Va’etkhanan -- Nakhamu

5755

 

This is indeed a special Shabbat, and NOT because the kids are spending their last few hours of summer vacation. This is the Shabbat after Tish’a b’Av -- when we read the prophet Isaiah, 40:1-26, "... Nakhamu nakhamu ami -- Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. A voice cries out: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God..." So, on Shabbat after the worst day of our calendar, we are being consoled. We were consoled by sages and seers during two millenia of dire circumstances, in Babylon, Bialistock and Berlin, in Damascus and Danzig, in Sarajevo and Sevastopol. We have taken courage and accepted the challenge to persevere.

A week ago Monday, a suicide bomber again struck a bus in a suburb of Tel-Aviv. For those involved in that blast - those injured, or those bereaved — time will inevitably be measured in terms of "before and after" -- Life Before Rehov Jabotinsky and Life After Rehov Jabotinsky. Life Before The Bus Ride, and Life After The Bus Ride. Life Before The Carnage, and Life After The Carnage. Once the sea of words is spoken; once the opposition casts blame and the coalition deflects it; once the negotiations with the Palestinians are suspended and then renewed; once Arafat condemns those trying to "kill peace" and Hamas praises them; the families will be left alone to put their twisted lives back together.

It will not be easy, indeed, it may not be possible, at all. Believe me, I know -- you may recall that "years ago" my sister was a victim of a "bus attack" (how many of you remember just how many years ago it was...) -- and I have observed her progress towards recovery since then. The physical damage was extensive, and some of it was not discovered for a time because it was masked by the pain of the more severe trauma elsewhere in the body. Months of recovery and numerous operations extended the suffering beyond anything imaginable by those who have not gone through the experience. The psychological damage is even more difficult to overcome. The fear of entering a bus, even in Brooklyn, N.Y.; the suspicion one has of men who look menacing, men who look fanatical (and what does that mean, anyhow, "looking fanatical?")... The feeling that you are never, never quite safe. It does not go away. And the fear by day is exacerbated by the nightmares that come when you fall asleep.

The rest of us won’t be measuring our time in terms of "before" and "after." We will store the memories of this terror incident in the back of our minds with memories of other atrocities that seem to follow one upon the other at a dizzying pace. We will forget the details related to the victims -- how many were there, did they have families, were they young or old, what were their names... That is only natural. The mind can only remember so many names, so many tragedies, so many victims. After all, we reason to ourselves, if it is not a suicide bomber on a bus in Tel Aviv, it is a beast with a knife and a gun murdering yeshivah students in Wadi Kelt. If it is not inside Israel, it is young Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon, guarding their brethern from outside the borders of our mini-state. If it is not Israelis in Lebanon it is Jews indiscriminately massacred across the sea, in London or Istanbul or Argentina. Tragedy follows tragedy follows tragedy. Some times I think that Isaiah's words are right on the mark: "A voice says, "Cry out!" And I said, "What shall I cry?" All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field.

The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever." The Israeli nation responds by going on its predictable mourning footing: The radio news flashes; the breathless reporters; the body count; the Khevra Kadisha collecting body parts; the matter-of-fact emergency room doctors; the melancholy songs on the radio; the memorial candles at the site; the pledges that we must not give in to terror; the slogans that "this peace is killing us." The Jews around the world also have their routines. We make statements to the press, deploring violence and terror. We call for understanding among peoples and peace between nations. We stare in shock at scenes of blown office buildings, violated vehicles, battered bodies disfigured in death. We see the smiles of the victims staring out from old color pictures. We hear about their lives, summed up in 30-second sound bites on CNN. We observe the horrible pain on the faces of relatives at funerals. We see demonstrations and protests, for and against withdrawal from occupied territories, for and against accommodations to former terrorists -- now elevated to partners in dialogue and in sovereignty, for and against peace. We have developed a routine to deal with these days of pain. Not because we are heartless, but because when something is repeated again and again — no matter what it is — a routine develops. Tomorrow, or the next day, we will place it all in the back of our mind and get on with our lives. Until the next time. We will decry our fate and bemoan our destiny. We will beat our chest and admit culpability in our persecution. "Pardon us for living," we say, and we almost mean it... We almost wish we were not there, so we would not be a bother to others. As if we chose to be attacked. As if we are to blame for being victims.

The most gut-wrenching aspect of it all — for those of us who have not been touched directly by the bomb, the night, the bullet, and whose pain is collective, not individual -- is that no matter what we try to do, nothing seems to help. Years of an iron fist spawned more terror, gave birth to new wars, begat the intifada -- until a new government arose and said it was going to try a different approach. But that approach seems only to have spawn more and more terror. The result IS deep despair; horrible frustration; tears and anger. The government of Israel tells us that it is just a small minority that is opposed to peace. However, an investigation of the facts reveals a systematic and ideological opposition that stems from a fundamental belief that Islam and any other society cannot coexist. All the good will in the world, all the concessions and accommodations cannot iron out such an impasse. The fundamental question becomes not "what can we pay for peace" -- but how much are we willing to pay in victims and in terror to survive. (The other side is asking a varriance of the same question: how many of them must we kill and maim and would before they give up and withdraw from the field.) The issue is not, never was, occupation or civil rights. The issue, in the words of the Bard of Avon, is simply "to be or not to be." This week’s Torah portion speaks to us of our unique faith, tailored to a unique people, who must endure a world that refuses to give an inch -- until Shilo comes -- until the world learns the fundamental truth of the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man. Let us hope and pray that this generation, which has been privileged enough to obtain relative safety and a great measure of peace does not give it all away, losing our uniqueness, selling our birthright for a mess of potage. "V’ahavta..." -- the love of God requires the training of our children in the tenacity of Jewish survival in the face of constant attack, for only those who survive can be comforted and given the message that our time has come. We are so close -- surely we must gird ourselves to be strong and persevere. Am Yisrael Kha’y!

Amen

 

5756

 

This week we read the second portion in the Book of Devarim, Deuteronomy, from 3:23 to 7:11. There is a great connection between last week’s portion and this week’s -- more so than just the consecutive nature of the two. First, they span a chasm called Tish’a be’av -- the “disaster day” of the Jewish calendar. Last week’s portion was reenforced by the reading from the prophet Isaiah, Khazon -- the vision of the prophet and his angry indictment of his people: “Yada shor konehu vakhamor evus b’alav; ami lo yada, yisrael lo hitbonan -- The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's crib; but Israel does not know, my people do not understand...” This week’s portion, post “disasters” -- post spies, post destruction, post expulsion, post holocaust, goes back to basics: a warnings against idolatry. Moshe Ben-Maimon, Maimonides, describes the “benign” beginnings of idolatry. The text in Genesis 4:26 reads, “To Seth also a son was born, and he named him Enosh. At that time people began to invoke the name of the Lord.” He writes that in the time of Enosh, people began to “ invoke the name of the Lord” by showing respect and honor to the Sun, recognizing it as being one of God’s most powerful and obvious creations. What better way to show honor to God than to venerate His prime creation. One thing led to another, and before long God was forgotten altogether. It seems that it is part of human nature to focus one’s religious and spiritual energies on something that we can relate to, something tnagible, with a concrete existence. If it is difficult, Maimonides tells us, to focus only on God -- better not to think of anything else in the same breath, Moshe Rabeinu replies. If looking skyward has its potential dangers, then perhaps we shouldn’t look. Better not study and ponder the Sun, lest we fall victim to the allure of sun-worship or some other, similar idol.

