Haazinu 5776, September 2015; Gentleness and Strength

Moshe directed Heaven and Earth to be his witnesses as they are permanent and unchanging in their essence. Yes, clouds can pass across the sky, earthquakes can even alter the landscape, but the real nature of Heaven and Earth remain just as a person's inner essence does not change no matter whether his mood is good or not, and whether or not he does teshuvah for his sins he himself is still that one person (though he can be as if reborn if he does teshuvah). In the times of the Torah, the heavens were seen as a male influence on the world, and the very earth the female essence of creation. Together, mediated by G-d, they create our entire natural experience.

The rain in its time and the dew in its time and we will have
crops, arbah minim, schach, and all we need. And the little
children grow with the influence of their parents and other
male and female adults in their lives.

Moreover, Moshe went on to state that his words would be "like a  torrential rain which uproots…and causes great harm. Tzror Hamor reminds us that storms help crops grow stronger. Rain itself likewise was considered essentially male; it could benefit but it could destroy subsistence falling at the wrong strength or the wrong time.  Mostly though it was life giving, just as is the Torah. Both are essential for the world, both come from Heaven, both cleanse and purify, both develop seeds (the Torah metaphorically developing the seeds of spirituality within one's heart) (Rashi).

Yet Moshe then went on to say, "My saying shall trickle like dew."  Dew seems almost to spring from the ground and is historically thought of as feminine, gentle. Dew is never a negative agriculturally for the crops of Eretz Yisroel. It never interferes, it is never dangerous to man. In the same way that everyone in Eretz Yisroel rejoiced uniformly at dew, so Torah is always a cause for rejoicing (Sifrei).

This photo doesn't begin to show how steep
the path truly was, somehow it shows it more
leveled out than in reality. It would have been
terribly dangerous to descend in heavy rain.

I was recently hiking and was on very steep trails. I feared the coming rain greatly, for there would have been no safe way to get down the path at all. It would have been a complete flood immediately if real rain began to fall. Such is the power of rain on our minds, to control our actions. But we must change our actions to follow the Torah, and sometimes a strong reminder is necessary. Keeping this metaphor fresh in our minds can help.

Parshas Vayeilech -- All Together Now 9/18/15

Parshsas Vayeilech

Dt. 31:1-30

This week’s parsha is closely related to last week’s Parshas Nitzavim and they are read either together on or during Rosh Hashanah. In the Chayenu publication there is an insightful thought concerning the two parshios, they note that “parshat Nitzavim focuses on G-d’s side of the covenant, while parshat Vayeilech focuses on the Jewish people’s side of the covenant.”  Let’s begin this week’s d’var Torah by revisiting the opening line from Parshas Nitzavim:

“You, all [together], are standing today before the Eternal, your God:”

What I like about this line is that it reminds us that we are all in this together! So with that in mind let’s move into this week’s parsha.

“Moshe then went and spoke these words to all Yisrael. He said to them,’” Today I am one hundred and twenty years old. I may no longer go out or enter, [for] the Eternal has said to me, ‘You will not cross over this Yarden.’”  

I cannot imagine what hearing those words must have felt like to B’nai Yisroeal, who as fledgling nation are about to cross over into the Promised Land, but now they hear that they will do so without their beloved leader, Moshe Rabbeinu. Yet Hashem, who has never left any generation, bereft of a Shepherd, has the entire nation as witnesses to the installation of Yehoshua. What follows next is the first of three repetitions of strong encouragement that gets right at what any of us might have felt in that moment.

