Yirat Shamayim: Just Open Our Eyes

Have you ever had the experience of a friend or family member asking you to do them just one favor, and that just one favor turned into a second favor?  Pretty soon, you were doing a whole lot of favors that you never expected to be doing and definitely did not agree to at the outset.

     I am reminded of that situation in this morning’s Parsha when Moshe says to Bnai Yisrael:

            VAta Yisrael mah Hashem Elokecha Shoel Me’imach

            Now, Israel, what does G-d want from you?

            Ki Im L’Yirah et Hashem Elokecha- ONLY to have Yirat Hashem

            AND To Go in all His ways

            And to Love Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and your soul

            AND to observe all the commandments of Hashem and His decrees

      A pretty extensive list- what happened to the just one thing that Hashem was asking of us, namely Yirat Hashem?

   The Gemara in Brachot understood that Yirat Hashem is the primary request that G-d has for us, while the rest of the list contains details that come from (or that lead to) the ultimate goal of Yirat Hashem. But this understanding forces the Gemara to ask a different question: Atu Yirat Shamayim Milta Zutrata Hi? Is Yirat Shamayim a minor achievement whereby Moshe can downplay it as no big deal (KI IM)? The Talmud answers: Iyn, L’Gabbai Moshe- Milta Zutrata Hi. That for Moshe having Yirat Shamayim is in fact a minor achievement.

      Some commentators have suggested that the humility of Moshe was so natural and so ingrained that he honestly felt that if he could do it, anyone could. However, such an approach leaves many of us uneasy, as it causes one to wonder whether part of Moshe’s character was a detachment from reality or an inability to appreciate the differences between the leader and the masses.

      What we need is not a different interpretation of Moshe’s thought processes, but rather a different understanding of Yirat Shamayim. The word Yirah is derived from the word that means to “flow from the gut”- perceive or recognize that one is in the presence of greatness. However, Rabbi Avraham Eliyahu Kaplan in his essay “B’Ikvot Hayirah” suggests that Yirat Hashem is related in concept to the word Re’iyah: to see.          This is evident from the verse in Beshalach that we recite daily as part of the Az Yashir prayer: Vayar Yisrael, Vayiru Haam et Hashem.

  (Just a few pesukim later in our Parsha, Moshe reminds the People of their responsibilities utilizing the word in both ways: First: Et Hashem Elokecha Tira- fear G-d. Then in the next verse, Moshe reminds Bnai Yisrael: All of the miracles and wonders “Asher Ra’u Einecha”- that your eyes saw.)

      Yirat Hashem is obtained by seeing G-d. Everywhere. And in everything. By appreciating that no aspect of our lives is devoid of the Divine. Although fear and reverence may be a desired outcome, the process by which that is achieved is through Re’iyah, developing a clearer vision of how G-d operates in the world and in every facet of our lives. That is how we should understand the Talmud in Berachot when it says that Hakol Biydei Shamayim Chutz Miyirat Shamayim. Hashem can inject Himself in all facets of our life, but it is entirely up to us to perceive Him.

     Once we begin to see how G-d is operating in our lives on a daily ongoing basis, we are called upon to foster an appreciation of this reality. That is why the Talmud learns from our pasuk in Ekev the imperative of reciting 100 blessings every day. One concrete way to foster this clear vision of G-dliness in our lives is to recognize Hashem’s role throughout our day by reciting brachot.

     And once we train ourselves to see how G-d operates in the world we must then emulate His ways, Lalechet B’chol Derachav, as Moshe seems to be saying is a natural outgrowth of Yirat Hashem. We are called upon to see beyond ourselves and to act with alacrity and compassion when others are in need. Just as G-d takes no bribes (judges with integrity and honesty) and is particularly concerned with protecting the most vulnerable of society (the stranger, widow and orphan) so too must we in our quest to achieve Yirat Hashem.

     When the Talmud says that Yirat Shamayim is a Milta Zutrata, a small matter, we need not explain that this description applies only to someone of Moshe’s stature. For Yirat Shamayim flows from an appreciation of G-d’s presence in our lives; and a mandate to know His ways to emulate them, then the path towards Yirat Hashem is indeed a small, yet critically important step- we need to open our eyes.

