Healthy Competition

Parshas Toldos

Posted on November 28, 2019 (5780) By Rabbi Berel Wein | Series: Rabbi Wein | Level: Beginner

Sibling rivalry is the name of the game. In fact, the entire book of Bereishis can be described as a narrative of sibling rivalry. We have Kayin and Hevel, Avraham and his nephew Lot, Yishmael and Yitzchak, Yaakov and Eisav and Yosef and his brothers. It is as though the Torah wishes to inform and impress upon us the true nature of human beings.

 

I often think that that is what is meant when the Torah said that the nature of human beings is bad from its onset. We are by nature competitive creatures and the competition always begins at home and with those who are closest to us. We should not think of our children as being angelic but rather deal with their true nature and recognize the pitfalls that natural sibling rivalry will always engender.

 

Every child is a different world and no two – even identical twins – are the same. Because of this fact of human nature, competitiveness is built into the structure of all children. It is the task of education and the home to channel this competitiveness into positive behavior and creative goals. This is what the Rabbis meant by their statement that the competitiveness between scholars and wise men is a method for increasing wisdom and understanding generally. Without competitiveness there can be very little creativity or advancement in all forms of life – technology, healthcare, finance, politics and human nature. The task is to direct this competitiveness towards positive aims and to limit it so that it does not descend into violence and tyranny.

 

Part of the problem with Eisav is not competitiveness but rather insecurity. He always feels his younger brother tugging at his heel and preventing him from achieving the greatness that he feels is his due. Because of this insecurity, he seeks fame and fortune in opposing the ideas and lifestyle of his own very family. He scorns his birthright because he feels that fulfilling its demands will only inhibit him. He feels that only by being different than Yaakov can he achieve permanent respect. As all his plans crumble, he cries out in anguish to his father that he wants the blessings that Yaakov has received. He realizes that only in those blessings, which he will have to share always with Yaakov, can his destiny truly be fulfilled.

 

This is what Yaakov himself tells Eisav at their last meeting, which we will read about in a few weeks. Eventually Yaakov will come to the mountain of Eisav and then Eisav will be redeemed by his acceptance of Yaakov and of the moral values and tradition of his family. Throughout the books of Tanach, we find this constant struggle of insecurity versus acceptance and competitiveness versus conformity. We are uncomfortable when we see people who are different than we are. But the only way to achieve personal greatness is by realizing that our own inner security need not be weakened by competitiveness with others.

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Berel Wein

 

 

Seeing Through the Cover

Parshas Chayei Sarah

Posted on October 25, 2021 (5782) By Rabbi Shlomo Jarcaig | Series: Kol HaKollel | Level: Beginner

Eliezer, our forefather Avraham’s faithful servant, was dispatched to find a wife for his master’s son, Yitzchak (Isaac). He decided to test the candidate to determine if she possessed the character needed by the one who would marry Yitzchak. “And he said, ‘Hashem, G-d of my master Avraham…Let it be that the maiden to whom I shall say, “Please tip over your jug so I may drink,” and who replies, “Drink, and I will even water your camels,” she will you have designated for Your servant, for Yitzchak.'” (Beraishis/Genesis 24:12-14)

 

Bais HaLevi (biblical commentary of Rabbi Yosef Dov HaLevi Soloveitchik (1820-1892), Rosh HaYeshiva/Dean in Volozhin and later Rabbi of Slutzk and Brisk; considered one of the most brilliant Talmudists of the 19th century) explains that Eliezer’s asking Rivka (Rebecca) for water not only tested her kindness to strangers, but also demonstrated her intelligence and sensitivity to the feelings of others. Not knowing Eliezer’s hygiene or state of health, what would she do with the leftover water? If she took it home, that would indicate a lack of aptitude. If she would pour the water out onto the ground, surely the stranger would understand and be embarrassed. A sensitive, intelligent person would offer the remaining water to the animals. Rivka demonstrated an even greater level of kindness than expected by giving all of the animals drink until they were satiated.

