FAITH and OPTIMISM

     Parshas Masey details the travelogue of the Jewish People as they traveled through the dessert on their way to the Promised Land.

  One wonders, 'Why was it necessary to mention every place they visited in such detailed form?'

  Rashi is quick to point out that it was Hashem's intention to remind the people להודיע חסדיו הי , to remind them of the great expression of mercy and kindness of Hashem who provided them with the necessities to survive the dessert experience. 

  Rabbi Tanchuma says, 'The reason for mentioning all the places they visited was analogous to a father traveling with his son, who became ill. The father took his son to a specialist who cured him. On the way home, he recalled to his son the different places they had passed and what happened in each place.'

   In a like manner, Hashem was pointing out to the people what took place at the the different locations they visited and how He lovingly took care of them.

   The Rambam touches on a very insightful answer refuting any suggestion that the people were really lost and that is the reason they made so many stops at different locations. He insisted that the people's GPS, was all planned by G-D, על פי הי, showing emphatically that nothing was accidental or pure chance. Every move made by עם ישראל, was all made by the design and direct intentions of Hashem Himself.  

   There is no doubt that all reasons are very logical, but I am inclined to think in the direction that the Rambam suggests, for it emphasizes that what ever takes place in our world is all by design of Hashem, and that very often we are misled in thinking things just happen and that is not true. Indeed, we have free will to do as we wish, but we need to remember that behind every decision and action of man, be it on a personal level or by leaders of different countries, the hand of Hashem is steering our boat of destiny. 

     As we reflect on Israel's journey, we also begin to reflect on our journey through life and we set our GPS, our 

G-D Positioning Satellite , that will lead us to  a glorious future of peace and tranquility. 

   This idea has great meaning as we approach the most mournful period on the Jewish calendar , the nine days of mourning  and  search for the Hand of Hashem to lift us out of our abyss of darkness and lead us to our glorious 

גאולה שלמה.

CONSISTENT

    There is a very interesting  Medrash reflecting  on this week's Torah reading, Pinchas. The  Medrash  tells of Rabbi Yehudah who asked his students, "Which sentence and directive  in our Torah would one consider as the cornerstone of our entire Avodas Hashem?"

   The first student, Ben Zoma answered , שמע ישראל........, "Hear o  Israel the Lord  is our G-D the Lord is one"

   The second student, Ben Azai, spoke and chose the verse, ואהבת לרעך כמוך.  "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." "This must be the real essence of our faith."

  The third student, Ben Pazi, spoke up and quoted the sentence from this week's Parsha,

את הכבש אחד תעשה בבקר ואת   הכבש השני תעשה בין הערבים.    "The one lamb shall you make in the morning and the second lamb you make in the afternoon"

     Rabb Yehudah pondered for a moment and announced that the selection of Ben Pazi bespeaks the essence of Judaism, and is indeed the cornerstone of our Judaic way of life.

    The question I pose is; "What is so significant about the daily sacrifices that warrants its distinction as the cornerstone of our Avodas Hashem?"

  Isn't the concept of the oneness of G-D, or the love of fellowman more overriding than the bringing of the Korban Tamid?

     Understandably, the Shemah is  truly a great principle and no doubt the concept of brotherly love keeps Judaism alive. However, the  directive of the Korban Tamid, of bringing a sacrifice every  morning and every evening, is to teach a very important lesson in how one is to live Judaism.

   If a person expresses his faith in specific, concrete deeds on a daily basis ,rain or shine , every single day of his life then it shows he is truly dedicated to his religious beliefs.  This daily Korban suggests that we subscribe not only in theory to our Judaic way of life, but that we live it and do something to show that we do so every single day of our lives.

   This is the true criteria by which we measure the depth of our religious life as individuals and as a community.

     Judaism is not and must not be only an occasional type of religious observance, it is much more. It needs to become our life sustaining force , which can only be accomplished in how we live on a daily basis.

     Although prayer has replaced sacrifices in our times, the lesson is clear and very important.  It is in our dedication and commitment to Judaism which requires "constancy and consistency" in our observance. 

     Yahadut is not a faith for special occasions only, as important as they might be, but one demanding a daily relationship.

     Let us hope and pray that through our daily commitment we will have the Z'chut of rebuilding  the Beit Hamikdash.

