If You Hear That Same Sweet Song Again, Will You Know Why? (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Bird Song"

          Earlier this week during Yom Kippur I was thinking about my four children.  They are all grown up now but while praying, I happened to have an image of them while they were babies. When each of my children was born, and it was my job to rock them to sleep, I would whistle a particular song chosen for them. For my two eldest daughters, because there was a nine-year gap, I whistled the same song to them: “Summertime”.  For my now 22-year-old, it made sense, she was born in the summertime.  For my 32-year-old daughter, I loved the Miles Davis’ version of the song so I chose it for her. When our now 20-year-old was born, I chose “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”. When our youngest child and only son was born eighteen years ago, I chose Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World”.  Well,  are all grown up and out of the house, and I don’t put them to bed anymore,  so I can’t whistle their songs to them anymore. However, whenever they hear their particular song, they are connected to it. 

          On this Shabbat, we read from Parshat Ha’Azinu.  The Parsha is poetry, a song that God had commanded Moshe to compose in the previous Parsha, VaYeleich. Composing this song was the final deed that God commanded Moshe. The song is the final prophecy that God told Moshe in the previous Parsha, VaYeilech.  As a song, it does not contain the most pleasant of lyrics, and it is not particularly uplifting or inspiring. The song does not offer such an optimistic future.  Rather, Moshe invokes Heaven and Earth to offer testimony to God’s prophecy and future punishment against his people.  Throughout Sefer Devarim, and Deuteronomy,  Moshe has taught the law and inspired Bnai Yisroel to choose fidelity to God and God’s Torah.  Choosing to follow would result in a reward. Choosing not to follow would result in a punishment. Now, during the final moments of Moshe Rabeinu’s life, the song suggests neither choice nor the results of that choice. Instead, we are told that we will choose badly and that we will be punished.  There is nothing explicit within the song that suggests or even offers a means by which we are able to do Tshuva (repent) and ultimately return to God. While intellectually, Moshe has taught that concept to Bnai Yisroel; here in the song that possibility is not explicit.

          However, when the song is complete, Moshe speaks his word to Bnai Yisroel. His words offer a sense of hope, a sense of inspiration. He reminds Bnai Yisroel that even when they have grown distant from God, even though the resulting punishment will be brutal; there is still a measure of hope, hope for the next generation.  Simu Levavchem L’Chol Hadvarim Asher Anochi Mei’id Bachem Hayom, Asher T’Tzavoom et Bnaichem Lishmor La’Asot et Kol Divrei HaTorah Ha’Zot -  Apply your hearts to all the words that I Testify against you today, with which you are to instruct your children, to be careful to perform all the words of this Torah.  Ki Lo Davar Reik Hu Mikem Ki Hu Chayeichem Uvadavar HaZeh Ta’Arichu Yamim – for it is not an empty thing for you, for it is your life, and through this matter shall you prolong your days on the Land to which you cross the Jordan to possess it (Deut. 33:46-47)

          In Moshe’s final moments, he reminds us that the key to our survival is to teach Torah to our children. Yes, according to the song, we will grow distant from God, yes we will engage in idolatry. Yes, we will be punished. However, there will always be hope for the next generation if they are educated in such a manner that when it comes time for them to make a choice; they choose wisely, they choose God’s Torah.  Moshe reminds his people that the Torah is not empty. Moshe’s song juxtaposes the immediate short-term future that he sees; a future of hardship, despair, and a distancing from God and a long-term future consisting of reconciliation with God,  a return to the covenantal obligations, and the joy that will come with that return.  Because it’s a song or poetry, the children will hear the song, not once but repeated over and over. In the long run, the B’nai Yisroel will come to appreciate the lyrics and their complexity. I know that my kids, in the long run, have come to appreciate those songs that I whistled to them so many years ago. Those songs, the melody, and the lyrics connect us like a warm memory and a reminder that I am their dad and love them very much.

