"Shimon and Levi are brothers;
Their weapons are tools of lawlessness.
Let not my person be included in their council,
Let not my being counted in their assembly.
For in anger, they slew a man,
And they uprooted an ox.
Cursed be their anger so fierce,
And their wrath so relentless.
I will divide them in Yaakov,
And scatter them in Israel." (v.5-7)
These are Yaakov's words to his two sons, as he lies dying on his death-bed. This is his parting message and it is quite the indictment! Yaakov curses Shimon and Levi, or more accurately, he curses their anger and violence. He tells them that they should be scattered and dispersed in Israel. This is a damning condemnation.
If the issue is so clear to Yaakov, then why does Yaakov remain so silent in our parasha? Why does he speak only years later? If Yaakov seems so sure that their acts were harmful, immoral, then he should have said something at the time that the atrocity occurred, not to wait forty years![1]
One approach might suggest the following resolution. The true moral voice is Bereshit 49 in which Yaakov's condemns Shimon and Levi. As for his silence at the time, it might simply follow the proverb that we know from Pirkei Avot:
"Do not (try to) placate a friend in his moment of anger;
Do not (attempt to) comfort him while his dead relative lies before him." (Avot 4:23)
In the heat of the moment, one cannot discuss the moral implications. Shimon and Levi will not be open to Yaakov's ethical rebuke. Years later, when the passions have calmed, Yaakov takes his final moments to sound a clear moral message for all time, putting his personal moral opinion before his sons, and with the writing of the Torah, before all of Am Yisrael. There is no ambiguity here, no hesitation. One simply has to find the correct moment in which to issue a rebuke of this magnitude. Yaakov knew that he had to wait for such an opportunity. He found it only on his deathbed.
So this is one possibility.
Rav Yehudah Shaviv (a prolific writer, who lives and teaches in the Gush,) saw the dichotomy differently. He focuses upon Rashi's comments to verse 6:
"For in anger, they slew a man: This is Sh'chem and Chamor…
And they uprooted an ox: They sought to uproot Joseph, who is called an Ox (Deut 33:17)"
Here Yaakov draws a direct connection between the Sh'chem episode and the sale of Joseph. At the time, Yaakov saw certain justifications for the actions of Shimon and Levi. He didn't condemn their actions. Maybe there is a certain guilt to a town that harbours criminals, not bringing them to justice.
But after the Joseph affair, Yaakov sees things differently. Once you have murdered, a further murder seems less intimidating. Murder becomes a realistic option, not an unthinkable crime. The fact that Shimon and Levi had killed Sh'chem allowed them to consider murdering Yoseph[2]. They had learned that they could channel insult and indignation in the direction of violence, homicide. They began by killing criminals, they tried to kill their brother.
At the time, their actions seemed justified. In hindsight, the violence in Sh'chem came to be viewed as the moment in which the brothers lost their innocence, they became jaded and morally clouded[3]. It was indeed, a crime.
Yaakov realises that a direct linkage connects the Sh'chem killings, with the attempted murder and subsequent sale of Joseph.
According to the first explanation, Jacob was correct in not issuing a rebuke in our parasha. According to the second argument, Yaakov's lack of response was a total lack of moral guidance, which was in error. The devastating effects of his silence became clear only much later.
Footnotes
[1] At least 40 years, and probably longer. 22 years of Yoseph's exile and a further 17 years during which Yaakov lived in Egypt. There are at least 40 years between the Sh'chem affair and Yaakov's death.
[2] Rashi in Bereshit 42:24 suggests that Shimon and Levi were the prime instigators in suggesting the option of murdering Joseph.
[3] If I recall correctly, Rav Shaviv intimated that had Rabbis been more forthright in absolute condemnation of Baruch Goldstein's massacre of Arabs, the legitimacy would have never been found for Yigal Amir's assassination of Yitzhak Rabin. Or – if we are quiet when a Jew kills a non_jew (Shchem), then the next stage will be a Jew killing a Jew! (Yoseph)
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Monday, November 19, 2007
Northern Exposure
In Shabbat's Haaretz, there was a worrying article by Meron Rappaport. (I have searched for the article online and not found it ... I wonder why they chose not to post it?) The article says something like this.
The govt. is offering lots of incentives to move to Yishuvim (villages) in the Galil. This, all with an aim to Judaise the Galil. Nice idea, don't you think? Well, listen to this!
What is REALLY happening is that most people who take these benefits are not from Tel Aviv. They are actually already living in Galilee towns. They are moving out of Carmiel and Natzeret Illit and Maalot to nice houses with gardens in nice moshavim and yishuvim.
And who is buying their homes in the cities? Arabs. So the worry is that if this continues, Natzeret Illit, Maalot and Carmiel will soon be "mixed" towns. Or as one Galil Arab put it, in 10 years time, there will be an Arab mayor of Natzeret Illit!
already 62% of children born in the Galil are Arab. Worrying to say the least. Here we are discussing the West Bank and annapolis and before our very eyes, the Bedouins are populating the Negev and the Israeli Arabs are moving into our prime Galilee towns. And even the govt. initiative is backfiring!!
And do you know what the mayor of Natzeret said when faced with these statistics? - "Don't worry, we'll open a neighbourhood for Haredim... look what they did in Beit Shemesh?"
Anyhow, yet another worrying phenomenon in our lovely land. (in case you were feeling like theer was nothing in particular troubling you today.) Boy! sometimes the sheer number of challenges seems way too much!
UPDATE (Nov 21) - see this article in Jpost. Demographic threats. Worrying indeed! Most worrying line says that in TWELVE years "Jewish and Palestinian population figures in about 12 years from now will be equal, he said, but two years later, the Jews will be a minority. " What implications does this have for the Peace process?
The govt. is offering lots of incentives to move to Yishuvim (villages) in the Galil. This, all with an aim to Judaise the Galil. Nice idea, don't you think? Well, listen to this!
What is REALLY happening is that most people who take these benefits are not from Tel Aviv. They are actually already living in Galilee towns. They are moving out of Carmiel and Natzeret Illit and Maalot to nice houses with gardens in nice moshavim and yishuvim.
And who is buying their homes in the cities? Arabs. So the worry is that if this continues, Natzeret Illit, Maalot and Carmiel will soon be "mixed" towns. Or as one Galil Arab put it, in 10 years time, there will be an Arab mayor of Natzeret Illit!
already 62% of children born in the Galil are Arab. Worrying to say the least. Here we are discussing the West Bank and annapolis and before our very eyes, the Bedouins are populating the Negev and the Israeli Arabs are moving into our prime Galilee towns. And even the govt. initiative is backfiring!!
And do you know what the mayor of Natzeret said when faced with these statistics? - "Don't worry, we'll open a neighbourhood for Haredim... look what they did in Beit Shemesh?"
Anyhow, yet another worrying phenomenon in our lovely land. (in case you were feeling like theer was nothing in particular troubling you today.) Boy! sometimes the sheer number of challenges seems way too much!
UPDATE (Nov 21) - see this article in Jpost. Demographic threats. Worrying indeed! Most worrying line says that in TWELVE years "Jewish and Palestinian population figures in about 12 years from now will be equal, he said, but two years later, the Jews will be a minority. " What implications does this have for the Peace process?
Sunday, November 18, 2007
King and Country
I was amazed this week to read about the marriage, 60 years ago, of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip. This is what the archives - recently opened - tell us about their wedding:
"Princess Elizabeth, as she was then, and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten were married at the height of postwar and rationing; like all brides at the time the Princess had to save up her clothing ration coupons for her wedding dress.
The book says that the government gave the couple the standard extra 200 clothing coupons, allowed to all brides, but that they were also inundated with coupons sent by women from all over the country - all sent back because passing on coupons was illegal. Among gifts from abroad were 131 pairs of nylons and 500 cases of tinned pineapples from the governor of Queensland. The New York Institute of Dress Designers sent 25 dresses as a gift, 20 of which were given to other brides getting married at the same time.
…Anxious not to appear too extravagant at a time of rationing, the royal family limited the wedding breakfast to 150 guests and three courses, with partridge as the main dish since it was not rationed."
I was amazed because I didn't realise that even the queen was rationed during/after WWII. It is incredible to see the Royal family as bound by the same rules of the rank and file, sharing in the distress and suffering of the nation, having to exercise a degree of restraint and modesty in difficult times.
Indeed, this is the true Jewish way. The king is instructed (Devarim 17) לבלתי רום לבבו מאחיו - "that he not raise his head above his brethren". A Jewish king must be accessible to the nation and not be so aloof, allowing himself to become detached from his nation.
I was connecting all this with our current leadership here in Israel. Sometimes I really get this sense of an ivory tower.
A friend said to me today; how is it that Olmert hasn't spent a few days living in Sderot? The city is daily under rocket fire. How can he not go there and share at least symbolically in their daily torment?