 

Few Yet Influential: Be Proud of Your Me’at Status

The seventh aliya of Parshat Vaetchanan, the beginning of Chapter 7 in Devarim, is a reminder by Moshe of Hashem’s promise to Bnai Yisrael to dwell in Eretz Yisrael, and the responsibilities and obligations that they will have upon entry and possession of the Land. In this context Moshe reminds Bnai Yisrael of their special relationship with Hashem 7:6:

“For you are a holy people to Hashem; He has chosen you to be for Him a treasured nation above all the peoples on the face of the Earth.”

Moshe continues in 7:7:

לֹ֣א מֵֽרֻבְּכֶ֞ם מִכָּל־הָֽעַמִּ֗ים חָשַׁ֧ק ה בָּכֶ֖ם וַיִּבְחַ֣ר בָּכֶ֑ם כִּֽי־אַתֶּ֥ם הַמְעַ֖ט מִכָּל־הָֽעַמִּֽים

Not because you are the most numerous nation did Hashem choose you, for you are the fewest of all the nations.

Commentators throughout the ages have tried to understand the meaning of this pasuk. These commentators were troubled by how this pasuk jibes with the Divine promise, first delivered to Avraham but then subsequently repeated to others, that Bnai Yisrael would be a numerous nation, like the sand or the stars.

Rabbeinu Bechaye reinterprets this pasuk to mean that although Bnai Yisrael is numerous, even had they not been Hashem would have chosen them as His People.

Rashbam explained that the Jews were great in number, but few compared to the combine populations of all seven nations that inhabited Canaan at the time.

Rashi explains that “me’at”, in this pasuk does not refer to a number but refers to the meritorious attitude of humility. The greatness of the Jewish People and their leaders is their incredible demonstrations of humility, even when they had every reason in the world to act otherwise. (Proofs: Avraham – who says Anochi Afar V’Efer, and Moshe: the greatest spiritual leader ever, and yet the most humble ever as well.)

There are other commentators, such as Seforno, who take this pasuk at face value. In fact the Jewish People would not be great in size. The Divine blessing must be reinterpreted to refer to a quality that the descendants of Avraham possess, and not an impressive quantity. According to Seforno, the end of the verse is not merely an elaboration of what was expressed at the beginning of the verse (ie, Bnai Yisrael is not a large nation Ki, but rather a small nation). Instead Seforno understands the word Ki here to mean “because of, as a result of”… In other words, the reason why Hashem desired us and chose us is, “Ki Atem Ha’meat mikol Ha’Amim”: because of our status as a small nation, not in spite of it.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks explained that Hashem’s choice of a nation few in number is God’s way of teaching the lesson that one need not be numerous in order to be great. Nations are not judged by their size but by their contributions to civilization. Our focus should not be on numbers but the power and potential impact that each individual possesses to transform the world for the better.

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder”? Or “Out of sight, out of mind”?

We find ourselves in the midst of the Nine Days leading up to Tisha B’Av, the day that we commemorate the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash. The story is told of Napoleon walking through the streets of Paris one Tisha B’Av. As his passed a synagogue he heard the sounds of mourning and crying. “What’s this all about?” Napoleon asked. An aide explained that the Jews were in mourning the loss of their Temple. “When did this happen?” Napoleon asked. The aide replied, “About 1700 years ago.” Napoleon said, “Certainly a people which has mourned the loss of their Temple for so long, will merit to see it rebuilt!”

Every year as I prepare for Tisha B’Av I ask myself, “Does my yearning for the Beit Hamikdash increase as time goes on? Or do I get more used to the idea of my life without a Beit Hamikdash?” Does absence, in fact, make the heart grow fonder? Or is there a point that we adapt to a new normal, due to the fact that once something is out of sight it slowly becomes out of mind?

This question is more poignant this year than any in my lifetime, as this is the very same question I am asking about our shul, more than 4 months after we initially closed our doors and with no end to the pandemic in sight. As time goes on, how do our shul members relate to our institution? Has absence made the heart grow fonder? Are people itching to get back to shul (when they feel it is safe to do so)? Or have people begun to get used to a new normal that does not include shul as part of it. I asked this question to anyone willing to answer it: When CoVID is over (may it be speedily and very soon) will you jump at the opportunity to go back to minyan, to shul programs, to the community in which the shul serves as the center? Or are you comfortable and satisfied with your new normal, one in which shul does not play a role in your life?

