ACHDUT

   I pen this blog from Boynton Beach, Florida where we are enjoying a well deserved vacation. Although we are having "fun in the sun" our minds begin to think about the forthcoming Yom Tov of Pesach, as we read Parshas Hachodesh this Shabbat. A Parsha that speaks about Chodesh Nissan, the glorious month wherein we will celebrate our Yom Tov of Geulah.

  When the Jewish people came to Egypt it  states:

 "Each man and his household came" -  איש וביתו באו - they came as a "clan".

  However, when the time came for the Geulah, when Hashem addressed Himself to Moshe, it states:

"ועתה לכה ואשלחך אל פרעה והוצא את ״עמי״ בני ישראל ממצרים

"And now go and I shall dispatch you to Pharoah and you shall take My people, the Children of Israel out of Egypt." Hashem refers to the Jewish People as an עם, a People.

 The term עם is similar to the word עם 'IM' 'WITH" suggesting a sense of togetherness and solidarity. In Egypt, the Jewish people were not very spiritual due to the slavery conditions, but they did, at all times, exemplify a people of kindness and concern for each other. It was this solidarity that brought about  the Geulah and the final redemption.  We learn from them that the most important attribute of the Jewish People is an expression of Chesed and solidarity with each other as was evident even during the trying times of slavery. As a free people we need to find in our hearts a sense of fellowship and brotherhood to lead us to that final Geulah Shlemah.

     Permit me to paraphrase Danny Ayalon, Deputy Foreign Minister of the State of Israel, "We may not achieve uniformity , but we need to achieve unity."

   I echo his words in these times because of an attitude that is prevalent, which I refer to as  the "one-up-man-ship" syndrome.  We must work 'together' to achieve the betterment of mankind and glory of Judaic living.

  It is time to recognize the great need of Achdut or else we will not achieve the title of עם, of being a true עם קדוש and an עם סגולה.

   Let us recite the הא לחמא עניה this year, with the great כונה that our future as עם ישראל is greatly dependent on our solidarity and a true אהבת ישראל.

   We will ask at the Seder "Why is this night different from all other nights?" My answer is "This is a night of brotherly love, of unity and  concern for one and other."

    Remember well that when we realize we are part of the same Human family, then we will come up with real and everlasting solutions.

    The best compliment we can pay our past is to prophetically and kindly face today and tomorrow.

YES and NO

   Our Torah reading this Shabbat discusses the laws of kashrut - what one may ingest and what is prohibited. There are many reasons given by Chazal to explain these laws and to a certain extent we rely on the important reason that it is a Chok.  Hashem told the Jewish people to obey these laws and we do so with great confidence that it is beneficial for us to follow the dictates of the Torah, unequivocally .

   However permit me to suggest a simplistic and yet a profound underlying idea for the observance of the Kashrut laws.

  I sense more and more that we are living in a very permissive society. There is a cartoon by Jules Feiffer; The first panel says "The teachers are afraid of the principal." The second panel says,"The principal is afraid of the school board."  The third panel says, "The school board is afraid of the parents." The fourth panel says, "The parents are afraid of the children." And the last panel says, "And the children are not afraid of anyone."

    That is what happens in a permissive society, parents are afraid of, chas v'shalom, lowering their child's self esteem that too often they are afraid to say "No" to their child's wishes. It is then that our Father in Heaven says that there are times we need to say "No" and to evidence this Hashem instituted the laws of Kashrut, to tell us life is not always "Yes". There are times we need to control our desires and "Mommy and Daddy still love you" even when they say "No".

     Life has greater meaning if we learn the lesson of Kashrut, a lesson of control, a lesson that says not everything is allowed , a lesson that teaches us that a "No" can elevate us to a higher state of Kedusha.

