The world only stands because of three key elements: Law, Truth and Peace. Pirkay Avot 1:18
Law is the consistent and just application of rules to insure life in society. Cutting across all economic and blood lines, Torah’s concern encompasses and embraces all. Mishpatim contains the elements necessary for governance. It is not enough to “feel” that we are doing the right thing because we might be wrong. After all, is it not clear that our first order of business is to protect ourselves? With self-interest at the heart of our actions we cannot be trusted to care for others with the same standard that we care for ourselves. Torah recognizes that the broad strokes of Law are central to existence.
"Pray for the government," warns Rabbi Hanina. "If it were not for the fear of such a hierarchy and order man would consume one another." Pirkay Avot 3:2
Rabbi Hanina made this statement in the midst of the oppressive Roman occupancy. Imagine Hanina thought they would be so much worse without the Romans! What does this say about people left to their own devices?
If we rely upon people to do the right thing without consequences or binding law evil will ascend with dizzying swiftness. Not long after our creation, the Holy, blessed be He, declares in frustration, The world is filled with violence because of them. Genesis 6:13
In fact, if the book of Genesis serves no other purpose, it points to the propensity of humans to assault other people for their own benefit. Starting in the most perfect environment of Eden to the lush valleys of the Nile man proves his predisposition towards evil with ruthless consistency. No other creation has risen to such heights of cruelty as mankind.
Truth is also critical for any just society. Yet the word is not simply a convenient expression which no one could disagree with. For Torah, Truth is the unimpeachable testimony of witnesses. That is why page after page of Talmud is devoted to ascertaining the veracity of witnesses. They are drilled and questioned to determine their testimony. Without that truth the scales of justice cannot be balanced. Any court decision not only has a permanent effect on the litigants but casts a ripple that runs through the fabric of the whole society.
Peace is the goal of all the enactments of Mishpatim.
God loves those who seek justice. Psalms 99:4
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Thought: If death did not exist would we ever put our life in order? If we lived forever would we indefinitely postpone teshuvah? Was the curse of Eden – the invitation to the Angel of Death to meet humanity- a blessing or curse?
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Honor your father and mother. From Ten Commandments, Exodus 20:12
How? What does this mitzvah mean?
1. Whoever hits his father or mother shall die. Exodus 21:15
Is the death penalty really mandated for abuse of parents?
Thought: A society that tolerates evil is an evil society.
Halacha: Only a child that has reached the age of majority, post-Bar/Bat Mitzvah, is liable to the death penalty for assaulting their parent.
Should a small child be held liable for their thoughtless, callous actions?
Thought: Could a society endure if children not extend honor or deference to their parents? Could this Law be directed at the basic underpinning of a society that would collapse without it? Is this the most basic of all laws?
Question: The mitzvah to honor parents is opposite the mitzvah to acknowledge the presence of God in the universe. Is there a connection between those mitzvot?
Halacha: The Sages indicated that a doctor many not operate on his father/mother lest he make an error and hurt them.
Halacha: The Law to not strike or hurt a parent extends to a convert. Why? Does not a convert accept as their parent Avraham and Sarah? Why then would this mitzvah extend to people who have converted from another religion to Judaism?
What would it mean if this halacha did not extend to them? What does it say about the need to live a just society that this halacha does devolve upon them?
2. Whoever curses his father or mother shall be put to death. Exodus 21:17
Halacha: This standard of behavior applies even if the parent is dead.
Question: What difference does it make if they are dead? They are no longer in the realm of the physical to be harmed by such words?
Even more, what if they abused her when she was young? No that the abusing parents are dead why not curse them?
Thought: Cursing even an abusive parent must be an affront to God.*
Halacha: Of the two offenses, hitting or cursing a parent, cursing is considered the worse crime.
Question: Why? Is not striking a parent more ruthless and shameful than cursing? Yes, agree the Sages. The difference between the two crimes is that cursing may come much easier than striking. In the midst of a quarrel it is easy to lose your temper and utter something regrettable while hitting is less likely. That is precisely why Torah is so unforgiving of curses: Respect begins on a thoughtful and visceral level. Another reason is that a physical wound heals while a scar to the soul will never go away.
3. Cursed is the one who dishonors his father or mother. Deuteronomy 27:16
Question: How does this mitzvah differ from the two enumerated above?
Anything which brings the parent shame from laughing at them to verbally assaulting them falls into this mitzvah of dishonor.
* This law does not mean that a child must remain in abusive situation.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Yitro, the Man
The parasha of Yitro ranks as the most powerful section of all theTorah readings. Containing the essential narrative of Judaism that tells the tale of the Revelation to the masses assembled at Sinai, Yitro spills out a message that would forever change the course of the universe.
Yet, an anomaly lurches out at the reader: why do we begin with such a forgettable man, Yitro, father-in-law of Moshe, and end with a cosmic event? Two more nagging questions gnaw at the mind. Why is this pivotal section of the Torah called by the name of a pagan? What lies at the crux of the conversion of Yitro to Judaism?
And Yitro heard... and Yitro came... Exodus 18:1 is how the parasha begins. What did Yitro hear that compelled him to join with the Israelites? What was the catalyst that caused Yitro to abandon his past? What did he hear?
In the Talmud we find an answer; actually a series of answers. The greatest Sages of Talmudic fame respond to the question of what moved Yitro. The first, Rabbi Joshua, offers, "Yitro heard of the war with Amalek..." Rumor spread quickly about the vast armies of Amalek that wickedly assaulted the women and children of the newly liberated slaves. Amalek threw his troops at the helpless, the defenseless. God, however, intervened. The enemy was obliterated. It was this unbelievable turn of events that compelled Yitro to join the Jewish nation, tells Rabbi Joshua.
Another Sage, Rabbi Eliezer HaModa'i, weighed in. Rabbi Eliezer told that Yitro understood the gravity of what was happening at the mountain in the Sinai wilderness. As his heart was open to the chasm opening up in theuniverse that would deliver the Torah, Yitro gaped in awe. He then ran to the people chosen to receive such a gift.
