- a grateful heart” We must continuously express gratitude whenever possible. Too often we take our lives for granted. Learn to appreciate and savor the wonderful things in life, from the the people we know, to the food we eat, from nature and from a simple smile.

As I look around, I begin to realize more and more a need to cultivate the art of appreciation and gratitude. A simple “ thank you “ can go a long way in bringing people closer together and to form greater bonds of friendship.

 

We are to express our appreciation, sincerely, without the expectation of anything in return. When we truly appreciate those around us we will soonfind many who will surround us.  When we truly appreciate life, we will find that we have more of it.

 

The question I pose; "Do we appreciate what we have and do we show our appreciation to others?"

 

A few months ago, I read about Walter Davis, thirty three years of age, who was divorced from his wife, Barbara. He enlisted the aid of a computer dating service in his search for a new mate. He filled out a lengthy questionnaire in which he provided a great deal of information about himself and about the qualities he sought for in a wife.

 

The computer ran through thirty thousand prospects and then came up with four names. The first name on the list was that of Barbara, his former wife. She had filed a similar form with the same computer dating service.

 

This story is worth pondering; "Why do we not appreciate what we have and only do so after its absence?"

 

This thought is so apropos for all of us today.  Just think, that the first thing we do when we arise in the morning is to utter the beautiful Tefillah “Modeh Ani", expressing a great sense of gratitude for life itself, which Hashem grants us every day.

 

In this week’s Sedrah, Vayetzeh, we read of how Leah, the wife of Yaakov, after giving birth to her fourth son, names him Yehudah. Why? Because הפעם אודה את הדי "This time I will praise Hashem"

 

The Gemara says that Leah had a grateful nature. She took charge of the scepter of gratitude and bequeathed it to her offspring. Leah taught us well the true feeling of profound gratitude to Hashem and to appreciate all that life has to offer us and never, never, to take anything for granted.

 

Through Leah's personality and her strong demeanor, and surely her life of Appreciation, the Jewish People were deemed worthy to be called "Yehudim". Especially, when we realize that in the name יהודים, the ineffable name of G-D,  שם הוי  is reflected as it shines forth on the Jewish People.

Thereby, the destiny of the Jew is forever linked to the Divine Name, a name that bespeaks Gratitude and Appreciation. What a magnificent heritage to be blessed with. All that it entails is that we appreciate what we have and show our gratitude for the blessings of life.

                     .............. מודים אנחנו לך על חיינו המסורים בידך

 

Feelings of despondency continue to overwhelm me as I reflect on the horrific murderous act that took place in a Har Nof Synagogue. We inevitably rise up in desperation and cry out “What is life all about"? In our despondency we find that it is hard for us to move on and it is at that precise moment, our Emunah kicks in  and we say “In spite of it all”, “מודים אנחנו לך.” We gather whatever strength we have and hope that tomorrow will be a better time for K'lal Yisroel because we hold dear the legacy of Mother Leah in expressing our deep gratitude to Hashem.

 

This terrible and frightful awakening experience brought forth greater realizations for our need to cherish the gift of life and to embrace it with more love and compassion, and to forge a greater bond of Achdut with each other, for, סוף כל סוף, all we have is each other.

 

The words of Dovid Hamelech, ring out to us,

הודו להי כי טוב כי לעולם חסדו "Give thanks to Hashem for He is good and His love lasts forever."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JEWISH BLOOD IS NOT CHEAP

The tears of our hearts continue to flow unabaitantly for the victims of the modern day Holocaust that took place in a synagogue in Har Nof.

 

    I searched for words of consolation and for Chizuk in this most devastating and demonizing hour for our brethren in Israel, but, I am sorry to say, the words were not forthcoming. Then I searched and found in this weeks Parsha, the words that Yitzchak said to Yaakov when Yaakov came to be blessed  הקול קול יעקב והידים ידי עשו. Yitzchak did not realize that he was foretelling the future, that at the moment when “Our Jacobs” were davening and uttering the words of Shemone Esray, the beast Esauv/Moslem murderers would come with their evil hands and murder innocent, pure and righteous Jews in a most demonic way.

