OUR TORAH IS OUR TREE OF LIFE

       The attitude of a religious Jew, especially how he presents himself to others, is very important in defining what is seen as a קידש השם or a חלול השם.

  With this in mind I begin to explore and to try to understand an enigmatic episode in the death of Nadav and Avihu as described in this morning's Torah reading.

וירחו בני אהרן נדב ואביהו איש מחתתו ויתנו בהן אש וישימו עלי קטרת ויקריבו לפני השם אש זרה אשר לא צוה אותם.          

"The sons of Aaron, Nadav and Avihu, each took his firepan, put fire in them and placed incense upon it and they brought before Hashem a strange fire that Hashem had not commanded".

 For this infraction, they were punished with death.

The obvious question is why such a severe punishment and more so what was the sin that they committed?

    I sense that our first impression to our quest, is that they entered the Holy of Holies to burn incense which they had not been commanded, even if they did so in adoration of G-D, but they decided to do so on their own accord. Can we persist in our quandary and say, 'So what was so bad'?True, Hashem did not command them to do so, but they did do so for the love of G-D.

   Nechamah Leibowitz explores this dilemma and states the following, "Their guilt resides, not in a formal violation of any of the regulations involved in the sacrificial service, but rather in their desire to break through, as it were, to the Almighty, to cleave unto Him, not in accordance with the prescribed ordinances but rather in conformity with the dictates of their own hearts. 

     The acceptance of the yoke of heaven, which is the aim of our entire Torah, is replaced, here, by a religious ecstasy which is free from the restraints of normative religious discipline, unrestrained and  not subservient to the Divine will and for this they were punished.

     In understanding this dilemma, I also need to reflect upon what Rabbi  Samson Raphael Hirsch said in his understanding of the severe decree. It was to emphasize to us "To avoid personal and subjective predilections and ordinances of their own intervention in their approach to the service of the  Sanctuary which  belongs to G-D".   

     I share these sources with you to encourage you to think for yourselves in your analysis of why this "Eish Zara" caused such a condemnation. However, beyond our study , there seems to be an important modern day lesson to be learned from this tragedy.

      The tragedy of Aaron's sons is our lesson in the attitude that  accompany's our  observances and  how we approach our religious behavior. 

     It is well and good to be observant and to fulfill the will of Hashem as prescribed in our Torah, but one wonders what are the consequences of excess zeal and fanaticism, which comes about through our own subjective opinions, of what Judaism demands of us . We have a Torah B'ksav, we have our Torah Sh'Baal Beh,we have our Shulchan Orech, and we have our great sages through out our  history, and if we abide within these boundaries we will succeed as true Jews.

    Greater observance does not demand greater Chumros and our Torah especially does not want us to inject into our rituals our own subjective opinions of how Halacha is to be performed. 

    Let us live within our prescribed  Halacha , and leave any of our subjective opinions, which often border on fanaticism out of our Judaic way of life.

    עץ חיים היא למחזיקים בה , Judaism is our tree of life,let's maintain it in this fashion, for the GLORY of 

 G-D and the GLORY of Man.

GO FORWARD

       "   True honor comes from actuallizing  one's innermost strengths". 

      The Yom Tov of Pesach is a time when the inner beauty of each individual is revealed, and a time when we are to work on our individual spiritual strengths. In our counting Sefira, Kabbalah plays a very important role as we reflect upon the lower Sefirot as we count each day. Each week a different Sefira is perfected and refined. This first week of Sefirat Haomer reflects upon the attribute of Chesed, wherein love predominates.

   With this thought in mind I begin to reflect on how our Seder experience, with all it's beauty and inspiration, will continue to influence our behavior in the coming months.

     I sense our answer is forthcoming from our celebration of the last two days of the Yom Tov.

   On the Seventh day of Pesach we will read from our Torah the episode of the parting of the Red Sea  permitting the Jewish People to escape the wrath of the onslaught of the Egyptian army that were in hot pursuit .

    I am always in awe of that great miracle that took place at ים סוף permitting the Jewish People to walk through on dry land to safety while the Egyptians were catapulted into oblivion. 

    As the Jews realized the great miracle that was performed for them, they uttered the following words

עזי וזמרת קה ויהי לישועה ,"The Lord is my strength and He is my salvation"

זה קלי ואנוהו אלוקי אבי וארוממנהו "

"He is my G-D and I will glorify Him, my father's G-D and I will exalt Him".

    As I revisit this great episode in Jewish history, though it is a historical event to be remembered always in our hearts and minds, I am beginning to realize, more and more, that it has become an existential experience which seems to always happen in the life of a Jew. It can be summed up in these words, הלכו ביבשה בתוך הים, the Jew always seems to walk in the midst of torrential seas.  So many are watching and waiting for our demise in these waters of hate and it is at these times that we need to walk through these waters of destruction with all the energetic force we can muster for our survival. 

