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VAYEIRA-RELATING TO ANGELIC POWER

Fri, 30 Oct 2015 6:14:00 AM

FOR VAYEIRA

RELATING TO ANGELIC POWER

(From a previous Good Shabbos Email)

They have termed it one of the world’s great wonders. At least twelve million visiting people agree, as they make their way there each year.

Traveling to and from a speaking engagement in Ontario, Canada, took me straight through this breathtaking vista called “Niagara Falls.” Having never been there before, this was, I thought, a great time to stop for a few minutes and see what the fuss was all about. Visitors can spend a few days here. Even with my few minutes, though, there was so much to see and to learn.

This sight mesmerizes anyone walking or driving past, and has inspired artists, singers and, of course photographers. But I did not have to see the Falls to know I was there. The deafening noise created by all that water cascading hundreds of feet down the Falls saw to that. With hundreds of thousands of gallons of water falling over those rocks every second, the noise is even louder than expected.

As a ploy to attract as many tourists as possible, they have installed recreational bustle and commotion, turning night into day. The noise, at least on the Canadian side of the Falls, is that much more manifest.

And that was just during the night. During the day, when many more visitors are typically expected, more water is allowed to flow over the Falls to the tune of more than half a million gallons per second. In addition to the obvious stunning and remarkable impression of this place, there is no escaping the power. During the evening, the giant hydroelectric power plants siphon and divert the water destined for the Falls, to generate electric power for the many regions that benefit from this massive offering of natural energy.

As the waters flow from Lake Erie towards Lake Ontario, their fall releases so much energy that countless millions of homes, including a quarter of the homes in New York state and Ontario, are powered by the water of these Falls. That is a staggering number.

Power can be generated by fossil fuels, nuclear energy, wind, and so forth. Water, however, has more meaning to humans than any other form. First, without water there is no life. Then there is the vital and close relationship water has with every human being, as it is used to drink, to clean, to bathe, and so forth.

When one sees a massive quantity of water generating so much power, while realizing that the same material is present in every single household, it is much easier to relate.

The spiritual energies and forces also work in this way as well, as understood from this week’s Torah portion, “Vayeira.” The portion details the second half of the patriarch Abraham’s life. The beginning of the portion records how the Almighty appeared to Abraham. (B’raishis (Genesis) 18:1-3). As this visit was unfolding, angels appeared. Abraham tended to them immediately, and then they continued on to fulfill their respective assignments. Those angels later paid a visit to the wicked city of Sodom. The mission of one of them was to rescue Lot, Abraham’s nephew, from the city destined for destruction by the other angel (19:12-13).

Later in the portion, an angel appears to a distressed Hagar, the second wife of Abraham, and saves her son (21:17-19).

The end of the portion records Abraham’s final test. The Almighty asks of him the unimaginable: to slaughter his beloved son, Isaac. Abraham abides without question. Holding the knife in a raised hand, Abraham is about to carry out the instruction when an “angel of G-d called to him from Heaven and said: ‘Abraham! Abraham! ...Do not stretch out your hand to (slaughter) him, or do the slightest thing to him. Now I know that you are a G-d fearing man.’” Shortly thereafter, the angel calls out to Abraham again, bestowing great blessings upon him. (Chapter 22).

Surprisingly, although the Almighty Himself provides the instruction to Abraham to slaughter his son, it is an angel of the Almighty who calls to Abraham not to follow that instruction, saving Isaac’s life.

It is clear from the episodes in this week’s portion that angels are assigned for rescuing purposes. And so, an angel saved Lot, Hagar, and Isaac. In the previous portion, the Torah relates how Hagar was saved by an angel from other difficulties (16:7-13). When the Jewish people were standing at the Red Sea, a marauding Egyptian army behind them, “an angel of G-d, who had been going in front of the Jewish camp, moved and went behind them (and the Egyptian camp)” (Sh’mos (Exodus) 14:19). And when the evil prophet Balaam tried to curse the Jewish people, an angel was sent to divert him. (B’midbar (Numbers) 22:22-35).

Angels, of course, serve other functions as well. Yet, the Torah is clear how angels are sent to save those the Almighty wishes to be saved. It is for this reason that Jacob blesses his grandsons that “the angel who redeemed me from all harm should bless these lads.” (B’raishis (Genesis) 48:16).

The reason an angel is sent is because, when a person is in trouble, when a person needs to be saved from impending doom, the Almighty chooses to send a created being – albeit a spiritual one – a messenger to whom the human can better relate. This kindness would allow the person in distress a better chance to focus, not to “lose it,” and to be rescued from the predicament at hand.

There are many messengers at the disposal of our Father in heaven. When a person is saved from a crisis, from an impossible situation, one may think that somehow the natural order of things has worked itself out. When one thinks it through properly, though, and especially when one contemplates other possible outcomes, one should realize that the Almighty has a hand in this situation.

Just as a human relates better to the energy generated by water since it is a vital component of a human’s life, similarly, angels, and other messengers, are utilized by the Almighty, allowing the human to relate better.

It is up to humans, then, to acknowledge and thank the Master of the universe for everything one has and for every time something works itself out, “somehow”.

May everyone experience an abundance of wonderful positive energy.

SUMMARY : Lots of water generates an abundance of energy to which humans can relate. Humans in trouble are usually helped and rescued by the Almighty through a messenger (or a “Malach,” a messenger in the form of an angel), to make it easier to relate to that messenger.

SHOFTIM-CHOOSING THE DIVINE BUS

Fri, 21 Aug 2015 1:48:00 PM

FOR SHOFTIM

CHOOSING THE DIVINE BUS

In the middle of last week, I was in need of a book I had ordered previously. Confirmation of my purchase had been emailed to me about a month prior, but the book itself had not yet arrived.

It should not be too complicated, I thought. I called the number of the publishing company in New York, and the phone was answered almost immediately by a young lady.

The first words expelled out of this individual were, “[name of the company], can I help you?”

Her voice was snarky. It was as though I had just had the audacity to disturb her peaceful summer day. She sounded impatient and as though she was doing me the greatest favor by providing me the privilege of talking to her.

I have no idea who this person was. For all I know, she could have been experiencing a terrible day or a terrible situation. She sounded dreadful.

As this was not the first time a person in New York answered a phone this way, I simply attributed this latest incident as a “New York thing.” I promptly responded with: “Hi! It is so refreshing that someone is offering to help me so nicely. I really appreciate this friendly gesture!”

The woman seemed confused and hesitant. She stammered as she said, in a somewhat softer tone, “What can I do for you?”

It did not seem to me that she understood what I was attempting to convey. It certainly did not bode well for my upcoming trip to New York last Friday.

When I arrived in New York, though, I was pleasantly surprised – stunned actually – by the exact opposite behavior. I had landed in LaGuardia airport, and was catching a bus. I attempted to purchase a bus ticket in the machines at the airport, but those machines are not user-friendly for those who are unfamiliar with its system. I was unable to purchase a simple one-way ticket, when the bus arrived. I had to catch this bus. I placed my head into the doorway of the bus, and asked the driver whether he would accept cash or a credit card, because I was unable to purchase a ticket.

The driver said, “Hey, it’s okay. Just get on the bus. Forget about the ticket.”

Now that was amazing. Seventy-five people must have been crammed into that bus. None of them get on it without that card. And what a contrast to an unhelpful, irascible, and abrasive attitude from that woman!

Unless something really awful is happening, there should be no reason for one to be unhelpful and unpleasant. The bus driver realized that a passenger was unable to spend two dollars and fifty cents on an unfriendly machine. This minuscule amount of money, from a lone passenger, was not going to harm the bus company. Consequently, it would not make him be unfriendly and unhelpful.

Every person is granted the freedom to choose to be in control of him or herself. One can choose to be pleasant to others, and one can choose to be not nice. It is not a “New York thing,” but a human thing. This point is also underscored in this week’s Torah portion, “Shoftim.”

In its laws regarding testimony, the Torah distinguishes between capital offenses and monetary offenses. In the Torah’s words: “The one liable to death should be put to death only by the testimony of two witnesses or three witnesses. He should not be put to death by the testimony of one witness.” (D’varim (Deuteronomy) 17:6.) This verse teaches, as Jewish law makes it clear, that the court must not execute a person or administer the punishment of lashes through one’s own admission. It must only be “By the testimony of two witnesses.” (Talmud, Sanhedrin 37,b. See also Maimonides end of chapter 18, laws of Sanhedrin.) In monetary cases, however, admission of guilt is a binding testimony. This is because the Torah emphasizes the testimony of the two witnesses specifically regarding the death penalty cases.

The difference between death penalty cases and monetary cases makes sense: According to the Torah, the human body does not belong to a person. True, a person’s body is personal. It is up to each individual to look after his or her own body, take care of it, administer it, and use it for all the right reasons. Essentially, though, despite living with and through the body, it is Divinely gifted to all people. It is, so to speak, on loan. The Torah pays great attention to the human body in areas of (kosher) food, modesty, morality, and not to physically damage the body, including getting tattoos.

Monetary possessions, however, belong totally to the human owner. The Almighty gives each individual control and ownership of material possessions in trust to be used for all the right reasons. True, the entire world belongs to the Heavenly Boss, but He decided to give the person visible control over material possessions, with far fewer regulating rules for possessions than the body.

And so, the body in intrinsically holy, and it therefore comes with many rules and regulations as to how this divinely sanctified element should be considered. The worldly possessions, on the other hand, were given to humans. It is up to them to elevate and to consecrate those possessions.

A human body is created in the mold and in the image of G-d. As such, each person is required to look after this gift. The choice is given as to how to treat one’s possessions, but not how to treat one’s own physique. A person, in any place or time, should constantly have the focus on appearing divine-like.

This would include, of course, making the choice to be Divine-like towards fellow man. I am not sure what the woman was thinking, but she, and all of us, can learn a powerful lesson from that bus driver in New York: his choice to act wonderfully was using his presence in this world for all that is right and Divine.

SUMMARY: While money and possessions are considered owned by humans, the human body is Divine and divinely owned. Some choose their behavior to reflect this.

RE'EH-TO DANCE, TO PRAY, AND TO EAT

Fri, 14 Aug 2015 1:54:00 PM

FOR RE'EH

TO DANCE, TO PRAY, AND TO EAT

It is one of the more heartwarming stories to emerge in a long time. Annette, engaged to Lior Solomon, was slated to get married recently in Israel. They booked one of the country’s most gorgeous venues, a setting with exquisite gardens, beautiful décor, and a large hall.