 

   One of the murdered victims was Rabbi Moshe Twersky, the grandson of our Rebbe, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik. A colleague reminded me of a statement the Rav wrote in the year 1960 in  “Kol Dodi Dofek”, which best sums up my feelings at this hour and needs to be read by world Jewry.

 "the fifth knock of the Beloved is perhaps the most important. For the first time in the annals of exile, Divine Providence has amazed our enemies with the astounding discovery that Jewish blood is not cheap. G-D did not seek honor and recognition. He wanted Pharoah, Moshe’s contemporary, to know that he must pay a high price for his edict that "Every male child born shall be cast into the river". His present desire is that the blood of the Jewish children who were slain, as they recited the

eighteen benedictions of the daily Amidah prayer, shall also be avenged. When G-D smote the Egyptians, He sought to demonstrate that there will always be accountability for the spilling of Jewish blood. At present, it is necessary not only to convince the dictator of Egypt, Nasser, but the self righteous Nehru, the Foreign Office in London, and the sanctimonious members of the United Nations that Jewish blood is not cheap. A people that cannot defend its freedom and tranquility is neither free nor independent".

 

It is frightening that the Rav said this many years ago and here we are today experiencing those self same feelings.

I will let the words of the Rav speak for themselves.

I pray that the injured should have a Refuah Sh’leymah.

May our Kedoshim find repose in Gan Eden.

May we herald the coming of the Meshiach, who will bring Peace and Tranqulity to the Jewish People and to the State of Israel.

WHO ARE WE? גר ותושב

As we continue to read Sefer Beraishis, one Medrash stands out in my mind as we strive to understand the entire story of creation and the ensuing lives of our Patriarchs and Matriarchs.

 

The Medrash states “Adam was created last by Hashem after all else was created, in order to prove to mankind that man was G-D's crowning glory at creation. ” By this act, Hashem proclaims to the world, that every person, whoever they may be, is most significant and important and precious in His eyes."

 

 The life of a Jew is unique and can best be understood when experienced.

 

I read recently, when Moshe Dayan was asked ‘What he was? he replied, “First I am Moshe and then I am General Dayan".

 

He was simply saying, ‘My first name Moshe is Hebrew and of historic origin and I belong to the Jewish People. Then I am Israeli, with a specific responsibility to the State of Israel."

 

The question for all to answer, ‘How do we identify ourselves?’

 

In this week’s Parsha, Chayeh Sarah, when Avraham was negotiating with  Bnei Cheis for Maarat Hamachpala as a burial place for Sarah he identifies himself in a fascinating way “גר ותושב אנכי עמכם” "I am a stranger and a resident among you." With these unique and strange combination of words, Avraham was reiterating how he saw himself vis a vis others in his generation and equally reflecting the historic destiny of the Jewish People.

 

The Rav, Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik zt”l, suggests the following idea as Jews see themselves in our American society – He writes, ”It is true I am one of you, as I engage in business as you do , I speak your language, and I take full part in your social and economic institutions and in these aspects I am a resident in your community. However, at the same time I am a foreigner, a Geir.  I belong to a particular world - one that is completely foreign to you. It is a world where I am one with the Creator. We live within a tradition that you do not understand, with spiritual values that are strange to you. We live in a world of Torah, of loving kindness, of sanctity, and purity. You live differently, pray differently, and observe your Sabbath differently. In all these aspects, I am a Geir in your midst”.

 

Reflecting on the Rav’s remarks we, as Americans, will continue to dialogue with loyal citizens of our country and at all times maintain our strict observance of Torah and Mitzvot.

 

As Jews in the Diaspora the world does not understand our loyalty and dedication to the State of Israel.  But we will continue to muster all our efforts for the survival of our Jewish State.  We hope and pray that the world powers will recognize the importance of the State of Israel, not only for the Jewish People but for all persons throughout the universe. The world must know that the State of Israel will continue to grow and thrive, and we, the so called Geirim, in their midst, will continue to speak out on it’s behalf.

 

The expression of being a stranger and a citizen may seem antithetical, but it is our way of declaring who we are and with pride maintain that magnificent Jewish Identity.

