ISRAEL

   Sitting in the Washington Convention Center with 18,000 people, roaring enthusiastically for a strong relationship between America and Israel, brought great exaltation to our Jewish Hearts. Whether we agree or disagree to all the ideals of AIPAC, and their platform, we still must come to the conclusion that this organization is bringing to the fore the glory, the magnificence, the everlasting existentialism of the Jewish State, our Holy Land, our State of Israel.  Speaker after speaker enunciated the need to recognize the Glory of Israel, and the need to realize that “As Israel goes, so goes the Jewish People.”

   Too often, there are many who salute, but do not speak. We need the many to come out from under their hidden rock when it comes to Israel and to speak the truth of the greatness and the need for the State of Israel, not only for the Jews, but for the survival of Humanity.  This is what I heard at the AIPAC Conference, and which needs to be heard around the globe. 

   The world needs to salute and speak, but not out of two sides of their mouths, but to speak the truth without bias and prejudice. Enough of these meaningless words.  Now is the time to come and speak the truth, to uphold the glory of the only true Democracy in the Middle East. 

   These are times when all Jews must come together under the rubric of our JewishState and to help, wherever we can, to assure the safety and security of all its inhabitants. 

  A pall came over the assembly when 18,000 people heard of the bombing in Mishmeret, injuring so many, including a small child.  We all prayed together, for their recovery.  At that moment there was unity in purpose and at that moment I prayed for the unity of עם ישראל at all times, not only when disaster occurs.  

   In particular, I was impressed by Vice President Pence’s speech, especially, when he concluded with the blessing of  Bircat Hacohanim, in English, reciting it quite eloquently.  At that moment I recalled a Pasuk from this week’s Sedrah Shmini,wherein it states,

 “וישא אהרן אתידיו אל העם ויברכם, Aharon raises his hands and blessed the Jewish People.”

   Rashi, explains,  ברכת כוהנים יברכך יאר ישא, Aharon blessed them with the threefold blessing of Bircat Kohanim. This was the first time that this Bracha was recited. As the Vice President recited it, I would have mentioned to him the few requirements that accompanied the Kohenat this time.

   First and foremost it was to be recited in Hebrew, which is to us, לשון הקודש, the holy language, the language of G-D. The world needs to know that when we speak,we do so  in the name of the Holy One,for we are totally dependent on the will of Hashem. 

  Second, the Kohen must stretch forth his hands, which is a symbolic expression of friendship, and a feeling to be embraced. Israel must always feel this embracing gesture from America and, more so, from its neighbors, if peace is to be achieved and for them to stop bombing helpless children and innocent people. Then and only then does the Bracha continue with the awesome words of שים שלום, invoking the Blessing of G-D to bring peace. 

  This is our message to the 18,000 people who were in attendance. 

  “Jews in the State of Israel, are willing to speak in one language of peace, not from two sides of their mouth.  We are willing to stretch forth our hands as long as ‘their hands’ are not dripping with Jewish blood.”

I echo the words of those who spoke as friends of Israel, and not those who do so, only, for political gains.  The time is ripe for rapprochement, bringing about a lasting peace and willing to live side by side as good and righteous neighbors, ending the hostilities and the bloodshed that wreaks havoc on everyone.

The time for peace is now and if we pursue that goal we will continue to pray with great confidence, הי עוז לעמו יתן הי יברך את עמו בשל

THIS IS OUR TIME

As we approach this most joyous Holiday of Purim, we are reminded of what Chazal says, “When all Yom Tovim will fall away at the time of Moshiach, only Purim will continue to be observed". What a glorified statement for a holiday that does not seem to be observed by the majority of the Jewish population. Why is this so? 

  Dr. William James, a noted Psychologist, when asked," Is life worth living? He replied, “It all depends on who lives it". 

  How true this is. The worth of any life depends, essentially, on the inner world of that person, his outlook, his world view, his weltanschauung. It is with this in mind,  I remember the poetic verses of Adam Lindsay Gordon; 

"Question not but hoe and labor, till your goal be won,

Helping every feeble neighbor seeking help from none,

Life is mostly froth and bubble,

Two things stand like stone,

Kindness in another's trouble, courage in your own.”