   

   Permit me to share with you a parable for life; A disciple of a Chasidic Rebbe became angry with him and wanted to embarrass him in public. He caught a little bird in his hand and approached the Rebbe with the following question."Tell me wise one, what do I have in my hand?"  The Rebbe, noticing the fluttering motions, quickly apprehended that it was a bird and told him so. The angry disciple continued,"Now tell me, is the bird dead or alive?"

   If the Rebbe were to say "living" the disciple planned to crush the bird quickly and prove him wrong. On the other hand, if he were to say dead, he would simply open his hand and let the bird fly away. In either case, he would prove the Rebbe wrong before his pupils and thereby embarrass him.

   The determined disciple once more demanded, "Tell me , is the bird alve or dead?"

   The Rebbe paused for a moment and replied, "THE ANSWER MY YOUNG MAN. IS IN YOUR HANDS."

    Indeed my friends , Judaism tells us that our life depends upon how we react to life's predicaments and at that moment we need to remember the laws of Kashrut and how we are in control  and to realize  that In life there are times we say "Yes" and equally there are times we must say "No" and not to fear the reaction to our "No."

    As a sports ethusiast I join with others during these exciting days of Collegiate Basketball -March Madness.  These outstanding players understand the importance of proper mechanics in the art of shooting the ball.  It is important that after the shot is taken you need to follow through.  

Let us use this same idea of following through in a positive and active way in Judaism.

AWAKE,AWAKE

As we prepare to celebrate the Holiday of Purim,I am reminded of the Rabbinic statement "Should all the Holidays be annulled , Purim will endure" Our Rabbis of old spoke with great foresight.They saw the inevitable future of the hatred that continues to be espoused against the Jews which is implied in the Holiday of Purim.They knew that Israel's role would demand at times agonizing sacrifices.They saw Mordechai perennially confronting a hostile world with some Haman arrayed against him.

    Leo Tolstoy wrote "Anti Semitism is a mad passion akin to the lowest perversities of diseased human nature. It is the will to hate". A study of world history shows us how true these ideas are. This is in essence the story of Purim, a story that  bespeaks Anti Semitism.

   Today more than ever the statement that" History repeats itself" is so applicable. With all of our modern advances it is a sorry state of affairs that hatred still exists in our time and  this venom of hatred is directed towards the Jewish People in particular and towards our glorious state of Israel. How ironic it must seem that the story of Purim took  place in the country that is now known as Iran, a country that is once again in the throes of hatred,killing and total disrespect for human rights. I can just see the modern Esther and Mordechai waiting fearfully for the despicable modern day Haman to vent his hatred once again against the Jewish People only this time we are blessed with a country that will protect us with a strong and indefatigable Jewish army.

      Purim comes to remind us  that we need to be ever vigilant to the hatred and venom that exist and there is an urgent need to cry out, AWAKE, AWAKE  and recognize the monsters that lurk in the world and parade around in their human religious garb, who are bent on Jewish genocide.

    Yet with all of our apprehensions we will celebrate Purim in the most joyous way because as Jews we celebrate Life. The glory of the Jewish People is that we posses the confidence of a Mordechai and Esther that there is a Divine  Providential design that will bring the Geulah Shlemah removing all hatred from our midst.

It is to this end that we need to strive and dedicate our efforts. This is the time  to rededicate ourselves to a greater allegiance and commitment to Judaism.

   It is my fervent prayer in echoing the words of the  Megillah  "ליהודים היתה אורה ושמחה וששון ויקר

"For the Jews there was light and joy, gladness and honor".   כן תהיה לנו ,So may it bar for us in our times. Wishing everyone a Freilichen Purim.

CLIMBING and STANDING

The words of Rav Abraham Isaac Kook זצ׳ל ring out to us today in a most meaningful way as he defines the פסוק from the Psalms

                   מי יעלה בהר ה׳ ומי יקום במקום קדשו

"Who shall climb G-D'S  mountain and who shall stand in His place"

   We use our legs to walk and climb. We use them as well to stand in one place.

