There Is A Road, No Simple Highway Between The Dawn And The Dark Of Night (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia- "Ripple")

            As part of our son’s gap year of study in Israel, he is currently spending the week in Poland. While there, he and his cohort, are studying Jewish life in Poland before The War and the destruction of that life during  The Holocaust. His first full day happened to be on the first day of the Hebrew Month Shevat, known as Rosh Chodesh Shevat. It also happened to be the day that he and his cohort spent some time at the Treblinka death camp. There, in the Treblinka, our son and his classmates prayed the Morning Service (davened Shacharit) and read from the Torah because it was the first day of the month. How incredibly spiritually powerful! In the midst of a place that was synonymous with death, a place of darkness and evil,  a place where so many souls were exterminated and then went up in ashes, sacred words of Torah were read, and for a brief moment that place became just a bit more holy.  The light of the Torah words, for a brief moment, shined through the darkness and bleakness of death.  Perhaps, those souls that were consumed by the fires of the crematorium knew just a bit of peace.

           This week's Parsha is Bo.  The ten plagues culminate with locusts, darkness, and finally the killing of the firstborn. On the night of the last plague, God instructs Moshe to tell B'nai Yisroel, to declare and sanctify the New Moon, and to slaughter a lamb for each family. Blood should be painted onto the door- post. The sacrificed lamb must be eaten entirely that night with no leftovers.  The command continues with God instructing Moshe to reiterate this story to the children of each family. The Parsha concludes with the commandment to sanctify the firstborn, remember this night, remember what God did for B'nai Yisroel, and remember that B'nai Yisroel eventually returned to the land.

        Parts of the Parsha are read on Pesach. Those parts dealing with the Paschal sacrifice, as well as the Mitzvah of "Telling" the child about the impending redemption, are read. However, there is one phrase that is particularly interesting and revealing. The ninth plague is Choshech, darkness. VaYomer Adonai el Moshe  N'Teih Yadchah al Hashamayim - And God said to Moshe "Stretch forth your hand toward the heavens,  Va'Yehi Choshech al Eretz Mitzrayim- "And there will be a darkness upon the land of Egypt, Vayameish Choshech - and the darkness will be felt. (Ex. 10:21). What does it mean that the darkness will be felt? What will it feel like? Will it be hot or cold, wet or dry? Maybe it will be thick like some type of fog. Maybe it will be the horrible emptiness as if one is falling through an abyss with nothing all around. Whatever kind of darkness it is, it can be felt. It is noticeable and therefore extraordinarily different than the standard night-time or even an eclipse. B’nai Yisroel still had light in their dwellings while the plague occurred. Pharaoh could not stand the darkness anymore and told Moshe to take everyone including the children and leave if that would alleviate the darkness in Egypt. The Or HaChaim, (18th Century Morocco) reminds us that while there was complete darkness in Egypt, there was light where the Jewish slaves lived: Goshen. U’LeChol B’nai Yisroel Haya Or B’Mishvotam – but for all the Children of Israel there was light in their dwellings (Ex. 10:23). Egypt was already in a state of primordial Darkness, a spiritual darkness without the acknowledgment of God’s presence. As a result, Egypt had become a twisted, closed-minded, corrupt society whose enslavement of B’nai Yisroel was a function of ignorance and fear - a world devoid of the acknowledgment of HaShem. The plague of Choshech, of Darkness, was merely Egypt becoming aware of its darkness. As a result, Pharaoh all but pleaded with Moshe to take the slaves of Egypt. Eliminated the source of Egypt and Pharaoh’s fear, and then the light would return to Egypt.  B’nai Yisroel was already in a state of primordial Light, a spiritual acknowledgment of God’s presence; U’LeChol B’nai Yisroel  Haya Or B’Mishvotam – but for all the Children of Israel there was light in their dwellings. B’nai Yisroel already had a sense of their relationship with God, and a sense of purpose. Moshe had already told them that they would be freed, and they would return to the land that had been promised to their ancestors.

          Each day our son has been in Poland has been a day in which they learned about the darkness that consumed Poland and Europe from 1939-1945. Each day our son has seen the light that existed in Poland prior to the war, the vibrancy of Jewish life, culture, and education prior to the war. With each day, our son and his fellow classmates have come to learn and appreciate how important it is for them to lead lives that bring light and goodness into the world, into the dark places of their respective communities.

Peace,
Rav Yitz

Carve Your Name In Ice And Wind (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Foolish Heart")

        In the world of Marketing, “Brand” is everything. An iPhone is not just a cell phone. Kleenex is not only a facial tissue. January 6 isn’t just a date nor is 9/11. All of these items, these dates take on a deeper meaning than just the thing. They have a “Brand”. People also have “Brands”. Athletes are much more than athletes, they have a brand, and Air Jordan is perhaps the biggest brand. Indeed athletes understand the importance of their name. Their brand is ultimately dependent upon their name, and their statistics. Politicians, while running for office do everything they can to establish a brand. The worst politicians, the crassest dangerous politicians, are those that focus on their brand instead of the good of their respective political party and the people. Trump has a “brand”, Marjorie Taylor Green has a “brand”. For many that brand embodies nihilism, fascism, and authoritarianism. Recently a new politician arrived from the state of New York, specifically from Long Island. His name is purportedly George Santos. I use the term “purportedly” because Geroge Santos claimed to have graduated from college, claimed to have lost several employees in a mass shooting of a gay club in Florida, claimed that his mom was killed in 9/11, claimed to have worked for Citibank and Goldman Sacks,  and although raised Catholic, he claimed that his maternal grandparents were Jewish and Holocaust survivors. However, none of those claims are true. The politician that calls himself George Santos lied about everything. Even the Long Island Republican Party, the political party that supported his candidacy has renounced him and called for his resignation.  So if you lie about everything in your life, if you lie about who you are, yes you might have a name but it means nothing. Republican leadership in Long Island, which includes Georg Santos’ district understands that the Santos brand is toxic. Republican congressional leadership, in its crass and pathetic desire for power, keeps the Santos brand close by because it needs the vote. That is not only sad, and pathetic, but it diminishes democracy. Ultimately democracies require trust. George Santos has already broken that trust. 

          This week we begin the second book of the Torah; the Book of Exodus – Sefer Shmot, literally translated into “The Book of Names”. This second book begins with the Parsha Shmot –Names. The first few verses essentially recount the ending of the Book of Genesis. Shmot re-iterates the names of Jacobs’ sons and the fact that Jacob and his sons came to Egypt. We are reminded that Jacob had already died. We are reminded that the next generation, Jacob’s sons (including Yosef) passed 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, and a father. We learn of his epiphany with the Burning Bush and God’s instructions plan to redeem B’nai Israel 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 the dominant theme of this new book is redemption from slavery and the national revelation at Mt. Sinai, why should begin with something as mundane as the re-iteration of the names of Jacobs’ sons: 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 a 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 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, (the great 12th-century Spanish doctor, commentator, and Halachist), and R’ Bachya (late 13th and early 14th-century Torah commentator), 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 (19th 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 verses we understand that the secret to B’nai Israel’s survival in Egypt as slaves: past, present, and future were connected through values and covenant of the name of Jacobs's twelve sons, Jacob, and his father and grandfather, Isaac and Abraham. The strength of those connections, the strength of being connected to the past with an eye towards a hopeful and positive future kept B’nai Israel spiritually free despite physical hardship and bondage.

          A name isn’t just a name. The names of Yaakov’s sons were so much more than names. They were the names of 12 tribes. Each tribe embodied a brand, an essence of some kind. Levi would come to embody the tribe of the priesthood. Levi would be the tribe that came to be known as always in service to God. So doesn’t it make sense that Moshe, the greatest of God’s servants came from the Tribe of Levi? So what does it say about a political party that won’t disavow a person who lied about everything that contributes to who he is? Yes, there is a name, but we don’t know who he really is. What we do know is the presence of such a person diminishes a Party that believes in nothing but power. The presence of such a person diminishes our trust in democratic institutions.  

Peace
Rav Yitz    

Ain't No Time To Hate; Barely Time To Wait - Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia ("Uncle John's Band")

           With Chanukah set to begin this Sunday night, Jews and Christians will both be celebrating their respective holidays of Chanukkah and Christmas at the same time. A season noted for diminished sunlight and many hours of darkness will have holiday lights to offset some of that darkness. Earlier this week, a childhood friend of mine and his family were experiencing their own sort of darkness.   His three-year-old son underwent open heart surgery. When my friend notified his network of friends regarding his son's upcoming surgery, we made it a point to include his son in our prayers.  The surgery was a success, and certainly, science and medical expertise all contributed to the success of the surgery. However, from my friend and his wife’s perspective, the love,  and prayers of their friends also contributed to the surgery's success and turned darkness into light. During the same week, and in the same city, while light chased away the darkness of a family's trepidation and anxiety,   a United States Congresswoman spoke at a gathering of potential donors.  Full of hate, vitriol, and a sense of poisonous cynicism the Congresswoman bragged that if she and a like-minded fellow fascist and former political advisor had been in charge of the January 6th insurrection,  it would have succeeded.  Darkness attempted to swallow up the Democratic institutions and a system of checks and balances upon which the “noble experiment” was built. This congresswoman who supposedly swears an oath to the Constitution wants to destroy it,  This congresswoman who is paid by the very institutions that she swears an oath to protect and defend has aligned her beliefs with those who wish to destroy it. The irony is overwhelming and incredibly tragic. Imagine the hate that must fill the emptiness of that person’s soul. Imagine the darkness of her soul and the threat of darkness upon society if she assumes greater power. 