However, the prophet Yeshayahu tells us to “lift our eyes heavenwards and see who created these things.” Nature is not to be an object of our worship, but must be one of the ways we get to know God better. Since we are not capable of direct knowledge of God, it is through His many creations that we get an idea of who He is.

The Mishna in Pirkei Avot says that if a person is walking on the road and is in the process of learning Torah, and he stops his learning to admire a beautiful tree or a field, it is as if he puts his life in jeopardy. The straightforward explanation of this mishna is that one must not be distracted from Torah learning, nor put it aside for anything else -- even the admiration of God’s world. Another interpretation -- more to the issue at hand, is that the operative phrase in the mishna is “and he stops his learning.” One’s admiration of nature, the study of science, etc. should be a natural component of one’s Torah study -- not a result of stopping the study of Torah. If saying “what a beautiful tree” is not part of one’s religious experience, then there is a problem. Seeing the tree and saying, or even thinking that this is truly one of God’s magnificent creations, is part of “walking on the road and being engrossed in learning Torah...”

Therefore, the pitfall that Moshe is warning against in the text is that we separate nature and all its elements from one’s religious feelings, “because we did not see an image at Sinai”. The Jew is challenged to explore nature, enjoy it, and put it into its proper perspective. We see the Moon shining brightly, we are aware of its phases and we bless Him for creating it and inspiring us with it. At the beginning of the month we bless the new moon in a ceremony called “Kiddush Levanah.” Is that a form of Moon-worship? Kiddush L’vana is NOT a blessing of the Moon, any more than a Bore Pri Ha'etz is a blessing of the apple. In both cases, in all cases, it is God to Whom we pray and Whom we bless.

Once we understand whom we worship, the text gives us a repetition and reintroduction of Aseret haDibrot, the Ten Statements made by God at Sinai, incorporating the entire Torah, followed by the call words of our people, the Sh’ma, [Deuteronomy 6:4] “Shma yisrael, Adona’y Eloheynu, Adona’y ekhad -- Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one!” What can we say that will reveal and explain the depth of profound truth that generations of Rabbis and lay Jews have gleaned from these six Hebrew words? It is hard to put in words what is breathed by the Jewish soul. The words teach the unity of God. Succinctly, singularely and in concert, they describe our responsibility to the God Who loves us. We have been calling out this verse for centuries! It reminds us, it commands us to recall who we are individually and as a people. Ever since the Second Temple period, the Shema has been part of the daily temple and synagogue service. The “Oral Teaching”, Mishnah, begins with the question, “From what time can the Shma be recited?” In the liturgy, it is recited twice daily. It is called out to finish the Yom Kippur service; it is called and repeated when the Torah is taken out to be read. The words of the Shema are the first prayer parents teache the children, so that they can be the last words on a child’s mouth before going to sleep. And if one is aware of their coming demise, they are, as well, the words on the dying person’s lips before the last breathe. The Shema has been the call of martyrs and worshipers alike.

“Adona'y Eloheynu,” the Lord is our God -- He is the One Who called us by name before the earth was even fashioned. He is the One Who placed His love upon us in order to bring us to Himself. He is the One Who accomplished atonement for our sins so that we can relate to Him as forgiven, free, and new people. He is the One Who even gives us the gift of faith so we can believe His Word.

Why should we “Shma” -- hear? Because the Lord is our God and we are His creations which He fashioned with His own hands. There may be other reasons for hearing, but this concept far overshadows all of them. And what is the nature of this God Who did all of that for us? The text says of Him that “He is one.” Judaism sees an absolute oneness in the Hebrew word “ekhad -- one.” The Jewish people have been taught to live and die for the Shema and its description of the unity of God. When Moshe was asserting that God is one, he was making a bold theological statement -- especially when compared to the theology of all the nations around him. He was declaring, “He is One, because there is no other God; but He is also One because He is wholly unlike anything else in existence. He is therefore not only One, but the Sole and Unique God.” The uniqueness of God expresses itself through the uniqueness of Israel. In fact, taking it a step further, Israel was made unique in order to be a show-case to the idolatrous world - to witness to them that there is a single and unique God Who made the heavens and the earth. To carry it even further, this unique God chose Israel to testify to His uniqueness by means of the unique Torah (teaching) that He gave them! This is what this week's portion is expressing. Moshe says that Israel was to safeguard the Torah and obey it, “this will show your wisdom and discernment to the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, "Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people!" For what other great nation has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is whenever we call to him? And what other great nation has statutes and ordinances as just as this entire law that I am setting before you today?” [Deu. 4:6-8]

After we complete this lesson we are ready to this week's words of the prophet Yishayahu, “Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. A voice cries out: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken."” Amen

 

5757

 

 Tonight begins celebration of the first Shabbat after our infamous "disaster day," the ninth on Av. It is called Shabbat Nakhamu -- the Shabbat of consolation. The reason for this name is that on this Shabbat we shall read the words of the prophet Isaiah, "Nakhamu nakhamu ami yomar eloheykhem; dabru al lev yerushala'yim vekir'u eleha ki mal'a tzeva'a ki nirtza avona ki lak'kha miyad adona'y kiflayim bekol khatoteha -- Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins." These are beautiful words, and we admire the lyrical quality of the text, and the sentiment of the prophet as we read his words. Nor does he stop here -- he continues and says, "A voice calls out, Prepare in the wilderness the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain; And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it." Well, hallelu'ya! With news as good as this how can we go wrong? How can we lose hope or fail in our faith? Could it be because we do not see with our own eyes what our ears are hearing?

This week we read the second portion in the Book of Devarim, Deuteronomy, from 3:23 to 7:11. The text continues the 'retelling' of recent history by our great liberator and Torah giver, Moshe Rabenu. He reminds the people that they must hold steadfastly to the Covenant of God. That covenant was not given to another generation in other circumstances. Though that generation is gone, the covenant is still in force, as we read, "The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horev. The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, who are all of us here alive this day." [Deu. 5:2,3] This exhortation is followed by the actual words of the "statements of Sinai" -- Aseret hadibrot. These Aseret hadibrot, of course, are known as the "Decalogue" or the Ten Commandments in the non-Jewish world (and by now, also among Jews). The great commentators and Rabbis across the ages have insisted that we must not put too great an emphasis on the ten 'words' -- for we have six hundred and thirteen mitzvot!

