Sharing the Load

"If you see your brother's donkey or his ox fallen, you must not ignore them. Rather, you should pick up the load with him."(Ki Teitzei 22:4)

As we've seen many times in the past, every verse in the Torah - every word - has an endless amount of deeper, underlying meanings and symbolism hidden within them. In a general sense, these levels of understanding can be divided into 4 levels, known as PaRDeS: Pshat, Remez, Drush, and Sod - The simple meaning, the hint or allusion, the midrashic meaning, and the hidden meaning. Let's take a look at the above verse, and discover some of the underlying messages behind the words.

On a simple level, of course, God is instructing us to help one another, even if you aren't very fond of your "brother." Why does the Torah add the words "(you should pick up the load) with him"? Our Sages explain, that if the owner of the ox looks to you to help and sits back expecting you to do it alone, because he knows you are commanded to help, you needn't help him. You must pick up the load with him. Let's now take a deeper look: If you see your brother's donkey: If you see your brother, a Jew, acting like a donkey, an unkosher animal -- Or his ox: or like an ox, a kosher animal, but an animal nonetheless-- Fallen: he has fallen from the behavior associated with an enlightened human being to the level more associated with animals-- You must not ignore them. Rather you should pick up the load with him. You should feel a brotherly responsibility to elevate and enlighten your fallen brother. It is precisely in order to assist him that you have been made aware of his spiritual descent. God would not have arranged for you to see him this way unless you were able to help him.

So far we have explained this verse's connection to our interpersonal relationships, both physically & spiritually. Now let's see what we can learn about ourselves from this verse. Each of us has an animal within, known as the animal soul, which lusts after the materiality and pleasure of the physical world, ignoring the spiritual and concealing the Divine soul which we possess as well. Throughout history, spiritual masters taught that the best & only way to subdue the animal within, was through knocking it down; subduing our passions and lust through fasting and self mortification. Then came the Baal Shem Tov, who taught that this wasn't the true path of Judaism. We have to engage the material world! But we have to help pick up the animal who has fallen, by educating it - showing our inner, passionate, animalistic nature that goodness & spirituality are actually even more desirable than pizza. We have to find God within the physical. Any beauty or pleasure we find in the world is in its source rooted in the spiritual realms and ultimately in God. So why connect to an offshoot when you can have the source?

As it's taught on the 1st page of the mystical work, derech mitzvotecha: "If you lived countless lifetimes as an all-powerful king, granted any & every desire you could possibly imagine all the days of your life, the pleasure you receive would not come close to the feeling of just one moment of pleasure in the next world, in the spiritual realms of gan eden."

May we help our brothers and sisters with the "loads" they bear, as well as elevating those around us. And may we educate ourselves as well, instilling greater appreciation of the tangible goodness found in the spiritual within every physical thing.

Shabbat Shalom!

-Daniel

Cold Soup

There once lived a cerain couple that was greatly in love. Before you knew it, he had proposed! The wedding was amazing, and married life continued from good to better. One evening, the man turned to his wife and asked: "Would you make me something to eat, please? I have to go for a moment, but I'll be right back." She begins preparing a delicious soup. Steaming hot, she places it on the table in front of her husband's favorite chair. The night passes, and there's no sign of her husband! A day, a week, a month, a year passes...and yet nothing. One morning, the man appears. He walks into the house, up to the table, straight to his favorite chair, sits down and tastes the soup that is on the table. The soup is cold.

What will the husband's reaction be? Anger? Disappointment? No way! If he's wise, there is no way he will complain. Rather he will think it incredible that not only is the house still there, his table and favorite chair, still there, but even the soup is there! The soup is cold? Well, yes, when you leave soup out for years, it can get a bit cold.

Now let's put this story into context. 3,324 years ago, G-d asked us if we would marry him. We had an extraordinary wedding ceremony, with great special effects--we were wowed. After the wedding He said, "I have a few things I'd like you to take care of for me so, please... I'll be right back." We haven't heard from Him since. For more than three thousand, three hundred years. He has sent messengers, messages, postcards, but we haven't heard a word from Him in all this time.

Maybe the Jewish people haven't always been as virtuous as we could have been. Yes, if Mashiach comes today, he'll find that "our soup" is cold. We suffer from separation anxiety. We suffer from a loss of connection to our ancestors. The soup is cold, very cold. Today we aren't spiritually excited and in tune like in days of old. But is that really our fault? And who gets the credit for the fact that there is soup altogether? That we're still here! We are a vibrant, passionate, and loyal people. We the Jewish people are a miracle! G-d is proud of each of us and all of our ancestors. And at the time of the final redemption, He will beam openly with pride and thanks for keeping our Jewish identities strong - keeping the soup on the table.

