Mama, Mama, Many Worlds I've Come Since I First Left Home (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Brokedown Palace")

           The United States observance and celebration of it Thanksgiving signal the beginning of the holiday season. If Christmas decorations have not yet appeared in storefronts, they do so now. Individual homes and town centers begin cleaning up and decorating acknowledging Christmas and Chanukkah. We all begin shopping for gifts for family and friends. Of course, all the Christmas specials are re-broadcast on television. Our family’s favorite Holiday season movie is Frank Capra’s 1946 film It’s A Wonderful Life.  I have watched the movie since I was a kid. With each passing year, with each phase of my life, I have seen Jimmy Stewart’s character, George Bailey, in a different light. As he went through different phases of growing up, getting married, and raising a family, I have done the same. As he struggled with his existential angst, so have I. This year, for the first time in 32 years, I have no children in my house. Instead, they are living their lives, on their own, following their path. As a result, I experienced the movie just a bit differently than before.   During one particular scene Jimmy Stewart’s character George Bailey sits at the dining room table with his mother, his father, and his younger brother, they discuss George’s future plans. He expresses his need to leave and go out on his own: “I just feel like if I don't get away, I'd bust.” I smiled to myself because, in my mind, it seemed like yesterday that I felt that way in terms of my parents. Now I am at a point in my life where my kids have all adopted a similar mantra. For the first time, I identified with George Bailey’s father, the parent offering guidance to the child who prepares to go off on his own. 

          This Shabbat we read from Parsha VaYeitze. The focus of the narrative is on Yaakov. For the first time, Yaakov will find out what it means to be alone in the world.  He has left his mother, Rivkah, and his father Yitzchak, for the first time. In fleeing his brother Esav, Yaakov now embarks on a new phase of his life. For the first time, but certainly not the last time, he will have to face being alone. He will learn to be an independent individual. Yes, Yaakov will meet his future wives, his cousins Leah and Rachel. He will work for his father-in-law, Lavan, and he will have children. The narrative will focus on Yaakov’s life from young adulthood to becoming a responsible father, earning a living, and all the trials, tribulations, and tensions of career and family. As Yaakov makes his way in life, hopefully, he will learn more about himself. With each event, with each adventure, Yaakov has an opportunity to become better connected, better connected to himself, and better connected to a covenant that his father bequeathed to him. Yet throughout the narrative he will learn to be alone, he will learn to become independent, and he will learn, through trial and error, to whom he should spiritually cling: Esav, his parents, Lavan, his wives, and God.

           At the conclusion of the previous Parsha, Parsha Toldot, we read that Yitzchak and Rivkah instructed Yaakov to go to Padan- Aram, to the house of Bethuel (Rivkah’s father’s home) and take a wife from there. We would expect Parsha VaYeitze to begin with Yaakov heading to Padan- Aram. Instead, VaYeitze begins: VaYeitze Yaakov M’Beer Sheva VaYeilech Charana – Yaakov departed from Beer Sheva and went toward Charan. Why doesn’t VaYeitze, say that Yaakov departed and went to Padan Aram? Why do we need to be told that he went to Charan? What’s in Charan? Yaakov has never been away from home. Although he is heading toward his mother’s family; even Rivkah knew enough to leave her family of origin. Now Yaakov, in order to preserve his life, must leave his family of origin. In Toldot, Yaakov was described as Ish Tam  Yoshev Ohalim – a simple man of faith who dwells in tents (Gen. 19;27) The Talmudic Sages explain that Yaakov’s dwelling in the tents meant that he spent time in his parent’s tents studying and learning. However, no learning would prepare him for what he would contend with when dealing with Rivka’s family and particularly her brother Lavan.  Rabbi Kamenetsky, (1891-1986), explained that prior to arriving in Paddan Aram, Yaakov stopped in Charan to learn from Shem and Eber. Shem was Noah’s son and Eber from the generation of the Tower of Bavel. Both were considered righteous and wise men who lived in unsavory environments and managed to retain their sense of righteousness. Yaakov sought their practical wisdom prior to his encounter with Lavan and dealing with becoming independent in an unsavory environment.  He will also need the wisdom of Shem and Eber to help him eventually return home. As a result of Yaakov’s diversion, Yaakov understands that he must maintain a relationship with God, and he understands that he will need to find his way home when the time is right.

