'Cause When Life Looks Like Easy Street, There Is Danger At Your Door (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - (Uncle John's Band")

Our 8^th grade daughter participated in softball tournament with other 8^th girls representing the Toronto area Day Schools. Thankfully the weather was in the mid sixties, sunny and clear. The tournament was held right near my shul so I strolled over and watched for a few minutes. Some of the school teams had talented girls representing them. It was evident that some of the school teams had practiced for weeks, understood the fundamentals of the game and used appropriate technique to catch the ball, throw the ball and hit the ball. I remember that when our daughter was younger, I taught her how to swing a baseball bat, how to catch and how to throw. After she turned 11 or 12 and exhibited absolutely zero interest in baseball, I didn’t exert the effort in showing her how to catch, throw, hit or even really play the game. Thankfully our daughter has a wonderful attitude and likes to participate so she wasn’t too terribly despondent when I showed up and she told me that she had not had a hit yet nor had she even reached base in eight at bats. Interestingly enough her lack of despondency and disappointment were directly related to the fact that this was a casual sort of experience and not something to take so seriously.  

This Shabbat we read from Parsha Bechukotai. It is the final Parsha of the Book of Leviticus. For the past ten Parshiot, Sefer Vayikra, the Book of Leviticus has taught us how to act in a holy manner. We have learned how to behave towards God in a holy manner. We have been taught how to treat member of our family in a holy manner. We have been taught how to treat people outside of our family, friends, acquaintances, employees, and the needy in a holy manner as well. We have been given tools by which we are able to approach God in a sanctified way. We have been given tools to sanctify the seasons, as well as the land of Israel. Finally, here in the last Parsha we are told the reward as well as the punishment if we fail to learn and observe these commandments. The reward is quite simple and straightforward.  Im B’Chukotai Teileichu v’Et Mitzvotai Tishmeru Va’Asitem Otam V’Natati Gishmeichem B’Itam V’Natna Ha’Aretz Y’Vulah V’Eitz Ha’Sadeh Yiten Piryo – If you follow my decrees and observe my commandments and perform them; then I will provide you with rains in their time, and the land will give its produce an the tree of the field will give its fruit. (Lev. 26:3-4). Ultimately our reward is predicated upon fulfilling the commandments.

The punishment is neither simple nor straightforward. Normally one would think that merely our failure to observe and fulfill the commandment would be reason enough for punishment. However this is not the case. Our punishment is a result of something worse than our failure to observe and fulfill these commandments.  V’Im Lo Tishme’u Li, V’Lo Ta’asu Eit Kol HaMitzvot Ha’Eila – If you will not listen to me (obey) and will not perform all of these commandments; V’Im B’Chukotai Timasu V’Im Et Mishpatai Tigal Nafshechem – if you consider my Decrees loathsome, and if your being rejects My ordinances (Lev. 26: 14-15) then we receive punishment. There are a series of seven sets of punishments and after each set; we are given an opportunity for Tshuvah, for Repentance. If after each set of punishments we continue to ignore God, then we receive another set of punishments. The Torah keeps repeating a phrase which is far more powerful than “ignoring” God. V’Halachtem Imi B’Keri and if you behave towards Me cavalierly, then the next set of punishments are warranted. It could be argued that our divine punishment is a result of our lack of passion, our lack of care and concern for our role and responsibility in our relationship to God.

Torah is teaching us a valuable lesson about life. Life is sacred. The relationships that we make can and should be sacred, not only with our husbands and wives and our children but with God as well. Self improvement and trying to get the most out of our abilities is directly proportional to how casual and cavalier we are. Success, as Malcolm Gladwell writes in his book Outliers, depends upon putting in tremendous amounts of time, effort and energy to doing something better than the previous time. For our covenant with God, we need to put in the effort and energy to study and learn. For my daughter’s last at bat of the day, well she finally got on base.  I guess I better find the time and have her put in the time if this is something that she truly enjoys doing.