Peace,
Rav Yitz

When The Voices Of The Storm Sound Like A Crowd ( Bobby Peterson & Phil Lesh - "New Potato Caboose")

            

          I have always been fascinated by Post-Holocaust/Post 1948 Jewry’s establishment of Jewish observances/commemorations. This is especially the case immediately following the Pesach Festival. Approximately five days after Pesach, five days after the Jewish People celebrated a holiday that is thousands of years old, a holiday in which the Jewish People observe and celebrated its redemption from ancient Egyptian slavery, the Jewish People observe Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. First established by the Israeli Rabbinate in 1951, Yom HaShoah has been part of the Jewish Calendar for 71 years. For these seven decades, we have not only listened to the testimony of the survivors who bore witness to the Holocaust, but we also listened to historians, sociologists, political scientists, and philosophers explain to us how this happened, the rise of fascism, the rise of nationalism, the scapegoating of a minority, the anonymity of an angry mob, the dissemination of conspiracy theories and disinformation, and the failure of leaders to exert courage to shine a light on wipe out the festering grievance politics. After 71 years, I can help but notice the irony that we are once again focused on that part of the world. However, it appears that some nations have figured out how to spiritually atone for their behaviour 70 years ago, while others have not. 

          This Shabbat we return to the weekly Torah cycle and read Parshat Acharei Mot. The two previous Parshiot: Tazria and Metzorah interrupted the narrative with the laws of individual purity and impurity.  In Acharei Mot, the Torah now teaches the laws for the spiritual purity of the nation. We have focused on the impurities of individuals, now we focus on the community. The Torah teaches us the laws for the offerings of Yom Kippur, national atonement, and Azazel otherwise known as the Scapegoat. The Scapegoat is not offered as a sacrifice to God, but rather is sent out from the camp and left to wander in the wilderness eventually succumbing to the elements. The second half of the Parsha focuses on the holy and unholy relationships within the family. However, the list of inappropriate behaviors between family members is taught within the context of the other nations. Other nations do these things and B'nai Yisroel must refrain from imitating those other nations.

           While providing the laws regarding holy and unholy relationships, God invokes Egypt and Canaan. B’nai Yisroel had been enslaved in  Egypt and now it prepares for its journey to Canaan.  K’Maasei Eretz Mitzrayim Asher Y’shavtem Bah Lo Ta’Asu UchMa’Asei Eretz Canaan Asher Ani Meivi Etchem Shamah Lo Ta’Asu UvChukoteihem Lo Teileichu – Do not practice of the land of Egypt in which you dwelled, and do not perform the practice of the land of Canaan to which I bring you, and do not follow their traditions. (Lev. 18:3) For the past two centuries, B’nai Yisroel dwelled in Egypt, a morally decadent community. Now B’nai Yisroel is about to head into Eretz Canaan, which was also a morally decadent land inhabited by the Moabites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Edomites. Why would God bring us to a place that is just as morally decadent as the place from which he brought us out?  Why would God promise land that was as morally bankrupt as Egypt? One would have assumed that Canaan was already a wonderful place otherwise God wouldn’t have brought B’nai Yisroel there nor would it have been part of a covenant. The Be’er Yitzchak, the 19th Russian Rabbi offers a comment that is relevant to today’s Jewish experience. “The reason for mentioning Egypt and Canaan is simple: if you imitate the Egyptians – then why did I take you out of Egypt? And if you behave like the Canaanites- why should I expel them before you/ it was on condition that you will not do so that I took you out of Egypt and that I shall expel the Canaanites… do not imitate even their innocuous practices, for these lead to total assimilation.” The experience in Egypt was an incubation period to prepare for Torah at Sinai. Our experience in Egypt would constantly serve as a reminder that we ultimately rejected physical slavery and that we ultimately rejected the institutions and behaviors of that master. It is certainly easy to reject all things Egyptian while we are reminded of how damaging the experience was. It is quite another thing to reject the behavior, and culture of a society when one is free when one is not scarred by such a damaging experience. Yet, the success of our people and the future viability of our relationship with God through the Torah could only occur if we are able to reject a dominant culture’s behavior as a free nation and not as an enslaved nation. B’nai Yisroel’s survival ultimately depends upon remaining separate and apart from the cultural majority. B’nai Yisroel’s survival depends upon remaining spiritually distinct from the majority. B’nai Yisroel’s survival depends upon the spiritual strength needed to reject the behaviors of any dominant culture, to refrain from behavior because “everyone else does it”.

