Judge Decreed It; The Clerk He Wrote It (Noah Lewis- "Viola Lee Blues")

           As my daughter continues to heal from knee surgery, we have had some wonderful father/daughter bonding. While watching the news this past week, we learned that a legally issued search warrant was obtained by the FBI in order to conduct a search for documents that were removed from the White House and stored in Donald Trump’s Mara Lago home.  Documents in the White House belong to the people, not to a President. According to The Federal Records Act, The Presidential Recordings and Materials Preservation Act, and The Presidential Records Act,  all documents of an outgoing president belong to the National Archives and ultimately the American People. Also, the law re-enforces a fundamental truth in democracies, the president and for that matter, an outgoing president is not above the law, but rather bound by it. Breaking the law has consequences.

          This Shabbat is Parsha V’Etchanan; it is also known as Shabbat Nachamu (Shabbat of Comfort). Parsha V’Etchanan is always the Parsha that immediately follows Tisha B’Av (the Ninth of Av), the day on which we commemorate the destruction of both the First and Second Temple. V’Etchanan is a continuation of Moshe Rabeinu’s lecture to Bnai Yisroel.  Moshe urges and cajoles Bnai Yisroel to learn from their hardships. Moshe reiterates the Ten Commandments and his experience at Sinai. Then Moshe explains that while he can speak of the Ten Commandments and share his experience, Bnai Yisroel will now have to pass this information and these commandments in a very different way than sharing a firsthand experience of the revelation of Sinai. Instead, this generation, the generation that did not stand at Sinai, will have to teach the meaning of these words, ideas, and commandments, to their children and live by them.

          The Parsha begins with Moshe Rabeinu, the soon-to-be outgoing leader of the Jewish people, explaining that he wasn’t above the rules. V’Etchanan El Adoshem B’Eit Ha’Hee Leimor -I implored Hashem at that time saying: E’Ebrah Nat V’Ereh et Ha’Aretz HaTova Let me now cross and see the good Land that is on the other side of the Jordan, this good mountain and the Lebanon (Deut. 3:23). Moshe recounts his desire to enter into Eretz Canaan, God’s anger because he failed to heed God’s commandment to speak to the rock and the resulting punishment. VaYitaber Adoshem Bi L’Manchem V’Lo Shama Eilai VaYomer  Adoshem Eilai Rav Lach Al Tosef Daber Eilai Od B’Davar HaZeh - But God became angry with me because of you, and He did not listen to me; God said to me ‘It is too much for you! Do not continue to speak to Me further about this matter. (Deut. 3:25-26). Despite blaming B’nei Israel's behavior as the reason why Moshe lost his temper and hit the rock instead of speaking to the rock as God had commanded, God didn’t want to hear any more about it. Moshe was going to be punished and Moshe needed to accept the punishment.

           Leaders have responsibilities, they are bound by certain rules given the role of leadership. Moshe is described as the most humble servant of God, and the greatest prophet. Within Jewish tradition, Moshe is considered one of, if not the greatest leader of the Jewish people. Yet, he violated a commandment and suffered the consequences. He was removed from his role as leader and he was forbidden to enter the Promised Land. Instead, he had to settle to look out upon it from a hilltop on the eastern side of the Jordan River. Democracies are based upon Laws.  The United StatesAttorney General Merrick Garland is Jewish. He is well versed in the fundamental sanctity of Torah and law. He reminded the world that in a  democracy, a society that is grounded in law, that no one is above the law.

Peace,
Rav Yitz

Loose With The Truth, Maybe Its Your Fire (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Althea")

          With an empty house (soon to be filled with my wife and children over the next few weeks), I haven’t had to fight with anyone over the remote control, over the type of music that is played (Jazz or The Grateful Dead); or anything for that matter. Earlier this week, I noticed a book on our bookshelf that I haven’t read in about 30 years but it seemed like it would be pertinent to the times we are living in George Orwell’s 1984. So I began reading it. As I am reading a book about life in a totalitarian state where Big Brother is always watching, telling its citizens how to think, always rewriting history, always being sure to eliminate facts and thereby make truth subjective rather than objective. As I am reading the book, as I thought about “fake news”, as I study Torah, I realized how decidedly “Un-Jewish” this is. I realized that facts, truth, paying attention to what we see, what we read, and what we hear has been the key to the survival of the Jewish People. The Jewish people read the Torah. The history of the Jewish people has been to hear the words of the Torah and to listen or heed those to who teach and transmit Torah. Within that process of reading, listening and seeing all of which, by the way, are a means towards learning, comes questioning. It seems that asking questions is the basis for which reading, listening, and seeing allows us to pursue truth, to determine which are facts and which are not, and to make sense of facts.    

