YAAKOV/ YISRAEL

   

    The greatest aspect of life is to recognize and realize the creative power which we see all around us. As we grow older and, supposedly, wiser we appreciate the creative power, which is the deepest source of our being, to become co-creators with G-D. 

   We affirm that creation is not a one time, long ago, far off event, but rather it is here and now and takes place in us and through us. We are G-D like in human form with our creative abilities, producing a whole new dimension to our existence. 
   As we take hold of this amazing role as human beings, we must project greater human strength, that will encourage us to reach out and call for power beyond our limitations, 

"Where do we begin"?
   This Shabbat our Torah reading, Vayishlach, relates a fascinating episode in the life of our Patriarch Yaakov. We learn that Yaakov's brother Esau is approaching him with a large retinue of armed men. 
   At this point in time Yaakov experiences a fascinating dream. He wrestles with a formidable opponent and emerges from this wrestling match injured, which causes him to walk with a limp.  Yaakov, also, undergoes a name change.  Instead of Yaakov, a name that depicts a person holding on to someone else, lacking a sense of independence, now he will be called Yisrael,, “One who has wrestled with G-D and with man and has persevered.” 
   It is well to realize that at this encounter with his adversary, Yaakov was injured, and והוא צולע על ירכו, he walked away limping into his future. With this infirmity, there is a very important message being transmitted to Yaakov/ Yisrael at this point in his life and even, more so, a lesson for all future generations. 
   Yaakov always seemed to be running away from his responsibilities. After he received the Blessing from his Father Yitzchak, in fear of Esau, he runs.  Later in life, he runs away from Lavan in the middle of the night without informing him of his decision.  He is now faced again with Esau. I sense Yaakov was thinking, "Let me run away so I don't have to face up to my brother Esau.”  At that point the ‘wrestling’ dream came about, resulting in an injury that made him limp, restricting him physically and emotionally to continue to be a ‘runner in life.’
    We learn from this episode, “No more running away. Stand up to your adversaries and to your responsibilities of Yisrael and discard the garb of a Yaakov, an escapist from life.” 
   This is why we are prohibited to eat the גיד הנשה, the sciatic nerve of animals. It is a reminder of the wrestling match of Yaakov, and his injury.  It is to inspire the Jewish People not to 

be escape artists in dealings with others. It is especially a lesson for our glorious State of Israel, to stand up to our adversaries and not to fear facing them directly and to tell the world, “The Jewish People are no longer the Yaakov's of the universe. We are now Yisrael. We are now a people, who, with the help of G-D, will act with strength and fortitude for our survival. 
   Let the world know we have created a new Jew that respects others but expects respect from others as well. 

   It is 70 years since the signing of the Balfour Declaration.  During these seventy years we are proudly showing the world what we are truly made of. The Yaakov of the past has become the Yisrael of the present and of the future. 
We are no longer limping, for we are no longer running away from our destiny and from our 

G-Dly ordained legacy. 
   Judaism posits the belief in G-D with insights that enable us to discern right and wrong and which has empowered us with ability to make life's decisions in a truly magnificent way. 

שבת שלום ומבורך

GRATEFUL HEART

  "Thou has  given so much to me.  Give me one thing more- a grateful heart" 

   A Yeshivah Bachur once asked me if it was proper to attend a Thanksgiving turkey meal at his relatives home. He was reluctant to go because he thought it was Chukas  Hagoyim. I explained to him that the Hebrew word for turkey is הודו, which is derived from the word הודאה, giving thanks to Hashem for all the blessings that He bestows upon us and to consider the meal as a family affair on a day off from work.  In doing so, we should express Divrey Torah on being thankful to Hashem for the life we live and for all the  Brachot that we so often take for granted. 

    These are times when we say our Tephillot.  We need to read, carefully, our daily prayer Modim, and to take to heart those magnificent words,"We shall give thanks to You and declare Your praises for our lives which are in Your hand, and for our souls which are in Your keeping and for all the miracles which You perform for us on a daily basis."

