It's Got No Signs Or Dividing Lines And Very Few Rules To Guide (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "New Speedway Boogie")

          Well, it was the first full week of regular, mundane activity. There were no Jewish Holidays, there was no cleaning up from Jewish Holidays, and there were no days off because of Jewish Holidays. Life returned to routine ebb and flow of school, work, errands, and paying bills. Our dinner conversation reflected this return to the mundane. There was no discussion about menus, sukkah building, grocery lists, and more grocery lists; instead, discussion focused upon everything that we had missed in the world while dealing with three weeks of holidays. Apparently, the world has been in a bit of turmoil and chaos. Forming a coalition government in Israel, Brexit, Impeachment, California forest fires, Kurds, Syria, Turkey, and Putin. As this broad-ranging discussion wound its way from issue to issue; the phone rang. It was my mother asking how everyone was doing now that we had returned to our regular routines and schedules. Our son happily reported life was back to being quiet and boring. Then he added how much he loves living in Toronto because life, in general, was “quiet and boring”.
          This Shabbat we read from Parsha Noach. Comprised of two distinct narratives; both deal with the theology of chaos and confused boundaries. First, we read the story of Noach, God’s disenchantment with Creation and mankind’s behavior, the covenant made between God and Noah and the offering to God. Then there is a brief narrative about Noach’s drunkenness and one son’s inappropriate behavior. The second distinct narrative is also about chaos and confused boundaries. This time, mankind confuses boundaries and attempts to build a tower up to the heavens. The result is that God scatters mankind across the earth by making mankind speak numerous languages and hinder communication.
          When describing the world, when describing the net result of God’s creation ten generations after Adam and Chava, two words are utilized. V’Tishacheit Ha’Aretz Lifnei Ha’Elokim, VaTimalei Ha’Aretz Chamas - Now the earth had become corrupt before God; and the earth had become filled with robbery, VaYar Elokim et Ha’Aretz, v’Hinei Nishchata Ki Hishchit Kol Basar et Darko Al Ha’Aretz- And God saw the earth and behold it was corrupted for all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth. The two words Sha’ChaT - corrupt and ChaMaS- robbery are not necessarily the words we envision when describing a miserable uninhabitable, dystopian place. Certainly, the Torah could have said that the world was "uninhabitable" or "an empty void" as it said in the Breishit. ShaChat literally means wanton harm to self and to others, twisted, pervert, ruin. Ten generations after God had created by separating light & dark, day & night, heaven & earth, land & water, fish & fowl, six workdays & one day of rest (Shabat); all that order had become twisted and was wantonly destroyed. Apparently, mankind wantonly hurt mankind's’ self and mankind’s environment. The second term ChaMaS means to do violence, to extort. Both words allude to the notion of chaos, wanton destruction. There is no rhyme nor reason and therefore one is unable to plan and exist within chaos. Extortion also alludes to chaos. A person has to “re-purchase” what they already own but had been stolen ie. kidnapping. Rashi explains that these terms suggest that corruption means immorality and idolatry, and “violence/extortion” suggests robbery. In other words, there were no boundaries, no separations nor distinctions. Recalling that HaVDiL, separation was the key to God’s creation, then chaos, no order, no boundaries are the means by which we destroy.
          Both the story of the Flood and the Tower of Bavel suggest the tension of humanity. God’s world is one of order. Mankind struggles between the godly instinct of order and ungodly instinct of chaos and wanton violence. Given all the news, whether it is the raging wildfires (controlling chaos) or Syria and the Turkish border (perpetrating chaos); stable societies and communities fear chaos. Families and especially children try to avoid chaos. Perhaps the human condition is to figure out how to create order amid chaos. So as our children spoke to their grandmother, they extolled the virtues of life in Toronto “that it was quiet and boring”. As they said these words to my mother, I heard her say the same words she has said to me my whole life. “I love to hear that my children and grandchildren’s lives are quiet and boring.”
Peace, 
Rav Yitz

Speak With Wisdom Like A Child, Directly To The Heart (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Foolish Heart")

My parents came to visit us for the first days Chag HaSukkot, the Sukkot Festival.  During their visit, our children were sitting on the sofa cuddling when my father began talking to our 17-year-old. During their conversation about plans for the future, a gap year, and university, my father began to offer his advice. As I listened, I knew what was coming next. He began to explain the importance of just walking around on a university campus, get of sense of it, and determine if it elicits a feeling. He quickly explained that the eyes through which she sees a campus now won’t be the “same eyes” through which she sees the campus upon her return from a gap year, let alone in the spring. As he explained to her that her perspective will evolve because she will have matured as she approaches high school graduation, and as she makes her plans for a gap year.  I smiled to myself because I remember my father saying the same thing to our 28-year-old daughter, our 19-year-old daughter, and I remember him saying the same thing to my sister and to me.  As his lecture continued, our 17- year-old-daughter looked and me and rolled her eyes. I gave her a look indicating that she should listen.

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 chapters 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. As we grow older and our perspective changes, so will obstacles, the perceived severity of those obstacles, and, perhaps, the way we manage those obstacles.

             As my father lectured, our 19-year-old daughter began nodding in agreement with her grandfather.  Our 15-year-old son listened as well. The 19-year-old understood that her grandfather was remarkably consistent because she heard the lecture a few years ago. Our 15-year-old son paid attention because he understood that he was next to hear this lecture and wanted a head start. I watched my children, each listened from their own perspective. They were listening, they were thinking and I am sure they were trying to make sense of what their grandfather was talking about. I looked over at my dad, he gave me a wink  that asked, “How am I doing son?” I don’t think that there were too many more things in the world that gave my father pleasure than that moment. 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…; my father looked at his grandchildren and reminded them that a good life means sitting with grandchildren and passing along wisdom to them.