 

Who are we?        גר ותושב !!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

WORDS OF INSPIRATION

Permit me to share with you a statement made by Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, a great spiritual leader of the Jewish People and a profound Jewish Thinker.

 

"There is one who sings the songs of his own self and in himself finds everything. Then there is the one who sings the song of his people and cleaves with a tender love to Israel. And there is one whose spirit is in all worlds, and with all of them does he join in his song. The song of self, the song of One’s people, the song of man, the song of the world-they all merge within him continually. And this song, in its completeness and fullness, rises to become the song of Holiness."

 

These words of inspiration ring out to all humanity, with the simple question; “What song do we have in our lives that bespeaks the essence of our existence?”

 

More so, my quest is; “What song was in the hearts and minds of our patriarchs, especially in the heart and mind of our Father Avraham.”

 

I pose this question as we read in this week’s Parsha the story of the Akedah, when Avraham was asked by Hashem to bring his beloved son Yitzchak as an offering, attesting to his loyalty and unequivocal obedience to G-D'S behest.

 

I find the entire Akedah episode very difficult to comprehend because the Torah gives no description of Avraham’s state of mind or his feelings at this trying time. I do not see any conversation taking place, except when the Torah states "And Avraham rose early in the morning and went to the place of which G-D had told him".

 

One wonders ‘What were the inner thoughts, feelings and reactions of Avraham to such a severe Nisayon?’

 

A most enigmatic Medrash addresses Avraham’s dilemma as he walks with Yitzchak to fulfill the wishes of Hashem.

 

The Medrash relates; “The Satan appeared in different guises with the intention of dissuading Avraham from fulfilling his task. The Satan, in a very nefarious, way tries to show him the absurdity of such a venture.”

 

As I begin to think of the significance of this Medrash, I venture to say, that it may be a symbolic representation of an internal struggle that was taking place in the psychic of Avraham as he begins to realize more and more as he is rapidly approaches Mt. Moriah of the dire consequence of this mission.  However, his immense loyalty and dedication to Hashem energizes him to fend off all the efforts of the Satan and of his inner struggle and to forge ahead with his mission,  hoping, deep down in his heart and mind that the end result of such a Nisayon will be to his benefit.

 

Many of us face ‘Inner Struggle Forces’ which often deter us from our mission and our Tafkid in life.  We must, with all the energies we can muster, to fend off our ‘Inner Struggles’ that will take us off our path,  leading to success and to happiness.

 

Once again remembering the words of Rav Kook, “We all have a song of life that needs to be expressed and we must strive to sing that song that will continue to influence the way we live and to always be vigilant never to permit the Satans of negativity to block our road of achieving our spiritual goals for ourselves, for our families and for K'lal Yisrael.”

 

 

 

OUR TRAVELOGUE OF LIFE

 It is written, “Nothing ever becomes real until it is experienced”.

 For Mimi and me the Yom Tov of Succot became the ultimate reality when, for the first time, we celebrated Succot in the Holy City of Yerushalayim. The experience was exhilarating and spiritually enriching as we Davened at the Kotel and was Menaaneiah, with our Lulav and Esrog as they must have done in the time of the Beit Hamikdash. This was the true highlight of our visit to our Jewish State.

We bring back, with us, this all embracing sense of Kedusha and pray that we will be continuously  inspired by this beautiful experience.

 How often do we travel in life and wonder “Where will our travels lead to?”

I remember reading a comical story of a group of Girl Scouts going on a hike and their leader was instructing them what to do if they got lost. “Remember, he said, always walk towards the light, and the glow will tell you where the nearest shopping mall is.”

Life indeed is our travelogue, where we have been, where we are now and where we are heading.

 Avraham, was, indeed, a traveler, as we read in this week’s Parsha.   Hashem tells Avraham“Lech Lecha". Leave your parents home and travel to a new and strange land that I will show you.”

