Long Is The Road We Must Travel On Down (John Barlow & Brett Mydland- "I Will Take You Home")

I had a chance to spend some time with our 26 year old daughter last week.  She happened to have a few days off so we met and drove to Saratoga, NY to attend a concert of my favorite band. As we drove to the concert site, and began seeing more and more people on the road heading towards the concert, my daughter casually pointed out that it looked like a pilgrimage. For some reason, I have always wanted to share the joy of the music and the “scene” with my children as they grew older.  When we arrived at our seats (actually our seats were on the lawn) there was a family sitting next to us: parents and their two university age kids. The father and I spoke and we both agreed that this was something that we wanted them to share because it was important to us. Interestingly enough, this concert only included three members of the original band. One of the new members of the band, (the lead guitarist and vocalist) is substantially younger than the rest of the band, and his appeal is to a younger generation, my children. However because the youngest member of the band enjoys the music, plays the music exceedingly well, and does so in a respectful manner that pays homage to the legendary leader of the band who wrote the music for so many of the band’s songs and defined the band with his guitar playing and mournful voice; older concert attendees, like myself, see this “re-incarnation” of the original band, as a powerful message regarding the transition of time as a journey.

This Shabbat we read from Parshat Chukkat. The Parsha receives its name from the Chok, (the statute) of the Red Heifer. The Kohen Gadol would take a completely Red Heifer, and offer it on behalf of the people as a form of national atonement. The Parsha resumes with the narrative of B'nai Yisroel’s wandering in the wilderness. However, the narrative is 38 years later, towards the end of B’nai Yisroel’s wandering in the wilderness. Now, the Torah shares the final year of B’nai Yisroel’s journey.  Miriam dies and the water dries up. God commands Moshe and Aharon to speak to the rock in order to draw more water for the people.  However after hearing more complaining, Moshe hits the rock out of frustration. Aaron and Moshe are punished. The journey resumes, battles are fought, faith is tested and sometimes B’nai Yisroel passes these tests and sometimes they fail and are punished. The Parsha ends with B’nai Yisroel on the plains of Moab ready to enter into Eretz Yisroel.

With each trial and tribulation, B’nai Yisroel and its leadership must be able to find the blessings and sanctify God.  Even with the death of Aaron, even the Edomites refusing Moshe’s request to travel through their lands and thereby forcing them around on a longer route, this generation that was born in the freedom of the wilderness still needs a shared common experience with the preceding generation.  VaYishmah Ha’Canaani Melech Arad Yoshev Ha’Negev Ki Ba Yisroel Derech Ha’Atarim VaYilachem B’Yisroel Vayashb Mimenu Shevi – The Canaanite king of Arad, who dwelled in the south, heard that Israel had come by the route of the spies, and he warred against Israel and took a captive from it. VaYidar Yisroel Neder L’Adoshem, VaYomar Im Naton Titen et Ha’Am HaZeh B’Yadi V’HaCharamtie et Areihem – Israel made a vow to Hashem and said, ‘If You will deliver this people into my hand I will consecrate their cities’. Hashem heard the voice of Israel, and He delivered the Canaanite and it consecrated them and their cities. It named the place Horma (Num.21:1-3). The Midrash explains that the Amalekites lived in the Negev, and the Arad was really from the tribe of Amalek. Knowing what happened to Amalek the last time (nearly 40 years before); Arad had his army speak Canaanite even though they were wearing Amalek uniforms. As a result B’nai Yisroel prayed for help against “this nation”. In their vow, Israel wouldn’t keep the spoils but rather dedicated it to the Mishkan (Tabernacle). Rashi points out that the vow wasn’t realized until B’nai Yisroel formally entered the land under Joshua’s leadership. Rashi continues to explain that the verse is here because of the vow of consecration and an acknowledgment that over the passage of time, this generation will ultimately fulfill the vow. Torah doesn’t refer to B’nai Yisroel as “B’nai Yisroel”; instead it refers to them as Yisroel, This vow was the first time that B’nai Yisroel tried to give back to God like their ancestor, Jacob did all those centuries before when he also made a vow to God.