  It is at these times of crisis that I hear, once again, the words of Hashem to Moshe at the Red Sea as he crys  out to Hashem in desperation. G-D says to Moshe,

 מה תצעק אלי, " Why are you crying out to me , why do you stand so inactive, tell the people, יסעו, "Tell them to go forward". 

    In life one has to take the initiative. One has to move forward. Standing and doing nothing will not solve our problems and surely will not bring upon our salvation.

   The Medrash stresses this point even more so when it relates, אמר הקבה לא עת עתה להאריך בתפלה כשישראל נתונין בצרה"Hashem says to Moshe, "This is not the time for lengthy prayer when Israel is in trouble, now is a time for action". 

    No one is denying the importance of  Prayer. Indeed our Betachon evidences it's efficacy, but we must begin to realize that life demands our action and our efforts to achieve our goals in life. If we stand on the sidelines, rather than jump into the fray of life we will not  achieve our life sustaining forces. We must remember , יסעו, to travel the roads of life and with our actions and our deep abiding faith we will  reach our Promised Land.

    As the holiday of Pesach concludes, we take the memories of this beautiful and inspiring Chag with us on our journey towards Sinai.

   We pray that Almighty G-D'S Chesed will always be showered upon us and we will all declare, together,

 זה קלי ואנוהו ,

"This is our G-D and we shall glorify Him".

    " We may not be able to control the wind , but we can adjust the sails"

                                         חג שמח 

EXPERIENTIAL SEDER

     As Pesach draws closer and we are getting ready for the Seder I am reminded of a letter sent by Rebbe Kalonymus Kalman ע״ה of Piasceztna, to his followers, on Pesach 5699, (1939).

    "My dear ones, I am calling to you and speaking to your souls. The Holy days of Pesach are approaching and the Holiness of these days infuse us thoroughly, inside and outside. Their light fills us and encompasses us.

    It is stated אור זרוע לצדיק ולישרי לב שמחה, 'light is sown for the righteous and there is joy for the upright of the heart׳s'.

Like a field needs plowing and hoeing and watering so do we need to prepare  ourselves before the Chag. Without preparation there can be no joy, no growth and no light. With all the preparations needed for the festival we must be careful not to divert our attention from ourselves and not to forget to draw down the Holiness of the season. The main aspect of the festival is to be joyful, to praise and glorify Hashem for all the miracles and all the goodness."

   In essence, the Rebbe is saying that the Yom Tov of Pesach is a time to rejoice over our tremendous good fortune and for the privilege we have to engage in the Avodah of the Seder. We need to reiterate to ourselves; "My joy is without bounds. I have been granted the opportunity to achieve my purpose  in the world and to be elevated to the upper spheres and to glorify His great name and to draw down the Holy splendor of Hashem's light into my soul and the souls of my family."

   To achieve this glorious feeling at our Seder we must focus on what  I consider, the most important directive as recorded in the Hagadah.

   בכל דור ודור חיב אדם לראות את עצמו כאלו הוא יצא ממצרים

"In every generation ,we are obligated to see ourselves as if we had personally come out of Egypt "

   The Rambam,on a play on words, says, not only לראות to see ourselves, but להראות, to present ourselves, which means to show others that we feel this way. 

    Since we must recite the Hagadah to others, as implied by the question and answer approach required at our Seder, it follows that the manner in which a person performs all the other Pesach practices must also  demonstrates to others his personal expierence of the Exodus.

  The Rav, Rabbi Soloveitchikזצ׳ל extends this idea and says that we must make our memories at the Seder come alive. As we celebrate and remember the past events of our history, we do something more profound than merely remembering , we reenact the past and recreate past events and by doing so, we enter into the expierence as if we are there. In this way, events of the past do not remain ancient history, for by recreating them we bring them to life.

    This is the beauty of the Yom Tov of Pesach. We, with our children, are becoming one with the past and the present, and consequently we will give the future an energizing force that will keep Judaism ablaze in our hearts, minds and actions.

   This idea is so important for me personally, for it becomes a reality to our family as we welcome a visit with our parents and grandparents by placing on our Seder table, our mother's candle sticks, our father's and grandfather's Matzoh covers, their Kosot and especially their Kos shel Eliyahu. They not only visit us, spiritually, on this special night, but they become part of our inner beings to be ever preserved, revered and truly remembered in a very real and positive way. 

     We then see the glory of Pesach  as the epitome of an observance where we turn the past into a living experience.