That was the first time we read about Lech Lecha in the Torah.  Avraham was directed byHashem to leave the environment that would be detrimental to his family and hinder their spiritual progress.  However, as the Medrash states there was a second Lech Lecha – this was the directive Hashem gave to to  Avraham to go to Har Hamorea and "Kach Et Bincha"– you need to take your progenitors with you on this trek to achieve the greatest heights of spirituality.

I sense in life that we are all travelers. We need to follow the directives of Hashem to leave from a place that is detrimental to us and our families. At all times we need to know where we are going and what  our destination will be to assure a life of success and brachot.

Like Avraham, our travelogue needs to take us to Har Hamorea, to a place of 

G-Dliness and blessing.

This is our lesson in life : to leave behind us any obstacles that will hinder our religious and spiritual progress and to forge a goal that will bring our families with us as we ascend to more magnificent heights of Yiddishkeit and a Torah way of life.

   On a more Philosophical level, the expression Lech Lecha can be interpreted as, go unto yourself, search yourself for the answers of your life’s quest. Too often we are searching for the right Derech and to be motivated in the right way and all along the answers are within us, if only we would take the time and the effort to look within ourselves. We are so busy with so many things in life that we are ignoring the essence of life which is within us. Know my friends, “To do good in this world, first we must know who we are and what gives meaning in our life”. This is what Hashem is saying to everyone, Lech Lecha, go unto yourself and all the mysteries of life will be uncovered. This above all, ‘To thine own self be true’. We must use our lives to make the world a better place.

This is our journey in life, to be one with ourselves. Good character consists of knowing the good, desiring the good, and doing the good.

We must make the most of ourselves, for that is all there is of us.

Using Avraham as our emulating example, let us remember that to be a part of his life we must endeavor to live a life of Chesed,  of Tzedek,  of moral convictions that will lead us toHar Hamorea,  and to, eventually,  build the   Beit Hamikdash in our time, which will herald a time of Peace and Menucha for Am Yisrael.

 

עולה רגל

    I want to express a tremendous Hakoras Hatov to Hashem for the great Z'chut of celebrating the Yom Hakadosh of Yom Kippur and the forthcoming Yom Tov of Succot in עיר הקודש, our Holy Land of Israel.
    The awe inspiring feeling of reciting the Avodah and falling Korim in Yerushlayim gives one the opportunity of re-enacting the entire service as was experienced In the time of the Beit Hamikdash.
    It is difficult to describe my emotions in words as I became so engrossed in the performance of the Mitzvot of the day.  These feelings engulfed my whole being as I davened knowing that I was במקום קדוש. 
Then, to recite קידוש לבנה in Israel was very special.  It appeared to me that the moon in Jerusalem is a different moon, to be expierenced only in Hashem's selected place.
  I am now preparing for the holiday of Succot to fulfill the Mitzvah of Oleh Regel, with my Esrog and Lulav in hand as they did in the time of the Beit Hamikdash.  What greater Spiritual joy can there be?
  I am anticipating the  experience of sitting and eating in the Succah in Yerushlayim directly opposite Ir Dovid, the city where King David had his palace and conducted his affairs on behalf of the Jewish People, and recite the special Tefillah in the Bercaz Hamazon, הרחמן הוא יקים לנו את סוכת דוד הנופלת, "Beseech the Almighty to restore the fallen Succah of King David." We are praying that the monarchy of David be restored and that it will be the time for the Moshiach to herald a period of peace and prosperity and the building of Bayit S'hleishei - bringing about the fulfillment of Hashem returning to His Holy dwelling place once again. Awesome. Very Awesome!!!
     There is no place like Israel, which gives a Jew a true feeling of  connection to all that is Holy and inspirational. Israel is bringing many lost Neshamos back to Yiddishkeit and a Torah way of life, especially for the youth of today. True, we can observe our tradition and the laws of Torah in any part of the world , but there is no place like Yerushalyim to feel the presence of G-D, especially as we stand at the Kotel Hamaravi, glaring up at its top and searching for Hashem to rebuild His glorious house for all Jews to unite once again under the banner of Torah in brotherly love.
 May this year see the" Restoration of the fallen Succah of Dovid "and to herald the arrival of Moshiach Tzidkanu.