           This week’s Parsha is V’Etchanan. The Parshah begins with Moshe's recounting his experience of pleading to God to allow him into the Land. Moshe explained to this new generation that because of the previous generation’s whining and complaining, he lost patience and failed to adhere to God's command. Moshe explains that this is why he cannot cross into the land as well as Joshua becoming the leader. Moshe then recounts his experience and his generation's experience of revelation at Sinai. However, instead of just stating the facts, Moshe adds his own editorial comments. "For the Lord, your God is merciful, He will not abandon you or destroy you, He will not forget the covenant of your forefathers that he swore to them" (Deut. 4:31). Moshe is offering hope, suggesting that no matter what happens to this people, they must always know and believe that we always have the capacity for Teshuvah for return or repentance to God and that we will always be accepted. Moshe then begins recounting the giving of the Aseret HaDibrot, The Ten Commandments. Moshe again reminds B’nai Yisroel to never participate in Avodah Zarah (idolatry), and avoid it at all costs. He implores us to pass this information and to teach these traditions and these laws to the next generation.

Throughout this Parsha, the secrets to our survival are revealed in large broad statements as well as the use of certain words. One secret to our survival is the Aseret Dibrot -The Ten Commandments (Deut. 5:6-19). Another secret to our survival is perhaps the one theologically dogmatic statement in Torah: Shmah Yisroel Adoshem Elokeinu, Adoshem Echad – Hear O Yisroel O Lord Our God, the Lord is One. (Deut. 6:4). Certainly, the “Shmah” contributes to the secret of our survival. Moshe’s re-iteration of God’s nature also contributes to the secret of our success.  Ki Eil Kanah Adoshem Elokecha B’kirbecha Pen Yechreh Af Adoshem Elokecha   Bach V’Hismidcha Mei’al Pnei Ha’Adamah- For a jealous God is the Lord your God, among you lest the wrath of the Lord your God will flare against you and He destroys you from upon the face of the earth…(Deut 6:15-19). Certainly, these powerful explicit statements of theology, universal moral guidelines, and our fear of retribution contribute to the secret of our survival.

However, the essence of our survival is our sense of purpose and our sense of existence. This sense of purpose is based upon accepting facts, and truths and asking questions, always asking questions in order to better understand facts and truths so that we can transmit what we learned.  Our purpose is to live according to these laws. “You shall be careful to act as the Lord your God commanded you, you shall not stray to the right or left. B’chol Ha’derech Asher Tzivah Adoshem Elokeichem Etchem Teileichu L’ma’an Tishyun V’Tov Lachem V’Haractem Yamim – On the entire way that the Lord your God, commanded you shall you go, so that you shall live and it will be good for you, and you shall prolong your days…(Deut.6:29-30).  We live according to the Torah so that our lives will go well so that our lives will have more meaning so that the quality of our lives determines length. We learn that living a long life is not about the length it is about quality. Our sense of purpose is to achieve this quality. Besides “purpose” we must have a sense of our existence. Our sense of existence is our acceptance of our place. There were generations that came before us and, G-d willing, generations will follow us. Each and every generation must be empowered to question.  Ki Yishalcha Vincha Machar Leimor Mah Ha’eidot vHa’chukim v’Hamishpatim asher Tzivah Adoshem Elokeinu Etchem – If your child asks you tomorrow saying; What are the testimonies and the decrees and the ordinances that the Lord your G-d commanded you V’Amarta L’vincha Avadim Ha’yinu l’Faroh B’Mitzrayim – You shall say to your child, “We were slaves to Pharoh in Egypt…(Deut. 6:20-21). Jewish survival depends upon full disclosure even if it is troubling or doesn’t’ present the Jewish past in the most favorable light: “We were slaves in Egypt”. The Jewish people’s sense of purpose is of that of the transmitter between the older generation and the younger generation, between the past and the future. As we delve deeper into the Book of Deuteronomy we understand that our survival is dependent upon our ability to transmit this sense of purpose and sense of existence to the next generation. The ability to transmit and the ability to accept transmission is what makes us a holy nation.