 

When Eliezer determined that she was the desired candidate and offered a proposal of marriage, her family protested her imminent departure, seeking a delay. Asked what she desired, Rivka responded, “I will go” (24:58), upon which Rashi comments, “Of my own will, even if you do not agree.” How could Rivka, who had just demonstrated her intelligence and sensitivity, so swiftly reject the security of family and home to marry Yitzchak, whom she had never met before? How was she so certain that he was the person with whom she wanted to spend the rest of her life, that he was of appropriate character to be her life’s partner and to share in raising their children?

 

Rabbi Shlomo Morgenstern (Rosh HaYeshiva, Bais Medrash L’Torah of Skokie, Illinois) clarifies that much can be learned about a person from by how they view others. As Avraham’s niece, Rivka knew that his family was wealthy and prestigious. The influence and impact of this family on world events was renowned. Ostensibly, Yitzchak could have married whomever he wanted, but he did not pursue wealth or physical beauty, as many others in his situation would have done. Rather, he sought someone with kindness and sensitivity. If these were the traits Yitzchak valued, then she had no question that he was ideal for her.

 

It has been said that money can’t buy happiness. G-d gives us the gifts of all things physical – money, food, shelter, a body – as facilitators for our spiritual growth, as vehicles and utensils with which we foster our G-d consciousness. We use them for tzedaka (charity), for chesed (acts of kindness), for our own sustenance so we can perform other mitzvos (Divine commandments). Viewing the world through this prism, we strive to emulate our forbearers, who saw and valued others not for what they owned or how they looked, but for whom they truly were.

 

Have a Good Shabbos!

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Copyright © 2002 by Rabbi Pinchas Avruch and Project Genesis, Inc.

Kol HaKollel is a publication of the Milwaukee Kollel ­ Center for Jewish Studies 5007 West Keefe Avenue; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; 414-447-7999

 

Character, Bedrock of the Personality

Parshas Chayei Sarah

Posted on November 20, 2019 (5780) By Rabbi Shlomo Jarcaig | Series: Kol HaKollel | Level: Beginner

Our Patriarch Avraham is acknowledged as one of the foremost servants of G-d in history. He spread the concept of monotheism throughout the world and dedicated his life to connecting mankind with the Creator of the Universe. As the divinely designated heir to this legacy, his son Yitzchak (Isaac) and his descendants would receive the Torah and lead the world to its ultimate purpose. Thus, finding the ideal mate for Yitzchak was vital.

 

Avraham, perplexingly, intentionally overlooked the many hundreds of people in whom he had invested so much time and energy, those he and Sarah themselves had drawn close to G-d. Undoubtedly, many of them achieved high levels in their spiritual quest to appreciate G-d’s ultimate dominion over the world and its innumerable concurrent functions. The daughter of his faithful and learned servant Eliezer was an obvious candidate to be Yitzchak’s mate, but was rejected because of her Canaanite heritage. Instead, Avraham opted to find an unknown woman from his homeland of Ur Kasdim, choosing to find the ideal mate from an area populated by idol worshippers rather than selecting from the families of his finest students.

 

Even more curious is the process in which Rivka, Yitzchak’s ultimate bride, was chosen. As she drew water for her family, Eliezer, a stranger to Rivka acting as Avraham’s messenger, requested she provide his entourage with water. If she would provide them and their camels with their needed water, this would be a sign from G-d that she was the one destined to marry Yitzchak. While this test was indicative of her kind nature, it revealed nothing about her ideology. Why was there a concern with her character but no apparent concern if she was an idol worshipper, atheist, or a follower of any of the false ideologies Avraham dedicated his life to eradicating?

 

Rabbi Eliyahu Lopian (1876-1976; disseminator of Torah and mussar (ethics) for over 70 years in Lithuania, England and Israel; some of his thoughts are collected in the two volume Lev Eliyahu) explains that Avraham’s priorities for Yitzchak’s spouse offer a deeper insight into service of G-d. The import of fear and awe of G-d is primary, but good midos (character traits, moral fiber) are the essential foundation on which this reverence is built. A person with the proper midos who lacks the fear of G-d needs only to be taught the fallacy of his outlook. When he/she appreciates his error and resolves to change he can quickly accomplish and grow in divine service. Conversely, a person with coarse midos, even with the comprehension that his weaknesses need to be addressed, can work an entire lifetime to change and still not succeed.