          This Shabbat we read from Parsha VaYeishev. We begin the Joseph story. Loved more than his brothers,  Joseph acts superior to his brothers and this behavior does not endear him to his brothers The brothers hate Joseph so much that they feign his death and instead they sell him off as a slave. Joseph is brought to Egypt as a slave, and there he works for a powerful Egyptian only to wind up in prison. While in prison, he helps the warden and the prison become efficient and very profitable. The Parsha begins with Joseph interpreting his dreams and explaining them to his brothers and his father. The Parsha concludes with Joseph interpreting the dreams of two fellow prisoners.  In between interpreting dreams and the events leading up to and immediately following those interpretations,  we read about Yehuda, the fourth son of Yaakov. Following personal tragedy and publically humiliating an innocent soul, Judah is presented with an opportunity to engage in public repentance. While not necessarily central t the Joseph story, this narrative helps to explain why Judah will be deemed worthy enough to eventually become the leader of the brothers, and from Judah will come the future kings of Israel. 

            For the first time in the Book of Genesis narrative, we encounter hatred. Regarding Joseph’s brother’s feelings towards Joseph, the Torah is clear. They are not jealous or angry. V’Yavei Yosef et Dibata Ra’ah el Avihem – Joseph brought an evil report of them (this might mean only Leah’s sons or it might refer to all the brothers). V’Yisroel Ahav et Yosef Mikol Banav Ki Ven Zekunim Hu Lo V’Asah Lo KeTonet Pasim – Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons because he was the son of his old age and he made him a coat of many colors. Va’Yiru Echav Ki Oto Ahav Avihem MiKol Echav VaYisnu Oto  V’ Lo Yachlu Dabro L’Shalom – And when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all the brothers, they hated him and could not speak peacefully to him. VaYachalom Yosef Chalom VaYaGeid L’Echav VaYosifu Od Sno Oto – and Joseph dreamed a dream and he told it to his brothers and they hated him even more (Gen.27:2-5). Normally one goes through a series of emotions before arriving at hatred. We might have assumed that the brothers were at first angry or jealous before we learn that they hate Joseph. However, not only do these brothers hate Yosef they couldn’t speak civilly to him. They had to avoid speaking to him for fear that they might hurt him. That seems like a lot of hatred. Yet they managed to find even more hatred in their souls after Joseph told them about his dream of their bowing down to him. What is the difference between the first hatred the brothers felt before hearing of the dream and the hatred they felt after hearing about it? Perhaps the first hatred really was the culmination of emotions. That the normal anger and jealousy, over time, evolved into a hatred for Joseph. Certainly, that “hatred” seems to be justified as the Torah text offers reasons for their hatred. It seems that by trying to ignore Joseph, the brothers are aware that their hatred is passionate based upon jealousy, anger, and rage. The second hatred is more than the first. This hatred seems like a cold calculating hatred where they stop seeing Joseph as a brother. Hinei Ba’al Chalomot HaLaZeh Ba – Behold the dreamer comes (Gen. 27:19). How much do the brothers hate their brother? They hate him so much that they don’t see him as a brother but as something else. Because he is seen as and considered to be something else, something other than a part of their family, they see Joseph as a threat. Without passion but rather with a cool hatred they can cooly, calmly, and rationally discuss killing him and leaving him in a pit.

            The Torah narrative almost seems to acknowledge that the human soul has a large capacity for hatred. However as large a capacity for hatred we may have, that doesn’t mean we should act upon it. The brothers discuss killing Joseph but they don’t. They sell him to Midianites on their way to Egypt. Hatred is one of the seven basic emotions. We are not supposed to succumb to our emotions, no matter how justified, no matter how cool and calculated those emotions may be. They are still emotions. The narrative reminds us and we see it with the development of Joseph and Judah. We are supposed to be governed by something more than our emotions. We are supposed to be governed by our desire to be holy and sacred, to act selflessly, and pray for our friends.  Imagine the tripe, cesspool of social media and hatred that causes a member of the United States Congress to sound remarkably similar to the fascists we fought against in a World War and the authoritarianism we fought against in its aftermath. A holiday miracle would be if she and those like her lost their voice, lost their followers, lost their power, and just went away and were replaced by those who had a deep and profound respect for their county’s democratic institutions, its most sacred document - The Constitution, and the peaceful transition of power. Amid this season of darkness, we can always pray for more light and make sure to shine that light upon those whose souls are filled with darkness and hate.

Peace,
Rav Yitz

Now I Live In Fear Of Waking Up Each Morning (Don Rollins - "The Race Is On")

          I haven’t been sleeping well lately. I wake up, a bit anxious, and worried. So I get out of bed, head downstairs,  sip some tea, and look out at the night sky.   While looking at the stars, I find myself thinking about my aging parents and their health. I think about my children and where they are in their lives. I think about how to afford college tuition, and pay for an upcoming wedding. I look at the stars and think about where I am in my life, where I am in my career and the anxiety of working and earning a paycheck.  As I continue to look out into the night sky and sip my tea, I am reassured that we all go through a period of time where we struggle with the existential angst of life. For some reason, it occurs late at night while everyone else sleeps soundly.

          This Shabbat we read from Parsha Vayishlach. Yaakov and his family prepare to return to Yaakov’s home. However, they will first need to deal with an almost twenty-year grudge held by Esav. Yaakov will hope for the best and prepare for the worst as he prepares to meet his brother.  After their short reunion, Yaakov makes his way back to his ancestral lands. His mother passes away. He is blessed with another son, Benjamin, born to his wife Rachel. However, she dies in childbirth. His daughter, Dinah, has an illicit relationship with the prince of Shechem. According to the text, she is rendered “impure” and her brothers wipe out the prince and his village. Yaakov’s name is changed to Yisroel. God blessed Yaakov within the context of the covenant made with Avraham and Yitzchok. Yaakov’s blessing includes children, land, and wealth, all of the things that God promised to Yaakov’s grandfather – Avraham. The Parsha concludes with Yaakov and Esav seeing each other one last time in order to bury their father Yitzchok, and then we read the final psukim: a list of Esav’s descendants down to grandchildren.

           Parsha VaYishlach is replete with dramatic moments. Arguably among the most dramatic moments occurs the night before Yaakov meets his brother Esav after a 20-year feud, a moment in which  Yaakov’s life is forever changed.  VaYivater Yaakov L’Vado, VaYei’avek Ish Imo Ad A lot HaShachar – Jacob was left alone and a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn.  VaYar Ki Lo Yachol Lo VYiga B’Chaf Yereicho VaTeikah Kaf Yerech Yaakov  B’Hei’Avko Imo – When he perceived that he could not overcome him, he struck the socket of his hip; so Jacob’s hip socket was dislocated as he wrestled with him.  VaYomer Shalcheini Ki Alah Hashachar Vayomer Lo Ashaleichecha Ki Im Beiractani – Then he said, “Let me go, for dawn has broken. “ And he said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” Vayomer Eilav Mah Shemecha VaYomer Yaakov – and he said to him, “what is your name” and he said “Jacob”. Vayomer Lo Yaakov Yei’Amar Od Shimcha Ki Im Yisroel Ki Sarita Im Elohim V’Im Anashim Vatuchal – He said, “No longer will it be said that your name is Jacob, but Israel, for you fought with the Divine and with man and have overcome.”  (Gen 32:25-29)  So if Yaakov was left alone, with whom did he wrestle?  The Torah tells us he wrestled with a man, however by the end of this brief narrative, Yaakov is asking the man to bless him.  There is no consensus among the classical commentators known as The M’forshim. Explanations attempting to define the “man” range from an angel, an angel of Esav, or an angel in the form of man. The language of the wrestling match only uses the Hebrew word “Hu” – in English "he". The Torah tells us that he held on, he didn’t let go, he blessed him, “he” wrestled with him. Yaakov’s name is only mentioned when his hip is pulled out of the joint, and Yaakov is about to be renamed. A more modern and psychologically aware understanding suggests that the “man” is Yaakov. Yaakov is struggling with himself. The reality is, During his sleepless night, during his “mid-life crisis” and his “moment of clarity”; Yaakov struggled with himself, and eventually Yaakov will accept his relationship with God and a sense of purpose in his life. This does not mean his life will be easier. It just means that Yaakov, with this renewed sense of purpose and identity, will be able to deal with all the troubles and heartache that are involved in living life.

          Yes, there have been more nights when my sleep is interrupted by worry and anxiety. Indeed, there are more worries, and there are more things that feel beyond my control.  There are more times that I worry about the direction of my life and whether this is the right path. No, we don’t necessarily have our hips pulled out of joint when we wake up in the middle of the night with this existential angst.  However, transitions can be filled with anxiety. It probably causes wrinkles and definitely causes gray hair. However, those struggles can serve a purpose. Those struggles can lead us to moments of clarity, and we understand that our lives do have a purpose, and our families will be ok and everything will be all right.

Peace,
Rav Yitz

And I Told Her My Story; I Told Her What Was Going On (Grateful Dead - "Caution: Do Not Stop On Tracks)

           Despite the rising tide of antisemitism, despite the cesspool of anti-semitic tropes that one finds on Twitter, despite all the anti-semitic conspiracy theories found in the extreme parts of the Alt-Right universe and the anti-Israel rhetoric of the extreme Left political universe, I found tremendous comfort in the middle. Two weeks ago, the State of Pennsylvania elected a “Left of Center” Jewish Governor. Josh Shapiro was recently elected Governor by receiving the greatest amount of votes for a Governor in state history.  He ran against a candidate who espoused White Christian Nationalism, supported the January 6th Capitol Riot, and believed that a woman has no right to an abortion under any circumstance. Josh Shapiro grew up attending Jewish Days School and attending shul with his father. He and his wife send their children to Day School and celebrate Shabbat and the Jewish Holidays. When Josh campaigned, he told a story that people were familiar with. He told a story. He told an aspirational story of a nation founded upon the principles of religious freedom. He told the aspirational story of a nation struggling to guarantee and protect the rights and freedoms of all its citizens. He reminded the voters that the future of their community and state is premised upon expanding rights, freedoms, and liberties. Josh’s story reminded everyone of the past and spoke of a future that was both inspirational and aspirational.

