From Survival to Renewal

Why did Noach and the animals have to remain in the ark for an entire year? If the purpose of the Flood was to punish and purify the world, Hashem could have accomplished that in a moment. Why require such a long, confined, drawn-out experience for the survivors?

The Meshech Chochmah (8:19) explains that the Flood was not simply an act of destruction, but an opportunity for restoration. The Torah says, “All flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth”. The corruption of the generation was total — not just human, but cosmic.

The year in the ark was not a prison sentence. It was a period of rehabilitation. Within that enclosed, protective space, creation learned how to live again. The animals were fed by human hands. They lived in peaceful separation by species. They relearned their original, divinely intended order. Chazal (Sanhedrin 108b) commented that those who left the ark were not the same as those who entered it; they were transformed beings, renewed in purpose and identity.

Instant retribution could have satisfied justice, but meaningful change and recovery requires time. This insight speaks powerfully to our current moment as a community and as part of Am Yisrael. Over the past two years, our shul has been deeply engaged with Israel — not just following the headlines, but living them. We have prayed with intensity, raised funds, sent supplies, hosted speakers, and stood in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Israel. We have carried Israel’s pain and fear in our hearts and our tefillot.

Now, as Israel begins what we hope is the beginning of recovery, our work is not over — it is evolving and entering a new phase. The trauma of the past two years has been overwhelming: the losses of war, the hostages, the displacement of families, and the uncertainty that still hangs in the air. But as the physical conflict quiets, a new challenge emerges — the post-trauma stage. Just like the year in the ark, this is a time that demands patience, compassion, and commitment.

Healing does not happen instantly. The people of Israel — soldiers, families, children — are now beginning to process all that they have endured. For many the hardest part may be now, when the adrenaline has faded and the emotional and spiritual wounds remain raw.

This is precisely the moment when we must continue to be present; to deepen, not lessen, our engagement. The year in the ark teaches us that renewal requires sustained care. Our tefillot for Israel must continue, but so must our actions. We can support organizations providing trauma counseling, help rebuild destroyed communities, and reach out to families of soldiers and victims. We can host educational programs that keep Israel’s healing and her resilience at the center of our communal consciousness.

For the past two years, our shul has demonstrated a remarkable capacity for empathy, generosity, and unity with our brothers and sisters in Israel. That same energy is now needed for the next phase — not the emergency response, but the slow, deliberate work of recovery and renewal.

When Noach and the animals finally stepped out of the ark, they did so with new awareness and a renewed covenant with Hashem. Our hope and prayer is that Israel, too, will emerge from this painful chapter restored to wholeness, peace, and purpose. May Hashem give us the courage and strength to remain steadfast partners in that process; to be part of Israel’s healing, its rebuilding, and its ongoing journey from survival to renewal.

