GO FORTH

    As we begin Sefer שמות, we.  are introduced, for the first time, to our great liberator, our masterful teacher, the ultimate representative and messenger of G-D, our beloved  משה רבינו.  Moshe was unique in every way.  His personal characteristics reflected a combination of attributes and standards for all of us to follow.  Moshe was the first to lead the Jewish People into history and has remained, for everlasting time, our inspiration and our emulating example, enriching our spiritual lives.

   Moshe showed us that Judaism is not only theology but a way of life that projects our actions as an expression of the will of Hashem that has become our Judaic hallmark throughout history. 

   The Torah states   ויצא אל אחיו "Moshe grew and went forth to his brethren and saw their burdens." The most crucial word is ויצא, "He went forth." Moshe was not content to live within his own environment. He went forth to see how others lived. He wanted to be able to influence his society to improve their way of life . 

    Too often people become prisoners of their own narrow environment, of their specific economic and social group, oblivious to what is happening around them. There is a need, as Moshe did, to ויצא, to move out of oneself, out of ones own personal interests and become less trapped by ones egos and open ones eyes and hearts to the needs of others.  

    This ויצא, takes  us out of the "I" and brings us into the "We", thereby forging a stronger אחדות between man and his fellow man.

  Moshe could have been living a more luxurious life in the palace of Pharoah, but his strong sense of Humanity and  his recognition of his identity with his people drew him out into the world of his brethren.  He began to identify with the woes of others and found a new life, a life worthy of reaching out. 

    Moshe reacted with his heart and eyes.  He reacted to their pain and acted upon their suffering, even to the extent of putting his life in jeopardy.

  Moshe had a throne, but he lost it and gained immortality for the sake of the betterment of his people.  In doing so he became the celestial flame igniting the Jewish world with great spirituality that has sustained Judaism's vibrancy down through the ages. 

   Moshe is our Rebbe and has become our emulating figure, showing us the need to reach out to others and become less absorbed in ourselves. 

    Today is the yarzheit for my Beloved Mother 

ריבה בת יחיאל ע׳ה.  She was truly a person that personifies this concept of  ויצא.  Her life was always thinking of others and how she could be of help to her family and those around her. May her memory be a Blessing to everyone who was touched by her generosity and love. 

     

                                                   שבת שלום

ALL IN THE FAMILY

     I cannot emphasis, enough, the importance of the Jewish family.  The true Jewish family encompasses love, mutual help, understanding and growth to build the kind of attitude that will make self respecting and responsible human beings. Every, smoothly functioning society knows that family comes first.

     A home is the sanctuary where the real presence of family life and family love dwells.

     It is interested to note that our Torah reading this Shabbat Vayachi, tells us that Yaakov calls his Family together to give them a Bracha. He intimates that only when they avoid dissension will the Bracha be fulfilled. Yaakov seemed to be afraid that perhaps one of his children was unworthy and will not carry on his legacy and way of life into the future. His children, I am sure were dismayed that their father would think ill of anyone of them and not be assured that his legacy will go forth into future generations.

     To reassure their father they said in unison,  שמע ישראל הי אלוקינו הי אחד, fear not Israel our  father Jacob, we are all together and we will always continue  your legacy and  your tradition.  There will always be אחדות, in our family. When Yaakov heard their response he cried out with great jubilation   ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד.

     Like Yaakov, our father, when we recite the Shmah on a daily basis, we, equally, begin to reassure ourselves that our future is in tact and that we live with confidence that all is well in our respective families. However, the surety of such an outcome can only be attained if we put the effort into our family life to see to it that it grows with love and fidelity.

     The Rav emphasized that by developing proper human relations structures, the Jew learns how to love, revere, and serve G-D. The Rav goes on to say, that in our Jewish tradition, parents not only must impart formal knowledge to their children, but must form, with them, an existential union and provide them with a total experience that integrates them into the  covenantal Jewish community. 

     To achieve these goals in our Family institution requires submission to divine norms creating bonds of love amongst all the members of the family.

     Let us continue to strive to build our families with love and understanding.

                                                   שבת שלום 

 

JEWISH COURAGE

       A noted author defined courage as "The strength never to let actions be influenced by fears."  Courage does not mean 'not to be afraid, not to have any fears.'  Even the bravest of men have fears.  Courage means to let our sense of right lead us, not our sense of fear.

    It is in this light that the opening sentence of our Parsha this Shabbat, Vayigash, speaks to us; ויגש יהודה -

 יהודה approaches Joseph, the viceroy of Egypt. While everyone was afraid to speak up,while all others remained quiet qwhen injustice was being perpetrated, יהודה and יהודה alone  acted with courage and stepped forward to express his indignation over Joseph's action.

   Yehudah does not fear standing and acting alone when he sees wrong being done to his family. Too often people refuse to act even when they know it's wrong. They just don't want to get involved.  This is our greatest human frailty. 

    Curiously this self same idea was expressed by Joseph, when he informed his father that he was alive. He sent a message , עוד יוסף חי,  "Joseph is alive". והוא מושל בכל ארץ מצרים, "And he is master over Egypt". This added information was to inform his father that he was the master over Egypt, and he need not worry that Egypt and its culture rules over him, for he is still his son and holds dear to his teachings and his way of life. This took a great amount of courage and fortitude in a strange and alien country.  For this reason we refer to Joseph as יוסף הצדיק.

    How meaningful it is to see that, both, Yehudah and Joseph possessed a strong belief and courage to do the right thing without fear of being castigated by others.  Their greatness was defined by their willingness to stand firm in their opinions and their objectives of life which brought honor to themselves and honor to Hashem.