Likewise, I was jarred by the arrogance of this statement today. The High School teachers have been on strike for a month now. For over a month kids have not attended school. Does Olmert care enough to come off his high-horse? This is a quote as to why Olmert sees no reason to engage the teachers in conversation
"With all due respect, there is no reason why the union head should meet with the prime minister in person," he said. "The finance and education ministers have my full backing in carrying out the negotiations and reaching an agreement. The teachers must take part in our plan to reform the education system and make it better. The strike is uncalled for."
If students have not been in school for a month, then however much faith and belief you have in your Education and Finance minister, one would imagine that the PM might care enough to intervene. This is a national crisis of extreme proportions.
Or maybe he is simply so out of touch that he doesn't quite get it?
I love the accounts of Begin who lived in a 2 room Tel Aviv apt. which would be filled with the Likud faithful - the Amcha, rank and file - every Shabbat afternoon to talk and debate ideology. Leaders have to lead. They need to be above the nation in some way, and yet they also must know how to be in touch with the people, to share in their pain, to empathise, to be connected.
"Princess Elizabeth, as she was then, and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten were married at the height of postwar and rationing; like all brides at the time the Princess had to save up her clothing ration coupons for her wedding dress.
The book says that the government gave the couple the standard extra 200 clothing coupons, allowed to all brides, but that they were also inundated with coupons sent by women from all over the country - all sent back because passing on coupons was illegal. Among gifts from abroad were 131 pairs of nylons and 500 cases of tinned pineapples from the governor of Queensland. The New York Institute of Dress Designers sent 25 dresses as a gift, 20 of which were given to other brides getting married at the same time.
…Anxious not to appear too extravagant at a time of rationing, the royal family limited the wedding breakfast to 150 guests and three courses, with partridge as the main dish since it was not rationed."
I was amazed because I didn't realise that even the queen was rationed during/after WWII. It is incredible to see the Royal family as bound by the same rules of the rank and file, sharing in the distress and suffering of the nation, having to exercise a degree of restraint and modesty in difficult times.
Indeed, this is the true Jewish way. The king is instructed (Devarim 17) לבלתי רום לבבו מאחיו - "that he not raise his head above his brethren". A Jewish king must be accessible to the nation and not be so aloof, allowing himself to become detached from his nation.
I was connecting all this with our current leadership here in Israel. Sometimes I really get this sense of an ivory tower.
A friend said to me today; how is it that Olmert hasn't spent a few days living in Sderot? The city is daily under rocket fire. How can he not go there and share at least symbolically in their daily torment?
Likewise, I was jarred by the arrogance of this statement today. The High School teachers have been on strike for a month now. For over a month kids have not attended school. Does Olmert care enough to come off his high-horse? This is a quote as to why Olmert sees no reason to engage the teachers in conversation
"With all due respect, there is no reason why the union head should meet with the prime minister in person," he said. "The finance and education ministers have my full backing in carrying out the negotiations and reaching an agreement. The teachers must take part in our plan to reform the education system and make it better. The strike is uncalled for."
If students have not been in school for a month, then however much faith and belief you have in your Education and Finance minister, one would imagine that the PM might care enough to intervene. This is a national crisis of extreme proportions.
Or maybe he is simply so out of touch that he doesn't quite get it?
I love the accounts of Begin who lived in a 2 room Tel Aviv apt. which would be filled with the Likud faithful - the Amcha, rank and file - every Shabbat afternoon to talk and debate ideology. Leaders have to lead. They need to be above the nation in some way, and yet they also must know how to be in touch with the people, to share in their pain, to empathise, to be connected.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Running on Faith (The Treadmill Prayer)!
This, by Yedidya Meir in Haaretz is a lovely satirical piece about Tefilla, and beyond the satire, has much depth and truth. I have been teaching Prayer in my Jewish Philosophy class at Eretz Hatzvi. So I think I will be giving it to my Talmidim to read and comment upon this Tuesday. Enjoy and Shavua Tov!!
Run for your life
By Yedidya Meir
One of the remarks a religiously observant person hears most in his life is "Let me tell you what bugs me most about religion ..." Usually the speaker begins by praising Judaism and its ways: "Listen, Judaism has really beautiful things to offer. The shiva [week-long mourning period], for example, is utterly enthralling." Then comes the bit that irritates them. For example, this unnecessary prohibition on traveling on Shabbat. Why? Who needs it? Or all this gobbledygook about "fruits of the sea." A complete nonstarter.
I have a great many responses, believe me, but sometimes I too get the urge to say what bugs me most about religion. It happens almost every day. You are standing and reciting a prayer that is important to you, that speaks to you and which you had planned to recite with total intentionality - and suddenly it's over. You felt nothing. That is, you were definitely concentrating, but on completely different things: the kids, the bank account, why there is still no replacement for the Channel 2 news anchor.
A brief explanation is in order for those readers who by chance do not pray. In contrast to the Sukkot lulav (palm branch), the Shabbat candles or the tefillin (phylacteries), prayer itself is a non-physical commandment. It is difficult and challenging spiritual work. For the greatest rabbis and for righteous people, those for whom prayer is a way of life, it may be easy, but for a rank-and-file Jew, it is very hard to recharge the prayer with new meaning each time. But that is exactly what the person is required to do. Someone once wrote that good prayer should be like a train journey: the landscape doesn't change, yet at every moment you see it from a different vantage point. So it is in prayer: The text is the same text, but a person journeys all his life, he does not stand in one place, and on each occasion he is meant to experience the prayer from the inner point he has reached.
That's the theory; now for the reality. I come to the synagogue on Shabbat morning, recite "Nishmat kol hai" ("The breath of every living being") - one of the most meaningful prayers - but feel nothing. And then, on Monday evening, while on the treadmill at home, clad in shorts and an undershirt, at the third kilometer, I hear via the iPod the song "Nishmat kol hai" - the same words - sung by Shlomo Carlebach, and am suddenly seized by tremendous excitement and potent intentionality: "The breath of every living being shall bless thy name, O Lord our God, and the spirit of all flesh shall ever glorify and extol thee, O our King. From everlasting to everlasting thou art God. But for thee we have no King, Deliverer and Savior to rescue, redeem and give sustenance and to show mercy in all times of trouble and distress; yea, we have no Sovereign but thee".
And the Jew goes nuts. Why? Because on Shabbat, when this prayer is part of the service, I wanted it so much, I absolutely craved it, but it just didn't happen. And now, of all times, on a treadmill in shorts - suddenly it comes? That, people, is the most annoying thing about religion.
According to a sample poll I conducted, I am not alone. Other observant Jews also find it easier to connect with God while cooking, driving, shopping, even while doing the dishes, with Jewish music in the background. For just that reason I recently decided to change my approach: When the Shabbat morning prayer arrives as you're running on the treadmill Monday evening, just to flow with it. If not on Shabbat, let it at least be on Monday. Athletic prayer is fine, too.
And then, after the song ends, after the thrill of the words "Therefore, the limbs which thou has fashioned for us, and the soul which thou hast breathed into us, and the tongue which thou hast set in our mouth, lo, they shall thank, bless, exalt and revere thee. They shall proclaim thy sovereignty, O our King" - I wipe off the sweat with a towel, tuck the undershirt into the shorts - for dignity's sake - and say in my heart:
"May it be thy will that this treadmill be as important to thee as though it were my seat in the synagogue, and this iPod as though it were a prayer book, and this towel that is wrapped around my neck as though it were a tallit, and may the thrill I felt in this song be as important to thee as though it were a prayer at its time and its place."
And then I go on running.
Run for your life
By Yedidya Meir
One of the remarks a religiously observant person hears most in his life is "Let me tell you what bugs me most about religion ..." Usually the speaker begins by praising Judaism and its ways: "Listen, Judaism has really beautiful things to offer. The shiva [week-long mourning period], for example, is utterly enthralling." Then comes the bit that irritates them. For example, this unnecessary prohibition on traveling on Shabbat. Why? Who needs it? Or all this gobbledygook about "fruits of the sea." A complete nonstarter.
I have a great many responses, believe me, but sometimes I too get the urge to say what bugs me most about religion. It happens almost every day. You are standing and reciting a prayer that is important to you, that speaks to you and which you had planned to recite with total intentionality - and suddenly it's over. You felt nothing. That is, you were definitely concentrating, but on completely different things: the kids, the bank account, why there is still no replacement for the Channel 2 news anchor.
A brief explanation is in order for those readers who by chance do not pray. In contrast to the Sukkot lulav (palm branch), the Shabbat candles or the tefillin (phylacteries), prayer itself is a non-physical commandment. It is difficult and challenging spiritual work. For the greatest rabbis and for righteous people, those for whom prayer is a way of life, it may be easy, but for a rank-and-file Jew, it is very hard to recharge the prayer with new meaning each time. But that is exactly what the person is required to do. Someone once wrote that good prayer should be like a train journey: the landscape doesn't change, yet at every moment you see it from a different vantage point. So it is in prayer: The text is the same text, but a person journeys all his life, he does not stand in one place, and on each occasion he is meant to experience the prayer from the inner point he has reached.