Some journeys are for a nation and a people, they are centuries in the making and require tremendous trials and tribulations. Some journeys are 40 years and require trials and tribulations as a covenant is passed from one generation to the next. Some journeys are between parents and children. Hopefully they don’t require forty years, but the journey does require time. The journey also requires an awareness that the journey itself is important, that an experience is to shared and even if it’s not the exact same experience, it is similar enough to be worthy of replication. No it wasn’t the exact same band that I saw thirty five years ago. No the mournful voice that made a ballad sound so beautiful and so haunting was silent. Maybe I felt it was a rite a passage, or maybe I thought it was a powerful bonding experience. Maybe, as a parent, we want to share important things with our children so that they either understand us better. However, as I watched my daughter smiling, listening to the music, understanding the lyrics and absorbing the scene, maybe she understood me just a bit better.

Peace,

Rav Yitz

One Step Done and Another Begun (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "New Speedway Boogie)

Our children finally completed the school year. Our 13 year old daughter just graduated from 8^th grade. All week, we have been purchasing clothing, toiletries and sundry camp items in order to get our three adolescent children packed and ready for camp. For the past week our 13 year old has been studying for a few final exams and focusing on a strong academic finish. When we have offered to help her to label clothing and help her pack for camp, well let’s just say she had difficulty focusing upon both preparing for final exams and packing.  Needless to say, the final 24-36 hours prior to her departure for camp, was filled with high drama and tension because she insisted that she knew what was required in order to pack for camp, she insisted that she knew how to label and pack for camp, and that she did not want any help.  While I thought that this growing sense of independence was commendable, I just about blew a gasket when I would see her watching something stupid on TV or wasting time on the computer instead of focusing upon the task at hand. Yes, our daughter might have graduated from 8^th grade, but she just starting the process of growing up. She has a long way to go. Yet, she has taken a first step.

This Shabbat we read from Parsha Chukkat. God gives Moshe the Law of the Red Heifer. Miriam dies. The well that provided water for Bnai Yisroel due to her merit, dried up. Moshe and Aharon have the unfortunate incident of asking God for water, striking the rock rather than speaking to the rock and then are told that neither will enter into Eretz Canaan. The people get water. Bnai Yisroel fights Edom and wins. Aharon dies, and his son replaces him as Kohen Gadol. Amalek attacks and Bnai Yisroel fights back and wins. Bnai Yisroel complains about the fact that they have to take another detour and food seems scarce. God gets angry and punishes them with fiery serpents. Bnai Yisroel pleads for forgiveness. They travel some more and arrive at the border of the Amorites and the Moabites.  Bnai Yisroel asks Sihon, Amorite King, permission to pass through his land. He refuses and instead chooses to fight Bnai Yisroel. Bnai Yisroel fights and beats King Sihon and his Amorite army.  The parsha concludes with Bnai Yisroel encamped on the Plains of Moab on the eastern side of the Jordan River opposite Jericho. 

Yes, a lot things occur in this Parsha, however it is important to realize that nearly 38 years passed between the start of the Parsha, and the conclusion of the Parsha.  Somewhere in the Parsha, those born in the wilderness, or those that were very young at the time of Yetziat Mitzrayim, reached adulthood, they developed physically, they developed emotionally, and they developed spiritually. This generation’s growth and development spiritually is not a straight line gradually going up at a 20 degree angle. There are stops and starts, there are moments of growth, there are moments of regression and there are moment of plateauing.  Yet it is Parsha Chukkat which contains within it a transition of nearly forty years, a period of time in which a generation grew up.  However there is one small narrative that occurs which serves as the first indication that this generation is growing up, graduating. No it is not too terribly a large accomplishment but it is the first step.  Miriam had died, the incident with the water and the rock had occurred. Clearly there was a transition of leadership that was in process. Aharon just died and his son Elazar had just been anointed Kohen Gadol.  Bnai Yisroel weeps and mourns for Aharon.  Then the Canaanite king of Arad attacks Israel and takes a captive. At this point we are told that Vayidar Yisroel Neder L’Adoshem, VaYomer Im Noton Titen Et Ha’Am HaZeh B’Yadi, VHaChaRaMti Et Areihem – If You will deliver this people into my hand, I will consecrate their cities.” (Num21:2)  God listens, and delivers the enemy into Israel’s hand. Israel consecrates the cities to God.  There is no complaining. There is no whining. There is only an expression of faith during an anxious moment, and “if, then” vow. For the first time, Bnai Yisroel acts as one people, hence the use of the singular rather than the plural. For the first time, Bnai Yisroel appeals to God directly. For the first time, Bnai Yisroel doesn’t expect something for nothing, rather they are willing to do something in return - VHaChaRaMti et Areihem, I will consecrate their cities. Certainly, they still have some spiritual growing up to do, but this was their first step towards being a people of spiritual maturity and faith.