In the meantime, nothing stops us from warming up the soup a little, adding spices and flavor. An extra mitzvah, a prayer said with vitality. But no matter what, we can look at our nation with pride.

Shabbat Shalom!

The Holy Copycat

You shall follow after Hashem your G-d... and to Him you should cleave. (Devarim 13:5) Comments Rashi: "To Him shall you cleave" - Cleave to His ways; Acts of Kindliness, burying the dead, visiting the sick, like The Holy One Blessed Be He does.


In the beginning of the Torah, in the days of creation, we are told that man was created in G-d's image. What does that mean? If G-d is infinite & without form or image, how can this possibly be? The answer is that we aren't created in some sort of tangible "image" that can be seen or felt. Rather, we were created with the same attributes that G-d has. This is an amazing thing! When G-d "breathed into his nostrils the soul of life", Adam & Eve and their descendants were infused with G-dly souls that had G-dly attributes. How do we see this? That we contain abilities that are similar to G-d's? Well, let's look at the simple fact that G-d Knows he is the only true existence, with no creator before him - He can do anything and everything. Sounds familiar? Unlike the angels in the spiritual realms who are described in the visions of Ezekiel & Isaiah as being in a continual state of fiery love and devotion to G-d, always with the sense that they are created and get life from Him, we humans DON'T feel that at all. Quite the contrary! Each of us believe we can do anything, create anything, have infinite possibilities, without feeling during our day that we have a life source from above and were created. Sounds familiar?

G-d is infinite, and knows he can create infinitely as well. Us humans can do the same. Say what!? Well, you and I are descendants of parents who had parents who had parents since the first man & woman. And from each of us can be produced children who can have children potentially ad infinitum! In that way, we have created an everlasting chain! An ability to create infinitely. Sounds familiar? The above verse (& commentary from Rashi) in this week's Torah portion, Re'eh, sheds light on the next question. OK, so we're created in the "image" of G-d, with similar attributes. But at the end of the day, we're down here in a reality that denies we have any connection to - let alone are similar to - G-d! So how can I awaken that connection?

Answers the Torah: "Cleave to Him - by cleaving to His ways. Acts of kindness, burying the dead (as G-d did with Moses), visiting the sick (as G-d did with Abraham after his circumcision), like the Holy One Blessed Be He does." G-d is continually forgiving the Jewish people in the desert with compassion. We must learn to forgive, to have compassion. The Ramak (1522-1570), the foremost Kabbalist of his time in Tzfat, Israel, wrote an entire book on how to emulate G-d, entitled "The Palm tree of Devorah." Through expressing our attribute of kindness, mercy, patience, compassion, charity and all the amazing G-dly attributes we possess, we strengthen our connection to the One whom we are emulating. As this special Hebrew month of "Elul" (begins on Shabbat) comes upon us, when "The King is in the field" and G-d is extra accessible, may we do our best to emulate Him by being the best we can be, awakening our connection to G-d once more anew.

Shabbat Shalom and Chodesh tov!

Just JEW It

"And it will be, because (עֵ קֶ ב) you will listen to these commandments and keep and perform them, that the L-rd your G-d will keep the covenant and the kindness that he swore to your forefathers."

This week's Torah portion is "Eikev" (עֵ קֶ ב), generally translated contextually as "when" or "because." But ask any native Hebrew speaker what this word means, and they'll tell you "heel" - the bottom of the foot. The most overlooked and insensitive part of the body. What symbolism does this have for us, the reader!? What connection does a heel have to holy commandments? (Beware: If NIKE hears about this, they may try to get their logos on this section of the Torah scroll).



I don't know about you, but when I receive a birthday gift, oftentimes the more touching and meaningful part is not the item given; it's the card. As the famous saying goes: "It's the little things that matter." In relationships. of course major needs and issues are vital to address, but often it's the little things that speak volumes. The husband who cleans the dishes; the child who brings a cold drink to dad after work; the mom who makes your favorite food; your friend who writes you something to brighten your day.