First to the people and then twice to Yehoshua, Moshe says, “Be strong and be firm”, some translations say courageous instead of firm, but the message then and now is we must, as a united people, stand strong and with courage, and might I also suggest pride in our Yiddishikeit. All we have to do is look around our world to see just how important it is that this reality has a home in our heart and mind. But if and when we falter, we have the very next verse to comfort and strengthen us,

“But it is the Eternal who is leading before; He will be with, [and] will not let you slip [from His grasp] nor forsake you.” v.8

When we place our eyes on the Creator King of the universe going before us into all matters of life, it truly helps during our times of distress to know who has the lead that we can safely follow. Once this part of the message has been established, the parsha turns to a small but powerful act. Moshe writes down the Torah on 13 scrolls and places them in the Ark of the Covenant, which also contains the Tablets. There are many places you can go to deepen your own spiritual understanding of this segment including Chabad.org, but as I have pondered verse 9 in relation to my theme for this blog, I cannot help but think of the Tablets as the Divine Holy Writ that is Hashem’s part of the covenant and the scrolls, which are written by a human hand with ink, are our part. The thing about ink is that it can fade and I feel as if it’s up to us, “we together who are standing here today”, to strive to make sure that this never happens through ahavas Hashem and ahavas Yisroel. And again our beautiful, holy G-d makes what can seem like a daunting task easier, by placing them both in the Holy of Holies where they meet eternally. I can think of no mightier safe.

Parshas Vayeilech is rich, deep and broad and a blog cannot contain all its riches, so it is my responsibility to pick what to write about and what to leave out. But how can we not talk about the Hakhel year that follows the Shemittah, when we are now in one?

 Our parsha continues with an explanation of this seventh year commandment to come together as one nation before our king and hear him read aloud portions of Devarim/Deuteronomy. But we don’t have a king and we aren’t exactly in our “promised land” are we…? So how might we apply this to our lives today? In his book entitled, Daily Wisdom, The Lubavitcher Rebbe, OBM writes, “The objective of this assembly [Hakhel] was to strengthen the foundations of Jewish education and observance.” So get together with friends and family, in small gatherings or large, even on FB and encourage one and other with Torah values, ahavas Yisroel and the activity of Mitzvot. We can and must do this for one and other. Sukkot is coming, the parsha tells us that this was the time during the Hakhel to hear the king; Sukkot is coming and we have a wonderful time to share our King’s will and wisdom with each other.

There are so many more gems in Parshas Vayeilech and I really wish we could explore how a song, the earth and the heavens are witnesses to the covenant between Hashem and His people; perhaps another time. For now, as we move through the Days of Awe, and come to Yom Kippur, where we will once again stand together and with one voice confess the Al Chet for Am Echad, I hope that your fast is meaningful and light.

Kol Tov

Robin Z

Top of Form

Top of Form

Nitzavim, September 11, 2015 - Where do we find the mitzvot?

*Author's Note - I am not very skilled at condensing research into my own words.  Instead I try to use readings and study by our Sages to inform my opinions, outlook, and perceptions.  In this post I am merely sharing my interpretations and opinions of this week's Parshah.  So, just keep in mind, this is my opinion only.  :)
A big thank you to Elise for allowing me to share my thoughts (and be a bit vulnerable) with all of you!!

In this week’s Parshah, Nitzavim, we see both a warning and a promise from Hashem.  Hashem both warns us of the dire consequences of turning our hearts away from him, but also promises us long lasting abundance if we do not do so.  We have a great opportunity to provide joy for Hashem.  

Specifically meaningful to me this week is when Hashem explains to us that despite him asking the seemingly impossible, it’s not at all impossible.  The mitzvot and the opportunity for joy is not in heaven, and it is not beyond the sea.  “It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can fulfill it.”

To explain why this portion has special meaning to me, let me tell you a little bit about myself.  I am a 29 year old mother of two small children.  I love my children with all of my heart, but they are exhausting me.  It’s not just me, family has been lovingly chiming in about how much of a handful they really are.  I recently moved from a very rural area to a very big city.  I transferred Universities and I am now in a much more difficult Accounting program than previous, and the sheer amount of homework I have is drowning me.  These are just some of the details about my life, but I tell you them to convey: I’m stressed.  I find myself having to work harder and harder in my prayers and the mitzvot I perform are becoming increasingly more difficult to maintain.

So for me, this reminder couldn’t have come at a more opportune time.  The mitzvot are practical, and Hashem placed them within our reach.  Who knows me and my capabilities better than the Lord our 
G-d?  Who am I to question my abilities in this stressful time?  So if you will allow me, I would like to delve further into this specific part of the Parshah.  

