Lately It Occurs To Me What A Long Strange Trip It's Been (Robert Hunter, Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh & Bob Weir- "Truckin' ")

           I recently visited my parents. I wanted to check on them as they continue to recover from Covid. While we were eating dinner, we began to speak about future life cycle events and opportunities for our family to spend time together. In the upcoming year, there will be University Graduation and a grandson learning in Israel and returning next summer. Since my parents are both 80, they also hope that they can see their grandchildren get engaged and married. As we spoke of these imminent and hopeful future lifecycle moments, a discussion that was clearly focused on the future; something odd began to happen. With each grandchild and their future lifecycle events, my parents began talking about past events. With an eye toward the future, both of my parents continued to discuss the path that each grandchild had taken.

          This morning we read from Parsha Matot/Masei. These are the final two parshiot of Sefer BaMidbar (Book of Numbers).  Like the end of most books, Matot/Masei ties up numerous loose ends. It ties up the loose ends of the narrative such as how to deal with the Midianites following the episode with Pinchas, the daughters of Tzelophchad, and issues of inheritance, as well as the borders of Eretz Canaan, and the Cities of Refuge. All these final issues must be dealt with since, from a narrative perspective, B’nai Yisroel is spiritually and physically ready to cross the Jordan River and enter Eretz Canaan. B’nai Yisroel is about to realize the Brit, the covenant that God made with the Avot: Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov.

     Whenever an individual, a group, a community, or a people stand on the precipice of a realized goal; looking back upon the journey only makes sense.  Whenever an individual, a group, a community, or a people experience anxiety about the ability to handle future unknowns; looking back at past lessons also seems to make a lot of 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. Fourth, we look back knowing that we overcame past obstacles and fears, then we should be able to overcome future anxieties, obstacles, and fears.  Eilah Masei V’nai Yisroel Asher Yatzu M’Eretz Mitztrayim 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 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 departure, when there were travails, issues, and great difficulties, when people murmured against God, against Moshe, etc. Now that Bnai Yisroel stands on the brink of entering Eretz Canaan, all the experiences, both positive and negative gave Bnai Yisroel an opportunity to learn Faith.  The journey and all that was experienced during that 40-year journey were necessary in order to arrive at this point in time.

          One of the final commandments that God gives to Moshe is to record where B'nai Israel had been.  Before embarking on the future, B'nai Israel needed to know from whence they came. As my parents and I finished dinner, I thought that the seamless shift between the future paths of their grandchildren's lives and the paths that they traveled took an interesting twist. They both understood and appreciated that the path that their grandchildren had taken, and the anticipated future lifecycle moments have a lot to do with the path the parents have taken and in turn the path that the grandparents have taken. At that moment, generations, choices, and paths taken became interconnected; past and future merged. The lesson became clear. One needs to know where one comes from in order to make the wisest decisions on the path forward towards the future. 

Peace,

Rav Yitz 

Watch What You're Doing With Your Time ( Jerry Garcia - "Great Cream Puff War)

Just exactly how precious is time? It’s kind of ironic, we don’t normally think about how precious time is until it appears that we are running out of it. If you don’t agree, just check out the interview given after Monday night’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship game. The University of North Carolina senior was asked how he felt after he made a ridiculous double clutch three point shot that tied the game at 74 and was the culmination of a furious North Carolina comeback. Time was so precious, the Villanova coach called time out in order to stop time. The Carolina senior went back to his bench and told his teammates that “we have 4.7 seconds to play defense, and then we go to overtime.” The Carolina player reasonably concluded that with momentum on their side, he believe that if rewarded with extra time (overtime) North Carolina would win. However these were the last 4.7 seconds. Unlike any other 4.7 seconds of the 2400 total seconds of regulation time (40 minutes) these last 4.7 were precious. The ball was inbounded and the Villanova player, with a relatively clear look at the basket, let go of the ball with 2 tenths of a second left. The ball soared the air. The clock read 0.0 and, in essence, time stopped. However the ball still soared magnificently through the air; its trajectory straight and true. It turned out that 4.7 precious seconds was plenty of time to win and lose a national championship.  

