Born Where The Sun Don't Shine, And I Don't Deny My Name (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia)

After our children have spent time studying the Holocaust in school, I always asked each of them a question. I always wondered at what point did our children sense that Jews in Europe began to be de-humanized, and is there one image that symbolized that dehumanization. The Yellow Star of David was a symbol of dehumanization, much of the anti-Semitic imagery and language served to dehumanize the Jews. Suggestions in language that Jews were vermin or images of an octopus with its tentacles wrapped around the earth and squeezing out all its wealth also served to dehumanize the Jews. However, for my children, perhaps the tattooed numbers upon Jews entering into work camps and concentration camps, however, seemed to be the most powerful moments of dehumanization. When asked why, each said that the numbers were an attempt to take away their names, their own individual identity. Last week, our children saw stunning images at the border between Mexico and The United States. As more and more people try to enter the United States’ southern border and U.S. immigration officials have figured out a solution to avoid the risk of losing children if and when they are separated from their parents. The U.S. immigration officials have started writing numbers upon parents  and children. Numbers have started to replace names as a form of identity for those Spanish speaking people trying to cross the border from Mexico to the United States.

This Shabbat we begin the Book of Exodus with the Parsha Shmot. Jacob’s twelve sons have died. With the passing of that generation of immigrants, a new Pharaoh took over and did not have the same relationship with Joseph’s family as the previous Pharoah. He enslaves Jacob’s descendants. Then in the second chapter of Shemot, a baby is born from the tribe of Levi, He is hidden and eventually found by the Pharoah’s daughter and raised as Egyptian and given the named Moshe. The grown boy sees an Egyptian beating a slave and kills the Egyptian taskmaster. He sees two Hebrew slaves arguing and again gets involved. However, he is identified and known as someone who has killed a taskmaster.  Moshe flees Goshen and Egypt and arrives in Midian. He marries and becomes a shepherd for his father in law. While serving as a shepherd he encounters God at the Burning Bush. During this moment of revelation, God tells Moshe that he has been chosen to lead the people from slavery to freedom. Moshe hesitatingly accepts the jobs and he returns to Egypt. Moshe meets his brother Aaron, and together they meet Pharaoh and makes the first request to release the slaves.

Parsha Shemot begins V’Eilah SHmot B’nai Yisroel, these are the names of the Children of Israel (Yaakov) HaBaim Mitzraima Eit Yaakov Ish U’Veito Bau- who were coming to Egypt with Jacob, each man, and his household. Each son and each tribe is mentioned. Keeping in mind that each tribe received a blessing at the very end of Breishit, each tribe represents some innate quality and value that is vital to the people as a whole. Each name is a source of identity to those people. With the appearance of a new Pharaoh, these children have swelled in population: Paru V’Yishretzi VaYirbu V’Ya’Amtzu B’Meod Meod V’Timaleh HaAretz Otam - fruitful, teemed increased and became strong - very very much so; and the land became filled with them. The new Pharaoh sees the increasing minority population as a threat. He doesn't see individuals, he sees a group, a tribe, a people.  In the second chapter of the Shemot we read narratives how Moshe receives his name an the meanings of the names of Moshe’s sons. When Moshe encounters God, the first thing Moshe asks of God is Ma Shmo What is His name? Commenting on the importance of Shem - name, the Chatam Sofer, the late 18th/ early 19th-century commentator taught “Be careful not to change your name, language, and do not dress like non-Jews, Heaven forbid. This alludes to the fact that Jacob arrived in Egypt  Shalem (intact) and for Bnai Yisroel to remain intact, and complete, they must not change their names (Shem), their language (Lashon)  and their dress (Malbush). A name is one of the three legs upon which identity rests.

Names are sacred. Names are empowering. Parents name their children. Pet owners name their pets. To give another a name is a source and perhaps a demonstration of power and authority. Receiving a name or a title could be empowering when it separates and elevates the individual. However, receiving a name or a title could also be incredibly demeaning.So when we see those in power writing numbers upon the arms of the powerless; we see an act of dehumanization. We see a people telling a powerless group that they are insignificant and have no identity. Treating them like second-class citizens could be considered acceptable and perhaps expected. As our children continued to watch those immigration officers write numbers upon the wrists of those immigrant children, we couldn’t help but think how dangerously weak the beacon of liberty and democracy has become.    