Rabbi Elazar, the third Sage, commented that once Yitro heard the tale of the fleeing nation with Egyptian forces ready to pounce and murder every one of them -- and then how the Sea opened up before them -- he cast his lot with theIsraelites. Any God that so fought for His people must be the most powerful. Zevachim 116a
Which one of the Talmudic authorities was correct? Any of them? All of them?
All that we know is that Yitro heard something so powerful that he cut his moorings to his past and joined the newly-spawned nation.
To our second question: Why is this pivotal section of the Torah called bythe name of a pagan, Yitro? The mystic tradition of the Zohar informs us that the Revelation at Sinai could not happen until Yitro had joined the Jewish people. God would not deliver His Torah until the time was right. That means the Holy One waited for Yitro.
Why? What does the conversion of this single man have to do with the destiny of the Jewish people? The holy Zohar elaborates further to tell that the Torah could not be given to Israel until Yitro, the great and supreme priest of the pagan world, had professed his faith in the Holy One, saying, "Now I know that God is greaterthan all the gods."
The Mechilta, Midrash, accentuates that Yitro was not just an ordinary pagan but a pagan priest. In his search for the ultimate truth Yitro scoured his universe to separate what was imagined from what was real. That is why Yitro made himself very familiar with all the practices of the ancient times. He turned his back on each one until the day that he witnessed the power and absolute truth of the Holy One, the God of Israel. Perhaps then the lesson of Yitro is to offset the experience of the new Israelite nation. Unlike the redeemed slaves, Yitro was not obeisant to a God who had personally delivered him. He was not part of the Exodus. He did not stand at Sinai and he did not join in song at the deft parting of the Sea. Yitro made a choice based on his heart and mind..
Was this why God waited? The Lord wants the hearts of those who seek truth; not just those scourged by the whip. Was this message intended for us? Another possibility: A mitzvah from the Torah is to love a stranger who has joined the Jewish people: "And you shall love the ger for you were strangers in the land of Egypt" Deut. 10:19
Idea: Kabbalists insist that the hidden world is larger than the revealed world. There is so much to be ferreted out from the earth of this universe that the genuine seekers of God are continually vigilant for signs of Divine Radiance tucked away in every obscure place. Could it be that only the gifted ones are able to see what is hidden? Was Yitro one of these visionaries?
Further, God embedded some Jewish souls in gentile bodies. They are hidden even from themselves. Their task is to find soul-self and become redeemed. Once a soul has embraced its destiny, sparks of holiness return back to the Ultimate Maker. That is why we call a convert, a ger tzedek. They are proselytes of righteousness, returning to their home.
------------------------------------------
Idea: Why did Yitro come having heard all those tales about God protecting the Jewish nation and not people more closely related to the Israelites? Where were the children of Ishmael? What about Esau? Why did not they flock to rejoin their kin? Proverbs 27:10, states, "Better a close neighbor than a distant brother." "A close neighbor"--this is Yitro; "a distant brother" is Esau. Midrash Rabbah
Is it odd that a stranger saw the truth of God's actions? While blood relations shrank away? Moral? Love your family even though they may reject you.
Another possible moral: Be open to miracles. Out of fear or rigidity it is easy to dismiss the miraculousness of life and gifts of God.
The Talmud expresses a fascinating insight into the way people think and behave. The passage talks about a city called Matan Machsaya, a city in Babylonia. For two months each year a miracle occurred there. For these months each year Jewish businessmen would gather and study in the Yeshiva. During that time, a cloud of fire would hover over the Yeshiva. This pillar of fire was a Divine phenomenon was a revealed miracle. Yet, the townspeople went about their daily business and saw the fire as an ordinary, mundane event. A person can face a miracle and remain unmoved and uninspired.
Berachot end of 2nd Perek
--------------------------------------------
Idea:
"I your father-in-law, Yitro am on my way. Your wife and two sons are also coming." Exodus 18:6. Rashi tells us that Yitro sent this message to Moshe:
"If you do not want to come to greet me, come for the sake of your wife. If you do not want to come to greet your wife, come for the sake of her two sons."
Yitro's message to Moshe was clear. "You might have reached the height of spirituality, you must still be a man, a husband, a father, a friend. Spirituality cannot be achieved without first being a mensch.
A tale: A guest of the Hafetz Hayim noticed the master making the bed. The man objected and tried to went to take over from the Hafezt Hayim. "Rabbi, you should not be doing this. Let me do it!" The Hafetz Hayim said, "Will you put on tefillin for me too? I am doing the mitzvah of hachnasat orchim, welcoming guests, which, like other mitzvot, I must do myself."
The Hafetz Hayim was honored to make the bed for anyone staying at his house. Moshe Rabbeinu too needed to attend to the needs of his family.
Yitro observes Moshe in action as he "sits all day to judge the people; and the people stand upon him from morning until evening." Exodus 18:13 Yitro is surprised at how Moshe works. Yitro questions, "What is this thing that you are doing? Why do you sit alone as the people come to you all day?" Exodus 18:14 Rashi observes that Moshe is "sitting like a king" as the entire population crowds him, flooding him with cases and questions.
Sometimes you just need to make the bed. Get joy from doing the dishes. We are all equal. Moral? When looking at others see them as you see you.
Yet, an anomaly lurches out at the reader: why do we begin with such a forgettable man, Yitro, father-in-law of Moshe, and end with a cosmic event? Two more nagging questions gnaw at the mind. Why is this pivotal section of the Torah called by the name of a pagan? What lies at the crux of the conversion of Yitro to Judaism?
And Yitro heard... and Yitro came... Exodus 18:1 is how the parasha begins. What did Yitro hear that compelled him to join with the Israelites? What was the catalyst that caused Yitro to abandon his past? What did he hear?
In the Talmud we find an answer; actually a series of answers. The greatest Sages of Talmudic fame respond to the question of what moved Yitro. The first, Rabbi Joshua, offers, "Yitro heard of the war with Amalek..." Rumor spread quickly about the vast armies of Amalek that wickedly assaulted the women and children of the newly liberated slaves. Amalek threw his troops at the helpless, the defenseless. God, however, intervened. The enemy was obliterated. It was this unbelievable turn of events that compelled Yitro to join the Jewish nation, tells Rabbi Joshua.
