Red And White, Blue Suede Shoes; I’m Uncle Sam, How Do You Do (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia -" U.S. Blues")

           This week, Canada celebrated its national birthday and early next week, the United States will celebrate its national birthday. Both countries are the embodiment of the “New World'', a world based upon laws, democracy, and a dream that the future is genuinely brighter and more hopeful than the past. Both countries offer possibility, opportunity and aspire to create a society where one ought to be judged by the “content of character”, not by skin color, country of origin, wealth, or family connections. Both countries have always made it clear that no person is above the law: Not the poorest, not the wealthiest, not the meekest, not the most powerful.  So as my children celebrate both Canada Day and Independence Day; I feel compelled to remind them that what they should keep in mind when they celebrate is that more than any form of government more than any form of a society’s basic principle of social organization; Democracy is the holiest form of government and, besides Torah, Democracy is one of the holiest organizing principles of a society. Like Torah, in Democracy the Law is sacred, the law is Holy, and no king, no leader is above the law. Like Torah, Democracy and Law work best when it avoids fundamentalism/extremism of the left and right; but rather sticks to the middle (Deut. 28:14).

          This Shabbat we read from Parsha Pinchas. The first few Psukim of the Parsha is a direct continuation of the previous Shabbat Parsha Balak. There is no elapse of time in the narrative. Balak concludes with a plague upon B’nai Yisroel for its worship of the Moabite /Midianite god, Baal Peor. Aaron’s son Pinchas zealously acts by killing Zimri from the tribe of Shimon and Cozbi the Midianite woman. God tells Moshe to reward Pinchas for his behavior by giving him the Brit Shalom, the Covenant of Peace. This covenant is only for Pinchas and his descendants. Keeping in mind that B’nai Yisroel has now concluded its 40 years of wandering in the wilderness and is poised upon the eastern bank of the Jordan River; a new census is taken. Just like we needed to know how many left Egypt, we now need to know how many will enter Eretz Canaan. After the census is taken Moshe must judge a legal case concerning the laws of inheritance when a man has only daughters. Following this narrative, God commands Moshe to teach the new generation the laws for time-bound offerings including the Shabbat offering, the Rosh Chodesh offering, the offerings for the Shalosh Regalim (Three Pilgrimage Festivals, etc).

          In between the narrative of the Daughters of Tzlophchad and educating the new generation about all time-bound offerings that correspond to Shabbat, Festivals and Rosh Chodesh, Moshe makes a request of God. Acknowledging that he cannot go on forever, Moshe asks God for a successor.  Yifkod Hashem Elohei HaRuchot L’Chol Basar Eish Al Ha’Eidah, Asher Yeitzeh Lifneihem Va’Asher Yavo Lifneihem Va’Asher Yotzieim Va’Asher Y’Vieim V’Lo Tiheyeh Adat HaShem KaTzon Asher Ein LaHem Roeh - May Hashem, God of the spirits of all flesh appoint a man over the assembly, who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall take them out and bring them in; and let the assembly of Hashem not be like sheep that have no shepherd (Num. 27:16-17). In these two verses, we learn about Moshe’s attitudes concerning the necessary qualities for leadership. A leader “ goes out before the people”, and not lead from behind. Like the shepherd, he looks after all the people including the most vulnerable members of the flock. Moshe does not foist his sons upon the people nor upon God as possible successors to Moshe. Even the way Moshe addresses God in this brief narrative suggests something less particularistic, less elitist, more “democratic” and more focused upon the content of character. Moshe refers to God as “the God of the spirits and all flesh”. Rashi explains that “God of spirits and all flesh” refers to God’s knowledge of the intricacies of the human mind, the complexities of human personality and that each individual’s character permits that person to succeed or fail in certain situations. God’s response to Moshe is simple and straightforward. God points to Joshua Asher Ruach Bo- because in him there is spirit (Num 27:18). Joshua has the necessary and appropriate character needed to lead B’nai Yisroel on the next phase of its national journey. Joshua is not from Moshe’s tribe, he is not Moshe’s son nor nephew. Joshua was evaluated solely upon the content of his character. He has Ruach Bo- the spirit within him. He possesses the right character for the job.

         No, there was no election to name Moshe’s successor, nor did the people choose. Despite that, God and Moshe taught this new generation, and every generation after, an important lesson about society. Certainly there social and religious institutions that were based upon the tribe, and upon birth. The Mishkan would be operated and maintained by the Leviim. Only descendants of Aaron, Elazar, and then Pinchas, could serve as the Kohen Gadol. Apart from the Temple and the institution of animal sacrifices,  leadership was based upon the content of character. Today, we understand that knowledge and the content of character are perhaps the most important qualities in our elected officials,  and our community leaders, especially in communities that aspire to the highest of democratic ideals. As parents, we teach our children to evaluate leaders based upon their knowledge and the content of their character, We hope that as our children make their way in the world, that they will also be judged for their knowledge and the content of their character. After all, judging one by the content of one’s character is as old as Joshua being named Moshe’s successors and as new as the noble experiments of democracy here in the “New World”.

