The Holy On Their Knees, The Reckless Are Out Wrecking, The Timid Plead Their Pleas (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia- "Days Between")

           Last week, there was a gathering in Orlando, Florida. Fascinatingly enough, this particular gathering had nothing to do with Disney World and Mickey Mouse. Instead, Orlando was the sight of a C-PAC, Conservative Political Action Committee, a gathering of the politicians and supporters of ex-president Trump. At the entrance to the large ballroom, was a gold bust of Trump. Supporters stood next to the gold bust, supporters took pictures alongside the gold bust, supporters gazed, gawked, and fawned over the gold bust,  they respectfully touched it and acknowledged it as if it was a sacred likeness to their idol. Inside the ballroom, these supporters heard political leaders publicly pledge their fealty and loyalty and blind allegiance to Trump and Trump policies. Indeed, there was idolatry outside that ballroom and there was idolatry inside that ballroom.

          This  Shabbat is the third of the four special Shabbatot that precedes Passover, It is known as Shabbat Parah. The weekly Torah portion is entitled Ki Tissah. Parsha Ki Tissa is divided into several parts. The first section of Ki Tissah focuses upon the commandment of the half-shekel. God commands Moshe to take a census of the population and collect a half-shekel for each person counted. By taking the census and collecting the half-shekel tax, Moshe was able to finance the construction of the Mishkan. The second part of Ki Tissa discusses the final details for the Mishkan, including the spices that are to be used,  the oil to be processed prior to burning, and the designation of Betzalel ben Uri from the tribe of Judah and Ahaliav ben Achisamach from the tribe of Dan to be the Master Builder and Designer of this national project.  The last section and perhaps the most theologically difficult is the narrative of B’nai Yisroel’s construction of and the sin of the  Eigel Zahav (Golden Calf), the resulting punishment, national repentance, personal revelation and the Second Set of Tablets.

           When Moshe re- ascends the mountain seeking forgiveness for the people’s idolatrous behavior; Moshe experiences a personal revelation. God passes by him, However, Moshe is only permitted to see God’s back as God passes by, not God’s face.  During this moment of apology, repentance, and personal revelation, God reiterates the covenant.  VaYomer Hinei Anochi Koreit Brit Neged Kol Amcha E’eseh Niflaot Asher Lo Nivre’u V’Chol Ha’Aretz U’VeChol HaGoyim - God said, ‘Behold, I seal a covenant: Before your entire people I shall make distinctions such as have never been created in the entire world and among all the nations.; and the entire people among whom you are will see the work of Hashem – which is awesome - that I am about to do with you. HiShameir Lecha Pen Tichrot Brit L’Yosheiv Ha’Aretz Asher Atah Ba Aleha Pen Yiheyeh L’Mokeish B’Kirbecha- Be vigilant lest you seal a covenant with the inhabitant of the land to which you come, lest it be a snare among you. (Ex. 34:11-12) Certainly, building and worshipping the Eigel Zahav (the Golden Calf) was a grave violation of Bnai Yisroel’s covenant with God. However, from God’s perspective, the more serious concern was B’nai Yisroel’s emulating the indigenous idolatrous tribes that B'nai Yisroel would encounter in Eretz Canaan. God reminded Moshe and the people that they must not weaken the nature of the covenant. They must not emulate these nations for fear that B’nai Yisroel becomes L’Mokeish - ensnared, trapped, and weakened. How could these idolatrous nations ensnare B’nai Yisroel? The fact is these nations cannot trap or ensnare B’nai Yisroel. However, if B’nai Yisroel becomes spiritually weak, spiritually less vigilant, and begins emulating these idolatrous tribes, then B’nai Yisroel will become L’Mokeish, ensnared, trapped, and weakened. Only B’nai Yisroel can allow itself to become ensnared.  

          No matter the country in which we live, no matter the neighborhood in which we reside, we must all be vigilant of the idolatry around us.  “lest we become ensnared”; and begin engaging in idolatry. Idolatry comes in numerous forms: ancient or modern.  a  Golden Calf or a Golden Bust,   a cult of personality, the crass materialism of a consumer society, money and status. Whatever the form, whatever the mode of Idolatry, it is a result of our passions, emotions, fears, wants, and desires. When passion and emotion overwhelm our ability to think, and reason for ourselves, we become L’Mokeish, ensnared. So the Torah calls B’nai Yisroel to remain vigilant, keeping emotions and passions in check. Rather, God reminds Moshe that the survival of B’nai Yisroel and the covenant requires that we ground ourselves, protect ourselves, and keep our covenant by relying upon our minds, our ability to reason, and our ability to connect to the holiness within our souls and to study God's Torah. 

