But The Heart Has Its Seasons And Evenings And Songs Of Its Own (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia- "Eyes of the World")

           We just celebrated my father’s 81st birthday. As his children and grandchildren have watched him age, we are all very aware that he is just a little frailer, a little more fatigued, with a few more aches and pains than he used to have. It is part of growing old. Unlike twenty years ago, or even ten years ago, I am also becoming more aware of my aging father’s mortality. I call him more often, and I make more of an effort to visit. This awareness of our own mortal temporary existence is one of the themes of Sukkot and its corresponding text, Sefer Kohelet the book of Ecclesiastes. We read it in its entirety once a year on Shabbat Chol HaMoed Sukkot, the Intermediate Sabbath of Sukkot. According to the tradition, Shlomo HaMelech, King Solomon, towards the end of his life, wrote this Megillah, this scroll. Tradition has this perspective because the language is not one of optimism but rather realism. This is a person who has “seen it all” – Ein Kol Chadash Tachat HaShemesh – There is nothing new under the sun! And yet there is a certain harsh realism and a certain sense of harsh optimism. The author provides us with a no holds barred sense of comfort. He does not coddle us. He does not baby us. Rather the author shoves our faces in this “reality” and gives us a perspective on how to deal with a world that is not as wonderful a place as we might have thought of in our youth, or even a few weeks ago. The question that so many of our sages have asked, is why is such a text, a text that does not offer such explicit hope, a text that does not offer explicit comfort, and is universally recognized as a “downer” of a text, why is such a text read on the holiday that is commonly regarded as Zman Simchateinu – the time of our joy?

        In Eretz Yisroel, the Autumn Harvest is complete. In North America, the summer harvest has been completed as well. We unabashedly celebrate our joy on a physical level because of a successful harvest. We also unabashedly celebrate our joy for having been judged favorably by God, (Rosh HaShanah), and having been the recipients of God’s mercy (Yom Kippur). On Sukkot, we are commanded to Samachta b’Chagecha – celebrate in your holiday. Yet this text tempers our celebration. While the nature of the Sukkot holiday is to celebrate our unrestrained joy in receiving God’s blessing, we also know that very often it is human nature to forget God and celebrate our achievements and ourselves. Kohelet reminds us that, like the fragile nature of the Sukkah itself, not everything is as much in our control as we think. V’Zerach HaShemesh U’Vah HaShemesh – the sun rises and the sun sets- no matter what we do, no matter how much control we may perceive that we have, at the end of the day, we are ultimately powerless. God is the ultimate cause of all things. The sun rises and sets because of God, not mankind. Kohelet helps us maintain our perspective. Kohelet reminds us that we are not the center of the world. Kohelet reminds us that for all the physical pleasures we seek, for all the material comforts we work hard to afford, such things are fleeting.

        So how can such a text offer us comfort? Well if we have the perspective of Kohelet, then we can understand how an elderly person, who has seen everything: man’s goodness, man’s evil, the joy of life, and the futility of life, offers us comfort.  With control comes responsibility. With power comes responsibility. Kohelet teaches us that we should celebrate the fact that we have so little control. Kohelet teaches us that we should derive joy from the fact that we don’t need to worry about the sunrise or the sunset. We shouldn’t be so terribly joyous when life comes into the world or upset when life leaves the world. Intellectually speaking, life and death is not within our control. Living our life is within our control. Living the best possible life is within our control. Living a life that has spiritual meaning and the acquisition of wisdom is the crux of our existence, the purpose for our living. Struggling to acquire anything else is futile. Torah is the embodiment of Wisdom. Sof Davar Ha’Kol Nishmah et Ha’Elohim Y’rah v’Et Mitzvotav Shmor  Ki Zeh Kol HaYamim- The sum of the matter, when all has been considered: Fear God and keep his Commandments, for that is man’s whole duty. By doing so, we don’t need to worry about another Judgment on Rosh HaShanah; we don’t need to worry about God’s showing us mercy on Yom Kippur. We will have guaranteed that we have done everything in our control to make our lives meaningful. The joy in our celebration is the joy in our opportunity to acquire wisdom and internalize it.