   It is not enough to bemoan the wrong that exists in our world.  It is incumbent upon all of us to have the courage to step forward and demand justice and to demand righteousness and to do whatever is necessary to right the wrongs and to live our lives in the spirit of G-Dliness.

     במקום שאין איש השתדל להיות איש

                                                   שבת שלום

    

HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

   We celebrate Rosh Chodesh Tevet this Shabbat and Sunday.  The month of Tevet, typically, does not get much attention,  It sneaks in between Chanukah and Purim, giving us a break between Fall and Winter

   It is interesting to note that the month of Tevet begins on Chanukah. Chanukah commemorates a time when, very briefly, we experienced the return of sovereignty of Torah and Divine guidance by open miracles and political independence.  But, almost, immediately after Chanukah, we are confronted by the memories of the long-term loss of these sovereignties, a depressing state from which we have yet to emerge.

   The Maharal, discusses the month of Tevet.  In the Megillah, we read that Tevet is the month in which Esther was taken to King Achasveirosh's palace.  "Esther was taken to the King Achasveirosh's to the house of his kingship in the tenth month, which is the month of Tevet,in the seventh year of his rule." (Esther 2:16).

   The Maharal questions why the Megillah needs to state, both, that it was the tenth month and that it was Tevet.  The Maharal explains that the use of these expressions was to inform us that it was a cold time on the calendar and the word Tevet indicates that this was the beginning of hope.  It was a time when  things appear very bleak, yet the appointment of Esther as Queen, the indications of a new, enlightened era exist.

   Following this idea, we can realize that the month of Tevet is the month in which Winter Solstice 

occurs - the shortest day of the year.  The days get shorter and shorter as we approach it, sinking the world further and further into despair.  However, as we saw with Esther and her success we can appreciate that after the Winter Solstice, the days begin to lengthen and Light begins to shine more onto the Earth each day.  We realize that 'There is a sense of hope in the darkness, of potential growth, of future brightness.

   This is the message of Tevet: "Don't despair."  Even when things are looking bleak, we know that the sun will shine brightly once again.  May we live to see the day when the Light of Hashem will be at its full power.

   To all, a Shabbat Shalom and a Frielechen Chanukah and may the lights of our Chanukah candles inspire us to bask in the light of Judaism and live with hope and optimism.

               חג שמח שבת שלום

CHANUKAH

    As we prepare for the Yom Tov of Chanukah, this thought came to mind:

    Chanukah is more than a mere historic date.  It conveys an important religious lesson and the interpretation of ideals which are of vital significance at ever age.  The message is evident as we light Chanukah candles every evening of the Yom Tov and recite “Hanerot Halaly Kodesh Haim V’ain Lanu Reshut Lehesh Tamesh Bahem.”  “These candles are holy and we are not permitted to make any use of them, we many only look at them.”  This statement reflects a difference between the Shabbat candles and the Chanukah candles.  That, unlike the Shabbat candles, which are used to illuminate the house,  the Chanukah candles are holy and what is holy can be used for one purpose only, to be gazed at and contemplated.

     There is something remarkable about this idea.  That which is holy many not be used for any other purpose, no matter how worthy the cause may be.  There are certain things that are valuable in and of themselves,  even if they serve no other function.  True, this may seem so un-American.  The ideal of America is to be practical and our guiding philosophy is pragmatism. The question we always pose in pursuing any course of action is of “what use is it?”  Otherwise it is useless.

     Chanukah takes exception to this.  The candles have no purpose, for they are holy.  This pragmatism must stop at the Menorah.  One should gaze at the light, contemplate what they represent and not exploit them for their own use.

     We need this lesson today.  Human life like the Chanukah lights may be enjoyed but not used, explored but not exploited.  Not to manipulate people for ulterior motives.  To do what is right, for it is the “holy” right and not always to act with the question of ‘What is in it for me?’

     Let us remember the words of the Navi  Zechariah,   לא בחיל ולא בכח כי אם ברוחי אמר הי 

“Not through Army and not through strength but through My Spirit, said Hashem.”     

                                            חג שמח.  Freilechen Chanukah           

THE DWELLING PLACE OF G-D

   Life is not a goblet to be emptied, but a measure to be filled. 

   Life is  be lived with a purpose. To live life to its fullest, a person should feel that he has a share in something important and meaningful. We are to feel that we are doing something through our work that matters. We are adding something good and vital to the lives of the people around us . 

   It is with these thoughts in mind that I approach a fascinating episode in the life of Yaakov as recorded in this week's Sedrah of Vayeze.

    Our Torah records how Yaakov is fleeing from his home, wandering, not knowing where he was going , and uncertain what the morrow will bring. Then all of a sudden in an open field, without any security, he had a dream.  He beheld that famous dream of the ladder and the Malachim were climbing down and up the ladder. 

   My interest, at this moment, is not to explain his vision but rather  to reflect upon the reaction to the vision, afterwards. The Torah states that after awakening Yaakov exclaims, in a state of wonderment, "אכן יש הי במקום הזה ואנכי לא ידעתי , ״ "Can it be that G-D is in this place and I,did not know it". 

  I sense, that Yaakov was  saying, "I expect to find Hashem in a more auspicious place rather than in this seemingly deserted area." Yaakov and mankind expect to find Hashem in a more Holy Place, a place with an altar or maybe in some shrine, but surely not in such a desolate area.

   This teaches us an intriguing lesson. It is not the place that designates G-D's presence, for Hashem is כבודו מלא עולם that Hashem's  glory fills the entire world. It is entirely up to man and how he calls upon Hashem to meet with Him at any place and at any time. 