   Indeed, life is worth living when accompanied with a projected goal  of humaneness of an ideal concern for others. 

  This is so apropos, as we busy ourselves in preparation for a Yom Tov of מרבין בשמחה. 

  For as we look closer to the story as it  unfolds in the Megillah, one idea seems to evolve as the story unwinds, reflecting upon a very serious situation at the time that the Jewish people were living in Persia. They were oblivious to what was happening around them and, consequently, were not aware of the threat hanging over their heads. The result was they were not prepared to face the challenges of the time and only a great man like Mordechai was able to see the dire future that lay before them. 

  He realized the dictum, אין השעה מצפה אלא לך, "The hour waits for no one but you.” 

    Mordechai realized that there is a job YOU can do that no one else can do. There is a place in history that is reserved only for YOU, and no one else can stand in that place.  No one can fulfill the task at hand, and YOU have no right to desist from fulfilling your ultimate goal for life that has been set before YOU. 

  It is at this point that Mordechai turns to Esther with the most powerful words of the entire Megillah, as he encourages her to act out her G-D given part in this dramatic and crucial episode in the lives of the Jewish People, 

  " כי אם החרש תחרישי בעת הזאת, “If you insist in keeping silent at a time like this, Salvation will come by other means, and you will bear the sin of your silence and indifference.” 

   What s powerful message for Esther, but even more so, a message for all times and a direct message for us today. We cannot and must not be silent when the ugly head of venom is espoused against the Jewish People and the State of Israel. Silence is a killer, silence destroys, and silence is what killed six million Tzadikim, and this must not be our reply to hatred. 

    The silence is deafening, and we need to remember, אם לא עכשיו אימתי, If not now when? 

   Esther realized her actions would be life saving. Agreeing with Mordechai, however, she realized that she  could not do it alone and at that moment of decision making she gave the magnificent directive, 

  “לך כנוס את כל היהודים, I will go, but I need the Achdut, the unity of all the Jews, to gather and fast and pray on my behalf to help me succeed. Together as a כלל, as one unified entity, Hashem, will respond to our Tephillos and רוח והצלה, relief and deliverance will come to the Jewish nation.” 

   Again, I realize what a powerful message Mordechai was sending to all of us. There are times that we become disheartened as we face different problems in and around our world, and the words of “השומר אחי אנכי, Am I my brother’s keeper?” ring out.  The refrain must be, “Yes we are and we must always remember this idea. It is לך כנוס את כל היהודים, the emphasis is on the word כל.  We are ALL responsible for each other, and we are to begin to realize this truism. 

   Purim is our message for a freshness of soul, a vitality of purpose, an eagerness of mind and an optimism of life. 

   Emerson said it well, "There is no great and no small to the Soul that makes us all". 

  These are times that demand courage in face of venom, a time to finish our task for survival with success. A time that beckons all to come together as a family united in purpose and living our lives in brotherhood under the guidance and protection of our G-Dly benefactor. 

   These are ideas that find expression in two very important Mitzvot of Purim, 

 משלוח מנות איש לרעהו ומתנות לאביונים, that will continuously bring about our responsibility as Jews to each other, that will result in a Bracha of ליהודים היתה אור ושמחה וששון ויקר, as it was then, כן תהיה לנו. 

  

A Frielechen Purim to All and May We See the גאולה שלמה במהרה בימנו.

  Forwf

PEACE AND HARMONY

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”

   With this quote in mind, I began to search for a word that would aptly describe our society and our confused world. I came across an article written many years ago by Rav Simon Schwab זל, who, in his similar search, came up with the word “uncertainty“. These are truly uncertaintimes. Gone is the sense of security which the established order seemed to offer. Most of the proven values and norms seem to have become worn out.  The beautiful slogans are exhausted, the lofty ideals deflated and the pious phrases have wilted away. I sense, sorrowfully, that our sense of security that we were nurtured with, especially the “American dream,” has vanished into thin air. Why, I be-cry, has this dream turned into a nightmare, where violence and a lack of respect is dominating our way of life? We are seeing our modern man media incessantly attacking our senses. Our lives are being lived with more uncertainty and immense high tension on a daily basis. 