Another Sage, Rabbi Eliezer HaModa'i, weighed in. Rabbi Eliezer told that Yitro understood the gravity of what was happening at the mountain in the Sinai wilderness. As his heart was open to the chasm opening up in theuniverse that would deliver the Torah, Yitro gaped in awe. He then ran to the people chosen to receive such a gift.
Rabbi Elazar, the third Sage, commented that once Yitro heard the tale of the fleeing nation with Egyptian forces ready to pounce and murder every one of them -- and then how the Sea opened up before them -- he cast his lot with theIsraelites. Any God that so fought for His people must be the most powerful. Zevachim 116a
Which one of the Talmudic authorities was correct? Any of them? All of them?
All that we know is that Yitro heard something so powerful that he cut his moorings to his past and joined the newly-spawned nation.
To our second question: Why is this pivotal section of the Torah called bythe name of a pagan, Yitro? The mystic tradition of the Zohar informs us that the Revelation at Sinai could not happen until Yitro had joined the Jewish people. God would not deliver His Torah until the time was right. That means the Holy One waited for Yitro.
Why? What does the conversion of this single man have to do with the destiny of the Jewish people? The holy Zohar elaborates further to tell that the Torah could not be given to Israel until Yitro, the great and supreme priest of the pagan world, had professed his faith in the Holy One, saying, "Now I know that God is greaterthan all the gods."
The Mechilta, Midrash, accentuates that Yitro was not just an ordinary pagan but a pagan priest. In his search for the ultimate truth Yitro scoured his universe to separate what was imagined from what was real. That is why Yitro made himself very familiar with all the practices of the ancient times. He turned his back on each one until the day that he witnessed the power and absolute truth of the Holy One, the God of Israel. Perhaps then the lesson of Yitro is to offset the experience of the new Israelite nation. Unlike the redeemed slaves, Yitro was not obeisant to a God who had personally delivered him. He was not part of the Exodus. He did not stand at Sinai and he did not join in song at the deft parting of the Sea. Yitro made a choice based on his heart and mind..
Was this why God waited? The Lord wants the hearts of those who seek truth; not just those scourged by the whip. Was this message intended for us? Another possibility: A mitzvah from the Torah is to love a stranger who has joined the Jewish people: "And you shall love the ger for you were strangers in the land of Egypt" Deut. 10:19
Idea: Kabbalists insist that the hidden world is larger than the revealed world. There is so much to be ferreted out from the earth of this universe that the genuine seekers of God are continually vigilant for signs of Divine Radiance tucked away in every obscure place. Could it be that only the gifted ones are able to see what is hidden? Was Yitro one of these visionaries?
Further, God embedded some Jewish souls in gentile bodies. They are hidden even from themselves. Their task is to find soul-self and become redeemed. Once a soul has embraced its destiny, sparks of holiness return back to the Ultimate Maker. That is why we call a convert, a ger tzedek. They are proselytes of righteousness, returning to their home.
------------------------------------------
Idea: Why did Yitro come having heard all those tales about God protecting the Jewish nation and not people more closely related to the Israelites? Where were the children of Ishmael? What about Esau? Why did not they flock to rejoin their kin? Proverbs 27:10, states, "Better a close neighbor than a distant brother." "A close neighbor"--this is Yitro; "a distant brother" is Esau. Midrash Rabbah
Is it odd that a stranger saw the truth of God's actions? While blood relations shrank away? Moral? Love your family even though they may reject you.
Another possible moral: Be open to miracles. Out of fear or rigidity it is easy to dismiss the miraculousness of life and gifts of God.
The Talmud expresses a fascinating insight into the way people think and behave. The passage talks about a city called Matan Machsaya, a city in Babylonia. For two months each year a miracle occurred there. For these months each year Jewish businessmen would gather and study in the Yeshiva. During that time, a cloud of fire would hover over the Yeshiva. This pillar of fire was a Divine phenomenon was a revealed miracle. Yet, the townspeople went about their daily business and saw the fire as an ordinary, mundane event. A person can face a miracle and remain unmoved and uninspired.
Berachot end of 2nd Perek
--------------------------------------------
Idea:
"I your father-in-law, Yitro am on my way. Your wife and two sons are also coming." Exodus 18:6. Rashi tells us that Yitro sent this message to Moshe:
"If you do not want to come to greet me, come for the sake of your wife. If you do not want to come to greet your wife, come for the sake of her two sons."
Yitro's message to Moshe was clear. "You might have reached the height of spirituality, you must still be a man, a husband, a father, a friend. Spirituality cannot be achieved without first being a mensch.
A tale: A guest of the Hafetz Hayim noticed the master making the bed. The man objected and tried to went to take over from the Hafezt Hayim. "Rabbi, you should not be doing this. Let me do it!" The Hafetz Hayim said, "Will you put on tefillin for me too? I am doing the mitzvah of hachnasat orchim, welcoming guests, which, like other mitzvot, I must do myself."
The Hafetz Hayim was honored to make the bed for anyone staying at his house. Moshe Rabbeinu too needed to attend to the needs of his family.
Yitro observes Moshe in action as he "sits all day to judge the people; and the people stand upon him from morning until evening." Exodus 18:13 Yitro is surprised at how Moshe works. Yitro questions, "What is this thing that you are doing? Why do you sit alone as the people come to you all day?" Exodus 18:14 Rashi observes that Moshe is "sitting like a king" as the entire population crowds him, flooding him with cases and questions.
Sometimes you just need to make the bed. Get joy from doing the dishes. We are all equal. Moral? When looking at others see them as you see you.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Leaving
And it was when Pharaoh sent the people that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines despite the fact that is was near because the Almighty said the people will reconsider when they see war looming and will return to Egypt. Exodus 13:17
After all the Jewish people suffered in Egypt they would really contemplate returning to bondage? After the onslaught of plagues that rained down on Egypt they would now give up? The miracle at the Sea was so easily over and done? Had they so quickly forgotten the oppression? The genocide of the first born males? The agonizing lashes? How could such pain be forgotten?