Peace,
Rav Yitz

Some Folks Would Be Happy Just To Have One Dream Come True (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia- "Mission In The Rain")

          Every year at this time my son and I get to bond while we assemble our Sukkah. As he has grown older, his help evolved from sitting and talking, to tightening bolts on the bottom, to carrying supplies, to tightening bolts above, to helping put up the skach (the sukkah’s roof), and now he as a point where he offers suggestions to improve and expedite the entire operation.  While we were putting the Sukkah together he shared with me something he learned in school. He explained that one of the commandments associated with Sukkot is to be happy. As a brooding, 17-year-old 12th grader who cannot leave high school quick enough,  our son thought that commanding joy and happiness or any emotion for that matter,  violate the idea of “free will”. He suggested that perhaps we can engage in behavior that causes joy and such as those associated with Sukkot: eating in the Sukkah and waving the Lulav and Etrog. He then asked a very poignant question. “Abba how can you be commanded to ‘be happy’ if you are in mourning?” I asked him what he meant. He explained that there must be so many aveilim - mourners since Covid, how can the Aveilim be happy?” I stopped what I was doing and told him that I wonder the same thing. It is hard to be happy when you have suffered a loss. How do we do resolve the tension between how we feel due to a loss and the feeling associated with Chag Sukkot?

          Among the most spiritually difficult texts is Sefer Kohelet the Book of Ecclesiastes. We read it in its entirety once a year on Shabbat Chol HaMoed Sukkot, the Intermediate Sabbath of Sukkot. According to the tradition, Shlomo HaMelech, King Solomon, towards the end of his life, wrote this Megillah, this scroll. Tradition has this perspective because the language is not one of optimism but rather realism. This is a person who has “seen it all” – Ein Kol Chadash Tachat HaShemesh – There is nothing new under the sun! And yet there is a certain harsh realism and a certain sense of harsh optimism. The author provides us with a cold, clinical sense of comfort. He does not coddle us. He does not baby us. Rather the author shoves our faces in this “reality” and gives us a perspective on how to deal with a world that is not as wonderful a place as we might have thought of in our youth, or even a few weeks ago. The question that so many of our sages have asked, is why is such a text, a text that does not offer such explicit hope, a text that does not offer explicit comfort, and is universally recognized as a “downer” of a text, why is such a text read on the holiday that is commonly regarded as Zman Simchateinu – the time of our joy?

        In Eretz Yisroel, the Autumn Harvest is complete. We unabashedly celebrate our joy on a physical level because of a successful harvest. We also unabashedly celebrate our joy for having been judged favorably by God, (Rosh HaShanah), having been the recipients of God’s mercy (Yom Kippur). On Sukkot, we are commanded to Samachta b’Chagecha – celebrate in your holiday. Yet, this text seems to diminish our celebration. While the nature of the Sukkot holiday is to celebrate our unrestrained joy in receiving God’s blessing, we also know that very often it is human nature to forget God and celebrate our achievements and ourselves. Kohelet reminds us that, like the fragile nature of the Sukkah itself, not everything is as much in our control as we think. V’Zerach HaShemesh U’Vah HaShemesh – the sun rises and the sun sets- no matter what we do, no matter how much control we may perceive that we have, at the end of the day, we are ultimately powerless. God is the ultimate cause of all things. The sun rises and sets because of God, not mankind. Kohelet helps us maintain our perspective. Kohelet reminds us that we are not the center of the world. Kohelet reminds us that for all the physical pleasures we seek, for all the material comforts we work hard to afford, such things are fleeting.

