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  

       

Tell Me A Lie And I Will Swear, I Will Swear It's True (John Barlow & Bob Weir - "Lazy Lightning")

           In a few days, it will be June 6th, D-Day. Seventy-Six years ago, English, Canadian, and American soldiers crossed the English Channel, landed on the beaches of Normandie, and saved the world from the tyranny, fascism, and the heinous authoritarianism of the Third Reich. Nearly a year before D-Day,  OSS agent (The U.S. Intelligence Agency that eventually became the CIA) Walter Langer created a   psychological profile that explained Hitler's grip on power and on public opinion as follows: “His primary rules were: never allow the public to cool off; never admit a fault or wrong; never concede that there may be some good in your enemy; never leave room for alternatives; never accept blame; concentrate on one enemy at a time and blame him for everything that goes wrong; people will believe a big lie sooner than a little one, and if you repeat it frequently enough people will sooner or later believe it.”   A “Big Lie”  justifies the corrupt megalomaniac's power and his believers’ actions. Whether it is a corrupt anti-democratic dictator from China, Russia, Belarus, or Iran or to dictators of nearly any authoritarian regime of the previous centuries, when people want to retain power or are threatened with losing power, they will resort to their own big lie.

          This Shabbat we read from Parsha Shlach Lecha. Parsha Shlach Lecha includes the troubling narrative of the 12 spies and the ensuing report of Eretz Canaan made to Moshe and B’nai Yisroel. However, following the negative report from ten of the twelve spies, God and Moshe realize that this generation is not yet ready to enter the land. This was the reason why B’nai Yisroel would now have to wait nearly 4 decades prior to entering Eretz Canaan. Yet towards the end of the Parsha, Torah makes it very clear, that despite this generation’s lack of faith, returning to the land is inevitable and a covenant that will be fulfilled. Ki Tavo’u El Eretz Moshvoteichem Asher Ani Notein Lachem –God spoke to Moshe saying: Speak to the Children of Israel and say to them: When you will come to the Land of your dwelling places that I give you…. (Num. 15:2). Meting out punishment did not remove hope, it did not remove inevitability, nor did it mitigate the covenant that God had made with Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, or Moshe Rabeinu at Sinai. This punishment only delayed the inevitable until another generation was worthy enough to inherit the covenant.

Those ancient leaders of B’nai Yisroel, those ancient Princes of twelve tribes were appointed by Moshe. Ten of them were concerned about themselves, their dwindling authority. These ten had little concern for a covenant. In their report to Moshe, these ten first objectively praised the land (Num. 13:27-29). However objective reporting immediately gave way to the subjectivity of opinion (Num. 13:31). After departing from Moshe and Aaron, the spies ignore any objectivity and only offer their “expert” opinion. VaYotziu Dibat Ha’Aretz Asher Taru Otah El B’nai Yisroel Leimor -And they spread an evil report of the land which had been explored to the Children of Israel. The negative report claimed that the land at up its inhabitants, giants or Nephilim occupied the land and as the spies claim Vanhi v’Eineinu Ka’Chagavim V’Chein Hayinu B’Eineihem - and we were in our sight as grasshoppers and so we were in theirs (Numb. 13:32-33) The report played upon the fears of the people. They felt small, exposed, hopeless and they could not imagine entering the land.  Once again, national anxiety and hysteria cause B’nei Yisroel to yearn for Egypt.  Lo Matnu B’Eretz Mitzrayim - Would that we had died in the land of Egypt. (14:3) But this yearning for Egypt was different. This hysteria was not because they were experiencing hunger and thirst, it was based upon the subjective opinion of those then who seemed to have an air of authority about them. So the hysteria and desire to return to Egypt culminated in the following words. VaYomru Ish El Achiv Nitnah Rosh VNashuva Mitzraima -So they said to one another, “Let us appoint a leader and let us return to Egyp” (14:4). In the Talmudic Tractate Sanhedrin 107a, the Sages ask who would have been the leader to bring them back to Egypt? Their answer is incredibly revealing and proved prophetic, an idol. An Idol would have brought them back to Egypt. On the one hand, the sin of the spies was due to a lack of faith in God. On the other hand, the sin of the spies is a warning to all those who listen to “the evil reports” who believe the evil reports, who get swept up in the hysteria and sacrifice their Ruach HaKodesh their divine spirit in exchange for idolatry. 

