And Might And Glory Gonna Be My Name (John Barlow & Bob Weir- "Estimated Prophet")

During dinner one night last week, we talked about the recent decision by USY (United Synagogue Youth) to permit its executive council to inter-date. For our children, the discussion raised several important issues. First my wife and I explained what USY is, and then we explained Conservative Judaism. Then we talked about inter dating.  Interestingly enough, our children did not focus upon the issue of inter-dating. Rather they focused upon the change of policy and whether or not the elected members of the USY Executive council need to be an example of Conservative Jewish behavior for their fellow USY members. However the most passionate issue our children focused upon and perhaps the issue that they were most confused about was the fact that young adults in their late teens and early twenties were changing a policy that affected a branch of Judaism. Ultimately they wondered aloud that if enough rules are changed or even abolished, does that change Conservative Judaism? One of our children even commented that if enough rules are changed or even abolished then Conservative Judaism is a movement in name only but in substance it will come to mean nothing.  I smiled and nodded approvingly.

This week we begin the second book of the Torah; the Book of Exodus – Sefer Shmot. This second book begins with the Parsha Shmot. This week, we begin the Book of Shmot, the Book of Exodus. The first few verses essentially recount the ending of the Book of Genesis. Shmot re-iterates the fact that Yaakov and his sons came to Egypt, Yaakov dies, and the next generation, Yaakov’s sons (including Yosef) pass away. A new king assumes the mantle of power and does not know of Yosef’s great deeds. Instead, the new Pharaoh believed that this foreign population was tantamount to a fifth column. Therefore this tribe must be enslaved in order to prevent their uniting with Egypt’s external enemies. We read about the birth and growth of Moses, and his flight to Midian. We read about his becoming a husband, a shepherd, a father. We learn of his epiphany with the Burning Bush and God’s instructions plan to redeem B’nai Yisroel from slavery and Moshe’s role in the redemptive process.

Considering, that this is a completely new Sefer, a new Book of the Torah, and that dominant theme of this new book is redemption from slavery and the national revelation at Mt. Sinai, why should the text and for that matter, the Parsha begin: V’Eilah Shmot  B’nai Yisroel Ha’Baim Mitzrayaima Eit Yaakov Ish U’Veito Ba’u- And these are the name of the Children of Israel who were coming to Egypt with Jacob, each man and his household came, Reuven Shimon, Levi, Yehuda; Issachar, Zebulun , and Benjamin; Dan Naphtali; Gad and Asher. We don’t normally begin a new book with conjunction, especially the conjunction “And”.  Instead of beginning the Parsha and the Book of Shmot with Eilah (These), the Parsha begins with V’Eilah (And these). Also, we know, based upon the conclusion of the previous book, Sefer Breishit, that the sons, along with Jacob, arrived in Egypt decades before (Gen. 46:8-30). Why do these opening verses repeat the concluding verses of the previous book? RaMBaN and R’ Bachya explain that the conjunction which begins the Parsha purposefully connects this new book to the previous book.  “B’nai Yisroel”, the term now used for the extended tribe owe their existence and their future existence to V’Eilah –“and these”…. these sons of Jacob, these sons who were “with Jacob” in his descent into Egypt. Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsh (19^th Cent. Germany) explains that these twelve sons and their resulting twelve tribal families were intimately attached to Jacob, and this was the secret of Israel’s strength and survival in Egypt. Although each son had his own family, he remained connected and united with Jacob. Implicit to these opening versus we understand that the secret to B’nai Yisroel’s survival in Egypt as slaves was the strength of their connection to the teachings of their ancestors: Avraham Yitzchak and Yaakov.

The names explicitly mentioned, Jacob and his son’s, stood for something. Implicitly, these names stood for and symbolized a covenantal relationship with God. These names stood for inheriting a land, as well as making a great name for itself. Our children seemed to understand the importance of names.  Names have meaning. If the meaning is removed then the name becomes irrelevant and soon forgotten.  As we continued to discuss the recent USY decision and change in the dating policy, each one of our children reached the logical conclusion that their mom and I, and a generation of USY’ers sadly reached as well. It’s tough for a movement to have an identity if it doesn’t stand for something, and it is certainly hard to inspire people to join a movement when the movement is afraid to clearly stand for something. As our discussion finally drew to a close, my wife and I were amazed that a 14, 12, and 10 year old understood the importance of remaining connected to a sacred tradition as well as the importance of making responsible choices.

