True Freedom

This Monday night, we begin celebrating the 8-day holiday of Passover by having the seder, a meal full of symbols and stories commemorating the exodus of the Jewish nation from Egypt, thousands of years ago. One year, soon after World War II and the atrocities of the holocaust, there was a call from many Jewish groups in America for families to "leave an empty seat at your seder" as a remembrance for those who had perished. The Lubavitcher Rebbe encouraged families to indeed commemorate their memories, but in an active way: Fill an empty seat with another Jew at your seder. Include someone in the holiday, inspiring their connection to their heritage - this is the best response to Hitler. As we celebrate with each other this Monday and Tuesday, what's the spiritual significance of this ancient holiday that we should be cognizant of?

Jewish Mysticism teaches an incredible idea about our Holidays, Shabbat, and time itself. When you look at your past and future, visualizing it in your mind, do you see it as a timeline, going as if from left to right? Many do. Some look at it as if it's behind and in front (which can be very positive for embracing your future and moving on from your past). Judaism describes reality similar to an upward spiral, where a certain date is perfectly aligned above the same point from the year before, going all the way back to the beginning of time. This means that the spiritual energy present on that date originally, is every year re-infused reality again.

The Hebrew name for Passover is Pesach, which literally means to leap forward. When the Jewish People left Egypt, outwardly it was a group of people leaving a physical location in North Africa. But the spiritual energy present is much deeper. Egypt in Hebrew is Mitzrayim; limitations in Hebrew is Maytzarim. This is a pocket in time where freedom from our personal "Egypts" is attainable. Each of us have Egypts of limitation within ourselves we must free ourselves from, that stop us from being the best we can be. Sadness, self esteem, anger, impatience, spiritual numbness. This explains why there is such a fixation in Jewish liturgy on the exodus from Egypt, as it says: "In every generation, and in every day, a Jew must recall the leaving of Egypt." On Pesach 2014, let us tune into the special energy of the night - the ability to leave and transcend any and all limitations in our lives. God wants what's best for us; we just have to give it our best and have trust.

Most importantly, make sure to have a very happy Passover! "And you shall rejoice in your festival" (Deuteronomy 16:12).

Purim - Hide & Seek

This Saturday Night-Sunday is the holiday of Purim. On Purim, there are 4 Mitzvot we can do: Hear the reading of the Megillah, eat a festive meal, deliver a food package of two items to a friend (Mishloach Manot), and give charity to two people. This holiday, perhaps more than any other, is connected to joy and celebration. We know that laughter comes from a surprise, an unexpected occurrence (just watch any VINE, prank video or YouTube comedy). Perhaps this is the source of our immense joy on Purim, since the Jewish people surprised everyone by their being saved and victorious in such dire circumstances{See the story here}.

But what is the primary theme of Purim?

The Megillah of Esther which tells the Purim story, is the only book of Tanakh that doesn't mention G-d's name. He's "hidden" throughout, directing the events in the Jewish people's favor. This is why we traditionally eat the hamantaschen cookie which is sweet on the inside, to signify that events in our lives - while they may seem bitter at times - have a sweet inner purpose and meaning. Our job is to recognize the G-d that is hidden behind Life's events. A story which illustrates this:

Once, there was a great Rabbi who was sitting in his home learning. Suddenly, his young son burst into the room sobbing loudly. His father asked what had happened. "I was playing hide & go seek with my friends, and I was chosen to hide. I hid & hid & hid... and no one came to look for me!" The boy's father comforted him, then said: "G-d does the same thing. He hides and no one searches..."

Unlike the human game where we find a very secluded hiding place, God hides everywhere. Every moment of our lives in every location, we’re able to uncover His presence if we venture to do so. Every bit of learning, mitzvot and good deeds reveals Him more. Reb Mendel of Kotzk once asked his students, “where is God?” Startled, the students responded: “He’s everywhere!” Reb Mendel smiled, and replied, “No. God is wherever you let Him in.” We have to make a conscious effort to seek G-d out, making room for His presence in our daily lives.

Through our celebrating G-d's providence and saving of our people in the times of Purim, may G-d finally reveal Himself to all of us with the coming of Mashiach speedily in our days!

Happy Purim!

-Rabbi Daniel

The Secret

In this week's Torah portion, Yitro, we read about the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai, where G-d Speaks to the entire nation of the Jewish People. He speaks the 1st 2 Commandments, and Moses gives over the following 8. The rest of the "5 Books of the Torah" are transcribed by Moses as they occur for the next 40 years, as directed by God. The Torah differs from other books radically, in that it is a Divine Wisdom. In the stories and laws are contained layer upon layer of deeper meaning, revealed by the Rabbis throughout history, and continuing to this day. In the last chapter of his book, If G-d is so good, why is the world so bad? Rabbi Benjamin Blech describes a meeting he once had with a Jewish mystic that exemplifies how we are continually uncovering wisdom from the Torah.

He was visiting Israel when a friend told him there was someone very special that he wanted him to meet. A saintly scholar who lived in the holy city of Tzfat, in northern Israel. When he met him, the man revealed to him a mystical insight into the Torah, but on two conditions: that this secret not be revealed publicly until he informed the Rabbi that the time was ripe, and that he never reveal his identity, disturbing his lifelong pursuit of anonymity. This secret had a great effect on the Rabbi's life & view of the world, but he never divulged it to anyone. Years passed, until one day the mystic called the Rabbi and said simply: "Now is the time."

What was the "secret"? It was the "secret of sentences." Said the mystic: "Know that the verses in the 5 books of Moses, the Torah, correspond to the years of history. Every major event of all times will have some allusion to it, direct or indirect..." Rabbi Blech was doubtful. So he said, "what about the state of Israel?" Israel became a state in 1948; in the Jewish calendar, 1948 is the year 5708 (we are now in 5774). Painstakingly, Rabbi Blech began counting from the 1st verse of Genesis, describing the creation of the world. When he reached the 5,708th verse, it was Deuteronomy 30:3: "And the L-rd your G-d will turn your captivity and have compassion on you, and will return and gather you from all the peoples where the L-rd your G-d has scattered you." Shocked, Rabbi Blech's finger moved 3 verses back, to the verse corresponding to the Gregorian year of 1945, the last year of the holocaust: "The secret things belong to the L-rd our G-d; and the things that are revealed to us and our children forever are to do all the words of this Law." The 11th-century sage, Bachya Ibn Pakuda, said: "If we could understand G-d we would be G-d." Perhaps the "secret things" - the pain that occurs to us, has no mortal answer or reasoning to it; it is completely incomprehensible. But we are to know that there is a Divine purpose behind it; nothing is random.

After I read this, I decided to look up one last event, the miraculous victories by Israel in 1967 (5727). Israel conquered the west bank of the Jordan, Judea & Samaria, but halted there, not entering Jordan proper. The 5,727th verse in the Torah states: "(Moses) said to them, 'I am 120 years old today; I can no longer go out and come in, for Hashem has said to me, 'You shall not cross this Jordan.'"

Clearly, the Torah is no ordinary book. It is a guide to life; an instruction manual and blueprint. It has stayed the cornerstone of our people for thousands of years, through thick & thin, for good reason. Let's appreciate every story and detail of law that we read, knowing that there is so much more than meets the eye.

Shabbat Shalom!

-Rabbi Daniel