No Matter What Comes Down, The Mission Always Looks The Same (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia -"Mission In The Rain")

Our 15 year old daughter will be going to New Jersey to spend the conclusion of the Sukkot Festival: Shemini Atseret and Simchat  Torah with her “camp friends”. For the past couple of weeks we have been searching for a way to get her to New Jersey: plane, train, bus, a car ride with friends who are heading to New York. We couldn’t find anything then satisfied our concern for time, cost, or safety. Then we found out that the grandparents are heading to New York.  Well actually Grandpa is driving down to New York City. Grandma is already there but she will drive back with grandpa. In any case, we hit the transportation jackpot. Our fifteen year old had a ride! I just had to get her to Rochester and then Grandpa would do the rest of the driving. Mom and Dad were happy because it’s cheaper, it’s safer, and the schedule is more convenient. Grandpa is happy because he has a captive audience for six hours so he can transmit knowledge, share his wisdom and ruminate on human nature, and his granddaughter’s future. Grandma was happy because she would have time with her granddaughter on the return ride from New York City/New Jersey. The only one with any concern and trepidation was our fifteen year old. She would be locked in a car for six hours with my father (Grandpa), forced to listen to the same lectures that I had to listen to when I was about her age, with no choice but to listen.

This Shabbat is known as Shabbat Chol HaMoed Sukkot. It is the Shabbat that falls during the 7 day Festival of Sukkot. As a result we do not read the regular Torah Reading. Instead, we read of the narrative when Moshe re- ascended the mountain a second time in order to receive the second set of Tablets. As part of the Festival, we recite Hallel which is a series of psalms praising God and state our joy in being part of the Brit, part of the covenant with God. Also, because it is a festival, we read one of Five Megillot taken from the Ketuvim – the Book of Writings. On Shabbat Chol Ha Moed Sukkot, we read Kohelet, the Book of Ecclesiastes.  Jewish tradition ascribes the twelve chapter scroll to Shlomo HaMelech – King Solomon.  This wisdom literature is written from the perspective of an elderly man who has seen it all, and experienced it all. – Ein Kol Chadash Tachat HaShemesh – There is nothing new under the sun! Kohelet – The Preacher speaks with brutal and harsh honesty.. In what is perhaps the most famous few verses, the Preacher tells us that life is full of ups and downs, good times and difficult times. L’Kol Zman V’Eit L’Chol Chafetz Tachat HaShamayim – Everything has its season, and there is a time for everything under heaven: A time to be born and a time to die…..That may not sound so inspiring.  Yet our job is to live our lives according to a set of rules. The result may be good or it may be bad, but God will be the judge of that. All we can do is play according to the rules as we make our way through life and contend with the obstacles presented.

          Somewhere on the New York State Thruway or on I81 South, my father will give her the Kohelet lecture. After all it’s a seasonal thing for him. Our daughter will look around, wondering if she should put her earbuds in and listen to her music or pay attention.  Her grandfather will look in the rearview mirror and make a comment and his granddaughter will smile and the lecture will resume. He will talk, she will listen. She will ask questions, and he will give answers. I can all but guarantee he will have flashbacks to having these conversations about life, relationships and responsibility with his eldest granddaughter, with his daughter, and with me. He will probably even wistfully smile, thankful, that as he approaches another birthday, he has had this opportunity to bond with this granddaughter. While he is talking I am sure he will also try to figure out he will have a similar opportunity with our 13 year daughter and our 11 year old son. Like Kohelet concluded by reminding the younger generation that after all is said and done, Sof Davar HaKol Nishmah et HaElohim Yrah v’Et Mitzvotav SHmor ki Zeh Kol HaAdam- Fear God and keep his Commandments, for that is man’s whole duty, Ki et Kol Maaseh Ha’Elohim Yavoh V'Mishpat – For God will judge every deed…; my father will remind his granddaughter that if she follows his advice, she will be able to handle life’s obstacles and remain positive and happy.

