Ukraine in Crisis: J’Accuse…!

March 3rd, 2022

We Are All Guilty

On January 13, 1898, Emile Zola wrote an open letter in response to the Dreyfus affair, accusing the French government of being complicit in the wrongful jailing of Dreyfus and perpetuating antisemitism. J’Accuse: I accuse those that are responsible for their wrongdoing. Zola stood up for what was right. He refused to remain silent. And this will forever go down in history as one of the most powerful statements made by man in an outcry against human injustice.

After the Holocaust, when millions of lives were brutally taken, the world stood up and announced, “Never again.” Never again will we stand by while innocent people are being massacred. And never again will we remain silent to horrific Hitleresque atrocities.

On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine in an unprovoked and baseless attack. For over a week now, Ukraine is being mercilessly bombed, innocent civilians killed, millions more stranded and fleeing in fear of their lives. A country and its people are being torn apart.

And we are at loss: Where are our leaders? Where is the outrage? Where is the Zola of our times? What has become of “never again”?

I find it completely incomprehensible and frankly, despicable that despite the many protests, our leaders in every area – be it in business, academia, politics media – are utterly silent.

We as a people, we as Jews specifically, MUST cry out. We cannot remain silent. The world must stand up against any atrocity perpetrated upon men, women and children. Sanctions and condemnations are not enough. We must have zero tolerance for such outrageous cruelty. An attack on one person is an attack on us all. Our brothers and sisters are being murdered for no reason at all. How can we stand by? If you witness someone being attacked with a knife, would you stand by idly? Would you simply sanction and condemn the act of violence, or would you do everything within your power to stop the attacker?

Now is the time to rise to the occasion. To stand up for what’s right. To make difficult choices. To protect lives. To save a world.

“It’s only when the tide goes out that you discover who has been swimming naked.” The tide is now out. And what are we left looking at? We see a western world that is being exposed for its weakness and hypocrisy. For its moral ambiguity. What do we stand for? Ask the average Western teenager or a college professor: what values are you ready to fight for? You may be surprised at the ambivalent answers you will receive.

We see a failing leadership in our political arenas. We see a spineless morality and non existent ethics. Our comforts and easy state of living has produced apathy and complacency. We take our blessings for granted. Our vacuous standards are glaring. Just pay attention to how the media is covering the story. After streaming a steady diet of shallow and frivolous content for years, often stooping to sensationalism, our media outlets are either inept or just plain juvenile in their coverage. They’re proving themselves to be without the ability to address the seriousness and depth of a war.

While the tide is out, one man is left standing, with a solid, unwavering voice of courage and hope. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, himself a Jew, has risen to the occasion as a hero of our times. The president of Ukraine refused to abandon his people and refused to surrender. He has mobilized a country with a spirit and courageous fight that will go down in history as one of the greatest testimonies to human dignity. President Zelenskyy is a testament to the human spirit – the Jewish soldier. We never accept barbaric atrocities, we never succumb to hatred. We will do whatever it takes to stand up for what’s right. The President is making us proud: here is a Jew that did not and will not retreat.

Zelenskyy has stepped up. But where are the others? Will our leaders have the strength to rise and say enough is enough?

History will look back ferociously at this fateful time. We will be judged by how we behaved. Were we paralyzed or proactive? Will we have the inner strength to declare J’Accuse – we accuse those of their crimes and hold them responsible. We will do whatever it takes to stop and prevent these unforgivable horrors.

This is a time where each one of us has to be unequivocally vigilant for what is right and what is wrong. We must all ask ourselves: Will we be the Zola of our times? Will we make sure “Never Again,” remains never again?

Posted in Trending, 2020-2021: Unprecedented Times, Social, Essays, Government, Terrorism, Current Events | 2 Comments »

Open Your Eyes

February 10th, 2022

Let me begin by introducing my friend the same way I introduced her to my Wednesday night class over twenty-five years ago:

“I am honored to introduce to you Marcia, a very special soul who has had to face many serious challenges in her life. Her words will speak for themselves; the only thing I want to add is that Marcia sees more than most people do.”