That's the theory; now for the reality. I come to the synagogue on Shabbat morning, recite "Nishmat kol hai" ("The breath of every living being") - one of the most meaningful prayers - but feel nothing. And then, on Monday evening, while on the treadmill at home, clad in shorts and an undershirt, at the third kilometer, I hear via the iPod the song "Nishmat kol hai" - the same words - sung by Shlomo Carlebach, and am suddenly seized by tremendous excitement and potent intentionality: "The breath of every living being shall bless thy name, O Lord our God, and the spirit of all flesh shall ever glorify and extol thee, O our King. From everlasting to everlasting thou art God. But for thee we have no King, Deliverer and Savior to rescue, redeem and give sustenance and to show mercy in all times of trouble and distress; yea, we have no Sovereign but thee".
And the Jew goes nuts. Why? Because on Shabbat, when this prayer is part of the service, I wanted it so much, I absolutely craved it, but it just didn't happen. And now, of all times, on a treadmill in shorts - suddenly it comes? That, people, is the most annoying thing about religion.
According to a sample poll I conducted, I am not alone. Other observant Jews also find it easier to connect with God while cooking, driving, shopping, even while doing the dishes, with Jewish music in the background. For just that reason I recently decided to change my approach: When the Shabbat morning prayer arrives as you're running on the treadmill Monday evening, just to flow with it. If not on Shabbat, let it at least be on Monday. Athletic prayer is fine, too.
And then, after the song ends, after the thrill of the words "Therefore, the limbs which thou has fashioned for us, and the soul which thou hast breathed into us, and the tongue which thou hast set in our mouth, lo, they shall thank, bless, exalt and revere thee. They shall proclaim thy sovereignty, O our King" - I wipe off the sweat with a towel, tuck the undershirt into the shorts - for dignity's sake - and say in my heart:
"May it be thy will that this treadmill be as important to thee as though it were my seat in the synagogue, and this iPod as though it were a prayer book, and this towel that is wrapped around my neck as though it were a tallit, and may the thrill I felt in this song be as important to thee as though it were a prayer at its time and its place."
And then I go on running.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Technology Woes
Yes - You might have noticed that I am barely blogging. No. Nothing is wrong. In fact I have a ton of thoughts on the Israeli constitution, the Annapolis Conference, Global Warming, and what have you. I have lots of blogs in my mind. But no time to write.
Why - you may ask? I am crazy busy. I am also barely sleeping. And I will tell you the reason. Yes Doctor, I have a problem with my bandwidth.
The story started when I agreed to give webcasts for Torah in Motion, a wonderful intelligent Torah organisation in Toronto. To use the technology,I had to upgrade my bandwidth. That's fine.
I called the phone company, and my Internet provider to upgrade. They told me that it needs requested in writing signed and faxed. "Faxed? But I don't own a fax! Can I use email?? - No! Only Fax. So fine, I used the neighbours fax. 24hrs passed. No upgrade was evident. I called them. "We didn't get it. Fax it gain!" they said. I had to fax it in 3 times.
That was 10 days ago!
I'll cut a long story short. They upgraded. My uploading is fine. My downloading is faster than the standard (yipee!) BUT there is still some problem with my video connection. It freezes and delays and is non-functional and I have spent at least 20 hours on the phone to Barak (the Internet provider), Bezek and you name it! Every evening I have been on the phone for hours (yes, hours!) with the techie people and crawling on the floor reconnecting wires and modems and what have you. It has totally absorbed all my blogging time, sleep time, class preparation time, and my sanity!!!!
At last, today they are sending a technician! Now they are saying that it may be the modem, or the phone connections in my house.
I am actually really looking forward to my webcast (this evening) but technology is driving me nuts.
And boy - do I hate those automatic call systems they are simply infuriating!
One of the frustrations of technology mess-ups is the feeling of helplessness. If my bicycle breaks, I know what is wrong even if I cannot fix it. My vacuum cleaner broke, so I opened it and I could at least diagnose where the problem was. But with computers, it is all a black box. I haven't the first clue how the Internet works, never mind how my computer could be experiencing a download/upload problem.
But let's look at the bright side.
I know what ping is.
I know how to do a trace to an address on my computer.
I have some idea about PPoE and routers and modems and bandwidth.
It is all a learning process (sigh!) I guess.
I'll be back soon!
-alex
Why - you may ask? I am crazy busy. I am also barely sleeping. And I will tell you the reason. Yes Doctor, I have a problem with my bandwidth.
The story started when I agreed to give webcasts for Torah in Motion, a wonderful intelligent Torah organisation in Toronto. To use the technology,I had to upgrade my bandwidth. That's fine.
I called the phone company, and my Internet provider to upgrade. They told me that it needs requested in writing signed and faxed. "Faxed? But I don't own a fax! Can I use email?? - No! Only Fax. So fine, I used the neighbours fax. 24hrs passed. No upgrade was evident. I called them. "We didn't get it. Fax it gain!" they said. I had to fax it in 3 times.
That was 10 days ago!
I'll cut a long story short. They upgraded. My uploading is fine. My downloading is faster than the standard (yipee!) BUT there is still some problem with my video connection. It freezes and delays and is non-functional and I have spent at least 20 hours on the phone to Barak (the Internet provider), Bezek and you name it! Every evening I have been on the phone for hours (yes, hours!) with the techie people and crawling on the floor reconnecting wires and modems and what have you. It has totally absorbed all my blogging time, sleep time, class preparation time, and my sanity!!!!
At last, today they are sending a technician! Now they are saying that it may be the modem, or the phone connections in my house.
I am actually really looking forward to my webcast (this evening) but technology is driving me nuts.
And boy - do I hate those automatic call systems they are simply infuriating!
One of the frustrations of technology mess-ups is the feeling of helplessness. If my bicycle breaks, I know what is wrong even if I cannot fix it. My vacuum cleaner broke, so I opened it and I could at least diagnose where the problem was. But with computers, it is all a black box. I haven't the first clue how the Internet works, never mind how my computer could be experiencing a download/upload problem.
But let's look at the bright side.
I know what ping is.
I know how to do a trace to an address on my computer.
I have some idea about PPoE and routers and modems and bandwidth.
It is all a learning process (sigh!) I guess.
I'll be back soon!
-alex
Saturday, November 10, 2007
A Joke to start the week
The Israeli Ambassador at the U.N. began, 'Ladies and gentlemen before I commence with my speech, I want to relay an old Passover story to all of you..
'When Moses was leading the Jews out of Egypt toward the Promised Land, he
had to go through whay seemed like a nearly endless Sinai desert.
When they reached the Promised Land, the people had become very thirsty and
needed water.
So Moses struck the side of a mountain with his staff and a pond appeared with crystal clean, cool water. The people rejoiced and drank to their hearts' content.
'Moses wished to cleanse his whole body, so he went over to the other side of the pond, took all of his clothes off and dived into the cool waters.
Only when Moses came out of the water, he discovered that all of his clothes had been stolen. 'And,' he said, 'I have reasons to believe that the Palestinians stole my clothes.''
The Palestinian delegate to the UN, hearing this accusation, jumps from his seat and screams out, 'This is a travesty. It is widely known that there were no Palestinians there at that time!'
'And with that in mind,' said the Israeli Ambassador, 'let me now begin my speech.'
'When Moses was leading the Jews out of Egypt toward the Promised Land, he
had to go through whay seemed like a nearly endless Sinai desert.
When they reached the Promised Land, the people had become very thirsty and
needed water.
So Moses struck the side of a mountain with his staff and a pond appeared with crystal clean, cool water. The people rejoiced and drank to their hearts' content.
'Moses wished to cleanse his whole body, so he went over to the other side of the pond, took all of his clothes off and dived into the cool waters.
Only when Moses came out of the water, he discovered that all of his clothes had been stolen. 'And,' he said, 'I have reasons to believe that the Palestinians stole my clothes.''
The Palestinian delegate to the UN, hearing this accusation, jumps from his seat and screams out, 'This is a travesty. It is widely known that there were no Palestinians there at that time!'
'And with that in mind,' said the Israeli Ambassador, 'let me now begin my speech.'
Monday, November 05, 2007
Toldot Posts (from the archive)
Here are 3 posts from our archive for Parashat Toldot. Enjoy!
My Toldot podcast.
Was Yitzchak Penniless?
Don't Educate an Esav Like a Yaakov!
My Toldot podcast.
Was Yitzchak Penniless?
Don't Educate an Esav Like a Yaakov!
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Television, the Internet and Bittul Zman!