Peace,Rav Yitz

Several Seasons With Their Treasons Wrap The Babe In Scarlet Colors, (Robert Hunter , Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh - "St. Stephen"}

There were two troubling and incredibly sad images that saw on news services in North America and in Israel. Both involved children.  At the funeral of a baby killed in a terrorist attack in the town of Ofra, the baby’s father carried three days old prematurely born baby wrapped in a shroud with his arms out holding the child as if it was the ultimate offering. The father walked so carefully, so gently.  The second image was also that of a dead child. No, this child was not the victim of a terrorist attack, nor was the child Jewish. The seven-year-old Guatemalan girl, along with her father tried to cross the border, presented themselves to authorities and began 90-mile bus journey to a processing center rather than being processed at the facility where they originally crossed. During that bus ride, the 7-year-old girl grew feverish, began coughing, went into cardiac arrest was revived. She was transported via emergency helicopter to an emergency room in El Paso (about 160 miles away), she eventually died in the hospital. She experienced more trauma and eventually died at the hospital. Since the forms were only in English and the father didn't understand English, he couldn't fill out the forms and there was no one who could speak Spanish at the time he and his daughter arrived.

                This Shabbat we read from Parsha VaYechi. This week’s Parshah, Vayechi is the conclusion of the book of Bereishit (Genesis). Because this is the last Parshah of the Sefer B’reishit, we read of the passing of the mantle of power from one generation to the next. Yaakov is 147 years old and it is time for him to bless his children and his grandchildren. To each of his twelve sons, he offers a blessing. To Yosef’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, he not only offers a blessing but he reserves the blessing of the firstborn to the younger brother, Ephraim.  This is fitting. Yaakov also received the blessing reserved for the firstborn. He also leaves Yosef with one last mission. Yaakov tells Yosef of the covenant that God made with Avraham, Yitzchak and himself. He also made Yosef swear an oath that he would bring him out of Egypt and bury him with his father and grandfather. Yosef accepts this oath. He and his brothers leave Egypt and bury their father. Because the famine remains pervasive throughout the land, they return to Egypt. Now the brothers fear Yosef’s wrath. Although he has not expressed any anger towards them, the brothers believe now that their father is dead; Yosef’s anger will not be contained. First, they sent servants to Yosef in order to plead on their behalf. Then, the brothers plead to Yosef and prostrate themselves before Yosef. Yosef re-assures them that he has no anger and he assures them that he will care for them as long as he is alive. The Parsha concludes with Yosef’s death.