      Our Torah portion for this Shabbat, Parshas Vayetze, tells us that Yaakov dreamed of a ladder between heaven and earth with angels ascending and descending. When Yaakov awoke he said, אכן יש הי במקום הזה ואנכי לא ידעתי מה נורא המקום הזה 

"Surely the Lord is in this place and I knew not. How full of awe is this place". 

  Just like Yaakov did not realize the holiness of that particular place and didn't realize  that  Hashem was dwelling there, we who live in such a fast and furious pace sometimes lose sight of G-D's presence.  We need to start taking time to contemplate  all that is happening around us and to start focusing on the wonders and the Blessings of the world and to see the G-Dly that envelopes us daily. 

     One wonders why, only on rare occasions, do we recite the prayer of Hagomel, with the awesome words, 

 "Blessed are you Lord our G-D, King of the Universe, who bestows good on the unworthy, who has bestowed on me much good," the congregation follows with, "Amen. May He who has bestowed much good on you continue to bestow on you much good, Selah". 

        What a magnificent Tephillah - a prayer of Thanksgiving, a prayer never to take anything for granted, a prayer from the depths of our heart realizing how much we are to be thankful for and more so to utter a Prayer asking Hashem to continue to be in our lives and continue to shower his blessings upon us and K'lal Yisrael.  

     Our Prayers must articulate our noblest sentiments and deepest emotions and must always be kept on a high plane. In life, let us seek grace and not reward, let our  Tephillot  be a song echoing the joy of life and the acceptance of Hashem's Will and Hashem's Brachot. Let it bespeak our acknowledgement for all that is given and pray that  it continues עד מאה ועשרים שנה. 

  

                     שבת שלום ומבורך, מודים אנחנו לך 

             

GREEN LIGHT CAMERA AHEAD

   Very often we enter the synagogue and there is a sign "Please turn off your cell phones" and most of us abide by this request to assure proper decorum.  This past week, while at services, someone forgot to turn off their cell phone and the message that rang out for all to hear was 'Red Light Camera Ahead.' Though it was an inappropriate message to be heard at that time, the lesson was very insightful. It told us that there is a need to slow down, even to stop all our activities, to take  hold of ourselves and to begin to ask, "Where are we all headed and why are our lives running 'helter skelter?' This is a lesson to remind us how to proceed in life in a most successful and secured way, 'Red Light Camera Ahead?'

    There are many Parshiot in Bereisheet, especially this week's Parsha of Toldot, which are reflective of the dictum מעשה אבות סימן לבנים "The lives of our forefathers are indicators for their children."  I sense that this is especially true of our Patriarch יעקב. His life epitomizes the lives of all Jews who are destined to live in the גלות. A great part of Jacob's life was not in the Holy Land but rather in the גלות and yet with great perseverance and loyalty he remained dedicated to his heritage.  Yaakov preserved his moral religious integrity and identity in a climate so much against human dignity. His commitment to the G-D of Avraham and his commitment to the Promised Land were not affected in any way by his sojourn of 20 yrs in Charan. 

  The Rav said, "That  Hashem wanted one individual to prove to the world that one can maintain their dedication and identity in a G-Dly way of life no matter where they live." Hashem chose Yaakov to be that person to prove that it can be done. Yaakov was chosen as an instrument of the Hashgacha Pratis to prove that Yahadut is universal.  

        When Yaakov said אם לבן גרתי ותרי״ג מצוות שמרתי  , he was telling the world that he did not assimilate , and did not integrate into Lavan's society and community.  He refused to accept their morals, their code of ethics, and their lifestyle. 

     The Ramban said, "Not only did Hashem prove this point through an individual,Yaakov, but by doing so was emphasizing that if an individual can do it , then a nation can do it as well."