               

An 8^th graduation is not a very big deal as far as graduations go. As parents our “graduation bar” has been set a little higher: graduation from college/university, and hopefully graduate school.  However, as our daughter walked across the stage to receive her “diploma”, I smiled proudly knowing that I just saw her take her first steps towards intellectual maturity and emotional maturity. Yes there will be some regression; there will be stops and starts, and perhaps resting upon a plateau or two.  However, both she and I understood the significance of the small and seemingly insignificant first step. She understood that she took the smallest steps towards independence and growing up.  

Peace,

Rav Yitz

The Law Come To Get You If You Don't Walk Right ( Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Tennessee Jed")

Among the ongoing sources of tension for our son is the fact that he is frequently picked on by the older sister closest in age. Frequently he points out that the oldest sister picks on the younger sister and then the younger sister picks on him, the youngest brother. Usually this statement of the obvious occurs while tears are running down his face and he just wants to unleash his anger, his frustration and his hurt upon her in such a way that she wouldn’t dare to pick on him again.  He figures that if he could just physically beat her up once, that would be the end of his problems with his sister.  I smile to myself, and tell him, that he could hit her, he could beat her up, but then I have to get involved, I will get angry, and then there will be some serious punishments doled out. I then remind him that I don’t want to dole out serious punishments. I would rather watch the ball game. I offer another suggestion, “try not to act like the little brother and be aware of those times when your sister might think that you are being annoying and then don’t be, or better yet, try not to respond to her since she just wants to get a rise out of you. “ While he understands all the words, he is not quite mature enough and self aware enough to put those words into practice. We have even set up signals for him so he then knows that he should just walk away without displaying anger or hurt and hang out with me or his mom.

This Shabbat we read from Parsha Chukkat. Chukkat begins by telling us the Law for the Red Heifer. The Priest who prepares the mixture of water and  Red Heifers burnt ashes  will render the entire nation spiritually pure, but he will become impure from the mixture. A brief narrative concerning the death of Miriam, the lack of water and B’nai Yisroel’s resulting anxiety and lack of faith leads to the issuance of another test of faith in the Wilderness. Moshe and Aaron don’t know what to do; so God tells them: Kach et HaMateh v’Hakhaeil Et Ha’Edah Ata v’Aharon Achicha v’Dibartem El HaSela L’Eineihem V’Natan Meimav V’Hotzeitah Lahem Mayim Min HaSela V’Hishkita et HaEidah v’Et B’Iram – Hashem spoke to Moshe saying: Take the staff and gather together the assembly, you and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes that it shall give its waters. You shall bring forth for them water from the rock and give drink to the assembly and to their animals (Num. 20:8). Instead of following instructions, Moshe succumbed to his anger and hit the rock with his staff. Indeed water came out, the people drank, but Moshe and Aharon were punished. Aharon died and Moshe learned that he would not be able to enter into Eretz  Canaan.

 This statute was directed at Moshe and Aaron. There was no apparent logic or reason for it. The Torah text offers a very simple explanation of Moshe’s sin and ensuing punishment. After striking the rock twice, water came out from the rock, and the assembly drank. God explains the reason for the harsh punishment. Ya’an Lo He’ehmantem Bi L’Hakdisheine L’Einei Bnai Yisroel Lachein Lo Taviu et HaKahal Hazeh el Ha’Aretz asher Natati Lahem: Because you did not believe in Me to sanctify Me in the eyes of the Children of Israel, therefore you will not bring this congregation to the Land that I have given them (Num. 20:12). The most humble man, who had the closest relationship to God, receives perhaps the most hurtful of punishments for a moment of weakness. Certainly, it is possible to question the punishment as too severe for what transpired. Why does Moshe need to take the rod, the same rod he used to touch the Nile in order to begin the plague of blood? The last time God issued a command about drawing water from a rock; Moshe was commanded to strike the rock (Ex. 17:6). Why pick up the rod if he wasn’t going to use it? Now, without warning God has changed the way Moshe was to draw water from the rock.