        So how can such a text offer us comfort? Well if we have the perspective of Kohelet, then we can understand how an elderly person, who has seen everything: man’s goodness, man’s evil, the joy of life, and the futility of life, offers us comfort.  Kohelet reminds us that there is only the Here and Now. The harvest and Thanksgiving that is associated with Sukkot reminds us that there is only the Here and Now.  The next cycle of planting, pruning, and harvesting is not in our control so why bother. Rather we celebrate that we arrived at Now. Yes, we may be scarred. Yes, we might have suffered horrible losses, perhaps devastating types of losses. Be we are here, sitting in the sukkah, shaking a lulav and etrog, and that might be worth celebrating. Being in the Now just might be reason enough to be happy.

          As we finished putting up our Sukkah, I finally figured out an answer for our son. Maybe the lesson of Sukkot and the commandment to be happy, “VeSamachata v’Chagecha”, is to remind ourselves to be happy with what we have, and not focus upon what we don’t have.  Indeed,  so many people have died from Covid, and yes, there are so many people who have mourned this past year and continue to mourn. Perhaps these Aveilim and anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one is supposed to find joy and comfort in the blessings of wonderful memories, and the laughter that results when sharing stories about our loved ones.

Peace,
Rav Yitz

The A B C's, We All Must Face, And Try To Keep A Little Grace (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Touch of Grey")

           This has been a very different sort of High Holiday Season. The Pandemic and its anticipated second wave have forced Jews to make some necessary modifications in the way in which they observe and celebrate Sukkot. Normally, during the week of Sukkot, Shuls will build a large communal sukkah so people can eat in it as well as to conduct all kinds of social and educational programs. Not this year. In order to have guests, an acquaintance of ours divided his sukkah with plexiglass and two separate tables and chairs in order to have guests. However, for the most part, the only guests that many will have had in their Sukkah would have been the Ushpizin, the seven mystical guests that appear day: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Joseph, David,  This lack of guests, has been most difficult on my wife since she is is so incredibly social. One solution that we happened to have fallen into occurred earlier in the summer when some of the restrictions began to loosen. Every Shabbat, before or after lunch, my wife and I would catch up with two other couples. The patios and decks would rotate from Shabbat to Shabbat, yet the three couples would sit, shmooze, have a nosh and remain very socially distant. Under normal circumstances, we would have had these two couples spend time with us in the Sukkah. Ironically, we have to have these “socially distant” social calls outside of the sukkah.  

          Beginning on Friday Night and continuing this morning and until the sun sets on this Shabbat, we celebrate the Festival known as Shemini Atzeret. Shemini Atzeret immediately follows the Sukkot Festival. Sukkot technically concluded on Friday. The last day of Sukkot is known as Hoshana Rabba. It represents the very last opportunity to engage in the Tshuva of the High Holidays before the gates for this year close. The week-long celebration of Sukkot has concluded and we now have a day to recuperate, to talk about the party, to talk about the ceremony, to talk about the sermons, eat a little, and laugh a little. The Haftorah for Shemini Atzeret is from Kings I Chapter 8. Solomon, the son of King David, has assumed the throne. He finished building the Beit HaMikdash, The First Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Now that it is finished, he consecrates the building by holding a weeklong celebration that coincides with the Sukkot Holiday and pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The Rabbis chose this particular Haftorah as appropriate for Shemini Atzeret because of the last verse of the Haftorah. Bayom HaSHmini Shilach et Ha’Am Vayivarchu et Hamelech Va’Yeilchu L’Ahaleihem Smeichim V’Tovei Leiv Al Kol Tovah Asher Asah Adoshem L’David Avdo U’LeYisrael Amo – Then on the eighth day, he (King Solomon) dismissed them and they blessed the king and went to their tents rejoicing and contented because of all the good that the Eternal had done for David, God’s servant, and Israel God’s people.

