The Future's Here, We Are It, We Are On Our Own (John Barlow & Bob Weir - "Throwing Stones")

We just returned from a week long family holiday. We drove to New York City. We spent the conclusion of Chanukah and the days leading up to last Shabbat with Manhattan. We stayed with my sister and her family in their apartment. We spent time with our eldest daughter who lives and works in New York. We saw friends. We saw many of New York’s tourist attractions.  However there was a moment when I had a vision of the future, based upon two small seemingly dismissive incidents while in New York. The first incident occurred on Christmas Eve. My brother in law generously took both families, including his and my sister’s 4 year old daughter, and my family including our four children to his favorite steak restaurant. There we were, nine of us my sister and her family, me and my family. Such a gathering is very unique for us since gathering such as this include our parents. However they were back home. We ate, drank, talked and of course took a couple of pictures and sent them immediately to my parents.  When I spoke to my mother later that week, she commented how wonderful it was to see her children and their respective families gathered together spending time together. It brought her a sense of contentment and nachas seeing that. Later that evening, my children and I went to a movie down in Greenwich Village. As we walked to the subway, the four of them walked together a couple of steps ahead of me. They boarded the subway together. Even when we left the movie theatre and returned to the Upper West Side, the four of them: the 24 year old, the 14 year old, the 12 year old, and the 10 year old walked together almost as one. I watch them as I walked behind. Seeing my children walk together along the sidewalks of New York gave me a glimpse of a possible future of their lives without me. That glimpse provided me with a sense of calm about the future of my family.

This morning we read from Parsha Vayechi. This is the final Parshah in the book of Breishit. The Parsha begins with Yaakov calling Yosef and making him swear an oath that he will not be buried in Egypt. He also blesses his grandson’s Ephraim and Menashe. He gathers his sons together and offers each son a blessing or a prophecy. Yaakov dies and his sons take him out of Egypt and fulfill their vow. They bury their father in Hevron alongside Avraham and Yitzchak and Sarah Rebecca and Leah. Afterwards, the brothers fear that Yosef will finally take vengeance for their mistreatment of him. Yosef doesn’t, and the brothers and their families continue to grow and prosper in Goshen. As Yosef prepares for his death, he makes his brothers vow to take his bones out of Egypt and bury his bones in Eretz Canaan. Upon completing the Parsha, we stand and recite the words Chazak v’Nitchazeik – From strength to strength, we go forward in strength.

Immediately after Yaakov requests that he be buried in Hevron with his ancestors and then blesses Yosef’s son’s Ephraim and Menashe; the Torah tells us that he gathers the rest of his sons together in order to bless them. However the Torah manner in which Yaakov makes the request seems rather puzzling and perhaps redundant VaYikrah Yakov El Banav VaYomer - Then Jacob called for his sons and said: Hei’Asfu V’Agida Lachem Eit Asher Yikrah Etchem B’Acharit HaYamim – Assemble yourselves and I will tell you what will befall you in the End of Days. HiKavtsu v’Shimu Bnai Yaakov VShimu el Yisroel Avichem – Gather yourselves and listen, O sons of Jacob, and listen to Israel your father. (49:1-2. Yaakov tells them to “Assemble yourselves” then to “Gather yourselves. What is the difference between Hei’Asfu (Assemble yourselves) and Hikavtsu (Gather yourselves)? The former comes from the three lettered root ASaF which means to harvest.  The latter comes from the three lettered root KaVaTz which means ‘to press together’, ‘collect’. Ideally, ripe produce is harvested. Jacobs’ sons were ripe, they were spiritually ripe and ready to receive Jacob’s blessings. The survival of this family, required that the sons press together spiritually, to put aside their individual grievances and remains together otherwise the family and ultimately the nation will not survive. The rest of the Torah, and certainly the Books of Judges, Kings and Prophets reflect the struggles and tensions of trying to remain assembled and pressed together. Eventually, the future kingdom under David HaMelech will fail to remain united once his Son, Shlomo HaMelech dies. While Yaakov tried to share his vision with his sons of the “End of Days”; it must have been re-assuring that they came together, listened to their father, and prepared themselves for the impending slavery and eventual freedom of their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

I suppose that with families of our own, when we gather with my sister’s family or my wife’s sister’s family, it suggests a ripeness. It suggests that we are old enough physically and spiritually to appreciate the importance of HeiAsif, of Assembling ourselves together. We know that it brings nachas to our parents, to see their children and grandchildren together. When I see children HiKavtzu gathered together, they are learning that the secret to their respective family’s survival is creating bonds whereby they share the future together. Seeing my children go through gathering and assembling process gives me a hint of my of children’s possible future and the joy of watching a family grow up and thrive together.

