I Told Althea I Was Feeling Lost, Lacking In Some Direction (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Althea")

Our tenth grade daughter plays on her high school basketball team.  Lately her basketball schedule seems to have taken a page out of the University of Connecticut women’s basketball team. The UCONN women’s team, is a perennial Division I basketball team having won numerous championships. During the season, they are constantly traveling to and from games and tournaments. Needless to say, they don’t spent a lot of time in class. Our daughter’s team just finished the regular season and has won two playoff games and plays for the league championship today and then she and her team head off to play in a holiday tournament in New York with several other teams from New York, Boston, and Florida. Needless to say she has and continues to miss classes. Among the interesting traditions that my daughter and I do together is the postgame analysis of her play and her team’s play.  Like most people, my daughter’s analysis focuses on the big glaring statistics: most points and most rebounds. When we talk about key moments of the game, she gravitates to a made shot, a missed free throw, a steal; she focuses upon the big glaring “highlight” moment that would appear on ESPN’s Sports Center. Of course, I am just the opposite. I don’t focus upon the baskets made; I focus upon what occurred that allowed the baskets to be made. Was the basket a result of a good pass? Was it a result of bad defense? Was it a result of running the floor on a fast break? When I look at the key turning point in the game; I look for the smallest detail: a change in tempo, a change in the momentum, a turnover, a missed opportunity, a small seemingly minor mistake that leads to a basket. For me, these moments are usually overlooked and definitely would never appear on ESPN’s Sports Center highlights.  For my daughter, it is another way to learn about the game and understand that paying attention to the small details yields large and important results.

This Shabbat we read from Parsha VaYeishev. The focus of the narrative now shifts from Yaakov (aka. Israel) to his most beloved son Yosef. Contextually, Yaakov is at a point in his life where he has finished his spiritual and personal struggles. He now is at a calm and settled point in his life, hence the name of the Parshah: Vayeishev – and he settled. We learn that Yaakov, like his parents, played favorites. He showered Yosef, Rachel’s son, with a beautiful Kutonet Pasim – Coat of Many Colors. Yosef was a bit arrogant. This was manifested in his dreams that portrayed his greatness and the subjugated his brothers and his parents to his power. Needless to say, no one appreciated his dreams, neither his brothers who wanted to kill him but instead threw him into an empty pit, nor his father who sent Yosef back to his brothers knowing that they were angry with him (Gen. 37:10-14). Yosef is then removed from the pit, sold as a slave and worked in home of one of Pharaoh’s courtiers. As a slave, Yosef proved invaluable to the welfare of the Courtier’s business dealings. Yosef managed everything and the courtier profited greatly. The courtier’s wife however was a bit bored and made a pass at Yosef. Yosef put her off and then was accused of sexual harassment. Yosef was sent to prison. While in prison, Yosef helped the warden manage the prison, and the warden did well. Yosef became known for an ability to interpret dreams.

               

Certainly it was a “perfect storm”, a chain of events that brought Yosef to Egypt. His brother’s hatred, his father’s favoritism and later his aggravation with Yosef contributed to his winding up in Egypt. The brother’s decision to sell Yosef rather than kill him and the coincidence of the caravan’s arrival all contributed to Yosef’s winding up in Egypt.  However the moment, the turning point in the narrative, that small seemingly minor detail that affected the rest of Yosef’s life was the moment that Yosef, upon instructions from his father, sought out his brother, and got lost.  Vayimtza’eihu Ish V’Hinei To’eh BaSadeh And a certain man found him and behold, he [Yosef] was wandering in the field; VaYishaleihu Ha’Ish Leimor: Mah T’Vakeish? And the man asked him, saying: What are looking for? VaYomer Et Achai Anochi Mevakeish and He [Joseph] said I seeking my brothers. Hagidah Nah Li: Eifo Haim Ro’im.  Tell me I pray, where do they feed their flocks?   VaYomer HaIsh Nasu Mi’Zeh Ki Shamati Omrim Leilcha Dotainah. And the man said they traveled from here for I heard them say ‘Let us go to Dotham. VaYeilech Yosef Achar Echav Vayimtza’eim B’Dotan. So Yosef went after his brother and found them in Dothan. (Gen. 47:15-17). Between the dysfunctional environment of home and the confrontation with his brothers (at the request of his father); exist this very brief but incredibly important conversation between Yosef and an unnamed man. How important is this conversation? Yosef’s entire future, God’s prophesy and covenant with Avraham hinges upon this conversation and Yosef finding his brothers and eventually winding up in Egypt. The turning point in the narrative of Breishit hinges upon and unnamed man giving directions to Yosef. The Talmudic Sages explain that this was not a chance passer- by but an “angel”; a divine messenger of God.

                For the Talmudic Sages, implicitly, this narrative is about God’s involvement in a person’s life.  Certainly it is human nature to focus upon the big glaring moments: the explanation of a dream, a colorful coat, being thrown into a pit or being sold. God’s presence or absence may appear to be obvious. For the Sages, the key to a relationship with God, was being able to sense God’s presence in the smallest and seemingly innocuous moments like a moment shared with an unnamed passerby who offers directions. The key is for us to be open minded, and open hearted enough to see that turning point and have the courage to see where it leads. It may lead to a new opportunity, it may cause us to avoid being in the “wrong place at the wrong time”.  For the Talmudic Sages, this is never happenstance this is evidence of God’s involvement and we must learn to make ourselves aware. Part of Yosef’s growing up involves increasing his awareness of God’s presence. The same can be said for our teenage daughter. Part of her growing up and maturation process is an increased awareness of God’s presence.

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