Invitations had been sent out, and wedding guests had responded in the affirmative. The bride and groom continued with their preparations. The hall, conveniently located in central Israel, was all set.

Annette had suffered tragedy in her life. She lost her mother a couple of years ago. Her father was very unwell, and succumbed to his ailments just a few short weeks before her scheduled wedding. On her wedding day, she must have had some longing thoughts and feelings about her missing loved ones. She must have also been looking greatly forward to greeting relatives in joy and in happiness.

Her guests and friends, however, must have apparently assumed that, due to the passing of the bride’s father, the wedding had been. The majority of them were awaiting word about an alternative date, and did not make their way to the wedding.

The wedding was, after all, not cancelled. A disaster of massive proportions was unfolding. Only around ten people, a mere handful of guests, had shown up. It was ten in the evening, and the place was disconcertingly and painfully empty.

One of the groom’s relatives, Rivkah, decided to take matters into her own hands. She posted the details of the situation on social media from her phone. She requested of anyone who read her words simply to show up at the wedding of this dejected couple. She wrote “You don’t need to bring a gift, you don’t need to bring money. Just come fill the auditorium, perform the good deed of bringing joy to a bride and a groom, especially an orphan, and let’s make them happy!”

Word spread quickly through social media and word of mouth. Around two thousand people showed up! The pictures show a packed auditorium, filled to the brim with people from every walk of Israeli life. From the ultra-religious to the ultra-secular, every stream of Jewish Israelis was represented.

All total strangers!

After standing alone under the wedding canopy, futilely hoping their guests would somehow arrive, the bride and the groom soon realized what had unfolded before their eyes on their special day. And they cried.

The impromptu guests also managed to bring gifts and their checkbooks. It was a beautiful sendoff to the elated couple.

This is the Israeli people at their best. Two thousand people. From near and far. From all walks of life. That is so moving.

A similar story occurred in Israel not too long ago with a widower who was sitting alone at the grave of his wife of fifty years. He had been waiting for hours, hoping for a quorum of ten men to recite the Kaddish. Someone finally discovered this situation, snapped a picture, and posted it on social media, with a request that people make an effort to attend this short prayer service. Dozens from all walks of life showed up, and the poor man recited the prayer, and then broke down in tears over this incredibly warm gesture. See here for the details: http://www.onlysimchas.com/news/8346/

These stories, aside from warming the heart, emphasize a critical element of responsibility and camaraderie in Judaism, and is based on a strong message from one of the elements in this week’s Torah portion, “Re’eh.”

The Torah addresses the Jewish people in the desert, poised to enter the Holy Land, and are seeking to expand their eating experience: “[If] you say: ‘I want to eat meat,’ because your soul desires to eat meat, then you may eat as much meat as your soul desires… You may slaughter from your cattle and sheep which G-d has given to you, and then you may eat meat in your cities as much as your soul desires… However, be strong not to eat the blood, for the blood is the soul, and you may not eat the soul with the flesh.” (D’varim (Deuteronomy) 12: 20-23.)

Many laws of Kosher food are found in this week’s Torah portion. It is not surprising, therefore, that the Torah presents the above rules about slaughtering animals and not consuming their blood. It is the opening words that seem strange: Have the people not eaten any meat in their forty years in the desert?

Rabbi Yishmael in the Talmud (Chullin 16b) explains that, in the desert, the Jewish people were not permitted to eat any meat other than of animals offered to the Almighty in the Sanctuary. This is because, while in the desert, all the needs of the people – such as food, water, shelter, even laundry – were miraculously provided from Heaven. The people were thus allowed the time to be devoted entirely to spiritual pursuits. In the desert, therefore, there was no room for eating meat that “your soul desires.” Animals offered on the Altar maintained a sanctity akin to their spiritual lives. Only this meat was permissible for consumption.

Once the people would enter the Land of Israel, regular life would then begin. It would be necessary for the people to provide their own food, build their own homes, and tailor their own clothing. They would be now living and working in the natural world. Their spiritual focus would also shift to the routine and the mundane. Now they were also permitted to partake of the physical world, and to introduce purity there too.

The Torah does insist on a condition, though: “Be strong not to eat the blood.” Blood is the energy, the passion, and the urge. The meat is permitted in order to be utilized for positive and sanctified purposes. The passion, the excitement, and the craving for materialistic involvement must be curbed and guided in the right direction.

Those people in today’s Israel who selflessly attended that wedding and the prayer in the cemetery did just that. They directed their energies, their passion, and their compassion, towards turning a wedding – and a lonely old man – into a time and place of elevation, of holiness, and of Divinity.

This type of beautiful news from Israel should surely inspire all people of all places to discover opportunities to bring sanctity and elevation to every corner of the earth.

SUMMARY: Enthusiasm and passion, when directed towards the right matter, can bring great elevation to this world.

VO'ESCHANAN-TODAY IS THE HAPPIEST DAY OF THE YEAR!

Fri, 31 Jul 2015 1:02:00 PM

FOR VO'ESCHANAN

TODAY IS THE HAPPIEST DAY OF THE YEAR!

– A TRIBUTE TO MY FRIEND, ALLEN TENENBAUM –

Our dining room table on Friday nights is a rather active and noisy place, as it is in many homes across the globe. Highlighting the din, is the active participation of our children and guests discussing the Torah portion or festivals of that particular week. From the time of Moses, Jewish people focus, study, and “live” with the portion assigned to each week. It takes a full year to get through the entire Torah. And it is the same with the festivals. Before each one, our children will have been well prepared to discuss and celebrate them.

It has been quieter over the past weeks. Some of our children are in camp. The ones at home study these portions much less while out of school.

It does not seem to matter, however, for today’s festival. Today (Friday) is the fifteenth of the Hebrew month of Av. The Talmud (Ta’anis 30b) enumerates six significant incidences which occurred on this day, causing this celebration to be the most joyous than any other festival in the year. One would imagine the intense preparations befitting such a day. It would be very difficult, however, to imagine how this past week would help to prepare for such considerable joy, as this past Sunday was “Tisha B’av (the 9th day of Av), the saddest day in the Jewish calendar. This is the complete contrast of joy and celebration!

It must be that the catalyst and impetus for joy on the fifteenth of the month is generated from the sadness of Tishah B’av itself, six days previously.

The explanation is as follows: Of the six happy events attributed to the 15th of Av, the main cause for celebration involves wood. In Temple times, several generous families donated all the wood used for the altar’s fires. Those fires were mainly for the animal-sacrifice service, a primary function of the Temple. The cutting of the wood was halted from the fifteenth of Av till the Spring, since the heat of the sun begins to weaken with the shortening of the days. Light and heat are necessary to dry the wood and keep it free from worms. Once all the wood was, filling the reserves, it was time to celebrate.

Two ideas emerge and are underscored from the chopping of wood for the fires of the altar: 1) The wood was essential for the Temple’s main function and service. It completed the offerings, allowing them to be burned according to the will of the Almighty. 2) The donation of the wood was not a mere charitable donation, but it was charity in one of its highest forms, for those benefiting from the wood could not identify the benefactors, just as the benefactors could not identify the beneficiaries. When giver and taker have no knowledge of each other, this, according to Jewish law, is one of the highest forms of charity. Both of these factors – strengthening the Temple’s service and charity – are causes for great celebrations.

The sad day of Tishah B’av, on the other hand, provides the exact antithesis of these two factors. On that day, both holy Temples in ancient Jerusalem were destroyed. The main reason the Temples were destroyed, explain the Talmudic Sages, was baseless hatred among fellow Jews. In other words, the destruction of the Temples on Tishah B’av brought an end to the physical edifice of the Temple and its central importance to the Jewish people, while also accentuating the glaring necessity for unity and selfless acts of loving kindness for one another.

It is no wonder why this day was marked with such a great celebration. The fully replenished supply of wood provided assurance that the main service in the Temple would continue through the winter. It also was a phenomenal gesture of kindness to everyone in the nation. The only way the Jewish people of the second Temple era could react and respond to a tragic day like Tishah B’av was to promote and celebrate the complete opposite and transformation of the tragedy and grief of Tishah B’av — by perpetuating the service in the Temple and sharing love with one another.

In present times, more than 19 centuries after the destruction of the second Temple, the fifteenth of Av provides a reminder to the power of transformation, and to the necessary perspective following a tragedy.

* * *

This Shabbos is the sixteenth Yahrtzeit of a close friend of mine – and so many more – unforgettable Avrohom Chayim ben Yeshayah haLevi, or Allen Tenenbaum.

Allen was tragically torn from his family and friends on Thursday, 16 Av, or July 29, 1999, during the infamous Buckhead shootings and massacre.

There are few events more tragic than losing a loved one and a friend, especially in such a senseless and brutal manner. Yet, when thinking and reflecting upon Allen’s life, he was a man who was constantly and actively engaged in acts of kindness. As his synagogue’s president, he invested incredible effort in “keeping the wood burning,” making things happen for the community. His care for his religion, and for every individual person – especially his family – made him consistently great. He maintained an innate ability to impact all those with whom he came into contact, rich or poor, Jew or gentile, big or small, religious or not.

His beautiful family, which he so loved, continues to follow in those very same sweet footsteps. It is, in fact, exclusively under his and their influence and merit, that the words you are currently reading in the “Good Shabbos Email” have been written and disseminated each week for more than fifteen continuous years.

Allen is deeply missed by us all, especially by his immediate family, my very dear and beloved friends, Debra, Brittany, Megan and Scott.

On the day of Allen’s Yahrtzeit, may we reflect upon his inspiration to impact all people with respect and love for G-d and man. May the holy soul of Avrohom Chayim ben Yeshayah haLevi intercede on High on behalf of his beautiful family, so that they continue to be blessed with success and Mazal, with strength and courage, with health and wealth, and with continued growth in both material and spiritual areas.

And may the experience of the ultimate comfort, an end to all tragedy and suffering, be realized immediately with the coming of the Messiah. This era will feature the prophecy of Isaiah (25:8): “Death will be eliminated forever, and the tears of sorrow will be wiped away by the Almighty Himself,” and we will all be reunited with our loved ones. May this happen speedily in our days.

SUMMARY: The power of transformation is manifest more than ever when the most tragic and sad day leads to the most joyous one.

D'VARIM-GOOD CREDIT

Fri, 24 Jul 2015 1:49:00 PM

FOR D'VARIM

GOOD CREDIT

Earlier this week, I was settling into my seat on a plane as the rest of the passengers were still embarking. The three seats in the row behind me were already occupied.

