You Can Trade Your Soul For An Electric Guitar - (John Barlow & Bob Weir- "Heaven Help The Fool")

           Of all professional sports, Baseball offers the most amount of games in the regular season: 162 games. The regular season usually begins at the end of March (this year it began in the first week of April due to a strike) and concludes at the end of September. After 6 months of 162 games, the Postseason begins.  So, whichever teams are good enough or lucky enough to play in the world series, those teams will have played baseball for 7 months. However, at this time of year, around the middle of the season, a baseball team must assess where it is on and the  We prognosticate as to what our favorite team will do in order to put themselves in the best possible position to win the World Series. During our discussions, my parents and I are always amazed at how a change of environment can truly affect a player’s outlook itself both in the short term and the long term. By the middle of July, two weeks before a trade deadline, a team needs to assess its performance and decide whether it can find help from outside the organization. Halfway through the season and a team needs to determine whether they have a legitimate chance of making the playoffs. If a team does not feel that there is a chance, then they may decide to trade their best players in order to get younger less expensive players in return. Of course, the message to the fanbase is that the team has “given up on the season”. A team that believes it has a very reasonable chance of getting into the playoffs or even challenging for a World Series Championship, may decide to there is a particular position that could be upgraded and that could be a difference maker. Sometimes a very good team has experienced injuries and the return of those injured players will be enough to stand pat with the current personnel. What is always amazing to me, and it happens every year, there is always a player on a poor or mediocre team who is experiencing a disappointing season and not performing up to expectations. Management is disappointed, the fans are disappointed and sometimes the player himself is disappointed. Then the player is traded to a team that is contending for a playoff spot. The management of the contending team believes that the disappointing player can make a difference.  Whether it is the organization, the stadium, the fans, the fact that the player has a chance to play in the postseason, or just knowing that he is wanted, the player has an incredibly productive second half of the season and by the end of the season, he has lived up to or exceeded new team’s expectations. 

          This Shabbat we read Parsha Balak. In the Parsha, we read an interesting narrative that is filled with suspense, humor, intrigue, an apparent “midseason trade” and even a happy ending. It is interesting to note that throughout the Parsha, the focus is on the outside world as it relates to the B’nai Yisroel. That is to say, Balak, the king of Moab, and the tribe of Midian are the subjects of the Parsha. B’nai Yisroel hovers as the main reason for why the narrative is pertinent; however for once, Bnai Yisroel is not doing something wrong, they are not recipients of God’s anger. Instead, they placidly and temporarily settled on the plains of Moab waiting to enter Eretz Canaan. Not until the end of the Parsha and only after the narrative of Balak and Bilaam concluded, does the Torah return to a narrative style with Bnai Yisroel as the subject of poor behavior and God’s anger. 

          Bilaam, a soothsayer is hired by Balak to curse Bnai Yisroel. By cursing Bnai Yisroel, Balak believed that this was the only way to defeat Bnai Yisroel since they had successfully waged war on all the indigenous tribes thus far. The donkey that Bilaam rides upon on his way to curse Bnai Yisroel refuses to respond to Bilaam, and Bilaam grows angrier and angrier. The donkey is able to see an Angel of God in the road and Bilaam the soothsayer cannot. So a humorous conversation between Donkey and Soothsayer occurs (this is the funny part). Bilaam eventually realizes that he is unable to curse B’nai Yisroel. Finally, when he is looking from the hills down upon B’nai Yisroel and sees a peaceful, God-fearing community he utters praise instead of curses.   Imagine Balak’s anger and frustration? He hires Bilaam to curse B’nai Yisroel; instead, he blesses B’nai Yisroel! ​Vayomer Balak El Bilaam Meh Asita Li Lakov Oyvai L’Kachticha V’Hinei Beirachta Vareich​ –​ Balak said to Bilaam, “What have you done to me! To curse my enemy have I brought you – but behold, you have even blessed!”​ (Num. 23:11) Balak’s frustration is something we can all understand. He believed that Bilaam, a powerful soothsayer/prophet was capable of communing with God and deriving the appropriate sign in order to curse Bnai Yisroel. Bilaam’s response is quite revealing: ​Halo Eit Asher Yasim HaShem B’Fi Oto Eshmor L’Daber! ​Is it not so that whatever Hashem puts in my mouth, that I must take heed to speak! Essentially Bilaam explains that he can only say what God would have said. If Balak could have traded Bilaam for another soothsayer, he probably would have.