         At the core of Judaism is the recognition that Judaism constantly establishes distinctions between itself and everything around it. Creating distinctions and separation between the holy and the mundane occurs every day, every week, and every season. Creating distinctions between the holy and mundane occur during the most basic activities of eating and procreation. Creating distinctions between the holy and the mundane occurs in our relationships with the world around us. Judaism also understands that as human beings and as communities there will be moments when fail at observing those distinctions between the holy and the mundane.  So God and Torah established a mechanism for individuals and communities to do “Teshuva” to repent,  return to God, and continue striving toward holiness. After seven decades, during this week of Yom HaShoah, it is interesting to see which nations have engaged in some degree of Teshuvah and atonement while others have continued to remind contaminated by fascism, nationalism, populism, conspiracy theories, misinformation, and scapegoating of minorities.  

Peace
Rav Yitz

And It Speaks Of A Life That Passes Like Dew (John Barlow & Bob Weir- "Black Throated Wind")

           My wife is from California, and she has family in Los Angeles and San Francisco. So I read about environmental issues faced by the West with a bit of personal interest. At the end of August, there was a troubling article in the New York Times about the drying up of the Colorado River. The Colorado River supplies approximately 40 million people with water. My wife is from California. Lake Meade, the largest man-made reservoir, and the Hoover Dam are part of the infrastructure dating back from 1930 that regulates the supply of water for California, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico. The reservoir has not been completely filled since 1983. California has been experiencing a drought for the past several years. While California has done yeoman’s work to conserve water, drought has taken its toll. It is dry, it is parched. Several years of above-normal rainfall would be required to alleviate the drought.  Such torrential rains have occurred exactly three times over the past 135 years.   California’s current fires have burned a total acreage the size of New Jersey or the size of Israel. Eventually, the fires will be brought under control, but the drought conditions will continue. The dire need for precipitation will remain.

          This Shabbat, we read Parshat Ha’Azinu. Parshat Ha’Azinu was the “song” or the “Poem” that God had commanded Moshe to compose in the previous Parsha VaYeilech.  The content of this “song” is not very cheerful. Moshe invokes the heavens and the earth to witness these words that he gives to B’nai Yisroel. Moshe reminds B’nai Yisroel of their covenant with God. Moshe reminds B’nai Yisroel of their spiritual shortcomings and the ensuing punishment. He reminded B'nai Yisroel that despite all of these shortcomings, despite the idolatry, despite wavering from the covenant, we can still engage in T’shuvah, we can still return to God and know that God will welcome us back.

          In the poem, during the introduction, Moshe not only invokes Heaven to listen to these words as a testament to the prophecy offered to his people, but Moshe also hopes Ya’Arof KaMatar Likchi Tizal Katal Imrati Kisirim Alei Desheh Uch’revivim Aley Eisev – May my teaching drop like the rain, may my utterance flow like the dew; like storm winds upon vegetation and like raindrops upon blades of grass (Deut. 32:2). The word “teachings” in this verse comes from the verb LaKaCh or Take. The idea, of course, is a two-way street. Moshe’s words, his wisdom his teachings are offered to B'nai Yisroel. Moshe offers his teachings as a source of spiritual nourishment. His words, like water, are a life-sustaining force. The other half of the equation, of course, is B’nai Yisroel. B’nai Yisroel must drink in the teaching,  they must "take in" the words of wisdom, the nourishment, and the water that Moshe continues to provide up until his death, and make it part of their lives. When rain falls and it is not absorbed it pools together it forms a puddle. However, when water is absorbed, it nourishes, it maintains life it sustains vegetation, and it sustains our physical existence. Moshe’s words, in fact, all the words of the book of Deuteronomy are Moshe’s words. Moshe makes his final plea to B’nai Yisroel to listen to the wise words of an old and dying man. Moshe makes a final plea to B'nai Yisroel to “take” his words to heart, to drink them in, and incorporate them into life. For the Rabbis, a draught was not only a physical condition due to lack of water. A draught was a spiritual condition caused by a lack of Torah. After all, Torah is alluded to as “Mayim Chayim” living waters. Rain is categorized as Mayim Chaim. Mayim Chayim sustains physical life as well as spiritual life. Torah sustains our spiritual life.

          Moshe makes his last plea prior to his death. Like the land can be subjected to drought; so it is with the Jewish People. Without our “water supply”, without our heavenly rains, and gentle dew, we can suffer through spiritual drought, our souls dry up and we became empty. Torah, like the rain, comes from the heavens. From Moshe’s perspective, it is a limitless supply of spiritual Mayim Chayim, Living Waters. We need only study it, learn it, incorporate it into our lives and we will have a limitless supply of spiritual water, water that nourishes our soul, allowing it to grow in holiness.