A cry of “oh no!” was suddenly emitted from one young lady sitting behind us.

Naturally, all heads turned back towards this obvious yelp of distress. As it turned out, she had left her cell phone charging back in the terminal. What would she do now? Life without this critical instrument would be miserable.

Those in my row suggested that she simply return to the terminal and retrieve it. Ample time was still available to pull this off successfully before the scheduled time of departure. The passenger seemed confused or reluctant to make a run for it.

One of the flight attendants was standing nearby. While the people were continuing to file into the aircraft, the anxious passenger approached him at our behest. She asked for permission to run out to the terminal, and yes, she knew precisely where the phone was left.

This day was clearly not the best one for this flight attendant. He seemed exasperated, and this flight was just beginning. Wherever he turned, people were either violating some rule, or annoying him in some other way. He informed the troubled traveler that he could not allow her to leave her belongings on the plane while she left. “I would get into trouble if I did that,” he said. In order for her to leave the aircraft, she would need to find the couple of bags she had placed in different areas on the plane. This could not happen while passengers were continuing to board the plane.

The poor lady was going to have to wait until every passenger was seated on the plane. She was sternly warned by the stoic and way-too-serious flight attendant, that she would only have a very short time before the doors would close. It did not look good for her.

Getting involved with some personal matters, I did not follow the story through. I did, though, notice this woman returning to her seat with her phone in hand. She also carried a smile of relief that lit up the aircraft. The passengers who were aware of the aggravation broke out into an applause. The stern and somber flight attendant lightened up a little, gesticulating with his hands and directing her to her seat. It seemed as though he was taking credit for relief of a problem directly exacerbated by him.

As some passenger quipped: These workers are here to resolve crises, some of which are literally connected to life and death; their job is not to make things worse by citing rules and regulations with an unsympathetic demeanor.

It is fashionable to take credit, or at least to feel good, when a positive outcome follows an annoying or painful dilemma. While one usually ignores the antics of someone having a bad day, even he, in this case, was seeking some recognition for his supposed role.

And it makes sense: When one helps another, it normally causes a good feeling – even a joy. True, some people focus on taking credit for being the hero, and some take credit even when it is not due. The mere fact that people are looking to take credit, even when it is not due, demonstrates that helping others is a great trait which is appreciated by all.

Yet, taking credit when not due rubs people the wrong way – as it should. It seems, though, from this week’s Torah portion, “D’varim,” that Moses does just that. This portion, which begins the fifth and final book of the Torah, contains a recall of good times and not such good times from when the Jewish people left Egypt until the time they were poised to enter the Holy Land. Moses will pass away about a month prior to their entry into the Land.

Mixed into some of the recalled episodes, in this portion and others, are disappointments and failures of the people. In his final weeks to the people, he calls on them not to repeat the mistakes made by those who left Egypt.

Along the way in the Torah’s fifth book, many of the commandments are revisited, various commandments receive additional critical details, and some only appear in this book.

One of the commandments receiving new critical details is the one to appoint judges and the general justice system. Details such as: “Listen (patiently) to your brother’s claim,” “Listen (with equal interest) to a case involving a small amount (of money), as you do one with a large amount (of money),” “On that occasion I gave you instructions about all the things you should do (i.e. how monetary cases differ from capital cases).” (D’varim (Deuteronomy) 1:16-18.)

None of the above details appear when the Torah originally records the setup of the justice system. What is more, the one who formulated the original idea of a justice system was Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law. Jethro gets the credit in the portion named for him, but gets no credit – not even a mention – in this portion!

The answer is in the details. The original idea was the brainstorm of Jethro but it was an idea that required an inordinate amount of work: A search for appropriate judges had to be organized; teaching of the system also had to be communicated, which included all the many details mentioned specifically in this week’s portion.

In other words: Jethro does, indeed, get the credit for the idea. The work, incorporating the many tedious details, required Moses to get on board, and assume full control of the idea, even expanding it beyond comparison to the original notion.

Taking credit can, therefore, also be acceptable if the implementation of the idea is more thorough and vastly expands upon the original germ of the idea. Moses definitely gets the exclusive credit in this portion for that reason: He took an idea and built it up way beyond the original thought.

In life, everyone is a judge. All people have the mandate to judge themselves, seeking new ideas to better themselves and improve their lives. Most people are incapable of being impartial to themselves, and they require honest and direct consultation with a peer, a friend, or a respected mentor.

Whoever it is, the advisor must always desire the appropriate outcome, who hopes to see a better and more improved life for the one consulting with him or her. The advisor has all the right to claim heroic credit for the idea.

Yet, without the one implementing the idea into his or her life, even the best plans go nowhere. Once the work has been carried out, and especially when taken to wider and broader plateaus, credit can then be taken in full by the one doing the work.

The flight attendant on our flight was very unhelpful, thus not carrying out his primary duties of helping passengers. He could be given credit for hindering the efforts, and making this story more compelling… Hopefully, he will also learn to take credit only when it is due: To actually work on helping another person…

SUMMARY: Credit is always due for one who invests effort to helping another. At the same time, if the outcome far exceeds the idea, the one doing the work takes the credit.

MATOS-MASEI-DO YOU NEED TO KEEP YOUR PROMISE?

Fri, 17 Jul 2015 1:05:00 PM

FOR MATOS-MASEI

DO YOU NEED TO KEEP YOUR PROMISE?

An agreement was reached this week by global players, much to the consternation of Israel and the majority of Jewish people around the world. Many non-Jewish clear thinking moral and decent people are also scratching their heads in bewilderment over the deal.

A deal is a deal, goes the saying. When two people give their word to each another, it should count as a done deal.

Ask any decent and moral person the following: If someone promised to perform a particular action, must that promise be kept? Those decent and moral people would surely be inclined to say that the promise must be kept. That is quite obvious.

What would happen, though, if the person had a change of heart? The fellow could not keep his promise because of issues that were not present when the promise was made. Must the fellow still keep his word?

Earlier this week, someone discussed a personal dilemma with me. This person had been inclined to implement changes in life, which included greater attention to Jewish observance. With time, the person realized that the burden of these recent commitments was too much. It would have been distracting to the present reality. On the one hand, argued the person to me, the promise and commitments were made, and that should be the end of the story. On the other hand, the commitment was made by imagining that it would be possible to be carried out. That was valid, however, until the realities of these commitments had to be faced.

I asked the person many questions in order to understand properly and wrap my mind around the reality of the situation. When I realized that the reality leaves, indeed, no room for new commitments, I advised the person to leave the commitments on hold until the reality changes.

In this case, the commitments were made under incorrect pretenses. People, at times, tend to become enthusiastic and emotional about a particular matter. These feelings could lead one to lose focus of reality, and they may be persuaded to bite more than they can chew.

The most solemn and somber day on the Jewish calendar is Yom Kippur. A most intense prayer of that day is the “Kol Nidrei” prayer, at the onset of the holiday. This prayer, in all its seriousness, requests that vows and promises that were declared without proper and full consideration of the consequences, be null and void.

In other words, a promise, a vow, should be considered sacred and binding. In the event the situation is not conducive to the vow, or when the reality changes, one can then begin the process of annulment of the vow.

This process is discussed at the onset of this week’s (double-header) Torah portion, “Matos.” The Torah presents the rules of vows more extensively than anywhere else: “Moses spoke to the tribal heads of the children of Israel, saying: ‘This is what G-d has commanded: When a person makes a vow to G-d, or makes an oath prohibiting himself, he may not violate his word. He must act in accordance with whatever he uttered.’” (Bamidbar (Numbers) 30:2-3.)

Because of the anomaly of the Torah addressing the above to the “Tribal Heads,” the Talmudic Sages deduce that people in position of Tribal Heads were granted permission to annul vows. The Torah relies on the leaders to examine each such situation thoroughly from an objective and teaching position. The leader can then advise the person whether annulment of the vow is permissible or not.

In the subsequent thirteen verses, completing the laws of vows, the Torah discusses three further scenarios in which vows regarding self-affliction may be ratified or vetoed: 1) The father of an adolescent woman under the father’s jurisdiction may annul the vow of his daughter. 2) Vows made by a woman may be vetoed by her betrothed man upon discovery of these vows. 3) A husband may revoke his wife’s vow when he hears about it. These scenarios are valid only when the woman’s vow of self-affliction could affect the man concerned.

Elsewhere in the Torah, on more than one occasion, the Torah imposes upon people, in clear terms, how one must carry out a promise. It is odd that, where the Torah chooses to present the collection of rules regarding vows, the overwhelming focus is on the annulment of the vows, rather than the upkeep of them!

From this odd fact, though, it is obvious that the Torah is not keen on people obligating themselves with self-afflicting vows. As the Talmudic Sages point out, the Torah presents sufficient rules which include self-affliction. That should be plenty for any person.

For this reason, the Torah places the authority of annulment in the hands of the “Tribal Leaders.” As experts in leading and understanding their constituents, they would possess the knowledge to not merely understand the situation of their people, but also to guide them in how they conduct their lives and commitments towards the Almighty and themselves.

While agreements and promises need to be treated with all seriousness, when people pay attention to reality, those promises may be voided. It does, though, take experts in the field, those with proficient and skilled knowledge of the actual issue, to offer their expertise. In medicine, in law, or in real estate, one would not consult with politicians, scientists, or bakers on how to proceed, but prudent people consult with the greatest and most erudite in any important field, especially in matters of life and death.

My personal opinion, or anyone’s personal opinion, is not necessary in judging the latest agreement between six countries and Iran. Experts in matters of security should be heeded carefully. And if they are asking people to be mindful of the reality, they also have the right and the expertise to call for the annulment or upkeep of this agreement based on the reality of the situation

In the meantime, the Psalmist declares: “The guardian of Israel… neither slumbers nor sleeps. G-d is your guardian. G-d is your protective shade at your right hand… G-d will protect you from every evil… From now and forever.” (Psalms 121:4-8.)

SUMMARY: Revoking and annulling vows by experts is given more regard in the Torah than keeping vows, for reality must be regarded when it comes to vows and agreements.

PINCHAS-HOW HEROS LIVE AND DIE

Fri, 10 Jul 2015 1:05:00 PM

FOR PINCHAS

HOW HEROS LIVE AND DIE

Do you have a hero, or multiple heroes? A person to whom you can look up for encouragement, for emulation, or to aspire to follow in his or her ways?

Some look up to those who have had to overcome overwhelming, even unimaginable challenges and obstacles, in order to survive. Some have not merely survived, but have thrived.