          In It’s A Wonderful Life, George Bailey’s desire to leave home was symbolized by his request and his “wish to never been born”. Indeed, when George cries out “I want to live again” he is asking to return home. For Yaakov, he needed to leave his physical home, but clearly, he took with him the values and the learning that he acquired from his family. He took God with him as well as the sense of the land. He took with him a desire to return home. Yaakov and George Bailey derive an aspect of their independence from not only leaving home but leaving home with a code as well has to have the courage and humility to return home. Indeed, our children have all left home, however, our children also know that whenever the need arises, the doors of the home are always open, and their parents' arms are also open to hug them when they walk in the door

Peace
Rav Yitz.

Take Care Of Your People; Get Some Of Them Fed (Robert Hunter - "One Thing To Try")

          About two weeks ago, days before 4 hostages were taken at a Texas shul, a 92-year-old Rabbi passed away. Rabbi  Israel “Sy” Dresner passed away. He was thought to have been the most frequently arrested Rabbi. His protesting and arrests began in 1947 when he protested and organized boycotts of British-owned businesses in New York City when the British government blocked Jewish immigration to what was then called Palestine. Rabbi Dresner was arrested while trying to register African American Voters in the Deep South in the early 1960s. He was arrested along with Martin Luther King in Selma. He was arrested protesting the Viet Nam War. Later, Rabbi Dresner would lead protests in front of the then Soviet Consulate in New York and the Soviet Embassy in Washington to shine a light upon the Soviet Union’s treatment of “Refuseniks” - Jews who were denied immigrating to Israel. For Rabbi Dresner, a Reform Rabbi who grew up Orthodox and always wore a kippah, being Jewish,  meant observing commandments between man and God and demonstrating empathy for society's most vulnerable: those without a homeland, those who couldn’t vote, those who were being drafted to fight an unjust war and those who were being denied the right to leave and emigrate to their spiritual home. About ten years ago, Dresner was giving an interview to the Jewish Telegraph Agency and explained that he would protest and get arrested all over again. When asked why his answer was simple yet incredibly profound. “Because I am Jewish and I didn’t see an alternative”. (Shira Hanau/JTA Jan. 17th, 2022 “Most arrested rabbi who marched with Martin Luther King Jr. dies at 92”).

          This week’s Parsha is Mishpatim. Moshe is still at Har Sinai. However, the revelation that occurred with the giving of the Aseret Dibrot (Ten Commandments) is long gone. Instead, God has now started giving Moshe numerous laws that affect the day-to-day issues raised by human interaction. There is no shofar blowing, there is no anticipation of meeting God at the mountain. Rather there is only God telling Moshe how to decide various legal matters including the damages to be paid if my ox gores your ox; two men are fighting near a pregnant woman and she gets hurt,   and how to treat to a Jewish servant, observing festivals, the issues of liability for those who are asked to safeguard another’s property as well as manslaughter, to name just a few of the fifty-three commandments (according to the Sefer HaChinuch).  Moshe tells these laws to Bnai Yisroel and they respond with the words Naaseh v’Nishmah – we will do and learn.  The Parsha concludes with glowing fire upon the Mountain that Moshe ascends once again.

          While the events at the Sinai proved to be awe-inspiring, no one can live everyday life in a perpetual state of awe. When B’nai Israel experienced that moment of revelation, it left them nearly paralyzed. Overwhelmed and paralyzed with awe and fear, B’nai Israel could not hear all Ten of the Dibrot, all ten God’s statements. After the first commandment,  B’nai Israel pleaded with  Moshe Rabeinu to return to the top of the mountain and receive the other nine commandments. The laws spelled out in Mishpatim are remarkably un-inspiring. They are incredibly mundane. Yet all these 53 laws answer one fundamental question. While at the foot of that smoking mountain,  experiencing revelation, B’nai Israel was told that they are a Kingdom of Ministers (Ex. 19:6). While that is all well and good, B’nai Israel is left wondering how is a Kindom of Ministers supposed to behave? What underlying philosophy or ethical standard provides a basis for all these seemingly mundane laws and concerns about my ox goring your ox?    V’Geir Lo Toneh V’Lo Tilchatzenu Ki Geirim HeYitem B’Eretz Mitzrayim - You shall not taunt or oppress a stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt . The Geir, along with the Almana and the Yatom - the widow and the orphan are examples of the most vulnerable members of that society. Taunting or oppressing the stranger or pain to the Widow or the Orphan V’Chara Api V”Haragti Etchem BeCherev - My Wrath shall blaze and I shall kill you by the sword (20:20-23). To be a “Nation of Priests”  defined by the commentators in Parsha Yitro is to serve God and minister to humanity (Ex. 19:6). Here, in Parsha Mishpatim, it means caring for the vulnerable and the weak. It means that the organizing principle of a civilized society is to protect the most vulnerable. 