When we got married, I told my wife that I didn't want to buy a T.V. It wasn't so much a religious decision but rather a practical one. You see, I have a very good track record of wasting vast amounts of time in front of televisions. I have years of experience at it, throughout my High School years and even during college. I can watch almost anything. Bad quality never used to be much of a deterrent. Something about the passive entertainment is just great for me. I love it. But it is such an awful waste of time. I didn't want to spend hours and hours just wasting time watching nothing particularly significant on the T.V.
A further T.V. anti-social habit is that I frequently spend time with the remote just switching back and forth between channels. It is as if one thinks that if I switch over there may just be something better. But in fact, one eventually turns off the T.V. with an empty feeling having spend far too much time watching absolutely nothing. (In the end, we did buy a T.V. which I barely watch, but that is another story.)
Why do I mention this? Because I do fear that the Internet has taken all those negative habits and now, I surf for hours , switching back and forth and it is wasting a great amount of my time. I flick back and forth between sites as if there might be something that I haven't seen yet. It is as if I am expecting the computer sites to thrill or entertain me. I could be learning pages of Gemara and instead I am reading the NY times or the weather or who knows what??
The problem of wasting time on the internet is compounded because I do use the computer to prepare classes, both typing notes and worksheets but also using the internet as a research tool. So I don't want to be offline. But then I just wander around my favourites list and other links, blogs and what have you. I just waste a phenomenal amount of time. The computer should be a tool that we control, not a machine that controls us.
What is to be done? Am I an internet addict? How does one cure oneself? Can I exhibit self-control? Should I move my computer out of my study? Are there any good rules out there to help a person restrain oneself from endlessly being attatched to being online? hmmm!
Something must be done!
A further T.V. anti-social habit is that I frequently spend time with the remote just switching back and forth between channels. It is as if one thinks that if I switch over there may just be something better. But in fact, one eventually turns off the T.V. with an empty feeling having spend far too much time watching absolutely nothing. (In the end, we did buy a T.V. which I barely watch, but that is another story.)
Why do I mention this? Because I do fear that the Internet has taken all those negative habits and now, I surf for hours , switching back and forth and it is wasting a great amount of my time. I flick back and forth between sites as if there might be something that I haven't seen yet. It is as if I am expecting the computer sites to thrill or entertain me. I could be learning pages of Gemara and instead I am reading the NY times or the weather or who knows what??
The problem of wasting time on the internet is compounded because I do use the computer to prepare classes, both typing notes and worksheets but also using the internet as a research tool. So I don't want to be offline. But then I just wander around my favourites list and other links, blogs and what have you. I just waste a phenomenal amount of time. The computer should be a tool that we control, not a machine that controls us.
What is to be done? Am I an internet addict? How does one cure oneself? Can I exhibit self-control? Should I move my computer out of my study? Are there any good rules out there to help a person restrain oneself from endlessly being attatched to being online? hmmm!
Something must be done!
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Please Say Tehillim
For a very dear friend and student who has just been diagnosed with Leukemia.
His name is:
Shimon Elimelch ben Sima Rivka
שמעון אלימלך בן סימה רבקה
רפואה שלמה
His name is:
Shimon Elimelch ben Sima Rivka
שמעון אלימלך בן סימה רבקה
רפואה שלמה
Parashat Chayei Sarah: Yitzchak's Conversation
In the famous scene at the end of the parsha, Avraham's servant returns from Padan Aram. He brings home a very special woman, the woman who is to become Yitzchak's life partner.
"Isaac had just come back from the vicinity of Beer Lachai Ro-ee; He lived in the Negev. And Isaac went out to converse in the field towards evening, and looking up, he saw camels approaching. Raising her eyes, Rivka saw Yitzchak. She alighted from the camel and said to the servant, 'Who is that man walking in the field towards us?' And the servant said, 'That is my master." And she took her veil and covered herself."
Chazal in a famous passage suggest that Yitzchak was praying.
"Isaac instituted the afternoon prayer, as it says, and Isaac went out to meditate in the field towards evening, and 'meditation' means prayer, as it says, 'A prayer (tefilla) of the afflicted when he faints and pours out his meditation (sicho) before the Lord.'" (Berachot 26a)
Rashi adopts this reading of the verb "lasuach" - that Yitzchak was praying in the field.[1] However, from a purely textual basis, the words fail to specify that Yitzchak is engaged in prayer. Is the verb "lasuach" necessarily indicative of prayer, or possibly Yitzchak was conversing with another individual?
The Ibn Ezra suggests that Yitzchak
"Went to walk through the plants."
He sees the verb "lasuach" as related to "siach" – a plant! Hence Yitzchak goes out in the cool evening hours for a walk in nature[2]! The Rashbam takes a similar approach:
"He went out to plant trees and to talk to his workers."
Or the Ramban who suggests that we are dealing with an actual conversation:
"He conversed with his associates and friends."
It would appear that the Ibn Ezra and the Ramban have a good textual basis for their translations. They seem more literal somehow. We wonder why the Rashi chooses the unusual option of prayer. How did Rashi decide that prayer was the appropriate meaning here?
Now some might suggest that Rashi frequently resorts to Midrash. However I believe that in this cirumstance , there is a more solid foundation for Rashi's choice. Nechama Leibowitz[3] notes that the word "siach" as in plant, or tree, never appears in the grammatical form of a verb. It has only the Noun form. However, if you open a Concordance (or use the Bar Ilan disk!) and look up the verb "siach" as a verb. you will see that the verb as it appears in Tanach comes up almost exclusively (20 times!) in the context of self contemplation (in a religious context) or talking about God. The form of the verb is never used to describe a mundane conversation between people. And so, from a "Bekiut" knowledge of Tanach, Rashi deduced that Yitzchak must be meditating or thinking about God.
Possibly the Sephorno's reading is the most suitable:
"Yitzhak went to meditate in the field: He went off the path in order to 'pour out his conversation' to God. (He choseto pray specifically in) the field so that he would not be distracted by passers-by… and even before he prayed, he was answered (by Rivka's arrival.)"
Yitzchak knew that Avraham's servant was on a mission to find him a suitable wife. He was davening for a good "shidduch." And sure enough! He had barely started to pray and his prayers were answered!
Notes
[1] A view shared by theTHE Rasag and Rabbeinu Chananel
[2] See Radak
[3] In her book on Rashi's Commentary – a University course for the Open University (written with Moshe Ahrend)
"Isaac had just come back from the vicinity of Beer Lachai Ro-ee; He lived in the Negev. And Isaac went out to converse in the field towards evening, and looking up, he saw camels approaching. Raising her eyes, Rivka saw Yitzchak. She alighted from the camel and said to the servant, 'Who is that man walking in the field towards us?' And the servant said, 'That is my master." And she took her veil and covered herself."
Chazal in a famous passage suggest that Yitzchak was praying.
"Isaac instituted the afternoon prayer, as it says, and Isaac went out to meditate in the field towards evening, and 'meditation' means prayer, as it says, 'A prayer (tefilla) of the afflicted when he faints and pours out his meditation (sicho) before the Lord.'" (Berachot 26a)
Rashi adopts this reading of the verb "lasuach" - that Yitzchak was praying in the field.[1] However, from a purely textual basis, the words fail to specify that Yitzchak is engaged in prayer. Is the verb "lasuach" necessarily indicative of prayer, or possibly Yitzchak was conversing with another individual?
The Ibn Ezra suggests that Yitzchak
"Went to walk through the plants."
He sees the verb "lasuach" as related to "siach" – a plant! Hence Yitzchak goes out in the cool evening hours for a walk in nature[2]! The Rashbam takes a similar approach:
"He went out to plant trees and to talk to his workers."
Or the Ramban who suggests that we are dealing with an actual conversation:
"He conversed with his associates and friends."
It would appear that the Ibn Ezra and the Ramban have a good textual basis for their translations. They seem more literal somehow. We wonder why the Rashi chooses the unusual option of prayer. How did Rashi decide that prayer was the appropriate meaning here?
Now some might suggest that Rashi frequently resorts to Midrash. However I believe that in this cirumstance , there is a more solid foundation for Rashi's choice. Nechama Leibowitz[3] notes that the word "siach" as in plant, or tree, never appears in the grammatical form of a verb. It has only the Noun form. However, if you open a Concordance (or use the Bar Ilan disk!) and look up the verb "siach" as a verb. you will see that the verb as it appears in Tanach comes up almost exclusively (20 times!) in the context of self contemplation (in a religious context) or talking about God. The form of the verb is never used to describe a mundane conversation between people. And so, from a "Bekiut" knowledge of Tanach, Rashi deduced that Yitzchak must be meditating or thinking about God.
Possibly the Sephorno's reading is the most suitable:
"Yitzhak went to meditate in the field: He went off the path in order to 'pour out his conversation' to God. (He choseto pray specifically in) the field so that he would not be distracted by passers-by… and even before he prayed, he was answered (by Rivka's arrival.)"