   Looking back on these few weeks, where so many have been held responsible for their terrible actions, we come to a terrifying conclusion. As a culture, we have divested ourselves of shame. We no longer apologize for our irreverent actions and nor to admit our wrong doing, let alone express deep shame over our behavior. This divestiture has brought to the fore a rampant erosion of decency, especially in the more obvious expression of Anti Semitism, and venom against the State of Israel. 

   With these perplexing thoughts in mind, I am reminded of the teachings of theRambam, who explains that Chazal enacted the Mitzvah of reading the Megillah, in order, to proclaim the praise of Hashem and the salvation which He orchestrated and to attest to the fact that G-D responds to the prayers of the Jewish People. In fact, says the Rambam, “In face of adversity we call out to Hashem and the salvation comes Kheref Ayin, like the blink of an eye.” The Megillah is a testament to the special relationship that connects the Jew to G-D. The significance is that Hashem always responded and will continue to respond to our cries of affliction and to all our needs.

   The purpose of reading the Megillah is to accentuate the transition from fear and despondency to hope and joy. Though we may find ourselves in some dire circumstances, we will experience instant salvation.

   Purim is our lesson for life, for it celebrates the metamorphosis from disaster to peace and harmony.

   Our celebration of Purim, today, more than ever, carries the message of, מיגון לשמחה that our future will be bright, when we put our trust in G-D, and with those who act with decency and empathy to others. 

   In spite of the many  trepidations I have, I still maintain a strong optimistic view of our society. I realize that each of us comes into this world as a gift with a purpose.  Our task is to discover this gift and to pursue our goals to successfully reach our Tafkid in life, bringing about a life of Kiddush Hashemand a life of true Humanity.

   This gift of life remains with us and we are enjoined, to give this gift to others. How, you may ask? By lending to others what has been lent to us, and to do so the right way, the way of compassion, the way of service, the way of caring and the way of life.

   This is what Purim is all about; to be inspired by the story in the Megillah, and to act with Humanity, with the gifts of משלוח מנות and מתנות לאביונים , bringing us closer to the fulfillment of בצלם אלוקים ברא את האדם.

   May we be Blessed with the Prayer of, ליהודים היתה אורה ושמחה וששון, in our time.

 

 

LIVE THE DREAM

   In the news media we are constantly reminded of the darkness in our world. Everywhere we turn, someone is trying to tear someone else down. Everywhere we go there is a feeling of inadequacy, or a feeling we are not good enough.  

It is then that we need to bring a certain illuminating light to this world; a light of spirituality; a light of hope; a light of optimism; a light that sees the possibilities; a light that turns the negative into a positive; a light that encourages unstoppable determination.

   This type of Hashkafa, is evident in the first sentence in this week’s Torah reading, Parshat Pekudeh, wherein it states, “אלה פקודי משכן העדות, These are the accountings of the Mishkan, the Mishkan of Testimony. The Torah  goes on to describe all the resources that were used to build the Mishkan.

   Many ask, “Why does the sentence begin with the word אלה, “these” the word seems to be superfluous?” The Medrash, gives a very enlightening answer to the use of the word אלה; “The word אלה, reflects on those who sinned with the Golden Calf. When the Jewish People built the עגל, the  same word was used, אלה, as they said, “אלה אלוהיך, These are your gods.” Thus says theMedrash, “We begin with the word אלה, as Hashem was suggesting to עם ישראל, that giving gold to build the Mishkan, would atone for the gold they eagerly gave to build the Golden Calf. “

   The message is clear.  There is nothing wrong with Gold, the problem is what to do with the gold. “Do we build a calf of idolatry or do will we build a edifice glorifying G-D, and ulimately sanctifying our lives.” 

   This is true with all our monetary gains and all of our physical achievements. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with the Gold of Life that we have accrued.  The fault is the way we use the Gold of Life  and how we share it with others.

   All the elements in the world can be used for destructive purposes, or we can turn them around and they can become agents of life and bring about the goodness of man.