    שיבנה בית המקדש במהרה בימינו

     

BLESSINGS

 

This week’s Torah reading, Balak, intrigues me as we read about Bilam the pagan prophet who was persuaded to curse the Israelites by King Balak of Moav.

Though Bilam starts out to curse the Jewish People, his curses turn into Brachot.  It seems to me that even this wicked prophet became so impressed with the Jews in so many ways and recognizing the importance of the Jewish home as one of the factors of Jewish survival, he could not curse them.

At this point he utters a beautiful prayer which we recite every day as we begin our daily T’fillot.

“Ma Tovu O’halecha Yaakov”  “How goodly are your tents O”Jacob”

As he uttered these words of blessing, I sense his original thought was really to express it as a curse.  My question is “What did he have in mind that would reflect this beautiful T’fillah as a curse?”

We must always remember that the essence of Judaism is “Growth.”  At all cost, we must pursue a life of constant advancement in the realm of spirituality.  Judaism is living a life wherein we are constantly in the pursuit of greater development of our moral and Torah observances.  Self satisfaction and contentment with our past performances and achievements very often lead to stagnation and human inertia.  Bilam realized this and with this blessing he was saying to Am Yisroel; “It’s enough.  Be satisfied with your accomplishments.”  He was hoping to encourage them not to improve on their spiritual lives. Therefore, this was a curse disguised as a blessing with the intention to stop the forward progress of the Jewish people.

This idea has more validity as we read of another bracha of Bilam; “Ki Meirosh Tzurim E’renu.” “From the tops of mountains I see him.”

The Yalkut interprets the Tzurim, mountains, as “Eilu Avot V’emahot.” That it refers to our Patriarchs and Matriarchs.  We, the Jewish People, are inspired by our ancestors.  This inspiration gives us the strength and fortitude to continuously grow in Torah and Mitzvot.

It is true, we need our ‘Avot and Emahot’ as our roots for inspiration, but more so, they need us as branches to continue to promulgate Yiddishkeit to future generations to produce vibrant gardens of dedication to our Torah way of life.

We will show the Bilams’ of our society, that we, the Jewish People, are blessings to ourselves, to Hashem and to society at large.

As we begin the Three Week mourning period this coming Sunday, let us bereave the destruction of the Temple but, at the same time, let us be proud of ourselves, as a people that continues to grow to spread spiritually throughout the world.

Let us pray that our ‘Geulah S’hlaymah’ come quickly, in our time.

PARAH ADUMAH

    At the beginning of this week's Parsha, Chukas, we read about the Chok, of Parah Adumah, the Red Heifer. When speaking of Chukim we need to focus on the words of the Or HaChaim, reflecting on the sentence, "This is the Torah's statue, which Hashem commanded". He states that Hashem  commanded to tell the Jewish People that this Mitzvah has no rationale and, therefore, there is no logical explanation. It is a decree from G-d and it is for us to obey without question.

     The most difficult part to understand when it comes to the Parah Adumah, is the process that the Kohen performs to purify the one who is Tamei, and, consequently, he himself, becomes Tamei.

     How  can that be? How can we explain that the very same ritual that purifies the one, defiles the other?

    This dilemma has troubled so many and numerous answers have been given.

     For me, the best answer was suggested by the Rav, Rabbi Soloveitchik זצ׳ל .

     The Rav said, " The Kohen has to be willing to carry out this purification ceremony, knowing that in the process, he himself will become Tamei. He knows that, if he does become Tamei he will be changing places with the person who brings the sacrifice of the Parah Adumah.  The Tamei will re-enter the community and the Kohen will have to leave the community. It is understandable, therefore, the Kohen would be reluctant to participate in this ritual." The Rav seems to suggest that this kind of conflict was going on in the mind of the Kohen who was asked to perform the sacrifice. With all these questions in his mind the kohen still answers the call. 

  He is saying to himself and the community "I love this man just as I love every member of this community and therefore in order to purify him I am willing to contaminate myself in the process. 

   What we are experiencing with the Parah Adumah is a masterful act of Gemilat Chasadim, a true act of selflessness and feelings of love for a fellow man.

  The lesson is clear - whether it is a leader or an individual, when it is necessary to get into the mud to help another we must be willing to do so even if it means getting ourselves 'dirty'.

