There Are Things You Can Replace; And Others You Cannot (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Althea")

Earlier this past week, after dinner was finished, after I finished cleaning the kitchen, and sundry household chores that my wife needed me to do, and in between helped our 13-year-old with whatever homework he had. He was going to bed, and I figured that our older daughters, being a bit more self-sufficient didn’t need my help. So, at 9:25pm, I stated, for all to hear, that I was going to do my work-out. This meant that for the next 45 – 60 minutes, I had “Dad time”. At 9:30, with my music on low, and my news show on Television, I was on our elliptical machine. Ten minutes doesn’t pass before our fifteen year old bounds down the stairs to our basement, stands in front of the television and comments that the problem being the middle of three children that live in our house means that she never gets the same amount of attention and help as her 17-year-old sister and her 13-year-old brother. Then she turned off the TV and told me that she needed help preparing a mid-term exam.  Her frustration was palpable. I said I would be glad to help but I am not getting off the elliptical machine. She stomped off in frustration. A minute later she returned with a variety of books and pleaded with me to stop my work-out and give her my undivided attention. After about an hour and a half, she was clearly no longer studying at peak efficiency, she wondered aloud why she had multiple assignments due on the same date and multiple exams scheduled for the same day.  Her insight reflected her growing frustration over her lack of control of her own schedule. Time did not belong to them. Suddenly, the concept of time, as embodied by their schedules belonged to those who scheduled their respective mid-term exams. By extension, my time didn’t belong to me, it was allocated to my daughters.  

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 recognize and observe Rosh Chodesh, the first day of each month. God instructs Moshe to tell B’nai Yisroel to slaughter a lamb for each family. The blood should be painted upon the door- post. The sacrificed lamb must be completely eaten 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 command to sanctify the firstborn, remember this night, remember what God did for B'nai Yisroel, and how B'nai Yisroel eventually returned to the land.

This is perhaps the first Parsha in which God we read of more than one commandment.  Prior to this Parsha, maybe three of the 613 Mitzvot could be derived from all of B’reishit (The Book of Genesis) and the first two Parshiot of Shmot. Now we read both narratives as well as commandments. While the commandment that focus specifically upon Pesach, the commandments such as Korbonot Shel Pesach (Passover Sacrifice), eating the Passover Sacrifice, completely finish eating the Passover Sacrifice, eating Matzah, removing the leaven, prohibiting the uncircumcised from eating the Passover Sacrifice, the prohibitions of eating leaven and seeing leaven and owning leaven, sanctifying the firstborn, redeeming the firstborn and recounting Yetziat Mitzrayim, the Exodus from Egypt to name a few. However, the first Mitzvah, the first commandment that God tells Moshe, Aharon and B’nai Yisroel does not explicitly focus upon the Exodus but rather upon time and keeping track of time. VaYomer Adoshem el Moshe V’el Aharon B’Eretz Mitzrayim Leimor Hashem said to Moshe and Aharon in the Land of Egypt, saying: HaChodesh HaZeh Lachem Rosh Chodeshim Rishon Hu Lachem L’Chadshei HaShana: This month shall be for you the beginning of the months, it shall be for you the first of the months of the year. (Ex 12:1-2) Certainly, all the Mitzvot that follow this commandment, those that focus specifically upon the Exodus, warrant God’s speaking to Moshe and Aharon.             

From a narrative perspective, it makes sense that the Torah tells us that these commandments were issued while they were still in Egypt; B’nai Yisroel had not yet actually left Egypt but rather was making their final preparations. Why is the first commandment issued focused upon counting? This month will be the beginning of months; it will be the first month of the year? How will they know when the next month of begins? Sefer HaChinuch, a 13th-century text written by Pinchas ben Aharon HaLevi of Barcelona clarifies this issue. Sefer HaChinuch (the Book of Education) lists all 613 Mitzvot in order of appearance and corresponding to each Parshah. Also, the author provides a moral and philosophical explanation of each commandment.  Regarding the commandment This month shall be for you the beginning of the months, it shall be for you the first of the months of the year, Sefer HaChinuch says Klomar K’SheTiru CHidosha Shel L’Vana Tikb’u Lachem Rosh Chodesh In other words, when you see the renewal of the moon, you will establish for yourselves the beginning of the month O Afilu Lo Tiruha MiKeivan Shi R’Uyahn L’Heiraot Al Pi HaCHesbon HamKubal – or even if you do not see it, once it is due to be seen according to the accepted reckoning. So the moon’s cycle will serve as the indicator of the beginning and end of a month.  M’SHarshei Mitzvah Zo K’dei Shya’asu Yisroel Moadei HaShem BizMaNaM – At the root of this precept lies the purpose that the Israelites should keep the holy days of the Eternal Lord at their proper times… Before God gives instructions about how to observe the Exodus, these soon to be former slaves must be able to control time, or observe time so that they will know the right time to observe God’s festivals.

            The first step towards freedom is to observe the passage of time, mark the passage of time, and declare the right time to observe time-bound commandments. Until now, the master, Egypt, told the slaves when to wake up, when to sleep, when to work and when to eat. Now, these former slavers will have to establish their own schedule and keep their own calendar. Of course, this schedule and this calendar must be for a higher purpose. It cannot be a schedule or a calendar in which there is nothing but rather it must be filled with opportunities to engage and celebrate what is to be free; free to serve God.  Yes, my daughter was tired and frustrated. She sensed that she had become enslaved to her mid-term exam schedule. Despite her frustration, she learned a valuable lesson. Even within that schedule, she had to learn how to find moments of time, time that belongs to them. I pointed out to her, that, ultimately, she decided when to study. Ultimately, I decided when to work out, and later that night when she was finally comfortable with the material, and too tired to continue, she headed off to bed, and I turned on my music, and my news show and, finally, I did.