So too in one's relationship with G-d. About this word "Eikev" in the Torah, Rashi writes: 'The verse is suggesting if you will heed the minor commandments which a person tends to tread on with his heels (then G-d will keep his promise to you).' "It's the little things that count" says G-d. Doing the commandments that we're not so interested in doing, that may be uniquely hard on us or seemingly irrelevant. Paying attention to the small details. Showing our love through something seemingly small, where no one sees you but G-d. Thanking Him for even the little things that are good in our lives.

Through this devotion and attention to even the little things, we can reach the deeper explanation of the word heel here, that our commitment to G-d and his Torah will come to permeate one so entirely, that even the "heel" - signifying the least sensitive aspect of a person's being - will come to feel a closeness to G-d. The word heel is written in connection to the commandments, to also teach us that our relationship with G-d should not be confined only to the holy days of the year, or to certain holy hours of prayer and study, but should also embrace our everyday activities.

In the spirit of this week's Torah portion, let us choose one mitzvah - one area in Torah observance - that we usually "trample on with our heels" (ignore), and do it with a smile :)

Shabbat Shalom!

-Daniel

Dancing with God

~ Thank G-d, an article was published this past week in the S.D. Jewish journal about my youth group, Jteen :) You can see it here: Article ~


Today is the 15th day of the Hebrew month "Av", a special day known as Tu b'Av. SO special, in fact, that the Talmud describes it with a very surprising statement: 'There were no greater festivals for Israel than the 15th of Av and Yom Kippur. On these days the daughters of Jerusalem would go out... and dance in the vineyards. ' (Taanit 26b) For some reason, these 2 days were days of rejoicing; days when "love was in the air." Women danced, matches were made (wait, why don't we do this today again?)Yes, Judaism is big into celebration, and especially Jewish matchmaking. But why are these 2 specific days so perfectly suited for this celebration??

As surprising as it is to see Yom Kippur on this list - the seemingly most solemn day of the year, upon further reflection it does make some sense as to why this day was so celebrated. After the sin of the golden calf, and after many days of repentance and remorse, G-d gave Moses the 2nd tablets (the 1st were at the shop after Moses broke them) to bring back to the Jewish people on the 10th day of Tishrei - Yom Kippur. Thus, the day represents a time of forgiveness and closeness, when G-d and his people were re-united in love. Thus we understand the celebration & matchmaking of this day. But what about "Tu B'av"? Many great things in Jewish history happened on this day (see here for 6). But even so, why is this day known as a day of celebration and matchmaking, partnering husband and wife?

Some explain, that unlike other holidays, Tu B'Av is connected to the darkness which precedes it. The holy temple in Jerusalem was destroyed on the 9th day of Av, a month associated with an extreme descent. And we know the famous saying of our Sages: the greater the descent, the greater the ascent. Therefore the reunion represented by Tu B'av after such an incredible descent as the destruction of the holy temple only days beforehand, is an incredibly powerful one. But what does that have to do with matchmaking & love? We are also taught that in our lives, marriage also isn't really just a union between man and woman, it is a reunion. A soul is divided into two halves; one half descends into this world in a male body, the other in a female's body. Marriage is the joyous reunion of these two estranged halves. When the two finally find each other and reconnect, the resulting emotions are so intense, because it results from the re-unification of that which was long lost.

On a cosmic level, man and woman are metaphors for G‑d and His nation. The soul of the Jew is a "part of G‑d" (beg. of Tanya Ch.2); like husband & wife, one's soul and our creator G-d is essentially of one essence. And we too undergo this process of estrangement and reunion; a process intended to heighten the love and passion, to bring it to levels unimaginable had we never experienced separation in the first place. The first time our nation was estranged from G‑d was shortly after our betrothal at Mount Sinai when we worshiped a Golden Calf. The reconciliation and redoubled commitment and love occurred on Yom Kippur.

That, however, was a relatively short estrangement. With the destruction of the Holy Temple and the commencement of two millenniums of exile, we embarked upon a most painfully long stretch of estrangement. The goal? To ultimately reunite in an amazing passion and infatuation with G-d. The result of this estrangement will be the grandest wedding of all times - the coming of Moshiach which will usher in an era of eternal marital bliss. This is what is signified and celebrated on Tu B'av; after the mourning of the temple's destruction, we rebound and see the reason behind the destruction in the first place - the most powerful reconciliation imaginable. May we always remember in our lives that events of descent will always be ultimately followed by an ascent, and that the distance we may feel from G-d, can always be followed by a much more powerful reunion.

Shabbat Shalom & happy Tu B'av!

-Daniel