I believe that the vast majority of shul members (who participated in the past) will jump at the opportunity to reengage and reconnect when there is no longer a health concern. I base this belief on my conversations with many people over the past few months, as well as my firm belief that our shul is the center of Jewish life for Hollywood and plays a critical role in the sense of community and spiritual satisfaction that people seek by moving within walking distance of our shul.

There is much to learn about the challenges and opportunities that absence of loved ones present that can inform and help us navigate this absence from the robust shul experience that we have come to love. The following are excerpts form an article on this topic.

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder" and "out of sight, out of mind" are two common sayings people associate with a romance that has been forced apart by distance. But does absence really make the heart grow fonder? “Humans are designed to continually be seeking, striving, and in the process of acquisition,” says Susan Winter, a New York City based relationship expert and bestselling author. She explains that it translates into one’s romantic life is via a heightened sense of “longing and appreciation” when your partner is absent.

As humans, when something is not new or novel or different, it commands less of our attention. It’s everything from partners to food,” Dr. Joshua Klapow, Ph.D, a clinical psychologist and host of The Kurre and Klapow Show, agrees. He compares being around a partner all the time to eating your favorite food over and over — no matter how much you love it, after a while, you may start getting a little tired of it. Separation can be a nice palate cleanser to remind yourself why you like your partner in the first place.

“When we’re separated from somebody, then all of the qualities that we’ve become habituated to —” qualities like how someone looks, smells, or talks — “we are reminded of how much we enjoy that,” Klapow says. “So separation is basically a reminder to us that we get reinforcement or reward out of our partners. And you can’t know that until you’re separated.”

Winter agrees that in the case of a long break, you need to really consider how you’re going to maintain a connection with your partner. She says that in the case of breaks that go months to years, “our 'new normal' is to NOT have this partner in our life.” “When our lover has been gone too long, we adapt and move forward. We begin to seek new connections to fill the void.”

Experts agrees that there are things you can do to keep your bond strong. Klapow recommends actively scheduling communication and time for each other, even if you can’t be there in person — and then sticking to that schedule. Winter suggests much the same thing. “Keep the connection by text, FaceTime, WhatsApp, Skype, Zoom, and in person,” she advises. “And have an end-goal to reunite. Without an end-goal to finally be together, the relationship will dissolve.”

As we approach Tisha B’Av I urge you to use this time to consider the impact that the absence of shul has had on your life. Think about the important role our shul played in creating a community pre-COVID that provides so much. Unlike the Beit Hamikdash, even during this absence there are ways for us to connect and engage with our shul. We know that there will be a time soon when we will be able to return to regular- and even better- shul life. In order for us to be ready for that return, let us acknowledge the shul’s absence in our lives as a perhaps a source of pain in the present, but fondness and optimism in the future.

The Journey of Our Lives

“Life is a journey, not a destination.” I heard this expression, liked it and searched to find its author. Online I saw it attributed to people as diverse as writer Ralph Waldo Emerson and Steven Tyler, lead singer for the rock band Aerosmith. So I guess no one really knows who said it. But after learning this week’s Parsha I think I know who inspired this idea. It is the lesson that Rabbi Tanchuma learns from the beginning of Parshat Masei. The Parsha opens with a list of all of the 42 stops that Bnei Yisrael made during their forty years of wandering in the desert.  Why doesn’t the Torah just tell us the original starting point and the eventual destination? We don't even know what happened at each place that is enumerated, so why specify each one?

          Rashi quotes Rabbi Tanchuma who explains by means of a parable. A king had a son who was sick, and the king took him to a distant place to receive the cure. On their way back, the king recounted to his son all of their journeys together. “This is where we slept. Here it was cold. Over there you had a headache.” The king wanted his son to appreciate that not only was the final result- the son’s recovery- important. But the process had significance as well. So too in Parshat Masei, the Torah recounts each stop in the desert as a reminder that there is significance not only in the destination, but in the process as well.