Peace,

Rav Yitz

Rav Yitz

We'll Still Have Our Place Of Peace, Our Love Will Linger On (Willie Dixon, Rob Wasserman & Bob Weir - "Eternity")

On a typical Friday night Shabbat dinner, as part of the blessings, we sing Shalom Aleichem (Peace to you). Looking at my wife and children, it becomes abundantly clear how worn out everyone is from the week just passed. Besides a fulltime job, my wife prepares a Shabbos feast.  Our children’s school day is typically longer than the standard 9-5 job and their work week s typically longer than the standard 40-hour workweek). Even after their long week, they are expected to pitch in and help prepare for Shabbat dinner. Needless to say by the time we finish eating dinner, Shalom – Peace, permeates the house. They adjourn from the table, make the way to the sofa and begin reading. All the while, I clean up the dining room, and the kitchen put away the leftovers and wash the dishes. The entire clean up takes about 30 minutes. By the time I finish cleaning my wife and children have ceased reading and are all in a deep slumber. The house is so quiet, so peaceful. Gone are the weekday requests for “homework help”, food shopping, house fixing, or the myriad of things that my wife and children need me to do.  During these moments I have a profound sense of Shalom, of Peace. Everything is put away, shalom. Everyone is safely home, Shalom. There is no anxiety of teenagers driving my car, Shalom, no worrying about my California born wife driving in bad weather, Shalom. There is no dealing with overtired frustrated high school students, shalom.  I pour myself a cup of hot tea, I sit, stretch my legs out, and for the next 30-45 minutes, I get to quietly study the weeks Torah portion without any interruptions. Indeed, for those 30-45 minutes, depending upon how tired I am, I experience the calm and the quiet of Shalom, of peace, knowing that for a moment everything is Shaleim, whole and complete.

This Shabbat, we read from Parsha Vayeishev. The focus of the narrative now shifts from Yaakov (aka. Israel) to his most beloved son Yosef. Contextually, Yaakov is at a point in his life where he has finished his spiritual and personal struggles. He now is at a calm and settled point in his life, hence the name of the Parsha: Vayeishev – and he settled. We learn that Yaakov, like his parents, played favorites. He showered Yosef, Rachel’s son, with a beautiful Kutonet Pasim – Coat of Many Colors. Yosef was a bit arrogant. This was manifested in his dreams that portrayed his greatness and the subjugated his brothers and his parents to his power. Needless to say, no one appreciated his dreams, neither his brothers who wanted to kill him but instead threw him into an empty pit nor his father who sent Yosef back to his brothers knowing that they were angry with him (Gen. 37:10-14). Yosef is then removed from the pit, sold as a slave and worked in the home of one of Pharaoh’s courtiers. The Parsha concludes with Yosef being sent to prison.

Unfortunately for Yaakov, and his family, there wasn’t an abundance of Shalom-Peace in their home. Yaakov’s son’s despised Yosef. VaYiru Echov Ki Oto Ahav Avihem MiKol Echav Vayisnu oto V’ Lo Yachlu Dabro L’Shalom – His brothers [Yosef’s brothers] saw that it was he [Yosef] whom their father loved the most of all the brothers; so they hated him and they could not speak peaceably to whom. (Gen 37:4). The brothers hated Yosef so much they couldn’t utter the words “Peace to You”, even as a common salutation or farewell. They were so jealous that they couldn’t muster the patience to inquire about their brother Yosef’s welfare. The Vilna Gaon explains this verse in light of a Talmud teaching from Berachot 64a: “one who takes leave of his friend should say Lech L ’Shalom – go TO peace rather than Lech B’Shalom – go IN peace. Although the difference is one letter, a Lamed for L’Shalom (to Peace) and a Bet for B’Shalom - In peace; it is the difference between e active and the passive, between the dynamic and the static, between the participating in the journey that was the week just passed, and the week passing by. For the brothers to withhold the blessing of L’Shalom- suggests that they were withholding their blessing that Yosef continues on his life’s journey. It’s no wonder that soon after they plan to kill him.

            As I sip my tea and study, I look at my wife and children, slumbering on the sofa. Knowing that I will have to help them to bed, I sit and look at them just a bit longer. Indeed, it seems that the week that has past was a journey, full of ups and downs. Perhaps there is something to be said for having successfully completed the week, completed the journey and grew as a person. For Yosef and the brothers, there was no such Peace nor will there be until Yosef and his brothers return to each other many years later. Their exhaustion is due to a lack of Peace.  However, our exhaustion is merely the physical manifestation of completing this journey and preparing for the next one that begins after Shabbat.  Certainly, our ability to tolerate and handle the journey is directly proportionate to be able to Lech L’Shalom.  

Peace,

Rav Yitz