          As awful a person as Balak is, and as mercenary, a person as Bilaam is, we can learn a lot from the exchange of both men.  Balak hired the soothsayer to do a job for which Bilaam was renowned for doing. Bilaam did not live up to his reputation nor Balak’s expectations.  Had Balak issued a curse himself, even if it failed, at least he would have felt empowered.  For Bilaam, at least for that moment, he turned inwards, listened to his soul, listened to the donkey, listened to God and his entire attitude changed teams. At least for the moment, this mercenary soothsayer offered only blessings to the Jewish people. The fact of the matter is that we need to turn inwards, towards our soul. There, in our own soul, we will find holiness. The funny thing about the trade deadline, sometimes it is the trades that don’t get made turn out to be the best.  Rather than trading for another player –looking outwards; teams decide to stick with the personnel that they have, injured players return from injury, the organization expresses confidence in the players and the coaches, and the players commit to playing better, commit to exerting greater effort, and working harder. They look inward and renew a sense of commitment and purpose. 

   Peace,               
    Rav Yitz 

You Can Trade Your Soul For An Electric Guitar (John Barlow & Bob Weir - "Heaven Help The Fool")

Since last Sunday was particularly quiet, I took a drive and spent the day with my parents. I played some golf with my father, sat by the pool with my mother. When we talk, the subject matter is generally the same thing. My parents spend a lot of time talking to me about our four children: how they have matured, the kind of people they are, their plans, and then, like all Jewish grandparents; they “kvell” (take great joy praising how wonderful their grandchildren are). The next subject is their health. I listen as they share with me their aches and pains and their upcoming doctors' appointments. Often times we discuss Judaism and their Torah classes, and the myriad of questions they may have. Frequently, we discuss the news including politics, Supreme Court decisions and Israel. However, when the news is overly depressing, my parents will discuss sports. After everything that has been going on in Washington DC this past week, my parents and I discussed sports. It was a particularly uninspired week that even my mother joined in our discussion on sports. Thankfully, at this time of year, any discussion centered on sports usually focuses on baseball, free agents, and the trade deadline. We prognosticate as to what our favorite team will do in order to put themselves in the best possible position to win the World Series. During our discussions, my parents and I are always amazed at how a change of environment can truly affect a player’s outlook and performance. Whether it is the organization, the stadium, the fans, the fact that the player has a chance to play in the postseason, or just knowing that they are now playing for a team that wants them; we are always amazed how much better that player performs.

This Shabbat is we read Parsha Balak. In the Parsha, we read an interesting narrative that is filled with suspense, humor, intrigue, an apparent “midseason trade” and even a happy ending. It is interesting to note that throughout the Parsha, the focus is upon the outside world as it relates to the B’nai Yisroel. That is to say, Balak, the king of Moab and the tribe of Midian are the subjects of the Parsha. B’nai Yisroel hovers as the main reason for why the narrative is pertinent; however for once, Bnai Yisroel is not doing something wrong, they are not recipients of God’s anger. Instead, they placidly and temporarily settled on the plains of Moab waiting to enter into Eretz Canaan. Not until the end of the Parsha and only after the narrative of Balak and Bilaam concluded, does the Torah return to a narrative style with Bnai Yisroel as the subject of poor behavior and God’s anger. 

