Then Give Hope To The Hopeless, The Helpless And The Homeless (Robert Hunter & Phil Lesh - "Wave To The Wind")

           Earlier this week, President Biden gave the State of The Union Address before a joint session of Congress, and all those who had tuned in. The President struck a note of hope.  He spoke of the growing frustration that people have when dealing with airlines, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies,  and all the current sources of aggravation and inconvenience that everyday people experience.  Acknowledging that there are still many economically and politically alienated people, his goal remains to do as much as possible to create opportunities that mitigate the sense of alienation. He reminded Americans and the world that aspiring to the best version of America was still possible.  Several moments after the President’s State of the Union Address, the minority party’s response was offered by Sarah Huckabee, the former White House Director of Communications during the Trump Administration and the current Governor of Arkansas. She spoke of a Left Wing Cabal and registered the complaints that her former boss articulated seven years ago. She looked towards the past and spoke in a code that only the most passionate believers of her message would understand. President Biden spoke of the present and of the future in a language and using examples that everyone could understand and relate to. 

           In this week’s Parsha Yitro, there are two distinct narratives. The first narrative focuses on Moshe and his father-in-law Yitro.  Moshe leads B’nai Yisroel to Midian. While there, Moshe spends a little time with his wife, his two sons, and his father-in-law, Yitro. Yitro acknowledges that G-d has protected B’nai Yisroel and that the Lord is greater than all other gods. The next day, Yitro witnesses Moshe sit from morning to night mediating and adjudicating conflicts among B’nai Yisroel. Yitro understands that his son-in-law is overextended and the current method of governing is neither good for him nor for Amchah (the nation). Being both a Priest of Midian as well as his father-in-law, Yitro offers advice as both a father and a community leader. The second distinct narrative occurs, from chapters 19 through 20,  and focuses upon B'nai Yisroel’s revelation at Sinai.  The Parshah concludes with God’s declaration of the Aseret Dibrot, the Ten Commandments. The second part of the Parshah is very well known, incredibly unclear, and lends itself to numerous interpretations, commentaries, and Midrashim.  However, the two stories seem so disparate and could easily stand alone.  Why do these two separate narratives appear together in the same Parsha and how are they connected? 

           Yitro suggests to Moshe “You be a representative of God, and you convey the matters to God…you shall make known to them the path in which they should go and the deeds they should do. You shall discern from among the entire people, men of accomplishment, men of truth, men who despise money. You shall appoint them as leaders of thousands…they shall judge the people at all times, and they shall bring every major matter to you, and every minor matter they shall judge, and it will be eased for you, and they shall bear with you. If you do this thing and God shall command you, then you will be able to endure, and this entire people, as well, should arrive at its destination in peace.” (Ex. 18:19-23)  Yitro explains that a community must have a shared vision. To some degree, people need to know how to seek G-d on their own, and how to behave within a community. Others need to know God's ways in order to adjudicate and mediate conflicts or transmit information. Everyone must have access to G-d and G-d’s teaching. Only then will Moshe’s leadership responsibilities be light enough to bear. Only then will Amchah have a stake in the relationship with G-d. Only then will Moshe and B’nai Yisroel become willing participants in their covenant with G-d. Only then can this community uphold its role as a “priest to the nations”. Then and only then will Moshe and B’nai Yisroel arrive at its destination in peace.  However, Yitro’s suggestion is a top-down approach. Moshe sits atop.   After Moshe heeded his father-in-law’s advice, the preparation for the Revelation at Sinai occurs. While Moshe ascends and descends the mountain, the narrative focuses on B’nai Yisroel’s preparation, and its standing, waiting, and listening.  God instructs  Amchah to prepare for Revelation. The “entire people'' were in the camp, and they shuddered. Then Moshe brought the people from the camp toward God. (Ex 19:16-17). When presented with God’s covenant, “the entire people responded together and said, ‘everything that God has spoken we will do!’”(Ex 19:8) The narrative continually emphasizes that Revelation was not solely between God and Moshe.  B'nai Yisroel must be involved in the process. B’nai Yisroel must experience some aspect of Revelation. B’nai Yisroel must be active participants in Revelation. They were. They willingly and unanimously responded.  B’nai Yisroel’s unanimous response indicated that they were responsible and willing participants in the covenant. Their participation and the unanimous response indicated that they shared a common vision and purpose.