          This Shabbat we read from Parsha Chayei Sarah, “the Life of Sarah”. It is a rather odd name for a Parsha that discusses’ Sarah’s death, and Avraham’s funeral preparations including a eulogy, crying, and the purchase of land for burial. The focus then shifts from Sarah’s death and Avraham’s caring for her to Avraham’s son Yitzchak and getting on with his life. Avraham instructs his servant to find a wife for Yitzchak from among his ancestors. The servant head back to Avraham’s homeland, he asks God for a sign so that he knows which girl is the right one for his master’s son. He finds the girl and convinces her to return with him, the girl leaves home and heads back with the servant to meet her new husband and her father–in–law. They get married. Avraham takes a wife and lives quietly in retirement. The Parsha concludes with Avraham’s death and the death of his eldest son Ishmael.

          Structurally, the Parsha is rather peculiar. Between the narrative of Sarah’s death and funeral and the narrative of Avraham and Ishmael’s deaths exists a narrative affirming life.  A father arranges to find a wife for his son. A young woman, Rivkah,  leaves home and marries Avraham’s son Yitzchak, a man who had a near-death experience when his father tried to offer him as a sacrifice and who is dealing with the death of his mother.  This life-affirming narrative is told in three different ways. The first narrative occurs when Avraham tells his servant what to do: Return to the ancestral homeland, find a girl from the tribe, and bring her back so that Yitzchak can marry her. The second narrative is Avraham’s plan coming to fruition. The servant returns to Avraham’s homeland, he prays to God for a sign that he should pick the right girl, he meets the girl and then meets the family. The third narrative is the servant recounting the narrative beginning with Avraham’s presenting the servant with this sacred task. Why does the Torah present this narrative in three different ways and from three different perspectives: Avraham’s plan, Avraham’s servant (Eliezer) fulfilling the mission, and Eliezer explaining all these events to Rebecca’s family? Why all the details? The Torah could have told of Avraham’s plan and even included the events that allowed Eliezer to fulfill the plan. Certainly, we don’t need to read Eliezer’s recounting of events to Rebecca’s family. The Torah could have said: “And Eliezer told her family all that happened.” Maybe we read the narratives’ reiteration gets us to look at it in more than just a cursory manner. The more we look at it, and hear about it, the more we begin to realize just how miraculous the whole story is. Maybe the narrative’s reiteration reminds us that the focus should be on life-affirming events rather than death-affirming events.  Maybe the subliminal message and the reason for the narrative’s reiteration is the sanctity of the narrative. Yitzchak was dealing with lots of death, as was Avraham. Generally, death marks the end of a narrative. For Yitzchak and Rebecca, both of whom were about to begin a new stage of life together, they needed to have a new narrative, their narrative. For the narrative to be effective it had to include the past and an origin, it needs to embody a point to a possible future, it needs to embody fundamental values, and it needs to have a way of being transmitted.

          The ability to create a narrative and share it is an incredibly important part of life. A narrative connects the past, present, and future. A narrative provides attributes meaning by adeptly connecting seemingly disparate events. Whether it was a servant’s narrative that spoke of miracles and God’s presence, or a gubernatorial candidate’s narrative on the broad themes of liberty and freedom as expressed in casting a ballot; narratives connect people allowing them to create community, purpose, and meaning.

Peace,
Rav Yitz

Don't Worry About Tomorrow, Lord, You'll Know It When It Comes - (Bob Weir - "One More Saturday Night")

           Well, it was election night in the United States. As I did some work, the news of the mid-term elections and the future of democracy in the United States provided background noise.  However, as the night wore on, I found myself listening for the results of the candidates that my daughter’s labor union supported.  Before the polls opened I had texted her, wishing her luck, and asking her about her chances of success. I wasn’t just interested politically, nor was I interested in the labor union. However,  I was genuinely nervous for my daughter who has worked so hard on behalf of her constituency. Like a typical parent, I was worried about my daughter. I wanted her to be successful in her goal of getting those candidates that her Union supported, elected to office. However as the hours passed, the polls closed, and the results tabulated late into the night, I realized how much anxiety I had spent worrying about our daughter’s being successful in her job, a job in which success is easily evaluated. Did the candidates win or lose? Sure, I understand worrying about one’s children when they are younger and living at home. The parent perceives a sense of control and perceives the possibility of "fixing" the problem. However, my daughter is a grown woman, in her thirties, an adult. As the night wore on, I realize how little or no control, and much less able to help than I did when she was younger and living at home.

          This Shabbat we read from Parsha VaYeira. The narrative and adventures of Avraham the Patriarch continue. While healing from his ritual circumcision, he fulfills the mitzvah of Hachnasat Orchim, hospitality. He negotiates with God and reduces the number of righteous people that must be found in Sodom and Gemorrah in order to prevent its destruction. The narrative of Avraham is interrupted as we read the narrative of Lot, the two Angels (the same two that had visited Avraham at the beginning of the Parsha), the destruction of the city, and the impure relationship that results when the survivors think that world has been destroyed. The narrative returns to Avraham as its focus and he and his wife Sarah give birth to a son (Yitzchak), the banishment of Hagar and Ishmael (Avraham’s first-born son and from his concubine) and the final test of his belief, the Akeidat Yitzchak – the Offering of Isaac.

          Throughout the Parsha, there are several examples of “questionable” parenting moments as well as “child-ing” moments. These moments include Lot offering his daughters to the mob of Sodom and Gemorrah in order to save the guests that the mob wanted to harm. The daughters don’t say a word about it. These moments include Ishmael, being sent away along with his mother. As Ishmael lies dying of thirst, Hagar leaves him so that she doesn’t have to hear him whine and walks out of earshot. God hears Ishmael’s prayer and saves him due to his merit. However nowhere do we read that Ishmael tells his mom to stay with him so he shouldn’t be alone. Finally, we read of the Akedah Yitzchak, the offering of Isaac as a test of Avraham’s faith in God. In the text, we read that Yitzchak asks Avraham about the offering, Ayeh  HaSeh L’Olah – Where is the lamb for the offering? (Gen 22:7)  From this question the Midrash Tanchuma shows an Avraham that was unsteady, shaky, and nervous about making the offering. The Midrash portrays Avraham in a much more human and troubled manner. He worried about his son’s welfare, he worried about Yitzchak. Yitzchak offers him support and strength and tries to mitigate his father’s anxiety. Yitzchak tells him not to worry and that Yitzchak will do everything he can to help his father.

          When our children are younger and we worry about them, we still have more control to “fix” the problem. Whether we fix it or not, the only thing our children can do is thank us.  However, when our children are older and we have little or no control over “fixing” the problem, it is up to our children to ease our anxiety, to tell us that “it will be OK,” “not to worry” or “I can handle it”. Then we realize that all the hard work of raising them, all the worrying as they grew up wasn’t a waste because they really can handle life.  No, I don’t stop worrying about our kids as they grow older. Rather the test is that as they grow up and mature they are able to ease my anxiety and concern by the effort they exert in striving towards their goals.

Peace,
Rav Yitz 

From The High Road To The Low, So Many Roads I Know (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "So Many Roads")

           In the  Wall Street Journal article “Right Wing Populism  May Rise in the United States” (Sept. 27, 2022),  William Galston points out that Right Wing populism is ascendant. Right Wing populism led to Brexit. Right-wing populism led a fringe Swedish anti-immigrant party to acquire more than 20% of the Swedish vote. Right-wing populism led to the Brothers of Italy political party, with its roots in Fascist followers of Mussolini winning the Prime Minister's office. In France, Marie Le Pen managed a run-off in the eventual winner of that election. Earlier this week, in Brazil, the incumbent, the right-wing populist leader Bolsinaro,  was defeated, however, he has not yet conceded.  It seems that he is following the playbook of a twice-impeached ex-president. This upcoming week, Americans will go to the polls and choose between a political party that supports the “Big Lie” and uses political rhetoric to foment political violence from the domestic terrorist attack on January 6th to the attack upon Speak Nancy Pelosi’s husband in San Francisco. Earlier this week, a  former Republican Florida Congressman who has his own news show referred to this Right Wing populist fringe aspect of the Republican Party as Fascists. The world has taken a very odd and troubling path to arrive at this troubled and frightening moment.  It was 100 hundred years ago, that Mussolini’s Fascist party came into power in Italy. Soon after, in Germany, a fringe minority of fascists were invited to join the German government, and eventually, that minority fringe group of fascists took over the government and took over the country. After all these years, the world has started down an all too familiar path.

            This week's Parsha is Lecha Lecha. In it, God commands Abram to leave his father, his homeland, and everything he has ever known and go to a place that God will show him later. Abram does. He heads down toward Egypt because of a famine. Leaves Egypt with money, flocks, servants, and wealth. He and his nephew decide to part ways since each of their respective flocks not only become intermingled but their hired hands fight among each other. Abram then fights against several kings in an attempt to protect Lot. Then his wife Sarai, who is barren, tells Abram to make Hagar (the maidservant) the surrogate mother. Abram listens and Hagar has a son named Ishmael. She runs away and then returns. God tells Abram a prophecy. Abram will become the father of a great nation, and that nation will become enslaved for several centuries and then will return to the land that God promised Abram. Then God instructs Abram to circumcise himself, his son Ishmael and all the males of his household. All these events are linked together by the theme of "Lech Lecha" of going, of traveling.