          No, the idol need not be a statue. Any cult of personality is idolatrous. The sin of the spies was twofold. First were the spies. Their sin was to tell the Big Lie and let the Big Lie fester playing upon the fears of the people. The second sin of the spies was the people’s willingness to give up on Moshe, to want another leader. A leader that would tell them what they wanted to hear, a leader that would placate them, a leader that would have been idolized. In a sense, the people were not only willing to replace Moshe but they were willing to replace God. The Big Lie, the evil report offered by the ten spies, teaches us that, ultimately, the choice to listen to and accept a “big lie” is up to the listener. If the listener’s faith in social institutions, authority, society, is already diminished then that listener is vulnerable and the prime target of a big lie. For B’nai Yisroel, it will take 40 years to rid itself of the stink of the Big Lie. For the nations that have had to deal with their own “Big Lie”, years are required, before it dissipates.  For Caleb, for Joshua, and ultimately for the generation that was born in the wilderness, the Generation that didn’t know slavery, they were immune to this “Big Lie”.

 Peace,
Rav Yitz

Let's See With Our Heart These Things Our Eyes Have Seen (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Blues For Allah")

          Our grade 12 daughter just participated in her high school graduation. Covid -19 forced her, her classmates, and the school to re-adjust what a graduation ceremony would look like. My wife and several other mothers reached out to the school and pointed out other high school graduations that would be more than picking up a diploma at the school parking lot, or sitting in front of a computer on a Zoom graduation ceremony. So we decorated our minivan, drove to a drive-in movie theatre, and along with her classmates, as well as a live stream audience of extended family members (including her oldest sister, her grandparents, aunts uncles and cousins watched, listened, cheered and honked our car horn as our daughter received her diploma as well as an award. Certainly, we are proud parents. Mostly however we recognize that she is about to embark on the next chapter of her life as she continues to develop life skills and, in a sense, leadership skills.
          This week's Parsha is Shlach Lecha. Several disparate events occur in this Parsha. First, we read the story of Moshe sending Twelve Spies (one representing each tribe) into Eretz Canaan. Their mission was to ascertain the lay of the land, the strength of the inhabitants, and the fertility of the land. Except for Joshua and Caleb, the remaining ten spies returned with a negative report. The people heard this and wanted to return to Egypt. As a result of both the report and B'nai Yisroel's response, this generation was prohibited from entering the land. Next, we read about the laws concerning the taking of Challah, a fire offering, a burnt offering, feast offering. We read about the offering required for unintentional sin. After this brief discussion about ritual, B'nai Yisroel is reminded about the ethical treatment of native members of the community or proselytes. Then we read about who desecrates Shabbat by gathering wood on Shabbat.  Like the person who acts high handedly, this man was removed from the camp and punished with death. The Parsha concludes with a familiar passage that we know as the 3rd paragraph of the Shemah. We are commanded to wear tzitzit in order to remind us of three ideas: God's commandments, not to follow our eyes and our hearts (which will lead us astray), and God brought us out of Egypt (Num. 15:37-41).
          While reading the spies report, Numbers 13:27-29, and 13:31-33., we find out that the land is flowing with milk and honey and plenty of fruit. We find out that the native tribes dwell in fortified cities. We are told the names of the indigenous tribes and their geographical location. The tone suggests that these tribes are quite strong.  In the second part of their report, we are told that these spies do not think that B’nai Israel is physically capable of conquering this land and these indigenous tribes, for they are giants “and we were like grasshoppers in our eyes and so we were in their eyes (13:33) One spy, in one verse 13:30 publicly expresses disagreement with the spies. Caleb is the voice of dissent, Caleb speaks out. Caleb is heroic and inspiring.  However the Talmudic sages in the Tosefta comment that the first part of the report: “We came to the land and it flows with milk and honey and this is its fruit” was offered by Joshua. The rest of the report, except for 13:30 was offered by the other 10 spies.  Why do the Talmudic sages bring Joshua into the narrative and by doing so diminish Caleb’s powerful and passionate heroic voice? Indeed Joshua was Moshe’s choice. We know that one of the spies received special treatment from Moshe. Joshua was one of the spices and Moshe had renamed him. Clearly Joshua was Moshe’s eyes and ears on this mission and we know that Joshua will be one to assume the mantle of leadership. Even at this time, Joshua was being groomed for leadership. However, the dissenting opinion was not offered by Joshua; it was offered by Caleb. Caleb was the spy who went off on his own and went to Hebron to the Caves of the Machpela to “visit” the ancestors: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca, and Leah. Caleb the same letters that make the word K’LeiV like the heart, Caleb speaks passionately from the heart. Also the same letters KLV which means dog. A dog barks when something appears or smells wrong, or dangerous. Joshua represents leadership within the system, cool and thoughtful, and endorsed by the establishments: Moshe and the Talmudic Sages.  Caleb represents leadership outside the system, passionate, inspiring, and challenging the majority and a voice of dissent. The Talmudic Sages bring Joshua into the text because the Talmudic Sages understand that both types of leadership: Cool and Passionate, working within the system and a voice of dissent; both types of leadership are required depending upon the situation.
         For our daughter, as she graduates during a time when people have taken to the streets to express a desire for social justice while other leaders deal with the cold analysis of numbers and fighting a pandemic, we see both styles of leadership are vital. Whatever the style, both types of leadership require a desire for truth, a desire to improve make society better, and a desire to care for society’s most vulnerable. As our daughter begins the next phase of her life, we hope that she incorporates both types of leadership so that way she remains true to herself, her values and strives to make the part of the world that she touches a better place.

