Go On and Drift Your Life Away (John Barlow & Bob Weir - "Lost Sailor")

Every morning and every evening for the pastn7 -10 days, our family has been glued to the news coming out of Boston. First we watched as two bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. We watched as people were rushed to safety. We watched as the citizens and first responders rushed to help those who were wounded. We watched regular people shared their experiences with national newscasters. Each day my children would wake up and ask what was going on in Boston? Did the police find the bad guys yet? Then our children woke up to find out that one was killed in a gun fight. Heading in Shabbat last week, our children kept asking if they caught the other suspect. Now each and every day, my children ask me why anyone would do such a thing. When they watch the news with us, and they listen to words such as “radicalize” or “radical Islam” or “militant”, they ask me “What kind of religion, tells its people to kill others? All of our children remind me that what these terrorist did and what terrorist do, in general, cannot be “in the name of God” but rather is Chillul Hashem (an abomination to God.)!” I smile and I tell them that unfortunately, the history of human beings has killed many human beings in the name of God. As they watch and hear about the numerous acts of selflessness and heroism, our children also understand something equally as important. Within the horror of such an event, there were numerous moments of people engaging in a Kiddush Hashem – sanctifying God. They were rushing people to the hospital, saving lives, and caring for those in need.

This week we read from Parsha Emor. The four chapters that comprise Parsha Emor focus on the various aspects of Perfection. First the Torah focuses upon the importance of the physical and spiritual perfection and purity of the Kohen. He must remain in a perpetual state of purity. He is restricted in terms of whom he can marry. He is restricted in regards for whom he can mourn. He cannot go to a cemetery. He cannot make sacrificial offerings if he has physical abnormalities. The second of the four chapters reminds B’nai Yisroel that when approaching God with an offering, the individual must be spiritually pure and perfect and so must the offering. These offerings must come directly from the individual making them and not from “the hand of a stranger” (Lev.22:25). The third chapter of the Parsha deals with the perfection and the purity of time. Time is define as perfect in the season follow an order, the holidays such as Shabbat, Pesach, Shavuot, Sukkot, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are designated to come in a particular order. That order is both pure and perfect since time and the designation of “Sacred” time comes from God. The fourth chapter speaks about maintaining purity and the perfection of physical space in this case the Mishkan, and all that is in the Mishkan. The Torah even deals with perfection and purity of human relationships and the punishments meted out when that perfection, purity and holiness is violated.

After we learn about the laws of the Kohanim, blemished animals and Terumah, but before we are reminded of the sanctity of the Festivals, God issues a command that seems somewhat out of place. V’Lo T’Chalelu et Shem Kodshi V’Nikdashti B’Toch B’nai Yisroel,–“You shall not desecrate my holy Name, rather I should be sanctified among the Children of Israel…” Rambam explains that within this one sentence are two commands, one positive and one negative. The positive command is V’Nikdashti B’Toch Bnai Yisroel – “I will be hallowed (sanctified) among the children of Israel.” The negative command is Lo TChalelu – “Don’t profane or desecrate my holy name.” How can human being really sanctify or desecrate God? 

The answer is of course we do no such thing. We can only sanctify and desecrated in the name of God. Even more ironic is that in one sentence we see that desecration and sanctification can occur in the same sentence, in the same breath, on the same day, in the same race and in the same spot. In one small area, a crime was committed “in the name of God”. In that same small area, numerous acts of sanctifying life occurred and in doing so we all witnessed numerous acts of Kiddush Hashem, sanctifying God’s name. That Pasuk embodies the essence of Torah and Judaism as well as a serving as a reminder for the world. We sanctify God name by living life, by preserving life, and saving life and creating life. After all, God is the God of Creation, the God of life. We desecrate God name by destroying life and God’s creation. Yet the power to desecrate or sanctify resides within each and every one of us.  

Peace,

Rav Yitz

Red and White, Blue Suede Shoes I'm Uncle Sam, How Do You Do? (Robert Hunter / Jerry Garcia - U.S. Blues)