            The Zohar, the rabbinic book of mysticism, comments upon the first verse: "Lech Lecha Mei'Artzecha uMimoladtcha, U'mibeit Avicha El Ha'Aretz Acher Areka- Go for yourself from your land, from your relatives, and from your father's house to the land that I will show you (Gen 12:1). Instead of a physical journey, the Zohar explains that Abram was commanded to embark upon a spiritual journey. The soul, while residing in the World to Come, exists in close proximity to God. Because of the spiritual clarity and intensity revealed there, no free will and no chance for spiritual growth and advancement can occur. Like the angels, the soul in the World to Come is called an Omaid, a standee. In this World, however, we know that a person has Free Will. This means that we all have the opportunity to advance spiritually as long as we remain in this World. The soul in this world is called a Holiach, a walker, someone who goes, much like Abram went.

          Just like people must learn to follow a respective path requiring faith and the best possible version of one’s self; the same holds true for nations. Each nation struggles between the best possible version of itself and the worst possible version of itself. The best possible version of a nation improving the lives of its people lives peacefully among the nations and making a positive difference in the world. The worst possible version of a nation doesn’t care to improve the lives of its citizens, threatens its neighbors, and has corrupt leadership focused upon power for the sake of power itself. Every nation embarks on a journey. Sometimes that path is difficult, and painful, and takes a nation to the brink. That path is not only determined by leadership, that path is determined by the citizenry, by those who vote, by those who count the vote, and perhaps most important, those who concede defeat in a free and fair election. 

Peace,
Rav Yitz

And Brave The Storm To Come, For It Surely Looks Like Rain (John Barlow & Bob Weir - "Looks Like Rain")

          While at major intersections in Toronto, one cannot help but notice all the signs for candidates running for local office. There are also mid-term elections that are occurring in the United States. In fact, early voting has already commenced in many states. It has been reported that some 12 million people have already voted. The issues that face perhaps the most powerful democracy and largest economy seem overwhelming. Internally, it appears that one set of candidates will deny election results, and prohibit abortion even in the case of rape, incest, or the mother’s health. There are a slew of candidates that try to scare the electorate with talk of rampant crime, ironically, the top ten crime-ridden states are those that have the most relaxed gun laws run by state legislatures that deny elections, want to restrict the rights of women’s health choices and have a large constituency that belief that the January 6th riot was a peaceful gathering. There is a rise in racism and antisemitism. Externally, there is a war between Ukraine and Russia, there is worldwide inflation, and a rise in fascism and totalitarianism throughout the world. Amid all this tension, North Korea fired more rockets into Japanese airspace, rockets that were able to fly further, faster, with a more destructive payload. Indeed Democracy seems to be under attack both from the inside and outside.  I can’t help but think of the late President, Harry S. Truman, who was President when the Korean War was fought and the 38th Parallel became part of the Western lexicon. President Truman used to keep a paperweight on his desk with the saying “The Buck Stops Here”. In a sense, it became indicative of President Truman’s view of leadership. The leader is ultimately responsible and therefore must assume that responsibility.

           This week we read Parshat Noach. Noach’s should be familiar to all of us. God sends a flood as a means of dealing with the growing disappointment in mankind's abysmal behavior. However one man, Noach, is deemed Ish Tzadik B’dorotav – a righteous man in his generation and God makes a covenant with him and his family.  As a result, Noach, his family, and the male and females of every species will be saved in to re-create after the flood. God instructs Noach to build a Tevah, an Ark. Noach, his family, and each animal species are protected. In a sense, a second creation ensues, and Noach and his family begin the narrative of re-creation. Generations pass, and eventually, mankind becomes corrupt. This time, the corruption is the result of mankind’s passivity by permitting, a certain kind of person to become the leader and never questioning or opposing his desire to build a Tower. A Tower is built, God views it as a violation of boundaries, and rather than destroying the world, multiple languages come into being and people are unable to communicate. As a result, the leadership which lacked respect for boundaries scatters across the earth. The Parsha concludes ten generations later with the birth of Avraham Avinu, Abraham the Patriarch.

           The narrative appears quite straightforward and simple. God is unhappy with the way people behave. He identifies Noach as a worthy partner and instructs him to build the Ark.  However one should keep in mind that Ark wasn’t built in a few days or weeks. According to the Midrash, the ark was built over the course of many decades. Even worse the flood didn’t come right away, that too was decades in the making. According to the Midrash Tanchuma, it took Noach 120 years to build the Ark. Also, the Ark was built atop a mountain in order to give Noach the greatest amount of time to complete the project. This meant hauling all the materials up a mountain. Imagine spending roughly 1/8th of your life preparing for the future. Imagine spending roughly 1/8th of your life engaged in a single endeavor. Imagine putting off gratification for 1/8th of your life and then knowing your sense of accomplishment is predicated on the destruction of so much. Imagine spending 1/8th of your life hauling Gopher wood up a mountain. Every day Noach spent his time engaged in one activity, building the first aircraft carrier. Eventually, the project would become the purpose of living. During this time, Noach’s life was not so easy. In fact, from a practical perspective, Noach’s life seems quite depressing. According to Midrash Tanchuma, Noach faced ridicule from others and was threatened with death. Yet despite it all, he continued building even though the gratification from the project would not occur for many years. Even with the first raindrops and the first opportunity to enjoy the fruit of his life's work and enter the Ark; he didn’t. Rather, he delayed his sense of accomplishment and gratification. Noach waited until the last possible second when there was no hope of saving any more of God’s creation, and then he finally entered the Ark.

           Being the leader can be a rather lonely job. Whether it’s the leader of a family, a tribe, or a community; it can be lonely. By no means was Noach a perfect leader. In fact, one of the criticisms was that he really didn’t lead, instead, his concern was limited to himself, his family, and the animals that entered the Ark. That being said, Noach offers a valuable lesson in leadership.  Leaders cannot be concerned with immediate gratification. Rather, a leader takes a long view of history and destiny. A leader has the strength of his belief and convictions which allows him to worry about the long term and not be concerned with the short term. When undo attention is given to the short-term perspective, it seems that more people suffer as is the case with leaders and politicians who are concerned with power instead of saving democracy. Hopefully, those in a position to make a difference will remember President Truman’s paperweight that once sat atop his desk: “The Buck Stops Here”.

Peace,
Rav Yitz

 

With Our Thought Jewels Polished And Gleaming (Robert Hunter & Phil Lesh - "The Eleven")

           In between the Jewish Holidays, and playoff baseball games, I have tried to keep up today with the approaching midterm elections in the United States. I have watched excerpts of numerous debates between Democrats and Republicans, between those who believe that the events of January 6th were the equivalent of a domestic terrorist attack and those who continue to deny the results of the 2020 Presidential election, between those who believe who fundamentally believe in individual rights of choice and those who believe that only the state mandate and thereby revoke rights that had existed for over 50 years. As a father blessed with three daughters, all of whom study and work in the United States, all of whom are U.S. citizens, and all of whom are eligible to vote, I watched, I listened and needless to say, I am fearful about the future of democracy in the United States. I fear that my daughter's right to choose is at risk. I am also savvy enough and aware that when one group's rights begin to be revoked, those who believe they have the power to revoke,  continue to revoke other rights of other people. All of a sudden a democracy which guarantees individual rights and liberties soon ceases being a democracy and evolves into the first vestiges of fascism.  As we marked the conclusion of the Jewish Holidays, the Jewish People begin another cycle of Torah reading.  Since so many of those Republicans enjoy invoking God and religion as justification for revoking others' rights, I wish they would take a closer look at the Genesis narrative (Breishit),  the two different names/references to God, “Elokim” and Hashem (Yod Keh Vav Key) and the commentary as to what we learn from these two references to God.

          This week’s Parsha is Breishit. It is the first Parsha of the first Book of the Torah. For all intents and purposes, it is the beginning of the Torah. In Breishit, we read the story of Creation, (The Beginning); Adam and Chava’s banishment from Paradise (Gan Eden), and the fratricide of Cain and Abel. We begin however with God. God is the Creator, the ultimate power. If knowledge is power, then God is the ultimate source of knowledge. We accept this as part of our Jewish theology. God is all-knowing and all-powerful. We read the words: V’yivrah Elohim et Ha’Adam b’Tzalmo, B’Tzelem Elohim Barah Oto Zachar u’Nekeivah Barah Otam. “And God created man in His own image. In the image of God, He created him; male and female He created them. (1:27). The question, therefore, is: What is the image of God? Obviously part of that image is the power to create, the power to create life. We surmise this because, in the next verse, God commands Adam and Chava to be fruitful and multiply, to create life just like God had created. Another image of God is Power. God’s purpose in creating humanity was that they “should have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the air and over the cattle, and over all the earth…” (1:26) In today’s vernacular “dominion” is Power. However the ability to create, and the ability to exercise power sagaciously, and judiciously, requires IQ and EQ – intellectual intelligence and emotional intelligence. Perhaps that is our greatest gift. We have the ability to learn, reason, and discern between right and wrong. We also have the ability to empathize.  Exercising both allows us to express our Holiness and demonstrate that we are created in God’s image.