Peace,  
Rav Yitz

Hoping Love Would Not Forsake The Days That Lie Between (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Days Between")

           This Shabbat, September 11th, marks the 20th Yartzeit of the September 11th attacks. Since those attacks, the world has been a very different place. For the survivors and for the families of the victims, life became very different. For a generation of young men and women, they have grown up in the shadows of war. For many others, we certainly remember where we were, perhaps we knew someone who had perished, but for the most part, over the course of twenty years, people mourned, many adjusted to the new normal and some did not. Having just celebrated Rosh HaShanah, having just stood before God in judgment, the days leading up to Yom Kippur are known as Aseret Yemai Tshuvah, Ten Days of Repentance. It is a time in which we seek forgiveness from our fellow man ultimately leading up to Yom Kippur in which we seek forgiveness from God. The idea of Teshuvah, of repentance, is derived from the Hebrew word Shuv or return. When seeking forgiveness from our fellow man, and from God, we are returning to the purest most divine aspects of our souls. The Talmudic Sages explains that one should engage in TeShuva before one dies. Since we don’t know when that will happen, we therefore should engage in TeShuvah every day. As a result, the Aseret Yemai TeShuvah and it focus upon Repentance and returning to God requires that we strive towards spiritual clarity, a state of being in which we learn that no matter the pain, anguish, and emptiness our souls can remain content and able to always focus upon the goodness in life. 

        On this Shabbat, known as Shabbat Shuvah, we read from Parsha Yeileich. Moshe experiences, perhaps for the last time, a moment of clarity. However, of all the moments of clarity including the Burning Bush, the Revelation at Sinai, the Personal Revelation when he saw the back of God while defending B’nai Yisroel following the episode of the Golden Calf; it is the moment of death to which we can all relate. It is at the moment of impending death that Moshe has perfect clarity. He sees and understands the anguish that his children will experience as they drift towards and away from their Covenant with God. He sees all that his life has been and he recognizes that while his life will be no more, there will be closure. Ki Yadati Acharei Motie Ki Hashcheit Tashchitun v’Sartem Min HaDerech Asher Tziviti Etchem V’Karat Etchem Ha’Ra’Ah B’Acharit Hayamim Ki Ta’Asu et Ha’Rah B’Einei Adoshem L’Hachiso B’Ma’Asei Y’deichem – For I know that after my death you will surely act corruptly, and you will surely act corruptly, and you will stray from the path that I have commanded you, and evil will befall you at the end of days, if you do what is evil in the eyes of HaShem, to anger Him through your handiwork (Deut.31:29). We should note that closure does not necessarily mean that the content of the closure will be positive, however, the process of closure is always positive.

          Our sages are adamant about the vital importance of closure. When a person engages in Tshuvah, a spiritual return to God,  to re-engage with the holy presence, or Vidui, the confession immediately prior to death; these actions are tantamount to a person who has returned to living a life of Mitzvot. In moments of clarity, certainly, such a moment exists at death, Moshe has the opportunity to make that moment holy, sanctified, an un-wasted moment. For the survivors, such moments of clarity come at a funeral or a life cycle event that normally would have been shared with a loved one. Sometimes, clarity occurs during the unveiling, when the survivor can look back over the course of the year and see how far he/she has come from the devastating loss of that day a year ago. Sometimes, clarity comes at one's impending death. Sometimes clarity comes at a yartzeit, twenty years later.