It truly has been a cultural awakening for my son as Canadians celebrated Canada Day and America celebrated Independence Day. Last Sunday we spent a couple of hours at our neighbor’s pool. Our neighbor had some guests over as well whom we met for the first time. As we were talking they realized that we were American. As my son came out of the water, one of the women began asking him questions. Soon the questions left the general polite questions of “What is your name? “How old are you?’ “What is your favorite subject?” and veered into six year old boy’s impression of Canada, the United States and some of the differences. One woman asked my son “Do you like living in Canada?” My son responded yes. Then she asked him if he saw any differences between America and Canada. Our six year old pointed out that in “America we celebrate Independence Day with watching baseball and fireworks. Canada celebrates Canada Day with fireworks and Hockey news. Canada is nice but I like baseball better.” Of course, I agreed. Nothing beats celebrating the 4^th of July than going to a baseball game during the day and fireworks at night. While the calendar suggest that summer is just a couple of weeks old, the season for the “Boys of Summer” heads towards the halfway mark of the season. For baseball fans this means that the trade deadline is approaching. Teams have the opportunity to upgrade talent or discard expensive and or unproductive players. In a sense the fan can either have a renewed sense of hope or despair will not begin to replace the hope that existed way back in the spring. There is something fascinating in watching players switch teams in the middle of a season. There is something fascinating about an older player traded from a bad team to a playoff contender. Frequently, a player that is coveted and available in a trade, while having performed at a high level with the former team, joins the new team and is a complete bust. Sometimes the exact opposite is the case. A player performing at a low level is traded and begins playing wonderfully with the new team. A change of environment seems to have an enormous effect upon these professionals.

This Shabbat is we read Parsha Balak. In the Parsha we read an interesting narrative that is filled with suspense, humor, intrigue, an apparent “midseason trade” and even a happy ending. It is interesting to note that throughout the Parsha, the focus is upon the outside world as it relates to the Bnai Yisroel. That is to say, Balak, the king of Moav and the tribe of Midian are the subjects of the Parsha. Bnai Yisroel hovers as the main reason for why the narrative is pertinent; however for once, Bnai Yisroel is not doing something wrong, they are not recipients of God’s anger. Instead they placidly and temporarily settled on the plains of Moav waiting to enter into Eretz Canaan. Not until the end of the Parsha and only after the narrative of Balak and Bilaam concluded, does the Torah return to a narrative style with Bnai Yisroel as the subject of poor behavior and God’s anger.

Bilaam, a soothsayer is hired by Balak to curse Bnai Yisroel. By cursing Bnai Yisroel, Balak believed that this was the only way to defeat Bnai Yisroel since they had successfully waged war on all the indigenous tribes thus far. The donkey that Bilaam rides upon on his way to cursing Bnai Yisroel refuses to respond to Bilaam, Bilaam grows angrier and angrier. The donkey is able to see an Angel of God in the road and Bilaam the soothsayer cannot. So a humorous conversation between Donkey and Soothsayer occurs (this is the funny part). Bilaam eventually realizes that he is unable to curse Bnai Yisroel. Finally when he is looking from the hills down upon Bnai Yisroel and sees a peaceful, God-fearing community he utters praise instead of curses. Imagine Balak’s anger and frustration? He hires Bilaam to curse B’nai Yisroel, and instead he blesses Bnai Yisroel! Vayomer Balak El Bilaam Meh Asita Li Lakov Oyvai L’Kachticha V’Hinei Beirachta Vareich – Balak said to Bilaam, “What have you done to me! To curse my enemy have I brought you – but behold, you have even blessed!” (Num. 23:11)

Balak’s frustration is something we can all understand. He believed that Bilaam, a powerful soothsayer/prophet was capable of communing with God and deriving the appropriate sign in order to curse Bnai Yisroel. Bilaam’s response is quite revealing: Halo Eit Asher Yasim HaShem B’Fi Oto Eshmor L’Daber! Is it not so that whatever Hashem puts in my mouth, that I must take heed to speak! Essentially Bilaam explains that he can only say what God would have said. Clearly With his plans stymied, Balak leaves Bilaam in great frustration. If Balak could have traded Bilaam for another soothsayer, he probably would have. As awful a person as Balak is, and as mercenary a person Bilaam is, we can learn a lot from the exchange of both men. Balak hired the soothsayer to do a job for which Bilaam was renowned for doing. Bilaam did not live up to his reputation. Had Balak issued a curse himself, even if it failed, at least he would have felt empowered. Remember, Balak is afraid. He knows of Bnai Yisroel’s reputation. He doesn’t stand a chance in a conventional confrontation. If Balak had been educated and was knowledgeable in the arts of “curse issuing”, then Balak’s frustration would have been directed at God and himself.

How often do we blame others for our shortcoming and our ignorance? How often do we feel uncomfortable in shul, sitting in prayer, neither understanding neither what we are saying nor why we are saying it? How often do we read the Parsha and not realize how these words and its message connect to our soul? How often do wait to be inspired by the words of a Rabbi or the notes sung by the Shaliach Tzibbur? The fact of the matter is that we need to turn inwards, towards our soul. There in our own soul we will find holiness. There in our own soul will we derive the impetus to ask questions, to learn, and to make Judaism more meaningful. Rather than trading for another player –looking outwards; teams decide to stick with the personnel that they have and commit to playing better, commit to exerting greater effort, working harder. They look inward and renew the sense of commitment and purpose.

Peace,

Rav Yitz