        In the Babylonian Talmudic tractate entitled Chagigah (14b), there is an Aggadah, a legend, which illustrates the notion that attaining knowledge and understanding how to attain knowledge is a holy endeavor. Four of the leading sages of their generation entered PaRDes (literally the “orchard” or Paradise). They were Ben Assai, Ben Zoma, Elisha ben Abuyah, and Rabbi Akiva. They entered PaRDeS and came into contact with pure power, pure knowledge, and complete perfection. They came into contact with God. As a result, one sage died immediately. One sage went insane. One became a heretic, who would now be referred to as Acher (the other).  Only Rabbi Akiva emerged unscathed. The commentators of this Aggadah explain that PaRDeS is an acronym for four methods of Torah inquiry: P’shat (the simple literal meaning), Remez (understanding the meaning based upon hint and intimation), Drash (derive meaning based upon interpretation), and Sod( deriving meaning based upon uncovering secret meanings). Imagine that? Our tradition explains that PaRDeS otherwise known as  Paradise can only be achieved through Torah study and investigating the deeper meaning utilizing these four different methods of interpretation. Relying only on the literal meaning of the text, or even relying only on one method of interpretation limits intellectual and spiritual growth. However incorporating each aspect, and understanding when to utilize one or more methods of interpretation to determine meaning is what allowed Rabbi Akiva to leave PaRDeS unscathed. In a sense our sages are absolutely correct, PaRDeS is studying Torah for the sake of intellectual, emotional growth and enlightenment so that one can judge and empathize.

          The attainment of knowledge and Truth is a Godly endeavor. The use of such knowledge judiciously, wisely, and empathetically for creative purposes represents the notion that we are indeed created in God’s image. Not only is knowledge power, but understanding how to attain and use that knowledge and empathy is the key to a spiritually enlightened life and a democracy that upholds the rights of its citizens.

 

Peace,
Rav Yitz

And Or It Will Require A Change That Hasn't Come Before (Robert Hunter, Jerry Garcia & Phil Lesh - "Saint Stephen")

           Ever since a legal U.S. Department of Justice search revealed classified and unclassified documents were taken and found in the home of the twice impeached former President, I have wondered when someone from Trump’s orbit would actually cross the line and actually speak out in support of the Department of Justice and publicly declare Trump’s removal of classified information and kept at his home in Florida to be an egregious violation of the law. So my hope is that eventually, those leaders who actually know better but have blindly and foolishly followed Trump actually spoke out. Trump’s former Attorney General, Bill Barr, came out on Fox News and actually criticized Trump for illegally removing top secret documents. Barr went so far as to explain that the Department of Justice is not only acting appropriately but has gone out of its way to handle the investigation in an entirely reasonable manner. No, I do not expect one voice to break the fever that has plagued U.S. democracy for the past several years. However, some of my hope has been restored that there are courageous leaders from the Trump orbit who are no longer able to tolerate his illegal corrupt behavior and instead shine a light upon it.

          This Shabbat, we read Parsha Ki Teitzeh. Moshe teaches us the laws concerning war, creating an environment for soldiers to behave as honorably as possible. We learn that everyone, whether “loved” or “hated” has rights under the law as well as entitlements. We learn that every one of us is responsible for the other. If we see something that has been lost by our neighbor then we pick it up and return it. Moshe re-iterates that human relationships can either be holy, ( eg. between a husband and wife or between parents and children) or unholy by crossing the boundaries of those relationships. Moshe reminds the people that children will not be punished for the sins of their parents, nor will parents be punished as a result of their children. In such a situation there would be no need to add punishment since the parents of the child or the children of the parent would be punished enough just having been touched by the situation. Essentially this morning’s Parsha is all about human relationships designed to maintain individual holiness as well as communal holiness.

          So it is troubling that we are confronted with one of the most controversial commandments of the Torah. Ki Yiheyeh L’Ish Bein Sorer U’Moreh Einenu Shomeiah B’kol Aviv U’vkol Imo, If a man will have a wayward and rebellious son, who does not hearken to the voice of his father and the voice of his mother V’Yisru Oto v’Lo Yishmah Aleihem and they discipline him, but he does not hearken to them, then his father and mother shall grasp him and take him out to the elders of his city and the gate of his place. They shall say to the elders of the city, B’Neinu zeh Sorer U Moreh “This son of ours is wayward and rebellious, he does not hearken to our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.” All the men of his city shall pelt him with stones and he shall die;  U’viarta HaRah Mikirbecha  and you shall remove the evil from your midst (Deut. 21:18-21). The literal meaning of the verses suggests that in the extreme case of an evil child who is beyond help and clings to evil the way the rest of the community clings to holiness, such a child must be eliminated.

          First, we should all recognize the fact that Moshe’s presentation of the “Rebellious Child” is theoretical. The Talmud makes the point that “there never was nor will there ever be” a child to be put to death based upon this law. Rashi, the 11th-century Northern French commentator, explains that the harshness of the punishment is not for crimes already perpetrated rather it is to prevent this amoral, evil person to grow up and wreak greater havoc upon society. Rather than allowing him to die as an older person with his victims’ blood on his hands, Moshe teaches us to eliminate this person before there are more victims. Theoretically, Rashi is merely stating what so many of us already take for granted in terms of our place within society.  The greater good is the highest virtue. Just imagine if leaders weren’t so fearful of the 75 million voters, just imagine if supporters of the former President claimed that he lost the 2020 election, and the claim that the 2020 election was an erroneous and dangerous claim that put the electoral process at risk? U.S. Democracy would be in a very different place.

          The Jewish calendar indicates that it is approximately ten days in the final month of the Jewish Year, the month of Elul. When Elul concludes, a new year will commence. As we approach Rosh Hashanah and a new year; we begin evaluating ourselves, and we can take a lesson from this theoretical case. The death of such a rebellious person is a result of not mending one’s ways, or not engaging in Teshuva. Such a person’s soul is already dead, or at least that is what the Torah is symbolically telling us. So let us have the strength and courage to make sure that we never allow ourselves to slip that far and in doing so, the rebellious child that resides within us can grow and evolve into a mentsch.

Peace,
Rav Yitz

The Radical He Rant And Rage; Singing Someone's Got To Turn The Page (John Barlow & Bob Weir - "Throwin' Stones"

          What is the difference between a Believer and a Zealot?  Perhaps it depends on who is looking. When describing one’s self and dedication to a movement, one usually sees him/herself and fellow members of that group as Believers. Zealots are the extremists on the other side. Certainly, both Believers and Zealots believe in the “goodness”, the “holiness” or the “correctness” of their belief system. Maybe the difference between a Believer and a Zealot is the treatment of the “Other”.   Perhaps the most difficult task of any belief system is to acknowledge zealotry within one’s belief system. However, the sustainability of every belief system, whether it be social, religious, or political is the ability of that belief system to recognize that perhaps the belief system itself creates an environment for zealotry, eliminate that environment, and then isolate the zealots until there is a realization that zealotry ultimately fails. History has witnessed the eventual irrelevance of numerous belief systems that have gone the way of the Zealot eventually turning on themselves: The Montagnards during the Reign of Terror, Mao's Cultural Revolution. There were religious zealots that contributed to the religious wars between Catholics and Protestants and Sunnis and Shia. There are zealots who have killed and threatened abortion providers. Interestingly enough, there are no cases of zealots who harm those who hold anti-abortion or anti-choice positions.  

          This Shabbat we read from Parsha Pinchas. Pinchas came to our attention last week when at the conclusion of Parsha Balak, he threw a spear at Zimri the son of the head of the Tribe of Shimon (one of the Twelve Tribes), and Cozbi, a Midianite princess, while they were co-habiting. At the time, there was a plague that was wiping out B’nai Yisroel because of their relationship with the Midianite women and worshipping the Midianite/Moabite God Baal Peor. Pinchas put an end to it by killing Zimri and Cozbi. God tells Moshe to reward Pinchas for his behavior by giving him the Brit Shalom, the Covenant of Peace. God commands a new census be taken. After the census is taken Moshe must judge a legal case concerning the laws of inheritance when a man has only daughters. This brief narrative is about the “Daughters of Tzelophchad, and they make the case that they should inherit their father’s tribal lands. Following this narrative, God commands Moshe to teach the new generation the laws for time-bound offerings including the Shabbat offering, the Rosh Chodesh offering, the offerings for the Shalosh Regalim (Three Pilgrimage Festivals, etc). Then God also tells Moshe Rabeinu that his time as leader and in fact his life is quickly drawing to a close and that he should put his affairs in order and name a new leader (27:12-18). Joshua becomes the designated future leader.

          It appears that God offered a reward to Pinchas.  Pinchas Ben Elazar Ben Aharon HaKohen Heishiv et Chamati Mei’Al B’nai Yisroel B’Kano et Kinati B’TOcham V'Lo ChiLiTi et B’nai Yisroel B’Kinati – Pinchas son of Elazar son of Aharon the Kohen, tuned back My wrath from upon the Children of Israel when he zealously avenged My vengeance, among them, so I did not consume the Children of Israel in my vengeance. Lachen Emor Hinneni Notein Lo et Briti Shalom – Therefore, say: Behold! I give him My covenant of peace. V’Haitaha Lo U’LeZaro Acharav Brit Kehunat Olam Tachat Asher Kinei Leilohav VaYiChaPeR Al B’Nai Yisroel – And it shall be for him and his offspring after him a covenant of eternal priesthood because he took vengeance for his God, and he atoned for the Children of Israel. (Num. 25:11-13) Certainly, on a superficial level, it appears that because of Pinchas’ zealous defending of God and God’s Torah, he receives something, a Brit Shalom. The sages in the Jerusalem Talmud state that Pinchas's act of vigilante justice did not meet the approval of Moshe or the elders. In fact, they wanted to excommunicate him until then God stepped in and said that the line of Pinchas would be the line of the Kohen Gadol. Here is a belief system recognizing the dangers of the Zealot and suggesting that the only way to deal with the Zealot is ex-communication. So how do we make sense of God’s apparent reward for Pinchas’ zealous behavior? The  NeTziV (Rabbi Naphtali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin 19th Century Poland and Rosh Yeshiva of the Volozhin Yeshiva) offers a fascinating insight and explanation. The Brit Shalom The Covenant of Peace, was not given to protect Pinchas from those wishing to avenge Zimri’s murder, nor was it a reward for the purity of heart that some sages explained was necessary to ‘defend Hashem’.  Keeping in mind that the plague ceased, and lives were saved, The NeTziV comments “In reward for turning away the wrath of the HaKadosh Baruch Hu [God], He blessed Pinchas with the attribute of peace, that he should not be quick-tempered or angry anymore. Since it was only natural that such a deed as Pinchas’ should leave in his heart intense emotional unrest afterward, the Divine blessing was designed to cope with this situation and promised peace and tranquility of soul.” By becoming the eventual Kohen Gadol, Pinchas would have to pursue peace and compromise like his grandfather Aharon. In order to pursue peace like his grandfather, Pinchas will have to see both sides and neither side can be viewed as “other”. Pinchas will now have to learn patience, and understanding in order to recognize the intricacies of the law and sacrificial offerings. Perhaps most important, Pinchas will have to recognize his own fallibility and work on himself instead of harming others. 