          Solomon’s words are also found in Sefer Kohelet, Ecclesiastes. Normally, we would read Sefer Kohelet during the Intermediate Sabbath of Sukkot. However this year, there is no intermediate Sabbath. Therefore Kohelet is read on this Shabbat. Many consider Solomon’s wisdom as transmitted in Kohelet to be a rather bleak and offer a rather stark outlook:  Ein Kol Chadash Tachat HaShamesh - There is nothing new beneath the sun. However, there is wisdom in these words given the context of living during these trying times. Taking a  wide sweep of human history, Kohelet is probably right, ‘there really is nothing new under the sun.” There have been pandemics and epidemics before. There has been a rise in Fascism and authoritarianism before. There have been those who found comfort in the darkness of conspiracy and those who have been warmed by the light of truth. There have been those who have learned and transmitted their wisdom and there are those who are unable or unwilling to learn.  I suppose it just appears that the “new “ is just for those who aren’t old enough to remember the last time or haven’t studied the past. Yet even under these circumstances, there are moments of grace and blessing. 

          The Jewish Holiday Season, the Chagim are drawing to a close. Certainly, celebrating the Chagim has required a bit of ingenuity and, as a result, has certainly been novel. The joy of ushering in a New Year as well as the trepidation associated with Yom HaDin – Day of Judgment have been tempered with the novelty of blowing Shofar during a Pandemic.  We have experienced the hope that the New Year, with its opportunity as well as its renewed commitment will be a year of possibility. Ten days later we experienced the intense spirituality of Yom Kippur when, for twenty-five hours, we focus entirely on our spiritual beings and ignore our physical beings. For twenty-five hours we spend praying, contemplating, and existing in the realm of the angels and God. Yet, due to a Pandemic, the object was to be as brief as possible and only be in shul for as little as possible.  Three days later, we celebrate our Thanksgiving; we celebrate Sukkot. We celebrate our Zman Simchateinu – Time of our Happiness – by offering our thanks to God. We thank God for the Harvest, for the fact that we arrived at this time in the Sukkah with Lulav and Etrog. We celebrate our joy with the opportunity to commune with God in such a special place like the Sukkah. Mostly, we are thankful for whatever blessings we are able to realize during this incredibly difficult time.

May we all have the insight to find it in our hearts to sense our blessing and be thankful as we continue to live through this pandemic. 

Peace,

Rav Yit

Think This Through With Me, Let Me Know Your Mind; What I Want To Know Is, Are You Kind? (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia "Uncle John's Band")

Our teen-age daughters, 17 and 15 will be going to the New York metropolitan area in order to spend the last days Shemini Atseret and Simchat Torah with their “camp friends”. For the past couple of weeks we have been searching for a way to get her to New Jersey: plane, train, bus, a car ride with friends who are heading to New York. We couldn’t find anything then satisfied our concern for time, cost, or safety. We managed to find a cheap flight from Buffalo to New York’s LaGuardia airport. They just had to find a way to get picked up at LaGuardia in order to get to their respective destinations: Teaneck, NJ and Cedarhurst Long Island. For the past few years, my parents would drive down to New York City and visit with my sister and her family, however this year my parents won’t be heading down until after Sukkot. In the past, I have relished the idea of our kids on a six hour car ride with my father and listening to the lectures that I had to listen to. I relished the idea of our kids on a six hour car ride with my father and listening to sage words of wisdom about life, relationships, and the future. Because the 17 year old is thinking about university, I was especially hopeful that Grandpa (my father) would offer advice and perspective to deal with the anxiety and the process of choosing and applying to universities. Needless to say, I think our daughters were relieved that they are flying to New York rather than driving six hours and listening to a lecture from Grandpa. For me, it is a lost opportunity for a grandfather to offer wisdom and advice to his grandchildren. Now, as I become more conscious of these diminished opportunities; I realize that it falls on me to transmit his wisdom and advice.

