Pretty Soon Won't Trust You For The Weather ( Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "They Love Each Other")

Lately, my son has been sitting with me watching many of the news shows that I watch. Maybe he wants to spend time with me.  This week we learned of a Times of Israel article about the U.S. President’s upcoming trip to Israel, Saudi Arabia and Rome. This is President’ Trump’s first overseas visit as President so the eyes of the world will be on Trump. America's allies will be watching and so will America's enemies. For the first time ever, a U.S. President plans to visit the Kotel (Western Wall). This is a very big deal. It is a big deal for the Israel. It is a big deal for the Jewish People. Israeli Government representatives asked the White House representatives if Prime Minister Netanyahu could accompany the President. Could the Israeli press cover this historical moment? Normally, before the President arrives, representatives of the from the State Department usually arrive a week or two ahead, work out the itinerary, security, meetings according to  all the necessary  international protocol. Unfortunately, the State Department is only minimally staffed as the President decided to severely cut its budget. As a result, the White House has sent representatives to make these preparations and they are not quite as well trained as the State Department. During a meeting with their Israeli counterparts, the Presidents itinerary was discussed. With great ignorance and arrogance, the White House representative declined Netanyahu’s offer to accompany the president and couldn’t understand why Israel and the Israeli press cared so much about the President’s visit to the Wall since the Wall and Jerusalem were part of the West Bank. Not only did the ignorant comment make the news in Israel it made the news in the United States and Canada. By the next day the White House put out an explanation. As our children watched the news with me that night and saw me shaking my head; our son asked me why I seemed so disgusted. Like a good father, and a typical rabbi, I answered his question with a question. “Why do you think?” He thought for a moment, I could see him thinking. He astutely remarked that over the past couple of weeks, the President, otherwise known as the leader of the free world, fired the Head of the FBI, the day after during a meeting with the two Russian official in the Oval Office, verbally passed along classified information, White House representatives are making asinine comments about Jerusalem and the Wall as being part of the West Bank and the classified information that the President shared with the Russians in the Oval Office came from Israeli intelligence sources. My son told me that I probably shook my head out of disgust because the Leader of the Free World was so untrustworthy, and if the President is not to be trusted, that diminishes America, and a diminished America is not at all good for Israel.

This week, we again read a double portion, Parsha Behar and Parsha Bechukotai. These are the last two Parshiot of Sefer Vayikrah (Book of Leviticus). Throughout the entire book, we have read how to elevate our lives with holiness. We elevate our lives by thanking God and atoning to God, through a variety of Korbonot. We elevate our lives by avoiding behavior that defiles us; we don’t marry our sisters. We elevate our lives in everyday physical behaviors; we only eat certain types of food. We elevate our lives by consciously setting aside holy times throughout the day, week, and season. In Parsha Behar we elevate our lives and our land with holiness by setting aside another type of sacred time, Shmita (the seventh year.) Just like the seventh day (Shabbat) is a day of rest. Shmita is a year of rest. Every seventh year, all outstanding debts are cancelled. The land lies fallow. Slaves and servants are set free. Agriculturally speaking, there is a benefit. Resting the soil for a year allows for replenishment of nutrients. Rabbinically speaking, less time devoted to agricultural concerns meant more time devoted to Torah study! Parsha Bechukotai, being the end of Leviticus, tells us the ramifications for behavior. “If you’ll keep the commandments… then I’ll send the rains in their time, the earth and trees will give forth their produce, you’ll settle securely in the land…I will multiply you…I will walk with you” (Lev. 25:3-10). If we don’t live up to these standards, if we neglect adding Kedushah (holiness) to our lives, if we “don’t perform these commandments, if we consider these decrees loathsome, if we reject these ordinances, if we annul the covenant, then I will do the same to you…. (Lev. 26:14:17) God will annul us. All blessing will become curses.

            While the Torah does not paint a very pleasant picture, both parshiot reflect the vital importance of Bitachon, trust in God. In Behar, we may consider this notion of Shmita to be quite nice. All debts are cancelled. On the other hand, if the land is to lie fallow, what would people eat? We are urged to trust God. “I will command my blessing upon the sixth year and it will bring forth (enough) produce for three years (Lev. 25:20-21).  The Chatam Sofer, (Rabbi Moshe Shreiber from Frankfort on the Main, Germany 1762-1839) explained the importance of reminding us that the Mitzvah of Shmita originated from Sinai just like the Mitzvah of gathering the Manna while B’nai Yisroel wandered and traveled to Eretz Yisroel.  God provided a double portion of Manna on Friday thereby guaranteeing enough food for Shabbat during their time of wandering; so too God will “guarantee” enough produce in the sixth year when they are living in the land. B’nai Yisroel won’t starve in the seventh (Shmita) year nor will they starve in the first year of the next cycle while they are waiting for that year’s harvest.