Peace,
Rav Yitz

Bite The Hand That Bakes Your Bread, Dare To Leap Where The Angels Fear To Tread (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Foolish Heart")

Every summer our children attend summer camp, and every summer my wife works at summer camp. This year she has a new job at the summer camp where she and our children attend. This year she will be running the “Cooking/Baking” hobby or activity. For several sessions each day, she will have the campers cook or bake something that they can eat along with a recipe to bring home after the camp session. Preparations for camp usually begin soon after Shavuot and last for a couple of weeks until the minivan is packed and everyone leaves. Because of my wife’s new job, preparations began even earlier. So for the past six weeks, she has been pouring through cookbooks looking for easy recipes to do adolescents and teenagers. Of course, after she has found recipes that she thinks are feasible, she needs to practice. Needless to say, she has been doing a lot of cooking and baking. Among the most important food items that she feels obligated to teach is Challah baking. She has tried numerous recipes and techniques. As a result, there have been at least three dozen Challahs over the past 6 weeks that we have sampled and consumed. Of course, all of my wife’s preparations are designed for when she finally enters into camp and begins teaching the campers.

This week's Parsha is Shlach Lecha. Several disparate events occur in this parsha. First, we read the story of Moshe sending Twelve Spies (one representing each tribe) into Eretz Canaan. Their mission was to ascertain the lay of the land, the strength of the inhabitants, and the fertility of the land. Except for Joshua and Caleb, the remaining ten spies returned with a negative report. The people heard this and wanted to return to Egypt. As a result of both the report and B'nai Yisroel's response, this generation was prohibited from entering the land. Next, we read about the laws concerning the taking of Challah, a fire offering, a burnt offering, feast offering. We read about the offering required for unintentional sin. After this brief discussion about ritual, B'nai Yisroel is reminded about the ethical treatment of native members of the community or proselytes. Then we read about who desecrates Shabbat by gathering wood on Shabbat.  Like the person who acts high handedly, this man was removed from the camp and punished with death. The Parsha concludes with a familiar passage that we know as the 3^rd paragraph of the Shmah. We are commanded to wear tzitzit in order to remind us of three ideas: God's commandments, not to follow our eyes and our hearts (which will lead us astray), and God brought us out of Egypt (Num. 15:37-41).