   We see that we can transcend time and circumstances to welcome Hashem into our midst and to dialogue with Him and for Hashem to feel welcome in our lives.  It is evident that it depends upon man to feel the  presence of Hashem, and it is up to us to extend the invitation. 

   The question, "I pose what are we waiting for?" These are trying times as we have seen in Paris this past week. We need Hashem in our midst to destroy the evil that lurks behind the cloak of religious absurdity and not to succumb to the fallacious interpretation of religion.

    He who trust in the Almighty and His Torah will experience the salvation of mankind.

שבת שלום

GENERATIONS

    The study of Biblical personalities is a most intriguing exercise in our Torah learning. Every one of our Patriarchs and Matriachs are to be studied in a way that projects images that we can learn from. Lessons for our own behavior modification that can bring about positive reinforcement, shaping our entire outlook on life.  These lessons will set forth in our lives a special and wonderful Hashkafa for ourselves and our families.  A Hashkafa for life that is positive.  A Hashkafa that searches for the essence of Torah life and not for some meaningless obsessions that are usually related to man's whims and folktales.

   That is why Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Sarah, Rivka, Leah and Rachel, are larger than life.  They can truly become our emulating figures.  We must, first, understand who they are and what they stand for in Jewish Life.

     Today, more than ever, my mind turns to the life of Yitzchak, as recorded in this week's Torah reading.

 The text relates "וישב יצחק ויחפור את בארות החיים אשר חפרו בימי אברהם ......ויקרא להם שמות כשמות אשר קרא להן אביו" 

   Here we see that Yitzchak digs, anew, the wells of Avraham and he gives them the same name his father had given them. 

  I am sensing that in the life of Yitzchak there is no new discovery. In fact, his life is all a life of rediscovery. A life that is a continuum of his father Avraham. That is not to say that Yitzchak's life was meaningless. On the contrary, he played a very important role in the promulgation of Torah. Were it not for his actions, those  wells would have remained closed and future generations would have suffered greatly. 

   Yitzchak is to serve as a very important inspirational force for all of Jewry.  He preserved his father's legacy that would have perished with Avraham's death. Yitzchak assures the lessons of Avraham will continue into the next generation. He plays a vital role in our survival for he is the link between Avraham and Yaakov and without him, that link would have ended and all that Avraham worked so hard to preserve would have been lost.

  Think well, were it not for Yitzchak there would not be a Yaakov and without Yaakov there would not be Yisrael. 

   The future legacy  of Yaakov came about through the efforts of  Yitzchak .

    The lesson is clear. We are the Yitzchaks of today. We carry forth the legacy of our parents and grandparents into the future. 

    I truly felt that link, this week, as I held my great granddaughter צפורה סימא, Kayla  in my arms a few hours after her birth to our grandchildren. It is then that I realized more and more the great responsibilities that we and our children have to assure the continuity of our Torah oriented life into the future. It is truly awesome, and it requires much effort and fortitude on our part. When we view our lives in such a magnificent way, we can really say, "It is all worth it, for we are doing Hashem's work to preserve Humanity and to assure that Yiddiskeit will remain eternal."

    My sincere Mazal Tov to our grandchildren Nina and Gavriel, and to our children Aileen and Moshe and a special Mazal Tov to the Savta Rabah Mimi and to all our Machatanim.

   May we all see the גאולה שלמה in our time, and may we all continue to enjoy Nachas from all our families. 

                                 שבת שלום 

OUR DESTINY

   As we continue to read the  Parshiot of Baraisheet, we become more impressed with our Patriarchs and our Matriarchs and how they lived with great morals and excellent ethics, encouraging us to emulate their way of life.

   Carlyle wrote “The history of the world is the biography of great men!”

   Our minds turn to Avraham, who is not only the first Jew, but our historical prototype. His experiences and actions foreshadow critical patterns in the history of the Jewish People.  Avraham is our spiritual leader and our emulating figure when it comes to acts of Chesed and unquestionable loyalty to Hashem and to our Judaic way of life.

  The true personality of Avraham came to the fore as he faced בני חת and uttered those memorable words ; “ גר ותושב אנכי עמכם"

“ I am an alien and a resident among you.” Avraham was declaring who he was to his community and to all his neighbors. He realized that he was a Resident in his role as part of the society where he dwelled, concerned for its welfare, and yet always remained a Ger, a stranger, aloof from the ills and the ethical and social abominations that existed. This is the legacy that Avraham has bequeathed to his progenitors and remains our motto of life.  This is the lesson that sustains the Jewish People, until today.  This is our Hallmark. We are to be 'A' Part of the society in which we live, but at all times remain apart from its denigrating propensities.  

    At all times we are to emphasize that as Toshavim, we need not compromise our beliefs and principles.  We must gather encouragement from the way Avraham lived his life. Yes, the culture of the world may grant us sophistication and give us the necessary tools and skills to survive and prosper, yet it must never capture our souls or conquer our hearts. These must always remain pure and Torah oriented. Toshav and Ger are to be a precarious balance to yield but never to surrender.

    Permit me to conclude with a quote from Elie Wiesel, “To be born a Jew is an accident.  To live as a Jew is an achievement.  To live joyously as a Jew is a blessing.”

      To be a Jew is to accept out destiny.

    

           שבת שלום 

THE AKEDAH

   The most profound and most perplexing chapter in our Torah is the one that speaks of the Akedah. Hashem was testing Avraham's faith and loyalty to הקב״ה by directing him to take his son Yitzchak and offer him as a sacrifice.

  When I study this episode in our Chumash class on Shabbat morning, many are prone to think of this directive as being barbaric, and many are ambivalent regarding Hashem's will to put Avraham to such a drastic test of his loyalty. 