They pointed out that in antiquity, when the Temple stood and the cohanim offered sacrifices at the altar of the Lord, it was only proper to remind the worshippers of "ma'amad Sinai" -- the experience of Sinai, by having the people stand while the cohanim led them in a recitation of the Aseret hadibrot. However, since the Temple no longer stands, and particularly since we live in a world where there is a religion that recognizes the Sinaic words as God given -- but then negates the remainder of Torah, it becomes necessary to teach the people a different lesson in the Israelite tradition -- the lesson of the unity of God's teaching, the character of our 'law,' and the importance of relating the teachings of Torah to the nature of our God and the unity and unique nature of the People Israel.

This is done by means of the text in our Torah reading this Shabbat. Chapter five, which gives us the text of Aseret hadibrot, does not begin with this text. It begins with the words "Shema Yisrael" -- the call words of our people, and a hint to another text which follows close after this text. And what is it that Israel is exhorted to hear at this point in the text? "Et kol hakhukim vehamishpatim asher anokhi dover be'oznekhem ha'yom ulmadetem otam ushmartem la'asotam -- Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that you may learn them, and keep, and do them." [Deu. 5:1] Thus we establish the rule, 'not ten dibrot but all khukim and mishpatim -- statutes and judgments.' Now the Torah text gives us the Aseret Hadibrot, and the knowledgable recognize that there is a change in the actual text between Deuteronomy 5 and Exodus 20 -- which speaks volumes to the correctness of the sages claim that the dibrot are not "God's own law!" This text is then followed by Moshe's exhortation to the people to live by God's teaching and fulfill their part in His covenant. The very next chapter begins with the words, "Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord your God commanded to teach you, that you might do them in the land to which you are going to possess; That you might fear the Lord your God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, you, and your son, and your grandson, all the days of your life; and that your days may be prolonged." [Deu. 6:1,2] Further, Moshe concludes this lesson with the words, "And you will have heard, therefore, O Israel, and shall have taken care to do it; that it may be well with you, and that you may increase mightily, as the Lord God of your fathers has promised you, in the land that flows with milk and honey." [Deu. 6:3]

Now the text comes to the call words of our people: "Shma Yisrael hashem eloheynu hashem ekhad. Ve'ahavta et hashem elohekha bekhollevavkha uvkhol nafshekha uvkhol me'odekha... Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord; And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might." [Deu. 6:4,5] These words establish the Jewish terms of relating to God, as against those who live 'by the Ten Commandments followed by the teachings that are different from Torah.' The call is to Yisrael, the seed of Abraham and those who recognize a direct relation to those who stood at Sinai. They, who are Yisrael, accept Hashem as their God, singularly, exclusively, and uniquely. They relate to Him in love by nature, as a child loves his parents -- a love 'with all your heart;' they love Him with acceptance and faith, a love 'with all your soul;' and they make it their lifelong task to seek Him, to know Him, and to emulate His qualities in their lives, bringing about a love of truth, justice, and fellowship with all of His creation -- an active love of deeds of mercy and lovingkindness -- 'with all your might.'

Because of the change in emphasis in the text from aseret hadibrot to the shma, the sages and commentators asked yet another question in this regard. Should worshippers in the synagogue stand when Aseret hadibrot are read? At an early point in our history it was decided to stop reading the dibrot daily. The Talmud, time and again, mentions the reading of the dibrot as part of the prayers that were done in ancient time. Thus we find in berakhot 11:2, "We have learned elsewhere: The deputy high priest said to them [the priests], Say one benediction, and they said the benediction and recited Aseret Hadibrot, the Shema’, the section ‘And it shall come to pass if ye hearken diligently’, and ‘And the Lord said’, and recited with the people three benedictions, that is, ‘True and firm’, the benediction of the ‘Avodah,' and the priestly benediction." The Rashba (1235-1310), following the reasoning of many great commentators, forbade the daily reading the dibrot, as did many authorities after him. Now came the question of standing while they are read as part of the Torah reading. Our great sage, Rambam (1135-1204), answered a question and said that there is no part of the Torah that is more important or holy than any other -- and that therefore the custom of standing to hear the dibrot read is neither necessary or desirable -- it gives the wrong impression about the dibrot, and it also detracts from the holiness of the rest of the Torah.

Still other sages suggest that there is reason to stand -- a Sepharadic rabbi, Rav Shmuel Abuhav (1610-1694) suggests that we stand not because of the text of the ten dibrot but because of the circumstance of Ma'amad Sinai -- the presence at Sinai, which the text itself, this week, tells us was not an occasion only for the generation of Sinai -- but for all future generations. Though the teaching of sages such as the Rambam is definitely of prime importance, it is necessary to understand that it is not "the last word." In our own days, Rabbi Ovadiah Yoseph, former chief Sephardi Rabbi of Israel pointed out that the teaching of the Rambam holds true, and yet one may stand for the reading, but only if it is clear that he does so to honor God and the entire Torah, and not the dibrot in and of themselves. Therefore it is incumbent to teach this lesson, to instruct those who are in the congregation, so that they may stand and put emphasis on the honor of Torah, and Mitzvot, and Ahavat Hashem -- the love of God and respect for His creation.

 

5758

 

 

Tonight begins the first Shabbat after the ninth on Av. It is called Shabbat Nakhamu -- the Shabbat of consolation. The reason for this name is that on this Shabbat we shall read the words of the prophet Isaiah, "Nakhamu nakhamu ami yomar eloheykhem; dabru al lev yerushala'yim vekir'u eleha ki mal'a tzeva'a ki nirtza avona ki lak'kha miyad adona'y kiflayim bekol khatoteha -- Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins." These are beautiful words, and we admire the lyrical quality of the text, and the sentiment of the prophet who spoke these words. But the words of the prophet are alway an addendum to the important reading from the scroll of the Torah.

This week we read the second portion in the Book of Devarim, Deuteronomy, from 3:23 to 7:11. The text continues the 'retelling' of the great events over which our liberator and Torah giver, Moshe Rabenu presided. He reminds the people that they must hold steadfastly to the Covenant of God. That covenant was not given to another generation in other circumstances. Though that generation is gone, the covenant is still in force, as we read, "The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horev. The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, who are all of us here alive this day." [Deu. 5:2,3] This exhortation is followed by the actual words of the "statements of Sinai" -- Aseret hadibrot. These Aseret hadibrot, of course, are known by one and all, non-Jews and Jews alike, as the "Decalogue" or the Ten Commandments. The great commentators and Rabbis across the ages have insisted that we must not put too great an emphasis on the ten 'words' -- for we have six hundred and thirteen mitzvot! Also, while the sages insist that the "concept" of the ten statements is the same in Exodus and in Deuteronomy -- the actual word by word Hebrew text is most certainly not the same. This deviation of text is most evident in the fourth statement. In Sefer Shmot, Exodus, we read, "Zakhor et yom hashabat lkadsho." In Devarim, Deuteronomy, we read, "Shamor et yom hashabat lekadsho ka'asher tzivkha adona'y elohekha." Surely, even a person who has no knowledge of Hebrew can tell that there are differences: the first word is not the same, and the length of the two quotes is different, too.