 

Avraham was living in the land of Canaan, surrounded by the descendants of Canaan who, a few Torah portions ago, were cursed by their grandfather Noah. The bad midos Canaan and his father, Ham, exhibited disgraced Noah after the flood. Avraham’s knowledge of human nature dictated that children generally inculcate the attributes of their parents. Despite the fact that his students were G-d fearing individuals – he himself had trained them – they were not fit to be a match for Yitzchak. He had no choice but to search for a match from the descendants of his grandfather, Ham’s brother, Shem. In contrast to Ham and Canaan, Noah blessed Shem because of his concern for their father’s honor. Avraham, as Shem’s progeny, had his grandfather’s strength of character, and he correctly surmised that another descendent of Shem would be the ideal mate for Yitzchak. Overlooking all of his followers and searching elsewhere to find Yitzchak’s match, Avraham taught us a most basic precept in the service of G-d: Derech eretz kadma leTorah, an existence dedicated to living and learning Torah can only be built on the bedrock of strong character.

 

Have a good Shabbos!

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Copyright © 2001 by Rabbi Pinchas Avruch and Project Genesis, Inc.

Kol HaKollel is a publication of the Milwaukee Kollel ­ Center for Jewish Studies 5007 West Keefe Avenue; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; 414-447-7999

 

 

Take My Money, Please!

Parshas Chayei Sarah

Posted on November 11, 2020 (5781) By Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky | Series: Drasha | Level: Beginner

The stories of Sefer Braishis are the guideposts of morality for the Jewish nation. They teach us ethics and guide our character. Sometimes we can even apply their lessons to teach us even the simple and practical ways of the world. This week we can even learn a little business acumen from our forefather, Avraham.

 

In this week’s portion, Avraham sets out to find a burial site for his wife, Sora. He approaches the children of Ches and asks to meet Ephron, who sanctimoniously offers any plot of land and benevolently offers it for nothing.

 

Avraham does not jump at the offer, but immediately declares that he is ready to pay top dollar: in fact, even before Ephron uses the words, “behold I have given it to you,” Avraham responds, “I have given you the money! Take it from me! And now allow me to bury my dead.”

Then, in a quick turnabout, Ephron announces an exorbitant price which Avraham, without bargaining or negotiating, pays immediately.

 

The entire transaction is strange. Despite Ephron’s generous overtures, it seems that Avraham is throwing the money at him in an effort to consummate the deal. And the minute a price is mentioned, exorbitant as it may be, Avraham pays it without further question. All it seems is that he wanted to close the deal and leave. Why?

 

Rabbi Yaakov Horowitz, the Bostoner Rebbe of Lawrence, NY once told me this wonderful anecdote:

 

The Ponovezer Rav, Rabbi Yosef Kahanemen zt”l, was one of the foremost builders of Torah in the post-war era. He was also a remarkable fund-raiser. Once he was welcomed into the home of a wealthy individual who was more interested in discussing Torah with him than giving money to the Ponevezer Yeshiva. Every time the Rav would talk about the donating for the construction of the new building, the man would begin to expound on a different Torah topic. Finally, Rav Kahaneman told him the following story:

 

A woman in Poland had a daughter who was well past her prime. The matchmaker suggested that she alter her passport and claim she was much younger than her true age. He explained that he knew a Polish passport official, who, for the right price, could make her any age she would like.

 

The official met the woman and then looked at the girl. “Oh, this is not a major problem. I am sure that there must have been an error in processing the original document. Of course, we can rectify this most egregious error. In fact, for a small service fee of 500 zloty I can take seven years off the date on her birth certificate, and we can have her at 21 years old!”