Every human is comprised of two disparate parts; body and soul. The body is the “shoe” or cloak of life. It is like the house which holds all our worldly possessions. The soul is the gift of the Lord; it is the held prize of the body. The two segments are likened to the olam, world, which is clear and revealed and the elem, the secreted world that is hidden from the eye. Both exist.
The polar extremities of the competing desires between body and soul can be disconcerting to the point where one begins to exert much control over the other. That is why we fall. It is the soul that usually suffers.
We cannot exist in the ethereal realm of God to the total exclusion of the physical self. We need physical nourishment and care. Yet, this is not the problem that most people go through. Where we stumble is when we ignore the smaller, quieter, inner voice. At a moment we can feel elevated, exuberant. In another instant we can forget the sublime joy of the soul. At the time of liberation from Egypt God feared that the newly liberated slaves would succumb to the moment and forget all the wondrous deeds that had only just happened.
Do not despair. Despair is the path away from the Almighty. It steers us away from hope. It drives a wedge between the body and soul that will cause us to lose sight of our true self. That is what the Talmud means when it states that “All that the Holy One, blessed be He, created in His universe, He crafted male and female.” 1 We are different parts, male and female, body and soul, Godly and earthly, that needs to allow both segments of self to work in unison to produce a whole person.
1 Baba Baatra 74b
- - - - - - - - - - -
I have heard the murmurings of the Children of Israel. Speak to them, saying: In the evening you will eat meat and in the morning you shall be sated with bread. You shall know that I am God. Exodus 16:11
There are four teshukot (or overwhelming desires) in the world:
The first desire is that of Eve for Adam, the second desire is that of the Evil Inclination of Cain, the desire for rain and finally the desire of the Master of the Universe for humanity. 1
This first teshuka is a physical lusting. It is a hunger that floods the conscious mind. Pushing away other thoughts it distracts and deceives. The great deception of this desire is the misguided belief that someone will redeem us. If someone can be brought to love us enough they will save us. This desire strips us of our power and role in our redemption. It is also self-deception.
The second desire is that of the Evil Inclination of Cain.
Cain’s sacrifice was inferior to his brother’s, Abel. Knowing full well that that his brother had succeeded in opening his heart to God while he remained closed and selfish, Cain listened to his Evil Inclination. He bought the lie that if he punished his brother his acts would become more righteous. This is the same lie that causes us to shame or degrade other people. Hurting others by actions or words devalues our self.
The desire for rain is the ill-fated wish for someone or something to rescue us out of our malaise. "If only I won the lottery"…"if only I had a good mate"…"if only I had different parents…." This kind of wishful thinking removes us far from what we could become. God wants a partner not a dependent.
And finally the desire of the Master of the Universe for humanity. This is a yearning that God holds and that we can share. God wears tefilin that bears the prayer, “Israel, who is like you?” From this we understand that God prays for us. We must join God in the prayer for the wellbeing of humanity. It is a belief in what can be. It is a belief in what is possible. It is trust in our ability to grow and mature.
1 Bereshit Rabba 20:7
- - - - - - - - - - -
Leaving Egypt was no simple task. They were leaving the home they had known their entire life. It was also the place where their families had existed for hundreds of years. Now they were being cast out. Everything familiar was to be left behind. Understandably, the people were frightened. Time and again they queried their leader, How will we survive?
To those who said, "Let us cast ourselves into the sea," Moses responded, "Fear not; stand by and see the salvation of God." To those people who said, "Let us return to Egypt," Moses answered, "You have seen Egypt this day; you shall not see them again forever." To those who said, "Let us wage war against them," Moses said, "God shall fight for you." And to those who said, "Let us cry out to God," he said: "And you shall be silent." Mechilta
To those who said, "Let us cast ourselves into the sea," Moses responded, "Fear not; stand by and see the salvation of God."
It is easy to give up. Saying that life is too painful is simple. Losing one’s employment, becoming addicted, losing a love, death and rejection are all components of a lifetime that repeat. We experience these events many times over. It would be too easy to surrender to those opposing forces and give up.
Moses tells us: You are not alone. There is an Ultimate Master of All that cares intensely about you. Do not give up. God will not turn His Face from you.
To those people who said, "Let us return to Egypt," Moses answered, "You have seen Egypt this day; you shall not see them again forever."
Even pain has a purpose. Hidden deep in the folds of our anguish are seeds of opportunity. There is no pain that does not open up a possibility that would otherwise remain closed. That is not to say that we should welcome pain. Yet, when it comes to our door do not move backward toward the restrictive Egypt that once held us in its vise-like grip. Since we cannot change what has already happened use the experience as a tool for growth.
To those who said, "Let us wage war against them," Moses said, "God shall fight for you."
Do not lose sight of your morals. At all costs, do not lose your integrity. It is what makes you a holy vessel. Remain true to yourself; remain true to your God. Perhaps the greatest victory of evil would be to claim their victim as their own.
And to those who said, "Let us cry out to God," he said: "And you shall be silent."
As Psalms indicates, Leckha dumyah tehilla “to You silence is praise.” 1 Sometimes a wellspring of strength emerges from the darkness in the form of quiet. In the maelstrom of pain, when the tears have subsided, it is time to sit silently with God. From that place may issue the strongest prayer ever uttered.
1 Psalms 65:2
After all the Jewish people suffered in Egypt they would really contemplate returning to bondage? After the onslaught of plagues that rained down on Egypt they would now give up? The miracle at the Sea was so easily over and done? Had they so quickly forgotten the oppression? The genocide of the first born males? The agonizing lashes? How could such pain be forgotten?
Every human is comprised of two disparate parts; body and soul. The body is the “shoe” or cloak of life. It is like the house which holds all our worldly possessions. The soul is the gift of the Lord; it is the held prize of the body. The two segments are likened to the olam, world, which is clear and revealed and the elem, the secreted world that is hidden from the eye. Both exist.