Let me give you an actual translation of the text, direct from the Hebrew, in my own words, rather than a 'masoratic' translation. Exodus 20:8 and Deuteronomy 5:12

 

Remember the Sabbath day to hallow it               Guard the Sabbath day to hallow it. Six days shall

Six days shall you word and do all your                you work and do all your labor. And the seventh day

labor. And the seventh day is a Sabbath                is a Sabbath Lord your God, you shall not do

to the Lord your God, you shall not do to the        any labor, you and your son and daughter and your

any labor, you and your son and daughter                 manservant and your maidservant and your ox and

and your manservant and your maidservant         your donkey and the stranger that is in your midst.

and the stranger that is in your midst.                        So that your-man servant and maidservant shall rest

For the Lord your God made heaven like you.          And you shall recall that you were a slave

and earth, the sea and all that is in it                        in the land of Egypt and the Lord your God took you

in six days, and He rested on the                         out from there with a strong hand and an outstretched

seventh day -- therefore did God                         arm therefore did the Lord God command you to

bless the seventh day and hallowed it.                perform the Sabbath day.

 

The differences in the text raise a question that has been asked by the sages of Judaism since the beginning of Torah interpretation: Who wrote the Torah, and are all its components written by the same hand. The Mishnah, which is also called the Oral Torah, in Avot, says: "Moshe received the Torah at Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua, Joshua to the elders, and the elders to the prophets, and the prophets to the men of the great assembly." This passage expresses the basic Judaic belief that God spoke to Moshe, and Moshe wrote down the text in the Torah. The question the sages ask is, how much of what we read is God's word, and how much is Moshe's interpretation. The reason for asking this kind of a question is clear. You can argue with Moshe -- but you must carry out faithfully the words of God. There is no argument among the sages about the first four book of the Torah. They point out that the second, third and fourth books are connected with the preposition "and" in the Hebrew, "ve:" Exodus -- "Ve'ele shemot;" Leviticus -- "Va'yikrah;" Numbers -- "Vaydaber adona'y el Moshe bmidbar Sinai." The last book does not begin with the connective 'vav:' Ele hadevarim asher diber Moshe el bnai Yisrael..." Hence, the first four books are one unit, the last book is a different unit. The first four books were written at the expressed command of God -- the fifth is in dispute.

The great Sephardic Rabbi, Yitzkhak Abravanel, in his preface to the interpretation of the book of Devarim, states as follows: "I have asked and researched if the 'mishneh Torah, which Moshe place before the Children of Israel, which is to say the book "ele hadevarim," was from God in His heavens, and the words found therein were said by Moshe from the utterance of God Almighty like the rest of the words of Torah from "Beresheet" to "Le'eyney kol Yisrael," the one like the other the words of the Living God without there being any change or replacement. Or is this Mishne Torah the speech of Moshe, composed by himself, and spoken as an interpretation of what he understood to be the divine purpose as he interpreted the mitzvot.

Abravanel makes reference to another Sephardic sage, R' Moshe ben Nakhman, who divides the book in two: one part is the mitzvot that had not been mentioned before, and these Moshe was commanded, from the "mouth of God," to teach now, and their authorship is divine. The part of the book that contains the warnings against straying, and the curses upon those who stray, as well as interpretation of mitzvot given in earlier time, R' Moshe Ben Nakhman ascribes to Moshe himself, who wanted to repeat and state "of himself, without a command from God to do so."

Abravanel argues with his ancient teacher and states categorically that there is a difference between the source of the words and the manner in which they are presented. Moshe received the entire Torah, and he had to put it into words. The part, in Devarim, that seems personal is merely the way Moshe saw fit to explain it to Israel at this time. Thus Abravanel sums up, "this sacred book, in its entirety and in all its parts is the words of the Holy One Blessed be He, as commanded by the Blessed Lord in its entirety like all the other parts of the Torah." However, in must be noted that our sage says 'commanded' and not 'dictated,' so that Moshe has the flexibility and freedom to style the words in his own manner and based upon his understanding. All in all, the guiding proposition on authorship is, "Dibra Torah bilshon b'nai adam -- the Torah speaks in the tongue of humanity." What is the speech of the Living God, and what human ear can comprehend it? This capacity was given to humanity each in his or her vehicle of communication. As we communicate with others, so do we commune with God. That is why we were told about the teaching of God, "Torat Elohim" -- "Torah tzivah lanu moshe, morasha kehilat ya'akov -- the Torah commanded to us by Moshe is the heritage of the congregation of Israel." [Deu. 33:4] May we always be sensitive enough to study the words of our great teacher, Moshe, and may we be wise enough to hear within them the echo of the voice of God.

Amen

 

5759

 

This Shabbat is special, it is the Shabbat after Tish’a b’Av -- when we read the words of the prophet Isaiah, beginning in chapter 40, verse 1, and going on to verse 26, "Nakhamu nakhamu ami... Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. A voice cries out: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God..." So, on Shabbat after, which is the day after the worst day of our calendar, we are being consoled by our prophet. We were consoled by sages and seers during two millennia of dire circumstances, in Babylon, Bialistock and Berlin, in Damascus and Danzig and Detroit, in Sarajevo, Salonika and Sevastopol. We have taken courage from the words of our great prophets, poets and princes, and against all odds we persevered.

The Torah reading for this Shabbat is outstanding, also. If ever one could think of one portion that is full of content to stand in for the entire Torah -- I think this week's Torah portion would take first place! This week's parsha is called Va'etkhanan, and begins with Moshe warning the people against straying from God's teachings. "And I pleaded with the Lord at that time, saying, 'O Lord God, you have begun to show your servant your greatness, and your mighty hand; for what God is there in heaven or in earth, that can do according to your works, and according to your might? I beg you, let me go over, and see the good land that is beyond the Jordan, that goodly mountain region, and Lebanon.'" [Deu. 3:23-25] If God did not listen to Moshe's pleading, what chance would the people have? "Now therefore give heed, O Israel, to the statutes and to the judgments, which I teach you, to do them, that you may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers gives you. You shall not add to the word which I command you, neither shall you diminish nothing from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you." [Deu. 4:1,2] Moshe now begins to instruct the people in the essence of Judaism. The text this week contains the recapitulation of the ten statements God spoke at Sinai, preceded by this lesson: "And the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire; you heard the sound of the words, but saw no form; you only heard a voice. And he declared to you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tablets of stone. And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that you might do them in the land where you go over to possess it." [Deu. 4:12-14] And Moshe goes on, "The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, who are all of us here alive this day. The Lord talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire, I stood between the Lord and you at that time, to tell you the word of the Lord; for you were afraid because of the fire, and went not up into the mount, " [Deu. 5:2-5] Only at this point do we read the text of the Statements of Sinai -- and not exactly in the same words or the same number of words as we read in the book of Exodus.

