If You Find The Secret, Tell Me How To Build A Mold (Ron 'Pigpen' McKernan - "Chinatown Shuffle")

Despite the most recent blast of winter during this final week of February, I was reminded that that winter is nearing its cold dreary conclusion. My son and I were reminded of the inevitable conclusion of winter the other evening. With my son sitting and studying downstairs, I happened to be watching my news show. During the commercial, I did a bit of channel surfing and landed upon the Major League Baseball network.  My son looked up from his studies and we gave each other knowing smiles. There it was, a beautiful sunny day in Florida, two teams that neither of us actually care about, and yet we sat there on the sofa watching mesmerized. We were watching baseball! Yes, it is only spring training. It was meaningless. Yet we couldn’t move. The grass was green, the field was well manicured, the fans and the players were having a relaxed wonderful time. My son and I understood immediately that the baseball season was nearing its start and with it the end of winter and the eternal home of spring. We watched a few innings and listened to the announcers talk baseball. The players interacted with the “snowbird” fans. The interviews with the players were more relaxed. The fans were much closer to the field than in a typical major league baseball park. The relaxed atmosphere of the game made it more approachable, and pure. Young draft picks were trying hard to make the team, and grizzled veterans were trying hard to remain on the team. This is where the Baseball Gods dwell, in the simplicity of the spring training facility, in the spring air, and the eternal hope and optimism of a new season.

            This week’s Parshah is Terumah. Terumah means “a portion”. In the context of this week’s Parsha, the portion in question is the portion of wealth that B’nai Yisroel would dedicate to the construction of the Aron, the ark that would hold the Luchot Habrit (the stone tablets upon which the Ten Commandments were written), the lamp, the table, and the material for the Ohel Moed (the tent of the meeting). All of which comprised the Mishkan or the Tabernacle. If you are in construction, interior design, or architecture, the details in Parsha Terumah are fascinating. If you’re not in any of those occupations then all the details might seem, shall we say, a bit dry. Whether a fan or not, whether an architect or not, there are certain things that we can all appreciate, and there are certain concepts that increase our appreciation and perspective for the Mishkan as well as the ballpark. Moshe was told: V’Asu Li Mikdash v’Shachanti B’tocham- “They shall make a sanctuary for Me so that I may dwell among them” (Ex.25:8). What follows is the details and decor of a place where the people were able to approach God. If they build according to plan, then God will reside there. If they behave according to G-d’s Torah then G-d will dwell among them.

 I know what you’re thinking. “ Isn’t G-d everywhere?” “If so, how can G-d only reside in the Mishkan?” One way to understand the verse is in terms of our needs, the community’s needs. If B’nai Yisroel builds it, he will dwell among them. Certainly, G-d resides everywhere. However, the verse is incomplete. If they build it, yes, G-d will dwell among them. If G-d dwells among them, that is the entire community, then the entire community must have a central gathering place, the Ohel Moed (the tent of the meeting). The difference, of course, is that the Mishkan was built so that G-d could be among the people in the present. The spring training stadiums are frequently sold out because baseball fans yearn for a  place for people to go that reminds them of something simpler and more romantic – their childhoods.

As I have grown older and I watch my children grow, I have started to appreciate that God dwells in some fascinating places. God dwells in the imaginations of small children and the wonder with which they see the world. God dwells in the questions that our children ask, or the concern they express when they see suffering or injustice in the world. God dwells with the family that has been struck by the loss of a loved one but has rallied together to offer support and sustenance to each other. No wonder my kids think I am crazy. They want to grow up already, speed up the process. I want to return to the carefree days of my childhood, playing catch with my friends without a care in the world because God dwells in our ability to return to the more innocent and pure days of springtime.