   The Rav, Rav  Soloveitchik זצ׳ל, directs our attention to the words Hashem uses to Avraham, "והעלהו שם, take your son, יצחק and go to Eretz Hamoriah and elevate him there". The Rav emphasizes the word והעלהו, to elevate him,to indicate that G-D did not use the word והקרבתו, and you shall offer him, because G-D did not intend for Avraham to sacrifice him. He wanted him to perform this act as a means of elevating his son to a higher state of קדושה. Avraham misconceived what Hashem wanted of him. It was only later, when the Malach said to him,אל תשלח ידך אל הנער, that Avraham realized what Hashem really wanted all along and never did G-D have in mind to sacrifice his son. 

   The Rav asked, "Who was this Angel." The answer the  Rav  gave was, "This Angel represents Torah, which is our director on earth. It is only through the Torah and our Holy Tradition that man,woman and the Jewish family can elevate themselves to a higher and much greater state of holiness.

   I find this analysis so meaningful in reference to the Akedah. 

   This is a true lesson in Yahadus - a lesson of what we are to achieve in our journey through life. We are instructed to live a life of Torah , thereby "elevating" ourselves to a higher state of Kedusha, which can only be achieved when we observe the Mitzvot, 

  בין אדם למקום ובין אדם לחברו 

   Today, more than ever, this lesson must be brought home to all of us, especially at this crucial time in our homeland, our State of Israel. 

    Hashem is not searching for Sacrifices. He is asking us to elevate ourselves to a life of  חסד, of kindness and, above all, a life of אחדות. 

   This is our call today. "Are we up to this call as Avraham was in showing his strong loyalty and  commitment to a vibrant and dynamic Judaic way of life?"

  Our answer must be in the affirmative.  It must be a strong yes, a yes that says, "We are the children of Avraham and Sarah  and their legacy is our accepted way of life."

    הי יברך את עמו בשלום 

                                 שבת שלום 

BACK TO THE FUTURE

     The best way to predict the future is to create it. Everyone is speaking about the film produced in 1985 , entitled 'Back to the Future'. This sci-fi movie took us into the future  which was October 21, 2015. We see that some of the predictions, actually took place, aside from the Cubs winning the World Series, which was snatched by the Mets  who were not a prediction of the future, but indeed created the future.

   This idea comes home to us as we see Avraham creating a new future for himself and the Jewish People. 

    When thinking of how Avraham heeds the words of G-D and follows His directives unquestionably, there is one idea that is fascinating regarding the behavior of Avraham, as suggested by the Rav.

   The Rav develops the idea that Avraham built altars to Hashem, without bringing any sacrifices on them. The question that immediately comes to mind; "Why and for what reason does one build a מזבח  and not offer any sacrifices?"

   The Rav makes a truly cogent point in the personality of Avraham, and even more so teaches us a very important lesson in life. 

    It seems that the building of these מזבחות by Avraham were not for animal sacrifices, but rather to symbolize his submission to G-D, and his surrender to the will of Hashem. We then realize that the highest sacrifice is not when you offer an animal , but rather when man, symbolically offers himself in a very  spiritual way to G-D. With this attitude, man's submission and surrender to the will of G-D and his dedication to abide, without question, to Hashem's  directives, even if they may seem to be contrary to his own aspirations are truly commendable and desirable. 

  Though, at times  life seems to pose many unanswerable questions and contradictions, we continue to submit ourselves to the will of G-D. 

  That is what our Patriach Avraham continues to teach us by his constant adherence to the will of Hashem, placing  his own pride, his own comfort,  his own desires, his own logic, his own reasons, to the will of Hashem. 

   That is how we must emulate Avraham. We must, equally, build our altars of submission, to our Torah and to our tradition. In doing so, we show our true allegiance and trust in הקב״ה.

  At this most crucial time, let us pray that peace and tranquility reign in our glorious state of Israel. 

                                                            שבת שלום 

BROKEN HEARTS

     With a heavy heart and a feeling of despair, I pen this blog knowing that our brothers and sisters in Israel are suffering daily at the hands of terrorists and  murderers  of innocent Jewish lives. Even more disturbing is the fact that the world and our.  so called friends and allys have turned a deaf ear to the plight of the Israelis.

   A very interesting Medrash recalls a conversation between Hashem and the Malachim; "Should 

G-D create man or not?"

      It seems that there were those who said, "אל יברא, do not create man." Each one explained their respective reasons for telling Hashem whether to create the human being or not. 

 Love said  ' Let him be created, because he will dispense acts of love'. 

Truth said 'Let him not be created, because he is compounded of falsehood '. 

Righteousness said 'Let him be created , because he will perform righteous deeds'. 

Peace said 'Let him not be created because he is full of strife'. 

 The Medrash goes on to say that after hearing all the different opinions, Hashem took truth and cast him to the ground, and went on to create the human race. 

    My understanding of this Medrash is quite simple but yet very insightful. Hashem created man to emulate his ways , to live  בצלם  אלוקים, and one of the most important aspects of living in the Image of G-D is to be creative and any intrusion which disrupts that creative ability must be cast to the ground and not to be entertained in our way of life.   

   In this sense we must begin to realize that when that creative ability is denied by violence, murder and terrorism,destroying the Image of G-D , then the אל יברא , must come into force and such an action must be uprooted and removed from our society and especially from our Jewish State. Such hatred and wanton destruction cannot and must not be tolerated in a Democratic country. The lives of Jews are not cheap, as many have thought in the past and ,sorrowfully, many are of the opinion even today.