To start with, Devarim 30:11 states “For this commandment which I command you this day, it is not concealed from you, nor is it far away.  It continues on with verse 12 “It is not in heaven, that you should say, "Who will go up to heaven for us and fetch it for us, to tell [it] to us, so that we can fulfill it?” and 13 “Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us and fetch it for us, to tell [it] to us, so that we can fulfill it?"  All of this is to say, Hashem has not given us anything impossible or unattainable.

We don’t need special abilities to reach to heaven or beyond the sea, and we don’t need x-ray vision to figure out exactly what the covenant means to our relationship with Hashem.  We don’t need special assistance to know or understand the mitzvot and it doesn’t take some great feat to have them in our lives.  But if these are all of the things that the Torah and the mitzvot are not, then where are they?

When I read the next line “it is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can fulfill it”  I actually read it in my mind incorrectly.  It’s probably because I’m not a slow, careful enough reader, but I tend to read it as “in your heart and in your mouth.”  But why do I do this automatic flip?  Is it because it seems more natural to do so?  Is it more human to do so?  I think yes.  We all like to believe that what is in our hearts determines what comes out of our mouths.  However, the “fake it till you make it” philosophy tells us otherwise.  We’ve all heard the mantra that if you do it enough times, you will believe it.

Here it is right in the Torah.  The mitzvot are first and foremost in our mouth.  We say and do the things we are required to do.  Then we are able to find them in our heart.  We haven’t been commanded to perform mitzvot solely for G-d’s pleasure, it’s because he has designed the world in such a way that the performance brings us joy as well.  

So now we know where the key lies, within us.  It’s what we say and do and it’s what we hold in our hearts.  That’s how we perform mitzvot, that’s how we connect to G-d, and that’s how someone like me who is going through a rough patch continues to have faith and persevere.  In Nitzavim G-d promises wonderful and amazing things for all those that choose to follow in His path.  No matter how many times we choose the wrong path, the right path is always open to us and we can always cleave to Hashem.  It’s important to note here that the contract given to the people of Israel was for all past generations and all future generations.  It was given to us as a whole and to each of us individually.

When you understand Hashem gave us the very pieces and the very strength we needed right in our own mouths and our own hearts, we find peace with G-d.  

Ki Tavo 5775, September 2015, Using our Gifts

This week's parsha is best known for the blessings and curses section, yet before that we learn about the mitzvah of bringing bikkurim, first fruits, to the Beis Hamikdash. What is so special that we should learn this so prominently, and what is the point of bringing single items in groups to Jerusalem with such ceremony?

The mitzvah itself is to mark the first growth of any of the special species of the land of Israel on land we own each year (those being barley, wheat, grapes, dates,  pomegranates, figs, and olives); and then to to bring those specific grown products in a basket to the holy Temple together with the rest of one's settlement area all traveling together in procession. Important people of the city of Jerusalem would come greet them as they approached, and then all the residents whom they passed would stand as they approached them personally.

It says in Mishlei, "Honor G-d from your wealth and from the first of all your harvest; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your winepresses will burst with wine." It is our trust in G-d which allows us to receive what we do. Not that one receives in this world directly in proportion to his honoring of G-d, but only through honoring G-d at all does the entire world receive any portion.

One must not think that by giving, his own possessions are diminished, for it is G-d and not we ourselves who determine our own portion. Again in Mishlei it states, "There is he who scatters, and yet increases more."

Only in mitzvahs of giving is one allowed to test G-d, in fact, not in mitzvahs of accumulating or receiving. For it says in Malachi, "Test Me with this. Give tithes and charity and see if I will make you wealthy."