  Climbing G-D'S  mountain suggests a spiritual ascent through intellectual enlightment and refinement of character. Torah study, in particular, is associated with spiritual growth as one gains knowledge and ethical insight. That is why Torah is referred to as דרך, a path, upon which one advances.

  As we progress, we realize that we walk and climb, our legs are apart and often in such a position we are constantly in motion. 

  It appears that Torah study is the way we climb mountains.  

   In addition to climbing these mountains of Torah we need an action  that will give us a sense of confidence and serenity.

   This action is Prayer which requires one to stand in an erect position.

    I sense, that is why Prayer is called Amidah, for to achieve the optimum affect with prayer we must stand erect. The function of Prayer is  to internalize our spiritual accomplishments and standing quietly and grounded gives us greater opportunity to concentrate and be introspective.

   In fact, when we are in this standing position we are like angelic beings. With our feet together we are creating the unity and harmony of being at one with our Spiritual state.

   This is the goal of a true Judaic way of life. We are to climb the mountain of Torah requiring much Hasmadah and effort, always climbing and moving to reach the next peak of the mountain.

  Prayer, on the other hand, indicates a more relaxed and natural position of standing in one angelic stance to internalize our feelings.

  Happiness is the achievement of climbing and standing on the mountain of G-D through the learning of Torah and standing in concentrated Prayer. Thereby, becoming enveloped in the magnificent world of Hashem.

   I invite everyone to Climb and Stand with me on this glorious mountain of Yiddishkeit.

HANDS THAT SPEAK

     I remember speaking at a Social Workers symposium.  The discussion centered around the many types of people that make up this world.

The question I posed was "What is a good criteria for insight into a person's character?"

     I then made a simple observation.  The best way to know a person is to look at their hands. Yes,their "Hands".

Think about it. Hands have so much power and strength.They can build massive buildings, they can heal a wound, they can brush away a tear. We write with them , and fight with them, eat with them and greet and hug others with them. I sense, therefore, that if we see how others perform with their hands we will gain greater insight as to their personality.

   I read recently that there are three main gestures that hands perform.

  First there is the "Hand Wringer". He/she is a person that in time of stress when clear thinking and decisive action is required stands in the corner wringing their hands and gives out a gushersrey "ohy vey". Such a person believes that hand wringing is going to solve his/her problem and in reality it never does.

 The second there  is the "Hand Folder".  When challenged  he/she sits with their hands folded doing nothing and waiting for others to act and then will decide if they are willing to make a decision on how they should act. Most of the time these "Hand Folders" do nothing and after all is said and done they complain "Why was it done this way? I recall someone sitting in a classroom  hands folded as if to say "O.K. teach me. Go ahead change me." Most of the time such a person is never motivated.

  Now we come to the third variety of hands .This is the person whom we can all emulate , he is the the "Hand Extender".  He/she is willing to extend themselves, to give him/her self for a cause, an ideal. I refer to such a person as the "Nachshon" of our society, willing to jump into the fray to bring about the Geulah for mankind. Such hands are always ready unselfishly, willing to be touched by human needs and can always be counted on to respond.

   The "Hand Extender" does not wait to be welcomed. They jump at the chance to be the first to say hello and the first to welcome others into their midst and into their lives. The "Hand Extender" is never judgmental, always acting with Lekaf Zechut to others. Such a person has an open heart.

   Here, my friends, is what life is all about.  Look at your hands and your neighbors hands for they tell the story of life.

  The question I pose and only you can answer, "What story are your hands telling?"