The polar extremities of the competing desires between body and soul can be disconcerting to the point where one begins to exert much control over the other. That is why we fall. It is the soul that usually suffers.
We cannot exist in the ethereal realm of God to the total exclusion of the physical self. We need physical nourishment and care. Yet, this is not the problem that most people go through. Where we stumble is when we ignore the smaller, quieter, inner voice. At a moment we can feel elevated, exuberant. In another instant we can forget the sublime joy of the soul. At the time of liberation from Egypt God feared that the newly liberated slaves would succumb to the moment and forget all the wondrous deeds that had only just happened.
Do not despair. Despair is the path away from the Almighty. It steers us away from hope. It drives a wedge between the body and soul that will cause us to lose sight of our true self. That is what the Talmud means when it states that “All that the Holy One, blessed be He, created in His universe, He crafted male and female.” 1 We are different parts, male and female, body and soul, Godly and earthly, that needs to allow both segments of self to work in unison to produce a whole person.
1 Baba Baatra 74b
- - - - - - - - - - -
I have heard the murmurings of the Children of Israel. Speak to them, saying: In the evening you will eat meat and in the morning you shall be sated with bread. You shall know that I am God. Exodus 16:11
There are four teshukot (or overwhelming desires) in the world:
The first desire is that of Eve for Adam, the second desire is that of the Evil Inclination of Cain, the desire for rain and finally the desire of the Master of the Universe for humanity. 1
This first teshuka is a physical lusting. It is a hunger that floods the conscious mind. Pushing away other thoughts it distracts and deceives. The great deception of this desire is the misguided belief that someone will redeem us. If someone can be brought to love us enough they will save us. This desire strips us of our power and role in our redemption. It is also self-deception.
The second desire is that of the Evil Inclination of Cain.
Cain’s sacrifice was inferior to his brother’s, Abel. Knowing full well that that his brother had succeeded in opening his heart to God while he remained closed and selfish, Cain listened to his Evil Inclination. He bought the lie that if he punished his brother his acts would become more righteous. This is the same lie that causes us to shame or degrade other people. Hurting others by actions or words devalues our self.
The desire for rain is the ill-fated wish for someone or something to rescue us out of our malaise. "If only I won the lottery"…"if only I had a good mate"…"if only I had different parents…." This kind of wishful thinking removes us far from what we could become. God wants a partner not a dependent.
And finally the desire of the Master of the Universe for humanity. This is a yearning that God holds and that we can share. God wears tefilin that bears the prayer, “Israel, who is like you?” From this we understand that God prays for us. We must join God in the prayer for the wellbeing of humanity. It is a belief in what can be. It is a belief in what is possible. It is trust in our ability to grow and mature.
1 Bereshit Rabba 20:7
- - - - - - - - - - -
Leaving Egypt was no simple task. They were leaving the home they had known their entire life. It was also the place where their families had existed for hundreds of years. Now they were being cast out. Everything familiar was to be left behind. Understandably, the people were frightened. Time and again they queried their leader, How will we survive?
To those who said, "Let us cast ourselves into the sea," Moses responded, "Fear not; stand by and see the salvation of God." To those people who said, "Let us return to Egypt," Moses answered, "You have seen Egypt this day; you shall not see them again forever." To those who said, "Let us wage war against them," Moses said, "God shall fight for you." And to those who said, "Let us cry out to God," he said: "And you shall be silent." Mechilta
To those who said, "Let us cast ourselves into the sea," Moses responded, "Fear not; stand by and see the salvation of God."
It is easy to give up. Saying that life is too painful is simple. Losing one’s employment, becoming addicted, losing a love, death and rejection are all components of a lifetime that repeat. We experience these events many times over. It would be too easy to surrender to those opposing forces and give up.
Moses tells us: You are not alone. There is an Ultimate Master of All that cares intensely about you. Do not give up. God will not turn His Face from you.
To those people who said, "Let us return to Egypt," Moses answered, "You have seen Egypt this day; you shall not see them again forever."
Even pain has a purpose. Hidden deep in the folds of our anguish are seeds of opportunity. There is no pain that does not open up a possibility that would otherwise remain closed. That is not to say that we should welcome pain. Yet, when it comes to our door do not move backward toward the restrictive Egypt that once held us in its vise-like grip. Since we cannot change what has already happened use the experience as a tool for growth.
To those who said, "Let us wage war against them," Moses said, "God shall fight for you."
Do not lose sight of your morals. At all costs, do not lose your integrity. It is what makes you a holy vessel. Remain true to yourself; remain true to your God. Perhaps the greatest victory of evil would be to claim their victim as their own.
And to those who said, "Let us cry out to God," he said: "And you shall be silent."
As Psalms indicates, Leckha dumyah tehilla “to You silence is praise.” 1 Sometimes a wellspring of strength emerges from the darkness in the form of quiet. In the maelstrom of pain, when the tears have subsided, it is time to sit silently with God. From that place may issue the strongest prayer ever uttered.
1 Psalms 65:2
Monday, January 7, 2008
Light and Dark
God said to Moshe. He said, "Stretch out your hand towards Heaven so that darkness will come over Egypt, a darkness which can be felt, vayamaish." (Exodus 10:21)
What is darkness? Most people would admit that it is nothing more than the absence of light. No light? we wonder. It must be dark. After all, step into a dark room switch on the light and the darkness disappears. Light dispels the other. Yet the Torah here speaks of a darkness that can be felt. What does it mean?
In Bereshit, the language is very clear that darkness existed before light ("Darkness on the face of the deep"). If it is true that darkness only exists at the expense of light how could there be darkness in the void of the great Beginning? Light would not be created until later. Perhaps this pre-creation darkness means more than just before the sun came into being. The Vilna Gaon reveals:
"There are some who say that light is an independent creation, and that darkness is an independent creation.... Darkness is a creation that is pushed away by light. That is the way The Holy One, Blessed is He, made nature. Here -in this plague- God changed the course of nature. When the Torah says, 'a darkness which can be felt,' it means that the darkness 'pushed' away the light..." (Kol Eliyahu, Bo 53)
The darkness of which the famed Vilna Gaon speaks is "a darkness that can move light." In our thinking it only works the other way; light chases the darkness. This Egyptian night was a palpable darkness that was not displaced by light. The darkness had its own power and could thrust aside light.