Perhaps your gift is juggling? No, really, my beloved husband
has many gifts and is blessed to have the wisdom to use them
in the name and honor of Ha Kodesh Baruch H-

As B'nai Yisroel are called "the first of G-d's harvest," in Yirmeyahu; and Toldos Yitchak writes that so we are commanded and taught to bring our first fruits in both literal and figurative senses. This means that the mitzvah is valid even today. The chachamim explain this means that anything one has as a gift in character or ability is his gift from G-d and should be treated as bikkurim. This can be material wealth, in which case one has the responsibility to do good to others as the physical representation of G-d's works on Earth in this era without a Beis Hamikdash. One who has no real material wealth though may have other gifts--a beautiful voice, a wise mind, an ability to write coherently, an knack for teaching others, artistic skills, anything. One is thus commanded to use these skills not for personal aggrandizement, but for the honor of G-d, to make one's fear and love of G-d known and publicly shown. This is a mitzvah every single person can do, for we all have gifts even if the gift is not so obvious like a loving heart which makes others feel drawn in; or a quiet nature which allows others to notice the holiness about them in the world. It's important we each keep in mind consciously what our gifts are, that they are G-d given, that they are part of us, and that we can use them in G-d's honor to perform a mitzvah otherwise inaccessible.

Ki Saitzai 5775, August 2015, Wisdom is the Mother of all Good

"Tova chochma mi'gevurah," wisdom is greater than strength (Koheles).

In this week's parsha, we learn the mitzvah of sending off a mother bird before gathering her eggs or fledgelings (this is in the case of a kosher wild bird, please understand). Why do we bother, other than obviously to avoid getting pecked or scratched? Why would this be a distinct commandment in itself?

Rambam says this mitzvah is particularly great; Kli Yakar expands that this mitzvah is equivalent to that of the ten commandments to honor your father and mother. This is our clue of how to understand the mitzvah: G-d is H-mself the mother of all things. G-d gave birth to the universe and to every living being. How can we not honor H-m directly by honoring all mothers directly when we have that opportunity?

Historically, chochma, wisdom, was viewed as the feminine divinity aspect of Ha Kodesh B-ruch Hu. It was in keeping with the early Jewish thought process to view wisdom as equivalent in every way as any masculine idea of "G-d." This was essentially altered after the first dispersion to Babylon, as the Jews encountered there excesses of goddess worship and the leadership among the Jews, both civil and religious, feared that this had tainted Jewish thinking. Therefore G-d was re-conceived (ironically) as purely a father figure in Jewish thought. This in no way though removes the original feminine from reality as G-d clearly is not gendered but rather gender is our own dichotomous distinction.

If one uses strength to gather the eggs, one could risk injuring the mother bird herself as well as the egg gatherer risking injury.  If one uses wisdom, and sends away the mother bird, one shows a great respect to Ha Kadosh B-ruch Hu and shows an ability to synthesize all Jewish thought.

Wisdom likewise comes into play in many areas of halacha in this parsha: how to handle the situation of a non-Jewish woman captured in war and desired by a Jew; not to deprive an oldest son of his inheritance; to bury the dead immediately; to help a Jew load or unload a burden; to fence a roof.  These are all areas best approached using wisdom rather than strength (though strength can certainly help load or unload a pack).

Zohar explains the mitzvah thus:
     Driven from its nest, the mother bird flies restlessly over the hills and valleys. It cries bitterly and despairingly over the separation from its children.
     The angel appointed over that species of bird appears before the Heavenly Throne and reproaches G-d, "Why have you, compassionate in all your ways, ordered this in your Torah?"
     The angels appointed over all other species of birds take up the cry…
     Then G-d turns to all the angels and tells them, "…why …do none of you voice concern about my sons and the Shechina, both of whom are in exile? The Shechina is separated from its nest, the Beis Hamikdash in Jerusalem, and My sons the fledgelings dwell among the nations…"
   This plaintive cry evokes Heavenly mercy for the fate of the Jewish people.