Peace,

Rav Yitz    

Truckin' I'm A Going Home (Robert Hunter, Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh - "Truckin'")

I had a chance to participate in that mid-summer sleep away camp ritual called “Visitor’s Day”. It was not as simple as jumping in the car on a Sunday morning, drive a couple of hours, see the kids and come home. I wish it was that easy. For me nothing could have been further from reality. So late Saturday night at I started driving in pouring rain. I had planned to stop at my parents’ home in Rochester.  I arrived around 1:30 am, and saw father awake, and awaiting my arrival. The good news was that I made great time. The bad news was I felt guilty because I had somehow prevented him from going to bed and an earlier hour. Still, I would be able to get 5-6 hours of sleep and, on Sunday morning I would be ready to drive another three and half hours and be at camp to enjoy a picnic lunch. I was up bright and early the next morning, I saw my mother for a few minutes, said goodbye. I saw that my wife texted me a list of things to pick up for our picnic so I stopped at Wegmans. Well one just doesn’t run into Wegmans and run out. Wegmans is the Supermarket of Supermarkets. One normally walks into Wegmans and is in awe of the numerous products, the colors and the smells. After an hour, I eventually picked up everything on the list and started driving. The highway was familiar, the exits were familiar, the route was the familiar, and the trees were familiar. The landscape was magnificent and familiar. The farms were picturesque and familiar. I must have made this drive hundreds and hundreds of times. With the horizon stretched out before me, I had a sense of constancy and comfort. Nothing had changed. I saw my wife, and my children. I had a few minutes alone with each child and my wife. I even had a moment when I saw my wife and my kids together, helping carry our picnic to the spot and had a “moment”. The “Moment” was a sense that it was worth the drive just to see them helping each other shlep all this stuff. It was a sense that it was worth the drive for me to realize that I am blessed. So we at lunch. I hung around for another couple of hours and began the long drive back to Toronto. I stopped in Rochester for Dinner. Waited for thirty minutes at the border because of traffic and then waited a little over an hour on the QEW Highway because of construction. The final 40 minutes of the drive was a blur of fog and exits and one thought sat in my head. I can’t believe I drove 9 hours on a Sunday in order to spend 2 ½ hours with my family, either I am crazy or really appreciate the fact that I am blessed.    

This Shabbat, we read from Parsha Ma’asei. It is the final Parsha of Sefer BaMidbar. Ma’asei begins with Moshe’s recording of all the places that B’nai Yisroel had traveled during the course of its 40 years of wandering. Moshe makes the final preparations for B’nai Yisroel’s entrance into Eretz Canaan: including the establishment of national and tribal boundaries. Also, Moshe gives his decision to the Daughters of Zelophchad (Parshat Pinchas) who have inherited their father’s tribal holdings. Moshe informs B’nai Yisroel of inter-tribal marriage while simultaneously retaining the integrity of tribal boundaries. Also six cities of refuge are established for those individuals who have committed manslaughter, (and accidental death) and are fleeing the avenging family member.

Whenever an individual, a group, a community or a people stand on the precipice of realizing a stated goal; looking back upon the journey only makes 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. Eilah Masei V’nai Yisroel Asher Yatzu M’Eretz Mitzrayim 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 the 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 departures, when there were travails, issues and great difficulties, when people murmured against God, against Moshe etc. Now that B’nai Yisroel stands on the brink of entering Eretz Canaan, all the experiences, both positive and negative gave B’nai Yisroel an opportunity to learn Faith.  The journey and all that was experienced during that 40-year journey was necessary in order to arrive at this point in time.

We all have journeys. Some are a lifetime. Some are a few hours. No matter the distance, and no matter the final objective, every once in a while it is important to stop and take stock of how far one has traveled. Every once in a while it is important to check out the surrounding of the journey and not only an eye on the final objective. Sometimes there is value in the journey for the journey’s sake and not just the objective. Mathematically speaking, it was kind of crazy to drive 9 hours in order to spend 2 ½ hours with my family. Except for a few delays that were beyond my control, it was also cleared my head, allowed me to take a look around and see how far I have come in my life and contemplate my future.