Peace,

Rav Yitz

Actions Speak Louder Than Words, But I'm A Man With Great Experience (Otis Redding - "Hard To Handle")

Earlier this week, I started my morning like I always do and I turned on my favorite morning news show. The talking heads were discussing the General Colin Powell’s appearance on Meet the Press and his criticism of the state of the Republican Party. Our son came downstairs as I am watching and asks who they were talking about and who that African American person is. I explained that Colin Powell had been a General, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Secretary of State. Our son asked if he was a friend to Israel. I told our son the following story about Colin Powell. “The South Bronx of the 1950’s was a thriving community that was predominantly home to Orthodox Jews. There was a baby store on the corner of Westchester Ave. and Fox, called Sickser’s. While the language of the store was primarily Yiddish, all languages were spoken since so many different people purchased baby items from Sickser. One spring day, when business was unusually heavy, Mr. Sickser went outside and stopped the first young man he saw and offered him a job. The young teen-age boy smiled and took the job. He proved to be an excellent worker, willing to learn, diligent and honest. Despite his Jamaican background, he picked up enough Yiddish that he could converse with those Jewish customers whose English was not fluent. While attending CCNY (City College of New York), the young man kept his job with Sickser as it offered him stability. The young man graduated from CCNY with a degree in Geology and Engineering. He did several tours of duty during the Viet Nam War. Along with General Schwarzkopf, he was the unquestionable authority during the Persian Gulf War. He became a Five Star General, and Head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Colin Powell is now the Secretary of State. In 1993, upon meeting then Prime Minister, Yitzchak Shamir, General Powell said to him “Men Kent Reden Yiddish” (We can speak Yiddish). Shamir was stunned. Powell never forgot his early days in the Bronx. More important, Powell never forgot the lesson: The object in life is to do good. Work within the system, apply oneself to obligations and everything is possible.”

  In this week’s Parsha, Bo, we read all about actions and deeds. God’s actions are embodied by the final 3 plagues. The tenth and last one being the destruction of Egypt’s first born. Pharaoh’s actions are embodied in his calling to Moshe and Aharon, in his apology (Ex. 10:16), in revoking the apology, and finally in sending B’nai Yisroel out. B’nai Yisroel’s actions are embodied in the 16 separate, yet seemingly redundant actions concerning the Pesach holiday as explained in Ex.11:4-13:16. From the Paschal Sacrifice to “remembering this day”, there is a sense that Moshe tells B’nai Yisroel of God’s plan before he hears it from God. There is also the sense that we, as the readers, must read the instructions two or three times. First we read the instructions as given to Moshe. Second, we read the instructions as given to B’nai Yisroel. Third, God reiterates all this to Moshe and B’nai Yisroel three days into their journey. Perhaps this sense of redundancy is best illustrated in chapter 12.  VaYeilchu VaYa’Asu Bnei Yisroel Ka’Asher Tzivah  Adoshem et Moshe V’Aharon, Kein Asu -B’nai Yisroel went and did as God commanded Moshe and Aharon, so did they do (12:28).

Fundamental to Judaism is the notion that we must do Judaism. Ultimately we are judged by actions. We are a people of Mitzvot, Chukim, u’Mishpatim (commandments, statutes and judgments). These Laws and Statutes govern our behavior.  On Yom Kippur, we stand before God and our fellow human beings and seek forgiveness for our actions, and for our behavior. We are a religion built upon actions and deeds, not creeds and dogmas.The Sefer HaChinuch, the 14^th century book of Mitzvah education explains the redundancy from the Jewish perspective of judgment based upon action and deed. “A person is influenced in accordance with his actions. His heart and all his thoughts are always drawn after the deeds in which he is occupied, whether he is good or bad.” Even a person who is thoroughly wicked in his/her heart, and every thought is evil, if his/her spirit is aroused to do Torah and mitzvot, even for the wrong reasons, eventually he will veer towards good. The heart follows the deed. Likewise the person who is thoroughly righteous, and honest, but constantly engages in questionable behavior or a questionable occupation, at some point his/her heart will turn from righteousness. “For this reason the sages said: God wished to make the Jewish people meritorious; therefore he gave them a multitude of Mitzvot.”