Peace,
Rav Yitz

Who'll Go Right Through The Book And Break Each And Every Law (John Barlow & Bob Weir - "I Need A Miracle")

This week, Canada celebrated Canada Day (formerly known as Dominion Day) and the United State celebrated Independence Day. Both countries are the embodiment of the “New World”, a world built upon laws, democracy and based upon a dream that the future is genuinely brighter and more hopeful than the “Old World’s” paralyzing history and restrictive social mores. Both countries offer a possibility, an opportunity and that one ought to be judged by the “content of character”, not by skin colour, country of origin, wealth, or family connections. Both countries have always made it clear that no person is above the law: Not the poorest, not the wealthiest, not the meekest, not the most powerful.  So as my children celebrate both Canada Day and Independence Day; I feel compelled to remind them that what they should keep in mind when they celebrate is that more than any form of government more than any form of a society’s basic principle of organization; Democracy is the holiest form of government and, besides Torah, Democracy is one of the holiest organizing principles of a society. Like Torah, in Democracy the Law is sacred, the law is Holy, and no king no leader is above the Law. Like Torah, Democracy and Law work best when it avoids fundamentalism/extremism of the left and right; but rather sticks to the middle (Deut. 28:14).

This Shabbat we read from Parsha Pinchas. The first few Psukim of the Parsha are a direct continuation of the previous Shabbat Parsha: Balak. There is no elapse of time in the narrative. Balak concludes with a plague upon B’nai Yisroel for its worship of Moabite/Midianite god, Baal Peor. Aaron’s son Pinchas zealously acts by killing Zimri from the tribe of Shimon and Cozbi the Midianite woman. God tells Moshe to reward Pinchas for his behaviour by giving him the Brit Shalom, the Covenant of Peace. This covenant is only for Pinchas and his descendants. Keeping in mind that B’nai Yisroel has now concluded it 40 years of wandering in the wilderness and are poised upon the eastern bank of the Jordan River; a new census is taken. Just like we needed to know how many left Egypt, we now need to know how many will enter into Eretz Canaan. After the census is taken Moshe must judge a legal case concerning the laws of inheritance when a man has only daughters. This brief narrative is about the “Daughters of Tzelophchad”. Following this narrative, God commands Moshe to teach the new generation the laws for time-bound offerings including the Shabbat offering, the Rosh Chodesh offering, the offerings for the Shalosh Regalim (Three Pilgrimage Festivals etc).

Isn't it odd, or perhaps even disturbing, that Pinchas' zealousness, his subsequent spear throwing and impaling his targets appears rewarded with a Brit Shalom - a Covenant of Peace and Brit Kehunat Olam - a covenant of an everlasting Priesthood? (Num. 25:12). Through our modernist lens, many readers will perceive Pinchas’ act to be nothing more than fanaticism or vigilantism. It appears as if vigilantism is rewarded. To offer Pinchas Peace and the Priesthood becomes seems incomprehensible. The NeZiV (Rabbi Zvi Yehuda Berlin Poland 1817-1893; the Rosh Yeshiva of the Volozhin Yeshiva) offers a fascinating explanation that might be valuable in today's’ age of extremists recruiting young people. The NeZiV explains that the Brit Shalom is a guarantee of peace from an inner enemy from whatever lurked within Pinchas that caused him to kill another human being without due process. "The Holy One Blessed He blessed him [Pinchas] with the attribute of peace, that he should not be quick-tempered or angry. Since it was only natural that such a deed as Pinchas' should leave in his heart an intense emotional unrest afterward, the Divine blessing was designed to cope with this situation and promised peace and tranquility of the soul." We can now begin to make some sense of these covenants. Once Pinchas committed his first act of zealous defence of God's glory, perhaps it becomes easier and easier to commit the second, third or forty-eighth act of zealous defence of God's glory. At some point, from the NeZiV's perspective, the zealot's soul becomes damaged, the zealot's emotions are incapable of feelings, and the zealot's eyes become unseeing except through the lens of their zealousness. The zealot by definition is an extremist and we know that extremism in Judaism is frowned upon and halachically unacceptable (see the laws of the Nazarite).  Precisely because the zealot does not know peace when he/she commits such an act, in Pinchas' case the only gift God could give was that the tumult of his own soul should cease and he should be whole, complete and at peace.

Yes, Pinchas saved a community from further pain and suffering by hurling that spear at Zimri and Omri. Yes, Pinchas murdered that Prince of the tribe of Shimon and that Princess Midian. The Covenant isn’t so much a reward but rather it is a salve or a balm for the tumult within Pinchas’ soul. Now, Pinchas and his descendants could ill afford to ever act as vigilantes, Pinchas and his descendants could ill afford to take on a such a fundamentalist attitude because Pinchas has now been thrust into a position of leadership and rather than embracing the fundamentalist and tumultuous aspect of soul, he must rather embrace the calm, loving demeanor of his grandfather, Aaron, who chased after Justice and loved Amcha.  