Sent from my iPad

DAYS OF INTROSPECTION

As we begin to recite Slichot this Sunday , my mind turns towards our preparations for the Yom Tov of Rosh Hashana.
Socrates, the Greek philosopher, was also celebrated as a teacher.  One day an arrogant young man came to him and said, "Great teacher, I wish to acquire learning."  The philosopher appraised the young man critically and said, "Follow me."
Together, they left the house and walked through the city until they came to a small river.  Socrates beckoned the would-be student to follow him into the water.  When they were in the middle of the river, the philosopher pushed the youth's head under water and held it down for some time.
When he released him Socrates asked, "When you were struggling in the water what did you desire most?"
"Learning, oh master," replied  the student.  Again Socrates pushed the young man's head under the water for a long time and again asked what his greatest desire was.
"Learning," panted the young man.  Again Socrates pushed him under the water and held him there until he ceased to struggle.  Then pulling him from the water, he asked,  "and now what was your greatest desire?"  The young man gasped, "air."

Socrates smiled and said, " when you desire learning as much as you desire air you shall have it."

As we experience this High Holy Day period, the holiest time of the year, we find ourselves in another spiritual climate as we stand in reverence before G-D.  Instead of feeling that religious observance as an afterthought, or that religion is an accessory of life, we desire, as did the drowning man, faith as the breath of life.

During this time of year, our blurred vision is properly focused and the main distractions and prejudices of the year disappear.  We see a new light of understanding and a light of the spirit.

Penitently, we pray to the Almighty, asking His help and guidance in transforming ourselves so that religion will become as important to us as it had ever been to our parents and our grandparents.

There is a spirituality electrifying mood in the synagogue on Rosh Hashanah . If, during the year our heads are under the water of business and material gain, on Rosh Hashana we come up for spiritual air.

The call goes out from the Almighty to each one, "Oh, you  Jewish men and women, remember your responsibilities to your G-D, to your children and to your community.  Remember that you have an obligation to help build and to maintain the sanctuary that is your Jewish Home.

It is during these turbulent times that greater introspection into our personal lives is required and understandably greater D'Vekut Ba'shem.

As we approach these  days of awe, let us be mindful of this great opportunity that is presented to us , an opportunity to bring changes into our spiritual lives that will usher in a new era of peace and tranquility for ourselves and for  Klall Yisrael.
                                             לשנה טובה


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שמחת לב

 As we approach the Yom Tov of Rosh Hashanah my mantra is “Do what you love and love what you do."

 

Isaac Asimov, the prolific writer, during an interview with Barbara Walters was asked, “How many books did you write?”

He replied, “I don't remember the total, but it was some astronomic figure, but I am sure they were outdated within a short time.”

She was very impressed and asked him "Don't you ever want to do anything but write?" His answer was, "No."

She pressed him again, “Don't you ever want to go fishing, or hunting, or dancing, or hiking?

Again, his answer was, “No.”

Ms. Walters continued, “But what would you do if the doctor told you that you have only six months to live?"

Asimov replied, "Type faster".

That was a man who was happy doing what he was doing, and that is the secret of life.

 

The question I pose, “Are we happy in what we are doing?”

Remember well, Destiny is not a matter of chance, it's a matter of choice.

 

Our Torah portion this week is Ki Tavo, wherein we read 

״ושמחת בכל הטוב אשר נתן לך הי אלוקיך ולביתך ....״

"You shall rejoice in all the good that The Lord your G-D has granted you and your family"

 

Rav Kook defines Simcha as “Something that comes from the perception that someunexpected gift has befallen us. We feel joy in serving Hashem when we are aware of the tremendous privilege in being able to connect to G-D - a gift far beyond our true level. Awareness of this amazing gift, while at the same time feeling that our service is appropriate and suitable, allows us to feel both Simcha and Tov Lev.

This connection is a result of recognizing the divine source of our soul and it's inherent holiness, even though it may have become somewhat mundane through contact with the material world.

 

However, there are times when In the midst of Great Joy the world comes crumbling down upon us as a result of an evil that lurks in the dark that has resided in our midst. 