This Shabbat is known as Shabbat Chol HaMoed Sukkot. It is the Shabbat that falls during the 7 day Festival of Sukkot. As a result we do not read the regular Torah Reading. Instead, we read of the narrative when Moshe re- ascended the mountain a second time in order to receive the second set of Tablets. As part of the Festival, we recite Hallel which is a series of psalms praising God and state our joy in being part of the Brit, part of the covenant with God. Also, because it is a festival, we read one of Five Megillot taken from the Ketuvim – the Book of Writings. On Shabbat Chol Ha Moed Sukkot, we read Kohelet, the Book of Ecclesiastes.  Jewish tradition ascribes the twelve chapter scroll to Shlomo HaMelech – King Solomon.  This wisdom literature is written from the perspective of an elderly man who has seen it all, and experienced it all. – Ein Kol Chadash Tachat HaShemesh – There is nothing new under the sun! Kohelet – The Preacher speaks with brutal and harsh honesty.. In what is perhaps the most famous few verses, the Preacher tells us that life is full of ups and downs, good times and difficult times. L’Kol Zman V’Eit L’Chol Chafetz Tachat HaShamayim – Everything has its season, and there is a time for everything under heaven: A time to be born and a time to die…..That may not sound so inspiring.  Yet our job is to live our lives according to a set of rules. The result may be good or it may be bad, but God will be the judge of that. All we can do is play according to the rules as we make our way through life and contend with the obstacles presented.

          I hope there will be other opportunities for our children to spend significant time with their grandparents receiving their wisdom. In the meantime I have to make time with my kids passing this Kohelet wisdom to them. After all it’s a seasonal thing: Sukkot, autumn, change of seasons, leaves changing colors. I will take them for a drive, we will talk, we will see the leaves changing, we will discuss univerisities. Words, advice and hopefully wisdom will come out of my mouth and I will realize that I sound like my father, who amazingly enough sounded a lot like his father. I hope I do as good a job transmitting these words, thoughts, and wisdom to them as my father and grandfather did. Like Kohelet concluded by reminding the younger generation that after all is said and done, Sof Davar HaKol Nishmah et HaElohim Yrah v’Et Mitzvotav SHmor ki Zeh Kol HaAdam- Fear God and keep his Commandments, for that is man’s whole duty, Ki et Kol Maaseh Ha’Elohim Yavoh V'Mishpat – For God will judge every deed…; I am reminded of my father’s advice and need that I need to transmit to them: that if they follow their grandfather’s advice, they will be able to handle life’s obstacles and remain positive and happy.

Peace,

Rav Yitz

Don't Give It Up You Got An Empty Cup Only Love Can Fill (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Comes A Time")

Among the more interesting experiences that my family and I have enjoyed while living in Toronto, has been experiencing U.S. Presidential campaigns from outside the U.S. First, living outside the U.S. during this time allows for a bit of an escape as opposed to the national obsessing that has been occurring south of the border.  Second, by living outside the U.S, we have wider perspective as part of our “calculus” for voting is now influenced from the perspective of how the rest of the world views the candidate. Third, by being outside of the political storm we can see things a little clearer than those who live in the storm. We have watched the debates. We have spoken frequently to our eldest daughter who has been living in the storm that is a Presidential campaign for nearly 18 months. As we watch the campaign from across the border, there have been numerous times where we have shaken our heads in disgust as this campaign has seemed to be a race to the gutter as Donald Trump has demeaned the process in terms of his language, his behavior, and his lashing out at numerous constituencies including fellow Republicans. However what has been particularly revealing is the insight he has given us into his character. As the campaign has evolved, as incendiary statements have been made, as he didn’t engage in any preparation for the first debate, as tapes were discovered in which he discussed groping women, as he missed an opportunity to apologize and prepare for the second debate, and has polls indicate diminished support for him, Trump began to do something unprecedented. As the futility of campaigning rose, he began planting the seeds of a “rigged election”, that the “fix” was in, and if he anyone but Trump wins, then the new president-elect out to be considered illegitimate. That idea, an idea that he had been sharing at numerous “Trump Rally’s”, now became explicit this week during the third debate. Trump’s stunning closing comment now attempts to spread his sense of futility of his campaign to the futility of the entire voting/electing process.