 

Despite the steep service charge, the mother heartily agreed and quickly took the money from her purse. Feeling that there were many more zloty from where the first 500 came from the officer held up his hand. “You know what,” he smiled devilishly, “maybe there was a bigger error than we actually had thought! Actually, for 700 zloty I could make her 20 years old!”

 

Reluctantly, the mother agreed and went to her purse for more zloty. At that point, the officer began to get quite greedy. “You know, he said, for an additional 300 zloty, I could even have her at 18!”

 

The mother became very nervous. Quickly she handed over the 700 zloty and yelled, “No, thank you. 20 years old is fine!” She grabbed her daughter. “Quick,” she shouted, “let’s get out of here! Soon we will be left with no more zloty and no more years!”

 

The Rav’s message struck its mark. The man stopped his Torah-filled filibuster and handed over a sizable check.

 

Avraham knew his negotiating partner well. He understood that the longer Ephron would wait, the more time Sora would lie in state, and the more expensive the transaction would become. As soon as he heard the false graciousness of Ephron, Avraham immediately told him that he would pay full price – on one condition. Take the money and give me the plot. He understood when it was time to do what had to be done and move on. He was not interested in prolonging negotiations that would only leave him without money and perhaps without land. Often it is worthwhile to take a hit and leave, because the pain of the moment is far less than the agony of insincerity.

 

Dedicated to our son Roy Zeev Abraham in honor of his Bar Mitzvah. May he continue the cherished tradition that has been handed down to us by our parents, parents’ parents’ all the way back to the patriarchs.
By Mr. and Mrs. David Abraham

Good Shabbos!

 

 

Blessing In Disguise

Parshas Vayera

Posted on November 4, 2020 (5781) By Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky | Series: Drasha | Level: Beginner

In Pashas Vayera, Sora, the 90-year-old wife of Avraham, receives a most surprising piece of information from an even more surprising source. She is told by Arab nomads, who had found obliging accommodation in Avraham’s house, that in one year she will have a child. Instinctively, she reacts in disbelief to this prediction. She laughs.

 

Immediately, Hashem appears to Avraham He is upset. “Why did Sora laugh? Is there something that is beyond the Almighty? At the appointed time I shall return, and behold Sora will have a son (Genesis 18:12-13).

 

Hashem’s ire must be explained. After all, Sora was not told by Hashem that she will have a baby. She was informed by what appeared to be Arab wanderers. And though the Talmud explains that the three nomads were indeed angels sent by the Almighty, they did not identify themselves as such. So what does G-d want from Sora?

 

A man once entered the small study of the revered the Steipler Gaon, Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Kanievski with a plea. “I’d like a blessing from the Rav. My daughter has been looking to get married for several years. All her friends are married and she would like to get married too, but nothing is working. Can the Rosh Yeshiva bless her to find her bashert? (appropriate one),” he asked.

 

The Steipler turned to the man and asked, “Is this your first daughter?”

 

“No,” replied the distraught parent, “Why do you ask?”

 

“When she was born did you celebrate with a kiddush?” ( a celebratory party in a religious setting)

 

The man was perplexed. “No. But, that was 27 years ago,” he stammerred, “and she was my third girl. I may have made a l’chayim while the minyan was leaving shul, but I never made a proper kiddush. But what does a missed kiddush 27 years ago have to do with my daughter’s shidduch (match) today?”

 

“When one makes a kiddush at a festive occasions,” explained Rav Kanievski, ” each l’chayim he receives is accompanied by myriad blessings. Some are from friends, others from relatives, and those blessings given by total strangers.

 

Among those blessings are definitely the perfunctory wishes for an easy time in getting married. By not making a kiddush for your daughter, how many blessings did you deprive her of? I suggest you make your daughter the kiddush that she never had.”

 

The man followed the advice, and sure enough within weeks after the kiddush the girl had met her mate.

 

At the bris (circumcision) of his first son (after ten girls), my uncle, Rabbi Dovid Speigel, the Ostrove-Kalushin Rebbe of Cedarhurst, Long Island, quoted the Ramban (Nachmanides) in this week’s portion.