Appreciating What We Have As Motivation for Our Future

 When Adam “meets” his mate for the first time, he names her “isha” because she was taken from Ish. However in the next chapter Adam names the woman again – only this time he calls her something else: Chava because she is the mother of all living beings. It must have been clear to Adam from the beginning that Chava was going to be the matriarch of all of humanity as she was the only female, and Hashem had already commanded them to be fruitful and multiply. Why does Adam first call her Isha and only after their sin does he name her Chava? Rabbi Baruch Braun explains that due to her sin Hashem informed Chava of her punishment: giving birth was no longer going to be painless and harmless. It would be difficult, painful and dangerous. At this point it was no longer certain that she would willingly participate in childbearing and tolerate the burdens of pregnancy and labor. Before the sin Chava’s role as mother could be taken for granted. Her name didn’t need to reflect this role because it could be taken for granted. But now Adam was afraid that his wife would opt out of motherhood. To acknowledge and appreciate her role, Adam created a new name, Chava, which means “mother of all life”, to defend the majesty of motherhood and recognize her sacrifice and her ordeal. The lesson is that a person can only truly recognize the value of something when he lost it for a time or is in danger of losing it. Many of us have been watching as many of the heartwarming videos of the living hostages’ return to their families, something that we had been praying for daily for 2 long years. Many of these videos show these men appreciating the simple pleasures of life that most of us take for granted. While it shouldn’t be this way, human nature is to take what we have for granted and only fully appreciate it again if it were withheld from us. We say the blessing over fire during Havdalah on Motzei Shabbat based on a Midrash in this week’s Parsha which says that Adam saw the world turn dark for the first time on Saturday night, and he was inspired to rub two stones together thereby discovering fire. What is the link between the creation of fire and Saturday night? It seems that it was just a coincidence of timing that Adam happened to discover fire after Shabbat. The answer is that we don’t know what we’ve got until it’s gone. Adam didn’t say a bracha on the light that he experienced for the first 36 hours of creation, even though it was a much greater light than that which he was able to generate for himself on Motzei Shabbat, because until he saw darkness, and was worried that he would never have light again, he couldn’t appreciate the value of that little spark of light. Only as Shabbat ends do we begin to realize how much we will miss Shabbat when it is over, and how much we want to keep the inspiration of Shabbat with us into the new week. It is not surprising that we read Bereishit on the Shabbat after Simchat Torah. As we conclude the Tishrei holiday season we look to the lesson that emerges from both Adam’s naming of Eve and the fire blessing at Havdalah: to appreciate the spiritual gifts in our lives and utilize them to stay inspired- not just during Tishrei but throughout the year ahead. One way to ensure that the inspiration of Tishrei stays with us well beyond Shabbat Bereishit is by finding concrete ways to bring the inspiration with us. Attend one of the many shiurim that are available over the week. Get involved in one of the many shul committees. Attend more events, programs, or minyanim at shul. Let’s utilize the energy of Simchat Torah to illuminate and motivate us in the year ahead

Dvar Torah

In Chapter 2 of Kohelet King Solomon describes his wealth. After going into detail, he says (2:11), “Then I turned [to look] at all my deeds that my hands had wrought and upon the toil that I had toiled to do, and behold everything is vanity and frustration, and there is no profit under the sun.”Shlomo Hamelech had it all, and yet he still felt lacking. What he realizes is that the only things that can make him feel whole are the intangibles, the spiritual: 3:12 “I knew that there is nothing better for them but to rejoice and to do good during his lifetime And Kohelet’s concluding sentiment: “The end of the matter, everything having been heard, fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the entire man. ”On Sukkot, the farmer celebrated his net worth: ie, all of the produce that he harvested. This brings him security and a sense of joy. As we work to build our careers and our financial security, let us never lose sight of Kohelet’s realization: What we have is not who we are. Let us spend more effort and energy on building our character - something that can never be taken away. 

Dream Big – And Appreciate Their Fulfillment

 The halacha is that just as the schach can’t be too thin (it must block a majority of the sun), it also shouldn’t be too thick. The Halacha states that one should be able to see the stars from inside the sukkah. Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto writes that stars serve as the pipeline through which heavenly influences are brought into the physical world. According to Rav Soloveitchik we must be able to see the stars from our sukkah in order to keep our horizons broad. The Rav explained that man's problem is that his personal schach obscures his vision. When seeing the stars, we remind ourselves that there is a whole universe out there full of possibilities and promise. Perhaps it is because stars represent aspirations that they also figure prominently in dreams. The most famous dream that entailed stars was Yosef’s dream. Even as we build a sukkah for ourselves and provide for current, pressing needs we must continue to look to the stars and dream. One dream on many of our minds is the promise of a day when Hashem will spread His Sukkah of Peace upon all of Israel and the Jewish People. As we dream and work towards yet unfulfilled dreams, should remember that sometimes we can be living a dream and we don’t appreciate it

An American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked.  Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna.  The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them. The Mexican replied, "Only a little while." The American then asked why didn't he stay out longer and catch more fish. The Mexican said he had enough to support his family's immediate needs. The American then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?" The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siestas with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine, and play guitar with my amigos.  I have a full and busy life."