Peace,

Rav Yitz

Full Of Hope, Full Of Grace Is The Human Face - (John Barlow & Bob Weir- "Throwing Stones")

One of the joys of parenthood as well as the inconveniences of parenting occurs when I have to help my children with homework or a school project. It’s a joyous exercise because, hopefully, I will see our children intellectually stimulated and engaged. Watching our children think and arrive at the answer or a possible answer; might very well be one of the top activities I get to witness. However the inconvenience lies in the fact that sometimes they are intellectually lazy, they aren’t interested in learning but only desire the answer. Very few things leave me more frustrated than my children exhibiting intellectual laziness. The other day I had a difficult but joyous moment with our ten year old son.  Earlier in the week, we all watched the news out of the Middle East; the growing evil known as ISIS and the recent be-headings of more than 20 Egyptian Christians on the shores of Libya. We all watched; we were all repulsed; and we all wondered when this evil will be vanquished.  Later that night I was helping our son with a book report. He needed me to help him find pictures that focused upon the Ukrainian and Polish partisans that fought against the Nazis. Needless to say we found some pictures of partisans taken by partisans and we found many pictures of Partisans taken by Nazis. Needless to say the pictures taken by Nazis always featured the Partisan corpses, either hanging on a gallows or, piled in an open grave. Some showed partisans in Nazi custody.  Only pictures taken by partisans or the press featured partisans alive and free. As our son continued to scan the pictures looking for something appropriated for his book report, he began to well up and he found it more and more difficult to look.  Finally he said that he couldn’t look anymore and asked why there was and continues to be so much evil. “The world is such an ugly place.” Then he hugged me.  For a moment I had no words. For what seemed like an interminable amount of time, I couldn’t think of what to say, I couldn’t find words of comfort; words that my son needed to hear.

This week’s Parshah is Terumah. Terumah means “a portion”. In the context of this week’s Parsha, the portion in question is the portion of wealth that B’nai Yisroel would dedicate to the construction of the Aron, the ark that would hold the Luchot Habrit (the stone tablets upon which the Ten Commandments were written), the lamp, the table, and the material for the Ohel Moed (the tent of the meeting). All of which comprised the Mishkan or the Tabernacle. If you are in construction, interior design, or architecture, the details in Parsha Terumah are fascinating; and if you’re not then all those details might seem a bit dry. Whether a fan or not, whether an architect or not, there are certain objects, the construction of which is nothing less than miraculous and perhaps more allegorical than literal in meaning. However what is not allegorical but rather spiritually re-assuring given the myriad of laws that we have read from Yitro and Mishpatim is the goodness and kindness in the human soul.

There are two moment in the Parsha that stand in stark contrast to assumptions about human nature from Parsha Mishpatim. In the previous Parsha, when we read about the prohibition of accepting bribes, perverting justice, selling servants to third parties rather than returning to them to their original owner;  we understand that there is an assumption that human nature is not so wonderful. In fact one could argue that we are supposed to rise above human nature, rise above our animal like inclination, Yetzer HaRah (the evil inclination), and be better. So when we read that God wants to live among Bnai Yisroel: V’Asu Li Mikdash  V’Shachanti B’Tocham; a Godly aspect would only do so if the dwelling, if the people’s behavior merited God’s presence.  Certainly the physical qualities of the structure would be impressive but more important is the fact that Shechinah would dwell among Bnai Yisroel as long as they did not succumb to human nature. Not succumbing to human nature became evident immediately. Before the construction, before the blueprints, Bnai Yisroel already operated above human nature. They contributed materials Kol Ish Asher Yidvenu Libo – ‘every man whose heart motivates him’ (Ex.25:1). Contributions were based upon the most divine aspect of their souls. Every aspect of the process focused upon that part of the human soul that was beyond human nature. That divine aspect merited God’s presence in the camp. That divine aspect galvanized a community, and figured out how to serve God in a way that appealed to the best of humanity.

I finally figured out the words that might bring comfort to our son as he could only see darkness, evil, and awful way in which people have been treating each other for centuries. Like the Aron would be a beautiful gold arc carrying the Ten Commandments, like people contributed selflessly rather than selfishly; I was reminded that the world has a lot of beauty. I told our son that despite what he had seen on the news and the pictures he saw while putting together his book report; the world had lots of beauty. Maybe we have to look a bit harder to find the beauty rather than ugliness, but it is there and when we find it we appreciate that much more. I reminded him that he should always work hard and search for the beauty in spite of the all the ugly he will encounter.