            Upon our actions, we are evaluated. Upon our deeds, we are judged. In Parshah Bo we read how our ancestors behaved with merit. They observed God’s instruction, and finally, they left Egypt. Every day we have the opportunity to do good.  Fortunately for us, we neither have the hardship of slavery, nor the torturous workouts to prepare us for all of life’s possibilities. To be mentshlekite we need only learn and apply what we learned to doing good.  So on that early morning discussion with our son, I reminded him that his job is to learn and to do at least one good thing for another person.
          

Peace,

Rav Yitz

Finders Keeper Losers Weepers (Jerry Garcia & Merle Saunders)

I suppose it is tough being he youngest and only boy in our family. Our son has three older sisters.  Because he is the youngest, he thinks he can actually get away with almost anything. This past week, as we have packed for a move to our new home, and began unpacking in our new home; our son has been quite keen on organizing his room and unpacking. Every once in a while he will come across something in a bag or box that clearly does not belong to him. When his sisters realize that their possession is in his room our son loudly proclaims:  “Finders keepers loser weepers!” Soon a fight breaks out and our son re-iterates his firm belief in the idea that if you find something, then you get to claim it as your own. I congratulate him on his expert understanding of Finders Keepers Loser’s Weepers and then explain that in this house that rule does not apply.

            This week we read from Parsha Ki Teitze. Moshe reminds B'nai Yisroel of a variety of Laws. Moshe begins with the laws of behavior during war. Specifically, Moshe explains that a soldier cannot behave like an animal. Raping and Pillaging are not acceptable forms of behavior even during war. Instead the soldier mu st go through a period of time where he “cools off” and thinks about the practical implications of taking a captive wife. Moshe continues with laws concerning newlyweds, the rebellious son, the rights of the first born, the humane treatment of animals,  the sanctity of the camp, the Levirite marriage, and wiping out the memory of Amalek to name of the few mitzvot that  Moshe re-iterates. All these laws focus on human relations. All of these laws remind us that we must try to appeal the holiest aspect of ourselves and the basest aspect within our selves.

            Among the most practical laws that Moshe mentions is the laws concerning lost property. Lo Tireh Et Shor Achicha O Et Seiv Nidachim V’Hitalamta Meihem Hasheiv T’Shiveim L’Achicha. You Shall not see the ox of your brother or his sheep or goat cast off; and hide yourself from them; and you shall surely return them to your brother. Who is the “them” that the Torah refers? Is the “them” referring to the animals or the actually owners? The Talmud explains that them is the actual owners, in this particular case the sibling. Human nature suggest that we would be overcome by greed and perhaps even justify our actions because the person knows the owners. In the case when we don’t know the owners; one feels a greater sense of trying to return the lost item. When we know the owner, when it is our sibling, we make a series of assumptions that justify our taking and keeping the animals. Moshe reminds us that we can’t assume that our brother would want us to have the found item. Rather we need to actively overcome our greed, cherish our possessions and refrain from behavior that would make us want to hide ourselves. The Talmud also points out that the “them” could mean the animals. That is to say, when one sees our siblings animals (read: possessions), we ought not to hide from the animals. We should bring the animals’ home, and then notify the siblings that we have their possessions. If we agree with the Talmud’s first explanation, we are assuming a rather bleak perspective on human nature. If we agree with the Talmud’s second explanation, then we hold human nature in a more positive light.

Perhaps I am cynical. Maybe it is because I am a parent and have heard our son say “Finders Keepers” once too often. I do know that as we continue to unpack; I am willing to bet that our son will have an opportunity to fulfill the mitzvah of found property.  I have already told him that the next time he finds one of his sisters’ things; he ought to actively seek out his sister and return the item before she realizes that she was missing the item in the first place.  I promised him that it will make him feel better. The good thing is that there are so many boxes and I did the packing. And I know that by the end of the packing and the moving day everyone’s stuff was thoroughly mixed up.