          Today our journey is impacted by the CoVID pandemic. It’s on our minds all the time. Everything we do and everything we plan must take the current health crisis into account. We do not know for sure what the future trajectory of this virus will look like. We do not know when we will get back to a sense of normalcy, nor even what that new normal will look like. While the journey is fraught with uncertainty and the destination is unknown, we can still appreciate and find meaning in each day, ie each stop along this wild ride. Just as each stop along the journey in the Midbar was an exercise in Emunah and Bitachon (faith and trust in God) and an opportunity to learn life lessons, so too is it for us during this “Summer of CoVID”.

          In many ways this is also the story of the Jewish People in exile, since the destruction of the Temple. We don’t know for sure where the road is taking us. We don’t know the exact time of arrival, or even the precise destination. But we know that God has been with us and He will continue to be with us. Each moment along that journey has the potential for meaning. When we maximize enough moments along this uncertain journey, then we will reach our destination: Redemption.

Shabbat Shalom

Ketoret Standoff

The showdown between Korach and Moshe reaches its climax with the “ketoret standoff.” Moshe suggests that the disagreement be settled by everyone offering incense to Hashem. So Aharon, Korach and 250 Korach-followers offer incense on fire pans. In response, Hashem shows His displeasure with the 250 men by sending a fire to consume them (16:35). 

The next chapter opens with God commanding Moshe to tell his nephew Elazar HaKohen to collect the firepans that were utilized by those 250 men and fashion them into a covering for the altar, “because they have become holy.” (17:2) These pans were used in a rebellion against Aharon and Moshe- why should they be considered holy and worthy of being kept? 

Rashi suggests that the pans became holy when the 250 men used them to offer incense to Hashem. Ramban questions this theory: after all, this was not a sanctioned offering – this was done as an expression of rebellion against Moshe! Instead, the Ramban suggests that the pans became holy because they were utilized as a vehicle through which G-d was ultimately sanctified. They became a symbol of the Divine choice of Moshe’s and Aharon’s leadership. From the Ramban we learn that sometimes people or situations can be used as messengers of Kiddush Hashem even if they have no idea or don’t mean to.

The fact that these firepans were fashioned into a cover for the altar is significant. It was on the mizbeach that a person would offer a sacrifice, a ritual that demonstrates humility, perhaps even a negation of self before the will of God. The cover on the altar is a cautionary note that warns people of how easily we can fool ourselves into believing in the righteousness of our cause. These 250 men were willing to die for the cause that they allowed themselves to believe whole-heartedly. 

It’s easy to allow ego, ulterior motives or even laziness to get in the way of what’s really important. The fire pans protecting the mizbeach served as that warning – then as well as now. 

As I’ve shared with you in the past, Rav Soloveitchik taught that in response to challenging times, the only useful question to ask is not “Why?” but “What now?” Of course we must do what we can to lower our risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus, and to mitigate its spread. But the real, inspirational response to this unprecedented communal challenge is found in the stories below.
Wishing all of us a Shabbat of recovery, health, and peace.
~ Rabbi Weinstock

From COLlive.com: Dozens of volunteers spread out across Westchester County, NY on Purim, to read the Megillah at over 130 locations where Jewish residents are currently in quarantine.

Organized by Chabad of Westchester County, located in New Rochelle, the epicenter of New York’s coronavirus outbreak, groups of bochurim and men were sent to read the Megillah and bring Purim joy to those in quarantine.

Fear of the spread of the coronavirus - 82 people have been infected in Westchester County - had upended Purim plans in the entire area, with Megillah readings and events canceled.

Shlucha Rochel Butman coordinated dozens of volunteers to fan out across the area to make sure anyone who needed would be able to fulfill the Mitzvah of Megillah from their homes.

Working with medical professionals, they devised a set of guidelines for volunteers to make sure they stay safe and protected while doing this Mitzvah.

All volunteer readers remained outside of the home of the quarantined individuals and maintained a distance of 10-15 feet.

Residents were grateful and moved by the volunteer bochurim who took the time to visit and help them fulfill the Mitzvah, many times ending with a festive Purim dance to liven the streets.

“I have never cried during the opening brachos of Megillas Esther before,” Gary Berger, one of the quarantined residents wrote on Facebook. “Overwhelmed with emotions, we are eternally grateful to Chabad of Westchester for pulling off the miracle of having individual readings on hundreds of patios and lawns across New Rochelle.

“May the Zechus of this amazing Mitzvah lead to a complete Refuah shelaima for all of our friends and families.”

