But I Would Slave To Learn the Way To Sink Your Ship Of Fools ( Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Ship of Fools")

For the past couple of weeks, I have watched my wife, like many Jewish women who clean for Pesach, who make a Seder (or two) act as if they are not only slaves in Egypt but slaves in their respective homes. Because of the COVID 19 pandemic, we haven’t had the luxury of a cleaning lady help us. This has only added to the amount of aggravation and the extra work for all of us. As time slowly ticked away towards the First Night of Pesach, my wife would look up from what she was cutting, mixing, cooking or cleaning and wonder aloud, “How will this ever get done?” In other moments of anxiety, she would exclaim, “I am so far behind my schedule!”. Yet my wife managed to get everything done.  Granted, if we were really enslaved in Egypt, like so many Jewish Women,  I think she would have been too exhausted to leave! Indeed, the first two days of Pesach focus upon our bondage in Egypt, our preparations for Yetzitat Mitzrayim, and eventual freedom as symbolized by the Sedarim. However, Pesach is an eight festival. Certainly, it makes the beginning of the festival should focus upon our national experience of slavery and the immediate moments that led to our ancestors’ freedom. Once B’nai Yisroel left Egypt and began making their way toward The Reed Sea (The Yam Suf), they were free. They were free to travel, free to worship, and free to serve God. Yet, the process of becoming a free people was still in its nascent stages.  

Now we have entered into the intermediate days of Pesach, commonly referred to as Chol Moed. On this Shabbat, Shabbat Chol HaMoed Pesach, our focus begins to shift from the Yetziat Mitzrayim, the Exodus from Egypt, to B’nai Yisroel’s return to the land that God promised to our Patriarchs. The language has subtly shifted from leaving slavery and entering into freedom. The language has shifted from completing our exile and returning to our covenantal home. We see this in our reading of Shir HaSHirim the Song of Songs. While the text is clearly about the Springtime love of a young man and woman; ChaZaL, our Sages of Blessed Memory, explains that Shir HaSHirim is a Metaphor for this mutually very new and loving relationship between God and B’nai Yisroel. This is a love that has been renewed and this is a love in which both return to each other. Likewise, the Haftorah, from the Prophet Ezekiel (37:1-14), also focus upon B’nai Yisroel’s return from the Babylonian exile to its covenantal land. 

Ezekiel does not focus on the intensely loving relationship between God and the B’nai Yisroel. However, he does focus on slavery as another form of exile and redemption from exile as the ultimate form of liberation from slavery. Ezekiel lived before and after the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash HaRishon, the First Holy Temple. It is here in this Haftorah, that Ezekiel shares with the people his prophecy of the “Dried Bones” that are in the land. Ko Amar Adoshem Elokim L’Atzamot HaEilah  Hinei Ani Mavi Vachem Ruach Vichyitem – Thus says the Eternal God to those bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live (Ez.37:5). From a literal perspective, Ezekiel is prophesying that God will bring these bones, the thousands of Jews that perished in the destruction of Jerusalem and the First Temple, back to life. These bones will experience the ultimate return from exile; they will return from death to life. However, Judaism doesn’t generally subscribe to re-incarnation or physical life after physical death. Rather Ezekiel’s prophecy invokes a very powerful symbol. Slavery, in its ultimate and most devastating form, is spiritual slavery. Spiritual slavery is a function of being exiled from God, exiled from that fundamentally loving relationship based upon a covenant. When we are exiled from God, when we are spiritually afar from God, we are spiritually lifeless. We are only bones. We are not human. To be human means to be close to God for we are created B’Tzelem Elokim – in the image of God.  

We all experience spiritual slavery yet our own personal redemption; our moving closer to God’s presence is a direct function of God breathing Ruach HaKodesh – his Holy Spirit into our Neshama. This occurs through the Study of Torah. This occurs through prayer. This occurs by engaging in Gemilut Chasadim, by giving Tzedakah, and by Bikur Cholim – visiting the sick. In today’s troubling times, perhaps this means connecting through the numerous platforms available such as WhatsApp, or Zoom to name a few.   By making the Jewish community a more learned, and a more caring community we become less enslaved by greed, selfishness, and arrogance. 

Peace, 

Rav Yitz

If You Could See In My Heart You Would Know It's True; There Is None, Cérise, Except For You (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Reuben and Cerise")

With three daughters, every so often I get anxious regarding that moment when they begin to seriously date a boy, or have strong feelings for a boy, or begin an exclusive relationship with a boy.  With a daughter in her twenties and two teenage daughters; my wife and I want boys to be interested in our daughters. We want our daughters to go out on dates. However, my desire for them to have the excitement of “puppy love” is quickly tempered by my anxiety of their being in a serious relationship and how that new relationship affects my relationship with my daughters. It is at that point, I try to stop thinking about the fact that my daughters are growing older (as am I), and try to end my anxiety attack.

