Time Capsules

Sukkos

Posted on October 6, 2006 (5767) By Rabbi Naftali Reich | Series: Legacy | Level: Beginner

 

Philosophy is an intimidating subject. Most of us would rather deal with concrete intellectual and emotional issues, something into which we can get our teeth – and our hearts. And yet, during the Festival of Sukkoth, amidst our most joyous celebrations, our Sages instituted the reading of King Solomon’s Koheleth (Ecclesiastes), an often brooding work that agonizes over the philosophical problems of existence. What is the connection between this work and the transcendent joy of Sukkoth? What message does it carry that could not have been delivered in a more conventional form?

Let us take a brief look into this penetrating book. In its recurring theme, Solomon declares, “All is emptiness,” the pleasures of the world are all without value. More than any other Jewish king in history, Solomon enjoyed virtually limitless honor, wealth and luxury. He had vast properties, numerous slaves and one thousand wives and concubines. His palaces were adorned with the most exquisite works of art, and his tables were laden with the finest foods and wines. No material pleasures were denied to him, and no one was in a better position to assess their true value. Having sampled everything that the material world had to offer, he was able to step back and take an honest look at it. And he concluded that all was emptiness. The only reality was to fear and obey Hashem.

So what are we meant to derive from this philosophical evaluation? How can we relate to concepts of extreme unreality when we’ve just taken out a mortgage on a house and the car needs a new brake job?

Let us look a little further into the words of King Solomon. “For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under Heaven, a time to be born, a time to die, a time to plant, a time to uproot, a time to weep, a time to laugh, a time to grieve, a time to dance.” These lines, so clearly profound and meaningful, have been quoted and paraphrased and borrowed for poems and songs the world over. But what do they really mean? What insight into the meaning of time is immortalized in King Solomon’s enigmatic words?

Time, if we stop to think about it, is an inexorable current which sweeps us along through the passages of life. It is the framework in which we live, the receptacle of our experiences. We create terms and classifications – years, days, hours, minutes, seconds – in a vain attempt to gain a modicum of control over time, but it remains uncontrollable. We feel its relentless flow through our very beings. There is no stop button, no pause button. The unstoppable tick of the clock controls our lives. But what is this thing called time? Is it merely the passive blank canvas on which we paint the stories of our lives? Or is it something of far deeper significance?

These are the questions King Solomon is addressing. “For everything there is a season.” Time is more than a path upon which we tread. Time is Hashem’s most amazing creation in the natural world. It is a dynamic force, the source of all life energies. The mystical sources point out that time is not defined by the artificial units we assign to it but by the different energies and emanations that infuse it. One particular block of time may be charged with the energies of planting, and that activity is therefore most suited to it. Another block may be charged with the energies of uprooting, and so forth. Each moment has its distinctive challenges and opportunities, and therefore, only by tapping into the correct energy source of each moment of time can we utilize it to its fullest and capture it.

“All is emptiness,” King Solomon tells us. The only reality is that which can be contained and preserved in time. The accumulation of material possessions has no real value. It does not connect with the synergies of time. It is no better than a boulder by the riverside, left behind by the rampaging current. Only the way we live and the things we do penetrate to the core of time and are carried along with us through and beyond our lifetimes.

On the Festival of Sukkoth, when we begin the new year with a clean slate, King Solomon’s profound message shines for us like a beacon in the dark. Throughout the year, we have been caught up in the mad rush of the daily grind, pummeled by the spinning hands of the clock. We have allowed ourselves to be subjected to the tyranny of time. But with our new insight into time, we can harness and control this relentless flow. If we can perceive the nature of time as it passes, if we do not plant in a time of uprooting nor weep in a time of laughing, we can spare ourselves the frustrations of futility and find serenity and peace of mind. Only then can we capture and preserve the capsules of time for all eternity. Text Copyright © 2006 by Rabbi Naftali Reich and Torah.org.