    In general, we need to begin to love each other and to have patience with each other, to accept each other and to be less critical of each other. 

    Our hallmark must be selflessness and not selfishness. In doing so, our world will be a lot better than it is at the present time. 

     May we be זוכה to bring the Parah Adumah to the בית המקדש in our time.

 

TIKUN OLAM

    This is the time on our calendar when so many of our children and grandchildren are graduating from different schools. 

    I pose a question, "What does graduation really mean?"

    I recall the words given in a commencement address, "Life has no remote, so get up and change it yourself." How true this statement is.  

    The word commencement, though used for graduation, really means beginning. The graduate is beginning another plateau into the halls of education, into their selected professions. With great pride another plateau has been reached and yet another plateau is to be reached.

   The beauty of life is not to remain stagnate but rather to continue to grow and to achieve and accomplish more in life.

  Abraham Maslow, one of the foremost spokesman for Humanistic Psychology, developed the concept of "Self Actualization." In essence, his theory is teaching us that 'Life is to lead us on the road to actualize our potential.' While pursuing this course  we must search for our destiny with open arms, to achieve our maximum level of fulfillment.

  Too often so many children and young adults sell themselves short, because they cannot tolerate the long and arduous climb to success. We must be more encouraging to show them that the road at times may be bumpy, but it will eventually lead to a smooth and blissful life. 

   I read recently a magnificent Baccalaureate address that was delivered by Peter Salovey, President of Yale University, who happens to be a scion of the Soloveitchik family. 

     He titled his speech"Repair the World".  Dr. Salovey articulated life's mission by quoting Hillel from Pirkey Avot, "What  is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor.  That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation of this -go and study it!"

     Then he proceeded to tell the graduates that the touchstone of the Jewish  experience is Tikun Olam, literally, To Repair the World ."Your purpose in life is to improve the world to make it livable for all people." Then he quoted Rabbi Tarfon, "It is not your responsibility to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it".

      It is hard to imagine the president of a prestigious university, anywhere else in the world, delivering such an unabashedly proud Jewish address. At a time when the headlines highlight anti Israel activism and open anti semitism on the college campus, it is truly a breath of fresh air to hear such an address delivered. Only in America are we privileged to hear words of our Talmud, spoken at a graduation exercise. 

    These words are not the the words spoken by Korach against Moshe and Aaron, words of destruction and maliciousness, but these are words to bring about a Tikun Olam. Korach represents persuasive demagogues who take advantage of the circumstances for their own benefit. Korach was not honest and his real motives were not for the betterment of the people. He was a man of jealousy and envy which can only lead to devastation and a denial of Tikun Olam.

     We and our graduates need to adhere to the words of Dr. Salovey and work together to achieve a true Tikun Olam, that will help usher in a Messianic time for all mankind.  

TRUTH and AUTHENTICITY

     The Navi Yeshayah wrote בפיו ושפתיו כבדוני ולבו רחק ממני "With their mouths and with their lips do they honor me,” says Hashem, “but they have removed their hearts from me" 

      This is a terrible indictment of the Jewish People. For the Jew, there must always be a strong emotional attachment to Hashem and to Am Yisrael. 

      In this week's Parsha Sh'lach, we are commanded regarding the Mitzvah of  ציצית;  of wearing a four cornered garment and to affix to this garment the ציצית, i.e. fringes.  In addition to the white fringes,  which are required, one is obligated to have one of these fringes  to be the color תכלת, a blue color reminding us of the color of  Sh’amayim , the blue of the sky, reflecting our spiritual attachment to Hashem.

      This thread of Techeiles, must be prepared from a dye derived, specifically, from the fish called  חלזון, Chalazon.   Any other dye is not acceptable.

  

   When the Gemarah speaks of this Halacha it states; שעתיד להיפרע ממי שתולה קלא אילן בבגדו ואומר תכלת היא, “Hashem will punish anyone who affixes a thread of blue, dyed with indigo,  a vegetable dye, and falsifies it as the real dye from the Chalazon.”

  

    In essence, the Torah is admonishing anyone who would pass off the artificial for the real. Judaism will not contend with any type of deception, or hypocrisy when it comes to our Judaic way of life. Sham and duplicity is unacceptable and must not be tolerated in any aspect of our lives. It is a sorry state of affairs when, all too often, people pretend to be righteous and decent but really are ignoble and selfish. Though they may get away with such deception, ultimately the truth will win out. 