This Shabbat is the last day of Pesach. Among the additions to the Shabbat/Pesach service is the fact that we say Yizkor and commemorate the deceased. Because we are celebrating a Festival that did not have an intermediate Shabbat, but rather the last days fall on a Shabbat; we read a Megillah - a Scroll that corresponds to Pesach.  ChaZaL – our sages teach us that we read Shir HaShirim, the Song of Songs. This biblical text, taken from Ketuvim (Writings) is attributed to Shlomo HaMelech – King Solomon.  The eight chapters, which are a song in a melody different from both Torah and Haftarah speaks of the romantic love of a young couple.  I imagine that this young couple is in their early twenties but there is no evidence that suggests a specific age. Because the text begins with the words: Shir HaShirim Asher L’Shlomo – The Song of Songs by Solomon; ChaZaL explains that only a young man in throes of romantic love would write such poetry. A middle age man wouldn’t write such romantic poetry since some of the idealism of that romantic love would have waned, and certainly an older man, towards the end of life wouldn’t write of romantic love since an older man would be more scarred by life’s experience. Nevertheless, this beautiful poetry and the illusions of green meadows, deer, trees, and fruit, portray a romantic vision that would great poets such as Shakespeare and Keats jealous with its use of language.

The question is why we read Shir HaShirim during the Pesach Festival. How is a nation attaining liberty remotely connected to Romantic poetry?  R’Akiva, the same R’Akiva that we all read about in the Haggada at our respective sederim, comments that the Song of Songs is the holy of holies (Midrash Tanchuma).  We understand that something becomes holy when it has been separated from the mundane and ordinary and elevated to a higher purpose.  Certainly, B'nai Yisroel fits such a description. Throughout the story of the Yetziat Mitzrayim, when Moshe request of Pharaoh that B'nai Yisroel is released from bondage, Moshe repeatedly says to ‘Let me people go… Asher Ya’Avduni  “So that they may serve me.” Clearly, the purpose of being released from Pharaoh’s slavery enabled B'nai Yisroel to enter into a relationship with God. As long as Pharaoh declined Moshe’s request, the more Pharaoh prevented B'nai Yisroel from separating itself from Egypt and elevating itself for the sole purpose of entering into a sacred relationship with God. Now that B'nai Yisroel has been freed from Egypt, it can return to the sacred relationship with God, a relationship that it had not experienced for over two centuries.  From that perspective, the relationship, with this generation of B'nai Yisroel is novel, idealistic and romantic. After all, within our tradition we view Hashem as our protector, we view Hashem as bound to the Jewish people much like a husband is bound to a wife. On Friday nights, we have a Kabbalistic tradition of viewing the Shabbat Queen as our spiritual mate. After all, Sunday has Monday, Tuesday has Wednesday and Thursday has Friday. Can Shabbat really be left alone? According to Midrash, Shabbat is paired off with the Jewish People.  (Bereishit Rabba h 11:8)The Shabbat Bride serves as a symbol of that pairing off.

As Pesach draws to a close,  our story doesn’t end, nor does our relationship with God draw to a conclusion. Because we are counting the Omer each evening up until 50, we understand that our job is to prepare ourselves for our long, awaited reunion with Hashem.  That reunion will occur on Shavuot when we stand at Sinai to receive the Torah. Shir HaShirim merely marks the beginning of a loving relationship, a courtship prior to a marriage,  a time when we should be full of romantic visions prior to entering a relationship built upon obligations.  As a father of three daughters, someday all three will grow into relationships that culminate in the sanctity of marriage. For now, however, I have enough anxiety just dealing with “young romantic” love.

Peace,

Rav Yitz

One Last Voice Is Calling You And I Guess It's Time You Go (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia "Sugaree")

We are still in the midst of the Pesach Festival. The Sederim are behind us. The first two days of the Festival are behind us. For a few days all of our children, including our eldest, who came in from New York, were home with us. Sure it was terrific seeing our children helping with all the preparations for the Holiday,  sitting at the Seder, asking questions, singing, laughing, and eating way too much. However, my most favorite moment occurred when I arrived home from Shul. I walked in the house and they were waiting for me in order to begin lunch.  No one was angry or frustrated with me because I had kept them waiting. Instead, my wife and our four children were sitting on the floor playing together, laughing, enjoying each other’s company, and getting along so sweetly. As I took my eldest daughter to the airport so she could return to New York, I explained to her how important it was for her to come home every so often for my own selfish needs. It was a great moment. Perhaps it is because of the Pesach Festival, but I actually find myself thanking God for allowing me to have had such a moment. Hopefully, I should have similar moments in the future.   