“These Chabad boys are amazing! They stopped some people of our street, who they thought were Jewish, unaffiliated, and offered to read to them. They said yes!” another one wrote.

“I just want to let you, Chabad and the community know that we just received a call from our Irish Catholic neighbors. They called to tell us how inspired they were last night by the Chabad boys. (They could hear it from their window at 11:30 pm.) The wife told us she started to cry when she saw and heard it and how amazing our community is and how nice it was,” another wrote.

From The Daily Portion by Sivan Rahav Meir: “Shalom Sivan, this is Levi Mendelzon from Chabad. I am writing on behalf of a Megillat Esther reading project for those quarantined by the coronavirus. When we began this project a week ago, we could not have imagined that so many people would be forced to enter home quarantine and would ask to hear the Megillah. Reading the Megillah under these circumstances was utterly surrealistic: to stand in the stairwell of an apartment building, to press the light switch continuously so it would not go out, and to read the Megillah for just one quarantined listener; to stand under a window and loudly read the Megillah in the street for a single quarantined individual listening from that window. It was extremely emotional to see how these people would not give up on hearing the Megillah. Not on YouTube, but in person.
Today, we are used to sending everything on WhatsApp, but tonight we saw that there is significance in physical proximity, in recitation of the Megillah directly from one person to another. The listeners' emotional reaction to this personal connection reminded me that one of the purposes of Purim is to connect with one another through the mitzvot of the day: the Purim feast, the reading of the Megillah, mishloach manot, and gifts for the poor. I call upon all of us to find those around us who are isolated, and not only because of the coronavirus. This can be someone who is a little neglected, for example, and send that person mishloach manot. Have a Happy Purim."

AIPAC Policy Conference and the Kohanim’s Inauguration Ritual

In Chapter 29 we read about the inauguration ritual that Moshe performed on the Kohanim to install them into their new status. Part of that ritual included a rather peculiar element (29:20):

“You shall slaughter the ram, take [some] of its blood and put it upon the cartilage of Aaron's right ear and upon the cartilage of Aaron's sons' right ears, upon the thumbs of their right hands, and upon the big toes of their right feet, and you shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar all around.”

Why is blood sprinkled specifically on the Kohen’s ear, thumb and big toe? Perhaps this ritual is meant to teach us three important qualities that a Kohen must have to serve and lead effectively. The ear is singled out because a Kohen must be a good listener. The thumb is highlighted because a Kohen must be willing to act decisively. The big toe is mentioned because a Kohen must stand up and lead.

This week I attended the AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington DC along with close to 60 members of the Young Israel of Hollywood – Ft. Lauderdale community. It was great to see a number of our high school and college students in attendance. The theme of this year’s convention was “Today. Tomorrow. Together.” The conference organizers wanted to highlight the strength of the US-Israel relationship in the past, present and future. They also wanted to highlight the bipartisan and broad based support for Israel that exists in the US Congress as well as American society. Though there are individual members of Congress who are against foreign aid to Israel, and others who have expressed anti-Israel sentiment (including support for the Boycott Divest and Sanctions movement), on display at the Policy Conference is the diversity of people who are passionate about the US-Israel alliance.

When it comes to supporting Israel and the US-Israel relationship, we should focus on the qualities that were important for the Kohanim to possess in their leadership role. First we must be willing to listen. One of my favorite aspects of Policy Conference is the opportunity to hear from people that think differently than I do and hold views very different than mine, and yet they are passionate about the work of AIPAC and the US-Israel relationship, just like me. Too often in our lives we live in echo chambers. We listen to the news and read the papers that are slanted to agree with our worldview. Just as the Kohanim had to listen in order to lead, so too we must listen in order to learn and grow the movement of pro-Israel Americans.

Second we must be willing to act. Whether it is lobbying our elected officials on Capitol Hill, calling/ e-mailing our representatives or supporting pro-Israel candidates, we must act in accordance with our beliefs and our ideals.

Third, we must be willing to stand up for what we believe. The big toe provides us with balance. We must be firm in our convictions and willing to stand up and share our views on the importance of the US-Israel relationship; to those who are uninformed as well as to those who currently disagree with us.

Just as the Kohanim were installed into their service through their ears, hands and feet, so too we must listen, act and stand up in our roles as pro-Israel activists.