Peace,

Rav Yitz

His Job Is To Shed Light, And Not To Master (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia -"Lady With the Fan/Terrapin Station"

There has been a strange sort of energy in our home over the last few days and it has grown progressively stronger. Each and every morning and again, each and every evening, our son has been giving us two countdowns. One countdown is in preparation for Chanukah which began on Tuesday night and will culminate on next Tuesday night when the entire Chanukiya is all aglow.  The second countdown is in preparation for winter vacation. However as I listen to this countdown,  I have sensed that there is something more to it than just the anticipation of Chanukah or the anticipation of winter break.  Hidden within that countdown and anticipation is a sense of physical fatigue, a spiritual weariness with the mundane the mundane, and a sense of needing a spark. In a sense, all of our children, like the candles that get lit, burn brightly for a brief time, eventually begin to diminish and ultimately extinguish. Our kids are just burnt out. The countdown is a desire to have a spark rekindle their physical and spiritual energy.

This Shabbat we read from Parsha Mikeitz. It is also the Parsha that is always corresponds to Chanukah. Despite the fact that there is no explicit mention of Chanukah in the Parsha, there are several ideas, and themes that implicitly hint at the fact that Parsha Mikeitz and Chanukah are connected. This is Yosef’s coming out party. He is released from prison in order to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams. First he informs Pharaoh that God has given him this gift, and then he successfully interprets the two dreams. Pharaoh is so impressed, and so trusting of Yosef, that he makes Yosef his right hand man. He becomes responsible for preparing Egypt for the famine that will occur. When the famine struck Egypt, it also affected Canaan where Yosef’s brothers and father lived. They go down to Egypt seeking relief. Yosef recognizes them, but he does not reveal his identity. Rather he tests their moral growth; he purposefully frames the youngest brother, Benjamin in order to determine whether the brothers would finally protect one of their own. After many years in prison, Yosef finally has the opportunity to exhibit the moral growth of his character, and can evaluate the moral character of others. This Parsha demonstrates the effect that his moral character has upon others.

Chanukah is otherwise known as the Chag Urim, the Festival of Lights. The Parsha begins with Yosef in the darkness of prison, waiting and hoping that he will be released.  Finally two years after he interpreted the dream of Pharoah’s Wine Steward, word gets to Pharaoh that there is someone who can interpret dreams. Very quickly and almost suddenly, Yosef is  VaYaritzuhu Min HaBor  rushed from the dungeon (pit) changed his clothes, shaved, and brought before Pharaoh (Gen41:14-15). A pit, or a dungeon is usually thought of a place with very little if any light. Now Yosef has been brought into the light.  Pharoah’s dreams are oriented around the number 7: 7 fat cows, 7 skinny cows, 7 healthy ears of corn and 7 dried out ears of corn. Both dreams occur by the River, by the Nile. In Egyptian culture, the Nile is the source of all life. When its banks overflow, Egyptian agriculture is self-sustaining and plentiful. When the Nile banks do not overflow, the Egyptian agriculture suffers. Pharoah’s dream, and the number 7 are oriented around the physical world. None of Pharoah’s advisors, or Magicians are able to interpret the dreams as they are unable to spiritual conceive of the number 8, symbolic of “other worldliness”, beyond the physical and entering the spiritual world.  Yosef makes it very clear that when he interprets dreams BilADaYi Elohim YaANeH et Shlome Paroh – That is beyond me; it is God who will respond with Pharoah’s welfare ( 41:16). Light uncovers the darkness and God creates the light. Yosef is subtly explaining to Pharaoh that all things are attributable to God, a being and place beyond the realm of the physical; beyond the realm of 7. Finally, in Pharoah’s dream, the weak overcome the strong, the “unhealthy” overcome the healthy. The story of the Chanukah is the story of the seemingly physically weak and outnumbered Jews overcoming and ultimately defeating the seemingly stronger physically oriented Hellenistic culture of the Assyrians.

As our children continue their countdown and they seek to recharge their batteries one thing will be quite evident. There will be two moments during Chanukah when I can watch my children’s spiritual battery recharge before my eyes. First will be the night when we light the Chanukiya and the Shabbat candles, the spiritual light of Chanukah and Shabbat is palpable as the candle flames are reflected in my children’s eyes. The second moment will be on the last night of Chanukah when the eight branches and the holder are all lit. The light of these candles dancing in the eyes of my children, the serenity upon their faces allows them to face whatever darkness they may have to contend with when vacation concludes and school resumes.