Peace,

Rav Yitz

By Standing In The Road Alone, Standing Watching The Fires Burn (Bobby Peterson & Phil Lesh -"Pride of Cucamonga")

My wife is from California. We have family in Los Angeles and San Francisco. So we pay attention to what happens out west. For the past year several months, the Pacific Northwest and especially Northern California have been dealing with fire. Just this past weekend, four separate Northern California fires consumed over a 1000 homes. This fires are so intense and cover so much area, that they can be viewed from space. On one hand these fires are seasonal. After a California summer with very little rain, it is incredibly dry. As a result, a flash of lightening can start a fire. On the other hand, California has been experiencing a drought for the past several years. While California has done yeoman’s work to conserve water, the drought has taken its toll. It is dry, it is parched. A recent article in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune explained that California would need 200% more rain than normal this year in order to move California from the category of drought to the lowest level of ‘non drought” status. Such torrential rains have occurred exactly three times over the past 135 years.  So as California’s rainy season is about to begin, the chances are the drought won’t be alleviate, the fires will continue to burn. Eventually they will be controlled and extinguished, but drought conditions will remain.

This Shabbat, we read Parshat Ha’Azinu. Parshat Ha’Azinu was the “song” or the “Poem” that God had commanded Moshe to compose in the previous Parsha VaYeilech.  The content of this “song” is not very cheerful. Moshe invokes the heavens and the earth to witness these words that he gives to B’nai Yisroel. Moshe reminds B’nai Yisroel of their covenant with God. Moshe reminds B’nai Yisroel of their spiritual shortcomings and the ensuing punishment. He reminded B'nai Yisroel that despite all of these shortcomings, despite the idolatry, despite wavering from the covenant, we can still engage in T’shuvah, we can still return to God, and know that God will welcome us back.

In the poem, during the introduction, Moshe not only invokes Heaven to listen to these words as testament to the prophecy offered to his people, Moshe hopes Ya’Arof KaMatar Likchi Tizal Katal Imrati Kisirim Alei Desheh Uch’revivim Aley Eisev – May my teaching drop like the rain, may my utterance flow like the dew; like storm winds upon vegetation and like raindrops upon blades of grass (Deut. 32:2). The word “teachings” in this verse comes from the verb LaKaCh or Take. The idea, of course, is a two way street. Moshe’s words, his wisdom his teachings are offered to B'nai Yisroel. Moshe’s nourishment, his sustain life force, water is offered to B'nai Yisroel. The other half of the equation, of course, is B’nai Yisroel must “take” the teaching, the words of wisdom, the nourishment, and the water. When rain falls and it is not absorbed it pools together it forms a puddle. However when water is absorbed, it nourishes, it maintains life it sustains vegetation, and it sustains our physical existence. Moshe’s words, in fact all the words of the book of Deuteronomy are Moshe’s words. Moshe makes his final plea to B’nai Yisroel to listen to the wise words of an old and dying man. Moshe makes a final plea to B'nai Yisroel to “take” his words to heart, to drink them in, and incorporate them into life. For the Rabbis, a drought was not only a physical condition due to lack of water. A draught was a spiritual condition caused by lack of Torah. After all, Torah is alluded to as “Mayim Chayim” living waters. Rain is categorized as Mayim Chaim. Mayim Chayim sustains physical life as well as spiritual life. Torah sustains our spiritual life.

Moshe makes his last plea prior to his death. Like the land can be subjected to drought; so it is with the Jewish People. Without our “water supply”, without our heavenly rains, and gentle dew, we can suffer through spiritual drought, our souls dry up and we became empty. Torah, like the rain, comes from the heavens. From Moshe’s perspective, it is a limitless supply of spiritual Mayim Chayim, Living Waters. We need only study it, learn it, incorporate it into our lives and we will have a limitless supply of spiritual water, water that nourishes our soul, allowing it to grow in holiness.