It seems rather ironic and perhaps superfluous that following their prohibition from entering into the Land, we read about a series of offerings, including the taking of Challah, which will only go into effect once they enter into the land. "B’Vo’Achem El Ha’Aretz Asher Ani Meivi Etchem Shama, When you come to the Land to which I bring you V’Haya Ba’Achlachenm MiLechem Ha’Aretz TaRimu Terumah L’Adoshem It shall be that when you will eat of the bread of the Land, you shall set aside a portion for God. Reishit Arisoteichem Chalah Tareimu Terumah KiTrumat Goren Kein Tarimu Otah As the first of your kneading you shall set aside a loaf as a portion like the portion of the threshing floor, so shall you set it aside.  M’Reishit Arisoteichem Titnu La’Adoshem Terumah L’Doroteichem From the first of your kneading shall you give a portion to God, for your generations. (Num. 15:18-21). The Mitzvah of Challah repeats words such as “Land” “Kneading” and “a Portion to God”.  From planting the wheat, making the flour and eventually baking the Challah, and all the steps in between; the process is an incredibly physical endeavor. It is only human nature that when we are engaged in extremely physical endeavors we tend to think that the task, whatever it may be, in this case baking bread, relies solely upon human effort. It is precisely at those moments, where we need to remind ourselves that what may appear to be primarily a physical endeavor has an element of the spiritual, of the sanctified and of the holy. So the baker of the Challah take separates a portion for God. The Torah never specifies how much should be set aside for God’s portion. That amount was eventually decided by the Talmudic Sages. For now, B’nai Yisroel, the “Children of Israel” needed to learn the very important lesson that 1) they have been gifted the Land and us such anything they create from the land, they need to acknowledge God and 2) the success of their hard work is a result of their relationship with God.

 For anyone who has baked Challah, man or woman, fulfilling this mitzvah is incredibly empowering. Anyone can do it, which means that anyone has it within themselves to do something for beyond themselves. To do something for oneself tends to focus on the physical. To do for another tends to focus upon the spiritual. The person needs to see beyond him or herself and appreciate that they are part of something larger. In this case, the person taking Challah is part of the Land and part of a relationship to God and part of the generations that will follow. The Challahs have all been delicious. I suppose the weight has not been only physical weight but spiritual as well. These pounds  I have gained over these past several weeks has been my sacrifice on behalf of my wife’s perfecting her Challah baking skills. With her heading to camp, hopefully, I can lose this excessive “Challah Weight.”

Peace,

Rav Yitz

No One Knows Much More Of This Than Anyone Can See (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - Days Between)

          Celebrating Israel at 70 has been marked by the annual Walk With Israel Day here in Toronto, and the annual Israel March in New York. Our children decided not to participate as they were anxiously preparing for final exams. Our seventeen year old claimed that she will be showing plenty of support for Israel as she will be spending the year studying there. As her mother began to protest, I gently reminded her that not only will have we already had one daughter spend a year in Israel studying, and now this daughter will spend the upcoming school year in Israel studying; I reminded her that God willing, our two younger children will also choose to take a gap year between high school and university studying in Israel. Before my wife could respond, I also quickly added that our each of our children’s gap year result in thousands of my dollars contributing to the Israeli economy, especially in the form of food products, and whatever else 18-year-olds spend money on while enjoying a gap year in Israel. I feel that Israel has both my emotional, spiritual and economic support. As a result, I have no problem criticizing Israel even if I don’t live there. I am American, I pay my taxes. I don’t live there, but I have every right to criticize the United States. However, in order to offer constructive and thoughtful criticism, one must be educated and informed. Yossi Klein HaLevi is a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. He wrote an incredibly insightful article in the May 30^th Jewish Week entitled: “Welcome to the Dysfunctional Relationship Between Israelis, American Jews.” Liberal Jews in America and Canada, because they live in the world’s safest diaspora environment have a very distinct perspective.  Israelis live in one of the most unsafe neighborhoods in the world, have a very distinct perspective.  