It is so magnificent to celebrate the past as if it is the present. In doing so, our history is alive and vibrant and it impacts upon us more greatly than we would ever imagine. 

  With our Seder observances we  begin to realize that our  past is vital, flowing into our future in a creative fashion that gives spiritual life to all the participants.

   This is what Judaism is all about. Judaic life, it's laws and minhagim are invigorating and life sustaining.

  Let us gather with our families with joy in our hearts and hope in our beings at our Seder and together recite , לפיכך אנחנו חיבים להודות ולהלל ולשבח we give thanks to the Almighty for all of our Blessings, and especially for the love of family and dear friends and together we will echo the wish, לשנה  הבאה בירושלים הבנויה.

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   Please permit me to share this insightful D'var Torah with you and  I hope that you will discuss it with your family.

    In our Hagadah, as an introduction to describing the four sons , it says; ברוך המקום ברוך הוא," Blessed is G-D , Hamakom, blessed is He".

  The question I pose, "Why is G-D referred to as Hamakom?"

    Chazal teaches us that one of Hashem's names is Hamakom.  This is based upon the idea that G-D is the מקום של עולם 'the place of the world.׳ This interpretation expresses the idea  that  G-D embraces the universe and that the universe is within G-D.

 The Rav, offers another insight into this idea. He said that Hashem is called"place" or "home" to emphasize a very important aspect of G-D'S involvement in our lives.

  The Rav said to be homeless does not mean that a person does not have a roof over his head.  Someone can have a strong roof and feel secure in his home, but can still remain exposed, insecure and vulnerable. The only home where man can find security is within G-D, which is why a person who is close to G-D and feels he is protected by His guiding hand, is a person who is truly "at home". This is the experience of knowing Hashem as   המקום.

This feeling of being at "home" is greatly felt as we sit together at our Seder with our family and friends.

We begin to understand why this night of all nights is referred to as  לל שמורים , a night of protection, of feeling secured with the knowledge that Hashem is with us.  To a certain extent the night of Pesach becomes as brilliant and aglow as if it was daytime.  

May we all embrace this glorious hour with greater love and fellowship that will extend itself for the entire year.

                                                חג שמח

DAYENU

    As we approach Shabbat Hagadol, one wonders what type of greatness should this Shabbat engender in our hearts and minds?The Yom Tov of Pesach will inspire us to achieve a life of great spiritual growth. 

    As we prepare to search for the Chametz before Pesach, please travel with me on this Paschal road to search for our individual greatness which is latent in all of us.

    Let us begin our travels with a question; Which is the most popular and most favorite song that is sung at the Seder? My answer to this rhetorical question is the song 'Dayenu'. This song is not only very popular for Jews it seems to be the  favorite  even for those who are not Jewish.

    The song Dayenu praises Hashem for all the Nissim, miracles, and wonders that He has brought forth for all of us down through the ages. And yet, when I look at the words of the song I am astounded at what is recorded;

     For example אלו קרע לנו את הים ולא העבירנו בתוכםבחרבה דינו

   "Had G-D caused the sea to divide but not caused us to cross it on dry land, Dayenu, it would have been enough".

    Would that really have been enough. Why? We would not have been saved, we would have drowned. How can we say in such a situation, Dayenu?

   Let's read another verse; אלו קרבנו לפני הר סני ולא נתן לנו את התורה דינו

  "Had He brought us to Mt. Sinai and had not given us the Torah. Dayenu, it would have been enough." Can we really say it would have been enough to be without the Torah?Could we, as Jews, lived without the Torah? That to me is 

unimaginable.

   I am even more perplexed with the next statement; אלו נתן לנו את התורה ולא הכנסנו לארץ ישראל דינו

   "Had He given us the Torah and not brought us to the Promised Land of Israel, Dayenu.

  Really? Where would we be today without the State of Israel?

   The answer to my question, is indeed simple and profound. It all depends upon how we read the word Dayenu. If we read it as an interrogative statement ,then it is a question, Dayenu? Would it have been enough? Or do we read it as a declarative statement,Dayenu! It would have been enough!

   Therefore, when we sing the song Dayenu, we may need a certain kind of inflection, to state how we feel, about each idea expressed.

    However, I believe there is an important lesson to learn from the Dayenu concept;

    There are times in life that a person should say, "It's enough" and there are times in life when a person should ask, "Is it really enough?"

   Our minds this Pesach are confused by the horrific deaths of seven angelic children who perished in the fire. More then ever we are to embrace, to cherish and to love our own children with greater involvement in their  lives. 

    I am sure you realize that our entire  Seder  centers around the idea of הגדת לבנך, to teach our children.  Our main focus at the Seder table is our children.   