 

    Permit me to share the following comical story;

 A comedian once commented, "I don't get any respect, why, when I was a kid, I got lost in a shopping mall, and I was scared. With tears in my eyes, I ran to the nearest security guard and asked him frantically; ‘Sir, please help me, I'm lost, do you think I'll ever be reunited with my parents?’ 

    "He looked at me straight in the eye and said, “Kid, with so many places for them to hide, I seriously doubt it.”  

 

    As jocular as it may seem, so many of us are hiding from the truth and so often live with the vegetable dye rather than with the true Techeiles. 

 

    These are times when society is so full of sham and duplicity, we are to step up to the plate and live our lives with honesty and genuineness.  

 

    We, who possess the genuine Techeiles are to show the world that our way of life is אמת ויציב because we live lives that are dependent upon אמת ואמונה with truth and authenticity.

 

   As we gaze at our Tzizit the next time we recite the Sh’ma, let the lesson of Techeiles be our guide, a Techeiles that is דומה לשמים leading us to the כסא הכבוד. For when we speak the truth from our hearts we will herald a time of peace and serenity for the Jewish People.

OUR ETERNAL FLAME

     The great educator, John Dewey, on his 90^thBirthday, was asked by a reporter, “What is good of all your thinking? Where does it get you?” Mr. Dewey replied, “The good is that you climb mountains”. “Climb mountains?” questioned the reporter, “What is the good of doing that?”

Mr. Dewey replied, “To see other mountains.”  He then placed his hands on the young reporter’s shoulders and said, “When you are no longer interested in climbing mountains to see other mountains to climb, then life is over”.

   Think of what this great educator was saying; Indeed life is to continue to move forward. At every stage in life when faced with a new challenge, man is encouraged to grasp hold of that opportunity and to use all of his G-D given qualities to succeed and not to say it can’t be done. All that is needed is to exert as much energy as possible to bring that opportunity into reality. 

    We learn in Pirkey Avot;                                                                           

“It is not your duty to complete your task, but you are not free to desist from it”.

   Our Torah reading this Shabbat is B’haloscha, wherein we read about the lighting of the Menorah in the Mishkan and eventually in the Bet  Hamikdash. The use of the word     בהעלותך    rather than the usual word   להדליק   to light is used to suggest that  שצריך להדליק עד שתהא שלהבת עולה מאילה                                                                          One of the requirements of lighting the menorah is that when it is lit by the Kohen the fire is to continue on its own. 

     This suggests that the essence of Judaism, the essence of this spiritual light, is to nurture in such a way that the Jewish Flame, the enthusiasm of Judaism will burn brightly by itself.  The glow is to be so strong and energetic that it will continue for everlasting time.  To accomplish this eternal burning of the Jewish flame it needs the ingredient of warmth, compassion and most assuredly patience.

   Our sages have compared the light of the Menorah to the light of knowledge, especially the study and the knowledge of Torah. For our Light of Judaism to burn continually into our next generation, we must assure that our children receive the best Jewish Education, whatever the cost may be.

    At the same time, we are to encourage more Judaic studies from our adult population. As our children see us study, they will get the message and realize the importance of their Jewish Education.

    I would like to share the following story with you; When James A. Garfield, later president of the United States, was head of an Eastern college, a man brought his son to be entered as a student.  “My son doesn’t have time to take all the required subjects,” said the father.  “He wants to get through more quickly.  Can’t you arrange it for him?”

     “Oh, yes,” said Mr. Garfield.  “He can take a short course.  But that depends on what you want to make of him.  When G-d wants to make an oak, He takes a hundred years, but He only takes two months to make a squash.”

      Human fulfillment occurs when our education teaches us how to live to be of value to others and to continue  to eternalize  the essence of Judaism. Our symbol must be our Ner Tamid, which hangs gloriously in front of the Aron Hakodesh reminded us to live as an eternal flame of inspiration.

     The message is clear and must reach the hearts and minds of all Jewry. Every Jew must, by his way of life, contribute to its glowing force. The light of Torah and Judaism will, with our help and efforts, dispel the darkness that so often envelops our society.

   כי נר מצוה ותורה אור

                            

                                שבת שלום