Others are prone to look up to a parent, a teacher, or a friend, who has invested time and effort to promote and encourage the person, setting him or her up to succeed in life.

Still others will look up at a person who has harnessed a talent, and has achieved celebrity status as a result. A sports figure, a musician, an accomplished author, and so forth.

Another type of hero is a person who sets him or herself to a worthwhile project, and continues to persevere despite ongoing negative outcomes. It is possible that the person may never succeed in pushing through, yet, the person is regarded a hero due to yeoman and non-pessimistic efforts. Not all people who battle terrible odds, like diseases and other maladies, are successful. Their efforts, however, are not lost on those around them. They become a source of inspiration and motivation.

And such is also Moses, who, due to seemingly overlooked occurrences in the Torah, emerges as an extraordinary hero.

It all begins with the famous story of the Almighty instructing Moses to produce water from the dried-up miraculous source. He was to talk to the rock and command it to produce water. Moses, famously, hit the rock to produce the water. He was subsequently told that this act of non-compliance will have kept him from crossing the Jordan River into the Holy Land. (Bamidbar (Numbers) 20: 7-13.)

In this week’s Torah portion, “Pinchas,” Moses in instructed to die. In the Torah’s words: “Ascend here, up the Avarim mountains, and look at the land which I have given to the children of Israel. When you have seen it, you will be gathered to your people (you will die), just as Aaaron your brother was gathered, because you disobeyed My command… to sanctify Me with the water.” (27:12-14.)

It seems to be a straight forward instruction to Moses: Go up and see the Holy Land (because he would not be allowed physical entry), and then he will die on the mountain – which is precisely what eventually occurred.

Moses then requests that the Almighty appoint an appropriate successor to lead the Jewish people from here and on. Joshua is the man chosen for this mission.

Moses, though, does not die here. He continues to be alive and well.

This week’s portion is the forty-first portion of the Torah. Moses will not die until the final portion, the fifty-fourth portion!

Instead, the Torah presents a steady litany of commands for Moses to die, which, as mentioned, will not occur until the final portion. In next week’s portion, for example, the Torah states: “G-d spoke to Moses saying, ‘Take revenge against the Midianites for the children of Israel. After that, you will be gathered to your people.’” (31:1-2.) The war ends, and still Moses does not die.

Later, early in the Torah’s fifth book (its forty-fifth portion), the Torah records Moses as saying: “For I will die in this land, and will not cross the Jordan River. You, however, will cross, and you will take possession of this good land.” (4:22.)

And so it goes. The Torah references the death of Moses numerous times – more than ten times! – but Moses continues to live on.

The question begs to be asked: Why spend so much time on a matter that does not materialize until much later? Could the Torah not have left the discussion of Moses’ death until the time he actually dies?

Moses understood the importance and sanctity of the Holy Land very well. He was there, at the Burning Bush, when the Almighty mapped out the future of the Jewish people: They would leave Egypt, they would receive the Torah on that very mountain, and they would be led into the Promised Land of Milk and Honey. And Moses was present during the numerous times that the Almighty continued His promise to bring the people to the Land. Moses himself extolls the virtues of the Land multiple times in the Torah’s fifth book.

Accordingly, Moses desperately desired to enter the Land, and experience all of its great virtues. According to the sages of the Midrash, Moses figured that it should not be too difficult for him to reverse the ban. After all, he had managed to reverse many decrees and negativity threatened by the Almighty against the Jewish people for far worse crimes than hitting the rock instead of talking to it.

But it was not meant to be. The Almighty would not reverse this ban. Moses, indeed, never entered the Land.

Yet, Moses never stopped trying. Until the last minute, Moses continued to pray, to plead and to beg. He tried everything, pulling out no stops. He truly wished to experience all the great and hallowed experiences available exclusively in the Land.

The Torah, for this reason, continues to bring up Moses’ death, because Moses continued to push for his death not to happen, so he could enter the Land.

Moses was ultimately unsuccessful in reversing the ban, but he never stopped trying.

It is this heroic behavior which the Torah is promoting, beginning with this Torah portion: One should never give up the struggle for a sacred and divine cause.

A hero can be an extraordinarily gifted person, or a regular person who has accomplished extraordinary feats. In every case, a hero is one who, despite the odds, keeps at it, inspiring all those around him or her, and even generations to come.

SUMMARY: A hero is a person who, despite the odds, will not give up. In addition to inspiring those around the hero, the hero can inspire future generations

BALAK-FEAR SHOULD NOT BE HERE!

Fri, 3 Jul 2015 2:19:00 PM

FOR BALAK

FEAR SHOULD NOT BE HERE!

It was around nine in the morning last Friday when I received a call from Israel. On the phone was a woman I have known for a while since her days in Georgia. She was calling about her daughter, who was returning home to Europe via a different country, and was denied entry into that country.

Despite just being in transit, the immigration department in that neighboring country wanted this woman out that Friday afternoon. She elected to go to London, where my parents and some of my siblings live. This phone call was a request for me to make the necessary arrangements.

I had just begun to battle with, what turned out to be, a terrible case of the flu. The remnants of this misery is just leaving me today, as I write these words. The majority of that day was spent off my feet. My head and body were aching, and were begging me just to stop everything. I figured that a couple of phone calls should settle this urgent task.

It took me over two hours, though, to make any headway with these arrangements, for reasons not relevant here. And as it went, this raging flu continued making a wreck out of me. When arrangements had finally been made, I contacted the passenger, who was heading to catch her flight to London.

Getting into England these days is also not a piece of cake. I remained with the passenger on the phone as she embarked on her one-hour flight, to see her through all the scenarios, and to have her completely prepared. We also needed to make transportation arrangements, so she should arrive at her destination in London prior to Shabbos.

As time moved on, every word I said was becoming increasingly exhausting. I needed to shut out the outside world for a couple of hours. Once she is safely in England, I thought, I am going to do just that.

The line for British immigration, however, was enormous. It took this poor woman about forty-five minutes to get through it. And she really needed me then, as she was extremely nervous. We were “talking” back and forth over the whatsapp text message service, and over the loud objections of my entire body. I was repeating the instructions, with names, numbers and addresses of where she was going to stay.

And then she informed me that she was next in line. “I’m scared,” she wrote. “Please pray for me.” I encouraged her to calm down, put her trust in the Hands of the Almighty, and just not be afraid.

After five to ten minutes of not hearing from her, I realized that this was not going to be smooth. Just then, she contacted me that she was being detained by immigration, with less than an hour to Shabbos. “I’m really scared now,” she wrote. “What if I spend the Shabbos in jail?”

I could not blame her for being scared, but I also could not let her give up hope. I needed to encourage her. After thinking it through, I realized: This woman has done nothing wrong. It is not illegal to arrive in England without a visa. She was not lying that she is spending the next couple of nights with the Lew family. She is not with false papers. There was no reason for her not to be allowed into Great Britain. And so, with my strength seriously waning, I said she must absolutely not be afraid. She will not be there for Shabbos. I insisted she tell me she is not scared or afraid, and that she will trust in the Almighty.

She was out of there within a few minutes. I was out cold within seconds…

There are legitimate concerns out there, not merely phobias. One locks doors at night for security reasons. One also looks to avoid unhealthy foods or places. Parents must be extremely vigilant for their children’s welfare. These, however, are not about “fear,” per se.

Fear normally paralyzes a person. It emplaces a person in a “freeze” mode. One cannot think straight, or act rationally. One must overcome fear in order to deal with whatever is causing the fright.

The Torah records people who were legitimately in fear. One of those is Moses, towards the end of last week’s portion. His fear was from an enemy who seemed to have the upper hand due to the merit of a good deed. The Almighty told Moses not to be afraid, as this merit will not help. (Bamidbar (Numbers) 21:34.) In this week’s portion, “Balak,” the person named Balak, king of the Moabites, “Became terrified of Israel because they were numerous.” (22:3.) They said: “This community (of Jewish people) is now going to gnaw away at everything around us, just as an ox in the field eats up vegetation.” (22:4.) As a result of this fear, Balak hired a Jew-hating prophet, Bilaam, to curse the people and get rid of them. This was foiled, as the portion records.

In truth, Balak had nothing to fear. The Torah records elsewhere (D’varim (Deuteronomy) 2:9) that the Jewish people were forbidden to besiege Moab, or to incite them to war. Had King Balak maintained a grip over his fears and, instead, intelligently investigated the situation, he would have discovered that his fears were completely unfounded.

But that is the nature of fear: It is in the mind. People imagine outcomes and conclusions of how others may react, or how a story is bound to unfold, and the overwhelming majority of the time, they are figments of imaginations and complete fantasy.

It becomes even more pronounced when a person really needs to think, but is hampered by fear.

It takes two strong steps to overcome fear: 1) to properly and legitimately break the situation down in the mind, and focus on the more reasonable and probable outcome, 2) to place trust – not just faith, but trust – in the Almighty, in Whose Hands is every outcome. Then, and only then, one can go ahead in confidence.

When the woman thanked me after the Shabbos, I reminded her of the above lessons: Life does not normally follow the mind’s imaginative script. Every aspect of life is planned by Divine providence. Whatever is supposed to happen, will happen – even if it meant that I needed to spend many hours, not minutes, on this saga. It is up to the person to be prepared to the best of his or her ability. The rest will happen as it should.

So why be afraid?

SUMMARY: To be afraid is to give in to creative imagination. Life goes according to a Divine plan, not a creative imagination.

CHUKAS-ABSOLUTE DEDICATION TO ALL

Fri, 26 Jun 2015 12:45:00 PM

FOR CHUKAS

ABSOLUTE DEDICATION TO ALL

(From a previous Good Shabbos Email)

Earlier this week, I paid the first of my two annual visits to summer camp. Twice during the summer, I typically enjoy a day engaged in “Chabad style” Jewish programming with the campers.

Aside from time with the campers, there is also time to meet some of the staff, many of whom are former students of mine. This time, I also met a staff member from Israel, who had been hired to work at camp for the summer.

This staff member approached me with a question. She related that her job at camp was to impress upon the campers the importance of Israel from a cultural standpoint. Although this young lady is personally not strictly Jewishly observant, she is still well aware of, and familiar with, Jewish history, and the central role the Land plays for the Jewish people in all generations, including this one, especially from the Torah’s margin-bottom: 12pt;">And so, this staff member, in one of her presentations during the week, asked the campers what they knew or thought regarding the importance of Israel in their lives. The essential question was: “Is Israel part of the common destiny of the Jewish people?”