          A society inhabited by a Nation of Ministers is a society that cares for the vulnerable and the alienated. Sometimes it seems easy to forget that the Judeo-Christian ethic that so many self-righteous religious and political leaders cloak themselves in is made from the simplest and most humble of fibers: empathy. Even former slaves may lack empathy.  Even former slaves need to be reminded that they were once strangers in a strange land. Remembering our humble and perhaps even humiliating origins are supposed to provide us with the requisite empathy in order to be the Kingdom of Ministers, to minister to the needy, to help the most vulnerable, and to shine a light upon socio-economic and religious persecution. Certainly, Rabbi Israel “Sy” Dresner understood that. 

Peace,
Rav Yitz

Built To Last Till Sunshine Fails And Darkness Moves On All (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia- "Built To Last")

           It has been one year since the world witnessed one of the darkest days of the Noble Experiment that is known as Democracy in The United States.  The January 6th attack upon the U.S. Capitol brought the dark underbelly of human nature, intolerance, and hatred to the surface. A recent Washington Post University of Maryland poll indicated that 34% of Americans think that violence against the U.S. government is acceptable. Along partisan lines, the numbers are even more frightening. Among Independent Voters, that 34% goes up to 41%. Among Republicans that number also goes up to 40%. Among those who identify as Democrats that number decreases to 23%. The “Noble Experiment” appears to be fraying and perhaps coming apart at the seams.  Of course, this Darkness isn’t new. It has existed for as long as human beings organized themselves in tribes, communities, and nations. In 1935, Sinclair Lewis wrote a dystopian novel about the rise of fascism and authoritarianism in the United States entitled It Can’t Happen Here. The premise was that a charismatic politician tapped into the raw populism, anger, and frustration of Americans who were experiencing the drastic changes brought on by the Great Depression. Dissatisfied with any of the current solutions, the electorate turned to “Buzz” Windrip. He promises answers and fast results. Windrip explains that Democracy is too slow a process, too untidy a process to solve these problems, and ever so slowly and meticulously undoes democratic institutions. Earlier this week, Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) came out with a new book: It Could Happen Here - Why America Is Tipping From Hate To The Unthinkable and How We Can Stop It. Greenblatt’s grandparents fled Nazi Germany. His wife and her family fled Iran when the Shah was overthrown. Greenblatt explains that there has always been “hate” in the United States. However over the past five years, where once the language and the behavior of hate was usually perpetrated by those out on the “fringe”; now this hatred has become normalized. The Darkness of Intolerance, anti-liberalism, fearmongering, is the standard operating procedure for the carrying out of the “Noble Experiment”. 

          This week's Parsha is Bo.  The ten plagues culminate with locusts, darkness, and finally the killing of the firstborn. On the night of the last plague, God instructs Moshe to tell B'nai Yisroel, to declare and sanctify the New Moon, and to slaughter a lamb for each family. Blood should be painted onto the doorpost. The sacrificed lamb must be completely eaten that night with no leftovers.  The command continues with God instructing Moshe to reiterate this story to the children of each family. The Parsha concludes with the command to sanctify the firstborn, remember this night, remember what God did for B'nai Yisroel, and how B'nai Yisroel eventually returned to the land.