This week’s Torah portion is Parsha Tazria. Parsha Tazria concentrates upon how impurity, spiritual impurity is passed between people. Most of the Parsha focuses upon Leprosy as it was considered to be a very physically contagious disease. Parsha Tazria puts the diagnosis, the treatment and the convalescence in spiritual terms rather than physical terms. We learn that the while this Tumah, this spiritual impurity is present, the stricken individual cannot reside within the camp. After all God dwells in the camp and we cannot tolerate any impurity near God. Only the passage of time will cure the impurity. The beginning of the Parsha discusses the impurities involved with childbirth. While childbirth involves the loss of blood thus rendering the new mother “impure”; there is no greater sense of mortality that the blessing of a newborn baby. I became a father on four different occasions and each time I held each of our newborn babies, I became more aware of my mortality, and by definition the limits of time.

 Besides the weekly Torah Portion, this Shabbat is known as Shabbat HaChodesh, corresponding to the fact that this Shabbat marks the beginning of Nisan, the month that Torah counts as the first month of the year. Shabbat HaChodesh is commemorated by our reading the first twenty verses of the 12^th chapter of Exodus (from Parsha Bo) as well as a special Haftarah. God commands both Moshe and Aharon to speak to B’nai Yisroel and offer several important instructions. Firstly, HaChodesh HaZeh, this month, the month of Nisan will be first month of the Year. Secondly, on the tenth month each household will select its lamb or kid for the Korban Pesach, four days later, the lamb/kid will be slaughtered and eaten in its entirety while the final plague will be visited upon Egypt. Thirdly, that moment will be commemorated in the future as the festival of Pesach. Leavened products will be nullified and not consumed, the first day and the seventh day will be holy (like a Shabbat). Fourthly Matzah will be eaten on those sacred days. As these instructions are being presented the Torah reminds us VaYomer Hashem el Moshe v’El Aharon b’Eretz Mitzrayim Leimor – Hashem spoke to Moshe and Aharon in the land of Egypt, saying…. (Ex. 12:1) What is the significance of the Torah telling us that God spoke to Moshe and Aharon in Egypt? At this point, where else would they be? Neither they nor Bnai Yisroel has left Egypt and slavery.  HaChodesh Hazeh, Lachem Rosh Chodesh Rishon Hu Lachem L’Chodshei HaShana – This month shall be for you the beginning of the months, it shall be for you the first of the months of the year (Ex 12:2). Why does Lachem – to you appear twice in that verse? Bnai Yisroel are still slaves. Granted the end of their slavery is drawing to a rapid conclusion, but they are still slaves. Time belongs to the Egyptians not to slaves. However as the time of freedom approaches, time will belong to those who are Chadash those who are new and free. With that freedom and comes the responsibility of time. So the first things Bnai Yisroel learns is the time is precious, it is something that needs to be filled with action and deed. Time needs to be sanctified and time needs to be commemorated in order to create a sense of sacred time and mundane ordinary time.

Time serves as an expression of mortality as well as an expression of freedom. As we prepare for Pesach; we understand that there never seem to be enough time in to complete all that is required. As we celebrate our freedom we understand that there is a very real danger to being irresponsible with our time as well as becoming enslaved by time and by our schedules.  It seems that like God, we have the capacity to make time sacred or mundane. However, we do so by filling time with sacred activities and not wasting it.  We know that time wasted is indeed time lost, even if it's 4.7 seconds.

Peace

Rav Yitz  

I'll Get a New Start, Live the Life I Should (Wharf Rat -Robert Hunter/Jerry Garcia)

There is nothing quite like the innocence of children. You know what I am talking about. Children will make a comment that is completely honest, without any malice, without any filter. Sometimes it is funny, sometimes it gives parents some food for thought. So when our youngest, our son, walked up to me on a Sunday morning, said good morning, sat I my lap while I sipped coffee and said "Abba I love sitting on your lap your belly is soft", I looked up at my wife and sheepishly smiled. My eldest daughter, who happened to be visiting from university, casually added that she wanted me to be able to walk her down the aisle at her wedding (which was not happening any time so soon). Soon it became a whole family affair as our other two daughters also commented upon my weight. There was no malice. Rather it was all quite clinical with an air of concern. I went to work and I felt quite mortal. I thought about my children's words and I realized that I am not 25 anymore. I am neither twenty five in the physical sense, the spiritual sense nor the intellectual sense. That is not to say that there were moments in the past when I felt my own mortality. I did have those feelings. However I could count them on both hands. When I became a father for the first, second, third and fourth time; I felt my own mortality. At our daughter's bat mitzvah and during our son's Bris, I felt mortal. Running around, playing tag on a California beach, looking out over the horizon and huffing and puffing; I felt mortal. When I wake up before the first signs of dawn, go downstairs, pour a cup of coffee, stretch, step outside, look up at the sky and wonder how am I going to continue afford day school, pay for college, and pay for three weddings (I still have some time for that); boy do I feel mortal! Yes, I tend to feel mortal during those moments where I feel most alive, and when I am most aware of the awesome responsibilities of fatherhood.