   As we read the Parsha of Noach this Shabbat there are diverse  opinions if he was really righteous or not. That is up for discussion, but truth be told, it was  Hashems' decision, in the time of Noach, to  destroy  the world after seeing the total disintegration of mankind and how they were destroying a beautiful world that Hashem had created.  This act, ultimately, proved that the Angels that said, אל יברא were seemingly correct. 

 To our dismay, we are seeing once again that self same, 'Chamas', rise up again in our Jewish State with the blatant and heinous acts against innocent men, women and children. This cannot be tolerated and we must refuse to go into the ark of indifference and believe that all is well and that hatred will dissipate. When leaders of Palestine encourage their youth to act with murder In their hearts and in their hands then peace will not reign in Israel.

  We will only see a semblance of peace , when the Palestinian leadership will step forward and condemn the terror and stop preaching from their mosques 'kill the  Jews'. Then and only then will the Ark of Peace be realized.

 Know well my friends, Hashem is waiting for our response before He acts to correct this abominable situation.

   These are times when we must side with the Angel and say yes to Hashem יברא , continue to be there for us and eventually, You will be proud of the fact that You have created Mankind in Your Image. 

  הי יברך את עמו בשלום.

                                                      שבת שלום

ONE PEOPLE

   The Yemay Noraim are behind us and we are anticipating the joyous YomTov Of Succot. One of the main Mitzvot of this Holiday is the taking of the Esrog and Lulav.

 Chazal tell us that the Four Species that we take daily on Succot and the manner in which we take them represent unity in Klal Yisrael, an ingredient that is sorely needed in our day and age.

    Rav Chayim Soloveitchik זצ׳ל noted that since the Bes Hamikdash was the gathering of all the leaders of Am Yisrael and the entire Jewish People, it was imperative to stress the need for unity.  To emphasize this point we are required to take the Esrog and Lulav for seven days so that the lesson of unity becomes ingrained in our being. 

    This idea reminds me of a story that I read recently; There  was a blind horse named Buddy. The man who owned him was terribly proud of him because Buddy was a very strong horse. One night a car got stuck in a ditch. It's driver saw there was a farm house nearby and knocked on the door and asked for help. The farmer said, "Sure no problem, I have a horse named Buddy who is so strong he will pull your car out of the ditch in no time flat." He went to the barn, got Buddy and hitched him up to the car. Strangely, the farmer started shouting to three other horses who didn't even exist. "Pull Silver, Pull  Ginger, Pull Becky,"and then to Buddy,  "Pull Buddy" and Buddy pulled the car right out of the ditch. 

   The man who owned the car was very appreciative and thanked the farmer profusely. And then asked, "Why were you calling other horses' names out? There were no other horses here."

     The farmer replied, "I do that every time. You see, if Buddy thought that he was pulling alone he would never have pulled so hard."

   When we pull together, we can achieve extraordinary things. 

   That is our lesson for Succot.  Taking the Esrog and Lulav, that represent different types of Jews, with many different ideas and philosophies and when we unite with each other than we are truly one עם״"a people that will survive against all acts of assimilation. These are times when  we need to act together. The Jew never pulls alone. We are a unified people, helping each other to achieve our goals in life.

   This is one of the most enduring traits of the Jewish People.  We are never alone. With G-D  as our guiding light, we are a Kehillah Kedosha , a community that shares a holy destiny. This can only be achieved if we continue to be a unified nation that is inclusive and caring for one another. 

    May this Yom Tov inspire all of us with a greater love for our fellow Jew and may Hashem bless us with, הי יברך את עמו ישראל בשלום.

    Wishing everyone a Gabensthe Yaur and a שמחת יום טוב and may we have the Zchut to see in our day and age the, ביאת גואל צדק.

  

YOM KIPPUR

    We stand only a few days prior to the Holiest Day of the year, Yom Kippur, that brings us the key that unlocks the Homeland of our Soul.  It is on this day that our Supplications and Prayers release the latch and we enter into the Divine presence.  Here we stand, not only face to face with our creator, but, also, face to face with ourselves.  All masquerades fall away, as it is written;

"Thou  remember every deed, nought is hidden from Thee."

     We shall wave goodbye to the past and joyfully and with courage, turn to face the future.  Each year, we hope and pray that this coming year will bring peace, happiness, success and healing to a world crying for salvation and miracles.  However, hoping is not enough.  We must all come to realize that it depends on the initiative of each and everyone of us.

     A story is told of the Baal Shem Tov, leader of the Chassidic movement; The saintly Baal Shem stopped to watch, with wonder, an acrobat who was skillfully walking on a tight rope, stretched across a pond.  The disciples gently chided their master for wasting time on such a frivolous matter.  But the Baal Shem turned and said, " My children, I was contemplating, as I watched the tight rope walker, how thoroughly he had to train his feet before he could perform this difficult feat.  If men could train their souls as well as this man has trained his feet, what spiritual chasm they could cross in safety."

     May this Yom Kippur inspire everyone to a more spiritual life in the coming year, and may our lives always be defined by our loyalty and dedication to our Torah way of life.

   May this coming New Year bring life and happiness, prosperity, salvation and joy, to all our families and to כלל ישראל.

     כתיבה וחתימה טובה 

THE ESSENCE OF MAN

    As we approach the Yom Tov of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, one word surfaces to set the tone for these Yemai Noraim, and that is "Teshuvah".

     According  to the Gemorah "Teshuvah precedes the world". Rabbi Shlomo Aviner explains this statement as not chronological, but rather causal. In other words, Teshuvah enables the world to exist and is the foundation of our lives. The world is dynamic, everything is in motion, there is constant activity as the world progresses in an unceasing upward process of self perfection.