The staff member was shocked, she said, that only one Jewish camper identified with that fact. Even that camper, related the staff member, was referring to the Messianic era, but not that the common-day Jewish experience would also include a shared destiny with Israel, the Holy Land. I responded that she had a few more weeks to do her job with these campers…

Against this background, the staff member challenged me passionately: “You, as a Chabad Rabbi, surely agree that living in a land called “Holy” is the destiny of the Jewish people. And if so, I hope you don’t mind me asking the following question: ‘How come you don’t live in Israel, the Holy Land? How do I explain to the campers about the destiny of the Jewish people, when visibly observant Jewish people like you are not living there?’”

It is a fair question, and one I have fielded before. I explained that, despite its own challenges, the holiness of the Holy Land is unquestionably more powerful than in any other place in the world. Also true is how Israel is the destiny of the Jewish people. It is the Land promised to the Founding Fathers and Mothers of the Jewish people, and to their descendants. This promise continues to this day.

For personal spiritual gains and satisfaction, the Holy Land of Israel would surely be the superior place for my family and me to live. But we have chosen a path in life that does not focus on personal and private achievements in the conventional sense. As a family privileged to be included among the Chabad “Shluchim,” representatives or emissaries of the movement, we live our lives – wherever they may be – to be there for the sake of others.

And even if it means that Chabad emissaries must be there for just one person who may need them, the communal mission and goal continues in that place. Even if the remaining person has minimal redeeming spiritual features, that person still requires attention, as can be seen from some strange wording in this week’s Torah portion, “Chukas.”

The Jewish people had been in the desert for close to forty years. It was now mid-summer, about eight months before their eventual entry into the Holy Land. At this point, following the death of Aaron, the High Priest, “The Canaanite King of Arad… heard how the Jewish people had come by the route of the spies.” The king waged war against the Jewish people. (Bamidbar (Numbers) 21:1).

What is “the route of the spies?” This was the route taken by the twelve men Moses sent some thirty nine years before this episode. They were asked to scout the Land and bring back a report. Their report was scandalous, with which they incited the people to complain about entering the Land. It was the fault of these spies, in fact, that the Jewish people were reprimanded, remaining in the desert for four long decades.

The question, then, begs to be asked: Why would the Torah reference these wicked spies here, by describing how the remnants of the people on their eventual journey to the Holy Land took the particular “route of the spies?” Is it not enough that one hears about the evil spies in the context of when it happened?

The Torah is conveying a very powerful lesson: As the Jewish people journeyed towards the Holy Land through the same route as the spies, the Torah is reminding the reader that, when the spies left, they were fulfilling a charge and a duty transmitted by Moses. True, it ended in a self-made disaster, yet, when they were first leaving on this journey, they did so in order to fulfill the mandate given to them by Moses.

In other words, their only redeeming feature was how they followed Moses’ instruction at the outset of this mission. And the Torah chooses to highlight this specific feature in order to stress how, even if but one good thing is found in someone, it should be discovered and highlighted for all time.

This lesson is pertinent to everyone. Each physical, positive act, is significant and wide-reaching. The hand, distributing a donation to charity, has performed a Divine act, and that purely physical cash has been elevated to a lofty spiritual level.

As a result of this act being Divine, the person has now forged a connection with the Heavenly Father. As such, it is eternal in its lofty place on High.

For the above reason, one will find Chabad Houses all over the world, including, but not especially, Israel. Those Chabad Houses are typically manned by those who do not necessarily externally appear similar to those around them. But that is why they are there: So each person can have the opportunity to do one more good deed.

SUMMARY: On their way into Israel, the Jewish people were shown how the individual is important, not just numbers of people.

KORACH-LEADING THE DIVISION

Fri, 19 Jun 2015 12:32:00 PM

FOR KORACH

LEADING THE DIVISION

(From a previous Good Shabbos Email)

When it comes to special moments, not many can best the experience of candle lighting time on a Friday evening, a few minutes before sunset (or on the eve of a festival). The female members of the household light a candle, while married women kindle a minimum of two candles. Their hands are then passed around the flames three times, and, as though they are gathering the light into themselves, they cover the area of their eyes with their fingers and hands. The light and radiance of the candles have now been taken inwards.

As their hands cover their eyes, the women recite the blessing for the Shabbos or festival. Many will utilize this time to reflect and concentrate on prayers for loved ones, friends, and so forth. It is difficult to find moments more spiritual and surreal as these.

The day and its holiness are directly radiated into the home once the candles are lit. All of a sudden, a serene atmosphere pervades, hoisted to a transcendent plateau. It is no longer regular and mundane; Shabbos is here.

The holy days, however, are not designed to last as the norm. One must contend with a descent as they come to a close. Here, too, a ceremony, called “Havdalah,” or separation, takes place. This ceremony also includes a blessing on a candle. (The candle is only used on a Saturday night, not at the conclusion of a festival.)

And here is where it gets quite interesting. People gather together, basking in the warmth of escorting out the holiness of a particular day. Somehow, saying goodbye through a ceremony, together with the light and the other ceremonial accompaniments, creates a warm and uniting atmosphere.

There can be, after all, unity in separation.

It mostly depends on the purpose and focus of the separation. Separation driven by inharmoniousness and discord is unhealthy and unhappy. Separation motivated by recognition of the strengths and beauty of another, actually creates a deeper sense of unity.

Separation and squabble, leading to disaster of the greatest proportion, is a main theme of this week’s Torah portion, “Korach.” This man, Korach, was driven by jealousy and other unpleasant characteristics. He gathered a group of malcontents to challenge the leadership of Moses. With seeming righteous indignation, he thunders: “All the (members of the) congregation are holy, and G-d is with them. So why have you made yourselves elite over G-d’s assembly?” (Bamidbar (Numbers) 16:3.)

Korach and his cohorts made it seem as though usurping the leadership of Moses would create a level playing field. In reality, they had no intention of doing this. This was a stunt for them to become leaders and do a “better job.” Moses never engaged in a debate with these separatists, seeking so-called unity. Instead, these people were quite literally swallowed up by the earth, separating them from the community for all time. This group is eternally remembered as the prototypical rabble-rousing quarrelers.

The group who claimed to champion the rights of the people, supposedly seeking to eliminate separation, uneven roles, and leadership, is eternally remembered as representing confrontation, belligerence, and disunity.

The world was created unevenly. Night and day, hot and cold, up and down possess characteristics superior and inferior. Yet, they all play a pivotal role in making this world what it is. A healthy world is when all parts play their roles to the utmost.

People, as well, are not equal. True, every single individual can and should contribute in his or her unique way. Every single person is important and plays a vital role. Yet, some people are designed and destined to be like the feet, which keep the body standing and move the body when necessary, while others are designed and destined to be like the brain, to think, direct and lead. A healthy body is when all its individual and distinct components function and complement one another in unity; as one. Attempting to use the head upon which to stand and feet with which to think, would present disorder, confusion, and bedlam.

Respecting the separable components and borders among people brings the deepest harmony.

* * *

This Shabbos is the third day of the Hebrew month of Tammuz. It is the Twenty-first Yahrtzeit of the Rebbe – the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. This saintly man, of righteous memory, lived his life for the other person. The Rebbe took upon himself the responsibility of bringing awareness and an awakening of Judaism to the Jewish world, and a determined focus of goodness and holiness to the world at large. His vision was to inspire all of mankind to make this world not just a better place, but the perfect place; a place prepared for the Messianic revelation.

The above lesson from this week’s Torah portion – taught by the Rebbe in 1957 and 1971 – is so typical: always looking for the good of the individual, while uncompromising in areas of the collective whole.

The Rebbe’s passing left a gaping hole in this world. Despite this, the Rebbe’s greatness has continued to blossom even after his physical passing. Through his relentless message and call of resiliency and love, that legacy, that life and that spirit the Rebbe so embodied, continue to live on today and flourish stronger and more powerfully than ever, in unity.

May the Rebbe’s lifelong goal, to bring healing to the world, in the form of redemption with the coming of Moshiach, be realized speedily, when all death will be eliminated, and the world will be restored to its proper form, according to the guidance and leadership of G-d Almighty Himself.

SUMMARY: Division and demarcation are positive when the goal is to function with a united force.

* * *

In honor of the Rebbe’s Yahrtzeit, here follows an article written by Rabbi Yaakov Biderman, founder and director of Chabad in Austria.

The Rebbe and Viktor Frankl

Dr. Viktor Frankl survived three years in Hitler’s concentration camps, losing his family – including his pregnant wife – to the “Final Solution.” Frankl, though, never lost his vision of human dignity. In his best-selling book, “Man’s Search for Meaning,” he utilized his terrible experiences during the Holocaust to back his some of his psychological innovations. Frankl describes how certain inmates in the camps seemed to be able to transcend their surroundings, even giving away their last piece of bread. This proved, he writes, that a human can choose how to respond in any given set of circumstances.

Following is the other side of his story of success.

I arrived in Vienna – together with my wife, Edla – in 1981, to serve as Chabad emissaries in Austria. We immediately began by arranging programming for adults and youth.

We were aware that the famous Dr. Viktor Frankl resided in the city, but we did not have the opportunity to make his acquaintance. He never associated with the Jewish community in Vienna, and he certainly never stepped foot in the Chabad center we established.

We were very surprised when, once before the High Holidays, Dr. Frankl responded with a contribution to our annual appeal. He continued this practice every year thereafter. Although I had never met him or spoken to him, his donation always came.

We did not understand how and why these contributions suddenly began to appear, until one day in 1995 when it all became clear. It started with a visit I received from a youthful, energetic 85-year-old woman, who introduced herself as Marguerite Chajes.

“You may think you are the first emissary of theLubavitcher Rebbeto Vienna,” Marguerite told me, “but that is not entirely the case. You see, I performed an important mission here on theRebbe’s behalf long before you arrived in Austria.”

Her mother’s maiden name was Hager. The Hagers were relatives of the Rebbes of the famed Vishnitz Chassidic dynasty. Marguerite, though, became an opera singer; she married and had a daughter.

Just a few days before World War II, friends helped her escape, together with her husband and daughter, across the border to Italy, where they made it onto the last boat to the United States. Marguerite and her family settled in Detroit. Unfortunately, the rest of her family remained behind and perished.

Years passed. Marguerite’s daughter grew up and married a doctor, who, in 1959, was honored at the dinner of a Chabad institution. In conjunction with that occasion, Marguerite had an audience with the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of righteous memory.