Yitzchak knew that Avraham's servant was on a mission to find him a suitable wife. He was davening for a good "shidduch." And sure enough! He had barely started to pray and his prayers were answered!
Notes
[1] A view shared by theTHE Rasag and Rabbeinu Chananel
[2] See Radak
[3] In her book on Rashi's Commentary – a University course for the Open University (written with Moshe Ahrend)
Friday, October 26, 2007
She is Riding 80 km! Feel Free To Sponsor Aliza
My wife Aliza (I think in a moment of temporary insanity) has decided to ride on a 1-day charity bike ride on November 1st. It is to raise money for Alyn Hospital in Jerusalem. The ride goes from Tel Aviv to the hospital in Jerusalem (80 km). She has been in quite a training routine schlepping up and down the hills of Gush Etzion. I even accompanied her on one 15km ride. Never Again! I have never been so exhausted!
Anyhow, this is a call for Tzedaka and sponsoring. Please hit this link and donate. Anything would be happily accepted. It will boost Aliza's riding power next Thursday and provide funds for a wonderful hospital.
To Donate: Go to this site. Decide in which currency you wish to donate. Then look up the name Aliza Israel and donate generously!
Alyn is an incredibly impressive rehabilitation hospital for children and teens. Aliza and the big kids visited it earlier this year (at their own initiative, I might add) on Purim, when they distributed Mishloach Manot provided by our friends and neighbors in Alon Shvut to the kids there. Alyn is one of the world's leading specialists in the active and intensive rehabilitation of infants, children and adolescents regardless of religion or ethnic origin and is affiliated with a broad range of physical disabilities. (You can read more about the hospital itself at http://www.alyn.org/.)
Thanks in advance and – wish Aliza lots of luck on this hills!
Anyhow, this is a call for Tzedaka and sponsoring. Please hit this link and donate. Anything would be happily accepted. It will boost Aliza's riding power next Thursday and provide funds for a wonderful hospital.
To Donate: Go to this site. Decide in which currency you wish to donate. Then look up the name Aliza Israel and donate generously!
Alyn is an incredibly impressive rehabilitation hospital for children and teens. Aliza and the big kids visited it earlier this year (at their own initiative, I might add) on Purim, when they distributed Mishloach Manot provided by our friends and neighbors in Alon Shvut to the kids there. Alyn is one of the world's leading specialists in the active and intensive rehabilitation of infants, children and adolescents regardless of religion or ethnic origin and is affiliated with a broad range of physical disabilities. (You can read more about the hospital itself at http://www.alyn.org/.)
Thanks in advance and – wish Aliza lots of luck on this hills!
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Positive Thinking and Darfur Refugees in the Jewish State
It is nice to hear some positive thinking about Israel from time to time. This article is great! In it, Daniel Gordis tells an incredible story about a devastated Sudanese Refugee who decides to walk through the desert to get to Israel. Why did he do it? The refugee said:
“I knew I must go to Israel. I have read in the Bible that the Jews are good to strangers. Israel will take care of me, I know.”
What do you think happened when he arrived here? - Read the article!
“I knew I must go to Israel. I have read in the Bible that the Jews are good to strangers. Israel will take care of me, I know.”
What do you think happened when he arrived here? - Read the article!
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Chariots of Fire and Haftarat Lech Lecha
The most moving rendition of this week's Haftara that I have ever heard (and seen) is in this excellent '80's movie, Chariots of Fire. Unfortunately, the Haftara bit is a sermon in a church! but the words never seemed more appropriate!
(This film once came up in a conversation I had with Rabbi Sacks. He remarked that once when he met David Putnam, the film's directer, he asked him whether he could make another film about a Jew who KEEPS his faith at Cambridge university!)
I am unsure that you will appreciate it fully without having seen the entire film. This is truly one of my favourite films. The mix of the British feel and the drama of faith in an alien environment is a great recipe!
Saturday, October 13, 2007
A Question for Parashat Lech Lecha: The Pairing of The Avraham Stories
One of the most striking features, to my mind, of these stories is that many of the episodes in Avraham's life seem like repetitions, or at least the stories are intertwined. Let us examine the evidence:
ch.12 – Sarah taken by Pharaoh /Ch.20 Sarah taken by Avimelech
Ch.14 – Saving Lot / Ch.19 – Saving Lot
Ch.16 - Hagar runs away / Ch.21 – Hagar sent away
Ch.17 - Promise of Yitzchak's birth / Ch.18 - Promise of Yitzchak's birth
Ch.21 Avraham gives up his son / Ch.22 – Avraham gives up his son
Maybe we can add to this TWO stories of covenants (ch.15 and 17) and two Avimelech stories (ch.20 and 21) What does all this mean? Why do the stories of Avraham appear in "pairs"?
ch.12 – Sarah taken by Pharaoh /Ch.20 Sarah taken by Avimelech
Ch.14 – Saving Lot / Ch.19 – Saving Lot
Ch.16 - Hagar runs away / Ch.21 – Hagar sent away
Ch.17 - Promise of Yitzchak's birth / Ch.18 - Promise of Yitzchak's birth
Ch.21 Avraham gives up his son / Ch.22 – Avraham gives up his son
Maybe we can add to this TWO stories of covenants (ch.15 and 17) and two Avimelech stories (ch.20 and 21) What does all this mean? Why do the stories of Avraham appear in "pairs"?
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Parashat Noach / Zecher Tzaddik Livracha
When we talk about a (good) person who is no longer alive we tend to add the phrase "Zecher Tzaddik Livracha" and we are used to the abbreviation, even in English - zt"l! Generally we translate this as "Of Blessed Memory" I always understood this as meaning his memory or Neshama should be blessed. Or some people say "May his memory be a blessing."
Upon reading the opening Rashi of the parasha, it occurs to me that this phrase originally could have refered to those who are living as well! Certainly Rashi and earlier texts apply it in a very different manner than its contemporary usage.
Lets remind ourselves. The parsha starts with the verse:
ט) אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת נֹחַ נֹחַ אִישׁ צַדִּיק תָּמִים הָיָה בְּדֹרֹתָיו אֶת הָאֱלֹהִים הִתְהַלֶּךְ נֹחַ:
וַיּוֹלֶד נֹחַ שְׁלֹשָׁה בָנִים אֶת שֵׁם אֶת חָם וְאֶת יָפֶת
Obviously, the question is that teh text begins saying: "These are the generations (offspring) of Noach" but it fails to mention his sons until the next verse! Why the interjection of Noah's righteousness? After all, it would seem to be a very different point!
Rashi tries to explain:
ט) אלה תולדות נח נח איש צדיק - הואיל והזכירו ספר בשבחו, שנאמר (משלי י ז) זכר צדיק לברכה.
"Once the Torah raises Noah's name, it tells of his virtue. As it states: The memory of the righteous should be blessed."
It would appear that the logic is as follows. Whenever a positive person comes up, say a little of his good deeds, his achievments.After all, we are dealing with a Tzaddik! How can we mention him without at least a story, an indication of his good actions?!
Hence, the minute Noah's name is mentioned, the Torah has to say the "bracha" i.e. that he was righteous and walked with God, and then it can get back to the point of his children.
In other words Zecher Tzaddik Livracha is "When you mention a Tzaddik, state his good points." Or possibly "When you mention the name of a Tzaddik, state that he is blessed i.e. a person of blessed virtuous status."
The original verse comes from Mishleiמשלי פרק י פסוק ז
זֵכֶר צַדִּיק לִבְרָכָה וְשֵׁם רְשָׁעִים יִרְקָב:
"The mention of the Tzaddik should be for a blessing and the name of the Rasha (evildoer) should rot"
and Rashi comments there:
(ז) זכר צדיק לברכה - המזכיר צדיק מברכו
If you mention a Tzaddik, bless him.
The verse in context is quite clear. The name of evil people should rot, decompose, be forgotton. The righteous should not only be mentioned but should be blessed, enhanced, publicised, celebrated.
So far, what we have is that when we bring up a good person in conversation (also a living person), we should stop and mention his greatness or bless him.
The Mishna is a little closer to our usage. In the Mishna of Yoma, there is a historical list of "good" indiciduals and "bad" priestly families. The "bad" families kept their skills to themselves refusing to teach and share their expertise. For example one family knew the method of the blending of the incense but kept the skill within their family. I imagine this was so they could remain influential as they were essential to the working of the Temple. The good families all donated special objects for public use. After listing the families, the Mishna concludes:
על הראשונים נאמר זכר צדיק לברכה ועל אלו נאמר ושם רשעים ירקב (משנה יומא פרק ד :
in other words, let the memory of these bad families rot and let the good deeds of these people be eternally remembered for good. On the one hand this is close to our zt"l, as we are remembering personalities of the past for their good deads. On the other hand it is more than "of blessed memory."
