A Foolish Heart Will Call On You To Toss Your Dreams Away (Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia - "Foolish Heart")

            Living here in Toronto means that I probably go a bit overboard with my kids when it comes to U.S. History, and politics. When our daughter was reading To Kill a Mockingbird, my wife and I routinely talked to all of our kids about the book, American society in the Jim Crow south and what America looked like during the Great Depression. Despite driving my children kind of crazy, I make sure that they follow the political news as they need to understand the process involved to become President, they need to know who is running, they need to understand the nuances of each candidate and each political party. Recently our children were shocked to hear that the former Grand Wizard of the KKK supported Donald Trump, and when Trump was asked to disavow the endorsement he hemmed and hawed. Our three younger children were shocked. One of them commented that even they knew that the Klu Klux Klan was a bad thing since they hate blacks, Jews, and all minorities. Donald Trump apparently has a tough time separating himself from those who hate, from those who are destructive, those who want to destroy those things that make the United States a noble experiment in democracy.  Since Donald Trump never held office and never had to vote for a specific piece of legislation, never had to make a hard decision that affected anyone’s life but his own, since Donald Trump never had to care about anyone else but himself and his family; there is not a record of public service that permits me to evaluate him. We can only evaluate Trump based upon his words and at times his lack of words. There are his insulting words to Hispanics. There is the slowness of his words regarding disavowing the Klu Klux Klan. There are his words of admiration for Vladimir Putin, for Kim Jun–un (neither of whom would be considered friends of America). There are his personal insults to those who ask him policy questions. There are inevitably a lot of words about himself, lots of words about his wealth, lots of words about his success. So it is amazing to me, how easily millions of people can be conned. Trump has only one care and one concern: Trump and the Trump brand. He isn’t interested in making anything great again except Trump. He doesn’t care about the Party of Lincoln, nor does he care about a society or a government “by the people and for the people".  Based on his Trumps words, a Trump presidency would mean that America would do what is best for Trump. Gone would be a sense that to be an American Citizen means to is participate in the noble political experiment call “Democracy”. Gone would be any sense of a society trying to improve itself for all to benefit, so that everyone as the opportunity for self-improvement and to aspire towards the American Dream. That is neither American nor is it particularly Jewish.  

This week’s Pasha is Vayakahel. Following the sin of the Golden Calf and Teshuvah (repentance), B’nai Yisroel begins executing God’s instructions for the Mishkan, the Ark, and the Tent of the Meeting. After the destructive behavior of worshipping the Golden Calf, B’nai Yisroel comes together, and shares a common constructive experience bound by a common goal. Their goal is to complete the construction of the Mishkan.  Before they begin the actual execution of God’s command, Moshe reminds B’nai Yisroel that observing the Sabbath’s restrictions are paramount and supersede the Mishkan’s, (The Tabernacle) building schedule. Even though this structure was to be a place for God, the Sabbath restrictions are more important. The text then begins describing the common experience of contributing raw materials to this enormous public works project. V’Yavo’u  kol Ish Asher Nasahu Libo V’chol Asher Nadvah Rucho- Every man whose heart inspired him came; and everyone whose spirit motivated him brought the portion of God for the work of the Tent of the Meeting, for all its labor and for the sacred clothing (Ex.35:21). By participating in this constructive process, everyone had an opportunity to repent for the sin of the Golden Calf and for its lack of faith. First, B’nai Yisroel began on the fringes with its idolatrous activity. Then, and after B’nai Yisroel repented, it began moving towards the Holy of Holies. First they built the walls of the Tent of the Meeting; then the altar, and, finally, the Holy of Holies.

Our children continue to watch the political fall-out from Super Tuesday. They listen to a candidate who aspires to become the most powerful person in the free world. They hear a candidate struggle to speak out against the KKK, but praise Putin and Kim Jun-un, and our kids understand and appreciate that he doesn’t elevate anyone’ hopes and dreams. They understand that he doesn’t speak a language that appeals to the goodness and holiness in anyone. Hopefully our kids will remember this and never fall for this kind of con. Rather they should listen to the candidate that speaks the language of “community”, of “common sense of purpose”, and “shared experience”. When that kind of language is utilized and then put into action and deed, something wonderful happens. We achieve that balance between God and ourselves. The result, of course, is that God will dwell among us. God’s dwelling among us makes our community a little warmer, a little kinder, and more significant.