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 listens to the ten spies with the negative report and fell utterly overwhelmed at the prospect of entering into 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 into 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 entry into Canaan is ultimately premised upon faith.  Then Moshe begins teaching B’nai Yisroel laws specific to and premised upon 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 and fertile, there were trees and that it was really 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 Nephilim (the Giants) perceive them? Did they ask the Nephilim? The answer to both questions is “No”. No they don’t know how the Nephilim perceive the Ten Spies and “No”, the Ten Spies did not ask the Nephilim. 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 a 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. Perspective affects how we deal with our own people. Perspective affects how liberal Jews deal with Right-wing Jews. Perspective affects Orthodox Jews deals with the non-Orthodox Jewish community. Perspective affects how Jews who are 1st and 2nd generation in Canada and the U.S. with their 3^rd and 4^th generation fellow Jewish Canadian or Jewish American. The Talmudic Sages taught us is that both perspectives are important in order to render a judgment because both majority and the minority perspectives were presented in the Talmud.  Klein HaLevi reminds us that throughout history, Jewish identity has managed to thrive by finding a balance between competing perspectives, realizing that the most accurate national perspective was a balanced mix, with each perspective offering a check and a balance to the other. Jewish Identity is only threatened when one perspective begins to dominate and alienate the other.

Peace,

Rav Yitz  

I Can't See Much Difference Between The Dark And Light (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Comes a Time")

On the weeknights that we sit down to dinner as a family; I insist that the network newscast joins us. Sure we ask the kids about school and friends. However I want them to hear what is going on in the world, to respond, to ask questions, and even to learn something, in particularly about the United States (since they don’t learn about the U.S.  in a Canadian Jewish day school). Frequently they are left feeling pretty good about the U.S. and just as frequently they are left feeling pretty good about Israel. So earlier this week, our children were left with a feeling that I never had to struggle with when I was there age. Never did I feel that I had to choose between being Jewish and American, between Israel and the United States. This week our kids felt as if the Jewish/pro Israel side was at odds with their democratic/American ideals. The United States Supreme court ruled that a person born in Jerusalem cannot have a U.S. Passport that says born in Israel. Why? The President decides on recognizing Capitols of sovereign nations. And this President, like all Presidents since Harry Truman, does not officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.  More disturbing was a report that John Kerry believed the rise of ISIS, radicalized Muslim youths, and Jihad was a result Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians and the lack of progress towards a two state solution. Wow! Young Muslims are radicalized because of Israel? Wow! Secretary of State Kerry is ascribing a lot of power to a very small nation with population of approximately 6 million Jews; compared to over a billion Muslims in the world (most of whom live under non-democratic rule). Kerry presented a rather interesting perspective ignoring the US role in the Iraq invasion after Sept 11, 2001, the failure to figure out a comprehensive and decisive strategy in Syria, and any demonstrable concern for the plight of Libya, all of which created vacuums in authority. Besides, experts will say that Muslim young people become radicalized for much more subtle reasons much of which has to do with their own sociological micro issues. Only afterwards does the “radical Muslim Spiritual guide” link the individual micro with the macro geo-political reasons. Yet, here is the Secretary of State of the most powerful country in the world accepting the perspective of Radical Islam, Hamas and Hezbollah regarding who is to blame for the problems of the Middle East. Needless to say, the jaws of our children dropped to the floor when they heard this.

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. Bnai Yisroel listen to the ten spies with the negative report and fell utterly overwhelmed at the prospect of entering into 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 Bnai Yisroel by prohibiting this generation from entering into 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 entry into Canaan is ultimately premised upon faith.  Then Moshe begin teaching Bnai Yisroel laws specific and premised upon 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 Bnai Yisroel chose to believe did not really bring such a negative report. They explained that the land was fruitful and fertile, there were trees and that it was really quite beautiful.  The problem with the report was that it revealed more about the spies and Bnai 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 a 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.  They should have all been spiritually strong enough to realize and accept that they were “priests to the nations” and “chosen by God”. The fact that such spiritual awareness was still lacking even after all the miracles and promises that God made; meant that problem lay with Bnai Yisroel. These former slaves were not ready for the responsibility of land and people hood.

