Liquid Gratitude

In this week's Torah portion, Va'eira, Moshe is sent down by G-d to Egypt to redeem his brothers & sisters, the Jewish nation. During Pharaohs decree decades earlier, that every male born must be thrown into the Nile river and drowned, Moshe's mother Yocheved gave birth to Moshe. But instead of handing him over to the Egyptian authorities, she placed him in a secure basket, and placed it into the river. Miraculously, the basket flowed along until it is seen by Pharaoh's very own daughter, Batya, who saves the boy (incidentally, Batya means 'daughter of G-d.' She is named such in honor of her saving one of G-d's children, Moshe.) Needing a mother to nurse the baby, Yocheved (mother of Moshe) is chosen. She nurses & raises Moshe, teaching him of his heritage and people, before he is given back to Batya's care. One day, already an adult in Pharaoh's household, Moshe walks out of the palace and sees an Egyptian taskmaster brutally beating a Hebrew slave. A man of action, Moshe utters a secret name of G-d, killing the Egyptian, and buries him. When Pharaoh finds out, he wants to kill Moshe, so he runs away, only to return many years later upon G-d's command.

When Moshe returns to Egypt, he demands the release of his people from slavery. When Pharaoh scoffs at this cheeky request, G-d strikes the Egyptians with 10 plagues. What's peculiar, however, as noted at the top of this page, is that G-d tells Moshe to take part in bringing down the plagues, but only the last 7 of them. It is his brother Aaron who is told to take part in the 1st 3: Water turning to blood, and frogs & lice infestations. How come? The Midrash explains: "Since the river protected Moshe when he was thrown into it, it was not stuck by him at the plague of blood or that of frogs, but was instead struck by Aharon." (Midrash Shemot Rabah 9:10) And the lice? "It was not fitting that the dust be struck by Moshe because it protected him when he killed the Egyptian & hid him in the sand, so it was instead struck by Aharon." (Rashi)

Lest you think this was an isolated case of gratitude to a non human entity in Torah, look at this commentary by one of our great Sages on the Talmud: 'What is the reason why we cover the challah? The rationale is that we do not want to embarrass the bread. If the bread was to be uncovered, it would be humiliated because every day, we bless over the bread first and afterwards we bless over the wine, but on Shabbat we start with the wine.' (Mordechai, Perek Arvei Pesachim). If Judaism emphasizes the need for gratitude toward inanimate matter, how much more so toward the human beings around us! Those who choose to act kindly toward us. Unlike the river or earth in Moshe's life, the people in our lives who help us & act kindly - choose to do so. The "Hakarat Hatov," the gratitude, we need to show our Parents - for example - is tremendous. And yet, how often is it today that a son or daughter - after receiving 95% of what is needed to live happy and productive lives - have anger toward their parents for not giving something? The Torah teaches us, that for even the simplest thing given to us, we must show gratitude. And how much more so toward our Parents, and ultimately G-d, who gave us life, sustained us, and continues to support us. "For every breath I praise you" (Last verse of Psalms, according to Chassidic interpretation). May we all feel gratitude, and express it to G-d & our loved ones, as often as we can!

Shabbat Shalom!

The Child's Cry

The great Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi (1745-1812), founder of the Chabad Chassidic movement, used to share his home with his oldest married son, Rabbi Dov Ber (who later succeeded him as the 2nd Rebbe). Rabbi Dov Ber was known for his unusual power of concentration. One day, he sat engrossed in his Torah study, completely oblivious to everything around him. At one point, Rabbi Dov Ber's infant child fell from his bed & began crying. Oblivious, the Rabbi heard nothing. The child's grandfather, Rabbi Shneur Zalman, who was studying on the top floor at the time, did indeed hear the child's cries. He interrupted his studies, went downstairs & picked up the child, soothing him and placing him back in bed. Subsequently, Rabbi Shneur Zalman admonished his son: "No matter how preoccupied one may be in the most lofty occupation, one must never remain insensitive to the cry of a child!"