          So Pinchas wasn’t rewarded per se. Instead, he would be a reminder that Judaism abhors zealotry and vigilanteism.  There is no place for it.  Before he does, Moshe will implore this new generation preparing to enter into Canaan, that God’s path is neither to the right nor to the left but rather the middle path (Deut. 5:29-30). Judaism doesn’t reward Zealots. Instead, Judaism recognizes that zealousness is a sickness. It is a spiritual sickness or perversion of belief. As a result, the soul within requires healing, the soul needs Shalom - Peace.

Peace,
Rav Yitz 

Seems Like I've Been Here Before Fuzzy Then And Still So Obscure (Bob Weir - "Born Cross Eyed")

           As the war in Ukraine continues, prices continue to rise, and the stock market trends downward, it seems that the world continues to struggle with a sense of chaos. Chaos reared its ugly head in Israel as the governing coalition consisting of Arabs, secular Jews, and Orthodox Jews were unable to remain united against the intense political pressure of Netanyu’s minority coalition. As a result, Israelis will participate in the third election in 5 years. Polls show that Israel is fundamentally a divided nation and the numerous parties will have to find ways to coalesce around issues that unite in order to win an election. These parties can coalesce around a leader that unites people based upon fear or parties can coalesce around a leader that unites people based upon hope and a better future.

          This week’s Torah portion is Parsha Shelach Lecha. The Torah portion begins with the narrative of Moshe gathering up twelve spies, one corresponding to each of the twelve tribes, and giving them the mission. The spies are told to investigate the quality of the land – fertile or barren, its inhabitants - warlike or peaceful, the nature of cities –fortified or open? The spies go and investigate and return. Ten spies offer a negative report and two, Caleb and Joshua, offer a positive report. B’nai Yisroel listen to the ten spies with the negative report and fell utterly overwhelmed at the prospect of entering the land that Hashem promised them.  Hysterical, the people beg to return to Egypt. Hashem wants to wipe them all out immediately but Moshe defends the people just like he did after the Golden Calf. So rather than wiping out an entire people Hashem punishes B’nai Yisroel by prohibiting this generation from entering the land. Eventually, when the slave generation has died out, the generations born in freedom will enter Eretz Canaan.  The people hear the punishment and decide they are ready to enter the land. Moshe explains that it is too late since their entry into Canaan is ultimately premised upon faith.  Then Moshe begins teaching B’nai Yisroel laws specifically that assume the inevitable settlement in the Canaan.  First, Moshe teaches the Libation Offering as well as Challah. Next, Moshe teaches the laws of public atonement of unintentional idolatry, individual unintentional idolatry, intentional idolatry, a reminder about violating Shabbat, and finally the laws of Tzitzit.

        The ten spies whom B’nai Yisroel chose to believe did not really bring such a negative report. They explained that the land was fruitful, fertile,  full of trees, and quite beautiful.  The problem with the report was that it revealed more about the spies and B’nai Yisroel than the land itself. When seeing some of the inhabitants and the physical size of some of those inhabitants.  The Ten spies said Vanhi V’Eineinu Ka’CHaGaVim V’Chain Hayinu B’Eineihem – we were like grasshoppers in our eyes and so we were in their eyes. (Num. 13:33) How do the ten spies know how the Nefilim (the Giants) perceive them? Did they ask the Nefilim? The answer to both questions is “No”. No, they don’t know how the Nefilim perceive the Ten Spies, and “No”, the Ten Spies did not ask the Nefilim. The spies feel small because, from their own perspective and self-image, they are small. When they look in a mirror, they see slaves. They don’t see people who stood at Sinai and received the Torah. They don’t see people who carry a Mishkan with Hashem protecting them and scattering their enemies. They don’t see a people worthy of Hashem’s daily miracles of Manna, and water.  Instead, they carry with them the burden of two centuries of slavery and being slightly less than human rather than being slightly less than angels.  Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk (The Kotzker Rebbe) explained that this was the root of the spies as well as Bnai Yisroel’s sin. They had no right to consider how others viewed them, nor should they have been at all concerned. How could they consider how others viewed them? The Spies had no perspective or they had a rather limited perspective.  They should have all been spiritually strong enough to realize and accept that they were “priests to the nations” and “chosen by God”.  After a couple of centuries of slavery, they lacked an accurate sense of self-perspective. The fact that such spiritual awareness was still lacking even after all the miracles and promises that God made; meant that problem lay with B’nai Yisroel. These former slaves were not ready for the responsibility of land and peoplehood; they lacked a healthy sense of national self-perspective.

          Perspective affects not only how we see ourselves but how we deal with the rest of the world. The Talmudic Sages taught us is that both perspectives are important in order to render a judgment because both majority and minority perspectives were presented in the Talmud.  Dictatorships and fascist regimes only need to worry about the perspective of the ruler. In a Democracy, everyone has a vote, and each voter has his/her own perspective and opinion. The health and vitality of a Democracy depend upon the perspective that each voter has regarding Democracy and the democratic institutions that protect it.

Peace,
Rav Yitz  

       

Ooh Freedom, Ooh Liberty, Ohh Leave Me Alone To Find My Way Back Home (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia -"Liberty")

          Another week passed by, and another horrific shooting occurred in the United States. Like Pittsburgh, and Charlottesville before, this time it was Buffalo. The perpetrator is an avowed racist who included a 180-page manifesto “justifying” his actions with a mix of “Replacement Theory” conspiracy and white paranoia (otherwise known as “white supremacy”) he acquired from Tucker Carleson, QAnon, and assorted hate forums like 4Chan. Over the course of ingesting “Replacement Theory”, white paranoia, and racism for these past several years, a young man’s idea of citizenship, community, democracy, and sacred words of a liberal democracy found in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution became twisted and perverted. Instead of viewing liberal democracy as aspirational affording all people with opportunities for “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”  he now saw liberal democracy as a dystopian place where a Jewish Kabal has organized and manipulated people of color to replace Christian white men and their traditional hierarchy. 

          This week we read from Parsha of Behar. For most of  Vayikra (Leviticus), we learned how the Kohen Gadol, the individual, and a community attains holiness both in terms of interpersonal relationships and with God.   B’nai Israel had been instructed to create “Holy” Time in terms of the seasons, and “Holy” spaces in terms of their proximity to the Mishkan.  Now we read about the laws in which we acknowledge the holiness of Eretz Canaan Israel. We learn that the Jubilee is similar to  Shemitta except on a grander scale, leaving the land to lie fallow for a year while it rests. We learn about the Yovel, the Jubilee year, and all that it entails in terms of our behavior. 

          During the discussion of the Sabbatical year, we read: V’Kidashtem Eit Shat HaChamishim Shana Ukratem Dror Ba’Aretz L’chol Yoshveha Yovel Hi Tiheyeh Lachem V’Shavtem Ish El Achuzato V’Ish el Mishpachto Tashuvu – You shall sanctify the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land for all its inhabitants; it shall be the Jubilee Year for you, each of you shall return to his ancestral heritage and each of you shall return to his family  Lev 25:10. The context of this verse is clear. During the 50-year cycle, whether the indentured servant has served the usual minimum of six years or not, all indentured servants are to be freed. Everyone returns to their tribal land of origin and everything is then, according to modern parlance, “rebooted”.  The Hebrew word for “freedom” that appears in the verse is Dror. The more common Hebrew word for  “freedom” is “ChoFeSh.” In  Ex. 21:2 Ki Tikneh Eved Ivri Shesh Shanim Ya’avod U’Vashviit Yeitzei LaChofshi Chinam If you buy a Jewish servant, he shall work for six years; and in the seventh, he shall go free (LaChofshi), for no charge. The word Dror, in the context of “freedom,”   appears once in the entire Torah in this context, “Proclaim Liberty throughout the land…” The word Dror appears in one other place in an apparently unrelated context.  In Ex. 30:23 Dror appears as a term for  “pure myrrh”. Why would the Torah use a less common word Dror that has another seemingly unrelated meaning as opposed to the more common word Chofshi (Free/freedom) to describe the declaration of Jubilee? 

          Certainly, the word “Freedom” is more commonly used than “Liberty”.  However, when Patrick Henry made his famous statement, he used the word “Liberty”. “Give me Liberty or give me death”. The Declaration of Independence speaks of “life liberty and the pursuit of happiness”.  The political theorist Hanna Fenichel Pitkin observed that liberty implies ”a network of restraint and order”, hence its use by America’s Founding Fathers in its founding documents and the Liberty Bell.“Proclaim Liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants thereof". Lev 25:10”.    R’ Avraham Bedersi, a late 13th century French Rabbi, explained that both terms Chofesh (Freedom) and Dror (Liberty) are the opposite of bondage.  However, Dror (Liberty) denotes clarity and purity, without any contaminates like "pure Myrrh".  It is not accidental that the Torah uses a word that is the opposite of bondage but connotes “pure” freedom. Throughout the book of Leviticus, the overarching themes have been purity and holiness.  