Important as these words are, the next chapter eclipses them in the Jewish practice of the faith we have developed and sustained after the Sinai experience. The Torah Shebe'al peh -- the Oral tradition that was transmitted to us as Mishnah, begins with the words, "From what time may one recite the Shema in the evening... " [Zera'im: Berakhot a] And, of course, the reference in the Mishnah is to the passage we read this Shabbat in our portion, "Shema Yisrael, Adona'y eloheynu, Adona'y Ekhad! Hear, oh Yisrael, the Lord, our God, the Lord is One." [Deu. 6:4] These words have become the call words of our people, our prayer above all prayers, our confession of faith and commitment, our battle cry in the faith of a cruel and faithless world that wanted to humble and humiliate us before doing us harm to pervert the truth of our Torah which it saw as a challenge to their own faith. If the God of Israel can preserve them in the face of our concerted effort to annihilate them, they reasoned, maybe they are, indeed, a covenant people. And if that is so, maybe we are not as blessed and promised salvation as we think we are.

We are united and made strong with the words of the Shema. The text is more than just the words, it is the Hebrew, where "hear" is singular and "Yisrael" is plural -- uniting each and every lone and weak Jew with the patriarch that gave us his name, the one he received when he was "knighted," ennobled by his struggle with God's angel, fortified by his victory over the evil ways of his father-in-law, Lavan the Aramite, made strong by his recognition that the camp of his family was attended by the camp of God's host, the 'makhana'yim' – the double camp that is mentioned in Genesis, "And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God’s host; and he called the name of that place Mahanaim." [Gen. 32:2,3]

So it has been with our people since Jacob's time. Tragedy follows tragedy follows tragedy. Some times I think that Isaiah's words in this week's haftarah are right on the mark: "The voice says, 'Cry out.' And I said, 'What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all its grace is as the flower of the field; The grass withers, the flower fades; when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people is like grass. The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God shall endure forever." [Isaiah 40:6-8]

This week’s Torah portion speaks to us of our unique faith, tailored to a unique people, who must endure a world that refuses to give an inch -- until Shilo comes -- until the world learns the fundamental truth of the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man. Let us hope and pray that this generation, which has been privileged enough to obtain relative safety and a great measure of peace does not give it all away, losing our uniqueness, selling our birthright for a mess of potage. The "Shema" is fallowed with the "V’ahavta..." – the love of God requires the training of our children in the tenacity of Jewish survival in the face of constant attack, for only those who survive can be comforted and given the message that our time has come. Listen to the words of the prophet:

 

"Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance; behold, he takes up the islands as fine dust. And Lebanon is not sufficient for fuel, nor are its beasts sufficient for a burnt offering. All nations before him are as nothing; and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity. To whom then will you liken God? or what likeness will you compare to him? The workman melts an engraved image, and the goldsmith plates it over with gold, and casts silver chains. He who is too poor for such a gift chooses a tree that will not rot; he seeks for himself a skilful workman to prepare a carved idol, that shall not be moved. Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he who sits upon the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are as grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in; Who brings princes to nothing; he makes the judges of the earth as vanity. Scarcely are they planted; scarcely are they sown; scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth; and he merely blows upon them, and they wither, and the stormy wind takes them away as stubble. To whom then will you liken me, that I should be his equal? said the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who has created these things; who brings out their host by number, he calls them all by names by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing. Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, My way is hidden from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God? Have you not known? Have you not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, faints not, nor is he weary? There is no searching of his understanding. He gives power to the faint; and to those who have no might he increases strength." [Isaiah 40:15-29]

Girded by the spirit of God, assured of His protection, surely we shall not fail to achieve our goal, our home for Shalom, for a comprehensive peace that is founded upon God's law and His love of all humanity. We cannot, we shall not fail!

 

5760

 

 This Shabbat is the first ‘holiday’ after our “national disaster day,” the ninth on Av. It is called Shabbat Nakhamu – the Shabbat of consolation. The reason for this name is that on this Shabbat we shall read the words of the prophet Isaiah, "Nakhamu nakhamu ami yomar eloheykhem; dabru al lev yerushala'yim vekir'u eleha ki mal'a tzeva'a ki nirtza avona ki lak'kha miyad adona'y kiflayim bekol khatoteha – Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins." These are beautiful words, and we can join rank with generations who admired the lyrical quality of the text, and the sentiment of the prophet who spoke these words. But the expression of the prophet is by definition an addendum to the all-important reading from the scroll of the Torah.

The portion for the week is called Va’etkhanan, the second reading in the fifth book. It so full of important lessons that it would take at least a month of lectures to cover. One would think that the most important lesson is the repetition of the words God spoke to Israel at Sinai. After all, most people call them “the Ten Commandments,” and view them as being the cornerstone of our civilization. Congress would like to legislate that every classroom and courtroom in the nation have these words affixed on a wall in a prominent place for all to see and keep foremost on the mind. If a Rabbi was not to choose the Statements, you might expect to hear a commentary on the Shma, the call words of our people, which are another of this week’s messages of the Torah.

I, however, want to point out to you two passages that are, in my opinion, as important a lesson as the ten statements God made at Sinai - maybe even more! The first reads, “And Moses called all Israel, and said to them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that you may learn them, and keep, and do them. The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, who are all of us here alive this day.” [Deu. 5:1-3] This statement, made by Moshe our teacher at his last gathering of the people before he left to die on Mount Nevo, is most significant for its day and for our day. It speaks of the ultimate timelessness of God’s teaching and its renewable value and importance. We read in the Mishna, “In every generation one must see oneself as though he himself came out of Egypt.” {Pesakhim 10] Likewise with the presence and revelation at Sinai - it is an experience that renews with every generation. And having learned this lesson, we come to the second text: “Lo tenasu et adona’y eloheykhem ka’asher nisitem bemasa. Shamor tishmerun et kol mitzvot adona’y eloheykhem ve’edotav vekhukav asher tzivakh - You shall not tempt the Lord your God, as you tempted him in Massah. You shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he has commanded you.” [Deu. 6:16,17] The translation says ‘tempt’ for ‘tenasu’ - but in fact it is the same word we had in the story of Abraham and the binding of Yitskhak: “Va’yhi akhar hadevarim ha’ele veha’elohim nisa et avraham - And it came to pass after these things, that God tested Abraham...” [Gen 22:1] God tested Avraham, he did not tempt him. You may recall that commentary suggested that it was not really a test, but rather God raised Avraham as a ‘banner’ (“nes”) to show off ‘his faithful servant’ and the reward of his devotion and faithfulness.