 

The reason that Hashem was upset at Sora was that even if an Arab nomad gives the blessing, one must be duly vigilant to respond, “Amen.” One never knows the true vehicle of blessing and salvation. Hashem has many conduits and messengers. Some of those messengers’ divinity is inversely proportional to their appearance.

 

What we have to do is wait, listen, and pray that our prospective exalter is the carrier of the true blessing. And then, we have to believe.

 

Quite often, we have ample opportunities to be blessed. Whether it is from the aunt who offers her graces at a family gathering or the simple beggar standing outside a doorway on a freezing winter day, blessings always come our way. Sometimes they come from the co-worker who cheers you on at the end of a long day or the mail carrier who greets you with the perfunctory “have a nice day” as he brings today’s tidings. Each blessing is an opportunity that knocks. And each acknowledgment and look to heaven may open the door to great salvation. The only thing left for us to do is let those blessings in.

 

Good Shabbos.

 First Impressions

Parshas Vayera

Posted on November 13, 2019 (5780) By Rabbi Naftali Reich | Series: Legacy | Level: Beginner

It is a blistering hot day. Abraham, that paragon of hospitality, is sitting by the door anxiously looking for passersby that he can invite into his home. Suddenly, he sees three dust-covered desert nomads trudging down the road. Before he brings them into his house, Abraham asks them to wash their feet, because he suspects they might be pagans who worship the dust of their feet. Then he feeds them lavishly.

 

Before they leave, the travelers, really angels in disguise, inform Abraham that Sarah would give birth in a year. Sarah overhears and bursts into laughter. After all, Abraham is one hundred years and she herself is a sprightly ninety, not exactly the height of the child-bearing years.

 

The Almighty, however, does not consider the situation humorous. He asks Abraham why Sarah found this a laughing matter, and Abraham, in turn, rebukes Sarah for laughing.

 

Let us consider for a moment. What had Sarah done wrong? After all, she did not know that the dusty wayfarers were really angels. Why then should she have thought that their blessings were efficacious? Can she be blamed for finding the fanciful good wishes of these wayfarers laughable?

 

The commentators explain that Sarah might indeed not have known that the wayfarers blessing her were angels, and this was exactly the reason she deserved to be reprimanded. She saw before her people who dressed differently, spoke differently, thought differently, and therefore, she looked down on them. She did not consider the blessings of such people worthwhile.

 

But how could she judge who is worthy and who is not? How could she know what lay within the hearts and souls of other people? How could she determine their inner value?

 

This was the reason Sarah was reprimanded. She took one look at these dusty wayfarers and instantly jumped to the conclusion that they were worthless people whose blessings were equally worthless.

 

A young man approached the stately house and knocked on the door. There was no response. He knocked again. Still no response.

 

Suddenly, he heard a hoarse voice speak. “What are you doing here, young fellow?”

He turned and saw an old man dressed in tramp’s rags sitting on the ground, his back against the wall. He had not noticed him before.

 

“I’ve come to see the great sage, old man,” the young man replied. “I want to become his disciple and learn from his knowledge and wisdom.”

 

“Hah!” said the tramp. “He doesn’t have so much knowledge, and he has even less wisdom.”

“How dare you?” the young man replied in a flash of anger. “What does a person like you know about knowledge and wisdom?” He turned back to the door and resumed knocking. Still no response.

 

The following day, the young man returned. His knock was answered by a servant who showed him into the presence of the sage. Amazingly, the sage seemed to be the identical twin of the beggar.

 

“You recognize me, don’t you?” said the sage, “I was the man sitting on the ground. I am afraid I can not accept you as my disciple.”

 

“But why?” the young man asked plaintively. “How was I to know it was really you?”

 

“You saw a man,” said the sage, “and based on his outward appearance you decided that he could know nothing about knowledge or wisdom. You can never be a disciple of mine.”

 

In our own lives, we are called upon to make value judgments about other people all the time.