   Hashem purposely created an imperfect state, so that with man it could be enhanced and perfected. This  process of improvement is the essence of Teshuvah, which is not only the transformation of evil to good, but also the progression from good to perfect. The idea that is expressed in this concept is that man should never be satisfied with his way of life. We are constantly required to elevate ourselves from one level to the next. Doing less than we are able is a sign of failure and is a sin in itself. 

   This idea is expressed in the opening words of this week's Torah reading, Parshas Nezavim.

     אתם נצבים היום כולכם לפני הי - suggesting that we are always standing before G-D, which requires that we proceed to do the best that we can,and realizing that He demands our best and nothing less. 

     Thus, we see that Teshuvah is the act of man returning to the original true nature of a human being who was created in the Image of G-D. 

  We then begin to realize that the process of Teshuvah is returning to a way of life that is constantly representing the will of G-D. Our life must be in line with the divine plan, and when it is, we will achieve the ultimate in the perfection of man.  This was Hashem's  plan when He created man on Rosh Hashana.

     I hope we can achieve the destiny of man as G-D had planned for us in the coming New Year.

    Wishing everyone a לשנה טובה תכתבו ותחתמו and may the coming year bring peace and serenity to our  personal lives and to our glorious State of Israel.

( I hope you enjoyed my Blogs this past year and look forward to reading your comments)

SAVING SOULS

     We stand on the threshold of the New Year, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, our Yamim Noraim, that brings us the key that unlocks the Homeland of the Soul. We require nothing else than the heart’s devoutness to transport us to the gates of the majestic Homeland.  Our supplications and prayers release the latch and we enter into the Divine Presence.  Here we stand not only face to face with our creator, but also face to face with ourselves.   All masquerades fall away.  “Thou rememberest every deed, nought is hidden from thee.”

     We shall wave goodbye to the past and joyfully and with courage turn to face the future.  Each year we hope and pray that this coming year will be different, bringing peace, happiness, success and healing to a world crying for salvation and miracles. However, hoping is not enough.  We must come to realize that it depends on the initiative of each and every one of us.

     A story is told of the Baal Shem Tov, leader of the Chassidic movement in the 18^th Century;  One day he was walking with his disciples.  Suddenly, the saintly Baal Shem stopped to watch, with wonder, an acrobat who was skillfully walking on a tight rope stretched across a pond.  The disciples gently chided their master for wasting his time on such a frivolous matter.  But the Baal Shem turned and said, “My children, I was contemplating, as I watched the tight rope walker, how thoroughly he had to train his feet before he could perform this difficult feat. If men could train their souls as this man trained his feet, what spiritual chasms they could cross in  safety.”

     May this coming New Year bring life and happiness, peace and prosperity, salvation and joy, to all of us and our loved ones.

LOST SOULS

    A young man asked me,"Why  are we here and  what are we going to do while we are here?" I found it to be an astute inquiry. It reminded me of the railroad ticket collector who routinely asks the passengers "destination please?" That is the same question that Hashem asks of all of us, "destination please?",especially  as we come closer to the Yom Tov of Rosh Hashana.

   I once came across a cartoon that showed a three lane highway, with overhead signs for each of the three lanes. The arrow over the right lane read North, the arrow over the left  lane read South and the arrow over the middle lane, which had the most traffic read "Lost".  So many seem to be in the "Lost" lane when it comes to their goals and and their purpose in life.  They are not sure of their destination. 

     Keeping this in mind, I would like to reflect upon a very interesting law from this week's  Sedrah, Ki Tetzeh. 

    Herein, we read of the laws of Hashavas Aveidah, of returning a lost item to its proper owner. In Judaism there is no such thing as "Finders keepers, losers weepers". The law is clear. If you find something that belongs to someone else you are legally required to return it. If you don't know to whom it belongs, you must take care of it and do what ever is possible to find the rightful owner.

     The concept of Hashavas Aveidah fascinates me.  I believe it can  be extended further than the returning of a physical lost item. I sense we can extend this idea of Hashavas Aveidah to apply to the mitzvah of returning souls of the many that have lost their way, to their rightful owners. 

   Hashavas Aveidah not only applies to the spirituality of the Jewish soul but applies to the souls of all humanity.  We are seeing senseless killing throughout our society desensitizing the value of life.  The soul of man has, in many cases, become so tarnished that we need greater evaluation of the 'True Worth of Man'.

   There is a need, today, to have a 'recovery' and to bring back man to where he belongs.

     How do we accomplish this goal? How do we answer the young man's question, "Why are we here and what are we going to do while we are here?" 

    My answer is, we need to search for a meaningful life for the lost souls of those around us.  We need to tune into the spiritual needs of those who are "Lost", to help them find their way back to a more positive Judaic way of life and in doing so to recapture their lost Jewish souls.

     Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are upon us and our destiny is to fulfill the mitzvah of Hashavas Aveidah of those around us and, yes, even for ourselves.

     With this in  mind  and with the effort of K'lal Yisroel we will be Zocheh to bring the Moshiach, quicker  in our time.

    שבת שלום 

JUSTICE

    Abraham Heschel wrote about the essence of man. He said, "Since every human being is made in the Image of 

G-D, it follows that if we are serving our fellow human beings, in a very real sense, we are serving Hashem as well."

   This is, indeed, a very important insight into our Judaic way of life. When we live a life resplendent with kindness and justice to our fellow man we are doing the mitzvah of carrying out the will of G-D.