                The first verse of Parsha begins with the word VaYechi – And he lived. The word refers to Yaakov having lived another 17 years in Egypt before he died at 147. The last verse of the Parsha begins with the word V’Yamat- And he died. This word refers to Joseph having died at the age of 110. In between, a father offers final words to his sons and a blessing two grandsons he never met until his arrival in Egypt: Ephraim and Menashe.  The Torah has reported deaths before. In Chayei Sarah, we learned of Sarah’s death and Avraham’s preparations for the funeral. We were told about Avraham’s death, Rachel’s death,  as well as the death of two of Judah’s sons.  Regarding the death of Yaakov, we learn how a dying person put their “things in order”; how a dying individual makes his peace with any mistakes or misgivings he has as well as accepts with dignity and grace the inevitability of death. There is something reassuringly uneventful. The Parsha begins with life and ends with death. The same may be said of  Sefer Breishit – The Book of Genesis. It began with the story of creation, that is to say, the story of life and it concludes with the death of the leaders of a family. Just like life did not end after the death of Adam, Chava and their son born after the murder of their son Abel by their other son, Cain. Yosef offers the re-assurance of life and death, and exile and redemption in his final words: Pakod Yifkod Elohim Etchem- God will indeed remember you (Gen. 50:25). In the Sefer HaMizrachi (a commentary on Rashi's biblical commentary by Rabbi Eliyahu Mizrachi 1450-1525) explains that the phrase Pakod Yifkod - He will surely remember is a code for the enslaved descendants of Yosef and his brothers. Even in his final moments, Yosef provides a prophecy, clarity about the future. Moses will use the code when he says Pakad Pakadati  "I surely remembered" when speaking for God.
              Each of these incredibly sad images and news stories shook us up as parents. My wife stood on numerous corners with me while pregnant waiting to cross the street. Yet this young couple was at the wrong place at wrong time. We as parents always want a better life for our kids than we had (and we both have had good lives). Yet a parent must now live with the guilt of his child dying as he tried to give her the opportunity for a better life.  As we saw these images, I asked my wife if she had heard any good news? Anyone pregnant, any births and upcoming happy occasions for children of friends of ours? After all the tragic and sad on the news, we were all looking for something re-affirm our faith in children having normal happy childhoods and growing up and living long healthy lives. Then we found out that a friend's 98-year-old grandparent passed away. We all understood that the death of that grandparent reminded us to keep faith in the sacred order of life. Children are born, they grow up, they get married, they work, have kids of their own, they grow old, become grandparents, maybe great-grandparents and then they die. Yaakov and Yosef both reminded us of this sacred order of life as well.
Peace,
Rav Yitz

Where All The Pages Are My Days, And All My Lghts Grow Old (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Attics of My Life")

My wife,  kids and I  walked around one of Toronto’s upscale malls several days ago. We concluded our mall visit at Indigo’s, Canada’s version of Barnes and Noble. The books on display usually reflect the bestseller list. So, as I wandered, I went to my NY Times phone app and looked to see the NY Times Best Seller List. I notice that one of the marketing displays showed books with titles containing four lettered expletives. It seems that this isn’t just a marketing tool of Indigo's, but several self- help authors, one of whom has been on the New York Times Bestseller list for 103 weeks. Mark Manson’s The Subtle Art Of Not Giving a *&#@, explains that much of our stress, and unhappiness is a result of caring too much about all the wrong things. He points out that in our desire to try to make things better, to “turn lemons into lemonade”; we contribute to the stress of a bad situation by trying too hard to make it better. He explains that stress would diminish if we learn how to “deal with the lemons”,  and not worry about what everyone else says, thinks, or looks at us as. Instead, we should learn how to stomach the lemons. Certainly, the book is a bit counter intuitive and humorous, but it makes an important point about stress. Chronic stress can speed up the aging process. Chronic stress can make our lives miserable.

In this week’s Parsha Vayigash, Yosef reveals himself to his brothers. He urges his brother, Yehudah, to bring his father down to Egypt in order to reunite father and son as well as save him from the famine. Yosef arranges for his brothers and all their households to live in Goshen, thereby preserving their livelihood as shepherds. Yosef then brings his 130 year-old father to meet Pharaoh. After a very revealing exchange, Yaakov blesses Pharaoh. The Parsha concludes with all Yaakov’s sons, and their households, and cattle settling down again. However, instead of Canaan, they settle down in Goshen. There, in Goshen, they thrive.