Our commentators offer a variety of explanations for this apparently harsh punishment. Rashi explains that Moshe’s fall from the pedestal of “the Hero” because he hit the rock rather than speak as he was commanded. Rambam explains that Moshe’s error was the fact that he was incredibly angry with the people. Since Moshe is a direct emissary of God, the people mistakenly thought that God was mad at them as well when that was not the case. In this Parsha we are never told that God is angry at Bnai Yisroel.  Rabeinu Chananel explains that the mistake was the fact that Moshe and Aharon had used the phrase HaMin HaSelah HaZeh Notzim Lachem Mayim – Shall we bring forth for you water from this rock?” The phrase suggests that Moshe and Aharon had forgotten that God was going to bring forth the water, not Moshe and Aharon. The statement intuits that Moshe was elevating himself above God. Instead Moshe should have rhetorically asked if God will bring forth water for you…. The Midrash Tanchuma and Abarbanel explain that Aharon and Moshe already fell from their heroic pedestals. Aharon had not yet been punished for his involvement in the episode of the Golden Calf and Moshe initiated the episode of the spies. God had never commanded Moshe to send spies.  The Chiddushei HaRim explains that Moshe and Aharon’s failure and reason for punishment has to do with speaking to the Rock  L’Eineihem – before their eyes – before the people. For the Chiddushei HaRim,  Moshe’s ultimate shortcoming was that he wasted an opportunity to teach this new generation, this generation that was not familiar with slavery, nor familiar with life in Egypt, nor directly experienced the miracle of the Exodus.

While we may disagree with severity of Moshe’s punishment, perhaps we can appreciate why God could no longer support Moshe as the leader to bring Bnai Yisroel into Eretz Canaan.  For God, leading Bnai Yisroel means serving as a role model. For God, being a leader, indeed, being heroic means possessing the strength, the courage and the faith to sanctify God when all reason, and context suggests that do so is ludicrous or even life threatening. For God, being a leader, engaging in heroic behavior means bringing others, family, community, or an entire people closer to a meaningful relationship with God. Within our community, we are all role models for other members of the community. We all are presented opportunities to draw other members into the community or to push members out of the community.  We can either engage or alienate. Within our families, parents are role models for their children. Older siblings are role models for younger siblings. As our son is finding out, sometimes the younger siblings can also be role models for their older siblings.

Peace,

Rav Yitz

Going Where The Water Tastes Like Wine (arranged by Jerry Garcia - Going Down the Road Feeling Bad)

No matter how often we travel, we ought to be keenly aware that our arrival at our desired destination is indeed a miracle. When we arrive safely according to the schedule, we almost take it for granted. However, when things go wrong, and we still arrive safely, well, sometimes we can’t help but feel blessed. As I write this, it is dawn in Yerushalayim. The sun is rising, the birds are chirping, there is the noticeable quiet between intermittent early morning traffic. A city is waking up, Yerushalayim is waking up.  Because of the early dawn’s peacefulness, I take a deep breath and feel blessed to be spending some time here.  My family and I were supposed to be here, in Yerushalayim three days earlier. However, a flat tire, rolling thunder and lightning storms, and then the fact that the pilots shift was ending meant that our Thursday evening flight was cancelled until Friday afternoon at 12:30pm.  Because, we are Shomer Shabbat, the res-scheduled flight on Friday afternoon meant that we stayed in Toronto for Shabbat. Finally on Sunday evening we were air born and by Monday afternoon we were driving up the hills and entering Yerushalayim. It was sitting on the plane for four hours, and then waiting for another three and half while the airlines decided if and when the next flight would be that raised our frustration. Then as we trekked through the airport to get, our children in tow with their backpacks, quietly complaining about being hungry, thirsty, and tired, I looked at them and was actually quite proud at how they were handling all this.  When we finally arrived home on Friday morning at 2:45 am, our children were exhausted but I felt strangely rejuvenated. Our flights were successfully re-arranged, we were home, safe and sound, and not stranded at an airport. We only had to deal with some disappointment. Instead of hustling everyone to bed, I decided that we needed to begin getting over our disappointment, so I made omelettes and bagels and had a big meal. Then everyone went to bed with a full stomach.