   This thought is apropos as we study the opening verses of our Shabbat Sedrah, Parshat Shoftim. Herein, we read  צדק צדק תרדוף , "Justice justice shall you pursue." The question that immediately comes to mind is, "Why was it necessary for the Torah to repeat the word Justice?"

     Understandably, 'Justice' is defining, in a very emphatic way, the ethical challenge that man is faced with constantly to assure that in the pursuit of all our life's endeavors 'Justice' needs to be our hallmark. 

   The words of Rav Simcha Bunam, come to mind. He said, "In our pursuit of just and righteous ends, our means must also be just". 

  In addition, we will also learn that just as we want 'Justice' for ourselves, we must demand 'Justice' for others, even for those whom we may consider strangers to our way of life. Even more so, we are to be tolerant of others. We are not here to ride herd on other people. Respect for others, must be our hallmark, if humanity is going to survive.

     I once asked a nurse why she chose nursing as her profession, and her answer was,  "I wanted to serve  G-D." This was truly poignant answer, for as she serves mankind she is truly serving G-D.

    It is written, the love of people is at the same time a love of G-D. For when we love one, we necessarily love one's handiwork. 

    Especially during these days of introspection let us remember, 'The fate of mankind rests on individual responsibility, individual integrity, individual effort, individual courage and especially individual conscience.'

    שבת שלום

LOOK and SEE

    Children look at certain aspects of life in a very unique and special way. A father was carrying his three year old into a dark room. Suddenly he felt the tiny arms of the child tightened around his neck. "Turn off the dark, Daddy",he whispered. Not, 'Turn on the light, but rather, turn off the dark.'

   All too often as I assess the the world around us, I am urged to scream out, "Please turn off the dark that our society finds itself in today." We need to concentrate on eliminating the negativity, the darkness, that seems to envelope us.

   With this thought in mind, I would like to share an interesting thought on this week Torah reading, Parshat Re'eh.

   The Torah's opening verse states :

ראה אנכי נותן לפניכם היום ברכה וקללה

"See", Hashem says, "I present before you a Blessing and a curse."

    What an interesting way to get our attention, and to encourage everyone to focus on the essence of life, ראה, "Look". Why, I ask, did the Torah use such an expression?Would it not have been better to use a word like דע 'Know' and then continue with the rest of the sentence? What does the word "Look and See" come to teach us?

    'Seeing' something has greater affect upon us then merely hearing about something. When we see we identify with that particular object or person that we are looking at. In fact, it may even be that through our seeing, we become one with that object or person. 

    I remember the incident when Avraham was taking Yitzchak to the Akedah on Mt Moriah. In addition to traveling with Yitzchak, he took along Yishmael  and Eliezer. As they approached the Mountain, the Midrash states that, Avraham asked the two attendants "Do you see what I see?" They replied, "We see just a mountain." He, then, posed the same question to Yitzchak. His reply was "I see הר נאה ומשובח, a glorious mountain", recognizing  G-D's presence.

   Indeed, two or more people can look at the same thing and see something entirely different. We can look at the same reality and one will see life and the other destruction. One will see a challenge to grow and live, the other will see despair. 

   In truth, every aspect of our lives is dependent on what we see and what we bring to the experience. It is for this reason the Torah uses the word ראה, 'See'- 'Look'. For it all depends on what we want to see, and how we view life.

   I remember reading an interesting story of the shoe salesman who was sent to Africa to sell shoes. He comes back with  the report, "There is no use trying to sell shoes here. No one wears shoes." Another salesman reports back and says, "What a market we have here. All we have to do is teach the people to wear shoes."

   So is life. Some are blessed with the ability to see opportunity and beauty in life. They grab hold of those opportunities and find life to truly be a Bracha for themselves and for those around them.

  As we approach the solemn month of Elul and hear the blowing of the Shofar, we are reminded that life gives us opportunities and blessings all the time, if we choose to 'See' them.

    George Bernard Shaw wrote, "People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I can't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want and if they can't find them, make them".

  Indeed the directive ראה, 'See'- 'Look',  applies to every endeavor we undertake, especially in our spiritual growth. We must open our eyes to see the wonders of the world and to live lives with faith and with optimism. 

    This is the month of, לדוד הי אורי וישעי, when we have the opportunity to see our Blessings, giving us enough reasons for song and celebration.

   ראה אנכי נותן, the choice is ours, let us choose Blessing.

                                                          שבת שלום

שפע מהקב׳ה

   In our Torah reading for this week, Parshas Ekev we learn ואכלת ושבעת וברכת the Mitzvah of Bircat Hamazon.

   Many of our Mefarshim discuss the following; The מצוה of ברכת המזון and blessings in general pose a dilemma. Normally, blessings go from the greater being to the lesser one. If that be the case, how can we, the finite, recite a bracha which bestows the blessing upon the infinite G-D? 

   The answer, I suggest, is that the blessings we make are recited, primarily, to express our total dependency on the beneficence of G-D.  In recognition of this relationship we recite our brachot. Without these brachot we would not be permitted to enjoy the blessings of the world that 

G-D bestows upon us, our Brachot are basically a matir, to enjoy the gifts of life.

    G-D is represented to us as our Melech, but more so, as our Father who is concerned for His children as is evident in our daily lives.

    Interestingly, the Bircat Hamazon, which comes after our meal, uses the word ושבעת, when we are satiated. 

    All  too often, when a man has all necessities in life he becomes indifferent  to how and from whom he received these gifts. Only through the means of the recitation of the brachot  he realizes he could not have accomplished so much in life without the Shefah of  Hakadosh Baruch Hu   raining down upon him.

     Our Sages instituted the pronouncement of a bracha not only following eating of food, but preceding nearly every act through which we partake of in life.