This week’s Torah portion is Parsha Tazria. Normally, in a non-leap year, this Parsha and next week's Parsha are seamless combined as they both focus upon the laws of Tamei/Tahor (purity and impurity). Because this year is a leap year, we only read Parsha Tazria. Tazria concentrates upon how spiritual impurity is passed between people. The majority of the Parsha focuses upon Leoprosy as it was considered to be a very contagious physical manifestation of a spiritual disease or shortcoming. Parsha Tazria puts the diagnosis, the treatment and the convalescence in spiritual terms rather than physical terms. We learn that the while this Tumah, this spiritual impurity, is present; the stricken individual cannot reside within the camp. After all, God dwells in the camp. Theologically, we cannot tolerate any impurity near God. Oddly enough, one would think that God could handle our "impurity" because God is God, God is almighty. How could impurity affect God? However the issue is not the affect of the impurity upon God per se. Rather the issue is that our spiritual impurities, any spiritual impurities would negatively affect Bnai Yisroel's ability to connect to God.

Prior to its discussion of Leoprosy, Parsha Tazria outlines the somewhat troubling laws concerning impurity in childbirth. Fundamentally, the notion of impurity relates to physical contact with the deceased. In Parsha Shemini, the Torah outlined impurities that came from dead animals. In this Parsha, we are reminded that a Mother is touched by death during the miracle of and creation of life. Isha Ki Tazria V’Yalda Zachar V’Tamah SHivat Yamim Kimei Nitdat Dotah Titmah – When a woman conceives and gives birth to a male, she shall be contaminated for a seven day period as during the days of her separation infirmity shall she be contaminated. (Lev. 12:2). Imagine becoming spiritually impure after producing a new life. Yet, this new mother lost blood - a life force. She lost some aspect her life force during the birth process. As a result, while simultaneously being touched by a new life, she is also touched by her own mortality.

Perhaps there is no more an intense moment than when a new mother, physically exhausted and spent, holds the newborn upon her chest. CHaZaL - the Chachamim Zichrono L'Vracha (the Sages of Blessed Memory) teach that surviving childbirth is an equivalent to surviving a near death experience. Therefor, reciting Birkat HaGomeil was required. (Praised are You, Lord Our God, King of the universe who graciously bestows favor upon the undeserving, even as He has bestowed favor upon me.) Inherent to surviving a near death experience is the notion that the individual as come precipitously close to death. Even in the miracle of life, we are reminded of life's fragility. Even in the miracle of life, we are reminded of our own mortality. During these moments, which for some are life altering and almost transcendent, we find a way to make that near death experience a holy experience. That is not to say that we look forward to death or that we celebrate death. Rather we are acknowledging that in the moments of coming into contact with death there is a potential to be changed by that experience. Even in death, we are reminded that we are forever striving towards elevated levels of holiness. In the most physical moments, and certainly childbirth is quite a physical endeavor, we are reminded that it is our spiritual task to elevate that physical moment into a spiritually holy moment as well.

Like many Jewish homes that celebrate Shabbat, there is a Minhag, a custom, that we observe. At the Shabbat dinner table, there is a minhag of blessing the children. The Shabbat dinner that immediately followed my children's comments concerning my weight, I felt mortal once again. As we bless our children on this Shabbat, may we be reminded that in every moment, we have the opportunity to strive towards spiritual purity, and spiritual holiness. In so doing we are striving towards our continued celebration of life and our relationship to God.

Peace,

Rav Yitz