Peace,
Rabbi Lipson

There Were Days Between, Summer Flies And August Dies, The World Grows Dark And Mean (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia "Days Between")

Every morning for the past week, I have been waking up earlier than normal and, along with a few other people, attended Selichot. Selichot are penitential prayers, supplications and poetry invoking God as Judge, God as Merciful, and a God that remembers biblical ancestors. I usually sit in my spot, with a mug of coffee and follow as the Baal Tefillah begins the service. For the first five to ten minutes I am not quite awake, after all the coffee hasn’t quite kicked in. Then I am involved following along, listening to the tune, and reading the words. At some point each morning during Selichot, I have a moment, a moment where I begin asking all the existential questions. Where am I in my life? What exactly have I accomplished in my life? Am I the best possible me that I can be? The answers aren’t so positive nor uplifting and if I ended the process then, I would probably be diagnosed with Depression. But the process doesn’t end there. As I continue working my way through the Selichot liturgy, it concludes with reminders and reassurances. Maybe the existential answers to my existential questions are not particularly uplifting. However I know that I am not alone. The Selichot service concludes with a series of statements including the refrain: Hu Aneinu- He answers. That is re-assuring.  Maybe my supplications and prayers are not answered at that moment. However my moment of clarity leaves me with a stronger faith, a faith that eventually there will be an answer. I just need to stay engaged and involved and maybe the difficult question that leave me troubled will eventually be resolved and leave me comforted.

We are keenly aware that we are in a very special time of year. We are in the midst of a very spiritual time of year. We are in the midst of a ten day period from Rosh HaShanah until Yom Kippur knows as the Aseret Yamei T’shuvah – the Ten Days of Repentance. As the name suggests, this is the time of year in which we seek M’chila or forgiveness for any transgression we have committed. We seek forgiveness from God, and we seek forgiveness from family and friends. Mostly, it seems to me, that during these ten days we honestly look at ourselves and assume that we have hurt others instead of being shocked when we find out that we are capable of hurting another. The ability to engage in this process known as Shuvah, the process of returning to holiest aspect of our being, requires great clarity.   Sometimes clarity comes on a starry night. Sometimes clarity comes sipping coffee at sunrise. Sometimes clarity comes at childbirth. Sometimes clarity comes when you tuck your children into bed and wish them sweet dreams. Sometimes clarity occurs during on a beautiful autumn day. Sometimes, clarity comes amidst a hurricane as Hurricane Matthew batters the Florida Coast, and the south eastern U.S. coast. Sometimes clarity comes at the death of a loved one. Sometimes, clarity comes at one's impending death.

            In this week’s Parsha, Va’Yeileich, Moshe is now experiences for the last time a tremendous moment of clarity. However of all the moments of clarity including: the Burning Bush, the Revelation at Sinai, the Personal Revelation when he saw the back of God while defending B’nai Yisroel following the episode of the Golden Calf; it is the moment of death to which we can all relate. It is at the moment of impending death that Moshe has perfect clarity. He sees and understands the anguish that his children will experience as they drift towards and away from their Covenant with God. He sees all that his life has been and he recognizes that while his life will be no more, there will be closure. Ki Yadati Acharei Motie Ki Hashcheit Tashchitun v’Sartem Min HaDerech Asher Tziviti Etchem V’Karat Etchem Ha’Ra’Ah B’Acharit Hayamim Ki Ta’Asu et Ha’Rah B’Einei Adoshem L’Hachiso B’Ma’Asei Y’deichem – For I know that after my death you will surely act corruptly, and you will surely act corruptly, and you will stray from the path that I have commanded you, and evil will befall you at the end of days, if you do what is evil in the eyes of HaShem, to anger Him through your handiwork (Deut.31:29). We should note that closure does not necessarily mean that the content of the closure will be positive, however the process of closure is always positive. Our sages are adamant about the vital importance of closure. If a person engages in Tshuvah, a repentant return to God, and Vidui, confession even if the moment before death it is tantamount to a person who has returned to living a life of Mitzvot. In a moment of clarity, certainly such a moment exists at death, Moshe has the opportunity to make that moment holy, sanctified, an un-wasted moment.

            On this Shabbat Shuvah, this Shabbat of Return, let us be reminded and strengthened to accept moments of clarity. Let us be wise enough to deal with such moments of clarity in the most holy of endeavors. Let us be pro-active enough to take advantage of moments of clarity by moving towards our loved ones. Let us be spiritually aware enough and realize the absolute importance of moving towards God. Let us not wait until we become aware of an impending loss. Instead, during the Aseret Yamei T’shuva, we should be spiritually clear enough to see every moment as an opportunity to return to that which is holy.