 

Whether it is in a business, social or any other setting, we tend to jump to conclusions about new people. We rely on first impressions. We look at their clothing, their accessories, their bearing, their air of sophistication or lack of it, and we make assumptions about their intelligence, character, talents and social standing. First impressions are certainly important, and we should always try to make a good first impression on others. Nonetheless, it is unfair to pigeonhole and stereotype people on the basis of external appearance. Appearances can be deceiving, and we could be missing out on some very fine blessings.

 

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

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

 

 

First Impressions

Parshas Vayera

Posted on November 13, 2019 (5780) By Rabbi Naftali Reich | Series: Legacy | Level: Beginner

It is a blistering hot day. Abraham, that paragon of hospitality, is sitting by the door anxiously looking for passersby that he can invite into his home. Suddenly, he sees three dust-covered desert nomads trudging down the road. Before he brings them into his house, Abraham asks them to wash their feet, because he suspects they might be pagans who worship the dust of their feet. Then he feeds them lavishly.

 

Before they leave, the travelers, really angels in disguise, inform Abraham that Sarah would give birth in a year. Sarah overhears and bursts into laughter. After all, Abraham is one hundred years and she herself is a sprightly ninety, not exactly the height of the child-bearing years.

 

The Almighty, however, does not consider the situation humorous. He asks Abraham why Sarah found this a laughing matter, and Abraham, in turn, rebukes Sarah for laughing.

 

Let us consider for a moment. What had Sarah done wrong? After all, she did not know that the dusty wayfarers were really angels. Why then should she have thought that their blessings were efficacious? Can she be blamed for finding the fanciful good wishes of these wayfarers laughable?

 

The commentators explain that Sarah might indeed not have known that the wayfarers blessing her were angels, and this was exactly the reason she deserved to be reprimanded. She saw before her people who dressed differently, spoke differently, thought differently, and therefore, she looked down on them. She did not consider the blessings of such people worthwhile.

 

But how could she judge who is worthy and who is not? How could she know what lay within the hearts and souls of other people? How could she determine their inner value?

 

This was the reason Sarah was reprimanded. She took one look at these dusty wayfarers and instantly jumped to the conclusion that they were worthless people whose blessings were equally worthless.

 

A young man approached the stately house and knocked on the door. There was no response. He knocked again. Still no response.

 

Suddenly, he heard a hoarse voice speak. “What are you doing here, young fellow?”

He turned and saw an old man dressed in tramp’s rags sitting on the ground, his back against the wall. He had not noticed him before.

 

“I’ve come to see the great sage, old man,” the young man replied. “I want to become his disciple and learn from his knowledge and wisdom.”

 

“Hah!” said the tramp. “He doesn’t have so much knowledge, and he has even less wisdom.”

“How dare you?” the young man replied in a flash of anger. “What does a person like you know about knowledge and wisdom?” He turned back to the door and resumed knocking. Still no response.

 

The following day, the young man returned. His knock was answered by a servant who showed him into the presence of the sage. Amazingly, the sage seemed to be the identical twin of the beggar.

 

“You recognize me, don’t you?” said the sage, “I was the man sitting on the ground. I am afraid I can not accept you as my disciple.”

 

“But why?” the young man asked plaintively. “How was I to know it was really you?”

 

“You saw a man,” said the sage, “and based on his outward appearance you decided that he could know nothing about knowledge or wisdom. You can never be a disciple of mine.”

 

In our own lives, we are called upon to make value judgments about other people all the time.

 

Whether it is in a business, social or any other setting, we tend to jump to conclusions about new people. We rely on first impressions. We look at their clothing, their accessories, their bearing, their air of sophistication or lack of it, and we make assumptions about their intelligence, character, talents and social standing. First impressions are certainly important, and we should always try to make a good first impression on others. Nonetheless, it is unfair to pigeonhole and stereotype people on the basis of external appearance. Appearances can be deceiving, and we could be missing out on some very fine blessings.

