Truckin' I'm A Going Home (Robert Hunter, Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh - "Truckin'")

I had a chance to participate in that mid-summer sleep away camp ritual called “Visitor’s Day”. It was not as simple as jumping in the car on a Sunday morning, drive a couple of hours, see the kids and come home. I wish it was that easy. For me nothing could have been further from reality. So late Saturday night at I started driving in pouring rain. I had planned to stop at my parents’ home in Rochester.  I arrived around 1:30 am, and saw father awake, and awaiting my arrival. The good news was that I made great time. The bad news was I felt guilty because I had somehow prevented him from going to bed and an earlier hour. Still, I would be able to get 5-6 hours of sleep and, on Sunday morning I would be ready to drive another three and half hours and be at camp to enjoy a picnic lunch. I was up bright and early the next morning, I saw my mother for a few minutes, said goodbye. I saw that my wife texted me a list of things to pick up for our picnic so I stopped at Wegmans. Well one just doesn’t run into Wegmans and run out. Wegmans is the Supermarket of Supermarkets. One normally walks into Wegmans and is in awe of the numerous products, the colors and the smells. After an hour, I eventually picked up everything on the list and started driving. The highway was familiar, the exits were familiar, the route was the familiar, and the trees were familiar. The landscape was magnificent and familiar. The farms were picturesque and familiar. I must have made this drive hundreds and hundreds of times. With the horizon stretched out before me, I had a sense of constancy and comfort. Nothing had changed. I saw my wife, and my children. I had a few minutes alone with each child and my wife. I even had a moment when I saw my wife and my kids together, helping carry our picnic to the spot and had a “moment”. The “Moment” was a sense that it was worth the drive just to see them helping each other shlep all this stuff. It was a sense that it was worth the drive for me to realize that I am blessed. So we at lunch. I hung around for another couple of hours and began the long drive back to Toronto. I stopped in Rochester for Dinner. Waited for thirty minutes at the border because of traffic and then waited a little over an hour on the QEW Highway because of construction. The final 40 minutes of the drive was a blur of fog and exits and one thought sat in my head. I can’t believe I drove 9 hours on a Sunday in order to spend 2 ½ hours with my family, either I am crazy or really appreciate the fact that I am blessed.    

This Shabbat, we read from Parsha Ma’asei. It is the final Parsha of Sefer BaMidbar. Ma’asei begins with Moshe’s recording of all the places that B’nai Yisroel had traveled during the course of its 40 years of wandering. Moshe makes the final preparations for B’nai Yisroel’s entrance into Eretz Canaan: including the establishment of national and tribal boundaries. Also, Moshe gives his decision to the Daughters of Zelophchad (Parshat Pinchas) who have inherited their father’s tribal holdings. Moshe informs B’nai Yisroel of inter-tribal marriage while simultaneously retaining the integrity of tribal boundaries. Also six cities of refuge are established for those individuals who have committed manslaughter, (and accidental death) and are fleeing the avenging family member.

Whenever an individual, a group, a community or a people stand on the precipice of realizing a stated goal; looking back upon the journey only makes sense. We look back upon the journey for a variety of reasons. First we look back upon the journey in sheer wonderment; we cannot believe we have traveled so far and finally achieved. Second, we look back upon the journey in order to provide context and meaning for all those who joined in the journey towards the middle or the end. Third, we look back upon the journey as a series of opportunities that were necessary in order to realize the stated goal. Eilah Masei V’nai Yisroel Asher Yatzu M’Eretz Mitzrayim L'tzivotam  B’Yad Moshe v’Aharon – These are the journeys of the Children of Israel, who went forth from the Land of Egypt according to the legions under the hand of Moshe and Aharon … V’Eilah Maseihem L’Motzaheihem – And these are the their journeys according to their departures. (Num. 33:1-2) God commanded Moshe to keep a record of their travels according to their Maseihem - destination. This is means of recording based upon positive expectations, when there were no travails, issues or problems. Moshe also kept a record of their travels based upon Motzaheihem their departures, when there were travails, issues and great difficulties, when people murmured against God, against Moshe etc. Now that B’nai Yisroel stands on the brink of entering Eretz Canaan, all the experiences, both positive and negative gave B’nai Yisroel an opportunity to learn Faith.  The journey and all that was experienced during that 40-year journey was necessary in order to arrive at this point in time.