            Bilaam, a soothsayer is hired by Balak to curse Bnai Yisroel. By cursing Bnai Yisroel, Balak believed that this was the only way to defeat Bnai Yisroel since they had successfully waged war on all the indigenous tribes thus far. The donkey that Bilaam rides upon on his way to cursing Bnai Yisroel refuses to respond to Bilaam, Bilaam grows angrier and angrier. The donkey is able to see an Angel of God in the road and Bilaam the soothsayer cannot. So a humorous conversation between Donkey and Soothsayer occurs (this is the funny part). Bilaam eventually realizes that he is unable to curse B’nai Yisroel. Finally, when he is looking from the hills down upon B’nai Yisroel and sees a peaceful, God-fearing community he utters praise instead of curses.   Imagine Balak’s anger and frustration? He hires Bilaam to curse B’nai Yisroel; instead, he blesses B’nai Yisroel! Vayomer Balak El Bilaam Meh Asita Li Lakov Oyvai L’Kachticha V’Hinei

Beirachta Vareich – Balak said to Bilaam, “What have you done to me! To curse my enemy have I brought you – but behold, you have even blessed!” (Num. 23:11) Balak’s frustration is something we can all understand. He believed that Bilaam, a powerful soothsayer/prophet was capable of communing with God and deriving the appropriate sign in order to curse Bnai Yisroel. Bilaam’s response is quite revealing: Halo Eit Asher Yasim HaShem B’Fi Oto Eshmor L’Daber! Is it not so that whatever Hashem puts in my mouth, that I must take heed to speak! Essentially Bilaam explains that he can only say what God would have said. If Balak could have traded Bilaam for another soothsayer, he probably would have.

As awful a person as Balak is, and as mercenary a person Bilaam is, we can learn a lot from the exchange of both men.  Balak hired the soothsayer to do a job for which Bilaam was renowned for doing. Bilaam did not live up to his reputation.  Had Balak issued a curse himself, even if it failed, at least he would have felt empowered.  For Bilaam, at least for that moment, he turned inwards, listened to his soul, listened to the donkey, listened to God and his entire attitude changed. At least for the moment, this mercenary soothsayer offered only blessings to the Jewish people. The fact of the matter is that we need to turn inwards, towards our soul. There, in our own soul, we will find holiness. The funny thing about the trade deadline, sometimes it is the trades that don’t get made turn out to be the best.  Rather than trading for another player –looking outwards; teams decide to stick with the personnel that they have and commit to playing better, commit to exerting greater effort, working harder. They look inward and renew a sense of commitment and purpose. 

                Peace,                   

Rav Yitz 

Lotta Pretty Vanity, No Not Me; Glorified Insanity, No Not Me - (John Barlow & Bob Weir - "Heaven Help The Fool")

Raising three daughters has made me extra sensitive to issues concerning self-image, peer pressure, social cliques, and body image. Over the years,  their mother and I have tried to create an environment where our daughters acquired the tools to deal with the perils of social cliques and peer pressure; all the social network apps that our daughters “must be on” has made our job that much more difficult. Over the years, their mother and I have tried to create an environment where deeds, substance, effort and the content of character receive more praise and are held in much higher regard than the superficiality of physical appearance and fashion. However, television, fashion magazines, Twitter, and all the social networks, podcasts, and peer pressure has made our jobs more difficult. Thankfully, we only have one teenage daughter remaining in High School that demands our vigilant attention. So what did our Grade 11 daughter do last week that heightened her parents’ concern over the tumultuous nature of teenage girls, their self-image, popularity and sense of self-worth? She decided to run for Student Council Treasurer. All week, she and several friends made posters and videos, created slogans and developed a campaign. With the advice of her older sister, a political consultant currently managing a presidential campaign, our the declared candidate spent ten days speaking to as many of the students as possible, faculty and school administrators.  All of us, parents and siblings alike, helped on this campaign. So from that perspective, it was nice to see our children working together for a common goal.  On the other hand, I am aware that running for office in Student Council is not exactly the same as running for office at the municipal, provincial/state or federal level.  Running for office at the student council level is far more brutally honest. It is strictly a popularity contest. There are no real issues per se. And certainly one can’t “buy” the election with Super-Pac money or millions of small online donations. Student council politics can be a brutal endeavor precisely because it remains a popularity contest. So who are the teenage girls that tend to be the most popular? That’s right, the girls with the most pleasant and appealing appearances tend to be considered popular, the girls that keep up with popular culture and all that is trending. They might not necessarily be well-liked, but everyone knows who they are. Needless to say, I can’t help but notice the irony of the week. Our daughter, who we raised to have a positive self-image, participated in a school activity that focused upon those very qualities that can demean self- image.