Moshe and B’nai Yisroel had a shared vision. Moshe experienced numerous revelations as an individual. However, at Sinia, he shared that revelation with B’nai Israel. As the leader, the disseminator of Law, and the one responsible for transmitting that law to the people, Moshe is responsible for not only transmitting law but doing everything he can to make sure that B’nai Israel has a shared and common vision, a sense of citizenship and common experience. By doing so, he improves the chances that this new society will be able to survive in the future. President Biden’s speech reflected that same idea. Speak in a language and from a common shared experience. That sense of shared common experience binds us as a people and offers the best chance of solving the problems of the future. 

Peace,
Rav Yitz

Lately It Occurs To Me What A Long Strange Trip It's Been (Robert Hunter, Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh & Bob Weir- "Truckin' ")

           I recently visited my parents. I wanted to check on them as they continue to recover from Covid. While we were eating dinner, we began to speak about future life cycle events and opportunities for our family to spend time together. In the upcoming year, there will be University Graduation and a grandson learning in Israel and returning next summer. Since my parents are both 80, they also hope that they can see their grandchildren get engaged and married. As we spoke of these imminent and hopeful future lifecycle moments, a discussion that was clearly focused on the future; something odd began to happen. With each grandchild and their future lifecycle events, my parents began talking about past events. With an eye toward the future, both of my parents continued to discuss the path that each grandchild had taken.

          This morning we read from Parsha Matot/Masei. These are the final two parshiot of Sefer BaMidbar (Book of Numbers).  Like the end of most books, Matot/Masei ties up numerous loose ends. It ties up the loose ends of the narrative such as how to deal with the Midianites following the episode with Pinchas, the daughters of Tzelophchad, and issues of inheritance, as well as the borders of Eretz Canaan, and the Cities of Refuge. All these final issues must be dealt with since, from a narrative perspective, B’nai Yisroel is spiritually and physically ready to cross the Jordan River and enter Eretz Canaan. B’nai Yisroel is about to realize the Brit, the covenant that God made with the Avot: Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov.

     Whenever an individual, a group, a community, or a people stand on the precipice of a realized goal; looking back upon the journey only makes sense.  Whenever an individual, a group, a community, or a people experience anxiety about the ability to handle future unknowns; looking back at past lessons also seems to make a lot of sense. We look back upon the journey for a variety of reasons. First, we look back upon the journey in sheer wonderment; we cannot believe we have traveled so far and finally achieved. Second, we look back upon the journey in order to provide context and meaning for all those who joined in the journey towards the middle or the end. Third, we look back upon the journey as a series of opportunities that were necessary in order to realize the stated goal. Fourth, we look back knowing that we overcame past obstacles and fears, then we should be able to overcome future anxieties, obstacles, and fears.  Eilah Masei V’nai Yisroel Asher Yatzu M’Eretz Mitztrayim L'tzivotam  B’Yad Moshe v’Aharon – These are the journeys of the Children of Israel, who went forth from the Land of Egypt according to the legions under the hand of Moshe and Aharon … V’Eilah Maseihem L’Motzaheihem – And these are their journeys according to their departures. (Num. 33:1-2) God commanded Moshe to keep a record of their travels according to their Maseihem - destination. This is means of recording based upon positive expectations when there were no travails, issues, or problems. Moshe also kept a record of their travels based upon Motzaheihem -  their departure, when there were travails, issues, and great difficulties, when people murmured against God, against Moshe, etc. Now that Bnai Yisroel stands on the brink of entering Eretz Canaan, all the experiences, both positive and negative gave Bnai Yisroel an opportunity to learn Faith.  The journey and all that was experienced during that 40-year journey were necessary in order to arrive at this point in time.

          One of the final commandments that God gives to Moshe is to record where B'nai Israel had been.  Before embarking on the future, B'nai Israel needed to know from whence they came. As my parents and I finished dinner, I thought that the seamless shift between the future paths of their grandchildren's lives and the paths that they traveled took an interesting twist. They both understood and appreciated that the path that their grandchildren had taken, and the anticipated future lifecycle moments have a lot to do with the path the parents have taken and in turn the path that the grandparents have taken. At that moment, generations, choices, and paths taken became interconnected; past and future merged. The lesson became clear. One needs to know where one comes from in order to make the wisest decisions on the path forward towards the future. 