“While in the Rebbe’s room,” Marguerite said, “I suddenly broke down in tears. I felt that it was fine to cry. He came across like a second father to me. The dam holding back my river of tears gave way.” Marguerite told the Rebbe her entire life story. She also mentioned her yearning to go back and visit her native land. The Rebbe requested that in the event that she would make such a trip, she should come see him again beforehand. Not long thereafter, Marguerite came to the Rebbe prior to her trip.

The Rebbe asked her for a favor. The Rebbe wanted her to visit two people in Vienna on his behalf. One of them was Dr. Viktor Frankl, who headed the Vienna Policlinic of Neurology. “Please send Dr. Frankl my regards, and pass the following message to him: that I said he should be strong and continue his work, with complete resolve. No matter what, he should not give up. If he remains strong and committed, he will certainly prevail.”

Arranging a meeting with Frankl was no simple task. Arriving at the clinic, she was told that the professor hadn’t shown up in two weeks. With effort, though, Marguerite found Frankl’s home address and made her way there. Marguerite told him that she had regards for him “from Rabbi Schneerson, known as the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of Brooklyn, New York. Remain strong! Continue your work with complete resolve. Don’t give up. Ultimately you will prevail.”

Tears filled the doctor’s eyes, really shocking Marguerite. After composing himself somewhat, he thanked Marguerite, and in the course of the ensuing conversation, he told her that he had been planning to abandon his efforts to fight on behalf of his theory and philosophy, and actually was considering departing Vienna, but now he would reconsider...

“So Rabbi Biderman,” Marguerite concluded, “now you understand what I meant when I said that I served as the Rebbe’s emissary to Vienna way before you arrived!”

This story fascinated me. What had the Rebbe’s message meant to Viktor Frankl?

Dr. Frankl had been a young colleague of Sigmund Freud and Alfred Adler. But his beliefs challenged their teachings. Whereas the dominant view at the time was that people are driven by the need to gratify physical needs, a “will to pleasure,” he saw humankind driven by a “will to meaning,” possessingfree choiceand the capacity for self-transcendence.

Frankl had begun to develop these ideas before the War and during his time in the Nazi death camps. Seeing how some prisoners were able to eke out a sense of purpose and maintain a positive outlook even there, he had solidified those ideas. Now he found himself a lone dissenter. All around him were loyal Freudian scholars. He was taunted, and his lectures were shunned. Understandably, Frankl felt dejected at the prospect of his life’s work going to waste. The pressures were so great that he decided to simply give up and move to Australia, to join his sister living there. He was emotionally spent.

Marguerite told me that Frankl had been drafting his immigration papers when she brought him the Rebbe’s message. This was a young Chassidic master from overseas he’d never heard of before. Frankl was beyond astonished that a Chassidic Rebbe would care about him or the perpetuation of his philosophy.

It was exactly the shot in the arm that Frankl needed. Instead of joining his sister in Australia, he continued his practice as a psychiatrist and went back to his work, full of renewed motivation, vigor, and optimism.

Marguerite’s story certainly explained the annual contribution that Frankl would send to support Chabad in Vienna. And hearing the story stirred me to contact Dr. Frankl himself, thinking perhaps he’d have something to add.

A few days later, I called Frankl and asked to meet him.

But it was difficult for him to meet me in person. This was 1995, and Viktor Frankl was 90 years of age. So we spoke over the phone. “Do you remember Marguerite Chajes?” I asked. Naturally he did; she had become a friend of the family. “Do you remember a regards she gave you from Rabbi Schneerson in Brooklyn?” I asked him. “Of course! Can I ever forget it? The Rabbi came to my aid during a very difficult time in my life. I owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude!”

As a result of Marguerite’s mission, the book, “Man’s Search for Meaning,” was translated into English, and became a bestseller and classic psychiatric text. This propelled Dr Frankl into the international limelight. Frankl became a guest lecturer at universities on five continents, and received honorary doctorates from universities around the world. He also received national and international awards and medals for his pivotal work in psychotherapy. Before his death in 1997, his magnum opus had been translated into dozens of languages and sold millions of copies.

Frankl’s brand of therapy inspired thousands of other books, seminars, workshops, new-age and spiritual groups, all based on Frankl’s idea of the human being’s unique ability to make choices and pursue his or her own meaning. From Scott Peck’s “Road Less Traveled” to Steven Covey’s “Seven Habits,” and hundreds of other bestsellers during the last 30 years, all are variations of Viktor Frankl’s margin-bottom: 12pt;">So many millions of people have benefited, and continue to benefit – directly or indirectly – from the Rebbe’s communiqué to Dr. Frankl!

I’ve often wondered why the Rebbe took an interest in the success of Viktor Frankl, a secular and intermarried Jew, and sought him out to offer encouragement and support. It would seem that the Rebbe did this not only out of personal concern for Frankl's welfare, but also in order to advance a philosophy which he felt ultimately fosters belief in G‑d, a spiritual margin-bottom: 0pt;">

I cannot help but marvel over the Rebbe’s wide reach, broad-mindedness, and remarkable visionary approach.

SHLACH-EMAILING OPPORTUNITIES

Fri, 12 Jun 2015 12:08:00 PM

FOR SHLACH

EMAILING OPPORTUNITIES

Earlier this week, I received an email from a person unknown to me. It was addressed to a guy named Mark, and I thought it was simply forwarded for me to read and comment.

The first half of the email contained words of encouragement to Mark, imploring him to utilize the time he has been given to do whatever it is. The second half of the email is what caught my attention. In this section, Mark was being encouraged to focus upon the Almighty. There was talk about a belief in at least “something,” and about somewhere, “a place,” where people go after death. The email also contained some sinister words about Free Will and about humans destroying the world.

The names of the sender and receiver were unfamiliar to me. It was possible, I thought, that these people could have communicated with me a long time ago. The subject, though, seemed to be right up my alley. Since I could not identify the names, I simply responded: “I am not Mark.”

The response came swiftly. The sender apologized profusely, expressing embarrassment that the email somehow arrived in my inbox when it was intended for Mark, a family member. “Please be assured I am simply puzzled and confounded! I am wondering how this happened. I am sorry and embarrassed,” read the rest of the email.

I have been using email for twenty years. I cannot recall this ever happening to me. And so, I responded: “I don’t believe in wrong numbers or mistaken emails. Every single thing that happens is for a reason orchestrated from Above. There MUST be a reason I had to receive this email. I obviously read your message, and I see you have an issue, or more than one, with G-d. The person you were writing to, seems to have even more than issues...”

And here, I introduced myself as a Chabad Rabbi, and responded to the issues of the email. In brief: 1) No one would ever accept that any functioning matter in this world did not have a designer and a creator who cared. This world, therefore, has to have a Creator. 2) That Creator chose to provide intelligence to humans, with which to turn the world into a better place. 3) The Torah, provided by the Creator, contains the guidelines for all people. 4) At the same time, the Creator provided humans with freedom of choice, providing an independent feeling. 5) This is why there is a system of reward and punishment. 6) The world is not being destroyed. The Creator would not allow that, and neither would most humans, who choose to do good. 7) Humans, by definition, cannot understand G-d. Pain, suffering, and anguish are major challenges to faith.

The person responded to me as follows: “Your words and website opened up more to me on Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Schneerson, whose passing in Brooklyn in 1994 (this time 21 years ago) caused great crowds to gather, wait and pray at his home. My (deceased) spouse gathered with others in prayer on that day. I was traveling for my job and missed the energy and devotion of it all. My spouse was enthralled by The Rebbe. You have inspired me to open Torah readings... I think you may very well be G-d’s messenger to me.”

The Almighty runs the world. As such, every single occurrence is for a reason, even when it seems like an error. If the Holy Creator wants it to happen, it is going to happen whether in an expected manner or in an unexpected manner. But it will happen.

The above is similar the tragic error made by the group of scouts who were sent to the Holy Land of Israel, as recorded in this week’s Torah portion, “Shlach. The Jewish people were on the verge of entering the land of Israel. This group of twelve men journeyed for forty days around the Land, in order to bring back a report of what they saw. This would allow the people to formulate a strategy to conquer the Land.

Ten members of the group returned not just with a report, but with bad news: “We are unable to go up against the people, for they are stronger than us… The Land…consumes its inhabitants. All the people in it are enormous men… supersized giants…” (Bamidbar (Numbers) 13: 31-33.)

The Jewish people were incited into a frenzy as a result of this disastrous report’s conclusion. They cried all night, and suggested returning to Egypt. The Almighty was furious with them, declaring their rebellion to be their fate: They would remain in the desert for a total of forty years, until their generation would die out. Their children and grandchildren would eventually conquer the Land.

This was not a “blaming the messenger” issue. These people were sent to bring a report of the best method to conquer the Land. Had they said: “From a human strategic standpoint, we don’t see how it’s possible,” they would have been off the hook. Instead, they said: “It is not possible to conquer it.” For them to suggest that it cannot be done was their offense. Not conquering the Land was not an option.

And that is because the Almighty already had said they were getting that Land. It could never not happen. That Land was going to belong to the Jewish people whether or not anyone understood how to make happen.

Each person is blessed with talent and with ability. In the day-to-day life of each individual, one must continuously toil and labor to exploit his or her talents, gifts from the Above.

At the same time, when the Almighty wishes to provide some extra opportunity or challenge, it is going to happen. It may look right, or it may look like a mistake, an error, or a problem.

One should always consider all opportunities, especially when it is possible to inspire another person. At the least, one has the opportunity to offer kind wishes and blessings. You never know which “land” can be then conquered.

SUMMARY: What may seem like a mistake is actually an opportunity. It is up to people to look at everything that happens as another opportunity provided by the Almighty.

B'HALOSECHO-CONSTRUCTING A POWERFUL UNITY

Fri, 5 Jun 2015 7:45:00 AM

FOR B'HALOSECHO

CONSTRUCTING A POWERFUL UNITY

Vice President Joe Biden suffered a tragedy this past week. His son, Beau, 46, passed away from cancer. He had been battling the terrible disease for years.

This is not the first tragedy suffered by this family. In 1972, a week after Biden was elected from Delaware to the United States Senate, his wife and daughter were killed in a car crash while out shopping. His sons, including Beau, were also hospitalized in very bad shape. It was not clear whether they would survive without brain damage.

Joe Biden, at 29 years old, just starting out in his political career, would not leave them. He was focused on the boys, who were all he had left. He ended up taking the oath of office at the side of Beau’s hospital bed.