            Perspective really is very powerful and it certainly can substitute for objective reality.  Unfortunately people will see what they want to see. Maybe “honest” politicians are those that clearly state their agenda first and then bend the objective reality to fit the agenda. Maybe the dishonest honest politicians are those that claim no agenda at all. As I listened incredulously to the report and tried to explain it to my kids, finally giving up any desire to defend Secretary Kerry as a supporter of Israel, I reminded our children that he is a former Senator, he is a politician, and politicians want to be liked by somebody. In this case because Kerry is constantly trying to improve relations in the Arab world, and Iran, better to blame the country with 6 million as opposed to a billion Muslims. Ironically, even Saudi Arabia, Jordan and other stable Arab nations are realizing that Israel is not a cause of the rise of Iran/ Isis, but rather can contribute to being a deterrent and therefore an ally to various Arab countries. Maybe Secretary Kerry needs to get a new perspective and a new sense of reality.

Peace,

Rav Yitz

Anyway They Fall, Guess Who Gets To Pay The Price (John Barlow & Bob Weir - "Throwing Stones")

The other day, our son was misbehaving. His poor behavior wasn’t particularly “over the top” horrible but he was over tired, aggravated and becoming more and more petulant. Whatever he was doing, I asked him once. He ignored me and went right on continuing his poor behavior. I asked a second time, but still nothing. By the third request a threat followed. Now his interest piqued and he was going to test me to find out if I was going to carry out my threat.  The punishment was meted out and now he very quickly stopped whatever it was he was doing, he very quickly apologized, and he very quickly tried to make up for his wrongdoing. I was having none of it. I explained that I wasn’t angry with him, but he was making matters worse.  I told him that it would be much better if he accepted the punishment, and learn from this little episode.  I also told him I would have much more respect for him if he quietly accepted his punishment as opposed to fighting about it, since acceptance would demonstrate a degree of maturity.

This Shabbat we read from 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 into 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 into the land. Then Moshe begin teaching B’nai Yisroel laws specific and premised upon 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.

             However, it is B’nai Yisroel’s behavior after the negative report and after the ensuing riot that is so problematic on multiple levels.   After the initial plague and the Ten Spies are killed, B’nai Yisroel seems motivated to apologize and to do Tshuva. In order to prove their sincerity, they embark on a suicide mission without Moshe and the Ark and attempt to break camp and start marching off to Eretz Canaan. More of them are killed. However, this time it is the Amalekites and the Canaanites the kill B’nai Yisroel, not a plague. Why doesn’t Hashem accept B’nai Yisroel’s apology? Was the apology and Tshuva (repentance) sincere and heartfelt? What made them think to break camp without the Ark and Moshe? Was their attempt to begin marching with Moshe and the Ark more out of spite? Why didn’t they listen to Moshe when he told them that their foray would fail? Does Hashem bear any responsibility because he didn’t accept B’nai Yisroel’s Tshuva? The Or HaChaim (Chaim Ibn Attar-17^th Moroccan Rabbi/ Kabbalist/Talmudist, who migrated to Jerusalem) explains that B’nai Yisroels’ claim of Chatanu – We sinned (Num. 14:30) is not sufficient since they did not permit any time to elapse between apology and action. If it was sincere, then after B’nai Yisroel states Chatanu, they would have accepted their punishment and tried to better in the future. Instead the statement was motivated not so much by sincere remorse but motivated their own desires and regrets, regret at having forfeited their chance to enter into the land. The apology and their attempt to march with Moshe and the Ark proved Hashem correct: this generation would never be ready to enter into the land as they are too spiritually damaged from slavery.

Thankfully our son listened. He wisely understood that having his father’s respect was ultimately more important than the immediate gratification that he was forced to forego due to punishment. Sometimes “no “is not such a bad thing.  Sometimes “no” is a sign of concern and care. For slaves who had spent so much of their life being denied, “no” indicates denial. The generation of slaves never will understand that. When our son thought better of begging, and looked up and told me not to worry, that he wasn’t angry and he understood that the punishment was for his behavior but he knew that I still loved him; I knew that he had taken one more step in growing up.