 

 

The Ultimate Contact

Parshas Haazinu

Posted on September 21, 2009 (5770) By Rabbi Naftali Reich | Series: Legacy | Level: Beginner

 

The Ultimate Contact Never gives up hope. No matter how bleak your plight may seem, do not allow yourself to surrender to despair. This is what we are told. This is what we tell others. This is what we believe. Hope springs eternal in the human heart.

 

In this week’s Torah reading, however, we find an altogether different perspective. On the last day of his life, Moses addresses an evocative poem replete with metaphors and allusions to the Jewish people. With broad strokes, he presents a sweeping view of the past and a searing vision of the future. When will Hashem bring an end to the suffering of His people? He tells them. When the power of their enemies spreads uncontrollably, and no one can withstand the onslaught.

 

What does this mean? The Talmud provides the answer. It is a reference to the Messianic era. Moses is prophesying that the Messiah will come when then Jewish people abandon all hope of redemption, when they despair of salvation.

 

The commentators are mystified. Why is despair a prerequisite for redemption? Yearning for the arrival of the Messiah is one of the central tenets of Judaism. If so, why does the Talmud contend that this yearning must be forgotten before the Messiah can come?

 

The commentators explain that the yearning for the ultimate redemption must indeed remain strong and vital among the Jewish people without any interruption. The Talmud, however, is addressing a different brand of hope. What is our first reaction when we face an anti- Semitic crisis? Do we turn toward Hashem and plead with Him to save us? Or do we consider other avenues? Do we mobilize our military forces, if we have any? Do we bring all our political and diplomatic influence to bear? Do flex our financial muscles? Do we call upon the press and the media to help us?

 

This then is the hopelessness that will hasten our redemption. First, we must recognize the utter futility of self-reliance. We must despair of solving our problems on our own. Only then will we turn to Hashem with absolute trust and faith in Him as the sole Source of salvation. Only then will we deserve to be redeemed.

 

A great sage was sitting in his room, immersed in a pile of holy books. Just then a distraught woman burst through the door and planted herself in front of him.

“You must help me!” she wailed as tears ran down her cheeks. “My husband is desperately ill.”

“Come back tomorrow,” said the sage.

“Tomorrow?” she shrieked. “I can’t wait until tomorrow. He may be dead by tomorrow. I need your help now!”

 

“If you insist,” said the sage. He closed his eyes and pursed his lips. After two minutes of silence, he opened his eyes. The woman looked at him with breathless expectation.

“I’m very sorry,” he said. “I can do nothing for your husband.”

 

The woman went deathly pale. She clutched her head and screamed, “Lord in Heaven! Help me! I am lost. Even the holy sage cannot help me. Only You can save my husband. Please! I beg of you!”

Then she collapsed into a chair, her body wracked by wrenching sobs.

 

“Go home in peace, my child,” said the sage. “Your prayers will be answered. As long as you placed your trust in me, there was no hope. But the hopelessness in your heart led you to our Father in Heaven. He is the only One who can give you what you need.”

 

In our own lives, as we strive for financial and professional achievement, how often do we think to ourselves that the key to success lies in contacts, marketing or other stratagems? But that is not really true. No matter how hard we work or plan or scheme, Hashem can wipe it all away with a flick of His figurative wrist. So what are we supposed to do? Of course, we need to make our best efforts, to go after the contacts and the marketing and whatever else seems to be indicated. But we must always keep in mind that Hashem controls the world, and if we’re looking for contacts, He is undoubtedly the Ultimate Contact.

 

 Text Copyright © 2009 by Rabbi Naftali Reich and Torah.org.

Rabbi Reich is on the faculty of the Ohr Somayach Tanenbaum Education Center.

 

 

It’s All in Our Hands

Parshas Netzavim Vayeilech

Posted on September 10, 2020 (5780) By Rabbi Yaakov Menken | Series: Lifeline | Level: Beginner

 

An elderly man checked in to a small, quaint hotel, only to learn at the front desk that the single elevator was out of order. He asked a bellhop to bring his bags up to his room, implying that the tip would be worth the effort.