While last week’s Parsha embodied the theme of appearances, this week’s Parsha is all about the effect of emotions upon appearances. Specifically, we read that Yosef could no longer contain his anguish and his excitement at the possibility of seeing his father. Later towards the end of the Parsha, Pharaoh looks upon this 130 year old man and asks, Kamah Yemai Shnei Chayecha “How old are you”? We see what life has done to Yaakov and his response indicates that he understands that his life hasn't been easy. “Uma’at Shanah V’Raim Hayu Y’mei Shnei Chayai, V’lo Hisigu et Y’mei Shnei Chayai Avotai Bimei M’gureihem” Few and bad have been the day of the years of my life, and they have not reached the years of the life of my forefathers in the days of their wandering (Gen 47:7-9).  R’ Ovadia Sforno, the great Italian Renaissance Torah commentator explains that Pharoah’s question was not a sign of disrespect.  Rather, Pharaoh asked the questions in a state of wonderment, such old age was rare in Egypt. Maybe Egyptians had a relatively shorter life span so seeing an elderly person was a bit shocking.  Sforno goes on to explain that because of Jacob’s many trials and tribulations, Jacob appeared even older than his 130 years.  Yaakov was incredibly self-aware. He understood that there is a difference between years and days, between quantity and quality of life between. Jacob refers to Megureihem, the years of his “sojournings” as 130 years. He equates trials and tribulation to his “travels”; the opposite of his feeling settled and content. Contentment and feeling settled could be measured in days; the stress of trials, tribulations, wandering and never feeling settled were measured in years.  Indeed, Yaakov has had his share of tzuris – trials and tribulations. He spent over twenty years working for his evil uncle Lavan, and fearing his brother Esav. His daughter was violated by Shechem. For the last twenty- two years, he has been living with the anguish that his beloved son Yosef died in the pit. Yaakov has had a highly stressful, difficult and perhaps even tragic life. Life has beaten him up and aged him. Yaakov tells Pharaoh that he is not as old as his father or grandfather, only that his life has been far more difficult and full of stress compared to his father (Yitzchak) and his grandfather (Avraham.).

Our experiences affect us. We know that tragedies age us, and longevity takes a toll upon our bodies, our minds and sometimes our spirit. While Yaakov’s answer indicates that he had been through a lot, his answer is that of a Tzaddik (a righteous person). Not only does Yaakov answer, indicating that his mind is still sound, but his answer gives us insight into his soul. No matter how sad the situation, or tragic the experience, Yaakov possessed within him the element of a fighter. His name is Yisroel, and he is called by this name several times during the Parsha. Unlike Jacob’s father and Grandfather, Jacob is far more approachable. He has dealt with his share of loss, and his share of stress. He has feared for his own life, and as when confronted with bringing his family down to Egypt, he has feared for the welfare and the future of his own clan. No, we may not be leader of a clan, or an entire people. However, like Jacob, we hoped to be blessed with a family, and meaningful life. Pharaoh’s question and Jacob’s answer indicated the importance of living a life full of meaning. Jacob’s answer indicates that his days and years belong to him, the days and years were his path and his life and not his father’s life or grandfather’s life. So, good or bad, happy or sad, difficult or easy, the days and years belonged to him and he took ownership of his own life. Indeed, Jacob, even in old age, serves as a powerful role model on how to age with dignity.

Peace,

Rav Yitz

Dark Star Crashes, Pouring Its Light Into Ashes (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Dark Star")

There were two distinct moods in our home this week. One had to do with the joy of Chanukah and everything associated with it: presents, latkes and our family ritual that each person lights their own personal Chanukiyah. This year, we were able to “Facetime” with our two older daughters: one in New York and one in Israel. With the housed darkened and the night settling outside, indeed there is something quite spiritual about seeing the Chanukah lights creating an oasis of light amid the darkness. The second mood was just the opposite albeit a bit more esoteric than the physical light and darkness of the Chanuka lights and physical darkness. During each evening this week, we watched the various ceremonies, rituals, rites, and services took place to honor President George H. W. Bush. Perhaps President Bush’s greatest achievement occurred in the aftermath of the fall of the Soviet Union, in the aftermath of the tearing down of the Berlin Wall, and, presided over the Re-unification of Germany and bringing the light of Democracy to those nations that had been trapped behind the Iron Curtain since the end of WWII.