 

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

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

 

 

 

Emunah: Keeping the Faith

Parshas Lech Lecha

Posted on November 1, 2022 (5783) By Rabbi Osher Chaim Levene | Series: The Living Law | Level: Beginner

The Mitzvah:

The first of the Ten Commandments is emunah, the belief and faith in G-d and His Torah, which lies at the very core of Judaism. It is obvious how without a firm conviction of G-d’s All-transcendent Reality, a commitment to Torah and mitzvah observance is impossible.

 

The emergence of the Avos, the patriarchs, begins with Avraham.

 

Avraham’s life was the epitome of emunah, “faith in G-d”. He bravely challenged the pagan beliefs of his times and championed belief in the existence of One Supreme G-d. Nimrod had him cast into the fiery furnace for not renouncing his beliefs, only to witness Avraham miraculous escape unscathed. Throughout Avraham’s life, he journeyed declaring the name of G- d to all he encountered and attracting thousands of converts.

 

The Jewish nation, his descendants, is lovingly called mamanim bnei mamanim, “believers the children of believers”.

 

The concept of emunah is the foundation of Jewish life – so much so that the Rambam lists the belief in G-d as the first mitzvah, the springboard to observing all the other commandments.

 

(Other Rabbis disagree asserting that emunah is the precursor to all the precepts but not a mitzvah in itself). In condensing the principles of Torah, the gemara draws it back to one statement “The righteous [man] lives with his faith” (See Makos 24a).

 

The Rambam famously established the 13 principles of faith upon which Judaism rests. The Sefer HaIkkarim (1:4) subdivides faith into 3 main components – belief in the existence of G-d, in His providence for reward and punishment, and the heavenly origins of Torah.

 

The definition of emunah – related to word ne’eman – is “loyalty”, or “faithfulness” to G-d and to the sacred principles of our faith practiced by the Jewish people throughout the ages.

 

It is not a blind “leap of faith” in something that has no basis, experience or track record. Jewish faithfulness is the affirmation to uphold the beliefs of our ancestors. It is a loyalty to and trust of an established system. Seeing ourselves as part of the greater historic picture – where past, present and future coalesce -we are forever conscious of the Torah legacy that has forever guided the Jewish nation. The quality of emunah is implanted into the Jewish spiritual genetic makeup – an inheritance from Avraham.

 

Accordingly, a Jew seeks to preserve and perpetuate the rich lineage and heritage from his forbearers in the Torah, which is faithfully transmitted from father to son. He is the next link in the chain uniting generations. This is testimony of how far emunah reflects the Judaic concept of mesorah, tradition. The Oral Law of Torah was, after all, verbally transmitted by mouth down the ages until the redaction of the Mishnah.

 

What emunah connotes is the basis for the soul’s relationship to spirituality.

One who lives with emunah is one who sees his existence firmly rooted in the divine. It is the end all and be all. It is his lifeline. Without his faith, he has no spiritual existence – even for a short period; it is as if his air supply has been cut off.

 

Starved of a relationship to G-d, the Jew loses meaning to his life. In the innermost recesses of his being, he has a natural pull towards G-d. That is where his neshama, “soul” longs to attach itself.

 

The faith of the Jew is the universal Jewish response in good times and in bad times. It flows deeply in his veins. It is the proclamation of emunah in the saying of Shema or singing the Ani Maamin, “I Believe” with which the Jewish nation have weathered the storm. That is because the existence and outlook of a Jew is forever focused upon how to serve G-d in my set of circumstances.

 

This unique perspective permeates every movement and action in the life of a Jew – to the extent that the Psalmist sang “All your commandments are emunah” (Tehillim 119), an expression of our faith that translates in mitzvah observance.

 

The chosen nation is proud of their title as mamanim bnei mamanim, “believers the children of believers”. Their affirmation to preserve and continue the lifestyle and ideals of our ancestors is all about “keeping the faith”. The course material is presented by Osher Chaim Levene, author of “Set in Stone: The Meaning of Mitzvah Observance” (Targum/Feldheim), a writer and educator in London.