CARPE DIEM

     There is a legend about one of our sages who was about to travel from Eretz Yisrael to Rome. The night before he left, he had a dream in which he saw a beggar dressed in rags sitting at the gates of Rome and a voice in that dream said to him "Do you see that man? That is the Moshiach, dressed as a beggar."
The Rabbi woke up and could not get the dream out of his mind. He kept thinking about it. Finally, as he approached Rome at the end of his journey, there was a figure dressed in rags sitting exactly where he had been in his dream. The Rabbi approached him and said "Is it true that you are the Moshiach?"  And the man nodded. The Rabbi asked, “What are you doing here at the gates of Rome?" And the man answered, "Waiting". The Rabbi asked "Waiting in a world so full of misery and hatred and war, in a world in which the children of Israel  are scattered and oppressed? Moshiach, in the name of Hashem, what are you waiting for ?" And the Moshiach answered, "I've been waiting for you so I could ask you, in the name of G-D what were you waiting for?".
    I believe that one of the greatest sins of man is the act of procrastination .We all too often wait to act and when we finally do, to our dismay it is to late and sorrowfully the opportunity passes us by.
     Our motto in life needs to be ‘Carpe Diem’, ‘Seize the Moment’.

Remember ‘Today is a ‘gift ‘and that is why we call it the ‘present ’. This gift is the blessings of life that Hashem has graciously bestowed upon humanity on a daily basis. This gift of life is not to be taken for granted but always to be cherished.  We must stop waiting and start acting in whatever endeavor we are searching for, especially in our quest for spiritual enlightenment.
    Our Parsha, this week, speaks extensively regarding the building of the Mishkan/Mikdash and how everyone graciously donated to the building of these holy places. However, I sense that more than the physical building of the Mishkan/Mikdash, we need to make our own lives a Mikdash, as the Torah states, ועשו לי מקדש ושכנתי בתוכם,  wherein Hashem can dwell amongst us in every possible way. This indeed takes time and effort and can not be accomplished by our acts of procrastination but needs our immediate attention and actions.
     Whatever our agenda in life may be, we cannot let ourselves become tainted by a deprecating and barren skepticism and discouraged by the sadness of certain hours which may unfurl before us.

     Let us stand erect and walk into the future with strength and fortitude and use all the time that Hashem has granted us to bring life's Blessings into existence.
Remember well the Moshiach is waiting for us and the question is " Will we hear his call and will we respond?”

G-D'S WITNESS

The words of Isaiah ring out to me as I look upon our world today.

                                                    אם לא תאמינו כי לא תאמנו

"If you do not believe, you will not be established"

                                      אתם עדי נאום ה׳ ואני קל.        

 "When you are my witnesses then I am  G-D"

There is no doubt in my mind that humanity needs G-D, for we are G-D'S witnesses.

The more I gaze at the way the world is functioning , the more I realize that Hashem is searching for humanity and needs humanity to bring his world to fruition. We are indeed משותפים עם ה׳ , we are to form a "Devine -Human Partnership"

Hashem created Heaven and Earth in a state of beginning and it is up to us to carry it forward. This is truly an important concept in developing a meaningful personality, which is attained as long as we maintain a positive attitude of "Possiblities". 

As humans we possess an internal light and that may very well be the most important human endowment we receive at birth. It is a spark of Divinity kindled in each of us.

This internal light has been identified in many ways and I sense it is the soft whisper of Hashem in man.

This internal light confers upon man supreme value, which makes each one of us unique and special and thereby becoming the true witness of G-D.

 A favorite story of mine, is the story of an old man who walked the beach at dawn, he noticed a young man ahead of him picking up starfish and flinging them into the sea. Finally catching up with the youth, he asked him why he was doing this. The answer was that the stranded starfish would die if left until the morning sun. "But the beach goes on for miles and there are millions of starfish" countered the old man . "How can your effort make any difference?" The young man looked at the starfish in his hand and then threw it to safety in the waves. "It makes a difference to this one," he said.

Our efforts can make a difference. There will be many starfish on the paths we will travel and how we treat them will make a difference in our growth. The best resolution we can make on a daily basis is to pay attention to the starfish we will see. If we can reach out to all who need to us, we will have made a difference to their lives and to ours.

Remember well "We are G-D'S witnesses" And we have the great responsibility to be the best witnesses we can be.