This was the same darkness that engulfed the nascent universe before God cast into being an opposing force.
There is a certain kind of darkness that moves itself like a thick curtain blocking out light. It is a spiritual vacuum where hope and vision are obscured. It is as Martin Buber taught, “an eclipse of God.” When Pharaoh was utterly intent on genocide, banishing goodness and destroying life the darkness of the primordial universe returned. It shut out the possibility of balance, teshuvah and redemption. Was it not so in the Holocaust? Is it not so in Darfur?
Exodus Rabbah 15.1:
"And the Lord said to Moses… This month shall be for you the beginning of all months" [Exodus 12:1-2]. It is written there: "The voice of my beloved! Behold, he comes" [Song of Songs 2:8]Why would the midrash take this phrase from our parasha and join it with this passage from the Song of Songs? They seem to have no historic or thematic connection with each other.
Come closer.
The Festival Of Freedom, Passover, is truly the New Year for our people. It is the point of our liberation. It is the moment of conception a group of people that had passed through a crucible transforming them into God’s children, a covenanted nation. On that day the Jewish people were born. That is why the imagination of the Midrash leapfrogs to paeans of love. God is coming to embrace the Jewish people.
As is said, "My beloved answered and said to me" (Song of Songs, v. 10). What are you doing here in this place of unclean people, "whose flesh is the flesh of donkeys, and whose flow is the flow of horses" (Ezek 23:20). "Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one, and come away."
Bursting out of this passage is the poetry of a courtship that would span millennia. This is the first dance that would stretch though great epochs of time.
'Bo' is the first utterance of the Torah reading. “Go to Pharaoh” would be better translated as “Come to Pharaoh.” The word bo is not usual in this context. We would have expected 'lech,' perhaps but not 'bo.'
Bo is comprised of two Hebrew letters, bet and aleph, the first letters of the alpha-bet. However, they are inverted. Not in their proper sequence the word bo stands out as an inversion of the way life ought to be. Reason was suspended. Evil became the norm in Egypt. Bo also represented God’s reticent decision to suspend nature and bring devastation to the victimizers, which would ultimately bring about freedom for the enslaved.
D'var Acher:
The parasha of Bo begins as God says to Moses: “Come to Pharaoh for I have hardened his heart.” Does it make sense that God says "come" and not "go" as He said to all the great prophets before? Think of the call to Avraham to when God declared to him "lech, go. " Even Jonah is told, "lech" but Moses is directed to "come" (bo) to Pharaoh”.
On Time:
The Lubavitch Rebbe was once seen writing some words down on paper by one of his students. The master then took out an eraser and erased what he had just written.
The student queried the rebbe, “Why did you wipe away what you had just written?”
He replied, “At the time I wrote it the words spoke great truth. That moment had passed. New words must now come to me. I wait for them.”
Arguably, the greatest moment of our people’s past is described in this parasha. Forged in the fire of slavery the Jewish nation emerges from the ashes of Egypt. Yet, it is so hard to recapture that grandeur of liberation. Despite the many references to "remember the Exodus from Egypt,” it is far easier to simply remember the story than feel the sensation of witnessing the actions of God and feeling the miraculousness of the event. It is even difficult to feel the power of the Exodus as we celebrate at the Seder table.
That is the meaning of the rebbe’s words. Time will pass. As it does, our task is to renew our relationship with the Almighty and find new light in the present.
What is darkness? Most people would admit that it is nothing more than the absence of light. No light? we wonder. It must be dark. After all, step into a dark room switch on the light and the darkness disappears. Light dispels the other. Yet the Torah here speaks of a darkness that can be felt. What does it mean?
In Bereshit, the language is very clear that darkness existed before light ("Darkness on the face of the deep"). If it is true that darkness only exists at the expense of light how could there be darkness in the void of the great Beginning? Light would not be created until later. Perhaps this pre-creation darkness means more than just before the sun came into being. The Vilna Gaon reveals:
"There are some who say that light is an independent creation, and that darkness is an independent creation.... Darkness is a creation that is pushed away by light. That is the way The Holy One, Blessed is He, made nature. Here -in this plague- God changed the course of nature. When the Torah says, 'a darkness which can be felt,' it means that the darkness 'pushed' away the light..." (Kol Eliyahu, Bo 53)
The darkness of which the famed Vilna Gaon speaks is "a darkness that can move light." In our thinking it only works the other way; light chases the darkness. This Egyptian night was a palpable darkness that was not displaced by light. The darkness had its own power and could thrust aside light.
This was the same darkness that engulfed the nascent universe before God cast into being an opposing force.
There is a certain kind of darkness that moves itself like a thick curtain blocking out light. It is a spiritual vacuum where hope and vision are obscured. It is as Martin Buber taught, “an eclipse of God.” When Pharaoh was utterly intent on genocide, banishing goodness and destroying life the darkness of the primordial universe returned. It shut out the possibility of balance, teshuvah and redemption. Was it not so in the Holocaust? Is it not so in Darfur?
Exodus Rabbah 15.1:
"And the Lord said to Moses… This month shall be for you the beginning of all months" [Exodus 12:1-2]. It is written there: "The voice of my beloved! Behold, he comes" [Song of Songs 2:8]Why would the midrash take this phrase from our parasha and join it with this passage from the Song of Songs? They seem to have no historic or thematic connection with each other.
Come closer.
The Festival Of Freedom, Passover, is truly the New Year for our people. It is the point of our liberation. It is the moment of conception a group of people that had passed through a crucible transforming them into God’s children, a covenanted nation. On that day the Jewish people were born. That is why the imagination of the Midrash leapfrogs to paeans of love. God is coming to embrace the Jewish people.