It was ten minutes later before the bellhop arrived and knocked at his room. He was obviously sweating and out of breath. Even before looking for his luggage, the man said to the bellhop, “there must be some mistake! My bags are small and light; for you to have spent this much effort, you must have brought someone else’s bags!”

In this week’s reading, G-d tells the Jewish nation that “This Commandment which I Command you today, it is not beyond your understanding and not too distant from you. It is not up in Heaven, that one might say ‘who will ascend for us to Heaven and take it for us, and express it to us and we will do it’” [30:11-12].

People look at the details and complexities of Jewish observance, the myriad laws and restrictions, and imagine that following all of those rules must be very difficult and complicated, requiring tremendous exertion throughout the day just to get everything right. But that misunderstanding, the rabbis teach us, is similar to the bellhop carrying great, heavy bags up the stairs instead of the far lighter burden he was asked to carry.

We also learn that the Aron, the Ark of the Covenant containing the stone tablets that Moshe brought down from Mt. Sinai, carried itself. In reality, it was no burden at all. Similarly, people imagine that keeping the Sabbath is difficult, only to learn that it truly is a gift, restoring and recharging those who observe it for the week to come. Indeed, most everyone who invests in Jewish spiritual growth will tell you that they get out far more than they put in.

The idea that observance is difficult turns out to be something of a mirage. After picking up the heavy bags, we quickly realize that in reality, they were never heavy at all.

 

School of Soft Knocks

Parshas Vayeilech

Posted on September 13, 2018 (5779) By Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky | Series: Drasha | Level: Beginner

 

Parshas Vayelech has Moshe handing the reign of power to his beloved disciple Yehoshua, who now will grasp hold of the destiny of the Children of Israel. Moshe does not leave him without first guiding him through the difficult mission of leadership. At the end of Parshas Vayelech, (Deuteronomy 31:7), “Moshe summoned Yehoshua and said to him before the eyes of all Israel, ‘Be strong and courageous and do not be broken before them, for Hashem your G-d — it is he who goes before you.'”

The Torah does not specify what “strong and courageous” actually means. I conjured my own visions of how to be strong and courageous when dealing with a “stiff-necked” nation. It entailed exacting demands and rigid regulations. The Medrash, however, offers a totally diametric explanation.

The Yalkut Shimoni, a compendium of Midrashim compiled in the Middle Ages, discusses a verse in Hoshea. “Israel is but a beloved lad and in Egypt I had called them my child.” It quotes the verse in Deuteronomy 31:7, and explains the words “strong and courageous.” Moshe explained to Joshua, “this nation that I am giving you is still young kids. They are still young lads. Do not be harsh with them. Even their Creator has called them children, as it is written, (Hoshea 11:1) “Israel is but a beloved lad.”

Can the Midrash find no better words to translate the phrase telling Joshua to “be strong and courageous” other than be patience and understanding? In which way does forbearance show strength? How does courage translate as tolerance?

In the years of World War I, a young student who was fleeing the war-ravaged city of Slabodka sought refuge in Tiktin, a village near Lomza, Poland. A prodigious Torah scholar, he compensated for room and board by becoming a simple cheder teacher. He gave his lecture in a small schoolhouse, but the townsfolk were quite suspicious. There were no shouts from inside the one-room schoolhouse as it was with other teachers; the boys seemed to be listening. Rumor had it that the young man even let the children play outside for ten minutes each day in the middle of the learning session.

They decided to investigate. They interrupted his class one morning and were shocked. The kanchik (whip) used by every cheder-Rebbe was lying on the floor near the trash bin. Upon interrogating the children the parents learned that this radical educator never used it.

Outraged, the townsfolk decided to call a meeting with their Rabbi to discuss the gravity of the situation. Who knows what ideas a teacher who would not use the kanchik was imbuing in our children? They worried.