Pinchas 5775, Learning from all at all times

The five daughters of Tzelofchad were such great women that they discussed all matters among themselves in the framework of Torah law, agreed on everything, and lived their lives solely for the purpose of Torah. They went to Moshe Rabbeinu to discuss their family's inheritance in Eretz Yisroel and presented their argument in the fashion of the greatest Torah scholars (Bava Basra). They compared the laws of inheritance with the laws of yibum (Sifrei), and would not accept Moshe's initial arguments (the proper law having been concealed by G-d from Moshe) (Sanhedrin) not out of self-importance but out of devotion to true Torah and halacha.

Torah is passed from father to son,

Ultimately not only did G-d declare their learning and interpretation of halacha correct over that of Moshe himself, but they all found worthy husbands and bore children even though they were all over the age of 40 at the time of the disputation. Bamidbar Rabbah teaches that this was an extra instruction for Moshe himself not to be haughty or feel special that he had separated himself from his wife at G-d's command, for all five of these sisters had separated themselves from the likelihood of marrying and bearing children out of love of halacha without any direct instruction to do so.

No matter how well we feel we know something, no matter how special or learned or expert we may be considered by others around us, we must always be open to others' words and ideas. What would have happened had Moshe not accepted that he should put the sisters' question before G-d, if he had incorrectly decided halacha for the people this one time? If the sisters had not been willing to speak up, or the various judges not been willing to listen and defer to those above themselves?

and Torah is passed from mother to daughter. But Torah can
only be passed from one to another in an atmosphere of love
and respect, and the respect must go both ways; the child shows
kavod to the parent and the parent shows an appreciation of
the child's willingness to learn and consider what is taught.

Halacha and every other area of life can never be decided by those who are convinced they know everything, or who will not listen to others who approach in respect and serious interest in true knowledge. We ourselves must always be open to the words and ideas of others. To belittle others, to refuse to consider their words and thoughts, to hold ourselves above reproach in any area of learning or expertise is to commit an aveira with untold consequences. Let us all learn from everyone around us and always be willing to reconsider our beliefs and opinions within the framework of Torah.

Balak 5775, July 2015, The protective feminine

Balak, says the midrash in Bamidbar Rabbah and the Zohar, was himself one of the greatest magicians with power over forces of tumah of his time. Yet he contracted with Bilam to help him destroy the Jewish people. Why? Because he knew he had no power over them himself due to what had happened to his own creation. His special form of magic involved the animation of an artificial bird with magic powers through tumah. When Balak had resolved to destroy the Jews, his bird flew away just as he was offering incense to it, and after a long disappearance it reappeared with a singed tail--which told Balak that the Shechinah specifically would always thwart him in attacking the Jews (Zohar). Not G-d in general, not the Clouds of Glory which physically protected the Jews at the time, but specifically the Shechinah.

Why the Shechinah? There are two aspects to consider. First, along with Chochmah, the Shechinah represents the feminine aspect of G-d (as we understand it; obviously G-d transcends gender but we understand things in concrete ways). This is alluded to in the brachah Bilam inadvertently gives the Jews, "Mah tovu," "How good are your tents," which we are taught actually refers not to a metaphor (unless you go to the Kabbalah, but that's another discussion of course) but to the actual physical tents of the Jews in their camps in the deserts, for the women's inherent modesty made them always site their tents so that no entrance or opening faced directly to those of another tent; in this way they always had privacy and provided it to their neighbors. This true modesty is one of the greatest traits of the Jews, and das Yehudis has always been a closely guarded value.

Summertime! And being a Jewish girl is great!

In addition the Shechinah itself was found in the Mishkan itself, inhabiting the Kodesh Kodeshim. The karbanos, tefillos, and study of the Jews was their very protection as the Shechinah kept them from harm.

In the end, it was indeed mostly men who sinned following Balak and Bilam's campaign, but the women and their holiness were able to protect the people as a whole and it was their feminine nature, their holiness, their prayers, which kept G-d from destroying the people entirely.

We must continue today in this vein; remembering our natural modesty (without going overboard or being judgmental of others' standards of modesty) in our dress, behavior, demeanor, and thought. Yet that alone is not enough; we all must continue our tefillos and talmud Torah as well as the other mitzvahs we can perform to bring about protection for the Jewish people as a whole.