This Shabbat is known as Shabbat Chol HaMoed Sukkot, the Intermediate Sabbath of Sukkot holiday, one of the Five Scrolls is traditionally read.  On this particular Shabbat, we read from Sefer Kohelet, the scroll of Ecclesiastes. According to the tradition, Shlomo HaMelech, King Solomon, towards the end of his life, wrote this Megillah, this scroll. Tradition has this perspective because the language is not one of optimism but rather realism. This is a person who as “seen it all” – Ein Kol Chadash Tachat HaShemesh – There is nothing new under the sun! There is a certain harsh realism and a certain sense of harsh optimism.  V’Saneiti et HaChayim Ki Ra Alai HaMa’aseh SH’Na’aseh Tachat HaShemesh Ki HaKol Chavel – So I hated life, for I was depressed by all that goes on under the sun, because everyone is futile. The author provides us with a no holds barred sense of comfort. He does not coddle us. He does not baby us. He doesn’t offer any artificially sweetened philosophy, or anything will dull our pain, diminish our disappointment, or ease the fear of death. Rather the author shoves our faces in “reality”, telling us that our labor seems futile, and if it is futile what is the point of it?

Kohelet, the Preacher, explains that life does indeed seem futile. He shares his frustration that he has toiled and had to give to those who haven’t toiled. He shares his frustration that his work, his business seems futile because when the day ends, he is still worrying about his business at night. Kohelet seems to have no internal peace, no ability to appreciate the moment, nor does he seem to have a mechanism that allows him to find a sense of peace amid his perceived futility. So, Kohelet, the Preacher, begins to search, and begins to experiment with the various lifestyles, hoping that he will be able to find internal peace, that he will be able to develop an ability to appreciate the moment.  Certainly has we read the twelve chapters of a man striving for wisdom; we gain insight into his character. Kohelet shares with us what he has learned. V’Ra’iti Ki Ein Tov Mei’Asher Yismach Ha’Adam B’Maasav Ki Hu Chelko – I observed that there is nothing better for man than to be happy in what he is doing; Tov M’Lo Chaf Nachat Mimlo Hafnayim Amal UrUt Ruach -  Better is one handful of pleasantness than two fistfuls of labor and vexation of the spirit; Al T’Vaheil Al Picha V’Libecha Al Yimaheir- Be not rash with your mouth and let not your heart be hasty to utter a word before God,  Ohev Kesef Lo Yisbah Kesef – a lover of money will never be satisfied with money;  Tov Lishmoah Ga’Arat Chacham M’Ish Shomeah Shir K’silim – It is better to listen to the rebuke of a wise man than for one to listen to the song of fools; and finally Sof Davar Ha’Kol Nishma et Ha’Elohim Y’Rah et Mitzvotav Shmor Ki Zeh  Kol Ha’Adam –The sum of the matter, when all has been considered; Fear God and keep his commandments for that is man’s whole duty.

If there was any one individual who might have thought a system was rigged; it was Kohelet.  His sensed of futility is indeed the modern day version of claiming that the system is rigged. Yet Kohelet is a man of great character, he is honest and comes to a powerful realization. The futility is the struggle to acquire, acquire money, fame and power.  Peace is realized by learning to appreciate the blessing that God had provided. The ability to appreciate is a function of wisdom. Wisdom is function of being able to listen to those have experience. Finally, Kohelet, the Preacher, explains that ultimately, the ability to appreciate the moment, the ability to find peace comes from observing God’s commandments because the commandments are based upon finding holiness, in each moment.   Donald Trump could learn a valuable lesson from Kohelet, and instead of thinking the system is rigged against him, maybe he should be a little more introspective like Kohelet. Maybe, then Trump will realize that his shortcoming are about him rather than everyone around him. Then again, maybe not, Trump doesn’t have character nor the intestinal fortitude that Kohelet does to enter upon such a journey.

Peace,

Rav Yitz