The local Rabbi pointed to a picture of Rabbi Isaac Elchonon Spector, the leader of Lithuanian Jewry. “Do you see that picture of the Kovno Tzadik?” He asked the townsfolk. “One day thousands of homes across the world will have this young man’s picture hanging on their walls.”

The elderly Rabbi was right. The young man became the leader of a generation, teacher of thousands and dean of Yeshiva Torah Vodaath. It was the beginning of, Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetzky’s career in education.

Moshe, the guide and architect of Jewish leadership, was empowering his disciple with a message of guidance. The words “be strong and courageous” embodied leadership of love and understanding. One can not talk of forbearance and patience without talking of strength and courage. But more important: one can not show true strength and courage if he is not patient and understanding.

 

Good Shabbos!

 

The Counsel of My Heart

Parshas Netzavim

Posted on September 23, 2019 (5780) By Torah.org | Series: Lifeline | Level: Beginner

 

Our reading this week contains an extraordinary passage, one which is very relevant for the upcoming High Holy Days. Moshe gathers the Nation of Israel together, and describes to them a truly unforgivable sin. It is so terrible that “Hashem will not be willing to forgive him, but Hashem’s anger and jealousy will be kindled against him…” [29:19]

 

What is this great crime? What could a person do that is so terrible and degraded that it is certain to arouse Divine anger, rather than forgiveness?

 

The answer describes something so simple that, at first glance, we may not understand why it is so wrong. G-d, through Moshe, makes a covenant with the Jews that they will not follow idols or the immoral practices of idolaters, a covenant that we are sworn to follow. But then the Torah describes an individual, family or tribe that is drawn to idolatry. “And when he hears the words of this curse, he will bless himself in his heart, saying, ‘I will have peace, as I follow the counsel of my own heart,’ adding ‘the watered upon the dry.’” [29:18]

 

What is it that arouses Divine anger? Simply that he lies back, instead of trying to improve. “I will have peace — I can continue misbehaving, and nothing bad will happen.”

As I said, we may not understand why that’s so horrible. Isn’t the actual sin what matters? Why is a person’s “lackadaisical attitude” more worthy of Divine wrath than serving idols?

To be drawn to idolatry, or any form of misbehavior, is to be overwhelmed by a desire. We are human. We want things that we’re not supposed to have, whether power, tempting foods, someone else’s money or a forbidden relationship. And, sadly, we sometimes give in to those temptations. G-d knows we are human, and can forgive us if we turn back, express sincere regret, and commit to doing better.

 

Not so the person who says, “I will have peace.” I remember my teacher, Rabbi Asher Rubenstein zt”l, speaking about how dangerous and wrong this is. Self-satisfaction with our own shortcomings? That’s what infuriates Hashem.

 

Rashi explains what the verse means by “adding the watered upon the dry.” When a person is indifferent to his own wrongdoing, there is no longer any distinction between inadvertent error and deliberate sin. Once he is willing to callously do the sin deliberately, the fact that originally  he did it by mistake no longer makes his behavior easy to forgive.

 

This thought applies to every person, no matter his or her spiritual level. We cannot be satisfied with where we are; we must look at our actions, and try to do better.

And that, of course, is one of the key messages of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur. We must grab the special opportunity of these Holy Days to turn away from our mistakes and our bad choices, and set ourselves upon a better path. Let us show HaShem that we are not indifferent to our wrong actions, but sincerely desire greater closeness to the Divine.

 

May we all be Written and Sealed for a Blessed Year!

Yaakov Menken

 

Family Values

Parshas Netzavim

Posted on September 27, 2019 (5779) By Rabbi Naftali Reich | Series: Legacy | Level: Beginner

 

We have heard a great deal recently about family values. For a while, the phrase was mocked and ridiculed. Then it enjoyed a shift in popularity, and everyone claimed to be its champion. Today, it is universally acknowledged in our society that family values are important. But what exactly are family values, and how are they to be transmitted to our children? These questions remain points of serious contention.