The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you.  You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat.  With the proceeds from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats.  Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery.  You would control the product, processing, and distribution.  You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually New York City, where you will run your expanding enterprise."

The Mexican fisherman asked, "But, how long will this all take?" To which the American replied, "15 - 20 years." "But what then?" Asked the Mexican. The American laughed and said, "That's the best part.  When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions!" "Millions - then what?" The American said, "Then you would retire.  Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siestas with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."

On Sukkot as we look at the stars, let us not forget where we are sitting. From a historical perspective the fact that we have a State of Israel is the fulfillment of the dreams of so many previous generations. Furthermore, Vilna Gaon points out that dwelling in the sukkah is an incredible mitzvah that can be performed with our entire bodies- even with the dirt on our shoes. We need to see the stars from our sukkah. It reminds us to broaden our perspective and to reach for the stars. But before we get carried away by the stars and all of those endless possibilities we should ask ourselves: is there any greater ambition than to be surrounded by family and friends fulfilling a mitzvah with every fiber of one’s being, especially today in 5786 when the Jewish People have a Jewish State?

Confessing and Forgiving: The Dual Duties of Yom Kippur

 Confessing: The Rambam writes that the essence of Viduy can be summarized in three short words: Aval Anachnu Chatanu. ‘But We sinned.” There seems to be an extra word: Aval. Shouldn’t Anachnu Chatanu suffice to convey the essence of confession? “We sinned”- what more needs to be said? Rabbi Norman Lamm suggested that Aval is necessary because Aval itself is a sin: the sin of justifying, rationalizing and excusing ourselves and our mistakes. The first step towards achieving a level of honesty that we need in our lives, and especially on Yom Kippur, is to appreciate and be wary of the sin of Aval. Our formulation of Viduy with the word Aval may be based on a similar expression said by the brothers of Yosef, recorded in Parshat Miketz. When the viceroy demands that Binyamin be brought down to Egypt, the brothers realize that they are being punished for their earlier actions towards Yosef and proclaim, “Aval Asheimim Anachnu- indeed we are guilty!” No more excuses or justifications. In many editions of the Viduy we find an additional word in the preface: Aval Anachnu VaAVOTEINU Chatanu. We and our ancestors have sinned. Why do we mention our ancestors in our confession? Rabbi Chaim Friedlander explained that on Yom Kippur we must evaluate ourselves on two different planes and admit to failings in both: Anachnu Chatanu: each of us has been endowed with unique strengths and talents. There are things that we can do and accomplish that no one else can or will. On Yom Kippur we confront the ways in which we squandered those talents and did not live up to our potential. But the picture is incomplete without a mention of Avoteinu. Each of us have parents, grandparents from whom we should have learned. We learn from their accomplishments. And we may be able to learn from their shortcomings too. We are called upon to apply the values and lessons from our past in order to pave the way to a brighter future.

Forgiving: Once on the evening before Yom Kippur, Reb Elimelech of Lizhensk was asked the proper way to observe the custom of kaparot. "You want to see an extraordinary kaparot?" replied Reb Elimelech. "Go observe how Moshe the tavern-keeper does kaparot.” The chassid located Moshe's tavern at a crossroads several miles outside of Lizhensk and asked to stay the night. "O.K.," said Moshe. "We'll be closing up shortly, and then you can get some sleep." Later that night Moshe herded his clientele of drunken peasants out the door. The chairs and tables were stacked in a corner, and the room, which also served as the tavern-keeper's living quarters, was readied for night. Before dawn, Moshe rose from his bed, washed his hands and recited the morning blessings. "Time for kaparot!" he called quietly to his wife, taking care not to wake his guest. "Yentel, please bring me the notebook -- it's on the shelf above the cupboard."Moshe sat himself on a small stool, lit a candle, and began reading from the notebook, unaware that his guest was wide awake and straining to hear every word. The notebook was a diary of all the misdeeds and transgressions the tavern-keeper had committed in the course of the year, along with the date, time and circumstance of each. His sins were quite ordinary: a word of gossip one day, oversleeping on another, neglecting to give his daily coin to charity on a third. But by the time Moshe had read through the first few pages, his face was bathed in tears. For more than an hour Moshe read and wept, until the last page had been turned."Yentel," he called to his wife, "Now bring me the other notebook." This, too, was a diary: of all the troubles and misfortunes that had befallen Moshe in the course of the past year. On this day Moshe was beaten by a gang of peasants, on that day his child fell ill. In the dead of winter the family had frozen for several nights for lack of firewood. Another time their cow had died, and there was no milk until enough rubles had been saved to buy another.When he had finished reading the second notebook, the tavern-keeper lifted his eyes heavenward and said: "So you see, dear Father in Heaven, I have sinned against You. Last year I repented and promised to fulfill Your commandments, but I repeatedly succumbed to my evil inclination. But last year I also prayed and begged You for a year of health and prosperity, and I trusted in You that it would indeed be this way.