As is said, "My beloved answered and said to me" (Song of Songs, v. 10). What are you doing here in this place of unclean people, "whose flesh is the flesh of donkeys, and whose flow is the flow of horses" (Ezek 23:20). "Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one, and come away."
Bursting out of this passage is the poetry of a courtship that would span millennia. This is the first dance that would stretch though great epochs of time.
'Bo' is the first utterance of the Torah reading. “Go to Pharaoh” would be better translated as “Come to Pharaoh.” The word bo is not usual in this context. We would have expected 'lech,' perhaps but not 'bo.'
Bo is comprised of two Hebrew letters, bet and aleph, the first letters of the alpha-bet. However, they are inverted. Not in their proper sequence the word bo stands out as an inversion of the way life ought to be. Reason was suspended. Evil became the norm in Egypt. Bo also represented God’s reticent decision to suspend nature and bring devastation to the victimizers, which would ultimately bring about freedom for the enslaved.
D'var Acher:
COME VS GO
The parasha of Bo begins as God says to Moses: “Come to Pharaoh for I have hardened his heart.” Does it make sense that God says "come" and not "go" as He said to all the great prophets before? Think of the call to Avraham to when God declared to him "lech, go. " Even Jonah is told, "lech" but Moses is directed to "come" (bo) to Pharaoh”.
After all the plagues that have been
inflicted upon the Egyptians Moses is rightly unnerved by the growing
intensity of the the pain experienced by at the nation. He is
rightly fearful of what is about to come next, darkness and then the
death of the firstborn.
That is why God's reassuring words to him,
assuage his anxiety, "Come" God gently tells his servant
"and I will be with you."
Rabbi Menachem Mendl of Kokzk observes that “you
cannot move away from God; you can only advance with Him.” It is therefore better to be mindful that we
are not alone on our life’s journey.
A great lesson for us: God is always wherever
we are. He is with us at every pivotal and mundane moment of our
lives.
You are never alone.
The Lubavitch Rebbe was once seen writing some words down on paper by one of his students. The master then took out an eraser and erased what he had just written.
The student queried the rebbe, “Why did you wipe away what you had just written?”
He replied, “At the time I wrote it the words spoke great truth. That moment had passed. New words must now come to me. I wait for them.”
Arguably, the greatest moment of our people’s past is described in this parasha. Forged in the fire of slavery the Jewish nation emerges from the ashes of Egypt. Yet, it is so hard to recapture that grandeur of liberation. Despite the many references to "remember the Exodus from Egypt,” it is far easier to simply remember the story than feel the sensation of witnessing the actions of God and feeling the miraculousness of the event. It is even difficult to feel the power of the Exodus as we celebrate at the Seder table.
That is the meaning of the rebbe’s words. Time will pass. As it does, our task is to renew our relationship with the Almighty and find new light in the present.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Tell me Your name.
What is in a name?
God spoke to Moses. He said, I am YHVH.
What does this name mean? Why does the Holy One only now introduce Himself with this name?
Rashi interprets the Name as meaning: I am faithful. I will reward every person who walks before Me. When they do well they will find reward.
That is the meaning of the newly revealed name to Moshe. That concept of faith also extends to exact punishment from those who deserve it. Reward and punishment are intimated by the Holy Name.
That is why I did not make my real name known to those who came before you. The earlier ones knew Me as El Shaddai. They could however not be privy to My real Name. That is because some of the covenants were yet-to-be fulfilled. The faith I promise to you is one that will be fulfilled in your lifetime. The patriarchs died before the covenants of long ago could be completed. Now history is ripe for these things to all happen. That is why the name of faith, YHVH, is revealed to you, Moshe.
The question arises, why did God wait until now? What had changed in the intervening years that God could now reveal this new more powerful and intimate name?
The Talmud records dialogue between God and Moses. God despairs, Alas, the loss of those
who have passed away and are no longer found in this world. Many times I revealed Myself to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob by the name of El Shaddai. They did not question My ways. They did not ask Me, "What is Your name?" You now ask from the start, "What is Your name?" And now you [Moshe] say to Me, "You have not saved Your people!" 1
Does this mean that the Patriarchs were more faithful servants than Moses? Is what God says a complaint against Moses? Or does it praise him? What are we supposed to learn from this soliloquy? That God wants us to question Him? Or that we should have faith and keep silent?
Going back in time, the first introduction to the name of El Shaddai is when Abram turned ninety years old. At this time in his life a covenant was presented to the aging patriarch that would establish a relationship that continued through to this day. The covenant referred to here is the pact of the circumcision. With this deed came the promise of endless progeny. “I will increase your numbers beyond your imagination,” promised God. 2
The covenant was contracted with Father Abraham. Who was speaking? What name was identified with the promise? The Speaker called Himself El Shaddai. Of course, this is God. But why does He call Himself by that name?
Later in Genesis 3, God again appeared to a patriarch, this time it was Jacob, and renewed the promise that his offspring would bring forth nations and kings that would span thousands of years. This promise to Jacob was also delivered by El Shaddai.
According to tradition there are no less than seventy-two names for God. Each one denotes a different aspect of Divinity. If that is so, what does El Shaddai mean? And why did the One use it here when speaking to the founders of Judaism? Perhaps the connection of this primal name of God is of generation? Since in both instances in Genesis, God promises to multiply the numbers of their offspring El Shaddai may represent growth, increase. In fact, the word Shaddai itself connotes generation as it is related to the Hebrew word breast.
Perhaps then this is why God no longer revealed His essence as El Shaddai. Not only have the promises been made but they have been kept. In Moses’ time the nation of Israel has grown and prospered. The people remained faithful to their side of the covenant and now awaited redemption from enslavement. Their needs are not for numbers but for freedom.
The great mystic Ramban reads into our text: The Holy One blessed be He says: Until now I had to remain concealed. Humanity was not yet ready for this. My name, YHVH, I did not make known to them. I could not make it known to them.
In other words, God hid His higher, quintessential self, from humanity until the era of slavery. In Genesis, the Patriarchs did not need to know of this aspect of God. Or perhaps they were not able to know the Divine Name of God yet. El Shaddai is a more opaque, more distant name of God It is more limited because the relationship between people and God was being re-created after the fall of Eden. Abraham knew God in more limited scope than Moses.