    We can add to this idea of מעשה אבות.  When Yoseph saw how his father Yaakov lived a life of G-Dliness in the Galut, he undoubtedly became inspired and emulated his father by living a spiritual and saintly life in his Galut of Mitzrayim. 

        This is such an important lesson, especially in our day and age when we are experiencing a Galut Society of such debauchery.  It is important for us to maintain and live a life of high morals and to be dedicated to a Torah way of life.  

  We can say that כל התורה כולו יכולה להתקים בכל מקום ובכל זמן. "The Torah life is not dependent upon geography or chronology." Wherever we may be scattered, we will live a moral, ethical life as our Torah and Halacha prescribes for us. We have the Mesora of, מעשה אבות, to continue to inspire Jewry throughout all generations. Torah is alive in every fibre of our existence, for we are the children of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov. 

       With such a heritage we can say with much confidence "Green Light Camera Ahead". 

    

                                   

OUR DESTINY

   The Jewish people, in creating their own destiny, have always recognized the need to be part of one's society and to always, be apart from the ills of our society. 

   Avraham is our best example to follow when we find ourselves being influenced by society.

   The first directive made to Avraham by Hashem 

was לך לך, "Leave your fathers home, remove yourself from the bad influences that have overpowered your society, that are detrimental to your spiritual growth. You have a divine mission to pursue and you cannot fulfill this mission in your present environment. לך לך separate yourself from such associations that obstructs your path to know and to live by a G-Dly ordained world."

  However, merely leaving a world of ill repute will not fully accomplish the needs of our spiritual achievement. One needs the second לך לך of Avraham - the לך לך אל הר המוריה, of traveling to a place where one can grow spiritually and find his true self, a self that will perpetuate the G-Dly goals and to build a family that will perpetuate  his goals into the future. This can only happen after climbing that great mountain of G-D and this can only be done with וילכו שניהם יחדיו, "Of walking together with his son, with his progenitors to assure the trip will be a success."

   I have learned, well, that a Judaic way of life is made more meaningful if we take others along with us on this road of life, a life of meaning, a life of Blessing, a life of purpose. 

  The word that must become a strong part of our lexicon is "Direction Oriented." Where are we going? Why are we going there? What is our purpose in life? These are all questions that must be answered if we are to find true and everlasting meaning to our lives.  

   I recall, in a comical way, a story of a Girl Scout leader telling the young scouts, before they were to take a hike in the woods, "Now girls if you are lost in the wilderness at night, just look up and get your bearings from the sky and remember always walk toward the light, the glow will tell you where the nearest shopping mall is."

   As funny as it may sound, we are in dire need of reaffirming our beliefs as we see so many of our Jewish Brethren lost in the quagmire of societal norms and are searching for a beam of light that will set them forth on the right and meaningful path of life. 

   How often do we travel in a life that often appears to be a mirage, a life that is so transitory, so illusionary, that we feel like we are living in a maze and we just can't extricate ourselves from it. It is at that point that we must take hold of Avraham's two לך לך , to leave the first לך לך behind us and then set forth on a new path of  לך לך,  a path that will lead us to Moriah, a life dedicated more to G-d and family. 

   With these thoughts in mind Avraham  leaves Moriah and begins his travel home which leads us to this week's Parshat חיי שרה. At this juncture, Avraham's life changes with the death of his beloved wife Sarah and we can only imagine how painful it must have been as he searches for a proper burial place for her. He approaches Ephron requesting land  for a burial plot for Sarah.  In doing so he expresses an idea that bespeaks his true essence in all of his travelogues that brought him to this time of his life. 

   גר ותושב אנכי עמכם  "I am a stranger and a citizen in your midst, an inhabitant and a stranger."

  A strange combination of words. A stranger and a citizen. I sense that Avraham was saying, "Yes, I want to live among you, and share in all the responsibilities and obligations that are set forth to being part of your society and at the same time due to my allegiance and loyalty to the ways of our Religion and to the will of G-D , I will always remain a stranger."