I imagine that we reached our contemporary meaning quite simply. Every time the name of a Tzaddik would be mentioned, rather than actually detaiing his good acts, people would just quote the words of the passuk in Mishlei (like the Mishna in Yoma) and hence people simply use the phrase זצ"ל. For Rashi however, it could certainly apply to the living as much as for the dead.
Upon reading the opening Rashi of the parasha, it occurs to me that this phrase originally could have refered to those who are living as well! Certainly Rashi and earlier texts apply it in a very different manner than its contemporary usage.
Lets remind ourselves. The parsha starts with the verse:
ט) אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת נֹחַ נֹחַ אִישׁ צַדִּיק תָּמִים הָיָה בְּדֹרֹתָיו אֶת הָאֱלֹהִים הִתְהַלֶּךְ נֹחַ:
וַיּוֹלֶד נֹחַ שְׁלֹשָׁה בָנִים אֶת שֵׁם אֶת חָם וְאֶת יָפֶת
Obviously, the question is that teh text begins saying: "These are the generations (offspring) of Noach" but it fails to mention his sons until the next verse! Why the interjection of Noah's righteousness? After all, it would seem to be a very different point!
Rashi tries to explain:
ט) אלה תולדות נח נח איש צדיק - הואיל והזכירו ספר בשבחו, שנאמר (משלי י ז) זכר צדיק לברכה.
"Once the Torah raises Noah's name, it tells of his virtue. As it states: The memory of the righteous should be blessed."
It would appear that the logic is as follows. Whenever a positive person comes up, say a little of his good deeds, his achievments.After all, we are dealing with a Tzaddik! How can we mention him without at least a story, an indication of his good actions?!
Hence, the minute Noah's name is mentioned, the Torah has to say the "bracha" i.e. that he was righteous and walked with God, and then it can get back to the point of his children.
In other words Zecher Tzaddik Livracha is "When you mention a Tzaddik, state his good points." Or possibly "When you mention the name of a Tzaddik, state that he is blessed i.e. a person of blessed virtuous status."
The original verse comes from Mishleiמשלי פרק י פסוק ז
זֵכֶר צַדִּיק לִבְרָכָה וְשֵׁם רְשָׁעִים יִרְקָב:
"The mention of the Tzaddik should be for a blessing and the name of the Rasha (evildoer) should rot"
and Rashi comments there:
(ז) זכר צדיק לברכה - המזכיר צדיק מברכו
If you mention a Tzaddik, bless him.
The verse in context is quite clear. The name of evil people should rot, decompose, be forgotton. The righteous should not only be mentioned but should be blessed, enhanced, publicised, celebrated.
So far, what we have is that when we bring up a good person in conversation (also a living person), we should stop and mention his greatness or bless him.
The Mishna is a little closer to our usage. In the Mishna of Yoma, there is a historical list of "good" indiciduals and "bad" priestly families. The "bad" families kept their skills to themselves refusing to teach and share their expertise. For example one family knew the method of the blending of the incense but kept the skill within their family. I imagine this was so they could remain influential as they were essential to the working of the Temple. The good families all donated special objects for public use. After listing the families, the Mishna concludes:
על הראשונים נאמר זכר צדיק לברכה ועל אלו נאמר ושם רשעים ירקב (משנה יומא פרק ד :
in other words, let the memory of these bad families rot and let the good deeds of these people be eternally remembered for good. On the one hand this is close to our zt"l, as we are remembering personalities of the past for their good deads. On the other hand it is more than "of blessed memory."
I imagine that we reached our contemporary meaning quite simply. Every time the name of a Tzaddik would be mentioned, rather than actually detaiing his good acts, people would just quote the words of the passuk in Mishlei (like the Mishna in Yoma) and hence people simply use the phrase זצ"ל. For Rashi however, it could certainly apply to the living as much as for the dead.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
The Israel Initiative
I commented to a friend recently that:
The Right have genuine concerns about security and land, but have no answers for the human and democratic rights of the Palestinians/ demographics etc.
The Left have a passion for Peace and the Palestinian Rights but are totally blind when it come to legitimate security risks.
I just saw this website by Benny Elon which actually addresses the Palestinian issues. I think his solutions will be unacceptable to the Palestinians, but then again, Yossi Beilin's plan is unacceptable to me as well!
The Right have genuine concerns about security and land, but have no answers for the human and democratic rights of the Palestinians/ demographics etc.
The Left have a passion for Peace and the Palestinian Rights but are totally blind when it come to legitimate security risks.
I just saw this website by Benny Elon which actually addresses the Palestinian issues. I think his solutions will be unacceptable to the Palestinians, but then again, Yossi Beilin's plan is unacceptable to me as well!
Kiruv is In; Settlements are Out!
NRG reports about a Shabbaton of Maayanei Hayeshua - a religious Zionist kiruv movement - that took place this week in Ofra. There, three leading figures in the Religious Zionist right wing: Rav Aviner, Effi Eitam, and also Rav Shmuel Eliyahu all stated a rather surprising shift, or about-turn in the priorities of the community. They stated pretty clearly that now Kiruv has to become the major priority of the Rel-Zionist community over and above settlement of the land of Israel. "The central struggle is the fight for the identity of the State of Israel, and the mindset and identity of its citizens" said the director of the organisation.
Once again, we are seeing new thinking in the Religious Zionist community. This is partly in the wake of the Disengagement, and partly the internalisation of the growing post-Zionist thinking in secular echelons of Israeli. The feeling is that unless there is a sea-change in Israeli identity, the future of the land, and much more, is in jeapordy. However many settlers will go populate the West Bank, if the secular leadership loses touch with Israel as a Jewish State, then not only the land but the entire raison d'etre and reality of Medinat Yisrael is in danger of being lost.
Already we have seen many graduates of Mercaz Harav and Beit El and similar Yeshivot prefering to join "Torah Garinim" in Lod, Akko, Tel Aviv and many other cities. This is the first time that figures on teh religious Zionist Right have stated these things as a policy shift. Let's see how these statement will translate into further action.
Once again, we are seeing new thinking in the Religious Zionist community. This is partly in the wake of the Disengagement, and partly the internalisation of the growing post-Zionist thinking in secular echelons of Israeli. The feeling is that unless there is a sea-change in Israeli identity, the future of the land, and much more, is in jeapordy. However many settlers will go populate the West Bank, if the secular leadership loses touch with Israel as a Jewish State, then not only the land but the entire raison d'etre and reality of Medinat Yisrael is in danger of being lost.
Already we have seen many graduates of Mercaz Harav and Beit El and similar Yeshivot prefering to join "Torah Garinim" in Lod, Akko, Tel Aviv and many other cities. This is the first time that figures on teh religious Zionist Right have stated these things as a policy shift. Let's see how these statement will translate into further action.
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Sukkot Thoughts ... Still Inspired After All These Years!
So Sukkot was spent in a variety of family activities. I would like to mention just a few things that gave me an opportunity to revel in the privilege of living here in Israel, and just how fortunate we are to be here.
1.
On Sunday Night of Chol Hamoed, my wife and I went to an open-air concert in Ir David. We'll get to the concert in a moment. But getting there was an adventure in itself! The Rova (Jewish Quarter) was packed - at 8:00 p:m - as I have never seen before. And the festive atmosphere was palpable! There was music in the streets, and people just milling about - in leisure mode - taking it easy, strolling, hanging out. It was chag! Whenever I visit the Old City over Chag, I feel that one gains a glimpse of Aliya Laregel, of:
עומדות היו רגלינו בשעריך ירושלים
ירושלים הבנויה כעיר שחוברה לה יחדיו
ששם עלו שבטים שבטי י-ה
עדות לישראל
להודות לשם ה'
And there they are... yes! - Am Yisrael - in their throngs, all the tribes together!
- An inspiring sight.
2.
And so we battled the traffic congestion, and the crowds, to the Ir David concert. Shlomo Gronich was the singer. Maybe you know his music. He is a famous Hiloni (secular) artist. He is well known for the beautiful album he made with children of the Ethiopian Aliya, singing about the dream of Zion and the hardships of Aliya.
Now this concert is a new show, and it's title is "From the Sources - מן המקורות" In other words, all the songs come from Tanach. Shlomo Gronich intrigues me as a singer and a Jew. He has a very mischievous, secular side, and yet he is clearly attracted to Judaism and has recently been collaborating with Religious groups such as Ahron Razel, and Reva Lesheva. So when he comes out with a concert of religious verse, I just felt that I wanted to hear it. Oh ... I forgot... Shlomo Gronich plays a mean Shofar. His whole intro was him making the most incredible sounds from a Shofar (through a synthesizer!)