And he did not leave them since. In the decades after, Biden would commute by train between Washington, DC, and Wilmington, Delaware. He preferred the daily four-hour commute for over 37 years, rather than the convenience of living in Washington. He did so to be able to kiss his sons goodnight, and then again in the morning. He recalled how, when thinking of his young boys, he realized that a child can hold an important thought to share with mom and dad, but only for 12 to 24 hours. After that, it is gone.

His children, like all children, needed him every single day.

In a highly emotionally-charged speech a few years ago, Joe Biden disclosed another side about his children. He said, “Truth be told, the real reason I went home every night was that I needed my children more than they needed me. My bond with my sons was my ‘redemption.’” He went on to explain his constant weight of grief: “Just when you think, ‘Maybe I’m going to make it,’ you’re riding down the road and you pass a field and you see a flower, and it reminds you. Or you hear a tune on the radio. Or you just look up in the night. You know, you think, ‘Maybe I’m not going to make it, man.’ Because you feel at that moment the (sad) way you felt the day you got the news.”

Biden said that, eventually, a person makes room for other things, too. “There will come a day – I promise you, and your parents as well – when the thought of your son or daughter, or your husband or wife, brings a smile to your lips before it brings a tear to your eye. It will happen.”

Joe Biden buried another loved one this week. He will be looking for added strength to keep his mind, and the rest of his family, together.

Politicians have uncomplimentary reputations, Joe Biden included. Yet when it comes to being there for his family, while dealing with his own grief, there is no greater compliment to Biden than how he kept things together. Despite his public servant persona, he sacrificed personal comfort, understanding his importance to his surviving children, and their importance to him. He has opened the eyes of many to the importance of a unified and, therefore, powerful base.

The concept of a unifying base explains several peculiarities appearing at the onset of this week’s Torah portion, “B’ha-aloscha. This portion concludes the story of the previous portion, regarding the inauguration of the “Mishkan,” the traveling Sanctuary in the desert.

The importance of this temporary House of G-d is underscored by each of the twelve tribes’ donating gifts and offerings to it. Each tribe had its own day for twelve consecutive days. The tribe of Levi, however, which includes Levites and Kohanim (Priests), was not part of this ceremony. They would be directly involved every day, not merely during its inauguration.

As this week’s portion unfolds, the Almighty tells Moses: “Speak to Aaron and say to him: ‘When you fire up the lamps (of the Menorah, the candelabrum), the (wicks of the) seven lamps should cast their light towards the center of the candelabrum.’ Aaron did so… as G-d had commanded him. This is the construction method of the candelabrum: It is a hammered work of (a single piece of) gold, hammered from its base to its flowers (on its top).” (Bamidbar (Numbers) 8:2-4.)

The Talmudic Sages explain that these verses were communicated to Aaron as a compensation. Aaron was concerned about his tribe’s non-involvement in the inauguration. Aaron was told that his contribution of twice-daily service in kindling the Menorah was even greater than the contribution of the other tribes.

The daily service in the Temple included the offering of animals on the altar, as well as twice-daily incense on the incense altar. Why is kindling the candelabrum singled out? Moreover, why provide the instructions for its construction, when they already appear elsewhere? Another point: Why is it necessary for all the lamps to face the center?

It is because of the unity and its powerful base. The Menorah was, indeed, constructed from a single piece of gold. It had a middle stem, upon which was the middle lamp. It also had six stems, three on each side, upon which were the other six lamps. Looking at the Menorah, one easily noticed the middle stem maintaining the singular piece of gold. It was not as apparent when looking at the other six stems.

By having all the lamps face the middle stem, the attention was on the candelabrum as a single unit. In other words, each time it was lit, it was another reconstruction of the candelabrum, since it emphasized its unique feature: one piece of gold. No other unit in the Temple was constructed from a single piece.

The purpose of the Menorah was to spread light. Its seven branches and lamps, all facing the middle stem, represented various types of people. For light to shine properly, however, a total unity must be achieved. And so, its base was a single block of gold, which then split into distinct branches. Kindling the lamps as they all faced the middle pointed out, each day, how all were unified despite minor variations. That is light.

The instructions for kindling the Menorah were given to Aaron, a man of love and peace. Aaron sacrificed his own preferences and feelings for the cause of unity. He, together with his tribe, was not included in the inaugurations festivities. The unifying presence of Aaron was, by far, greater than any personal satisfaction.

Joe Biden has had his share of tragedies, out of which he has shined. May everyone have the opportunity to experience shinning unity and power only with good health and many blessings.

SUMMARY: The power of unity is like the Menorah: a unified beginning, a diversified middle, and a unified ending.

NASO-OILING ONE’S DEEDS

Fri, 29 May 2015 7:23:00 AM

FOR NASO

OILING ONE’S DEEDS

The sign outside the one-story structure occupies a most prominent place on the edifice. It takes up more space than the façade from which it is hanging. It advertises an oil change for $21.00. With my car needing an oil change, I figured that this price is not too bad.

I pulled into the shadowy area behind this structure, as one normally does for an oil change. There, a man came to greet me with a clipboard in his hands. After confirming the purpose of my visit, the guy said, “What kind of oil are you looking for, synthetic or synthetic blend?”

When it comes to oils permitted for the kindling of the Menorah on Chanukah, I have done my homework on those. I am ignorant about car oil. Sensing a typical trap to add a few, or many, dollars to the advertised price, I responded: “I don’t know what type of oil I need. I do know that I want that oil change for twenty-one dollars you have advertised. I am here for that.”

Having never changed my car’s oil there, he handed me a clipboard. “Please fill out your information on this paper.” The paper had a form which wanted my name, address, phone number, email address, occupation, and some other details that I did not even bother looking upon. “Why do I need to fill out all of this?” I asked. “All I want is for you to change the oil in my car.” “It is not for me,” said the man, “The Company needs this. When you come back the next time, we will have all your information in the system.”

The fellow had not answered my question. “But why do you need all my information. For what purpose?”

The guy looked up to his right, at a sitting car. Two guys, not seen previously, emerged from the car, as he called out: “He doesn’t want to fill out his information.” The tall, heavy, and heavily tattooed fellow approached me. “Open your hood,” he called out gruffly. He took a peek in, and said: “Synthetic blend.” Then he said, “If you won’t fill out your details, we will not service your car.”

My car was moving before he finished his sentence.

It should not be too complicated to secure an oil change for the advertised price. It is, after all, what the company claims it wants to do for you. But that is merely the noise they make with their words. Their actions do not match their words. The Sages of the Talmud have some choice words for those who talk too much and produce little, if anything: “Shimon said: ‘Not study, but practice is the essential thing; and whoever engages in excessive talk brings on sin.’” (Avos 1:17.) “Righteous people say little and do much. Wicked ones say a lot, and don’t do even a little bit.” (Bava Metziah 87,a.)

An interesting discussion among the Sages occurred in a room in ancient Lod, in the Holy Land, as recorded by the Talmud (Kiddushin 40,b), about the question: “Which is greater, study or deed?” Rabbi Tarfon responded, ‘Action is greater.’ Rabbi Akiva responded, ‘Study is greater.’ All present concluded that study is greater, for studying brings to action.” In other words, while studying Torah carries with it – among many other virtues – the great opportunity of connecting to the Almighty, plus the wisdom and the knowledge it supplies including what actions to perform and how to perform them, the actions the Torah teaches and demands are most important. When studying leads to action, one has collected both advantages: learning and action. When no action is forthcoming, the study is mere words. And mere words carry very little meaning, if anything.

The above explains the strange manner which opens this week’s Torah portion, “Naso.” In concluding the previous portion, the Torah assigns the transporting of the “Mishkan,” the traveling sanctuary, in the desert. The Levi family were appointed for this service. Levi had three sons: The oldest, Gershon, then Kehas, then Merari. Although Kehas was the middle child, his clan was mentioned first, explain the Sages of the Midrash, because the Kehosites were the carriers of the Holy Ark, which housed the Torah.

It should come, therefore, as no surprise that the Almighty instructs Moses and Aharon to, “Single out those descendants of Kehas from among the (other) children of Levi.” (Bamidbar (Numbers) 4:2.) Because of their connection to the Torah, the assignment of the Kehas family takes precedent over the rest.

One would expect the assignment for the older son, Gershon, to immediately follow the assignment of Kehas. That does not happen. The Torah first concludes that portion, waiting with the assigned tasks for the next two sons only in this week’s Torah portion, “Naso.” This break is peculiar; could the Torah not place all three families together? Even more strange is how the name of this week’s portion, “Naso,” actually means “to single out.” And these words were directed towards the Gershon family. The Gershon family does not receive a mere “singling out,” they get the entire portion to be referenced as their own singling out!

The answer is about the action and deed. The Kehas family was indeed important, as a result of their carrying the Torah. The Gershon family, on the other hand, was also singled out, for they represented the deeds: they assembled the sanctuary to which all the Jewish people would come to pray to the Almighty and study His Torah. Without the deed, represented by the Gershon family, the Kehas family, famous for their connection with the Torah, would not amount to much.

The Gershon family therefore receives not merely a singling out, but the entire second portion of the book is the one in which Gershon is “singled out.” It is the deed which occupies the more important emphasis and attention in Judaism.

If study does not lead to action, the studying is just “Big Words,” and nothing more. Like a verbal promise and commitment: When action happens, one then knows that the words were, indeed, “big words.”

By the way, I found a coupon which made my oil change even cheaper than the price those mere “word people” had advertised. Now that action is certainly far better than any of their fine words…

SUMMARY: People who talk without backing up their words with action, are known as “Big Talkers.” Because, without actions, words can be big – but meaningless.

SHAVUOS-A HEAVENLY EARTH

Fri, 22 May 2015 7:25:00 AM

FOR SHAVUOS

A HEAVENLY EARTH

It is somewhat unclear what the Pope actually said earlier this week regarding a certain Palestinian leader. Whatever he said, though, the setting was not in favor of Israel. That is very clear. When the said Palestinian leader consistently promotes the destruction of Israel and its citizens in words and deeds, only the boorish ignorant would consider him a partner for peace with Israel. That should be obvious to anyone who cares about peace.

Without getting into the details of the story, it is abundantly clear that Israel is held to a unique standard by the rest of the world. Israel’s very existence is not merely threatened by its bitter sworn enemies, but actions of countries that one would expect to discern between right and wrong, constantly condemn Israel for whatever suits them at a particular moment. Those shameful actions contribute to, and increase, the constant threat under which Israel has stood from the beginning of its existence.