So here’s the story:

I first met Marcia on a warm June evening in 1997 when she came to visit me, escorted by a friend. Marcia shared with me her life story. Briefly: As a child she became very disillusioned with her education and her Judaism and began her search through many religions, finally turning at age 17 to… Christianity. After 10 years she became a teacher, then a lecturer and finally 30 years later reached the pulpit. She spent 40 years in the church, before her Judaism came back at her, beginning with her cousin wishing her “Good Shabbos.”

One thing led to the next. Marcia began reading and exploring. “A few months ago,” Marcia tells me, “my cousin gave me a series.. of tapes that changed my life. That is why,” Marcia continues, “I am sitting here with you today.”

As she spoke these words, I suddenly realized that this story actually began a year earlier. After one of my weekly Wednesday night classes in New York City an elderly woman approached me and asked me for permission to record my book Toward a Meaningful Life on audiotape. She wanted to give the tapes to her cousin in Boston who happens to be blind. She assured me that the tapes would not be reproduced or sold, but are simply being copied to allow her cousin to benefit from the teachings in the book. Needless to say, I heartily agreed.

Her cousin was Marcia – the Jewish woman sitting before me today, telling me how these tapes turned over her life… for the better.

At the time she was based in Boston, preaching church doctrine. “These Toward a Meaningful Life audiotapes,” Marcia tells me, “amateurly recorded, with all the rasps and coughs, made me rethink all that I was doing, and essentially brought me back to my Jewish roots.”

“I am here tonight,” Marcia says, “to thank you. I spent 40 years in a wilderness. Now I am ready to enter the Promised Land.”

I was profoundly touched by Marcia’s story. Obviously touched by her dramatic journey, and the power that brought her back to her Jewish roots. I was naturally moved by the fact that the book Toward A Meaningful Life – in a rough audio version – had such an impact on her. What a testimony to the eternal power of Torah!

But something even deeper stirred me. Though Marcia was blind, she carried herself with such dignity and grace. As she joked with me,

“I don’t have the liabilities that you seeing-eye people have. Darkness doesn’t frighten me. I don’t need a light to read. Superficial material sights don’t distract me. All I have is spirit; the only thing I see is the soul in myself and in others.”

Awesome…

During her adult years Marcia began losing her eyesight and was diagnosed with a genetic illness that left her totally blind in 1991. Yet, Marcia sees more than most of us. The material world does not distract her. Perhaps she can see G-d better than those of us who have to struggle with the sensory sights that conceal the truth within. For the first time I truly understand the meaning behind the fact that “all the people saw the sounds” at Sinai (Exodus 20:15), “they saw what is ordinarily heard, and they heard what is ordinarily seen” (Rabbi Akiva – Mechilta on the verse). Sight perceives the physical. Sound comprehends the ethereal. At Sinai, there was a crossover: “they saw what is heard,” what is ordinarily abstract and spiritual, and “they heard what they saw,” they perceived the inner spiritual reality within the physical. At Sinai the people were not blind or mute. Yet, for a moment they were allowed a glimpse into a deeper reality. Today apparently, only when undistracted by the physical, Marcia could see what others can only hear and theorize about. And she hears the inner dimension of the sights.

As Marcia continued on her journey, she moved to Crown Heights, changed her name to Lieba and began lecturing and writing her inspiring story. [Read some of Marcia’s words.]

Marcia/Lieba’s story would be an eye-opening inspiration even were it to end at this point.

But I have the privilege to share with you a miraculous sequel.

Lieba regained her eyesight!

No joke.

Here’s what happened, as I heard it directly from Lieba.