Peace,

Rav Yitz

There Were Days, And There Were Days And There Were Days Between (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Days Between")

            For those of us living in Toronto, New York, Pittsburgh, Chicago and St. Louis; this is a great time of year. With eighteen baseball games left in the regular season, each of these cities is focused upon their respective baseball teams and their push toward the playoffs and division titles.  With three games separating Blue Jays fans and Yankees fans; three games separating Pirates fans from Cardinal fans, and four games separating Pirates fans from Cubs fans; it seems every game every inning and nearly every pitch is fill with anxiety for us fans. Not only are we worried about our team, but we are now focused on the other teams as well. With all that concern for the plight of the other team, all the anxiety is now doubled. My son and I find ourselves cheering for our team to win and the other team to lose. It makes for tense evenings but incredibly exciting as well. There really is nothing like the excitement in a city when it is in a pennant race. Part of the excitement is a result of the fact that there are still question regarding these respective divisions. No single team has clinchedcitement is a result of the fact that there are still question regarding these respective divisions. No single te, the final answer is unknown. One thing is for sure, over the course of these final eighteen games, there will be one game, one moment when the questions will be answered, the winner will be evident, and there will be clarity regarding playoff match-ups.

            For the Jewish People, we are keenly aware that it is also a very special time of year, albeit not due to baseball. We are in the midst of a very spiritual time of year. We are in the midst of a ten day period from Rosh HaShanah until Yom Kippur knows as the Aseret Yamei T’shuvah – the Ten Days of Repentance. As the name suggests, this is the time of year in which we seek M’chila or forgiveness for any transgression we have committed. We seek forgiveness from God, and we seek forgiveness from family and friends. Mostly, it seems to me, that during these ten days we honestly look at ourselves and assume that we have hurt others instead of being shocked when we find out that we are capable of hurting another. The ability to engage in this process known as Tshuvah, the process of returning to holiest aspect of our being, requires great clarity. Sometimes clarity occurs during on a beautiful autumn day. Sometimes clarity comes on a starry night. Sometimes clarity comes while sipping coffee at sunrise. Sometimes clarity comes at childbirth. Sometimes clarity comes when you tuck your children into bed and wish them sweet dreams. Sometimes clarity comes at the death of a loved one. Sometimes, clarity comes at one's impending death.

            In this week’s Parsha, Va’Yeileich, Moshe is now experiences for the last time a tremendous moment of clarity. However of all the moments of clarity including: the Burning Bush, the Revelation at Sinai, the Personal Revelation when he saw the back of God while defending B’nai Yisroel following the episode of the Golden Calf; it is the moment of death to which we can all relate. It is at the moment of impending death that Moshe has perfect clarity. He sees and understands the anguish that his children will experience as they drift towards and away from their Covenant with God. He sees all that his life has been and he recognizes that while his life will be no more, there will be closure. Ki Yadati Acharei Motie Ki Hashcheit Tashchitun v’Sartem Min HaDerech Asher Tziviti Etchem V’Karat Etchem Ha’Ra’Ah B’Acharit Hayamim Ki Ta’Asu et Ha’Rah B’Einei Adoshem L’Hachiso B’Ma’Asei Y’deichem – For I know that after my death you will surely act corruptly, and you will surely act corruptly, and you will stray from the path that I have commanded you, and evil will befall you at the end of days, if you do what is evil in the eyes of HaShem, to anger Him through your handiwork (Deut.31:29). We should note that closure does not necessarily mean that the content of the closure will be positive, however the process of closure is always positive. Our sages are adamant about the vital importance of closure. If a person engages in Tshuvah, a repentant return to God, and Vidui, confession even if the moment before death it is tantamount to a person who has returned to living a life of Mitzvot. In a moment of clarity, certainly such a moment exists at death, Moshe has the opportunity to make that moment holy, sanctified, an un-wasted moment.

            On this Shabbat Shuvah, this Shabbat of Return, let us be reminded and strengthened to accept moments of clarity. Let us be wise enough to deal with such moments of clarity in the most holy of endeavors. Let us be pro-active enough to take advantage of moments of clarity by moving towards our loved ones. Let us be spiritually aware enough and realize the absolute importance of moving towards God. Let us not wait until we become aware of an impending loss. Instead, during the Aseret Yamei T’shuva, we should be spiritually clear enough to see every moment as an opportunity to return to that which is holy.

Peace,

Rav Yitz