So, if word in the text this week has the same root - “nisa” - “Lo tenasu,” it must have the same meaning: “You shall not test the Lord your God,” or else “You shall not use the Lord your God as a banner [to show off your own faith and worth].” I am sure that you realize the full implication of this passage when it is viewed in this light: on the one hand, you cannot incessantly question God and His prophets, seers and teachers. Conversely, you cannot cover yourself with a ‘talit’ of His service to claim a right to infallibility because of His banner. These two transgressions, unnecessary and obstinate questioning on the one hand and a claim to divine inspiration and superior moral authority on the other, can render the human condition to be hopelessly led down the path to khilul hashem, blasphemy and loss of faith in the God of our fathers, of Sinai and of creation. The Ten Statements become a mere formula for the ‘humane behavior,’ and Israel becomes merely a society of pioneers in ethical living. Yet the text tells us, “Now therefore give heed, O Israel, to the statutes and to the judgments, which I teach you, to do them, that you may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers gives you. You shall not add to the word which I command you, neither shall you diminish nothing from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.” [Deu. 4:1,2] We are Israel by choice of God and a Covenant that binds us to Him even as it assures us of His fidelity. We may study and research, we may learn and expound, but we may not change. We cannot be “like all the nations.” We cannot accept the lowest common denominator, for it hits rock bottom. We are challenged and called to achieve a world that is loftier and more spiritual, to rise and to raise, to elevate and establish His kingdom, right here, right now. Nothing less will do - nothing less will insure our survival.

Amen

 

 

5761

 

Welcome, one and all, to a special Shabbat celebration - and I do NOT mean to say that it is special because school kids are spending their last few hours of summer vacation, as they do in Duval County. Tonight begins celebration of the first Shabbat after our infamous "disaster day," the ninth on Av. Observant Jews mark a period of sadness and mounting grief between the seventeenth of Tammuz, the fast day of the breaching of the walls of Jerusalem and the nine of Av, the day of the destruction of the Temple and the defeat of the Jewish State under the rule of the scion of the House of David.

The period of anguish and bereavement is over now, and we return to the world of the living, the place where you don’t look back in sorrow but rather look forward with anticipation. How do you do this? How does one overcome the profound sense of loss with which death and destruction leave us? We need to be healed, mended, rejuvenated. We need to be helped to recover - and we turn to Avinu Shabashama’yim - our Father who dwells of High. This is what this Shabbat does, and it is titled "Shabbat Nakhamu" -- the Shabbat of consolation, because of the need and because of the Haftarah reading, which begins with "Comfort my people, comfort them, says your God. Speak comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry to her, that her fighting is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. A voice cries, Prepare in the wilderness the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain; And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it." [Isaiah 40:1-5]

This week’s reading from the Torah is the second portion from the book of D’varim. It begins with a claim by our great teacher Moshe that "I pleaded with the Lord at that time, saying, O Lord God, you have begun to show your servant your greatness, and your mighty hand; for what God is there in heaven or in earth, that can do according to your works, and according to your might? I beg you, let me go over, and see the good land that is beyond the Jordan, that goodly mountain region, and Lebanon." [Deu. 3:23-25] Moshe was not to cross over to the Land of Canaan, and God consoled him, allowing him to see the land from Mount Nevo - and our teacher Moshe teaches us, in spite of his disappointment, and after he himself is soothed over his loss, the lesson of how to get on with life, and how to live the "good life" that will keep us content and happy. The words of Moshe "Now therefore give heed, O Israel, to the statutes and to the judgments, which I teach you, to do them, that you may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers gives you. You shall not add to the word which I command you, neither shall you diminish nothing from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you." [Deu. 4:1,2]

Moshe next reminds the people of the fact that it was God himself that spoke to them - it is not Moshe’s teachings: "The day when you stood before the Lord your God in Horeb, when the Lord said to me, Gather the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children. And you came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire to the heart of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness. And the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire; you heard the sound of the words, but saw no form; you only heard a voice." [Deu. 4:10-12] This is most important, to God - that the people should realize that He has "no form" - that there is only the voice of God, teaching His lesson.

The soothing message, the comforting lesson at the end of our bereavement, is contained in this week’s portion in the all too famous words that follow the Shema, the call words of our faith. "Shema Yisra’el Adona’y eloheynu Adona’y ekhad - Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord; Ve’ahavta et Adona’y elohekha bekol levavkha uvkhol nafshekha uvkhol me’odekha - and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. V’ha’yu hadvarim ha’ele asher anokhi mtzavkha ha’yom al levavekha - And these words, which I command you this day, shall be in your heart;" [Deu. 6:4-6] With God in your heart, with love for Him feeling every part of your being, the hurt will be gone, the sadness will be replaced with joy.

Consider, if you would be so kind, the message of our Psalmist, who wrote, "The Torah of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the mitzvah of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The awe of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever; the sentences of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even very fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb." {Psalms 19:8-11] Can anything be more illustrative than these few words, more instructive of how to come out of Tish’a B’Av and into Shabbat Nakhamu? ""The Torah of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul" - simplicity itself! In Torah we find "El Dorado" - the Fountain of Life. "It is difficult to understand God," say those who wish to avoid His service, "man is incapable, by his nature, of understanding God and his teachings." The Psalmist tells us, "the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple" - worship is the beginning of wisdom, as we also learn from the verse, " The awe of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do his commandments; his praise endures for ever." [Psalms 111:10]. The next sentence puts it all together as it states, " The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart!" There is much balm in God’s mitzvot, a source of strength and courage to overcome the very pits of despair. So take heart, be happy in the knowledge that we have been given a treasure "More to be desired are they than gold, even very fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb" - Shabbat Shalom and nekhama - consolation for Am Yisra’el.

Amen

Shabbat Shalom!

5762

 