"Dear Father, today is the eve of Yom Kippur, when everyone forgives and is forgiven. Let us put the past behind us. I'll accept my troubles as atonement for my sins, and You, in Your great mercy, shall do the same." Moshe took the two notebooks in his hands, raised them aloft, circled them three times above his head, and said: "This is my exchange, this is in my stead, this is my atonement." He then threw the notebooks into the fireplace, where the smoldering coals soon turned the tear-stained pages into ashes.

Hakhel Moments

The 612^th Mitzvah is described in Parshat Vayelech as a national gathering that would take place on the second day of Sukkot during the year after Shemitah. The Talmud in Sota paints for us the scene: Millions of Jews – men and women, children as young as infants, scholars and laypeople alike, assembled in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount. A hush falls over the mammoth crowd, as the royally bedecked king of Israel ascends on to a platform and reads sections of the holy Torah. The nation is inspired and invigorated. A display of unity and a statement of purpose converge to revitalize and refocus the entire nation. This scene repeated itself in ancient Jerusalem every seven years (almost 200 times) for over 1300 years. The first Hakhel took place 22 years after the Jews entered the Land Of Israel. Since there was no king at the time, Yehoshua read the Torah selections in Shiloh. Historians believe that the last Hakhel took place in 40 CE with Agrippas the Second leading the service. With the destruction of the Temple, Hakhel was discontinued, but never forgotten from our national memory. The idea of reviving the mitzvah of Hakhel in modern times was first proposed by Rabbi Eliyahu David Rabinowitz-Teomim, known as the Aderet, who was the father-in-law of Rav Kook. He wrote two pamphlets on the issue and felt that Hakhel’s message was crucial and relevant and deserved commemoration in an active way.  The first official Israeli ceremony of Hakhel was held during Sukkot of 1945. A special service was held in the Yeshurun Synagogue, after which a mass procession marched to the Western Wall where the specified Torah portions were read. The ceremony seven years later, in 1952, was the first for the newly established State of Israel. I believe there are three lessons for us to learn from the mitzvah of Hakhel. The first lesson is the importance of showing up. The pasuk begins: “Hakhel Et Ha’Am” “Gather the People”. The Sefer Hachinuch writes that the mitzvah is for all people to show up; your attendance at Hakhel is both mandatory and necessary. Hakhel teaches us not only the importance of being physically present, but also the importance of being fully present in every way: emotionally, psychologically and spiritually. Hakhel is also a lesson in Jewish unity. Real unity is accomplished when diverse people come together in unity of purpose, when they are able to put aside their differences in pursuit of a shared experience or common goal. Hakhel is a re-enactment of Matan Torah, at which time everybody was present K’Ish Echad B’Lev Echad. Lastly, Hakhel reminds us that learning occurs not only through information, but through experiences. According to many commentators, even very young children, those whose parents are not yet obligated in the mitzvah of Chinuch, also have to attend. In Masechet Chagiga, Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya explains that even young children are brought “in order to give reward to those who bring them.” The reward that is referred to is the indelible imprint that the experience will have on the child.  Tosfot in Chagiga note that Hakhel is the basis for the practice of bringing young children to shul. Hakhel teaches us the importance of providing experiences even for young children that will foster a love for shul and Mitzvot. Over the next few weeks we will spend more time than usual in shul. I urge all of us to take advantage of these Hakhel moments when we can be inspired by the power of our community (Our Big Boat) and feel that we are part of something larger. I especially urge parents of children to find age-appropriate opportunities to bring your kids to shul to be, and to feel, a part of the Tzibur. Some examples of these moments are: Friday Night Kabbalat Shabbat, part of Shabbat or Yom Tov morning davening, Sukkah Hop, Mini Hakafot on Erev Simchat Torah and our Grand Community Hakafot (at night) for adults, children and families and Kol HaNearim on Simchat Torah day.