     The Torah states, מה ה׳ שואל מעמך "And now Israel, what does the Lord thy G-D, require of you."

Rabbi Meir in the Talmud uses the word מה in Hebrew, and he says that it sounds like the word מאה, one hundred.   Rabbi Meir explains that a person is bound to say 100 brachot each day!

    Understandably Rabbi Meir did not mean for us to walk around with a calculator counting our brachot. I believe he meant that if we are alert enough we can find 100 occasions during the day to thank Hashem for all the wonders of life.

    May our prayers always be answered and the brachot of Hashem continue to fill our lives with health and happiness and may we be inspired never to take anything for granted - always being grateful for  what we have!

BEING ALIVE

      As I look at our society today, I am inclined to conclude that we live in a society of short cuts, instant relief, instant gratification , instant love, instant coffee  and even instant religion. Too often our aim is to get on with it and get it over with. It is an outlook that seems to permeate much of our lives and inevitably it reaches our religious observances. 

     It is the the old age question posed to our talmudic sage, Hillel and Shamai by a young man who wanted to learn the entire Torah standing on one foot. What he wanted was to do so very quickly, as if to say ,I have no time, let's do it 1,2,3 and get it over with.

   Judaism is not and must not be a quick schemed religion by simplifying  our studies into a Judaic code as a simple review course. 

  It is in this light that our Torah reading this morning states , ועתה ישראל שמע אל החוקים ואל המשפטים אשר אנכי מלמד אתכם לעשות למען תחיו 

  "And now Israel hearken unto the statutes and the social regulations which I teach you to fulfill, so that you may live."

   The Torah then goes on to explain that we are required to obey the ordinances in a fully detailed fashion, and we are admonished not to add to what the Torah  commands and surely not to diminish from our Torah way of life. If you follow all the mitzvot that Hashem sets forth for us, then 

G-D guarantees, למען תחיו, "that you may live a wonderful  life."

   From here we see that we are not to deviate the slightest in the manner of observance , whether we add or diminish  from the directives of the Torah, life is the adherence to the ways of G-D in its total form .

  The כלי יקר, says the admonition 'not to add' suggests that Hashem is telling us, when you do so you will the be inclined to diminish as well. The fear is that as soon as a man begins to apply his own subjective judgement to the observance of Judaism , then there is no telling how far he will go. Any additions is bound to lead to a diminution, resulting in upsetting the balance of the general framework of Yiddishkeit. 

   The real miracle of existence is not only what Hashem does for us , but more so what Hashem inspires us to do for ourselves and others that will determine the essence of our lives. 

  It is time that we slow down the pace of our daily lives and regulate our spiritual lives in a manner that will gain us the most benefit from our religious experiences.

    Remember well; "What is the use of having life and not living it?"

     Our Torah reading this week, also, includes the Shma, wherein we are enjoin to love our G-D and to follow his Mitzvot, which have been the foundation and the strength a of our people. When we are committed to one G-D and remain steadfast and firm with our Torah then we will truly have selected the injunction, למען תחיו, for then we have chosen the life of a Jew. 

        Judaism will survive as it always has, proudly and creatively because its adherents find meaning in their Jewishness, identify with its teachings and find joy in the observance of our Mitzvot leading to a life of Blessings.

SENSITIVITY

The ninth of Av is the saddest day in the Jewish calendar.  It is a day of fasting and mourning which commemorates the destruction of the First Temple in Jerusalem in 586 B.C.E. by the Babylonians and by historical coincidence, also, the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 C.E. by the Romans.

    Just as it is important to encourage everyone to be happy and rejoice on Yom Tov, it is equally important to engender a sense of national mourning on Tisha B’Av.

     The Talmud states that Jerusalem was destroyed because the people did not rebuke one another for their misdeeds.  This was a fundamental cause for the destruction of the Temple, since in the absence of reproach, spiritual progress or correction is impossible.  Beside, the effect on the person who does not receive the rebuke, the person who does not give it shows a failing, which, also, causes destruction.

     The Talmud relates the famous story of Kamza and Bar Kamza which clearly show how lack of reproach contributed, directly, to the catastrophe of our nation.  The story relates that a certain man had a friend whose name Kamza and an enemy whose name was Bar-Kamza.  Some time before this man was to hold a banquet, he told his servant to invite Kamza.  By mistake, Bar-Kamza was invited instead.  When the host noticed his enemy sitting at the feast, he went to him and ordered him to leave.  Bar-Kamza begged to be allowed to, seeing that he was already seated and offered to pay for everything he would eat or drink.  When his host persisted in his demand, Bar-Kamza offered to pay the expense of half the banquet or even the entire banquet, but to no avail and was taken out by force.  Disgusted by the whole procedure, Bar-Kamza said to himself, “Since the Rabbis just sat there and did not object to the way in which I was treated, I am going to slander them to the Roman Government.”  He managed to bring false evidence to the Emperor to show that the Jews were rebelling against him.  This led to the Roman conquest of Jerusalem.

     The entire story speaks for itself.  Here we are being informed of the utter indifference of the people to the feelings of other.  The heartless humiliation inflicted through their silence upon Bar-Kamza merited the penalty of the destruction of Jerusalem and exile.  

      It is well to be sensitive to the feelings of others. Sinas Chinum brought about the Churban Habayis and Ahavas Chinum will bring about the rebuilding of the Beit Hamikdash and the ביאת המשיח in our time. We need to remember the words of the Navi Zechariah.

 

“Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, the fast of the fourth month and the fast of the the fifth month and the fast of the tenth, shall be the house of Judah, joy and gladness and cheerful season, therefore love ye truth and peace.”