           Parts of the Parsha are read on Pesach. Those parts dealing with the Paschal sacrifice, as well as the Mitzvah of "Telling" the child about the impending redemption, are read. However, there is one phrase that is particularly interesting and revealing. The ninth plague is Choshech, darkness. VaYomer Adonai el Moshe  N'Teih Yadchah al Hashamayim - And God said to Moshe "Stretch forth your hand toward the heavens,  Va'Yehi Choshech al Eretz Mitzrayim- "And there will be a darkness upon the land of Egypt, Vayameish Choshech - and the darkness will be felt. [tangible] (Ex. 10:21). What does it mean that the darkness will be felt? What will it feel like? Will it be hot or cold, wet or dry? Maybe it will thick like some type of fog. Maybe it will be the horrible emptiness as if one is falling through an abyss with nothing all around. Whatever kind of darkness it is, it can be felt. It is noticeable and therefore extraordinarily different than the standard night -time or even an eclipse. B’nai Yisroel still had light in their dwellings while the plague occurred. Pharaoh could not stand the darkness anymore and told Moshe to take everyone including the children and leave if that would alleviate the darkness in Egypt. The Or HaChaim, (18th Century Morocco) reminds us that while there was complete darkness in Egypt, there was light where the Jewish slaves lived: Goshen. U’LeChol B’nai Yisroel Haya Or B’Mishvotam – but for all the Children of Israel there was light in their dwellings (Ex. 10:23). Egypt was already in a state of primordial, spiritual Darkness,  darkness bereft of any acknowledgment of God’s presence. As a result, Egypt became a twisted, closed-minded, corrupt society.  Because of this ignorance and fear,  B’nai Yisroel was enslaved and the world devoid of the acknowledgment of HaShem. The plague of Choshech, of Darkness, was merely Egypt becoming aware of their darkness. As a result, Pharaoh all but pleaded with Moshe to take the slaves out from Egypt. The source of darkness was his fear of Israel and his reason for enslaving Israel (Ex 1:8-10). Only by ridding himself of hatred and fear and by acknowledging God’s presence could the light would return to Egypt.  B’nai Yisroel was already in a state of primordial Light, a spiritual acknowledgment of God’s presence; U’LeChol B’nai Yisroel  Haya Or B’Mishvotam – but for all the Children of Israel there was light in their dwellings. B’nai Yisroel already had a sense of their relationship to God, and a sense of purpose. Moshe had already told them that they would be freed, and they would return to the land that had been promised to their ancestors.

          Greenblatt explains that hate and intolerance must be called out. It must be called out at the water cooler at work and it must be called on social media platforms. Greenblatt also makes it clear that we must be aware of “moral relativism” and “what about-ism”. Historically, the Jewish People have always served as the proverbial “canary in the coal mine” when it comes to a rise in hatred, intolerance of minorities, of conspiracy theories, and a rise in authoritarianism, and fascism. Light must be shined brightly upon language, action, and legislation that peddles in hate, intolerance, and fear. Pharaoh and the Egyptians were paralyzed by the darkness caused by their fear and intolerance. This current plague of Darkness threatens to paralyze Democracy and the democratic institutions of what has  Noble Experiment. If it can happen there, then it can happen anywhere.     

Peace
Rav Yitz  

There's A Fear Down Here We Can't Forget, Hasn't Got A Name Just Yet, Always Awake Always Around (John Barlow & Bob Weir- "Throwing Stones")

           For the past couple of weeks,  after dinner, my wife will go onto her social media, become visibly upset and report to me and our son the numerous Anti-Semitic attacks that have occurred. My son and I have sent the New York Times, The Times of Israel, and Washington Post Op-Ed pieces from Brett Stephens and Tom Friedman to our family "chat". This current round of Anti-Semitic attacks has come from those who view the conflict between Israel and Hamas in terms of racial justice, minority rights, and the “woke Left”. From this perspective, Hamas is an organization of “freedom fighters'' with no alternative but to respond to Israel's treatment of Palestinians except through justified violence. This lens conveniently leaves out an important but inconvenient truth; Hamas is a fundamentalist Islamic terrorist organization that routinely persecutes Gays and Lesbians, enslaves its citizens to build tunnels, and hides behind civilians and civilian institutions such as mosques, hospitals, and schools in order to launch its rockets and carry out its terrorist agenda. Regarding Israel, Hamas only desires Israel’s destruction and a Palestinian homeland that adheres to strict Islamic law.  Indeed the anti-semitic attacks from the “woke Left" have managed to conflate anti -Zionism and Anti-semitism.  Earlier this week,  a U.S. Congresswoman from Georgia compared the rules for mask-wearing similar to the Nazis making Jews wear a “gold” star. By the way, she is the same Georgia Congresswoman who claimed that the wildfires from last autumn were a result of an outer-space laser beam created by and controlled by Jews.   A few years ago, Nazis marched in Charlottesville, Virginia. There were Anti-Semitic attacks in Pittsburgh, outside of San Diego, in New Jersey. These comments, these attacks had very little to do with Israel, but everything to do with Jews as “other”, part of a conspiratorial group that runs the media, controls international finance and is a threat to the right-wing White Christian world. Extremism on the Left and extremism on the Right extremely is bad for the Jews and bad for Israel.  Indeed, extremism is a darkness that allows Anti Semitism to grow and thrive.