Some sensitive caring young girls in the Crown Heights community would visit Lieba frequently. They read to her, helped her with various chores and assisted her in any way she needs. One day Lieba heard one of the girls praying quietly. She asked her what are you praying for. The little girl replied: “I am praying that Hashem [G-d] return your eyesight to you.” A discussion ensued, and Lieba, motivated by the young girl’s sincerity decided to open up a book of letters by the Lubavitcher Rebbe. The book (volume 1 of the English letters) opens up to page 115, where the Rebbe writes “in regard to the question of your eyesight, you should consult a good specialist who should give you the proper instruction as to what you have to do in this connection.”

No joke.

Lieba decided to visit a local doctor who referred her to an eye specialist. Yet she voiced concerns to the girl that visited her that she has no money to pay for a doctor. What do you think happened next? A few days passed and the girl presented her with an envelope containing $154 that the girls collected for her!

She visited the specialist, who for a period of 4 hours subjected her to a battery of eye tests, and then finally told her that her eyesight can be restored through surgery. Apparently her condition was misdiagnosed as a genetic illness. She took out the envelope with $154 and told the doctor how she received the money. The stunned doctor said, “The girls will not put me to shame. I will do the surgery at no cost.”

And so, first Lieba’s left eyesight was restored, followed by her right eyesight being restored.

This is exactly what happened as it was told to me first hand!

So now, I ask the question: Do you believe in miracles?

*   *   *

Despite the deep sadness I always felt for Marcia/Lieba, the only redeeming factor was that she could teach us all about the true ‘sights’ we should be looking for in life. Lieba’s strength and dignity – never the victim – always inspires everyone she meets.

I always felt that it would remain this way. A profound loss, yet doing our best to face the challenge with dignity and determination.

Now a miracle had occurred. And it couldn’t have happened to a better person. Lieba’s journey from darkness to light was not just a spiritual one; it had now manifested itself in a very physical way. With Lieba’s return from physical darkness she taught us how to bridge both worlds: the world of sight and sound, the world of spirit and matter – to perhaps see what is usually heard and hear what is ordinarily seen. To truly see more than the eye can see.

Unfortunately, Lieba has since passed away but her legacy and lessons will live on forever.

*   *   *

Today – more than ever – we are in need of precisely such vision to see behind the scenes of the chaos our world is experiencing. We need to be able to see the forest from the trees and connect the dots to make sense of all the earth shattering events of our day.

“The world is undergoing fundamental changes. As a global revolution brews and a new age dawns, we need to ‘open our eyes’ and see its reality” – said a great leader, the Lubavitcher Rebbe

Open our eyes – what an interesting expression.

Frankly, I have often wondered what it would take to get most people to “open their eyes”. After all, history is fraught with but few seers while the mainstream remains blinded and clueless to the bigger picture.

This miracle that I share with you gives us all hope. Hope that anyone and everyone’s eyes can indeed be opened.

Tags: miracles, sight, Christianity, personal growth, Power of Prayer, Mt. Sinai, spiritual and material
Posted in Weekly Parsha, Shmot, Beliefs & Concepts, Miracles, Religion, Personal Life, Spiritual, Torah, Tetzaveh, Personal Stories | 3 Comments »

Joseph & Marx – Work & Alienation

December 1st, 2021

How to Ensure that Your Work does not Alienate You
The Continuing Story of Today’s Events

And Joseph could control himself no longer (Torah portion this week – 45:1)

Joseph said to his brothers: Don’t worry or feel guilty because you sold me. Look, G-d sent me ahead of you to save lives. There has been a famine in the area… G-d sent me ahead of you to insure that you survive in the land and to sustain you through great deliverance. It is not you who sent me here, but G-d. He has made me Pharaoh’s vizier, director of his entire government and ruler of all Egypt  (45:5-8)

Joseph gathered all the money in Egypt and Canaan in payment for the food the people were buying. Joseph brought all the money to Pharaoh’s treasury (47:14)