 

Let us look into this week’s portion to see what the Torah has to say about this subject. The Jewish people are standing on the Plains of Moav, about to enter the Land of Israel. Moses, however, knows that he will not enter the Land and that he is about to die. “I have placed before you life and death, blessings and calamity,” he admonishes the people from whom he will soon be parted, “and you shall choose life, in order that you may live, both you and your children.” (Deuteronomy 30:19)

 

These words are a veritable enigma. Why did the Jewish people need to be instructed to “choose life”? What sane person, when presented with a choice between life and death, would not choose life? And how would “choosing life” ensure that their children would live as well? Wouldn’t the children be presented with the same choices as their parents?

 

The famous medieval commentator Rabbeinu Yonah of Gerona, author of the classic Shaarei Teshuvah, explains that our decision to embrace the values of the Torah should not be based solely on our obligation to G-d to obey His will. Rather, we should embrace it with a profound appreciation of its awesome power and eternal truths. We should appreciate fully that the Torah, which is the Word of the Creator of the Universe, is the true source of life – the only source of life. He goes on to explain that the importance of developing this outlook with regards to developing a relationship with G-d is not only in order to ensure that we have the proper attitude. It is to raise us to a higher level, to make us servants who serve their lord out of exuberant joy rather than sullen obedience.

 

With this in mind, a great sage explained how “choosing life” affects one’s children. If parents fulfill their obligation to G-d as if it were a burden upon them, the children may choose to do even less. However, if children see their parents living by the wisdom and guidance of the Torah with joy and enthusiasm, the children will associate their precious Jewish heritage with the essence of life itself. Then they too will “choose life.”

There was once a noted scholar who taught many disciples and received people from early morning until late at night. To his great disappointment, however, his son was wild and displayed little interest in his studies. Down the street lived a simple shoemaker whose son was a budding young scholar. One day, the scholar paid the shoemaker a visit.

“Tell me, my friend,” he said, “what do you do that has earned you such a fine son? I want to learn from you.”

“It is very simple, rabbi,” said the shoemaker. “Friday night, you come to the table exhausted from your holy efforts. You rush through the meal, give the children a few minutes of your time and go to sleep. On the other hand, the highlight of my whole week is Friday night when I can linger over the meal, sing songs with my family and review the events of the week in the light of the wisdom of the Torah. The spirit of Shabbos is alive in my home, and my children love it.”

 

As we face the new year, let us take these lessons to heart. Family values begin with ourselves. If we know what to value in life, if we appreciate the priceless gifts of the Torah, our own enthusiasm will automatically be transmitted to our children. And when they are presented with the awesome choices of this week’s Torah portion, they will undoubtedly “choose life.”

 

Text Copyright © 2009 by Rabbi Naftali Reich and Torah.org.

Rabbi Reich is on the faculty of the Ohr Somayach Tanenbaum Education Center.

 

 

Our Leaders Define Us

Parshas Netzavim

Posted on September 13, 2012 (5779) By Rabbi Yochanan Zweig | Series: Rabbi Zweig on the Parsha | Level: Intermediate Beginner

 

“You are standing today, all of you…” (29:9)

Parshas Nitzavim begins with Moshe assembling the entire nation of Israel on the last day of his life. The verse divides Bnei Yisroel into distinct segments and social classes; the first to be mentioned are “Rosheichem” – the political leaders. Why are they named prior to “Zikneichem” – the spiritual leaders of the nation?

 

After “Rosheichem”, the verse mentions “Shivteichem” – “your tribes”. Rashi explains that “your tribes” should not be interpreted as a separate segment, rather as “Rosheichem le’shivteichem” – “the leaders of your tribes{1}”. If the expressions “Rosheichem” and “Shivteichem” are connected, why does the Torah not insert the preposition “le” – “of” to make the interpretation clearer? Without the “le” which defines the leaders as a function of the tribes, the verse can be understood as “your leaders who are your tribes”, i.e. the tribes are constituted solely of leaders.