          

What We Create on Rosh Hashanah is Real and Permanent

Rabbi Matisyahu Salomon zt’l in his book with Hearts Full of Faith tells the story about Yom Kippur with the Mir Yeshiva during World War II when they were in Shanghai, China. It was unusual due to the location but also exceptional in terms of the kavanah and prayer atmosphere. Towards the end of the day, right before Neilah, Rav Yechezkel Levenstein, the Mirrer Mashgiach, shared the following idea that I believe can be useful for us as we embark on our journeys into Rosh Hashanah and through Aseret Ymei Teshuva.  He explained how many of the students present were probably thinking that this moment of inspiration will pass. Tomorrow we will slip from the high place onto which we have climbed today. “So what did we accomplish? What was the use?” you might ask. Rav Levenstein answered by way of a parable: "There was once a man who built himself a beautiful mansion. During the celebration upon finishing the mansion, he decided that he would climb up and place a beautiful ornament on the top of the roof. That great day came when he finished his mansion, and he made a special celebration and invited all his friends and family. The moment came when he climbed up to the roof to place the beautiful ornament. But just at that moment, a sudden gust of wind blew him off the roof. He dropped the ornament and fell to the ground. Dazed and in agony, he cried out, 'Oy, my mansion has fallen down. My mansion has fallen down.' His friends and family reassured him, 'Your mansion hasn't fallen down. You have. You may have broken bones and have to go to the hospital. But when you recover the mansion will still be there. You'll be able to go into it. It hasn't fallen down.” Rav Chazkel concluded, "My dear children, we built a mansion over the Yomim Noraim. Every prayer that we offered up is like a different room, and all together we have constructed a beautiful mansion. If tomorrow we feel that we have lost some of our inspiration, I want you to know that the mansion hasn't fallen down. It will be we that have fallen down. The mansion will still be standing. It will stand forever. One day, we will enter that mansion once again. When and how, that depends on us, but the mansion will always be there waiting for us. It will be there forever." Rabbi Salomon reflected on this story and wrote, "Rav Chazkel's words of encouragement to his students in the heat of a world war are an important lesson to all of us. When we stand in the shul and prepare to pray to G-D, the thought can sometimes be so intimidating that we may lose heart. We know that it will take so much emotional and spiritual effort to reach the highest level of prayer that we aspire to. Who knows if we will be successful? And even if we are, will we be able to maintain ourselves on that high level? Or will we fall back to earth, so to speak? And if we do, is all the effort worthwhile? The answer is, yes, most definitely yes. All the effort is indeed very worthwhile, because every transcendent prayer builds us a beautiful mansion. And no matter what happens, that mansion will endure forever." Davening on Yomim Noraim sounds different, looks different, and feels different. We are probably not in our usual seats nor our usual Shabbat location. Beyond that we may worry that any connection or growth that we feel over Rosh Hashanah will be fleeting. If we feel that, let us remember the story of Rav Levenstein. What we do and create over Rosh Hashanah is real and permanent and can never be undone or taken away.  Over this upcoming Tishrei season Let us try to build as beautiful a mansion as we can. In this merit, Hashem should inscribe us in the Book of Life for a healthy, happy and sweet New Year.