This Shabbat we read from Parshat Emor. The four chapters that comprise Parsha Emor focus on the various aspects of Perfection. First, the Torah focuses upon the importance of the spiritual perfection and purity of the Kohen. He must remain in a perpetual state of purity. He is restricted in terms of whom he can marry. He is restricted in regards for whom he can mourn. He cannot go to a cemetery. He cannot make sacrificial offerings if he has physical abnormalities. Second, the Torah reminds B’nai Yisroel to be in a state of ritual purity when approaching God with a blemish-free offering. These offerings must come directly from the individual making them and not from “the hand of a stranger” (Lev.22:25). Third, the Torah focuses upon the perfection and the purity of time. Perfection in time is manifest in the prescribed order of each season and their timely commencement and conclusion. Each corresponding Festival acknowledges that perfection. Shabbat acknowledges the perfection of Time in the context of the Week. That sense of order and Timeliness is both pure and perfect since the designation of “Sacred” time comes from God. Fourth, the Torah concentrates on maintaining purity and perfection of physical space as embodied by The Mishkan. The Torah even deals with perfection and purity of human relationships and the punishments meted out when that perfection, purity, and holiness is violated. In a sense, this last chapter reminds us of God’s charge to B’nai Yisroel.

Like running for student council places an emphasis upon physical appearance as it relates to popularity; the Torah places an emphasis upon the physical appearance of the Kohen as it relates to his spiritual purity and eligibility of serving as the Kohen Gadol.  The last eight verses (21:16-24) explain all the physical abnormalities that exclude the Kohen from assuming the position of Kohen Gadol. Blemishes, blindness, being lame, having any broken bones, bad skin, abnormally long eyebrows, a blemish in his eyed, are but a few of the physical attributes that make a Kohen ineligible for the position of Kohen Gadol.   How can the Torah, with its primary focus upon Mitzvot (commandments) and the importance of deeds and the Kavanah, the intentionality behind those deeds, now focus upon something as superficial as appearance? Sefer HaChinuch, a13th Century Spanish commentary, explains: “At the root of the precept lies the reason that most actions of people are acceptable, appealing to the heart of those who see them, in accordance with the eminence of those who do them. For when a man is distinguished in his appearance and good in his actions, he will find grace and good understanding (Prov. 3:4). With all that he does in the eyes of all who observe him. Should he be, however, the opposite of this- inferior in his form, or peculiar in his limbs then even if he is correct in his ways, his activities will not be so attractive to the hear…” (Emor 275). As upsetting and politically incorrect as that sounds, the comment and the Torah text infer a keen understanding of human nature. While watching the physically flawed Kohen conducting the ritual slaughtering in a perfectly correct manner; our attention would be upon the flaw in appearance, our Kavanah (our intention) would be lacking and the sacrificial process would fail.

            This line of reasoning doesn’t offer any solace to the Kohen with the physical flaw or abnormality.  I don’t for a second agree with it. However, it is important to remember that the Torah’s goal was to make sure that the offerings were accepted and the Kavanah (the intention) behind the offerings was both pure and focused. Thankfully, we don’t have a Third Holy Temple. We have evolved beyond animal offerings as a means of engaging God in a sacred relationship. However, human nature has remained fairly consistent.  All these decades later, the Home Coming King and Queen are still very good looking and popular, and running for Student Council remains a popularity contest as well. Maybe what really matters is not winning a popularity contest but rather, putting oneself out there as the offering, showing external physical flaws and all, and showing people the goodness and purity and authenticity within. Maybe having the courage to run and be exposed to the vulnerability of losing truly is a measure of the content of character. Thankfully, as election night drew to an end, our daughter won her campaign by being as authentic as possible and avoiding the social cliques and drama.

Peace,

Rav Yitz