Peace,

Rav Yitz

There Were Days, And There Were Days And There Were Days Between (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Days Between")

            For those of us living in Toronto, New York, Pittsburgh, Chicago and St. Louis; this is a great time of year. With eighteen baseball games left in the regular season, each of these cities is focused upon their respective baseball teams and their push toward the playoffs and division titles.  With three games separating Blue Jays fans and Yankees fans; three games separating Pirates fans from Cardinal fans, and four games separating Pirates fans from Cubs fans; it seems every game every inning and nearly every pitch is fill with anxiety for us fans. Not only are we worried about our team, but we are now focused on the other teams as well. With all that concern for the plight of the other team, all the anxiety is now doubled. My son and I find ourselves cheering for our team to win and the other team to lose. It makes for tense evenings but incredibly exciting as well. There really is nothing like the excitement in a city when it is in a pennant race. Part of the excitement is a result of the fact that there are still question regarding these respective divisions. No single team has clinchedcitement is a result of the fact that there are still question regarding these respective divisions. No single te, the final answer is unknown. One thing is for sure, over the course of these final eighteen games, there will be one game, one moment when the questions will be answered, the winner will be evident, and there will be clarity regarding playoff match-ups.

            For the Jewish People, we are keenly aware that it is also a very special time of year, albeit not due to baseball. We are in the midst of a very spiritual time of year. We are in the midst of a ten day period from Rosh HaShanah until Yom Kippur knows as the Aseret Yamei T’shuvah – the Ten Days of Repentance. As the name suggests, this is the time of year in which we seek M’chila or forgiveness for any transgression we have committed. We seek forgiveness from God, and we seek forgiveness from family and friends. Mostly, it seems to me, that during these ten days we honestly look at ourselves and assume that we have hurt others instead of being shocked when we find out that we are capable of hurting another. The ability to engage in this process known as Tshuvah, the process of returning to holiest aspect of our being, requires great clarity. Sometimes clarity occurs during on a beautiful autumn day. Sometimes clarity comes on a starry night. Sometimes clarity comes while sipping coffee at sunrise. Sometimes clarity comes at childbirth. Sometimes clarity comes when you tuck your children into bed and wish them sweet dreams. Sometimes clarity comes at the death of a loved one. Sometimes, clarity comes at one's impending death.

            In this week’s Parsha, Va’Yeileich, Moshe is now experiences for the last time a tremendous moment of clarity. However of all the moments of clarity including: the Burning Bush, the Revelation at Sinai, the Personal Revelation when he saw the back of God while defending B’nai Yisroel following the episode of the Golden Calf; it is the moment of death to which we can all relate. It is at the moment of impending death that Moshe has perfect clarity. He sees and understands the anguish that his children will experience as they drift towards and away from their Covenant with God. He sees all that his life has been and he recognizes that while his life will be no more, there will be closure. Ki Yadati Acharei Motie Ki Hashcheit Tashchitun v’Sartem Min HaDerech Asher Tziviti Etchem V’Karat Etchem Ha’Ra’Ah B’Acharit Hayamim Ki Ta’Asu et Ha’Rah B’Einei Adoshem L’Hachiso B’Ma’Asei Y’deichem – For I know that after my death you will surely act corruptly, and you will surely act corruptly, and you will stray from the path that I have commanded you, and evil will befall you at the end of days, if you do what is evil in the eyes of HaShem, to anger Him through your handiwork (Deut.31:29). We should note that closure does not necessarily mean that the content of the closure will be positive, however the process of closure is always positive. Our sages are adamant about the vital importance of closure. If a person engages in Tshuvah, a repentant return to God, and Vidui, confession even if the moment before death it is tantamount to a person who has returned to living a life of Mitzvot. In a moment of clarity, certainly such a moment exists at death, Moshe has the opportunity to make that moment holy, sanctified, an un-wasted moment.

            On this Shabbat Shuvah, this Shabbat of Return, let us be reminded and strengthened to accept moments of clarity. Let us be wise enough to deal with such moments of clarity in the most holy of endeavors. Let us be pro-active enough to take advantage of moments of clarity by moving towards our loved ones. Let us be spiritually aware enough and realize the absolute importance of moving towards God. Let us not wait until we become aware of an impending loss. Instead, during the Aseret Yamei T’shuva, we should be spiritually clear enough to see every moment as an opportunity to return to that which is holy.