This Shabbat we read from Parshat Chukkat. The Parsha receives its name from the Chok, (the statute) of the Red Heifer. The Kohen Gadol would take a completely Red Heifer, and offer it on behalf of the people as a form of national atonement. The Parsha then returns to the narrative of Bnai Yisroel’s wandering in the wilderness. Now it is 38 years later and the Torah shares the last year of Bnai Yisroel’s journey.  Miriam dies and the water dries up. God commands Moshe and Aharon to speak to the rock in order to draw more water for the people.  However after hearing more complaining, Moshe hits the rock out of frustration. As a result, neither one will be permitted entry into the Land of Israel. The people resume their journey and ask the Edomites if they can pass through Edomite territory. They are refused.  Aharon dies and his son Elazar takes up the mantle of the Priesthood. Bnai Yisroel resumes its journey and contends with the Canaanites. Eventually they win. However the people complain again about the lack of food and water. This time the people are punished. After the punishment concludes, the people begin their journey again only to do battle with Sihon, the king of the Amorites on the border of the Moabites. The Parsha ends with Bnai Yisroel on the plains of Moab ready to enter into Eretz Yisroel.

As the Torah shares with us mishap after mishap, obstacle after obstacle of their journey, we cannot help but be reminded that the journey is a test. When confronted with the lack of water the people complain Lamah Haveitem et Khal Hashem el Hamidbar HaZeh Lamut Sham Anachnu U’Vireinu – Why have you brought the congregation of Hashem to the wilderness to die there us and our animals (Num.20:4)? This complaint and similar complaints will be the ongoing complaint throughout the rest of the Parsha.  The people and their animals are suffering.  Inherent to the complaint is the fact that Bnai Yisroel has lumped itself together with its animals: Anachnu U’Vireinu – we and our animals. Although Bnai Yisroel does not realize it or is unable to see it; it is being tested as to its worthiness of covenant that God made with Avraham Yitzchak and Yaakov. With each trial and tribulation, Bnai Yisroel and its leadership must be able to find the blessings and sanctify God. However God supplies the answer to the test!  VaYidaber Hashem el Moshe Leimor. Kach et Hamateh, vHakheil et HaEidah, Atah v’Aharon Achicha, V’Dibartem el Haselah L’Eineihem V’natan Meimav V’Hoteita Lahem Mayim Min HaSelah Vhishkitah et HaEida vEt HaBiram. Hashem spoke to Moshe saying: take the staff and gather together the assembly, you and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes that it shall give its waters. You shall bring froth for them water from the rock and give drink to the assembly and to their animals (Num. 20:7-8). Even with the answer these tests must be difficult. Even Moshe and Aharon failed.  What is the answer? Within the instructions, God separates the people from their animals Et HaEida v’Et HaBiram – instead of Anachnu  v’Ireinu.  In God’s  command the Eidah and the Biram are two separate and distinct direct objects. In their complaint, Bnai Yisroel and the animals are part of same list. God saw Bnai Yisroel as his people, as a treasure. Bnai Yisroel saw itself as similar to animals because at that moment that was how they probable felt, like starving and thirsty animals. When we fail to make that distinction, we fail the taste much like Moshe and Aharon.

Our test, whether it is walking through airports at a very late hour burdened by luggage, or when our patience is waning, or when we feel that our lives are utterly miserable, is to be able to find the sanctity of the human spirit within our souls. That “human spirit” is not the animal within us. Rather the “human spirit” is really the divine spirit that God breathed into the soul of Adam.  Sometimes we can find that “divine spirit” with sanctifying God over a glass of water, or a meal or even watching a sunrise in Yerushalayim.

Peace,

Rav Yitz