   This idea of maintaining our way of life as Religious Jews,  following the ways of Torah and never to be influenced by the mores and behavior of the society that we live in, is the directive set forth for us by Avraham. 

   As I wrote in the beginning of my blog, it all started from the first לך לך ,and continued with the next לך לך of going to Moriah, which influenced him greatly to be able to say to the outside world,

גר ותושב אנכי. We can live in two worlds, but we exist primarily in one world, the world of Torah and 

יראת שמים, where our Judaic way of life always takes precedence. 

   America is a glorious country to live in, and a haven for our Jewish People to live a spiritual life. A life inspired by Avraham, and for the world to know and for us to fully accept that we are, גר ותושב אנכי, dutiful citizens but always devoted and loyal Yidden. 

   This must become our personal and collective 

לך לך in life's achievement in continuing our Mesorah to assure the dynamics of future generations of Torah life. 

   Our future is in our hands, let us make sure to preserve it in a way that will bring about our true ישועה, assuring the continuity of Jewish life for everlasting time.  

   Avraham's story can become our challenge to greater and finer living raising the standards that govern our spiritual lives for ourselves and for future generations.

                                                      

   

RELIGIOUS REALITY

The opening sentence of this week’s Parsha of Vayera states;

 

וירא אליו הי באלוני ממרא.

 Mamre.” “G-D revealed Himself to Avraham in the plains of 

   

  Why was it necessary for Hashem to reveal Himself to Avraham in the plains of Mamre?

  Rashi teaches us that Avraham sought advice from Mamre in respect to the act of Circumcision. 

  It is strange that Avraham should seek the advice of his friend Mamre regarding Hashem's request that he circumcise himself. Avraham did not hesitate nor ask advice from anyone when Hashem told him לך לך to leave his home land, nor did he ask advice when he was commanded about the Akedah.  Then why now?

  The דעת זקנים suggests that since Avraham was involved in doing missionary work and he and Sarah were very successful in this endeavor, they seemed to be afraid that it would be very difficult to persuade the people to undergo this delicate surgery of circumcision. Avraham was faced with the dilemma of how to act with this Mitzvah of Milah. "Perhaps it would be better to do the Milah in private and after I win the people over to my faith, then I will tell them about the need for Milah. Or would it be better to act in a demonstrative way, showing all, to perform the act of Milah at the onset?” But Avraham feared that this act may discourage them completely.

   With this question in mind, Avraham felt that to make a positive impression on the Non-Jewish community, it would be best to speak with their leader Mamre. After doing so, Mamre advised him to act publicly so that everyone would see how a dedicated man, like Avraham, is willing to sacrifice for his faith and this will impress the Non-Jewish world the most. Know well, that Avraham did not ask Mamre whether he should circumcise himself, but rather when? Publicly or privately?

   The lesson from this dialogue is that when we want to attract adherents, we need not dilute our faith and make it convenient.  On the contrary, people will respect a faith that has demanding standards which call for discipline and sacrifice. 

  The Rav said the tide is changing and we see more and more people are deserting Judaism.  If we think that the solution lies in a reformist philosophy or in extraneous interpretation of the Halacha, the Rav said, "You are mistaken. It is self evident that many problems are insoluble and you can't help it. But know and realize it is a religious reality. If we try to cooperate with the Non-Jewish  philosophy and forgo our ways we will lose the respect of our Jewish brethren." 

    We must always surrender to the will of the Almighty. To say that the Halacha is not sensitive to problems and is not responsive to the needs of the Jew is an outright falsehood. We are confident that the Halacha is definitely responsive to the needs of the people, the community, and the individual. 

  The Halacha lives within its own orbit, but will always maintain itself as the saving power of Judaism and no outside force will ever negate its' great influence on our lives. 

  עץ חיים היא למחזיקים בה, Torah is the tree of life to all who hold dear to it. 

     Judaism is a living and vibrant way of life that does not need to succumb to all the "modern" fads that are overwhelming our spiritual society.