When we make the Shabbat Kiddush, we invoke a certain imagery of God. Zikaron L’Maasei Breishit, Ki Hu Yom Techila L’Mikra’ei Kodesh, Zeicher L’Tziyat Mitzrayim- We invoke the image of God as the creator. In the Kiddush we remind ourselves to “Remember the event of Creation”. That is God created for six days and rested on the seventh day, hence Shabbat. We also remind ourselves of the Yetziat Mitzrayim- The Exodus from Egypt. Specifically we remind ourselves that “With an outstretched arm and a mighty hand”, God brought us out of Egypt, and God redeemed us from slavery. Both of these images of God are of a powerful God, a mighty God. Associated with these descriptions of God is that God was fulfilling his Brit, his covenant with Avraham Avinu that we will be chosen and a great and mighty nation. Also by God redeeming us from Slavery, we were to receive the Aseret Dibrot, the Ten Commandments in order to re-affirm God’s covenant to us and our covenant to God.

            On Shabbat Chol Ha’Moed Pesach, the Intermediate Sabbath of Pesach, we invoke a very different sort of image of God. This is rather ironic when, considering the imagery we use to describe God at our Seders. Again at the Seder we invoke the image of Avadim Hayinu B’Mitzrayim, V’Yotzieinu Adoshem Elokeinu Misham B’Yad Chazakah Uvizroah N’tuyah – We were slaves in Egypt and  The Lord our God brought us out from there, with a strong hand and an outstretched arm. Certainly Pesach and the Exodus from Egypt should invoke images of God’s strength etc. However we know that Shabbat invokes a different type of image. And just like a regular Shabbat invokes images of  “Lecha Dodi Likrat Kalah P’nai Shabbat N’Kablah – Come My Beloved with chorus of praise, Welcome Shabbat the Bride, Queen of our days, images of Bridal splendor and royalty, on Shabbat Chol HaMoed Pesach we need to invoke that imagery of God as well. Unlike a regular Shabbat, when on Friday Night we invoke that imagery during the Kabbalat Shabbat – Friday Evening Service, we don’t conduct Kabbalat Shabbat. We don’t mix the joy of the Shabbat with the joy of the holiday. So what do we do?

            We read from the scroll of Shir Ha’Shirim, the Song of Songs. We read the scroll that is traditionally ascribed to King Solomon when he was young. We read of lovers who yearn for each other. While on a literal basis our sages had great difficulty with this scroll as part of our biblical canon, symbolically they understood its importance. Shir HaShirim reminds us that our relationship to God is that of lovers, is that of husband and wife. Kol Dodi Hinei Zeh Bah M’Daleig Al  HeHarim M’Kapeitz Al Hagvaot – The voice of my beloved! Behold it came suddenly [in the form of redeeming me], as if leaping over mountains, skipping over hills (Song of Songs 2:8). In a Midrash – Rabbi Yehudah taught that the voice of my beloved is the voice of Moshe. When Moshe came to B’nai Yisroel and told them that our redemption from slavery was imminent. We didn’t believe him; we reminded him that God told Avraham Avinu that we would be enslaved for four centuries, not two centuries. Moshe explained that God couldn’t stand being away from us, his beloved. So he leaped over mountains, that is he jumped over the remaining two centuries in order to be with us. (Shir HaShirim Rabbah 2:1).

            How flattering! God has missed us. God wants us at God’s side. God wants a relationship with us, and God wants this now. On Shabbat Chol HaMoed Pesach, we invoke a God who yearns for us as much as we yearn for God. This is a very powerful image as well but very different. We don’t normally view God as a loving partner. Yet what could be more appropriate than reminding these slaves, this generation that was a few days removed from Egypt, that there is more to the relationship, more to the covenant than our serving God. There is a tender relationship, a loving relationship based upon a mutual understanding of fulfilling responsibilities. Shabbat is the time when we stop the mundane existence and step away from the frenetic pace of life and remind and re-affirm our loving and tender relationships with our loved ones base upon our mutual understanding of fulfilling responsibilities. Besides the relationships with our husbands and wives, our parents and our children is our relationship to God.

Peace,

Rav Yitz