This was evident on September 11, 2001.  It is a day etched in our memory of horrors.

Who can ever forget that day of infamy when  our twin towers were taken down by ruthless murdering terrorists, who took innocent lives, only because they were Americans who lived by the sacred belief in the holiness and preservation of mankind.

 

In the midst of this mourning experience we continue to search for the true meaning of life. We search for happiness. We search for Simcha.

 

In our search we begin to realize that life is in the living. Life is in the tissue of every day and hour of our existence. With these thoughts in mind we begin to prioritize our goals and aspirations for ourselves and for our families.

 

Dovid Hamelech said it well, "Blessed be Hashem for everyday".

 

This idea is brought home in Thornton Wilders’ most poignant drama, Our Town. He relates how the main character of the book, Emily, is permitted to relive a day of her childhood, even after her death. When she does, she begins to realize how she failed to appreciate how beautiful her life was and then cries out, “Life goes so fast that we do not appreciate every moment.  We don't have time to look at one another, to see the beauty around us, to appreciate our Mama and Papa, our new ironed dresses and the delicious food that Mama prepared for us. Do any human beings even realize life while they live it? Every minute, every minute?."

 

 Indeed, at these times we begin to think of how to invest our time? We are encouraged that every dawn that ushers in a new day is an opportunity to live life in such a positive way that as we look back we have no regrets of what we didn't do - but rather feel great Simcha in what we did do, to make life more meaningful and more productive.

 

Simcha to me is what we bring to life that counts, not just what life throws at us.

Happiness is a state of mind and it lies within each one of us and sometimes we need to dig deeper into ourselves to find it, the result is truly, worthwhile.

 

Permit me to conclude with a story that emphasis this idea; A man once stood on a hill overlooking a valley and In the distance he saw a golden mountain. Overawed by what he saw he hiked to that impressive mountain. After climbing the mountain he discovered that the mountain from which he descended was now gleaming and that it was really the sun rays which made it glow.

 

Too often we see Simcha on the other mountain while all along it was within ourselves. 

 

We are all Blessed, for we possess the source of our Happiness. Blessed is the one who can find that Simcha.

LOVERS AND FRIENDS

Permit me at this time to become more personal in my remarks as I prepare for the wedding of our beloved and charming granddaughter Deena to a wonderful young man with outstanding medot Lipa Liebhard.  
Our Torah reading this week, Parshas Ki Tetseh, encourages us to find a suitable mate and to get married as it is written כי יקח איש אשה.
Marriage was the blessing of G-D when he said to Adam, in the Garden of Eden,  לא טוב היות אדם לבדו, "It is not good for a person to be alone", and so Hashem created Eve to be Adam's Partner in life. Working, harmoniously together they achieved much more than they would individually.
Marriage is not two solo acts, but more so, it is a duet that operates with great love for one another. The beauty of marriage is the readiness on the part of husband and wife to help each other to achieve their hopes and dreams and together in life they become one with each other in a life of happiness and contentment.
It is true, marriages are made in heaven, but successful marriages are made on earth. 

The ultimate goal in marriage is to create a life wherein husband and wife rejoice together.
In order to build marital harmony, a couple must set aside and invest quality time  in their relationship.
The Torah encourages that time, which is one's most precious commodity, be reserved for their respective mates. Marriage encourages the fulfillment of becoming רעים אהובים, not only lovers but to create a strong and everlasting bond of friendship. Marital love requires time to ripen and to blossom and it often needs understanding and patience.
Only with time and effort does emotional and spiritual interdependence flourish in a blessed way.
Chazal were quick to point out that the Hebrew word for man and woman איש and אשה  have almost the identical letters except for the letters, י and ה, which are letters used for the name of G-D, suggesting that איש ואשה שכינה שרויה בינהם "When man and woman dwell in peace and harmony, Hashem dwells with them and bestows His Brachot upon them."
I sense more and more that our society needs more  שלום בית - more love and giving and forgiving,

merging two lives into one without submerging either's individuality or personality, but rather uniting all respective traits into one glorious unit.
To achieve a beautiful life, together, husband and wife need to orient themselves to unconditional love and commitment .
I read recently about a young husband dreaming of his future career,and turned to his wife and said,"My dear, I'm going to work hard so that someday we will be wealthy".
The wife quickly responded "We are wealthy, we have each other with great love and understanding. Someday, maybe we will have money and be rich".