The experience of sitting in Ir David - our ancient Royal City - and hearing the words of teh Tanach was enormously powerful. In one piece he spoke of the first time he had personally encountered the words of Torah ... at his Barmitzva ... and then he proceeded to chant the Haftara of Parashat Yitro according to the trope - from Yishayahu ch.6 - according to a musical arrangement. That chapter talks about Isaiah's revelation of God in the Temple. And here we are... not 400 yards from Har Habayit! It was quite something! And when he sang Yishayahu's rebuke of ואשיבה שופטיך כבראשונה, the words of the prophet seemed to come alive. Just unbelievable how Yishayahu was walking on that very hillside prophesying and preaching those messages, and here we are hearing them.
He had a very beautiful piece for the words of Tefillat HaDerekh. In his introduction to the song, he explained that over the war last summer he was very distressed and depressed, and needed to find a text to give him spiritual sustenance. He opened the Siddur, and the Tefillat HaDerekh came to life for him. This "secular" man with such a religious soul.
Again... where else can we feel so connected to our past and present, to Arts that connect to our Tanach? I sensed this deep sense of belonging, of the organic flow of what it means to have a cultural integrity of a nation in its land with its heritage, and texts. Here it just clicks together.
3.
The next day, we went to a kite festival at a small outlying Yishuv called Pnei Kedem. It is 20 minutes from our house, but the way there felt like we were entering the back of beyond! The terrain, as we made our way deeper into Midbar Yehuda , became dry, very hot, rocky, uninviting and uninhabited. And then suddenly we came across the Yishuv. 16 families live there, and this kite festival is an annual celebration of the Yishuv. There were arts and crafts stalls, and pitta baking, and inflatable jumping things for the kids, as well as - lots of kites! A concert by Soulfarm etc.
But back to the place. It is on the very edge of the desert, overlooking Ein Gedi and the Dead Sea, with incredible views over to Jordan. One can see (it was hazy on the day we were there) how one can see the whole Jordan valley from that spot.
It was only after I returned home, that the significance of the place dawned upon me. Pnei Kedem sits directly to the East of Hebron. Suddenly I began to imagine the scene in my mind, as Avarahm escorts his 3 guests... the angels... who he had served and welcomed into his home. He walks with them until they begin their descent to Sedom. This , or a place very much like it, is the vantage point from which one looks down at Sedom! It was in a place very much like this that Avraham argued with God for the fate of the city, (Bereshit 18:22-24) and the same place that "the morning after" he prayed again (19:27-28) as he looked down and witnessed the devastation and destruction. Just thinking about these pesukim, gave a totally new dimension to a place that had seemed just hot and parched, and now was filled with Biblical significance.
So this is about the past giving meaning to the present. בשוב ה' את שיבת ציון היינו כחולמים. we must appreciate how God has allowed us to live in a dreamy reality. Yes! I know that in these comments I sound hopelessly sentimental. But when it comes to these things, I feel moments of elevation and true powerful inspiration. It is truly wonderful to be able to live here in our dear Homeland!
1.
On Sunday Night of Chol Hamoed, my wife and I went to an open-air concert in Ir David. We'll get to the concert in a moment. But getting there was an adventure in itself! The Rova (Jewish Quarter) was packed - at 8:00 p:m - as I have never seen before. And the festive atmosphere was palpable! There was music in the streets, and people just milling about - in leisure mode - taking it easy, strolling, hanging out. It was chag! Whenever I visit the Old City over Chag, I feel that one gains a glimpse of Aliya Laregel, of:
עומדות היו רגלינו בשעריך ירושלים
ירושלים הבנויה כעיר שחוברה לה יחדיו
ששם עלו שבטים שבטי י-ה
עדות לישראל
להודות לשם ה'
And there they are... yes! - Am Yisrael - in their throngs, all the tribes together!
- An inspiring sight.
2.
And so we battled the traffic congestion, and the crowds, to the Ir David concert. Shlomo Gronich was the singer. Maybe you know his music. He is a famous Hiloni (secular) artist. He is well known for the beautiful album he made with children of the Ethiopian Aliya, singing about the dream of Zion and the hardships of Aliya.
Now this concert is a new show, and it's title is "From the Sources - מן המקורות" In other words, all the songs come from Tanach. Shlomo Gronich intrigues me as a singer and a Jew. He has a very mischievous, secular side, and yet he is clearly attracted to Judaism and has recently been collaborating with Religious groups such as Ahron Razel, and Reva Lesheva. So when he comes out with a concert of religious verse, I just felt that I wanted to hear it. Oh ... I forgot... Shlomo Gronich plays a mean Shofar. His whole intro was him making the most incredible sounds from a Shofar (through a synthesizer!)
The experience of sitting in Ir David - our ancient Royal City - and hearing the words of teh Tanach was enormously powerful. In one piece he spoke of the first time he had personally encountered the words of Torah ... at his Barmitzva ... and then he proceeded to chant the Haftara of Parashat Yitro according to the trope - from Yishayahu ch.6 - according to a musical arrangement. That chapter talks about Isaiah's revelation of God in the Temple. And here we are... not 400 yards from Har Habayit! It was quite something! And when he sang Yishayahu's rebuke of ואשיבה שופטיך כבראשונה, the words of the prophet seemed to come alive. Just unbelievable how Yishayahu was walking on that very hillside prophesying and preaching those messages, and here we are hearing them.
He had a very beautiful piece for the words of Tefillat HaDerekh. In his introduction to the song, he explained that over the war last summer he was very distressed and depressed, and needed to find a text to give him spiritual sustenance. He opened the Siddur, and the Tefillat HaDerekh came to life for him. This "secular" man with such a religious soul.
Again... where else can we feel so connected to our past and present, to Arts that connect to our Tanach? I sensed this deep sense of belonging, of the organic flow of what it means to have a cultural integrity of a nation in its land with its heritage, and texts. Here it just clicks together.
3.
The next day, we went to a kite festival at a small outlying Yishuv called Pnei Kedem. It is 20 minutes from our house, but the way there felt like we were entering the back of beyond! The terrain, as we made our way deeper into Midbar Yehuda , became dry, very hot, rocky, uninviting and uninhabited. And then suddenly we came across the Yishuv. 16 families live there, and this kite festival is an annual celebration of the Yishuv. There were arts and crafts stalls, and pitta baking, and inflatable jumping things for the kids, as well as - lots of kites! A concert by Soulfarm etc.
But back to the place. It is on the very edge of the desert, overlooking Ein Gedi and the Dead Sea, with incredible views over to Jordan. One can see (it was hazy on the day we were there) how one can see the whole Jordan valley from that spot.
It was only after I returned home, that the significance of the place dawned upon me. Pnei Kedem sits directly to the East of Hebron. Suddenly I began to imagine the scene in my mind, as Avarahm escorts his 3 guests... the angels... who he had served and welcomed into his home. He walks with them until they begin their descent to Sedom. This , or a place very much like it, is the vantage point from which one looks down at Sedom! It was in a place very much like this that Avraham argued with God for the fate of the city, (Bereshit 18:22-24) and the same place that "the morning after" he prayed again (19:27-28) as he looked down and witnessed the devastation and destruction. Just thinking about these pesukim, gave a totally new dimension to a place that had seemed just hot and parched, and now was filled with Biblical significance.
So this is about the past giving meaning to the present. בשוב ה' את שיבת ציון היינו כחולמים. we must appreciate how God has allowed us to live in a dreamy reality. Yes! I know that in these comments I sound hopelessly sentimental. But when it comes to these things, I feel moments of elevation and true powerful inspiration. It is truly wonderful to be able to live here in our dear Homeland!
Saturday, October 06, 2007
Coming in from the Sukka.
After a wonderful Sukkot, filled with friends, family, Hallel, tiyulim,and good family time, we put away the Sukka.
I carefully stored the wooden boards and the s'chach in our store room, trying to pack it tightly to allow more room for the kids bikes and the lawnmower. I was struck by the though of how little, how very compact and tiny this structure is. Just a few boards, planks of wood, and some straw matting. That had been our home for the week! And in contrast, what a large house!
It forced me to reflect just on how much we have! How blessed we are. How materialistic we are. After all, how much does a person genuinely need? How many rooms does a person need? (For this one week, the entire family slept in the Sukka - in a single room!) We live in a world that constantly feeds us with the message that we need this and that , and that if we only had those commodities, our lives would be so happy. It's a lie! The modesty and simplicty of the sukka - although obviously temporary - are very beautiful. As Kohelet says "הכל הבל" - all the material things are quite insignificant really.
As we come in from the Sukka, these thoughts should act as a tempering counterbalance in our lives.
I carefully stored the wooden boards and the s'chach in our store room, trying to pack it tightly to allow more room for the kids bikes and the lawnmower. I was struck by the though of how little, how very compact and tiny this structure is. Just a few boards, planks of wood, and some straw matting. That had been our home for the week! And in contrast, what a large house!
It forced me to reflect just on how much we have! How blessed we are. How materialistic we are. After all, how much does a person genuinely need? How many rooms does a person need? (For this one week, the entire family slept in the Sukka - in a single room!) We live in a world that constantly feeds us with the message that we need this and that , and that if we only had those commodities, our lives would be so happy. It's a lie! The modesty and simplicty of the sukka - although obviously temporary - are very beautiful. As Kohelet says "הכל הבל" - all the material things are quite insignificant really.