I want to read to you part of the message I gave in 1955 on this Shabbat. Back then I said: "This is indeed a special Shabbat, and NOT because the kids are spending their last few hours of summer vacation. This is the Shabbat after Tish'a b'Av -- when we read the prophet Isaiah, 40:1-26, "Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. A voice cries out: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God..." So, on Shabbat after the worst day of our calendar, we are being consoled. We were consoled by sages and seers during two millennia of dire circumstances, in Babylon, Bialistock and Berlin, in Damascus and Danzig, in Sarajevo and Sevastopol. We have taken courage and accepted the challenge to persevere.
"A week ago Monday, a suicide bomber again struck a bus in a suburb of Tel-Aviv. For those involved in that blast - those injured, or those bereaved — time will inevitably be measured in terms of "before and after" -- Life Before Rehov Jabotinsky and Life After Rehov Jabotinsky. Life Before The Bus Ride, and Life After The Bus Ride. Life Before The Carnage, and Life After The Carnage. Once the sea of words is spoken; once the opposition casts blame and the coalition deflects it; once the negotiations with the Palestinians are suspended and then renewed; once Arafat condemns those trying to "kill peace" and Hamas praises them; the families will be left alone to put their twisted lives back together.
"It will not be easy, indeed, it may not be possible, at all. Believe me, I know -- you may recall that "years ago" my sister was a victim of a "bus attack" (how many of you remember just how many years ago it was...) -- and I have observed her progress towards recovery since then. The physical damage was extensive, and some of it was not discovered for a time because it was masked by the pain of the more severe trauma elsewhere in the body. Months of recovery and numerous operations extended the suffering beyond anything imaginable by those who have not gone through the experience. The psychological damage is even more difficult to overcome. The fear of entering a bus, even in Brooklyn, NY; the suspicion one has of men who look menacing, men who look fanatical (and what does that mean, anyhow, "looking fanatical?")... The feeling that you are never, never quite safe. It does not go away. And the fear by day is exacerbated by the nightmares that come when you fall asleep.
"The rest of us won't be measuring our time in terms of "before" and "after." We will store the memories of this terror incident in the back of our minds with memories of other atrocities that seem to follow one upon the other at a dizzying pace. We will forget the details related to the victims -- how many were there, did they have families, were they young or old, what were their names... That is only natural. The mind can only remember so many names, so many tragedies, so many victims. After all, we reason to ourselves, if it is not a suicide bomber on a bus in Tel Aviv, it is a beast with a knife and a gun murdering yeshiva students in Wadi Kelt. If it is not inside Israel, it is young Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon, guarding their brethren from outside the borders of our mini-state. If it is not Israelis in Lebanon it is Jews indiscriminately massacred across the sea, in London or Istanbul or Argentina. Tragedy follows tragedy follows tragedy. Some times I think that Isaiah's words are right on the mark: "A voice says, "Cry out!" And I said, "What shall I cry?" All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever." The Israeli nation responds by going on its predictable mourning footing: The radio news flashes; the breathless reporters; the body count; the Khevra Kadisha collecting body parts; the matter-of-fact emergency room doctors; the melancholy songs on the radio; the memorial candles at the site; the pledges that we must not give in to terror; the slogans that "this peace is killing us." The Jews around the world also have their routines. We make statements to the press, deploring violence and terror. We call for understanding among peoples and peace between nations. We stare in shock at scenes of blown office buildings, violated vehicles, battered bodies disfigured in death. We see the smiles of the victims staring out from old color pictures. We hear about their lives, summed up in 30-second sound bites on CNN. We observe the horrible pain on the faces of relatives at funerals. We see demonstrations and protests, for and against withdrawal from occupied territories, for and against accommodations to former terrorists -- now elevated to partners in dialogue and in sovereignty, for and against peace. We have developed a routine to deal with these days of pain. Not because we are heartless, but because when something is repeated again and again — no matter what it is — a routine develops. Tomorrow, or the next day, we will place it all in the back of our mind and get on with our lives. Until the next time. We will decry our fate and bemoan our destiny. We will beat our chest and admit culpability in our persecution. "Pardon us for living," we say, and we almost mean it... We almost wish we were not there, so we would not be a bother to others. As if we chose to be attacked. As if we are to blame for being victims.
"The most gut-wrenching aspect of it all — for those of us who have not been touched directly by the bomb, the night, the bullet, and whose pain is collective, not individual -- is that no matter what we try to do, nothing seems to help. Years of an iron fist spawned more terror, gave birth to new wars, begat the intifada -- until a new government arose and said it was going to try a different approach. But that approach seems only to have spawn more and more terror. The result IS deep despair; horrible frustration; tears and anger. The government of Israel tells us that it is just a small minority that is opposed to peace. However, an investigation of the facts reveals a systematic and ideological opposition that stems from a fundamental belief that Islam and any other society cannot coexist. All the good will in the world, all the concessions and accommodations cannot iron out such an impasse. The fundamental question becomes not "what can we pay for peace" -- but how much are we willing to pay in victims and in terror to survive. (The other side is asking a variance of the same question: how many of them must we kill and maim and wound before they give up and withdraw from the field.) The issue is not, never was, occupation or civil rights. The issue, in the words of the Bard of Avon, is simply "to be or not to be." This week's Torah portion speaks to us of our unique faith, tailored to a unique people, who must endure a world that refuses to give an inch -- "until Shilo comes" -- until the world learns the fundamental truth of the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man. Let us hope and pray that this generation, which has been privileged enough to obtain relative safety and a great measure of peace does not give it all away, losing our uniqueness, selling our birthright for a mess of potage."
This is the end of my quote – and I think you get the message I wish to give today: things are bad - but they are NOT worse than they have ever been, as some would tell you. We are desperate, but the situation is normal, and ours is the long view. The prophet Isaiah spoke directly to us with this week's words of consolation. "Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. A voice cries out: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God..." We cannot give up, not now! We have hung on for so long, we have hoped and suffered and prayed and mourned and persevered and went on, to ennoble our dead martyrs, to bring into the world children who will fight for peace and their own place under the sun, for justice and freedom and equality. We have bled and burned and taught the world the meaning of faith and of resilience. Can we do any less today and tomorrow?
This past week we have witnessed again the patient faith of Job as our people mourned their dead and continued living with terror in their every day and with hope for every tomorrow. And we know with a total certainty that our hope is justified, and that tomorrow will dawn, and soon - a tomorrow of peace and understanding and acceptance and friendship and love. It can and it will happen - because we are ready to pay for it with our life's blood, with our tears and our sorrow, with our youth and our old age. The enemy may take our consideration of the preciousness of life as a weakness - but it is not! It is today, as it has been through two and a half millennia of our history, the strength of our rock-like faith in the promise of God for a coming redemption. We know who we are - a people of flesh and blood. We are weak, and we are mortal. They can wound us, and they can kill some of us. However, we also know what they do not understand: we are an immortal people, promised by God to be protected from extinction. We are the Apple of His Eye, His first born, His beloved bride who followed Him into the wilderness. And He is the Faithful beloved father and sovereign. He will not falter nor fail.
So, let us be comforted. Let us mourn our dead, and cry in sympathy with our wounded - but let us not despair. Let us measure our shock over our loss, let us get over our revulsion over the inhuman behavior of our enemies. Let us keep our wits about us, and let us continue the labor with have been about for so long - "tikun olam" - the improvement of the world, to prepare it for His reign. Then, and only then, will we know peace, as the vision of the prophet is fulfilled, and the swords are turned to spades and people learn war no more. Amen

 