    Psychologically speaking, it is important when it comes to children to know when to say Dayenu ! It is enough! and it is well to be satisfied in your accomplishments and to feel a great sense of self worth.  And then there  are times when we need to inquire into their behavior and into their negative feelings and say Dayenu, isn't it enough? And stop acting in such a  hurtful manner .

   Children and adults have to learn that not every soldier can be a General, but everyone can be a good soldier, by reaching his or her potential. 

    However, at the same time one should not say Dayenu, and to be satisfied with the status quo. Such an attitude is often counter productive.

    As we put our lives into the proper 'Seder,' and as we sit down at the 'Seder,' which in essence is a meal of education, we are to remember; "It is not the lowering of human standards we are searching for, but rather to encourage greater avenues of achievement.  

      Let us recite the Kiddush, encouraging us to have a life filled with Kedusha leading, eventually, to the drinking of the fifth Kos, the Kos Shel Eliyahu, heralding our true Geulah Shlemah, Dayenu!!!!!!

PESACH SEDER

    As we walk through the stores, we can feel that Pesach is in the air.  So many are running around in preparation of this magnificent Yom Tov  

   I would like to share with you a Hasidic story; When the Baal Shem Tov had a difficult task before him he would go to the woods , light a fire and meditate in prayer, and what he had set out to perform was done. When a generation later the Maggid of Meshritz was faced with the same task he would go to the same place in the woods and say, "We can no longer light the fire , but we can still utter the prayers" and what he wanted done became a reality. Again, a generation later Rabbi Lev of Saasov had to perform his task and he too went into the forest and said, "We can no longer light the fire, nor do we know the secret meditations belonging to the prayer, but we do know the place in the forest to which it all belongs and that will have to be sufficient". And sufficient it was.  When another generation had passed and Rabbi Israel was called on to perform the task, he sat down on his chair in his home and said, "We cannot light the fire, we cannot speak the prayers, we do not know the place, but we can tell the story of how it was done.” And the story he told had the same affect as the actions of the other three.
    Understandably, this profound anecdote clearly describes the decline of the sacred, but at the same time reflects upon the trials and tribulations that each generation goes through, and how they recover the holiness of the past which gives them the strength and the courage to face the present and the future. 
     This is Pesach and the entire Seder in a concise and cogent and meaningful way.
    Kierkegaard said it well when he explained the concept of "Holiness" as "Wholly Other ", as an experience unlike any other.”

     Pesach is a time when we expierence such an extraordinary feeling of awe, wonder, mystery and majesty. It excites our admiration, it invites our adoration, and stimulates our devotion to Hashem.
  This feeling of great excitement is present when we sit down at the Seder, though somewhat exhausted from all the preparations, with much Simcha as we recite in unison,

שהחינו וקימנו והגיענו לזמן הזה . 
    As we prepare for this years’ Seder, let us gather with our families, as they did in years of yore, and to renew special relationships with our friends and loved ones  and to strengthen our bonds with Hashem in a most productive way with our  הלל ותשבחות.
     Let this Pesach refresh and revive our jaded spirits, dampen our cynicism, and remind us of the great opportunities that are ours to achieve as we open the door once again for Elijah the Prophet and show our preparedness to welcome our מלך המשיח.       

   
  

 

WISDOM OF THE HEART

    "Rabbi are you going to purchase the new wrist watch by apple?" I was asked.  I wasn't even sure what this new apple phenomenon was all about. I did, however, begin to realize that the advancement of our technological world has no limits.  I can only imagine what this world will look like in ten years or so, as we become more and more tech savvy. 

     I am reminded of the story of the man who found frost on his window and tried to scrape it off. His neighbor, observing what he was doing asked him, "What are you trying to accomplish?" He replied, "I can't see out of the window and I am trying  to get rid of the frost.  But as fast as I scrape off the frost from one pane, frost appears on another." The neighbor answered, "Let the windows alone and light a fire inside. You will, then, see that the frost will disappear of itself."

  These are times that we are feeling the chill of the world against our Jewish faces and we need to kindle the fire of enthusiasm , the fire of love, the fire of spirituality, the fire  of Betachon , inside our very beings to thaw ourselves out.

   It is with this understanding that our Torah this Shabbat records the selection of Betzalel  to build the Miskan. Why was he chosen.  The Torah relates; 

ויקרא משה אל בצלא-ל ואל אהליאב ואל כל איש חכם לב אשר נתן הי חכמה בלבו

  "And Moshe called Bezalel and every wise hearted man in whose heart G-D had put wisdom."

    This is a very interesting expression; "Wisdom of the heart." What exactly does this mean?