Peace,

Rav Yitz

Looks As Though Tomorrow I'll Do Pretty Much The Same (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Mission In The Rain")

Given all the turmoil going on in the world. Iran’s bombing of a Saudi oil field, Israel elections and inability to create a governing coalition, phone calls with Ukraine, pulling out of Syria and leaving the Kurds unprotected, an Impeachment investigation, Brexit, and elections here in Canada, let’s just say that I have some anxiety about the future in the “macro” sense of the word. I have a concern about the future over which I have no control. In our home, we are also experiencing some anxiety about the future or at least the next four or five years. With a daughter in Grade 12 (12^th grade if you speak American), Shabbat and Holiday meals with friends and family always include a question directed at her. “So, grade 12, that’s terrific, what are your plans for next year?” With that simple, innocent, innocuous question are daughter understands that she actually needs to think about this next stage of her life. I remind her that we call this idea, “The Future”.   She understands that she needs to make some self-assessments and ask herself some questions: What are her academic interests, does she want to take a Gap year in Israel? If so, which program and will that program offer credit that is accepted by a university? Does she want to attend university in Ontario or the Northeast United States? If she wants to go to university in the U.S., then she needs to sign up for standardized tests and study for these tests. There are a lot of decisions and it is incredibly overwhelming and without a plan, it is paralyzing.  The good news for our daughter is that her parents went through it, her older sisters went through it and even her aunts and uncles all went through it. Her friends at school and her friends from camp are also going through it. So she is not alone. When her mother and I have tried to discuss “The Future, and her Plan”, she smiles at us and, blessed with a biting wit and great sense of humor, she says in her most dead-panned delivery, “I plan to take next year off preparing for my gap year.” I smile and ask how she intends to finance her year of gap year preparation? We all laugh but we realize that we need to get our daughter to be more excited about the future rather than anxious and dreading it.

This Shabbat, we read from Parshat Ha’Azinu. The Parsha is poetry, a song that God had commanded Moshe to compose in the previous Parsha, VaYeleich. Composing this song was the final deed that God commanded Moshe. The song is the final prophecy that God told Moshe in the previous Parsha, VaYeilech.  As a song, it does not contain the most pleasant of lyrics, and it is not particularly uplifting or inspiration. The song does not offer such an optimistic future.  Rather, Moshe invokes Heaven and Earth to offer testimony to God’s prophecy and future punishment against his people.  Throughout Sefer Devarim, Deuteronomy, Moshe has taught the law and inspired B’nai Yisroel to choose fidelity to God and God’s Torah.  Choosing to follow would result in a reward. Choosing not to follow would result in a punishment. Now, during the final moments of Moshe Rabeinu’s life, the song suggests neither choice nor the results of that choice. Instead, we are told that we will choose badly and that we will be punished.  There is nothing explicit within the song that suggests or even offers a means by which we can do Teshuva (repent) and ultimately return to God. While intellectually, Moshe has taught that concept to B’nai Yisroel; here in the song that possibility is not explicit.

Only when he completes writing the song,  Moshe then transmits his words to B’nai Yisroel. His words offer a sense of hope, a sense of inspiration. He reminds B’nai Yisroel that even when they have grown distant from God, even though the resulting punishment will be brutal; there is still a measure of hope, hope for the next generation.  Simu Levavchem L’Chol Hadvarim Asher Anochi Mei’id Bachem Hayom, Asher T’Tzavoom et Bnaichem Lishmor La’Asot et Kol Divrei HaTorah Ha’Zot -  Apply your hearts to all the words that I Testify against you today, with which you are to instruct your children, to be careful to perform all the words of this Torah.  Ki Lo Davar Reik Hu Mikem Ki Hu Chayeichem Uvadavar HaZeh Ta’Arichu Yamim – for it is not an empty thing for you, for it is your life, and through this matter shall you prolong your days on the Land to which you cross the Jordan to possess it. In Moshe’s final moments, he reminds us that the key to our survival is to teach Torah to our children. Yes, according to the song, we will grow distant from God, yes we will engage in idolatry. Yes, we will be punishment. However, there will always be hope for the next generation if they are educated in such a manner that when it comes time for them to make a choice; they choose wisely, they choose God’s Torah.  Moshe reminds his people that the Torah is not empty. Rashi reminds us that if we find Torah to be empty and unsatisfying then the fault lies with us, Mikem.

Rashi seems to be empowering us. If the fault lies with us, then we have it within our power to do something about it. Parsha HaAzinu is always read at this time of year, a time when the Jewish people have stood before God to be judged for past behavior as well as received the message that the future is NOT set in concrete. Our behavior, our deeds can affect our future. I can see why some may find that to be an overbearing weight. At the same time, I find such empowerment to offer a bit of hope in dealing with the future. Sensing our daughter’s avoidance of dealing with the future by joking about a “gap year to prepare for a gap year”, we tried to think of something within our control that might help alter her outlook, something that would allow her to see herself in the future. Since our daughter was planning on spending the final days of the Sukkot Festival in New Jersey, we decided that I would pick her up and on our way home we would stop at a few University Campuses. Hopefully, just walking around, getting a tour, and speaking to with the admissions department, at least she will have a sense that the future is not as daunting as perhaps she envisions.  

Peace,

Rav Yitz