Peace,

Rav Yitz

I Got No Satisfaction, That's Why I Sing The Blues (Bob Weir - "One More Saturday Night")

I was introduced to a new four lettered word about three months ago. Frankly, I thought I had heard them all. The new four lettered word that I learned was “Diet”. Well, I had heard of the word before; but it was in terms of religious ritual, Kashrut. I had heard the word in the context of New Years’ resolutions, and other people’s health issues.  I had even heard it whispered about me as something I should think about. Even my doctor had used the word with me, suggesting that my indigestion and bad back were exacerbated by my weight and “maybe if you lose a few pounds those issues would go away.” Yes I had heard of the word “Diet”, but I didn’t begin listening to what it meant and what it didn’t’ mean until I decided to begin a Diet. So for the past three months I have been on a low fat, no carb diet in which I try to restrict my caloric intake to below 2000 calories. I am allowed 7 oz. of protein, and an assortment of vegetables and only those fruits that are low in sugar such as apple, strawberries, cantaloupe and strawberries. Yes, I have lost weight. Yes there are foods that I missed. At various points during these past few months, I have missed pasta, I have missed a hamburger. Even this week, my son and I went to a baseball game (the New York Yankees were in Toronto playing the Blue Jays), and I stared at my son as he enjoyed his hot dog. What I wouldn’t have done for a “dog and a beer”! Yet as each day and as each week goes by, I don’t feel as if I am starving, I don’t feel hungry, and I don’t feel dissatisfied. Actually, it’s quite the opposite, I have even found some clothes that I forgot that I owned!

            This week’s Parsha is Eikev. Here in his second discourse, Moshe explains to the new generation how the second set of tablets that contain the Aseret Dibrot (Ten Commandments) came into being. He explains how God forgave their parents of their idolatrous behavior in regards to the Eigel Zahav (Golden Calf), and all B’nai Yisroel must do essentially refrain from Idolatry, serve God, worship God, and the nation will be rewarded with water, grass and quality lives. Moshe also reminds B’nai Yisroel that they have nothing to fear when they enter into Canaan and conquer the land even though they maybe outnumbered, because God has already demonstrated that he will protect his people. He did so during the Yetziat Mitzrayim (Exodus from Egypt), and as long as B’nai Yisroel keeps its side of the B’rit (covenant), God will continue to protect his people. V’Haya Im Tishma’u El Mitzvotai Asher Anochi M’tzaveh Etchem Hayom L’Ahavah Et Adonai Eloheichem Ul’Avdo B’Chol Levavchem Uv’chol Nafshachem. V’Natati M’tar Artzechem B’Ito Yoreh Umalkosh V’Asaftah D’Ganecha V'Tiroshcha v’Yitzharecha – It will be that if you hearken to My commandments that I command you today to love Hashem your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, then I shall provide rain for your Land in its proper time, the early and the late rains, that you may gather in your grain, your wine and your oil.  V’Natati Esev B’Sadcha Livhemtecha V’Achalta V’Savata – I shall provide grass in your field for your cattle and you will eat and be satisfied (Deut 11:15). Among the rewards is grass for our cattle and we will eat and be satisfied.    

In this second paragraph of the Shema, we are told that there is a reward for our obeying God’s commandments and there will be retribution for disobeying God’s commandments. Among the rewards is a phrase that, at first glance, does not seem like such a reward. The simple meaning of the verse suggests that we will eat the grass and or the cattle, but whatever we eat, we will be satisfied –v’Savatah. Satisfied implies that we will not be wanting for anything. Satisfied means fulfilled content. How can the grass that God will make plentiful satisfy us? Have we ever been too busy to eat? Have we ever been in a place or a situation that cause our adrenaline to pump that we didn’t even feel hunger pangs? Most probably yes, we have all been in situations or places where we were too busy, to wound up, too excited to eat. Yet, we were clearly in a place, both physical and spiritual where we were satisfied.  Rashi, the great 11^th century French commentator, explains the verse as follows: “When you are very prosperous, you must be very careful not to rebel against God, because man rejects God only when he is sated.” Our relationship to God is synonymous with our own health. We need to pay attention to this very vital and simple relationship in order for us to appreciate the layers of complexity that life ultimately presence. When we are in poor health, when we violate this very simple and vital relationship, the rest of life seems insurmountable and overwhelming. When we are very comfortable, when we are perhaps too comfortable, when we are full, when we are bored, when we take things for granted; that is the time to worry about our relationship with HaShem.

            So it turns out that “Diet” is not such a dirty four lettered word after all.  Instead the word “Diet” requires those who engage in a “Diet” to understand a much a word three times longer: “Satisfaction”. Like our physical health, when we have our spiritual health, we are able to appreciate the layers of complexity and the beauty of life. When our health, physical or spiritual, is poor, then we are too overwhelmed to see any of life’s beauty. However, when we understand that often times, we can derive satisfaction from less quantity, we began to find the beauty in the world around us, the goodness and the fulfilling nature of the food we eat, and the holiness of the life we are capable of leading.