      I sense there are two types of wisdom. There is wisdom of the mind, relating to 'things.' It is of a 'quantitative' nature. 

    Then there is the wisdom of the heart,  'reflecting the values of life' in a 'qualitative' way.

  Wisdom of the Heart projects oneself in ideals, in ethics , in love, in loyalty, and in friendship.  

  Understandably, the mind without the heart produces a robotic existence. The heart without the mind produces misery and poverty.

   Bezalel had all the qualities.  He was an outstanding architect and engineer, but more so, to build this edifice to Hashem, he needed to be a חכמת לב, a man who possessed a heart in all of his dealings .

    As I began my blog I emphasized that we are involved, greatly, in technology and I do realize it's importance. However, to do so for the better of humanity, a we must infuse our achievements with "The Wisdom of the Heart."

  This is our modern day challenge as we make great strides in the arena of technology.

   I remember reading of a western scientist who was boasting to an Indian intellectual. 

" In the west we are so advanced technologically, we can fly like a bird, we can run like a deer, and we can swim like a fish". 

 The Indian pondered for a moment and responded,"Yes, you can fly like a bird , you can run like a deer, you can swim like a fish, but can you walk like a man?"        

      Like Bezalel, let us meet the challenges that face us today with  "Wisdom of the Heart". 

MEGILLAH REVISITED

The Yom Tov of Purim is our most joyous holiday. As we read the Megillah I am greatly impressed by the two heroes of the story, Mordechai and Esther. Let me explain how I see these two messengers of G-D who are asked to save the Jewish.  The uniqueness of Purim is that it's a story of people, yes ordinary  people who acted in a most extraordinary  fashion.

   The Megillah describes Mordechai simply ; 

איש יהודי היה בשושן ושמו מרדכי

He was a Jew, an ordinary Jew.  He sat together with the other guards at the gate of the King. " Mordechai was just one of the people."

  Similarly, when the Megillah describes our Heroine Esther it says;והנערה יפת תואר וטובת מראה

She was a sweet and simple and pretty girl, eventually winning  a beauty contest leading her to become the Queen to Ahashveros. "Esther was just one of the people."

   I am extremely impressed with Mordechai and Esther.  They were ordinary people like you and me who lived at a time of crisis. 

   Though they were ordinary people, they lived during a period which called for greatness and these simple ordinary people, in responding with greatness became great. 

  Greatness in life is dependent upon our response to life.

  This is what Mordechai was saying to Esther in what I believe are the most important and cogent words in the entire Megillah,  כי אם החרש תחרישי כעת הזאת,

    At a time like this how can you turn your head away from the needs of our people, this is your hour , this is why you were brought forth on this earth, this is your Tafkid of life, don't let the hour pass.  There may never be another opportunity.  Time waits for no one. 

     That was the message of Mordechai, the ordinary man , to Esther the ordinary woman.  Together, because they heeded the call to save Jewry, they achieved greatness and became the saviors of the Jewish People.

     I often think that all of us have the capabilities of rising to the occasion, of becoming extraordinary, in helping our fellow Jew. In so many different ways, we can become our modern day heroes.

    I am reminded of the folk story of the Little Dutch Boy, Peter. He lived in a country below sea level where the people had built dikes to keep out the water. Peter playing at the seashore, saw moisture seeping through a tiny hole and he became frightened, he knew it meant danger. He cried out but no one heard him. He was afraid the opening was getting larger and the countryside would be flooded, so, he put his finger into the hole and stayed there all night. He saved  his country and little Peter is a symbol of heroism to this very day. Indeed, Peter rose to the occasion. 

    This is the story of Purim.  When Esther and Mordechai saw the great danger threatening the Jews, they too performed acts of courage and dedication and this foiled Haman's plot and Jewry was saved.

   I am sure you echo my feelings as we welcome The Prime Minister of Israel to our country.  Though there are many who may think he should not speak to the members of Congress, one thing I am sure of - that when he does address the assemblage he will speak for the salvation of the Jewish People and the State Of Isreal. 

    Mr. Netanyahu loves the Jewish People and his only concern is the safety and security of the Jewish State. I see him as an ordinary man who hears the cry , "this is your hour" and we know that your reason for your actions is the salvation of the Jewish People.

      "Heroes are made not born."  To be a hero one must act with great empathy, firmly and not with indifference. Mr. Netanyahu fits this bill.

       These are times we need men and women who are ordinary to act extraordinary.  In doing so we will help to hasten the coming of Moshiach in our time.

   May Hashem bless us with peace and tranquility and to use this Yom Tov of Purim to bring us closer to each other with love and happiness.