This Shabbat we will be celebrating my grandfather’s 95th birthday. Zeide, as he is known by his great grand children was born in the United States. His eldest brother and sister were actually born in Russia, but Zeide was born in Elmira about twelve years after his parents arrived in America. He was the typical son of immigrants; doing everything he could to assimilate and to become American. In fact he was the one who changed the family name from Lifshutz . Imagine the chutzpah of the youngest child to walk into the town hall or the county clerk’s office and fill out the paper work and change the family’s name. Imagine coming home and telling your parents and your brothers and sisters that you changed the name? To this very day, Zeide has always been incredibly generous. His orientation has always been typical of North American immigrants. He always wanted to be able to give to the next generation. That is to say, the next generation should have a better life than the previous generation. Zeide believes that the only reason to come to North America, to leave one’s home, to risk everything and start all over again was due to the profound desire to make sure that the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren should have better opportunities in life than what the immigrant’s opportunities in the old country. Education was the ticket and continues to be the ticket for having opportunity. My grandfather was a salesman. Although he visited every college/university campus in the United States (a few years ago he could tell you the team colors of every campus he had sold sweatshirts), he never matriculated nor graduated from a college or university. To this day, we still wonder if he actually graduated from high school. As a young man, formal education was not exactly my grandfather’s strength. Yet he always understood that education was invaluable to succeeding in anything. He understood that education was the means by which their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren's lives will become enriched. Their son became an attorney and their son-in law became a surgeon. That generation continued the mantra. Leave the next generation better off financially, emotionally, and spiritually. For my 95 year old grandfather, making it in America is when your career choice is based upon your passion, your interests, and the desire to leave society something more than just the a larger bottom line.
This week's Parsha is Shlach Lecha. Several disparate events occur in this parsha. First we read the story of Moshe sending Twelve Spies (one representing each tribe) into Eretz Canaan. Their mission was to ascertain the lay of the land, the strength of the inhabitants, and the fertility of the land. Except for Joshua and Caleb, the remaining ten spies returned with a negative report. "We arrived at the Land to which you sent us, and indeed it flows with milk and honey…But-the people that dwells in the Land is powerful, the cities are very greatly fortified, and we also saw there the offspring of the giant" (Num. 13:27-28). The people heard this, and wanted to return to Egypt. As a result of both the report and B'nai Yisroel's response, this generation was prohibited from entering the land. "In this Wilderness, your carcasses shall drop; all of you who were counted in any of your numberings…except for Caleb son of Yephuneh and Joshua son of Nun [who returned with positive reports]…and your young children of whom you said they will be taken captive, I shall bring them; they shall know the Land that you have despised" (Num 14:29-31). Next we read about the laws concerning the taking of Challah, a fire offering, a burnt offering, feast offering. We read about the offering required for unintentional sin. After this brief discussion about ritual, B'nai Yisroel is reminded about the ethical treatment of native members of the community or proselytes. "A person who shall act high handedly, whether native or proselyte he blasphemed God-that person shall be cut off from among his people…"(Num. 15:30) Then we read about who desecrates Shabbat by gathering wood on Shabbat. Like the person who acts high handedly, this man was removed from the camp and punished with death. The Parsha concludes with a familiar passage that we know as the 3rd paragraph of the Shmah. We are commanded to wear tzitzit in order to remind us of three ideas: God's commandments, not to follow our eyes and our hearts (which will lead us astray), and God brought us out of Egypt (Num. 15:37-41).
It seems rather ironic and perhaps superfluous that following their prohibition from entering into the Land, we read about a series of offerings, including the taking of Challah, which only went into effect once they entered into the land. "Ki Tavo'u el Ha'Aretz Moshvoteichem Asher Ani Notein Lachem- when you will come to the Land of your dwelling places that I give you…(Num. 15:2). The generation that left Egypt will have to wait for their children to receive the joy of entering into Eretz Yisroel. This generation's opportunity will come via their children. Implicit in this "legal" discussion is the understanding that these laws, especially the laws of Challah, are intrinsic to the land. If B'nai Yisroel is being told about laws whose jurisdiction is land oriented, then this generation understands that their children will eventually continue where they, the parents, left off. This generation knows that the next generation will indeed be better off with an opportunity to "make it". Even the last paragraph suggests that the next generation will survive and inherit the land. "Ani Adonai Eloheichem Asher Hotzeiti Etchem Mei'Eretz Mitzrayim Li'Hiyot Lechem Lelohim, Ani Adonai Eloheichem- I am the Lord your God that brought you out from Egypt to be your God, I am the lord your God (Num15:41). In effect, the older generation will die at least knowing that the next generation has the opportunity for a better life. The Mitzvot of Challah and all the laws that follow the narrative of the spies binds the older generation to the next generation. Instead of becoming irrelevant to community, this generation's mission is to transmit, educate, and prepare the way for the next generation. The only way the process occurs is if the punished generation has the information, the laws, experiences and the behavior to transmit to the next generation. Like the generation that left Egypt, it is our responsibility to transmit, educate and prepare the way for the next generation. God willing we have the same sense of peace in knowing that our children can make it "Jewishly" in North America.
Peace,
Rav Yitz
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