Peace

Rav Yitz

When All We Ever Wanted Was To Learn And Love And Grow ( Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Days Between")

Fiftieth anniversaries are usually considered a pretty big deal. It is a time to look back and see how far the journey has been. It is a time to look back and see younger version, perhaps a more innocent, more naïve, and more foolish version of oneself. It is a time to look back and see those younger versions of ourselves when the world was full of possibility as opposed to a world full realizations and self awareness. Fiftieth wedding anniversaries are considered amazing accomplishments and the embodiment of commitment, devotion and love between two people. This summer is the fiftieth anniversary of the Summer of Love, a name given to the baby boomers that spent 1967 making a pilgrimage out west to California and specifically to my wife’s hometown of San Francisco. I can’t help but notice the irony of that Summer of Love fifty years later during this week.  One of the most influential musicians during the Summer of Love, Jerry Garcia,  would have been 75 this week and the anniversary of his death, his Yartzeit is next week. This was the week the Jewish People commemorated Tisha B’ Av, the destruction of the 1^st and 2^nd Holy Temples, as well as a myriad of other tragedies including the Spanish Inquisition.  I don’t recall every hearing about anything in Judaism that suggests anything like “The Summer of Love”. Instead, the Talmudic Rabbis remind us that the reason for the destruction of the 2^nd Temple was because of Sinat Chinam – Pure Hatred. Yet within their attempt to make sense of the national tragedy, these same Sages remind us that the Messiah was born on Tisha B’Av. From the pure hate that led to a national tragedy comes the possibility of goodness, holiness, and Pure Love.

This morning we read from Parsha V’Etchanan. V’Etchanan is always the Parsha that immediately follows Tisha B’Av.  The Parsha itself portrays B’nai Yisroel sitting intently and listening to Moshe's first discourse on the Law. Moshe re-iterates the covenant, the punishment of exile and the constant possibility of return. Moshe re-iterates the experience of revelation at Sinai as well as a re-statement of the Aseret Dibrot, the Ten Commandments. Moshe teaches this new generation that they heard the revelation, they witnessed the fire. And the fact that they sit on the Eastern Bank of the Jordan River is a testament to that fact. Moshe reminds this new generation that this Torah is perfect, one can interpret but we cannot add or subtract words. Instead we must struggle and make sense of every aspect of Torah. Moshe then introduces the lone piece of dogma in the entire Torah: Shema Yisroel Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad Hear O Israel the Lord is God the Lord is One. The Parsha concludes with Moshe strongly reminding B’nai Yisroel that as part of the Covenant it must reclaim the land. Once in the land, B’nai Yisroel is obligated to separate themselves from the other indigenous tribes and uphold the obligations of the covenant that God made with their ancestors.

Central to Moshe’s message is the transcendent power of the God’s Covenant at Mt. Horeb. The covenant was made with their ancestors, it is made now with this generation and it will be renewed with each and every generation. How often does Moshe use words like Sham listen; Shamor guard, keep (as in take care of something)? Then Moshe tells this generation V’Ahavta et Adoshem Elokecha – Love the Lord your God.  Moshe clarifies that this is accomplished through deed, B’Chol Levavcha U’Vechol Nafshecha U’vechol Meodecha – With all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your possessions. With every fiber of their being; by being completely committed to the relationship will they be able to enjoy the blessing from it.  Moshe understood that Love will be the key for this covenant to survive. When B’nai Yisroel loves God, it will listen cherish and keep all the means of expressing that love towards God. Moshe also reminds them what will happen when love wanes and they cease listening, cherishing, keeping and observing.

For Moshe, love was not just an emotion it was a source of energy. It was a constructive force.  Moshe also understood that Love was something that needed to be acted upon. Love was not for the passive.  The Aggadah that tells of Rabbi Akivah’s death, reciting these words while being tortured and ultimately dying are but the ultimate expression of love. What parent wouldn’t choose his/her own life in exchange for his/her child? Love isn’t a seasonal short term fleeting emotion such as just a summer. Rather, Love is every day, love is hard work, and love is commitment. Because Love is all those things, love transcends time.  So while ChaZaL,the Talmudic Sages, can say that the destruction of the 2^nd Temple was due to pure hatred; ChaZaL can also teach that from the fleeting, short term destructive nature of hatred comes love and its transcendent, constructive force of goodness, of holiness and of a future that focuses upon the possible.  Just as Moshe taught that love is transcendent and perhaps the most powerful force that can emanate from the soul; in this fiftieth anniversary of the Summer of Love, maybe our task as parents should be the same. Maybe Judaism never had a "Summer of Love" because we say "V'Ahavta et Adoshem Elokecha.... " twice a day to remind us that every day one should strive to love.

Peace,

Rav Yitz