This morning we read from Parsha Mikeitz. This Parsha is always read during Chanukah. While the Parsha has no explicit relationship to Chanukah, also known as Chag Urim “The Festival of Lights”; the implicit relationship is quite powerful. The Parsha begins with Yosef hurriedly brought from the dungeon to meet Pharaoh after Pharaoh is troubled by two seemingly different dreams. Yosef, he has been told, is able to interpret dreams. So Yosef begins to interpret but not before he credits his gift as coming from Hashem. Yosef not only interprets the dreams he offers solutions for Pharaoh. As a result, Pharaoh appoints Yosef as Viceroy, the second most powerful man in Egypt and perhaps the Second most powerful man in the world. While managing an economic program to ensure Egypt’s survival during the seven years of famine as foretold in Pharaoh’s dream, Yosef made sure to build up storehouses with grain.  However, the famine affected the whole region including Canaan and Yosef’s father, Jacob and Yosef’s brothers. Eventually, Yosef’s brothers head down to Egypt in order to buy food. Joseph recognizes them, but they do not recognize him. Wanting to see his youngest brother Benjamin and his father Yaakov, Joseph arranges for the brothers to return home. One brother must remain in Egypt. Then, in order to redeem their brother, all the brothers including Benjamin must return to Egypt. After that, Joseph frames Benjamin, keeping in Egypt. The Parsha concludes with the brothers returning to their father and conveying what happened to Benjamin.

                We can understand the concept of darkness both figuratively and literally; physically, intellectually or even spiritually. Of course, we can understand the concept of light in the same way. VaYehi VaBoker VaTipaem Rucho – and it was morning; His spirit was agitated, VaYishlach VaYikra et Kol Chartumei Mitzrayim V’Et Kol Chochmeha – so he sent and summoned all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men (Gen. 41:8). Pharaoh had the dream about the seven cows and the seven ears of corn. Why do we need to know that it was the morning after his dream? How bad could the dreams have been? Based upon the Torah, Pharaoh slept through the night. Granted he didn’t sleep well. After all, we are told that in the morning, his spirit was agitated. In a sense, his spirit was still “in the dark” even though the morning light was upon him. He brings Yosef out from the dungeon, a place of physical darkness. However, Yosef, because of his relationship to Hashem, embodies a spiritual light. Pharaoh asks the Egyptian Magicians and the Egyptian wise men, symbols of intellectual and spiritual light, to interpret the dream; to cast light upon Pharaoh’s troubled/darkened spirit. They are unable to bring light or to offer a solution. However, Yosef, the embodiment of Hashem’s light, is capable of casting light upon Pharaoh’s darkness. To Pharaoh’s credit; his fear is not directed at Yosef. Instead, Pharaoh’s fear is directed at the ramifications of famine upon Egypt and how a famine would affect his authority.  Even Yosef conceals his identity from his brothers, he remains in the darkness so to speak while his brothers are unable to conceal their identity from him.  Yosef is the embodiment of spiritual and physical light as he always knows what is happening and what will happen.  Despite Yosef being in a pit, and in a dungeon, Yosef is light. He is able to transmit his light, his knowledge, his spiritual strength to those around him without being diminished; much like a candle transmits a flame to another candle.

                So as we continue to light the lights of the Chanukkiyah amid the physical darkness that comes with night; I am struck by the actual transmission of the light from wick to wick. I am also struck by the beautiful light that we create. The transmission of knowledge like a flame doesn’t diminish the source. It only diminishes darkness and ignorance. Yes, I understand people are scared of the rising tide of darkness. We are all a little scared of darkness. However, if we become overwhelmed by the darkness, we will be too scared of the fact that our souls are agitated. We will become paralyzed rather than ask what we can do to eliminate the darkness. Rather than listening to those who would only bring more darkness and more paralysis, we should listen to those who bring light and bring solutions. Nearly thirty years ago, President Bush could have retreated from the impending darkness that was the chaos of the collapsing Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. He could have kept the light of Democracy lit only in the West. He didn’t. He chose to do everything he could to shine a light upon the darkness of those former totalitarian countries and create a possibility for nascent democratic institutions to survive.  It takes great faith and courage to transfer light to darkened places and know that the source of the transferred light will not diminished. Hopefully, as our children grow older they will appreciate Yosef’s role in bringing light to his world and President Bush's courage in bringing light to his world. Hopefully they appreciate the importance of service, of engaging in acts of Kindness. Transferring their light won't diminish their own light, but rather it will increase the possibility for more light to exist amid the darkness.

Peace,

Rav Yitz