Peace,

Rav Yitz

The Time Has Come To Weigh Those Things (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Althea")

Two of our daughters, (8^th grader and 6^th grade), are on the middle school basketball team. After weeks of practice, they had their first game earlier this week. Our older daughter played for the team last year. For our younger daughter, this was the first time she had played organized basketball.  As a father, and as someone who played college basketball, (albeit Division III), I have no dreams of grandeur. I have no fantasy that my girls would be heavily recruited out of Toronto by the University of Connecticut Women’s Basketball team. I am pretty sure that neither of my daughters will receive a full scholarship to play basketball at U Conn. Still, I have a healthy respect for how the game should be played.  I feel compelled to review with them after practices and after games.  So after their first game in which they lost by 18 points and they walked off the court dejected, I pulled them aside and brought them back onto the court. There, on the court, for the next few minutes, I reviewed a couple of things with them, things that they were aware of while playing in the game.  The next morning, we reviewed a couple of other concepts that each had become aware of after experiencing the game.  My daughters commented that they received more coaching, more instruction, and learned more in the few minutes that I spent with them, than all the weeks of practice with their coach. John Wooden I am not. However, it seemed to me that after engaging an event, there is an opportunity to take stock, review, and learn from the experience in order to improve for the next time.

            This week's Parsha is Pekudei. It is the last Parsha of Sefer Shmot. The Parsha provides us with an accounting of all the material that used for the Mishkan. The Parsha tell us all that Bezazel and Oholiab had done while inspired by God and their art. We derive this idea of "taking stock" from the first Pasuk. Eilah F'kudei Ha'Mishkan Ha'Eidut Asher Pukad Al Pi Moshe Avodat Ha'Leviim - These are the countings of the Tabernacle, the Tabernacle of Testimony, which was reckoned at Moshe's bidding (Ex.38:21). What follows is essentially a ledger of all materials that were used in the Mishkan's construction.  What follows is essentially a ledger of the order in which Bezazel, Oholiab, and B'nai Yisroel used these materials and actually constructed the Mishkan. Why do we need this accounting? We have been reading about the Mishkan for the last four Parshiot. However it was not until now, when Moshe and B'nai Yisroel were able to look back at the process and see exactly how far along they have come. Think about it. For  a lengthy period of time,  B'nai Yisroel, as told to us in the Torah, had experienced an individual, communal and spiritual revolution. They watched Ten Plagues destroy Egypt, fled Egypt, and experienced the miracle of the Crossing of the Yam Suf. They witnessed the revelation at Sinai, received the Ten Commandments, panicked and built the Golden Calf. They began the T'shuvah process by bringing a half Shekel as a means of expressing atonement. They willingly brought their precious jewels and raw materials for the construction of the Mishkan. They came together as a community and they successfully constructed "God's dwelling place."

Certainly there were specific events that we would deem as vitally important, including the actual exodus from Egypt, the Crossing of the Reed Sea, and the Revelation at Sinai. However, in each of these three pivotal moments, B'nai Yisroel behaved as individuals. During each of these three pivotal moments, one could argue that B'nai Yisroel was more reactive than proactive. After the Tenth Plague, following God's direct command, B'nai Yisroel left Egypt. After God opened the Reed Sea, B'nai Yisroel began to cross it. It is the Midrash that explains that B'nai Yisroel took the first steps into the water prior to God's miracle. Even the Revelation at Sinai was a more reactive experience than a pro-active one. Even the Golden Calf fiasco could be argued as B'nai Yisroel's response to the fact that Moshe delayed his descent from the mountain. However Tshuva, and last week's Parsha's explanation that B'nai Yisroel brought its offerings willingly, suggests that B'nai Yisroel took a more pro-active role in the construction of the Mishkan. Constructing and completing the Mishkan, for this generation was perhaps its greatest achievement. They were finally, at least for the time being, pure of soul and pure of heart. They understood what it meant to be a community, a holy community, and the Mishkan was an expression of that. Therefore when B'nai Yisroel completed this transition to “people-hood” culminating in the completion of the Mishkan; it makes sense that an accounting of the Mishkan's construction would occur.

  From Moshe's "accounting", we learn something very important about human nature. As individuals, as part of a team and as part of community;  we need to do Cheshbon HaNefesh, an accounting of our souls. While it is certainly important to do Cheshbon HaNefesh at prescribed times with the community (Yom Kippur for example); it is also vital that we engage in this process when we have survived and successfully or unsuccessfully navigated through transition. These transitions and changes are not necessarily confined to lifecycle events or the calendar but as a part of life in general. Parsha Pekudei teaches us that we must possess the self-awareness to step back and look back at the process and own it, and if it is appropriate, mourn it, celebrate it, or learn from it. The result is that when the time comes for the next project, (The Holy Temple), the next national endeavor (Bnai Yisroel’s entry in to the land of Israel),  or the next basketball game, those participating will  know how to do it better. I suppose that is what good coaches and leaders are supposed to do; prepare the team for the next game, the next obstacle and the next test.

Peace,

Rav Yitz