We all have journeys. Some are a lifetime. Some are a few hours. No matter the distance, and no matter the final objective, every once in a while it is important to stop and take stock of how far one has traveled. Every once in a while it is important to check out the surrounding of the journey and not only an eye on the final objective. Sometimes there is value in the journey for the journey’s sake and not just the objective. Mathematically speaking, it was kind of crazy to drive 9 hours in order to spend 2 ½ hours with my family. Except for a few delays that were beyond my control, it was also cleared my head, allowed me to take a look around and see how far I have come in my life and contemplate my future.

Peace

                Rav Yitz

What a long strange trip it's been (Hunter, Garcia, Weir,Lesh - Truckin')

As an American living in Toronto, I could not have been anymore proud as when the United States Women’s soccer team made it to the World Cup Finals only to lose in penalty kicks to Japan. As an American living in Canada, I could not be any more disgusted as I watch a group of first year congressman and woman play chicken with the United States economy, the world economies, and the United States credit rating. Thankfully I am living here in Toronto. Sadly, this political game with the debt ceiling, and budget deficits, will hurt financial markets, the American people and negatively affect the economies throughout the world. Equally as sad is the apparent divisions within the United States when it comes to the role of government. This division is so powerful that it truly threatens the governability of has been the bastion of freedom for many generations. This division of states is routinely symbolized between Red states and Blue states. Red States tend to be the Southeast, Midwest and Western states. The Blue states tend to be the Northeast, the West Coast, the Pacific North West, and some states in the industrial Midwest. The assumption is that Red States tent to be culturally conservative while blue states tend to be culturally liberal. Red States, those dominated by the Republican Party tend to be anti-abortion, pro-life, pro-family, pro-small government and pro-Christian right. Blue States, those dominated by the Democratic Party, tend to be pro-choice, pro-government, and tend to avoid the Christian right. With this clear dichotomy in mind, it is quite revealing that the states with the highest rates of divorce are Red States, in the west and south east. And the states with the lowest rates of divorce are those bastions of Northeast liberalism: Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey. Sociologists point to the link between education and divorce rates as well as these more culturally liberal states tend to acknowledge and deal with problems in a way that is quite different from other states.

This Shabbat, we read from parsha Maasei. It is the final Parsha of Sefer BaMidbar. Maasei begins with Moshe’s recording of all the places that Bnai Yisroel had traveled during the course of its 40 years of wandering. Moshe makes the final preparations for Bnai Yisroel’s entrance into Eretz Canaan: including the establishment of national and tribal boundaries. Also, Moshe gives his decision to the Daughters of Zelophchad (Parshat Pinchas) who have inherited their father’s tribal holdings. Moshe informs Bnai Yisroel of inter tribal marriage while simultaneously retaining the integrity of tribal boundaries. Also six cities of refuge are established for those individuals who have committed manslaughter, (and accidental death) and are fleeing the avenging family member.

It is interesting to note that west of the Jordan River; three cities of refuge are established and east of the Jordan River, three other cities of refuge are established. However, west of the Jordan, there were 9 ½ tribes requiring only 3 cities of refuge. East of the Jordan there were 2 ½ tribes requiring 3 cities of refuge. On a per capita basis, more cities of refuge were needed for the 2 ½ tribes that did not enter into the land. Eit Shalosh Heh’Arim Asher Titeinu Sheish Arei Miklat Hihyehnah Lachem. Eit Shalosh Heh’Arim Titnu Mei’eiver La’Yarden V’Eit Shalosh He’Arim Titnu B’Eretz Canaan Arei Miklat Tiheyehnah – As to the cities that you shall designate, there shall be six cities of refuge for you. Three cities shall you designate on the other side of the Jordan, and three cities shall you designate in the land of Canaan; they shall be cities of refuge (Num. 35:13-14). The Talmudic Sages in Tractate Makot 9b infer that killing was more commonplace on the east bank, so that despite its smaller population more cities of refuge were required.

Remember that these 2 ½ tribes were the tribes that wished to remain east of the Jordan River because the grazing lands were plentiful. These were the tribes that demonstrated greater concern for the expressions of wealth (cattle), than their children’s place within the tribal covenant. While many of us can easily identify with a group that wishes to become financially better off for the sake of the children, these 2 ½ tribes did so at the expense of their children. The Midrash teaches us that these 2 ½ tribes were the first to become assimilated and disappear. Meanwhile the majority of the tribes were able to create a society that, on a per capita basis, had little need for cities of refuge. These tribes seem to have a common sense of purpose and mission. These tribes understood that the more educated the people, the better the chance of passing the covenant to the next generation, the greater the possibility of maintaining the values of a holy nation. Indeed, the secret to our survival has been and will continue to be our desire and effort to remain a holy nation. This can only be accomplished through Jewish education and Jewish engagement of the Jewish community.

Peace,

Rav Yitz