            So what does the Torah teach us? We learn that every rung climbed towards Kedushah, confirms our trust in God. Rather than diminishing ourselves out of ignorance and arrogance, we remind ourselves of God’s presence in all aspect of our lives including the harvest, the Jubilee year, and helping those most vulnerable. Because of this constant reminder, we trust that God is Holy, otherwise we would have no need to be holy. We trust that everything pure and good is attributable to God. Otherwise, we would constantly defile ourselves. We trust that we are created in God’s image. Otherwise, there is no reason to treat people with kindness first. Trust in God, in a sense, is a spiritually individualized Mishkan. The Mishkan was built so that God would dwell among us. Similarly, if our purpose is to attain higher and higher levels of Kedusha, we trust that the end result is God’s dwelling within us. Leviticus teaches us that God is involved in our daily routine. Our struggle for Kedusha is our way of reminding ourselves of this fact. Failure to remind ourselves means we fall away from God and our faith diminishes. When we lack in faith and trust in God, it diminishes the Jewish people. When the Leader of the Free World cannot be trusted, well, my son will watch me continue shaking my head in disappointment as the diminished of the United States and in concern for the welfare of Israel.

Peace,

Rav Yitz

Hearts Of Summer Held In Trust, Still Tender Young And Green (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Days Between")

           It is crunch time in our house. With Pesach out of the way, my wife’s attention has turned towards our youngest daughter’s bat mitzvah. It seems as if there is a never ending list of things for my wife to do. Dresses, shoes, caterer, Shabbat meals, theme, centerpieces, colors, hotel rooms for some out of town guests, Shabbat hospitality for other out of town guests, her speech, and seating arrangements need to be accounted for. One of the big questions that I am sure most people are wondering about is if my wife worries and deals with all these variables then what do I do? My job seems much simpler. I study with our daughter. We study about the topic of her choice. We learn together and I help her write her speech and present it. Of course, if my wife doesn’t see me learning with our daughter, or she doesn’t see our daughter writing her speech or practicing her speech, well then it’s just another thing for her to worry about and focus upon. With so much to do, so much to worry about both very important and, let’s be honest, somewhat less important and even the stuff that is downright narishkeit and irrelevant (my opinion only and I am no party planner); my poor wife wakes up in the morning already feeling overwhelmed stating her hope beyond hope that she can “start crossing things of the To Do List!” Honestly, I try to help. I say things like, “Don’t worry, it will be terrific and our daughter will be wonderful. Our guests will have a lovely time.” Or I will say something like, “Why are you worrying so much? We have done this twice before and it worked out fine.” While those words may be comforting, (although I am starting to think that they are not), the fact that I say it while sipping coffee, and watching the first few minutes of Morning Joe (my news show) at 6:15am, acting, as if, according to my wife, I don’t have a care in the world, might not be the best way to deliver that message.  Before she says another word or gives me a look, I just remind her that she needs to trust the moment, and trust in her guests. Everything will be wonderful, not necessarily because my wife has worried about and taken care of every detail, but rather everything will be wonderful because our daughter will speak passionately and intelligently, and our guests are sharing in our daughter’s simchah.

This week, we read, Parsha Behar.  For the last several Parshiot, the Torah has provided us with numerous examples of how to elevate our lives if we happen to be Kohanim, or if we happen to be anything besides Kohanim. For the past several weeks, the Torah has provided us numerous examples of holy relationships and unholy relationships as well as more sacred times and less sacred times.  Now, in Parsha Behar we are taught how the land of Eretz Yisroel can elevate our lives in holiness, Shmitta (the seventh year.) Just like the seventh day (Shabbat) is a day of rest. Shmitta is a year of rest. Every seventh year, all outstanding debts are cancelled. The land lies fallow. Slaves and servants are set free. Agriculturally speaking, there is a benefit. Resting the soil for a year allows for replenishment of nutrients. Rabbinically speaking, less time devoted to agricultural concerns meant more time devoted to Torah study!

            Perhaps most important aspect of Parsha Behar is implicit in the Mitzvah associated with Shmitta, the notion of Bitachon, trust in God. In Behar, we may consider this notion of Shmitta to be quite nice. All debts are cancelled. On the other hand, if the land is to lie fallow, what would people eat? We are urged to trust God.   V’Tziviti  Et BirChati Lachem Ba’Shanah Ha’Shishit V’Asah Et Hatvuah Lishlosh Ha’Shanim - I will ordain My blessing for you in the sixth year and it will yield  a crop sufficient  for the three-year period (Lev. 25: 21). Just like God provided a double portion of Manna on Friday and thereby guarantee enough food for Shabbat, so too God will “guarantee” enough produce in the sixth year. B’nai Yisroel won’t starve in the seventh (Shmitta) year.

In the process of climbing the rungs of the Kedusha ladder, we ultimately need to learn to trust God. Successfully achiever each level of Kedusha confirms that sense of Bitachon, Trust. We trust that God is Holy; otherwise we would have no need to be holy. We trust that everything pure and good is attributable to God. Otherwise, we would constantly defile ourselves. We trust that we are created in God’s image. Otherwise, there is no reason to treat people with kindness first. Trust in God, in a sense, is a spiritually individualized Mishkan. The Mishkan was built so that God would dwell among us. Similarly, if our purpose is to attain higher and higher levels of Kedusha, we trust that the end result is God’s dwelling within us. From where I sit first thing in the morning sensing my wife’s stress while I drink coffee and watch Morning Joe, I know that if we have done our job and put in the effort, then we have to learn to trust that our daughter is prepared, trust the fact that our guests are there to share in our daughter’s simchah, trust that our family just want to beam with pride that their sister, granddaughter, niece, and cousin has achieved this milestone, then everything else, (except paying for it), will take care of itself. Of course my wife reminds me how easy it is for me to “trust” since I “trust” that everything will be taken care of and will work out beautifully because she did it all. Well I guess she is kind of right.

            Peace,

Rav Yitz