Sure, Israel makes mistakes – like every other country. By contrast, North Korea, Pakistan, countries in Africa, and many more, do not make mere mistakes. They intentionally murder their own citizens and squash human rights, as well as political rivals, at will. Yet, the existence of these brutal countries is neither questioned nor threatened. Just Israel.

It is remarkable that, despite every possible challenge and from both inside and outside of the country, Israel remains blessed with incredible success. Its economy, its security, its technological and medical advances, plus its allure for tourists of all stripes and colors, continues, thank Heavens, to grow and improve. The country is beautiful, and the amount of unconditional kindness it shows to all is astounding – as the recent Israeli medical response to the needy in Nepal following their devastating earthquake.

The secret of success for Israel, I believe, lies in how the Almighty chose to communicate with His people all the way back at the beginning of their becoming a people, at Mount Sinai. The festival of Shavuos – beginning this Saturday night and continuing till Monday night – commemorates this momentous and historic event, from 3,327 years ago.

It was to Mount Sinai where every member of the original Jewish people – male, female, young and old, scholar and layman alike – was invited. This is when the Jewish people truly became a nation. This nation was provided with a set of guidelines at this Mountain, through which they would become “the nation of G-d.” These principles began with the Ten Commandments, communicated verbally by the Almighty Himself at the gathering at the mountain, and eventually expanded to all 613 commandments in the Torah.

In other words, every commandment – not only the famous Ten Commandments – was delivered to the Jewish people at Sinai. Certain commandments were delivered publicly to all the people, while the rest were delivered to Moses when he spent time on the Mountain with the Almighty, and were eventually were recorded in the Torah and taught to the people. Even those commandments which unfolded while the Jewish people were in various locations in the desert many miles away from Mount Sinai, originated there, at Sinai.

The fact that all of the Torah’s commandments originated at Sinai is understood from the Torah portion of last week, “B’har.” That portion begins with the words: “G-d spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai saying: Speak to the children of Israel saying: When you come to the Land that I am giving you, the Land should rest a Sabbath to G-d.” (Vayikra (Leviticus) 25:1-2.)

These “Sabbatical Year” laws (as discussed in last week’s Good Shabbos Email) are intricate and complex, possessing many complicated details. The Torah wishes to teach, write the Sages of the Midrash, that each commandment, with all its details and intricacies, originated from the Almighty at Sinai, just as the one concerning the Sabbatical year did.

The question, then, begs to be asked: why choose the Sabbatical year as the example for the rest of the Torah’s commandments?

The answer is about the importance of Sinai and the resilience of the Jewish people who were assembled there. The revelation of the Almighty on Sinai was remarkable. Amid thunder claps, lightning flashes, a blast of the Shofar, smoke, fiery clouds, and much drama, the Almighty “Descended onto Mount Sinai” and delivered the words of the Ten Commandments (Shmos (Exodus) 19:20.) It should come as no surprise that the people were completely awe-struck by the overwhelming sacredness of this spiritual event.

One can only imagine what was on the minds of those privileged to witness this transcendental experience. One can be certain what was not on their minds: working the Land, or even the food the Land would produce. They must have been mindful of infinitely more than earth and food, or leaving those fields fallow for the Sabbatical year.

Moreover: The Sabbatical year was not merely a distant thought from the mind of the people at Mount Sinai. The event of the Sabbatical year would not even come into play for another sixty years after Sinai! How could it have been on their minds? The divine experience of Sinai was as far as can be from the Sabbatical year – from a practical standpoint, as well as a philosophical standpoint.

Yet, precisely this apparently distant commandment was chosen to demonstrate how every commandment originated from the Almighty at Sinai. This is because the purpose of Sinai was to permeate all worldly elements with the Divine revelation at Sinai all the way down to the lowly earth. And so, while the earth of the Land was not on the mind of the people at Sinai, it was most definitely very much on the mind of the Almighty. For the entire purpose of the Sinai experience was to demonstrate that the Almighty and His earth, with all its contents and creations, are intrinsically one and the same.

And Sinai had one more purpose: The perseverance, the determination, the tenacity, of hanging in and never giving up hope. The laws of the Land were taught at Sinai, but as an instruction for the distant future. It was as though the people were being told: An important and critical part of your Holy Land experience – the Sabbatical year, a year in which many Divine blessings would be experienced – would appear, but only much later, in sixty years. The Jewish people would thus be trained to remain focused, even during the years of absence.

Mount Sinai changed the world forever. Since Sinai, the Jewish people have introduced to this world meaning, purpose, morality, life, respect for human dignity, and a demonstration of a human connection with the Divine. The impact of those principles on history is unparalleled.

Perhaps because of those principles brought from Sinai, the Jewish people have faced – for over three thousand years! – demonic forces of irrational anti-Semitic hatred and violence wherever they have been. Yet, as learned from Sinai, they have never let the dream stop, never lost hope, in returning to their homeland, to their G-d, and ultimately to themselves.

No one in the Vatican, or anywhere else, will ever, not ever, change that. Sinai lives on forever, as do the Jewish people.

By attending the reading of the Ten Commandments this coming Sunday, all can relive this powerful experience, and realize that they, and the people receiving them, are here forever.

SUMMARY: The experience at Sinai was not merely about the Almighty in Heaven, but about the Almighty everywhere, on earth and with His people always.

B'HAR B'CHUKOSAI-WORKING WHILE RESTING

Fri, 15 May 2015 7:48:00 AM

FOR B'HAR B'CHUKOSAI

WORKING WHILE RESTING

Earlier this year, back in January, I had the great privilege of spending a couple of weeks in the Holy Land of Israel. I was the Rabbi on a “Mayanot-Birthright” trip for young adults, and we spent two unforgettable and beautifully memorable weeks together, bonding into a family. We are still in touch with one another.

This was not my first such trip, and I do not believe it was my last, either. These trips are highly charged with energy and discovery. Traveling through the Land of Jewish history, where the patriarchs and prophets lived and where the history of Judaism and the Jewish people were shaped, is inspiring. Climbing the rock of Masada, swimming in the Dead Sea, and standing on the borders of Israel are all thrilling. And, of course, standing before the Western Wall in Jerusalem is most moving and touches the depths of the soul.

This is the Land which was presented to the Jewish people in biblical times. It was given without an expiration date, and belongs to the Jewish people forever, maintaining its “holy” status throughout all time. It is, indeed, the “birthright” of the Jewish people. When the Jewish people are living on it – which, today, includes more people than over the past two thousand years – its unique and holy characteristics are there to be discovered, perhaps more than ever.

Our time there this year, as in the past, introduced all these elements to our groups.

But this year was different. This is the year of “Sh’mitah,” the Sabbatical year. Once every seven years, the Jewish people are commanded – found at the beginning of the first of this week’s two Torah portions, “B’har” – to leave the Holy Land of Israel fallow. No planting, no pruning, no sowing, and so forth.

This year, 5775, beginning with Rosh Hashanah, is one of those Sabbatical years. According to the strict adherents to the law, aside from leaving the Land to “rest,” the fields in which produce is grown are “Hefker,” or “free for all.” Anyone can walk in, including the field’s owner, and take whatever they wish. There is, however, a caveat: any product which normally grows from the ground, including fruits on trees, must be treated as “holy.” This means that: 1) one may not use these for commerce, and 2) the produce used for private consumption must be treated with great attention: Even the peels and waste, including moldy produce, may not be routinely discarded. Instead, these must be returned to the earth from which they came.

The Land of Israel is the Holy Land. Anything grown there from land which is owned by a Jew, is biblically held to a higher standard than in the rest of the world. Laws connected to tithes towards various causes, for instance, play a role in what would otherwise be normal fruits and vegetables grown in the Land. Whereas one who maintains a Kosher diet may purchase whole, uncooked fruits and vegetables anywhere around the world, in Israel, even those must be under a reliable Kosher supervision. One relies on a “Mashgiach,” a trained Kosher supervisor, to perform a relatively easy ritual, releasing the produce from its “holy” status.

The holiness element of the Land is, therefore, emphasized greatly. In any regular year, one must pause before biting into an apple or a cucumber. [Parenthetically, this rule also applies to exported produce from Israel.] This year, though, the Land’s holiness is that much more apparent. There are no rituals for the seventh Sabbatical year as there are for the other six. True, methods exist through which to supply the people of the Land with produce, but they are substantially more complicated (such as purchasing from non-Jewish farmers, or from produce grown outside of the biblical Holy Land.)

When traveling through the Land this year, then, the sense of uniqueness and holiness was much more pronounced. This was not merely in the restrictions on the produce – and my plate was filled with plenty (or empty?) of those – but also in the positive and constructive element. Sure, one can see this as a hassle, on the other hand, the more a person must contemplate before consuming a pickle, an orange, some humus, fries, or a slice of watermelon, the more one learns to appreciate the gifts bestowed upon him or her by the Almighty.

And this exercise is the intention of the Sabbatical year. While the agricultural component is relevant exclusively in Israel, the spirit of this commandment is very much relevant everywhere. This is understood best by first comparing the Sabbatical year to the actual day of Shabbos, the week’s seventh day:

On the one hand, the day of Shabbos is a physical day. It is, in fact, more physical than other days, for the level of food, drink and dress is decidedly raised to eminence. The best is left for this day. At the same time, the day of Shabbos is categorically a distinctly holy day. One rests from most mundane activities, and one is free to focus on family, community, and, of course, one’s relationship with the Almighty.

Shabbos is, therefore, an opportunity to elevate. One is even able to elevate mundane items such as food and drink. This, in turn, allows one to appreciate that everything in this world stems from a High and most Sacred source.

The Sabbatical year does not even ask one to be removed from the world like the Shabbos does; the year runs like any other year, in which the majority of the days are regular “weekdays.” By interdicting work on the earth, though, people are granted time to pause and to contemplate the Divine Source of the blessing.

If being secluded and elevated like Shabbos is that important, the Almighty would not have created the rest of the week. Each day would be a Shabbos. The majority of days are regular weekdays, for the ultimate goal is to live within the confines of the world and lead an elevated life.

And this is the greatness of the Sabbatical year: It is a regular year, with a constant reminder of only becoming involved with “earthliness” with a sacred and holy attitude.

Trips to Israel during this year require a greater focus. Ultimately, once the Messianic era is upon us, the holiness of the Land will be infinitely more pronounced with the rebuilding of the Holy Temple. Until then, this year is a good year of preparation for that awaited time.

SUMMARY: In a Sabbatical year, such as this year, one has the opportunity to live an almost normal life, but with the ultimate elevation in mind.