Peace
Rav Yitz

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

Our eldest daughter has now started her new life. Now a college graduate, she has beaten the odds and actually found a job in her major: Political Science. She has moved out west to work on the Presidential campaign. While we are all excited for her; the conversations leading up to her first day of work had very little to do with working on a presidential campaign.  In fact she seem to call me only when she needed something from me: Money, a credit card, her anxiety about starting a new phase of life, a car. So I gave her some money, I have put off the issue of a credit card for a while,  I laughed at her anxiety reminded her that she is lucky to be employed and then reminded her that this is what she wanted to be doing, “What could possibly be the problem?” Then I explained how to buy a car. Thinking for a moment that I had been a wise and good father, I receive another phone call from my daughter. It turns out that I am no co-signing for her car loan.  A couple of days later she called. Before she could speak, I told her that she cannot call me anymore if she is only going to ask me for things. It seemed that with every phone call, she indicated another degree of frustration, aggravation or dissatisfaction with her life circumstances.  I am thinking what I wouldn’t give to be 22, right out of college working and having minimal expenses and only being responsible for myself! How dissatisfying could one possibly be?

This week’s Parsha is Eikev. Here in his second discourse, Moshe reminds B'nai Yisroel of the reward for fulfilling the commandment, their parents’ experience of the Exodus from Egypt, the miracle, the Eigel Zahav (the Golden Calf) as well as the trials and tribulations of the life in the wilderness. 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), and as long as B’nai Yisroel keeps its side of the B’rit, God will continue to protect his people and they will remain in the Eretz Canaan

Particularly noteworthy in the parsha is what is known as the second Paragraph of the Shema. This Paragraph contain 7 verses and essentially outlines the reward for Bnai Yisroel’s observance of God’s commandments. Just exactly what is the reward for Bnai Yisroel’s undying loyalty to Hashem and the observance of the commandment? While I am sure many expected something really large and quite awesome; the reward seems rather small and simple. Yet the reward is also quite profound. 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 in our fields for our cattle and we will eat and be satisfied. It certainly doesn’t very glamorous. Yet it does speak to the human condition.  Rashi explains the reward 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.”

I spoke to my daughter earlier this week. I said it would be nice to hear from her and not have her need something from me nor express some degree of dissatisfaction with something. She actually understood and proceeded to tell me that now that she has a car, now that she has started working, now that she has collected her first paycheck, she feel like a person. For now she actually used the word “satisfied”.  I wish I could say that I was satisfied. Now I just have another thing to keep me awake at night. Now I need to worry about my daughter having a car at her disposal driving all around the state of Colorado. Even worse, because of the two hour time difference, I won’t know if she arrived home safely by the time I go to sleep at night. I guess I won’t be very satisfied with the quality of my sleep until the campaign is finished.

Peace,

Rav Yitz.

Every Day You Got To Pay (John Barlow & Bob Weir "Lost Sailor")

Sundays in our house are hardly a relaxing part of the weekend. In some ways, it is busier, involves much more coordination of schedules and is rather hectic. For our children, Sunday is potentially a great day. No Shabbat restrictions and no school means that our children go out of their way to cram as many things into Sunday as possible. No Shabbat restrictions and no School means that our children try to make Sunday the extraordinarily fun and exciting day. Of course this attitude is totally at odds with the parents who would prefer a relaxing and leisurely sort of day. Well needless to say, our children invariably carry the day. This past Sunday was typical of the “Sunday has to be the most exciting and extraordinary day” attitude. Our 6^th grade daughter was invited to a Bat Mitzvah party. My wife and I were invited but as an aveil (a mourner) my wife could not attend, so I went with our daughter. In the mean time, my wife took our 4^th grader to a social function at her school and dropped off our 2^nd grade son at the first of two birthday parties. After running a few errands our son was picked up and then dropped off at the next party. By then the Bat Mitzvah Party concluded and I took our daughter home. I then went back to the school and picked up our other daughter whose program just ended. After re-convening at the house for a few moments, my wife and our two daughters had to run to the store, (for what – I do not know). I went to pick up our son from his second birthday party. He and I went to minyan and then we all finally caught up with each other at dinner. Of course, none of our children were hungry, having stuffed themselves with pizza candy and ice cream all day. After dinner they happily showered and went to bed. Exhausted and with stomachs hurting each child said the same thing to me as I kissed them goodnight. Each child was actually happy that this “exciting, extraordinary day” was over and they were happy to return to their everyday schedule. My wife and I agreed. Thankful that Sunday was finally ending we were only too happy to return to the comfort of everyday life.