Peace,

Rav Yitz

Oh My God, Am I Here All Alone? (Bob Dylan - Ballad of a Thin Man)

Last week, while a small group of Jews in the Har Nof section of Jerusalem were conducting their weekday morning prayers, two Palestinian attacked them and four Rabbis were murdered. An Israeli policemen was killed as the Police tried to capture the terrorists. Many were wounded and the scenes of blood upon the floor, upon the table where people prayed, upon the prayer books and prayer shawls reminded me of scenes from pogroms of 19^th and 20^th century Europe. Our children heard about it in school and we all watched the news that afternoon and evening.  As difficult as it was to see the destruction and blood in the Har Nof synagogue; it was even more difficult to watch scenes of Palestinians celebrating the attack and dancing in the streets.  Our kids were horrified and disgusted. I told them that the last time I saw that was on 9/11 when Palestinians danced in the streets and celebrated the destruction of the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and thousands of people dying.  As we continued to watch the news; I became more dismayed with the response from the President whom I have now voted for twice. Yes he said what he was supposed to say; he urged calm and condemned the attacks. Yet as a Jew, I felt alone. It was the same feeling I had started to have when the 9/11 attacks happened.  Then, as an American I felt alone as I watched Palestinians celebrate. Then Israel, and Israel’s leadership said that she understood, that America was not alone, that Israel and Israelis understand what is it is to suffer from a terrorist attack and watch as people celebrate. Surely, the President, or some White House spokesman could have offered a more empathetic statement and told Israel that she is not alone; that America understand what is like to suffer from a terrorist attack and watch Palestinians celebrate. However no such empathetic statement was made. As a Jew, as someone who loves Israel, I felt alone. It seemed that Israel truly stands alone.

This week we read from Parsha VaYeitze. This week we read from Parshat VaYeitze. The focus of the narrative is upon 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. 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 upon Yaakov life from young adulthood to becoming a responsible father, earning a living and all the trials, tribulation, 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 have to understand what it means to truly be alone. At the beginning of the narrative he feels alone. By the end of the narrative, he has formed a key relationship and as a result, will never feel alone or abandoned again.

Yaakov acknowledges his loneliness at the beginning of the Parsha. He doesn’t even feel connected to God. First God speaks to Yaakov in the dream: Ani Adoshem Elohei Avraham Avicha, V’Elohei Yitzchak HaAretz Asher Atah Shocheiv Aleha Lecha Etnenah U’LeZarecha – I am Hashem, God of Abraham your father and God of Isaac; the ground upon which you are lying, to you will I give it and to your descendants (28:13). In the dream, God offers Yaakov protection wherever Yaakov goes. In a sense God volunteers to be Yaakov’s God as well.  When Yaakov wakes up from the dream he still does not feel reassured: Im Yiheyeh Elohim Imadi Ushmarani Baderech Hazeh Asher Anochi Holech v’Natan Li Lechem L’echol Uveged Lilbosh, vShavti b’Shalom el Bet Avi v’Hayah Hashem Li Le’lohim.  If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and clothes to wear, so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then shall the Lord be my God.  Im Yiheyeh Elohim Imadi Ushmarani Baderech Hazeh Asher Anochi Holech v’Natan Li Lechem L’echol Uveged Lilbosh, vShavti b’Shalom el Bet Avi v’Hayah Hashem Li Le’lohim.  If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and clothes to wear, so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then shall the Lord be my God.   For Yaakov, being alone is a function of not have what to eat, what to wear and mostly; being alone is feeling exiled from his parents.  After nearly twenty years, as Yaakov has matured, is married, has children, and property, he wonders if it is time to leave Lavan and his exile.  VaYomer Adoshem el Yaakov Shuv el Eretz Avotecha Ulmoladtecha V’Eheyeh Imach – And Hashem said to Yaakov: “Return to the land of your fathers and to your native land, and I will be with you (31:3). It took nearly two decades for Yaakov to understand that even when he thought he was alone, he wasn’t truly alone. The miracles of his life, his wives, his children, his economic success indicated that God was involved and his God as well as Yaakov’s father’s God.

Yes, it may seem that Israel stands alone. Even when Palestinians dance at other terrorist attacks and those countries fail to offer empathy to Israel when Palestinians dance and celebrate terrorist attacks upon Israel; Israel is not alone. As Palestinians continue to dance and celebrate the loss of life in Israel and in other countries, the world will eventually see which country, which people are the embodiment of B’nai Yaakov, the children of Jacob, and which people are the embodiment of B’nai Esav, and B’nai Lavan, the children of Esau and the children of Lavan.

Peace,

           Rav Yitz