As we come in from the Sukka, these thoughts should act as a tempering counterbalance in our lives.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Simchat Torah / Vezot Habracha
Somehow, we never seem to learn Vezot Haberacha. Why?
Maybe we are busy learning other things about Sukkot and Shemmini Atzeret. Possibly we are turned off by the heaviness of the poetic language.
(Equally true is that we know far more about the beginnings of books than the ends of books. Compare your knowledge of Bereshit with your knowledge of Vayechi, your familiarity with Parashat Bamidbar as opposed to Parashat Massei. We know the start of books better than we know their conclusions!)
Whichever way, Vezot Haberacha gets a raw deal.
So let us look at the parsha and gain some basic familiarity. At first glance, we have two Chapters, two parshiot, with distinct topics and literary style. We can look at in the following way:
Ch.33 – Moshe's final blessing to Bnei Yisrael
Ch.34 – Moshe's final hour: Moshe viewing Eretz Yisrael, and his death.
If we may home in upon Ch.33. This chapter has a poetic, somewhat cumbersome style, with many cryptic phrases and therefore it presents many difficulties in translation. So how are we going to understand its content? A good place to begin is to realize that this chapter has a clear chiastic structure
33:1-5 Introduction
33:6-25 The blessings to the Tribes, Tribe by Tribe
33:26-29 Conclusion
The "middle section" of the berachot is clearly structured as the name of each Tribe is mentioned prominently at the head of each section (parshia). Exceptions to the rule are the Tribe of Shimon, who are omitted totally. Yissachar's blessing would seem to be absorbed into the blessing of Zevulun. But the pattern works for the majority.
It is evident that Moshe's berachot addressed to each Tribe have a preamble and an epilogue. Who is addressed in this section? What is the subject of these pesukim?
At a basic level this is a poem that describes the relationship between Am Yisrael and God. [For a detailed analysis of these passages, please see Rav Mordechai Sabato's shiur, sent out by the VBM 5764.]
33:1-5 (please look at the pesukim in a chumash)
These verses appear to take us back in time to Sinai. They develop the theme of the difference, or contrast between Israel and the surrounding nations. The backdrop to all this is clearly the Torah, which is the "heritage" or "inheritance" of the "Community of Jacob."
If this is true, then the Torah is stating here that it is Torah that gives Am Yisrael a special relationship with God, a relationship which does not exist for other nations. It should not be surprising then, that the Sifrei selects our passage as the source-text for the famous legend in which God offers the Torah to all the surrounding nations. In that Midrash, the nations all reject the Torah due to the contradiction between the high moral demands demanded by Torah Law and the chosen lifestyle of those nations. In this context we read the famous verse: Torah Tziva Lanu Moshe: "Moses instructed us in Torah; The heritage of the congregation of Jacob." More about this passuk in a minute!
33:25-29
These verses discuss God's salvation of Israel and the protection that He bestows upon them. It is as if God's own pride or honour is tied up with that of Am Yisrael (cf. parallel phraseology 25 and 29). The background here would seem not to be Torah, but rather the Land of Israel that will become the land of God's protection and ongoing care. This land will produce sustenance plentifully and God will take care of the enemies of Israel.
So we have the Berachot of the Tribes flanked by the two most central themes in Torah: Torah itself, and Eretz Yisrael.
TORAT YISRAEL; AM YISRAEL; ERETZ YISRAEL with God intertwined into every section.
TRANSIT TO PERMANANCE
Maybe, I should add one further reflection prompted by the Midrash. In these pesukim, God is ascribed considerable mobility and movement: Verse 2 uses at least 3 metaphors for God's spatial movement, God's feet in verse 3, God "riding the heavens" in verse 26. However in verse 27, we might witness a change. The Midrash comments upon these verses highlighting the meaning of the word "ma'on" as "habitation" or permanent residence. Might we suggest that reflecting the transition of Am Yisrael from Midbar to Canaan, the shift from wanderers to fixed dwellers, the Torah depicts God Himself as undergoing a metamorphosis from transience to permanent residence? Might this explain the focus upon God's movement as opposed to the term "maon?" Then, these pesukim are especially poignant as Am Yisrael take their first steps to creating a nation State. The nation are ending their 400 year long nomadic stage. They are now settling in their promised land. God apparently also settles with Am Yisrael.
[for further investigation of this topic, see the article by Nechama Leibowitz – "The Eternal God A Dwelling-Place," And the comments of the Netziv in particular, which to my mind reinforces this theme.]
Maybe we are busy learning other things about Sukkot and Shemmini Atzeret. Possibly we are turned off by the heaviness of the poetic language.
(Equally true is that we know far more about the beginnings of books than the ends of books. Compare your knowledge of Bereshit with your knowledge of Vayechi, your familiarity with Parashat Bamidbar as opposed to Parashat Massei. We know the start of books better than we know their conclusions!)
Whichever way, Vezot Haberacha gets a raw deal.
So let us look at the parsha and gain some basic familiarity. At first glance, we have two Chapters, two parshiot, with distinct topics and literary style. We can look at in the following way:
Ch.33 – Moshe's final blessing to Bnei Yisrael
Ch.34 – Moshe's final hour: Moshe viewing Eretz Yisrael, and his death.
If we may home in upon Ch.33. This chapter has a poetic, somewhat cumbersome style, with many cryptic phrases and therefore it presents many difficulties in translation. So how are we going to understand its content? A good place to begin is to realize that this chapter has a clear chiastic structure
33:1-5 Introduction
33:6-25 The blessings to the Tribes, Tribe by Tribe
33:26-29 Conclusion
The "middle section" of the berachot is clearly structured as the name of each Tribe is mentioned prominently at the head of each section (parshia). Exceptions to the rule are the Tribe of Shimon, who are omitted totally. Yissachar's blessing would seem to be absorbed into the blessing of Zevulun. But the pattern works for the majority.
It is evident that Moshe's berachot addressed to each Tribe have a preamble and an epilogue. Who is addressed in this section? What is the subject of these pesukim?
At a basic level this is a poem that describes the relationship between Am Yisrael and God. [For a detailed analysis of these passages, please see Rav Mordechai Sabato's shiur, sent out by the VBM 5764.]
33:1-5 (please look at the pesukim in a chumash)
These verses appear to take us back in time to Sinai. They develop the theme of the difference, or contrast between Israel and the surrounding nations. The backdrop to all this is clearly the Torah, which is the "heritage" or "inheritance" of the "Community of Jacob."
If this is true, then the Torah is stating here that it is Torah that gives Am Yisrael a special relationship with God, a relationship which does not exist for other nations. It should not be surprising then, that the Sifrei selects our passage as the source-text for the famous legend in which God offers the Torah to all the surrounding nations. In that Midrash, the nations all reject the Torah due to the contradiction between the high moral demands demanded by Torah Law and the chosen lifestyle of those nations. In this context we read the famous verse: Torah Tziva Lanu Moshe: "Moses instructed us in Torah; The heritage of the congregation of Jacob." More about this passuk in a minute!
33:25-29
These verses discuss God's salvation of Israel and the protection that He bestows upon them. It is as if God's own pride or honour is tied up with that of Am Yisrael (cf. parallel phraseology 25 and 29). The background here would seem not to be Torah, but rather the Land of Israel that will become the land of God's protection and ongoing care. This land will produce sustenance plentifully and God will take care of the enemies of Israel.
So we have the Berachot of the Tribes flanked by the two most central themes in Torah: Torah itself, and Eretz Yisrael.
TORAT YISRAEL; AM YISRAEL; ERETZ YISRAEL with God intertwined into every section.
TRANSIT TO PERMANANCE
Maybe, I should add one further reflection prompted by the Midrash. In these pesukim, God is ascribed considerable mobility and movement: Verse 2 uses at least 3 metaphors for God's spatial movement, God's feet in verse 3, God "riding the heavens" in verse 26. However in verse 27, we might witness a change. The Midrash comments upon these verses highlighting the meaning of the word "ma'on" as "habitation" or permanent residence. Might we suggest that reflecting the transition of Am Yisrael from Midbar to Canaan, the shift from wanderers to fixed dwellers, the Torah depicts God Himself as undergoing a metamorphosis from transience to permanent residence? Might this explain the focus upon God's movement as opposed to the term "maon?" Then, these pesukim are especially poignant as Am Yisrael take their first steps to creating a nation State. The nation are ending their 400 year long nomadic stage. They are now settling in their promised land. God apparently also settles with Am Yisrael.
[for further investigation of this topic, see the article by Nechama Leibowitz – "The Eternal God A Dwelling-Place," And the comments of the Netziv in particular, which to my mind reinforces this theme.]
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