Va'etkhanan – Nakhamu 5763


This Shabbat we read the second portion in the forth book of the Torah – Devarim, Deuteronomy, from 3:23 to 7:11. I am sure that you will not be surprised to hear me say that there is a great connection between last week's portion and this week's -- but, please know that it is more so than just the fact that they came one after the other. Actually, chronologically speaking, they span an "eternity" – the chasm called Tish'a be'av – the "disaster day" of the Jewish calendar. Last week's portion, before the "upheaval," was reenforced by the reading from the prophet Isaiah, Khazon – the vision of an angry prophet making his indictment of his people: "Yada shor konehu vakhamor evus b'alav; ami lo yada, yisrael lo hitbonan – The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's crib; but Israel does not know, my people do not understand..." This week's portion, post Tish'a b'Av -- post spies, post destruction, post expulsion, post holocaust, goes back to basics: the Sinai experience and the Shma, the call words of the Jewish people.
The Torah reading for this Shabbat is so outstanding, it should have been divided at least into three portions. If ever one could think of one portion that is so full of content as to "stand in" for the entire Torah -- I think this week's Torah portion would take first place! The parsha is called Va'etkhanan, and begins with Moshe warning the people against straying from God's teachings. "And I pleaded with the Lord at that time, saying, 'O Lord God, you have begun to show your servant your greatness, and your mighty hand; for what God is there in heaven or in earth, that can do according to your works, and according to your might? I beg you, let me go over, and see the good land that is beyond the Jordan, that goodly mountain region, and Lebanon.'" [Deu. 3:23-25]
Of course, we all know that God did not listen to Moshe's pleading. So, what chance would the people have? "Now therefore give heed, O Israel, to the statutes and to the judgments, which I teach you, to do them, that you may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers gives you. You shall not add to the word which I command you, neither shall you diminish nothing from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you." [Deu. 4:1,2]
Moshe went on to remind the people, "The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, who are all of us here alive this day. The Lord talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire, I stood between the Lord and you at that time, to tell you the word of the Lord; for you were afraid because of the fire, and went not up into the mount, " [Deu. 5:2-5] Only at this point do we read the text of the Statements of Sinai -- and not exactly in the same words or the same number of words as we read in the book of Exodus. There are many explanations for the differences - but that is not the issue here, for we are interested in the total picture, and we still have far to go.
However, I would like to point out to you that there are two passages that are, in my opinion, as important a lesson as the ten statements God made at Sinai! The first reads, "And Moses called all Israel, and said to them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that you may learn them, and keep, and do them. The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, who are all of us here alive this day." [Deu. 5:1-3] This statement, made by Moshe our teacher at his last gathering of the people before he left to die on Mount Nevo keeps Torah ever fresh, ever revelation connected in the mind of our people.
The second message, that well known, comforting lesson at the end of our bereavement for all that befell us on Tish'a b'Av, is contained in this week's portion in the all too famous words that follow the Shma, the call words of our faith. "Shema Yisrael Adona'y eloheynu Adona'y ekhad - Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord; Ve'ahavta et Aldine elohekha bekol levavkha uvkhol nafshekha uvkhol me'odekha - and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. V'ha'yu hadvarim ha'ele asher anokhi mtzavkha ha'yom al levavekha - And these words, which I command you this day, shall be in your heart;" [Deu. 6:4-6] Loving God is not a commandment, not is it a burden - it is a source of comfort. With God in your heart, with love for Him filling every part of your being, the hurt will be gone, the sadness will be replaced with joy. We can proceed to the conclusion of the reading, and arrive at the lyrical words of the Prophet Isaiah: "Nakhamu nakhamu ami... Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins. A voice cries out: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God..." [Isaiah 40:1,2,3]
God will not forget His promise, nor will He betray his pledge to keep the remnant alive. Hope is not in vain, and succor will indeed come – not because we deserve it, but because He is so graceful, so loving – that no matter what we do, He will bring salvation. He will make His will manifest, and will bring the children back to their land of promise. "Have you not known? Have you not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, faints not, nor is he weary? There is no searching of his understanding. He gives power to the faint; and to those who have no might he increases strength." [Ibid. 40:28,29] May the favor of the Lord our God be upon us now and ever as it has been since days of old.
Amen
Shabbat shalom

Va’etkhanan 5764

This Shabbat we read the second portion from the book of Dvarim, from the third chapter, verse 23, to the seventh chapter, verse 11. I have to tell you that very few people call this Shabbat by the name of the Torah portion - because of the fact that it is the first Shabbat after Tish’a b’av, and we read a Haftarah, which is the prophets portion, from Isaiah, chapter forty, related not to our Torah reading but rather to the just passed fast. “Comfort my people, comfort them, says your God. Speak comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry to her, that her fighting is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. A voice cries, Prepare in the wilderness the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain; And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.” [Isaiah 40:1-5]
Going back to the Torah reading for this Shabbat, it is truly outstanding. If ever one could think of single portion that is so chuck-full of content as to be able to stand all alone for the entire Torah -- I think this week's Torah portion could conceivably take first place! This week's parasha begins with Moshe warning the people against straying from God's teachings. "And I pleaded with the Lord at that time, saying, 'O Lord God, you have begun to show your servant your greatness, and your mighty hand; for what God is there in heaven or in earth, that can do according to your works, and according to your might? I beg you, let me go over, and see the good land that is beyond the Jordan, that goodly mountain region, and Lebanon.'" [Deu. 3:23-25] If God did not listen to Moshe's pleading, what chance would the people have? "Now therefore give heed, O Israel, to the statutes and to the judgments, which I teach you, to do them, that you may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers gives you. You shall not add to the word which I command you, neither shall you diminish nothing from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you." [Deu. 4:1,2] Moshe now begins to instruct the people in the essence of Judaism. The text this week contains the recapitulation of the ten statements God spoke at Sinai, preceded by this lesson: "And the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire; you heard the sound of the words, but saw no form; you only heard a voice. And he declared to you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, ten statements; and he wrote them upon two tablets of stone. And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that you might do them in the land where you go over to possess it." [Deu. 4:12-14] And Moshe goes on, "The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, who are all of us here alive this day. The Lord talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire, I stood between the Lord and you at that time, to tell you the word of the Lord; for you were afraid because of the fire, and went not up into the mount, " [Deu. 5:2-5] Only at this point do we read the text of the Statements of Sinai -- and not exactly in the same words or the same number of words as we read in the book of Exodus.
Still, we have not come to the end of the portion – we have a ways to go. After hearing the words of Moshe repeat the statements of the Almighty, our great teacher sums it up with, “Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord your God commanded to teach you, that you might do them in the land to which you are going to possess;” [Ibid. 6:1] – and then he goes on to state the words that became the “call words” of the Jewish people for hundreds of generations, “Shma Yisra’el adona’y eloheynu adona’y ekhad. Ve’ahavta et adona’y eloheykha...” [Ibid 6:4,5] I certainly hope that I don’t have to translate these words for any of my readers.
There is an interesting commentary on Genesis 1:1, the fourth Hebrew word. That word is not “a word” per se – rather, it is a construct that is used with the definitive object of the verb, “alef tav” that are read as “et.” Interestingly enough, these two letters are the first and last letters of the alphabet. The sages commented: “What did God create in the beginning? He created ‘alef tav’ – which is to say, everything, as in the Greek “Alpha to Omega.”
In the entire Torah, in all five books, there are two verses that contain all the letters of the Hebrew alef bet. One is in Exodus 16:16, and the other is in our portion, in chapter 4, verse 34: “Or has God ventured to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?” So, once again, in the Hebrew text alone, do we find a message of the conclusive nature of the message of God. As He has created a world for us to inhabit, so has He taken His people out of bondage, brought them unto Him at Sinai, and gave the a conclusive and exclusive teaching. Moshe makes the matter very clear: “You shall not add to the word which I command you, neither shall you diminish nothing from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.” [Ibid 4:2]
God's message is clear and simple. May we always keep it in our hearts and in our actions, and may His sovereignty soon be established. Amen

Shabbat shalom


 

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