Peace

                Rav Yitz

I Still Might Warn A Few (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Ship of Fools")

My wife drives the minivan. She drives the carpool. She shleps a lot of material and learning supplies back and forth between her two work sights. However when we go anywhere as a family and we take the minivan, especially on long drives, I do the driving.  So I will get into the driver’s seat, I will turn on the ignition, and the car starts. Invariably, there will be warning lights that will go on and stay on as well. The gas tank light will be on, the “fix engine” light will be on, the “oil change” light will be on, the tire pressure light will be on.  Then I look over at my wife and ask as calmly as I can if she didn’t notice all the lights were on as she drove. I ask if she wasn’t curious as to why so many indicator lights were on. By this time I am so frustrated because before we can actually go anywhere, I have to go to the gas station. I need to buy gas, I need to check the air in the tires, I need to add oil, and check the transmission fluid. Obviously had I known about all the indicator lights the day or two before, I would have taken care of it right away. Clearly the indicator lights are telling the driver something. If the driver is aware of the purpose of the indicator lights and has enough concern and curiosity, the indicator lights are very helpful. However if the driver is unaware and just drives the care until it won’t move anymore, than all the indicator lights in the world won’t matter. Needless to say that my aggravation as I turn on my wife’s car is that she consistently ignores the indicator lights and figures she can always driver to the next destination and that her car will miraculously tell me what needs to fixed and just leave her out.

This morning we read from Parsha BaHalotcha. This Shabbat we read from Parsha Bahalotcha. For the previous two Parshiot, Bemidbar and Naso, Bnai Yisroel has counted and prepared for their journey from Sinai to Eretz Canaan. This week, the final preparations are ordered and executed and the departure from Sinai begins. Aaron, Moshe’s brother and the Kohen Gadol, lights the lamp for the Mishkan, the entire Levite tribe is purified, offerings made and their service for maintenance of the Mishkan begins. Final instructions for observing Pesach under these new conditions, (they were not leaving Egypt anymore nor had they arrived in the land) were offered, including the case of coming into contact with the deceased and becoming spiritually impure. The narrative tells us the manner in which Bnai Yisroel traveled: sheltered by a cloud during the day, and protected by a pillar of fire at night. Then the complaining begins. They complain about the Mannah. They complain about the food. They complain about Moshe’s leadership. Moshe’s sister complains about his wife.

As Bnai Yisroel finally begins its trek from Sinai towards Canaan, the Torah makes the following statement.  Vayehi Binsoah Ha’Aron VaYomer Moshe, Kuma Adoshem VeYaFuTzu Oyavecha, VeYaNuSu Misanecha MiPanecha. U’vNucho Yomar Shuva Adoshem Rivvot Alfei Yisroel – When the Ark would journey, Moshe said: ‘Arise Hashem, and let Your foes be scattered let those who hate You flee from before You. And when it rested, he would say, ‘reside tranquilly, O Hashem, among the myriad thousands of Israel. (Num. 10:35) Today we say the first part of the verse while we take the Torah out from the Aron before we read the Torah, and we say the second part of the statement when we have finished reading from the Torah and are returning it to the Aron.  In the Torah, this verse is enclosed by two brackets. The bracket is really an inverted letter, the letter “Nun”.   The Talmud in Shabbat 116a teach us Mipnei Sh’ Sefer Chashuv Hu Bifnei Atzmo – Because it constituted a book on its own. This is a rather cryptic statement since it suggests that there are more than 5 books comprising the Torah. We normally think of the Torah as comprised of 5 Books (Breishit- Genesis, Shmot –Exodus, Vayikra – Leviticus, Bemidbar-Numbers, Devarim-Deuteronomy). Now the Talmud is suggesting that there is another book?

Perhaps the bracket are the indicator lights. The verse within the brackets is the one section of the User’s Manual that will constantly be referred to during this one aspect of the journey. Originally this journey was supposed to be a few weeks or months at the most. Bnai Yisroel had not yet been punished with 40 years of “wandering in the desert’.  Most of the Torah’s instructions were given in anticipation of Bnai Yisroel’s eventual arrival in Canaan. In the meantime, this is the verse that they will need to refer to, this is the section of the user manual that Bnai Yisroel will need in order to survive until their eventual arrival. In reality, this is the “Book” that they would use each day that they travelled and each day that they would temporarily rest.

Whether it is our car, an appliance, our phone or computer, there are certain “user manuals” that we use more often than others. Within those “user manuals”, there are certain sections that get used far more often than other parts. Perhaps we have marked them off by folding down the page or putting in a paper clip or highlighting it with a marker. Whatever the case, we are aware of the indicator light and know that when we see the indicator light, or we here a certain sound, we know exactly where to go in the user manual in order to fix the problem.  We just need to pay attention to the indicator lights and the warning signs in order to proceed in an appropriate manner.

Peace,

Rav Yitz