My blessings of Mazal and Brachot go to our children, Miriam and Avraham and hope and pray that they will continue to have Nachas from the newly married couple and may Mazal and Brachot reign in our family for many years to come.


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RESPONSIBILITY

An employer interviewing an applicant for a position said to the candidate, “For this job we need a responsible man.” The applicant responded, “Then you want me, because everywhere I worked, whenever something went wrong they said I was responsible.”

 Funny as this may seem, the question we need to pose to ourselves:” Are we truly responsible for our life’s decisions?”

Responsibility means; ‘The ability to respond to life’s demands. How we respond will determine life’s requirements.’

Abraham Heschel noted that the Hebrew word for “Responsibility” is “Achrayut,” and the word for “Freedom” is “Cherut.” He then suggested that only the free man is responsible, for it is the responsible man who is truly free.

Ultimately, personal freedom demands a voluntary acceptance of accountability. As Jews, we are to be proud.  It was the Jew who brought the concept of freedom to mankind and consequently demanded man to be responsible for his life’s actions.

This thought comes to mind as we read the last few sentences in this week’s Parsha of SHOFTIM. Herein, we are told of the law of Eglah Arufah - when a murdered man is found in an open field and the murderer is not known there is an act of expiation performed by the elders and the judges and the people of the city nearest to where the crime took place. Then there is a ritual ceremony with a heifer. After this act of expiation, the elders and the judges and people of the city wash their hands and are required to declare;

ידינו לא שפכו את הדם הזה ועינינו לא ראו

“Our hands have not shed this blood nor have our eyes seen it, forgive us O’Lord.

 ואתה תבער הדם הנקי מקרבך כי תעשה הישר בעיני הי 

“So shall you put away the innocent blood from your midst when you do what is right in the eyes of Hashem”  

This is an amazing doctrine, for we are sure that the leaders of the Jewish People would not spill innocent blood and yet the Torah requires the leader’s to go through this ritual and declare their innocence.  The idea is very cogent in a true and safe society. In Judaism, all of society, especially the leaders, are responsible for “that which happens in our midst”. We cannot claim we did not know about it.  On the contrary, to prevent  crime and mistreatment to our fellow man is the responsibility of all, especially our leaders. Beyond this, we are all affected by this act of indifference and cruelty, not only the victim. These are critical times and all of us must share responsibility and we cannot, and more so, we must not absolve ourselves from the blame.

It is important to begin to take responsibility, and to confront our social and religious obligations that have influenced us in the past and to act, in such, that will build a glorious future for the People of Israel.

The first sentence in the Parsha when it speaks of appointing Shoftim, Judges ,

Chazal say,

קשוט עצמך ואחר כך קשוט לאחרים 

“First we need to be introspective into our own behavior”

Life is in our hands and we are to do the most with this Blessing of Life that Hashem has granted us.

 With a strong belief in Hashem and in ourselves we will be able to rid our society of its evils and we will never need to come to fulfill the directive of Eglah Arufah.

To begin this process of a beneficent society we need to take responsibility for our lives and, in doing so, our lives will be blessed.

During the month of Ellul, the Shofar is blown, every day, to awaken us to greater spirituality and to open our hearts to our fellowman in true fellowship.        

WE can make the Ordinary - Extraordinary, by bringing Holiness into our lives.     

Permit me to share with you the following story; 

The Baal Shem Tov asked a man “Why is a fast  horse worth ten times as much as a slow horse?” 

“Because he runs ten times as fast” was the reply.

“Yes” said the Besht ,” but if he loses his way, he loses it ten times as fast.”

For a moment the man was dumfounded – and the Baal Shem Tov continued, “But do not forget that when he finds the right road, he makes up for lost time ten times as fast.”

The right road is to live a life resplendent with אהבת הי ואהבת הבריות 

Love of G-D and  Love of man.