Peace,

Rav Yitz

Built To Last Till Sunshine Fails And Darkness Moves On All (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Built To Last")

Its’s final exam season in our home. Needless to say the stress level is unbearable. The slightest noise or parental request to put something away or empty the dishwasher is greeted a curt, frustrated response. One of the finals this week had to do with World History.  So in lull, when my knowledge and understanding of World History was sought I offered a brief lesson, with the aid of film clips from YouTube about the significant of the past week. Three historical events were commemorated this past week. The first historical event occurred 72 years ago this week and stopped the spread of Fascism, the cult of personality, authoritarianism and brought together the combined forces of four nations to battle evil. Seventy two years ago this week, D-Day (“The Longest Day”) brought together Canadian, British and American forces and the successful invasion of Normandy and the final allied offensive that would end the war in Europe nearly eleven months later. The second historical event occurred 50 years ago this week and stopped the aggression of three nations whose intention was to eliminated the state of Israel and push the Israelis into the sea. The Six Day War culminated in an Israeli victory that tripled the size in area, now controlling the Golan Heights, Gaza, The West Bank and Re-unification of Jerusalem. The third historical event did not involve a military victory. However all military victory’s mean that soldiers die.  Nearly 4500 allied soldiers died on that first day of the Invasion of Normandy. Far fewer Israeli soldiers were killed during the Six Day War: approximately 775. In the first week of June in 1968, while the Viet Nam war raged on in the jungle of South East Asia, one man was assassinated in Los Angeles: Bobby Kennedy. I suggested that in all these deaths, men were killed laying down their lives for their country, and for their beliefs. Then I asked my history students (our children) one question. In which of these events was the world saved from entering a period of protracted human darkness and evil?

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

As B’nai Yisroel finally begins its trek from Sinai towards Canaan, the Torah makes the following statement.  Vayehi Binsoah Ha’Aron VaYomer Moshe, Kuma Adoshem VeYaFuTzu Oyavecha, VeYaNuSu Misanecha MiPanecha. U’vNucho Yomar Shuva Adoshem Rivvot Alfei Yisroel – When the Ark would journey, Moshe said: ‘Arise Hashem, and let Your foes be scattered let those who hate You flee from before You. And when it rested, he would say, ‘reside tranquilly, O Hashem, among the myriad thousands of Israel. (Num. 10:35) Today we say the first part of the verse while we take the Torah out from the Aron before we read the Torah, and we say the second part of the statement when we have finished reading from the Torah and are returning it to the Aron.  In the Torah, this verse is enclosed by two brackets. The bracket is really an inverted letter, the letter “Nun”.   The Talmud in Shabbat 116a Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi teaches Mipnei Sh’ Sefer Chashuv Hu Bifnei Atzmo – Because it constituted a book on its own. His a rather cryptic statement since it suggests that there are more than 5 books comprising the Torah. We normally think of the Torah as comprised of 5 Books or Scrolls: Breishit- Genesis, Shmot –Exodus, Vayikra – Leviticus, Bemidbar-Numbers, and Devarim-Deuteronomy.  However Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi considers the fourth Book to really be three smaller books: Numbers A (chaps1-10:34); Numbers B (10:35-36) and Numbers C (10:37-36:13); for a total of seven boos of Torah. R’ Yehuda’s understanding of seven books of Torah seems to correspond with a verse from Mishlei (Proverbs (9:1): Chachmot Banta Veitah Chatzvah Amudeha Shiva- With all forms of wisdom did she build her house; she carved out its seven pillars. Perhaps this bracket of the Hebrew letter Nun and the enclosed verse; tells us something about the Lamp that was lit at the beginning of the Parsha. The word for lamp HaNeirot; that is to say “illuminate the lights” of the tabernacle. B’nai Yisroel for the first time was taking God’s light, this wisdom and carrying it amongst themselves, using it to create light within its camp and using it to ward off all the negative forces that would otherwise seek to destroy them. For the first time, B’nai Yisroel would now have to use its wisdom, its understanding of Torah, in order to bring light and holiness to the world.

One only needs to listen to the speeches of Bobby Kennedy, hear is idealism through his Boston accent, and his desire to make the world a better place. One only needs to appreciate that fact that he was the victim of Palestinian terror like so many Israelis because he tried to bring light to those who lived in darkness not only in the United States but throughout the world. One only needs to walk through gates into the Old City to appreciate the miracle that Israel manage to reclaim the Old City of Jerusalem. One only needs to stand at the Kotel to realize that Jerusalem, the City of Gold was now belonged to the descendants of King David and appreciate the spiritual light that emanates from this city. One need only stand at the beaches of Normandy and see row after row of those who died and look out at the waters of the English channel to not only appreciate the miracle that transpired but to also understand how all these men who fought on that day saved the world from darkness.  With the conclusion of the study break, our kids could see where and how events spanning several decades are intertwined and connected.

Peace,

Rav Yitz