Peace,

Rav Yitz

Never In My Mind To Cause So Much Pain (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia- "Comes A Time")

There are moments when my family and I become keenly aware that we are living in a foreign country.  I don’t mean the cute little cultural difference between the United States and Canada regarding the pronunciation of certain words, the spelling of certain words, and the love of all things hockey.  Rather, my family and I become keenly aware that we are living in a foreign country when something happens and my children become the resident experts on all things “USA”. Needless to say, this always arises when America is perceived to be less than the beacon of democracy than in purports to be. Over the past several weeks we have watched all kinds of riots, demonstrations, marches and athletes protesting the police treatment of African Americans. With each shooting, with each death, with each grand jury failing to indict, the screams of racism have grown louder, the shouts of the “police are racist” grew louder. Once again, the African American community was reminded that their perception that there are two brands of justice: one white and one black is not necessarily unreasonable.  As we have watched the demonstrations, as we read about them in the news, a politically conservative commentator made a very powerful and true statement regarding the plight of being a black man in America. The protests concerning the death of Eric Gardner is not just about Eric Garner; this is 350 years of racial tension and collective memory.

This morning we read from Parshah Vayeishev. The focus of the narrative now shifts from Yaakov (aka. Israel) to his most beloved son Yosef. Contextually, Yaakov is at a point in his life where he has finished his spiritual and personal struggles. He now is at a calm and settled point in his life, hence the name of the Parshah: Vayeishev – and he settled. We learn that Yaakov, like his parents, played favorites. He showered Yosef, Rachel’s son, with a beautiful Kutonet Pasim – Coat of Many Colors. Yosef was a bit arrogant. This was manifested in his dreams that portrayed his greatness and the subjugated his brothers and his parents to his power. Needless to say, no one appreciated his dreams, neither his brothers who wanted to kill him but instead threw him into an empty pit, nor his father who sent Yosef back to his brothers knowing that they were angry with him (Gen. 37:10-14). Yosef is then removed from the pit, sold as a slave and worked in home of one of Pharaoh’s courtiers. As a slave, Yosef proved invaluable to the welfare of the Courtier’s business dealings. Yosef managed everything and the courtier profited greatly. The courtier’s wife however was a bit bored and made a pass at Yosef. Yosef put her off and then was accused of sexual harassment. Yosef was sent to prison. While in prison, Yosef helped the warden manage the prison, and the warden did well. Yosef became known for an ability to interpret dreams.

                Amid all this dysfunctional behavior, and prior to Joseph being sold to a passing caravan, the Torah shares the Brother’s response and Jacob’s response to Joseph’s interpretations. After being told that the sheaves that bow down to the one sheave, and the sun, moon, and stars that bow down to Yosef, VaiKanu Vo Echav V’Aviv Shamar et HaDavar – And his brother’s envied him [Joseph] but his father kept the matter in mind. What does it to “keep the incident in mind”?  Jacob will keep reliving the incident? Rashi explains that Mamtin Umtzape Matai Yavo – That Jacob waited and watched to see when Josephs’ words would come true. Perhaps Jacob didn’t completely believe his son so he wanted to see if it would come true. However it seems that there is another possible understanding of the verse. Immediately after this incident, Jacob sends Joseph to where the brothers are shearing the sheep. Jacob   knowingly sent his beloved to son into a dangerous situation in which Joseph was left completely vulnerable. How do we reconcile the favoritism that Jacob has always shown Joseph with the utter lack of protection that he affords him now by sending him off to join the brothers? Shamar et a HaDavar – Jacob kept the incident of the dreams in mind, and when the opportunity came for Jacob to teach his son a lesson, he did. When the opportunity came for Joseph to learn a lesson about how to behave with his brothers and father, Jacob sent him to his brothers.

The power of memory can be very strong. It can cripple and it can liberate. It can serve as excuse for victim hood or it can be used to elevate a nation to strive towards the highest ideals of Justice and Democracy, ideals upon which that nation was founded upon. The remarkable thing about the recent demonstrations, particularly in New York City has been the participants. They are male and female. They are White, Black, Asian and Hispanic. They are Jew and Non-Jew. They are peaceful and they all identify with the fact that an injustice has occurred. Likewise the police who made sure that the demonstration remained peaceful were male and female, black white, Asian and Hispanic. The recent march in New York was not just about one incident, but rather all incidents over the course of a nation’s history in which an injustice was perpetrated upon a minority, and a peaceful way to show disappointment and perhaps influence policy in the future. Unfortunately, we become much more aware of those incidents and injustices when we are outside looking in.

Peace,

Rav Yitz