          So it would make sense that Dror would connote the holiest or purest sense of the concept of Freedom.  R’Avraham Bedersi suggests that Chofesh (freedom) implies the mitigation of slavery, or “freedom from”. Whereas Dror (Liberty) suggests the purest form of freedom, a holy sense of freedom that only exists within the laws and restraints presented in Torah, in other words, a “freedom for” a more sacred purpose. Indeed, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, et al, understood Rabbi Bedarsi’s comments.  Liberty” is a Godly concept.  Liberty invokes holiness and therefore something to which those that live in a democracy ought to aspire. “Declaring Liberty throughout the land”, is an aspirational call for all the inhabitants of the land to live lives of holiness. Declaring a Jewish Cabal that plans and organizes people of color to replace white Christian men perverts and twists the very words that appear on the Liberty Bell. 

Peace,

Rav Yitz

When The Voices Of The Storm Sound Like A Crowd ( Bobby Peterson & Phil Lesh - "New Potato Caboose")

            

          I have always been fascinated by Post-Holocaust/Post 1948 Jewry’s establishment of Jewish observances/commemorations. This is especially the case immediately following the Pesach Festival. Approximately five days after Pesach, five days after the Jewish People celebrated a holiday that is thousands of years old, a holiday in which the Jewish People observe and celebrated its redemption from ancient Egyptian slavery, the Jewish People observe Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. First established by the Israeli Rabbinate in 1951, Yom HaShoah has been part of the Jewish Calendar for 71 years. For these seven decades, we have not only listened to the testimony of the survivors who bore witness to the Holocaust, but we also listened to historians, sociologists, political scientists, and philosophers explain to us how this happened, the rise of fascism, the rise of nationalism, the scapegoating of a minority, the anonymity of an angry mob, the dissemination of conspiracy theories and disinformation, and the failure of leaders to exert courage to shine a light on wipe out the festering grievance politics. After 71 years, I can help but notice the irony that we are once again focused on that part of the world. However, it appears that some nations have figured out how to spiritually atone for their behaviour 70 years ago, while others have not. 

          This Shabbat we return to the weekly Torah cycle and read Parshat Acharei Mot. The two previous Parshiot: Tazria and Metzorah interrupted the narrative with the laws of individual purity and impurity.  In Acharei Mot, the Torah now teaches the laws for the spiritual purity of the nation. We have focused on the impurities of individuals, now we focus on the community. The Torah teaches us the laws for the offerings of Yom Kippur, national atonement, and Azazel otherwise known as the Scapegoat. The Scapegoat is not offered as a sacrifice to God, but rather is sent out from the camp and left to wander in the wilderness eventually succumbing to the elements. The second half of the Parsha focuses on the holy and unholy relationships within the family. However, the list of inappropriate behaviors between family members is taught within the context of the other nations. Other nations do these things and B'nai Yisroel must refrain from imitating those other nations.

           While providing the laws regarding holy and unholy relationships, God invokes Egypt and Canaan. B’nai Yisroel had been enslaved in  Egypt and now it prepares for its journey to Canaan.  K’Maasei Eretz Mitzrayim Asher Y’shavtem Bah Lo Ta’Asu UchMa’Asei Eretz Canaan Asher Ani Meivi Etchem Shamah Lo Ta’Asu UvChukoteihem Lo Teileichu – Do not practice of the land of Egypt in which you dwelled, and do not perform the practice of the land of Canaan to which I bring you, and do not follow their traditions. (Lev. 18:3) For the past two centuries, B’nai Yisroel dwelled in Egypt, a morally decadent community. Now B’nai Yisroel is about to head into Eretz Canaan, which was also a morally decadent land inhabited by the Moabites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Edomites. Why would God bring us to a place that is just as morally decadent as the place from which he brought us out?  Why would God promise land that was as morally bankrupt as Egypt? One would have assumed that Canaan was already a wonderful place otherwise God wouldn’t have brought B’nai Yisroel there nor would it have been part of a covenant. The Be’er Yitzchak, the 19th Russian Rabbi offers a comment that is relevant to today’s Jewish experience. “The reason for mentioning Egypt and Canaan is simple: if you imitate the Egyptians – then why did I take you out of Egypt? And if you behave like the Canaanites- why should I expel them before you/ it was on condition that you will not do so that I took you out of Egypt and that I shall expel the Canaanites… do not imitate even their innocuous practices, for these lead to total assimilation.” The experience in Egypt was an incubation period to prepare for Torah at Sinai. Our experience in Egypt would constantly serve as a reminder that we ultimately rejected physical slavery and that we ultimately rejected the institutions and behaviors of that master. It is certainly easy to reject all things Egyptian while we are reminded of how damaging the experience was. It is quite another thing to reject the behavior, and culture of a society when one is free when one is not scarred by such a damaging experience. Yet, the success of our people and the future viability of our relationship with God through the Torah could only occur if we are able to reject a dominant culture’s behavior as a free nation and not as an enslaved nation. B’nai Yisroel’s survival ultimately depends upon remaining separate and apart from the cultural majority. B’nai Yisroel’s survival depends upon remaining spiritually distinct from the majority. B’nai Yisroel’s survival depends upon the spiritual strength needed to reject the behaviors of any dominant culture, to refrain from behavior because “everyone else does it”.

         At the core of Judaism is the recognition that Judaism constantly establishes distinctions between itself and everything around it. Creating distinctions and separation between the holy and the mundane occurs every day, every week, and every season. Creating distinctions between the holy and mundane occur during the most basic activities of eating and procreation. Creating distinctions between the holy and the mundane occurs in our relationships with the world around us. Judaism also understands that as human beings and as communities there will be moments when fail at observing those distinctions between the holy and the mundane.  So God and Torah established a mechanism for individuals and communities to do “Teshuva” to repent,  return to God, and continue striving toward holiness. After seven decades, during this week of Yom HaShoah, it is interesting to see which nations have engaged in some degree of Teshuvah and atonement while others have continued to remind contaminated by fascism, nationalism, populism, conspiracy theories, misinformation, and scapegoating of minorities.  

Peace
Rav Yitz

My Words Fill The Sky With Flame; And Might and Glory Gonna Be My Name (John Barlow & Bob Weir - "Estimated Prophet")

          The province of Ontario finally declared a state of Emergency as it began the process of breaking up the occupation at the Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor to Detroit and connecting Canada and the U.S. with approximately $50 million dollars a day in trade. Yet despite the ongoing removal of the trucks, many people remained protesting. The protesting has continued in Coutts, Alberta where protesters closed that bridge between the two countries. The protests have spread to France, Australia and there is concern that a convoy has left California heading towards Washington. Organizing and funding these protests have come from the same right-wing organizations that fueled the pro-populist, anti-democratic message of politicians that supported the January 6th Washington D.C. uprising. Each of these protests and demonstrations represent a minority of each country’s respective population. Despite representing a minority opinion, each reflects the dangers of the mob or populist movements.

          This week’s Torah portion is entitled Ki Tissah. Parsha Ki Tissa is divided into several parts. The first part is the command to take a census of the population and collect a half-shekel for each person counted. The second part is the final blueprints for the Mishkan, the spices that are to be used, as well as the oil that is to be processed prior to burning. God then designates two men, Betzalel ben Uri from the tribe of Judah and Ahaliav ben Achisamach from the tribe of Dan to be the Master Builder and Designer of this national project. God reiterates the commandment of the Shabbat and reminds Moshe that anyone who violates it will be put to death and his/her soul will be cut off from the people.  In the next part, B’nai Yisroel commits the sin of the Eigel Zahav (Golden Calf): they built and then worshipped an idol. God wants to wipe out the people but Moshe urges God to reconsider. Moshe then descends the mountain and becomes just as upset as God, and he throws down the Shnei Luchot HaBrit – the Two Tablets of the Covenant. After a day or two when calm has been restored, Moshe re-ascends the mountain in order to pray for national forgiveness. Moshe then has an opportunity to experience another personal revelation even more powerful than the Burning Bush; Moshe has the opportunity to witness God’s passing before him. Dictated by God, Moshe chisels the Aseret Diberot into two new Tablets. He then goes back down the mountain. This time he descends with the light and glory of God emanating from him.

          During the moment when Moshe re- ascends the mountain seeking forgiveness for the people and Moshe experiences a personal revelation and watched God pass by; God re-iterates the covenant.  VaYomer Hinei Anochi Koreit Brit Neged Kol Amcha E’eseh Niflaot Asher Lo Nivre’u V’Chol Ha’Aretz U’VeChol HaGoyim - God said, ‘Behold, I seal a covenant: Before your entire people I shall make distinctions such as have never been created in the entire world and among all the nations.; and the entire people among whom you are will see the work of Hashem – which is awesome - that I am about to do with you. HiShameir Lecha Pen Tichrot Brit L’Yosheiv Ha’Aretz Asher Atah Ba Aleha Pen Yiheyeh L’Mokeish B’Kirbecha- Be vigilant lest you seal a covenant with the inhabitant of the land to which you come, lest it be a snare among you. (Ex. 34:11-12)The lesson of the Eigel Zahav, (the Golden Calf) was that B’nai Yisroel mimicked the indigenous idolatrous people that were living in B’nai Yisroel’s covenanted land.  God reminded Moshe and by association reminded the people that they must not weaken the nature of the covenant. They must not deal with these nations for fear that B’nai Yisroel becomes ensnared (L’Mokeish), trapped, and weakened. How could these idol-worshipping nations ensnare B’nai Yisroel? The fact is these nations cannot trap or ensnare B’nai Yisroel unless B’nai Yisroel ceases its vigilance, if they start dealing with these nations, or if they think that peace with these nations will lead to the perpetuation of B’nai Yisroel. From God’s perspective is to remind Moshe that the desire to make peace with those who want to destroy B’nai Yisroel, is not peace but rather will lead to B’nai Yisroel’s destruction.  According to Talmudic Sages, each Yom Kippur allows each generation to atone for that tragic mistake.