          This week we read the third Parsha from The Book of Numbers, Parsha BeHA'alotcha. In the previous two parshiot: Bemidbar and Naso, B’nai Yisroel takes a census and prepares for its upcoming journey from Sinai to Eretz Canaan. This week, the final preparations are ordered and executed and the departure from Sinai begins. Aaron, Moshe’s brother and the Kohen Gadol, lights the lamp for the Mishkan, the entire Levite tribe is purified, offerings made and their service for maintenance of the Mishkan begins. Final instructions for observing Pesach under these new conditions, (they were not leaving Egypt anymore nor had they arrived in the land) were offered, including the case of coming into contact with the deceased and becoming spiritually impure. The narrative tells us the manner in which B’nai Yisroel traveled: sheltered by a cloud during the day and protected by a pillar of fire at night. Then the complaining begins. They complain about the Mannah. They complain about the food. They complain about Moshe’s leadership. Moshe’s sister complains about his wife.

          The first few verses, from which the Parsha gets its name BeHA'alotcha seem rather disconnected from the rest of the narrative. B’Ha’Alotcha et HaNeirot El Mul P’nei HaM’norah Ya’Iru Shivat Ha’Neirot - When you kindle the lamps, toward the face of the Menorah shall seven lamps cast light (Num. 8:2)  According to Rashi, the flames on either side of the middle are bent towards the middle, and the middle flame burns brightest and longest.  Aaron is given the job to light the Menorah, the Neir Tamid, the eternal light, every day. According to the Talmud in Menachot 88, Aaron didn’t just light the Menorah, he had to clean the seven lamps out every morning prior to lighting the lamps. He would have to lean it over to clean it and the stand of the Menorah back up prior to lighting, thus ensuring complete functionality: Ya’Iru Shivat HaNeirot - so that the seven lamps will cast light (Num. 8:2) If only six of the seven lamps function properly, Aaron will not have fulfilled the commandment. Why is it necessary to make sure that all seven lamps are fully functional and lit? Will one unlit lamp on the candelabra really make a difference in terms of light? Rabbi Isaac Luria, “The Arizal”,  a 16th-century mystic, explained that the central shaft of the seven-branched candelabra (menorah) represents God’s divine light as manifest in Torah. The three branches on either side of God’s Torah represent science and other academic pursuits such as philosophy, and theology. For Sforno, the great Italian Renaissance biblical commentator, the right three branches symbolize the pursuit of enlightenment through spiritual endeavors and the left three branches symbolize the pursuit of enlightenment through secular and worldly knowledge. Like The Arizal, Sforno interprets the middle trunk of the Menorah to be the Divine Light of God, as illuminated throughout creation, and as a result, all the other flame leaned toward this Divine primordial light of the middle branch.

            By fulfilling the mitzvah of the Menorah, and making sure it was completely lit each and every day, Aharon understood what it meant to be a light to the people. Knowledge and enlightenment embrace both the Holy and the Secular, as does a complete and meaningful life. Like Aaron, the High Priest, the Jewish people are supposed to be  “a light unto the world”, a “nation of priests”. Judaism has a long history of being “woke”. Judaism is the original “truth to power”, and has always challenged authority and the status quo. The very foundation of Judaism is a response to extremism. Regarding the Torah, Jews are reminded to avoid drifting too far to the left and too far to the right, but rather stick to the middle (Deut. 28:14). Indeed, it seems that Judaism is the ultimate “canary in the coal mine” when it comes to mankind’s darkest recesses of the soul, inhabited by hate, extremism (political or religious), fanaticism, ignorance, and self-loathing. Perhaps the only response to Anti-Semitism is to continue lighting the seven branches of the Menorah and shining the light of Godliness upon those who are surrounded by the darkness of hate, extremism, and fanaticism.

 Peace,
 Rav Yitz

Well, Can't You See That You're Killing Each Other's Soul? (Jerry Garcia - "Cream Puff War")

           On an evening earlier this week, our sixteen-year-old son came to a troubling realization and an incredibly profound comment, linking recent events to a 70-year-old black and white movie. Each day since Pesach, we have all cough snippets of the Derek Chauvin trial going on in Minneapolis.  We watched two events involving police and issues of DWB (Driving While Black), one in Virginia, and another fatal incident in a Minneapolis suburb. There has been increased reporting and discussion of hate crimes directed at Asians. Also over the past few days, we along with numerous Jews throughout the world observed Yom HaShoah, (Holocaust Remembrance Day), Yom HaZikaron (Remembrance Day for Israeli Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism), and finally Yom Ha’Atzmaut (Israel’s Independence Day). After all the homework, studying, and writing our son and I took a break.  As we turned on the 11pm news,  we happened to see a twenty-something Sidney Poitier and a thirty-something Richard Widmark in the 1950 black and white movie No Way Out.  Poitier plays a doctor and Widmark plays a racist two-bit criminal.  The doctor is confronted with the ethics of whether he should treat and save the life of the racist who means him harm or not. The language contains numerous racist epithets that were not “bleeped” out, and we were startled to hear. In one particularly raw scene, a racist woman is watching the doctor (played by Poitier) treat her husband. She makes a reprehensible comment and then spits upon Poitier. Our son watched, tears welled up in his eyes and he commented that it is 70 years later and racism is an impurity in the soul of the racist as well as society. 