Peace,

Rav Yitz

Take A Sad Song And Make It Better (John Lennon & Paul McCartney- "Hey Jude")

The other day, my son and I were talking about Fasting on Yom Kippur. He is 10 and he is at the stage of life where he always wants to know what I did when I was 10, what his grandfather did when he was 10 or what his great grandfather (his Zeidy) did when he was 10. So he asked me if I fasted when I was 10. I answered that I couldn’t remember but I probably fasted until the middle of the afternoon. He wondered if he should fast. Then he asked about the meal before the fast. He wondered if it should be like a big feast. I reminded him that because Yom Kippur is on Shabbat, the meal that precedes the fast should be tantamount to Shabbat dinner. Regarding the meal he was relieved to know that he would have his mother’s cooking and taste Shabbat. He was a bit upset that he wasn’t going to have any cholent this Shabbat. He explained that fasting made him sad and that Yom Kippur is such a sad day. To his credit, he suggested that this Yom Kippur would be odd because Yom Kippur was a sad day but Shabbat was a happy day.  I asked him why Yom Kippur was sad if it is Yom K’ Pur – like Pur as in Purim – a happy day. I suggested that maybe we need to rethink the assumption that Yom Kippur is a sad day.

            This Shabbat, Jews throughout the world will be celebrating Yom Kippur –The Day of Atonement. The name of the day does sound rather solemn. For most Jews, Yom Kippur is considered a rather somber sort of day and a day in which we are supposed to “afflict” ourselves. In Masechet Yoma (the Talmudic tractate that focus on Yom Kippur), five afflictions are mentioned as part of Yom Kippur. These five afflictions are: fasting (no food or drink from sunset to sunset); washing; anointing; wearing of leather, and marital relations. While Shabbat is the day we do not afflict ourselves, when Yom Kippur falls on Shabbat, Yom Kippur supersedes the laws of Shabbat. Only Yom Kippur supersedes Shabbat in terms of importance. It is known as Shabbat Shabbaton – the Sabbath of all Sabbaths.  How can a day in which we physical afflict ourselves supersede the one day of the week where we miraculously bring the spiritual world down to our physical world?

 Maybe we need to re-examine those afflictions as well as what the objective on Yom Kippur is. The Midrash explains that Yom Kippur is the day that Moshe Rabeinu  re-ascended the mountain and received the second set of the Aseret Dibrot, the second set of commandments. Remember, the first set was destroyed when Moshe saw Bnai Yisroel worshipping the Eigel Zahav, the Golden calf. In his anger, Moshe smashed the first set of stone tablets.  During this second revelation, this more private sort of revelation, Moshe had begged God to be permitted to see God’s face. While God rejected Moshe’s request, God did in fact allow Moshe to see God’s back as God passed (Exodus Chapter 33).  During these 40 days and nights, (beginning on Elul 1 and concluding on Yom Kippur), Moshe fasted.  On the one hand, he experienced a physical affliction due to the lack of food. On the other hand, he had the opportunity to be as near God as was humanly possible. In that moment he had become more spiritual than physical.  Yes we afflict ourselves. However, the “afflictions” are base on the desire to be more spiritual than physical. The “afflictions” are based upon our desire to be as close to God as humanly possible. Our “afflictions” are based upon our desire to experience God from the exalted position of the Angels without care or concern to our physical existence. The Atonement therefore is not the sole purpose of the day. The ultimate purpose of the day is to be as close to God as possible. How can we be close to God if we are ensconced in the physical realm? How can we be close to God if we need to atone for our spiritual shortcomings (our Chetaim –sins)? Our spiritual shortcomings are just that, short of God. Atonement allows us to be closer. Closer to God is a good thing. Closeness to God is the main objective of Yom Kippur. When we achieve this, we should be totally happy, at ease in utterly in awed just like Moshe was when he descended the mountain the second time with the second set of tablet.  God’s spiritual light emanated from Moshe. Who wouldn’t be happy if that happened to each and every one of us?

      Rather than thinking of Yom Kippur as so somber and serious, it is the one day of the year where we purposefully supersede Shabbat. Rather than bringing HaKadosh Baruch Hu down to us, Yom Kippur is the day that we elevate our souls towards the Kadosh Baruch Hu. The experience should be much more “awe” as in “awesome” instead of somber. That experience ought to fill us with awe, joy, and leave us radiating light.

Gmar Chatima Tov -May we all be sealed in the Book of Life

Peace,

Rav Yitz