Last week we read about the revelation at Sinai, with the thunder, the lightening, and a big booming voice. Last week we read the Aseret Dibrot, the Ten Commandments. Last week we were inspired by the words “I am the lord your god, you should have no other gods before me” “you shall keep the Sabbath holy”, respect your parents, and so on and so on. Of course these commandments are the bedrock of Judeo- Christian morality and society. However when the thunder and lightning are finished, and the big booming voice stops booming, B’nai Yisroel has Ten Commandments. However they still had a problem. They told Moshe to return to the mountain but they never acknowledged their acceptance of the Ten Commandments. We can almost imagine Bnai Yisroel so awestruck that they couldn’t muster an answer. After all, seeing a mountain on fire, the thunder, the lightning and a big booming voice, does not exactly lend itself to people nodding their head in understanding and approval. The moment was so awesome, so inspiring, that it utterly paralyzed Bnai Yisroel. Even the commandments themselves were so awe inspiring that Bnai Yisroel has no way to deal with the day to day issues of everyday life.

However, B’nai Yisroel, like the rest of us, could not and cannot live life in a state of revelation, awe and unable to function in the everyday world. As human beings, our ability to stay that awe-inspired, can only last a brief moment before we understand that we live here on earth and not in the spiritual realm. Now Bnai Yisroel had to learn how to behave like a nation of priests here, on an everyday basis. This week’s Parshah, Mishpatim, begins: V’Eilah Hamishpatim, And these are the judgments or laws that you [Moshe], shall put before them. God then lists a plethora of rules and regulations by which everyday life must be lived. The list enumerates how to solve problems that occur between community members: the treatment strangers and slaves and how to be a mentsche. Except for attorneys, this list of laws and statutes might seem incredibly uninspiring, dry, and non-spiritual.

Even in the dry, seemingly uninspired promulgation of these everyday laws, we learn a very valuable lesson. Parsha Mishpatim, with its plethora of laws and statutes provide us with the tools for everyday life. We know how to take the mundane and add meaning and holiness to it. Torah gives us the tools. We learn that revelation doesn’t happen too often. Grand, powerful, awe inspiring events don’t happen every day. If such moments did occur every day then those moments would cease being so grand, so powerful and so awe-inspiring. Certainly, each day can often run into another day without hearing a big booming voice, without fire without lightening or a smoking mountain. Every day can become quite mundane and routine. Judaism is not confined to one revelation, which only occurred at Sinai. We are capable of experiencing revelation everyday; it just won’t be the “Ten Commandments” type of revelation. Parshah Mishpatim tells how to do this. Every day, in our relationships with fellow human being, God, and ourselves; we have an opportunity to behave in a holy and mentschlekite manner.

Despite the mundane and dry presentation of these rules, Bnai Yisroel’s response is completely inspired. The response seems more appropriate to the inspired moments of the Ten Commandments. However by responding to the humdrum laws that govern everyday life, with the words Na’Aseh V’Nishmah We will do and we will learn, we learn a powerful lesson about the awe inspired moment of the Ten Commandments and the mundane aspects of daily life and everyday relationships. Bnai Yisroel’s answer suggests that we are capable of inspiring ourselves, by finding revelation, by experiencing revelation even in the mundane aspects of life, in learning, in struggling to combine the sacred and the profane and the holy and the mundane. By doing, by behaving, by treating other like a mentshe, by observing the mundane mitzvot of relationships we make it part of our lives then we can learn about it. It is only when we come down off the mountain, break down our walls, enter into the inner sanctum, and make the secular world fit into our observance that Judaism thrives. Torah and Mitzvot are approachable and accessible. It has come down from off the mountain. It has to be part of everyday life.

Peace,

Rav Yitz