   This is the lesson of אלה.  It is a lesson of attitude and how we use the Blessings of Hashem. It is saying, that, we are responsible to take the world that was given to us by G-D, in a neutral state and to elevate it into a state of Kedusha. Life is in our hands and the option is up to everyone, how and when we use these G-D given qualities and Blessings.

   There is more to us than we know, if we can be made to see it.  Perhaps, for the rest of our lives, we will be unwilling to settle for less. We must never limit out positive potentials. We will accomplish much if we honor our values, and honor the objectives that matter most in our lives.  We can do so by learning to prioritize.

Let us never settle for less than what we deserve.

Life can be described as a u-turn.  We can always correct our ways and start over in a more productive fashion, if we, but, desire to do so. 

We can, as the Israelites of old, turn our Golden Calf, into a magnificent, Mishkan/Mikdash, to G-D and to Man.

 

   As we express our pride for the State of Israel’s successful mission launch to the moon on the space craft Bereishit , we remember the words that they sent back to the world “Small Country, Big Dream.”  We interpret this statement to reflect our own personal goals and potentials which are “To Live the Dream”   by pursuing our spiritual aspirations.

 

MINDSET

  “Too many people spend money they earned, to buy things they really don’t want, to impress people they don’t like.”

“Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.”

  These quotes come to mind as we prepare to celebrate, Shabbat Shekalim. This is a special Shabbat to announce and remind the Jewish World of their responsibilities to the maintenance of the Beit Hamikdash and a time for taking a census, by using the Shekel.

  The critical directive of our Torah can be summed up in the words of our Torah reading:

, To lift up the heads of the Jewish People כי תשא את ראש בני ישראל

   This is our task today - to direct the heads of American Jewry, to be counted in the ranks of the people, devoted to its heritage and loyal to its tradition lifting the people to a higher degree of spirituality. 

   We are to imbue our Jewish Brethren and Sisters with a greater spirit to be conscious of the role that they must play in our Jewish history of today and tomorrow. There are too many who have fallen by the wayside of loyalty and commitment, where Jewish life is concerned. I find that there are too many who remain indifferent to their communal responsibilities. Therefore, we need to hear the words, כי תשא את ראש, and go forth and lift them up in the true spirit of Yiddishkeit.  We must do so with warmth and with more intense Jewish education bringing enlightenment to the uneducated in such a way that they will see the beauty of our Torah way of life and will be inspired on their own and seek, once again, the road that will lead them back to the authentic life of Yiddishkeit.

   Remember the Hebrew word ונתנו, is a palindrome, and is read the same way backwards and forwards, to tell us that the more we give the more we will receive. The more we envelope those who are distant, the more they will respect us and they will join us, once again. Judaism is a two way street and as we pursue our goal of enrichment, we will, hopefully, be reciprocated with their positive response. 

   How often have you heard that every Jew, has within him a Yiddishe Neshama, that Pintele Yid, waiting to emerge into a full fledged Jew, who will exhibit the courage, the dignity and the self respect, bringing about their Yeshuah, and helping to bring about the ישועת עם ישראל.

    It was interesting to read that at the New York Mets spring-training there was a sign of inspiration which was put up in front of the clubhouse. In fact, the ideas may be very useful in our pursuit of a spiritual life.  The word on the sign was MINDSET.Each letter suggested another word. The letter M is for  Mental Toughness. In Judaism we need Mental Acuity to be involved in our Torah learning. The next letter is I for the word Improve. In any goal we always must focus on our Improvement. The next letter is N, for the word No. To be successful in life, we are to use No, when we always make excuses for our non-performance.  In Judaism No more excuses. Excuses are rationalizations for non performance. The next letter is D, which stands for Determination. In Judaism we must always be Determined and Dedicatedto a full Judaic way of life. The next letter is, S for Selflessness. As long as we act with a Selfless Attitude, life will be one of Chesed and understanding. The next letter is E, which stands for Excellence. It is important that we strive for Excellence, in our relationship to Hashem and to our fellowman. The final letter is T, which stands for Total Commitment to Torah andYiras Shamayim, and to be totally Experientially involved in our relationship to Judaism.

YES this is our Judaic MINDSET. Let us hope we can live with this Philosophy, bringing us closer to the time of the Moshiach.