El Shadai represents a more limited manifestation of My being. They could never comprehend My infinite, unknowable essence. To you, on the other hand, I have revealed My truth. That is why you have questioned My ways.
The Holy One blessed be He made higher and lower crowns. 4 This – the name Shaddai -- is one of the lowest levels of Divinity. It is the place where God is most discernable and accessible. In fact, Shaddai is the point of separation between the upper and lower realms. Shade, which is how the first two letters of Shaddai reads, means demons. Shade denotes the darkest parts of human existence. When the final letter of yud is added to the double letter word, shade, it becomes a point of holiness. That is why it was the first name of the Holy One that was made known to the ancient Patriarchs. They were the ones who traversed from the world of darkness so the world of light.
The Patriarchs brought a new vision to the world of responsibility, hope, justice and most importantly, God.
In Kabbalistic lore Moshe’s relationship with God is emblematic of the attribute of Hokhma. While the Patriarchs represent the heart of the Jewish people Moshe brings the dimension of the mind of the Jewish nation. That is ultimately why the Holy One revealed His next crown of Self to Moshe here at the brink of the birth of the nation of Israel.
1 Sanhedrin 111a
2 Genesis 17:2
3 Genesis 35:11
4 Zohar 1:95b
God spoke to Moses. He said, I am YHVH.
What does this name mean? Why does the Holy One only now introduce Himself with this name?
Rashi interprets the Name as meaning: I am faithful. I will reward every person who walks before Me. When they do well they will find reward.
That is the meaning of the newly revealed name to Moshe. That concept of faith also extends to exact punishment from those who deserve it. Reward and punishment are intimated by the Holy Name.
That is why I did not make my real name known to those who came before you. The earlier ones knew Me as El Shaddai. They could however not be privy to My real Name. That is because some of the covenants were yet-to-be fulfilled. The faith I promise to you is one that will be fulfilled in your lifetime. The patriarchs died before the covenants of long ago could be completed. Now history is ripe for these things to all happen. That is why the name of faith, YHVH, is revealed to you, Moshe.
The question arises, why did God wait until now? What had changed in the intervening years that God could now reveal this new more powerful and intimate name?
The Talmud records dialogue between God and Moses. God despairs, Alas, the loss of those
who have passed away and are no longer found in this world. Many times I revealed Myself to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob by the name of El Shaddai. They did not question My ways. They did not ask Me, "What is Your name?" You now ask from the start, "What is Your name?" And now you [Moshe] say to Me, "You have not saved Your people!" 1
Does this mean that the Patriarchs were more faithful servants than Moses? Is what God says a complaint against Moses? Or does it praise him? What are we supposed to learn from this soliloquy? That God wants us to question Him? Or that we should have faith and keep silent?
Going back in time, the first introduction to the name of El Shaddai is when Abram turned ninety years old. At this time in his life a covenant was presented to the aging patriarch that would establish a relationship that continued through to this day. The covenant referred to here is the pact of the circumcision. With this deed came the promise of endless progeny. “I will increase your numbers beyond your imagination,” promised God. 2
The covenant was contracted with Father Abraham. Who was speaking? What name was identified with the promise? The Speaker called Himself El Shaddai. Of course, this is God. But why does He call Himself by that name?
Later in Genesis 3, God again appeared to a patriarch, this time it was Jacob, and renewed the promise that his offspring would bring forth nations and kings that would span thousands of years. This promise to Jacob was also delivered by El Shaddai.
According to tradition there are no less than seventy-two names for God. Each one denotes a different aspect of Divinity. If that is so, what does El Shaddai mean? And why did the One use it here when speaking to the founders of Judaism? Perhaps the connection of this primal name of God is of generation? Since in both instances in Genesis, God promises to multiply the numbers of their offspring El Shaddai may represent growth, increase. In fact, the word Shaddai itself connotes generation as it is related to the Hebrew word breast.
Perhaps then this is why God no longer revealed His essence as El Shaddai. Not only have the promises been made but they have been kept. In Moses’ time the nation of Israel has grown and prospered. The people remained faithful to their side of the covenant and now awaited redemption from enslavement. Their needs are not for numbers but for freedom.
The great mystic Ramban reads into our text: The Holy One blessed be He says: Until now I had to remain concealed. Humanity was not yet ready for this. My name, YHVH, I did not make known to them. I could not make it known to them.
In other words, God hid His higher, quintessential self, from humanity until the era of slavery. In Genesis, the Patriarchs did not need to know of this aspect of God. Or perhaps they were not able to know the Divine Name of God yet. El Shaddai is a more opaque, more distant name of God It is more limited because the relationship between people and God was being re-created after the fall of Eden. Abraham knew God in more limited scope than Moses.
El Shadai represents a more limited manifestation of My being. They could never comprehend My infinite, unknowable essence. To you, on the other hand, I have revealed My truth. That is why you have questioned My ways.
The Holy One blessed be He made higher and lower crowns. 4 This – the name Shaddai -- is one of the lowest levels of Divinity. It is the place where God is most discernable and accessible. In fact, Shaddai is the point of separation between the upper and lower realms. Shade, which is how the first two letters of Shaddai reads, means demons. Shade denotes the darkest parts of human existence. When the final letter of yud is added to the double letter word, shade, it becomes a point of holiness. That is why it was the first name of the Holy One that was made known to the ancient Patriarchs. They were the ones who traversed from the world of darkness so the world of light.
The Patriarchs brought a new vision to the world of responsibility, hope, justice and most importantly, God.
In Kabbalistic lore Moshe’s relationship with God is emblematic of the attribute of Hokhma. While the Patriarchs represent the heart of the Jewish people Moshe brings the dimension of the mind of the Jewish nation. That is ultimately why the Holy One revealed His next crown of Self to Moshe here at the brink of the birth of the nation of Israel.
1 Sanhedrin 111a
2 Genesis 17:2
3 Genesis 35:11
4 Zohar 1:95b
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