 

The message which the Torah is imparting is that the true definition of a nation is formed by its leadership. The leaders, who are responsible for the political and economic well-being of the nation, create the medium through which the “Zekainim” – “elders”, spiritual leaders can be effective. Without both economic and political support the elders would be powerless.

This notion is borne out by the actions which Yaakov Avinu took when he created a Jewish settlement in the land of Goshen. Yaakov sent Yehuda to establish the Yeshiva, which was to be the center of Jewish life in Mitzrayim{2}. The Rambam teaches that Levi was the Rosh Yeshiva, the spiritual leader of Bnei Yisroel{3}. If so, why did Yaakov send Yehuda, the economic and political leader, to establish the Yeshiva? Clearly, the definition of the Jewish people is formed by its political leaders, who create the forum to facilitate effective spiritual leadership.

 

The term which refers to a political leader is “rosh”, which means “head”, whereas a spiritual leader is known as either a “zakain”, which has the same etymology as “zakan” – “beard” or “ayin” – “eye”. The head is the central part of the body, while the beard and eyes are merely appendages to it. Similarly, the leader, who provides the economic and political elements for the nation, defines the parameters for all other forces to be effective.

1.29:9

2.Bereishis 46:28
3.Yad Hilchos Avodas Kochavim 1:3

A Benevolent Curse

“You are standing today, all of you…” (29:9)

Rashi relates that after the terrible curses recorded in last week’s parsha, Bnei Yisroel are petrified. Therefore, Moshe calms them by stating “atem nitzavim hayom” – “you are all standing here today{1}.” It is impossible that Moshe is claiming that since Bnei Yisroel are still alive, the curses are not as terrible as they may seem, for in that case he would be questioning the efficacy of the curses. How then, does the fact that Bnei Yisroel are standing here allay their fears?

 

The Midrash Tanchuma at the beginning of this week’s parsha states that when Hashem punishes the wicked they do not recover, yet the righteous always recover from their punishment{2}. Would this not be obvious, being that the wicked receive harsher punishments than the righteous? However, the Midrash addresses this problem, citing a verse from Malachi which states that only one barrage of arrows will decimate the wicked, while the entire batch of arrows will not overcome the resilience of the righteous{3}. The Midrash is emphasizing that the difference between the wicked and the righteous in their ability to withstand punishment is not the severity of the blow; on the contrary, the righteous receive harsher punishments. How then, are the righteous able to survive, while the wicked perish?

 

In addition to allowing us to earn a place in the World to Come, observing mitzvos serves another purpose; a mitzva gives a person a sense of reality in this world as well. When a person performs more mitzvos, his vitality and will to survive are strengthened. A person with a strong will to survive is more capable of overcoming life’s adversities. Transgressions create within a person a despondence for life, a feeling that life is transient. The wicked, who lack the resolve to live, cannot cope with the failures they encounter in life, and collapse from these challenges. The righteous, who are driven and motivated to live, possess the strength to endure all of life’s adversities. The same holds true for relationships; a person’s ability to overcome the difficulties which might arise within a relationship is commensurate to the extent that he is driven to maintain that relationship. In contemporary society we lack confidence in most of our relationships, which explains why, at the first sign of adversity we dissolve them.

 

Bnei Yisroel approach Moshe terrified by the immense burden they feel from the horrific curses they have just heard. Moshe responds by telling them that they have the wrong perspective concerning the nature of a curse. Reward and punishment represent the extent to which a relationship either exists or has been dissolved. A curse reflects Hashem’s desire for a relationship to endure. The curse is the tool which Hashem uses to coerce and cajole Bnei Yisroel into appreciating their relationship with Him. The very existence of curses proves that Hashem will stop at nothing to assure that Bnei Yisroel appreciate their relationship with Him, and that He will not abandon this relationship. Therefore, Bnei Yisroel standing before Moshe, alive and well, indicates that their relationship with Hashem is in good standing; even if there will be times when they will be subjected to the curses, they should take solace in the fact that the curses themselves are indicative of Hashem wanting the relationship to endure.