Peace,

Rav Yitz

But I Say That The Women Today Are Smarter Than The Men In Every Way (Norman Span - " Man Smart, Women Smarter")

History was made this week. The proverbial glass ceiling was broken. For the first time in the history of the United States, a major political party formally nominated a woman for the President of the United States. While so many participants at the Democratic National Convention were praising themselves, while the press was taking a “pause” to recognize the historical significance, one talking head rightly pointed out just how behind the United States is. After all Angel Merkel has been the leader of Germany for many years already. Great Britain was led by Margaret Thatcher in the 1980’s. Indira Gandhi led India  in the first half of the 1980’s, Benazir Bhutto was the Prime Minister of Pakistan in the late 1980’s and then in a second term in the mid 1990’s. And before all of those women were elected to office, Gold Meir a diminutive Jewish woman from Milwaukee Wisconsin (via Kiev), became Prime Minister of Israel in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. Yes Golda Meir broke the glass ceiling nearly 50 years ago. However Jewish law began breaking glass ceilings long before Golda Meir.

                This Shabbat we read from Parsha Pinchas. The first few psukim (verses) of the Parsha are a direct continuation of the previous Shabbat Parsha Balak. There is no elapse of time in the narrative. Balak concludes with a plague upon B’nai Yisroel for its worship of Moabite/Midianite god, Baal Peor. Aaron’s son Pinchas zealously acts by killing Zimri from the tribe of Shimon and Cozbi the Midianite woman. God tells Moshe to reward Pinchas for his behavior by giving him the Brit Shalom, the Covenant of Peace. This covenant is only for Pinchas and his descendants. Keeping in mind that B’nai Yisroel has now concluded it 40 years of wandering in the wilderness and are poised upon the eastern bank of the Jordan River; a new census is taken. Just like we needed to know how many left Egypt, we now need to know how many will enter into Eretz Canaan. After the census is taken Moshe must judge a legal case concerning the laws of inheritance when a man has only daughters. This brief narrative is about the “Daughters of Tzelophchad”. Following this narrative, God commands Moshe to teach the new generation the laws for time bound offerings including the Shabbat offering, the Rosh Chodesh offering, the offerings for the Shelosh Regalim (Three Pilgrimage Festivals etc).

The narrative concerning the Daughters of Tzelophchad is really the first instance in the Torah of a glass ceiling breaking. No, it may not be as dramatic as becoming the first Prime Minister or President, however the seeds for ground breaking change at the highest level, owe, in small part to small very subtle shifts in social norms. This narrative illustrates the point. B’nai Yisroel is about to enter Eretz Canaan. Each tribe is to receive an area. Each family within each tribe is to receive tribal land. Until that moment, in that part of the world, and at that time, inheritance was through the man. A son inherited his father. If there was no son, then inheritance would revert to the living brother (if one existed). Or land would be inherited by the son- in law, or held in trust, until the daughter of the deceased married. The idea that a daughter could inherit was unheard of, and unthinkable. How do we know this? The daughters present their case to Moshe and he doesn’t know how to decide. So he asks God: Avinu Meit BaMidbar V’Hu Lo Hayah B’Toch Ha’Eidah HaNoadim Al Adoshem B’Adat Korach Ki v’Cheto Meit U’Vanim Lo Hayu Lo – Our father died in the Wilderness, but he was not among the assembly that was gathering against Hashem in the assembly of Korach, but he died of his own sin; and he had no son. Lamah Yigra Shem Avinu MiToch Mishpachto Ki Ein Lo Bein T’nah Lanu Achuzah B’Toch Achei Avinu – Why should the name of our father be omitted from among his family because he had no son? Give us a possession among our father’s brothers. Quite cleverly, the daughters explain that their father did not participate in any rebellion against Moshe’s nor God’s authority. Rather he committed and individual sin that led to his death. However that should not preclude him nor his family from receiving land. Clearly this was entirely new and Moshe had never no idea how to solve this precedent setting legal issue. VaYakreiv Moshe et Mishpatan Lifnei Hashem – So Moshe brought their claim to Hashem. However a hint as to decision exist in the word MishpataN (their claim). The last letter of the word is written in a bold font compared to the rest of the Torah letters. This special letter designating the daughters tells us that the daughters were meritorious and worthy of making the claim. They did so in a respectful manner mindful of the law and willing to work within the system.  The rest of the narrative substantiates the final letter’s special font in MishpataN as God instructs Moshe that indeed, the daughters inherit and this precedent will become law just like the laws that Moshe presents to B’nai Yisroel at the Parsha’s conclusion.

Yes, we take it for granted that woman can own land. However it didn’t always use to be like that. First Lady Michelle Obama pointed out in her speech to the Democratic National Convention, that young millennial woman (including my three daughters) take for granted that a woman can aspire to anything including President of the United States. But for those who came first, for those who set the precedent, it wasn’t something to be taken for granted. It wasn’t considered normal.  As God says to Moshe- Kein B’not Tzelophchad Dovrot – The daughters of Tzlophchad speak properly. The daughters had merit, they wanted the same responsibilities and land oriented obligations as everyone else who had received land.  They did not want any special favors; just an equal opportunity. Yes, sometimes the glass ceilings breaks as a result of one big rock. Sometimes it breaks as a result of thousands of small stones thrown at the ceiling over the course of time, chipping away here and there, making a tiny crack here and there, until finally it shatters.

Peace

Rav Yitz