The Wedding & The Wine

With the recent beautiful weddings of my good friends Matan Darey & Megan Marcus, I am reminded of a long bus ride I had years ago, from Northern Israel to Jerusalem. I happened to be sitting next to a man with a guitar, named Shalev. Soon we were chatting away, and I was fascinated by his life story.

Growing up as a Christian in New York, Shalev always was attracted to Judaism. He really enjoyed the synagogue he visited for his friend's bar mitzvah. He even started learning Hebrew. One day, he was speaking to his priest at church. "Why don't you ever get married?" he asked. He didn't receive an answer. Intrigued, but with no encouragement, he slowly dropped his Jewish learning. As life went on, he forgot all about His Jewish phase. One day in college, he happened to meet a Rabbi. Discussion led to question after question, renewing Shalev's interest in Judaism. But one question really hit him hard. "Do you Rabbis ever get married?" he asked. "Sure, why not?" Answered the Rabbi. "Perhaps it's considered sinful?"

The Rabbi looked at him and said: 'Marriage, in Hebrew, is called Kiddushin - sanctification. Being engaged with the physical world, the Rabbi explained, is the entire purpose of creation. By elevating this material world in the proper way, by using it out for the good, its purpose for existing is realized. On nearly every holy day in Judaism, we sanctify the day over a cup of wine. In Hebrew, this is also called Kiddush. We reveal the spiritual within the physical, and we sanctify the spiritual with the physical together. The 2 unite, fused into 1.' Awed at the contrast between the 2 perspectives, Shalev slowly progressed in his Jewish learning and observance until eventually converting...

Now this isn't an attempt to disrespect other religions. Much beauty is to be found in all religions (well, since most came from ours, they must have some!) Rather, I was inspired from Shalev's highlighting of the unique beauty in the Jewish perspective. The material world isn't to be shunned - but rather elevated. Not only that, but through engaging & elevating the physical - we can achieve a higher level of spiritual goodness than even the most supernal of angels. But we must engage the world in order to elevate it, not to be lowered by it. Every day is a challenge to highlight the good, the holy, in everything we see and come in contact with. As hard as it is, that is our mission as Jews. The Ba'al Shem Tov even taught that a person's desire for the physical, is in essence his soul's desire to extricate the spiritual sparks found in that physical thing.

May this fusion of physical & spiritual lead us to the world's ultimate fusion with Godliness, with the coming of Mashiach. We are taught that during the Messianic era, nothing will really change; only that the spiritual, G-dly core of every physical thing will be revealed as the underlying reality of the world which it truly is.

Shabbat Shalom!

Mozart & Egypt

In this week's Torah portion, Bo, we read about the final 3 plagues against Pharaoh & the Egyptian people, as the Jewish people prepare to leave Egypt in freedom. But before they do, let's take a step back & ask a simple, yet fundamental question: Why did the Jewish nation have to go down to Egypt in order to be enslaved in the 1st place!? Couldn't G-d have kept us in the holy land - safe & sound - and given us the Torah there?

What has every nation who has ever abused the Jewish people had in common with one another? From Egypt to Rome, Babylonia to Greece, Spain in the late 15th-century and Germany in the mid-20th; all of these nations were powerful. But more than that, each of these nations excelled, perhaps led the world in - modernity and cultural advancement. The democracy & philosophy of Greece & Rome, the golden age of Spain, the emphasis & success of the art and music in Germany; each of these nations were at the forefront of their times in their appreciation of an enlightened culture. But did that "enlightenment" equate to having a moral society? It seems quite to the contrary! The more culturally advanced the nation was, the more cruel and disgusting were their actions!

Let's look at this on an individual level. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was brilliant. By 6 years old, when most kids his age were learning to read, Mozart had composed an entire symphony, to be performed by a full philharmonic orchestra! Ludwig van Beethoven, after becoming completely deaf, composed some of his most famous symphonies - unable to hear even one note of his composition! Niccolo Paganini composed such a complex violin concerto, that for 150 years no one was able to play it - except for Paganini himself. These brilliant souls obviously were blessed with amazing skills. But what type of people were they? From what we know, they had terrible character traits! Each one more unpleasant than the next. But how could that be!? Like the nations mentioned above, the reason why these amazing innovators weren't kind and gentle, was very simply because culture isn't Torah. Skills, knowledge, culture do not translate into goodness. Why not? It's because it doesn't penetrate into one's core - who I really am. Torah was given to the world to change one's inner self, to penetrate one's being in a way that refines the animal within. In simple yiddish: To make one into a mentsch.

And THAT'S why we had to go down to Egypt, as a precursor to accepting the Torah. If we never had, perhaps there would be wonder and curiosity as to whether we were missing out on the amazingly advanced culture of the super power Egypt! Innovative architectural pyramids, mathematics, you name it! G-d said: "OK, go and see if this advanced culture translates into a good society; into the best way of living life." Like the Nazis who lived culturally aware lives to the highest of degrees, we Jews have lived together with every leading nation & their cultures throughout history. Yet none have offered as kind and as just an outlook as what the Torah has given us. When we left Egypt, we could now truly appreciate Mount Sinai.

May we remember today as well, that as great as the advanced cultures & societies of today are, we must always turn to Torah and its guiding principles & values as our inspiration and guide to living a good life. Shabbat Shalom!

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!