When the 7th Rebbe, Menachem Mendel (1902-1994) would recount this story, he would apply a lesson to our day and age. Today, many of our fellow Jewish brothers & sisters, many of us in fact, are like "children" who have "fallen from our beds" - spiritually speaking. Knowledge of Torah & Judaism is scant if at all, many spiritually numb, their divine souls crying out for more meaning and substance, thirsty for God & spirituality. It is forbidden for us to be indifferent to the cry of others, materially or spiritually. "If you know alef, teach alef" - whatever you know about Judaism, most Jews around you do not, so teach whatever you know. This of course applies to the plight we see of those around us who cry out because of a physical or material lack.

As a new year begins (at least in the gregorian calendar that is), we can turn a new leaf in this area.However absorbed we may be in our lives and needs, even when absorbed in good things like our own spiritual betterment, we must make sure to not be indifferent to the cries of those around us - both audible and inaudible cries that emanate from the recesses of the soul. We must also hear and attend to the cry from our own souls that we often ignore, for more spiritual & Jewish nourishment. With that, may we all have an amazing 2013 - both materially & spiritually!

Above Logic

"[The Greeks came] to make them forget Your Torah and transgress the decrees of Your will." (Al Hanisim prayer on Chanukah)

"They tried to kill us, we won, now let's eat." This is a basic summary of Jewish history - as well as of the holidays we have celebrated for thousands of years. From one of the earliest - Passover, to one of the latest - Purim, the Jewish people have been saved from physical annihilation by our enemies. However, the holiday of Chanukah (beginning this Sat. night), is different. YES, the Greeks killed. But their prime objective was not physical death, but rather the killing of the Jewish spirit. It was the intellectual & spiritual beliefs of the Jewish people that bothered them. Haman, like Hitler, had an edict passed that threatened every Jewish body. The Greeks only decreed against the learning of Torah & the performance of Mitzvot. Assimilate, avoid Jewish expression, and you would be fine!

Our Sages teach that the issue the Greeks had with Judaism was a bit more intricate. The Greeks of the time were philosophic innovators, and appreciated good logic; sound intellectual reasoning. In the Torah, they saw much good in that department! From moral reasoning & societal justice to the brilliant didactic teachings of the oral Torah, the Greeks were duly impressed with Judaism and its followers. There was one thing that didn't sit well with their outlook: The Jewish belief in that which is beyond the realms of human logic. The Mitzvot that made sense: "Don't murder", "Don't steal", "commemorate the days in which you left Egypt," were tolerable. But "keep kosher", "don't mix meat & milk", and all of the decrees of the Torah - that wasn't going to cut it!

In essence, the Greeks argued: "Judaism is nice, it's cute, it's even admirable. But leave that God nonsense alone. Appreciate the wisdom in it, but leave the divine out. Do away with the spiritual soul behind the laws and customs!" Heavily outnumbered, with their lives in danger, the Maccabees said "no" - The essence of the Torah & its Mitzvot is that its wisdom is Godly. Not human. Deeper still, the Maccabees argued: "Even those mitzvot that make total sense - like 'don't steal' - we must observe them because they are, in essence, a Divine decision that we do not steal and that we act morally. It is an added incentive that we can also understand the evil within these immoral actions.

After the Maccabees were miraculously victorious, they found a single cruse of pure oil - enough for 1 day, which miraculously lasted for 8 days. This oil & special light of the Menorah shone in the face of the Greeks & their ideology. Specifically here in the temple, a spiritual miracle was taking place. That there is a higher reality that exists on a level beyond the logical. Where 8 days of light can come from 1 day's oil. Where philosophy & the human brain can't understand.

May each of us grow and add in the light of Torah & Mitzvot, like the lights of the Menorahs we light, 1 additional candle each day, as we remember the transcendence of the spirit over the physical, of light over darkness.

Happy Chanukah & Shabbat Shalom!