Peace,

Rav Yitz 

I Hope You Will Believe What I Say Is True (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "They Love Each Other")

           It was an especially bittersweet week this week. It was my grandfather’s yahrzeit this week and it is our son’s Bar Mitzvah Parsha. Being the only one in the house,  I found myself gazing just a little bit longer at some of the pictures of my son and my grandfather. One picture, in particular, kept catching my eye, and I found myself gazing at it just a bit longer. The picture was taken during my sister’s wedding. It is a picture of my grandfather and his legacy: his son, grandson, and a great-grandson. The three adults, my grandfather, father, and I are standing shoulders straight across, but my son is situated between his grandfather and great-grandfather. There we are, four generations: a great grandfather, a grandfather, a father, and a young son, all in tuxedos, and all smiling. All at very different points in life.

          This week's Parsha is Re'eh. Moshe continues his discourse. He has already explained the Mitzvot, and he continues to do that. Moshe has alluded to the blessings of life if B'nai Yisroel follows God's commandments. He has and continues to allude to the curses that will befall B'nai Yisroel if they violate the most important commandment-idolatry. Moshe presents B'nai Yisroel with two pictures, a world when B'nai Yisroel lives up to its covenant with God and one in which they don't.  He reminds Bnai Yisroel of the sanctity of Eretz Yisroel (the Land of Israel), the consumption of foods that are consecrated to the Kohanim and he warns Bnai Yisroel to avoid imitating the Rituals and Rites of the Egyptians and the Canaanites. Moshe reminds Bnai Yisroel to be careful of false prophets, avoiding non-kosher foods, not living in wayward cities, forgiving loans after seven years, care for the less fortunate, and celebrating the three pilgrimage festivals of Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot.

          Moshe’s dire warning concerning false prophets and listening to family members that follow false prophets is quite peculiar. First, the false prophet and dreamer comes from B'nai Yisroel. Second,  Moshe presents the warning in an “if” then statement. Ki Yakum B’Kirbecha Navi O Chalom  - If there should stand up in your midst a prophet or dreamer, and he will produce a sign or a wonder… (Deut. 13:2). The “then” part of the statement is straightforward and simple. “Lo Tishma” - Don’t listen, even if the prophecy or the sign and wonder comes true and apparently supporting the false prophet and dreamer. Moshe tells us to ignore the sign and the wonder, then  Moshe continues by telling us that the false prophet is really God testing us, testing our loyalty and the integrity of our relationship with God.  Moshe tells us what to do with the false prophet and the dreamer but there doesn’t appear to be any punishment for following the false prophet. Why are no punishments presented? Why would we ignore the “miracle”, the sign and the wonder? The false prophet and dreamer must be telling us something that we want to hear rather than what we need to hear. The false prophet must be telling us something that is easily demonstrable and provable yet fails to appeal to the “holiness’ of our relationship with God. Rather, the false prophet and dreamer appeals to our "human nature", our natural instincts. God, Torah, and the covenant always appeal to our godly and spiritual instincts. Moshe reminds us to help the stranger, help the poor, don’t behave like the dominant culture, not to “press” a borrower if they have difficulty repaying, and ignore those in authority if they convince you to do what you know is wrong, even if it makes us feel better. Moshe reminds the B’nai Yisroel that the punishment for disloyalty, for following the false prophet and the dreamer, is to end up like the rest of the nations that used to inhabit Canaan. The punishment for B’nai Yisroel’s failure is to lose the land.  

Seven years and four months after the picture was taken, the great grandfather passed away. A year after his death, the young son stood before the Kotel next to the father, received an Aliya, read from Parsha Re’Eh, and became a Bar Mitzvah. The grandfather,  long retired, had been too sick to travel so he and his wife watched as we streamed everything from Jerusalem.  It is now four years since the young son’s Bar Mitzvah and he will be entering grade 12,  and his grandfather, who turns 80 in a few months, is in good health. The father tears up when looking at a picture of a moment when four generations stood together, worrying about the health of the elder generation, worrying about the decisions and life choices facing the younger generation.  As I look at the picture, I am keenly aware of the wisdom I received from my elders and I do everything I can to transmit their wisdom, their truth, their wariness of moral relativism, and their suspicion of anyone who claims to have all the easy answers to complex problems and issues. There, in that picture, are three generations, who received the elder’s moral code, lives by it, and tries to remain true to it. For that is truly the greatest gift he left us.

Peace,
Rav Yitz