          It takes great courage to stand up for one’s beliefs. It takes even greater courage to confront leaders when standing up for one’s beliefs. B’nai Yisroel’s leaders succumbed to the mob. Their desire to mimic Egyptian idolatrous practices is a manifestation of succumbing to those who were most anxious and fearful of Moshe’s absence and led B’nai Yisroel down a dangerous path for which the Jewish People people continue to atone on Yom Kippur.  In watching the leadership of the Conservative Party, and the Provincial leadership’s attempt to cater to and side with the mob instead of the law, order, and democracy; they make the same mistake other leaders do when trying to placate the mob, and they are led down a dangerous path that could ensnare and damage democratic institutions form many generations to come.

Peace,
Rav Yitz  

But The Darkness Never Goes From Some Men's Eyes (John Barlow & Bob Weir ("Throwing Stones")

           A month after joining a Trump supporting mob riot at the U.S. Capitol building,  Canada declared that the Proud Boys a domestic terrorist organization. Like other white supremacists, fascist groups, the Proud boys peddle militant Christianity, white supremacy, and fascist ideology fomenting conspiracy, hate, and disinformation about Jews,  people of color, women, and the growing multiculturalism of North America. Ironically, the U.S. government which was attached on that horrific day has not yet placed this organization on a terrorist watch list. Instead, the Canadian government appreciates and understands the threat to liberal democracies posed by hate-based organizations that peddle conspiracy theories and prejudice against immigrants, people of colour, Jews, and anyone who is different. Indeed, laws tell a lot about the values and the courage of a society.

          This week we read from Parsha Mishpatim. Moshe is still at Mt. Sinai. However, the revelation that occurred with the giving of the Aseret Dibrot (Ten Commandments) has come and gone. Instead, God  gives Moshe numerous laws that affect the day to day issues raised by human interaction. There is no shofar blowing, there is no anticipation of meeting God at the mountain. Rather there is only God telling Moshe how to decide various legal matters including the damages to be paid if my ox gores your ox; two men are fighting near a pregnant woman and she gets hurt,   and how to treat to a Jewish servant, observing festivals, the issues of liability for those who are asked to safeguard another’s property as well as manslaughter, to name just a few of the fifty-three commandments (according to the Sefer HaChinuch).  Moshe tells these laws to B’nai Yisroel and they respond with the words Naaseh v’Nishmah – we will do and learn.  The Parsha concludes with glowing fire upon the Mountain that Moshe ascends once again.

          Following the awe-inspiring revelation at Sinai in Parsha Yitro, it might seem like a spiritual let down to read of one law after another and the mundane rules that are established to govern human interaction. However, buried beneath these rules and regulations God reminds Moshe of the foundations upon which these executive orders are based.  V’Ger Lo Toneh  V’Lo TilChatzenu Ki Geirim Heyitem B’Eretz Mitzrayim – You shall not taunt or oppress a stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. The Talmudic Sages in Baba Metzia 59b remind us that the Torah expresses caution regarding the treatment of the stranger no less than thirty-six times. No other “executive order”, no other commandment such as loving God, Shabbat, circumcision, forbidden foods, uttering a falsehood occurs as frequently as the refrain to love the stranger or refrain to avoid oppressing the stranger.  The Talmudic sages define the “stranger” to be the idol worshipper turned proselyte. Once the “stranger” ceases worshipping idols and begins the process of Torah study; no one should oppress, mock or demean the proselyte’s origins. In a sense, the Sages consider the “stranger” to be spiritually defenseless. Later Medieval Commentators explain that the “stranger” is not only an idol worshipper turned proselyte (the spiritually defenseless), but the economically defenseless as well. RaShBam (11th Century French commentator and Rashi’s nephew) clarifies “Do not oppress him” to mean that you should not force him to do your work since he has no champion. RaMBaM, the great Spanish commentator, adds a caveat to RaShBam. God defends the defenseless. God protects the widows and the orphans. In the previous Parsha, Yitro, God reminded Moshe to tell B’nai Yisroel that they were to be a Nation of Priests, that is to say, B’nai Yisroel is supposed to embody Godliness here on earth. Caring for the stranger embodies Godliness. Failure to care for the stranger embodies the Egyptians.  

  The laws in Mishpatim and the laws of any country reflects that society’s underlying concern of human relationships and the sanctity of human relationships. It is human nature to fear the “other”, to fear the “stranger”, to fear those who look different.  Torah, Judeo-Christian morality, liberal democracy, appeal to something that transcends human nature. Instead, we are supposed to strive for something greater than human nature. We are supposed to transcend our fear of the stranger. We are supposed to transcend our trepidation of the “other”. Parsha Mishpatim reminds B’nai Yisroel that of all people, the Jewish people should be able to empathize with the stranger. After all, at numerous points in Jewish history, we were all strangers.   The laws presented in Parsha Mishpatim demonstrate how former slaves created a civil, just, caring, and humane society predicated upon the law, trust, the sanctity of the human soul, and the necessity for empathy. Indeed, for its time, it truly was revolutionary. 

Peace,

Rav Yitz

All The Endless Ruins Of The Past Must Stay Behind (Jerry Garcia - "The Cream Puff War")

           This week seems to have lasted much longer than seven days. From Tuesday until Friday, we have had the news listening to and watching the results of the U.S. elections. Yes, as citizens, we had a vested interest. We all voted. Having a daughter run a campaign for a congressional seat in Texas also gave us a personal interest in the outcome. As we watched, it became clear that the U.S. is horribly divided. One political talking head commented that there really are two nations that are south of the Canadian border. It seems that these “two Americas” have nothing in common except for one thing. Both are full of fear. One America is scared of the future, scared of the changing demography, scared that the current alienation that they sense will grow worse. This America perceives that their world was better in 1955 than it could ever be in 2025. The other America fears the present. They fear Covid19, they fear systemic racism, they fear the continued erosion of democratic institutions and America’s values. They look towards the future with hope, possibility, the see the future as aspirational, as a means to “build a more perfect union.”

          This Shabbat we read from Parsha VaYeira. The narrative and adventures of Avraham the Patriarch continue. While healing from his ritual circumcision, he fulfills the mitzvah of Hachnasat Orchim, hospitality. He negotiates with God and reduces the number of righteous people that must be found in Sodom and Gomorrah in order to prevent its destruction. The narrative of Avraham is interrupted as we read the narrative of Lot, the two Angels (the same two that had visited Avraham at the beginning of the Parsha), the destruction of the city, and the impure relationship that results when the survivors think that world has been destroyed. The narrative returns to Avraham as its focus and he and his wife Sarah give birth to a son (Yitzchak), the banishment of Hagar and Ishmael (Avraham’s firstborn son and his concubine) and the final test of his belief, the Akeidat Yitzchak – the Offering of Isaac. 

          During these adventures, during these tests, it is fascinating to watch Avraham deal with each new issue, each new tension, and arrive at solutions. Avraham always looks forward. Avraham looked forward, he looked towards the horizon towards Sodom and Gomorrah while God talked to Avraham about his intention to destroy those cities. When he is commanded to banish Hagar and Ishmael, Avraham looks forward. He looked towards the horizon, in the direction they were heading, and provided them food and water in order to survive the journey. When asked to sacrifice his son, Isaac, Avraham doesn’t look back, he looks forward, towards the mountain where the sacrifice will supposedly occur. Compare this with Lot and his family (Gen 19:12-26). Three times the angels tell Lot that he and his family must leave. First, Lot tells his children to leave, although there is no indication that Lot and his wife intent to go. The second time, the two angels lead Lot, his wife, and children out, but Lot still can’t just leave! VaYitmama – still he lingered (Gen 19:16). Even when God’s messengers grab Lot, his wife, and his daughters by the hands and led them out of the city VaYomer Himaleit Al Nafshecha Al Tabit Acharecha v’Al Taamod B’Chol HaKikar Hahara Himaleit pen Tisafeh- Flee for your life! Do not look behind you nor stop anywhere in all the plain; flee to the mount lest you be swept away (Gen 19:17). Lot can’t just move on. He stays to stay and negotiate, figuring he can flee to a nearby city.  Finally, they begin making their way towards the alternative destination VeTabeit Ishto M’Acharav Vathi  Ntziv Melach  But His wife looked back and she became a pillar of salt (Gen. 19:26) Ramban explains that she looked back to make sure her daughters were following. What parent would flee and have the children (little or young adult) behind them? A parent would either have the children in front of them or be holding their hand while fleeing. So what other reason was there to turn around. Like her husband, who had such a difficult time moving forward, Lot’s wife wants to turn around one last time in order to see life and the world she was leaving. She was merely emulating Lot. However, she did it “one more time”. From the Angels’ perspective, enough was enough. 

          Sometimes moving forward can be very difficult. Fear of the future, fear of the unknown can be overwhelming. Sometimes there is comfort looking back towards the past. However, one must avoid being enslaved by the past or romanticize the past to the point where the past is only a myth. Doing so endangers an individual’s welfare and it endangers a nation’s welfare. For Lot’s wife, that simple glance over her shoulder symbolized not only a lack of faith in the future, it symbolized her preference for the perceived idealized life that she was leaving behind. A nation struggles with itself, nearly half looking back at a past built upon myth, not fact, fearful of the horizon fearful of a future.  Elections are very similar to  Lot’s wife. Some vote in elections looking towards the horizon with hope and anticipation of a better possibility, and some vote in elections fearful of the future and prefer the life of a bygone time. Eventually, however, we know that time continues to move forward.  

Peace,

Rav Yitz