          This week we combine two Parshiot: Tazriah and Metzorah. God tells Moshe the laws of purity and impurity as it relates to birth. God instructs Moshe about the appropriate korbanot (offerings) that a mother should make as she re-enters the camp. God also instructs Moshe about Tza'arat, or for lack of a good translation; leprosy. Throughout the rest of Tazria and Metzora, we are told all about Tzaarat. We are told what it is. We are told how it is diagnosed. We are told how it is treated. We are told how it spreads. We are told what to do in case it spreads. Basically, Tazriah is a type of Tza'arat, a type of skin ailment that is commonly thought of as leprosy. However, this skin ailment is not treated by the resident dermatologist. Even if they had dermatologists in the Torah, we would not bring someone suffering from Tazriah to the dermatologists. Why? The skin ailment was not a symptom of any type of physical malady. Since the person with the skin ailment appears before the Priest, the Kohen, we know that the skin condition must be a spiritual malady and not a physical one. Adam Ki Yiheyeh V'Or B'Saro S'Eit O Sapachat O Va'Heret V'Hayah V; Or B'Saroh L'Negah Tzara'at V'Huvah El Aharon H'Kohen O el Achad Mi'Banav Ha'Kohanim - If a person will have on the skin of his flesh a swelling, a rash, or a discoloration and it will become a scaly affliction on the skin of his flesh; he shall be brought to Aaron the Kohen or to one of his sons the Kohanim (Lev. 13:2-3). The rest of the Parsha teaches us the appropriate protocol for treatment. The Kohen checks again to determine if that person has become ritually impure. If so, they must be sent out of the camp in order to avoid the risk of the skin ailment spreading to others. The quarantine would last for seven days. Afterward, the Priest would check again, if there was no contamination the person was brought back into the camp, However, if the contamination remained, then the quarantine would continue for another seven days. Then the process would begin all over again. We also learn that if this contamination spread to the clothes or vessels; then everything would be burned and destroyed.

          In the Talmudic Tractate of Arichin, which primarily focuses upon the laws of valuations; we learn that the skin ailment is a punishment for the sins of bloodshed, false oaths, sexual immorality, pride, robbery, and selfishness (Arichin 16a). All of these physical occurrences are accompanied by a spiritual component. These occurrences all demonstrate the offender's failure to empathize with the needs of others. It is fascinating to think that in an ideal community, we are not only concerned with our own well-being. We should also be concerned about others as well. Our failure to do so leads to a spiritual sickness including petty jealousy, alienation, and increased erosion of community and society. This spiritual sickness diminishes the holiness within the individual and the holiness within the community. By removing the contaminated offender from the community two positive results occur. First, the welfare, integrity, and holiness of the community are spared from spiritual sickness. This is the primary concern since we fear that God will cease dwelling in a community that becomes spiritually sickened or spiritually dysfunctional. Second, the contaminated offender experiences isolation and concern from others, in other words, the contaminated individual had an opportunity to heal. This is exactly what he/she lacked and brought those shortcomings upon the community with such negative consequences.

          So how do we understand the concept of  Tamei and Tahor- Purity and Impurity in the modern world? Both the Torah and Talmud recognize that health and sickness are not confined to the world of physiology. There are some things in this world that can cause one’s soul, one’s mind, or one’s spirit to become unhealthy. The same can be said for society as a whole. The language that the Torah describes the non-physiological aspect of an individual as  Tamei and Tahor -Purity and Impurity or “healthful and unhealthful”.  Our son understood that racism and prejudice are among those negative attitudes and feelings that cause people or society to become spiritually “unhealthful” or impure and if left unchecked, leads to the endangerment and physical suffering of the minority. For Judaism and Torah, that impurity left unchecked renders a sacred community unholy. 

Peace,

Rav Yitz