I am the Omnipotent G-d of your father. Do not be afraid to go to Egypt, for it is there that I will make you into a great nation. I will descend into Egypt with you, and I will also bring you back and ascend with you (46:3-4)

Israel settled in Egypt, in the Goshen district. They acquired property there and were fertile, with their population increasing very rapidly (47:27)

I will take the stick of Joseph…and put it together with the stick of Judah to form one stick, so that they are one in my hand… I will make them one nation in the land…One king will be the king over them all, and they no longer will be two nations… And David My servant will be their prince forever (Haftorah this week – Ezekiel 37:19-22,25)

Finally some good news. In this week’s Torah portion Joseph and his brothers reconcile.

Macrocosm/microcosm: Just as Jacob reconciles with his brother Esau after building his family in Charan, Joseph reconciles with his brothers after building his family in Egypt and establishing himself there. He spearheads the huge business of Egypt, selling grain to the famished nations in return for their money. The great wealth Joseph generates turns Egypt in a superpower, the most powerful empire of its time.

But with one major distinction: Jacob and Esau’s reconciliation was incomplete and they needed to separate ways (See: The Big Confrontation). Joseph and his brothers, on the other hand, make peace and stay together for the rest of their lives. Only later, would their rift manifest itself again, in the split between the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah.

Jacob, Joseph and his brothers are now together. They are planting the seeds that would empower the Jews as they begin their exile in Egypt and redemption.

In spiritual terms: Jacob concludes the work of Abraham and Isaac in constructing the ‘building blocks’ of existence – the structure of Atzilus, the world of unity. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are the sefirot of chesed (love), gevurah (discipline) and tiferet (beauty and compassion) – the three primary pillars that define the vision of life; the vision of transforming existence into a ‘home’ for G-dliness, of integrating matter and spirit as it was in the Garden before the Tree of Knowledge. The twelve tribes – with Joseph at their head – actually carry this vision into the material world of Mitzrayim (which refers to all the constraints and boundaries of material existence), the spiritual worlds of biy”a, acronym for briyah, yetzirah, asiyah.

However, the real work of refining Egypt begins in the next generation, with the Egyptian bondage. The children of Jacob and the tribes would spend 210 years under very harsh conditions to refine and elevate the 202 Divine sparks embedded in the first great empire. And this work would in turn imbue in the people and ultimately in the entire human race the personality of true freedom and transcendence, the ability to face any material challenge or adversary. It instilled in future generations the power to face all the challenges posed by the empires to come, all of which are rooted in the Egyptian archetype.

The strength and ability to achieve all this work begins with Joseph and his brothers – permeated with the strength of their forefathers — paving the way during the first years following their arrival in Egypt. As G-d tells Jacob: “I am the Omnipotent G-d of your father. Do not be afraid to go to Egypt, for it is there that I will make you into a great nation. I will descend into Egypt with you, and I will also bring you back and ascend with you.”

There are therefore many lessons in these weekly Torah sections that give us both guidance and strength in dealing with different aspects of our particular crisis today, as the children of Abraham – Ishmael, Esau and Jacob – are pitted against each other.

Let us touch upon one of the lessons we can glean from Joseph as he began the process of uniting his family – both scions of Judah and Joseph – which empowers us with the ability to unite Esau and Jacob, matter and spirit.

One of the most compelling forces haunting us today is: Uncertainty. The attacks around the world, coming at us without warning, are very unsettling. Today’s prevailing fear and uncertainty is having a particularly devastating effect on our psyches and confidence in our government and leadership. The security of this country’s basic infrastructure, even with its inevitable ups and downs, is now under question. Some would like to believe that we are undergoing just another downturn – albeit a very different type, but still one that has precedent. But this premise is built on our old paradigm. And that is a big but: perhaps we are entering a new paradigm in which old rules don’t apply. Perhaps this will not just be another repeat of old patterns. Is anyone willing to bet that this will just pass with no real change?

These and many other plaguing uncertainties cloud the climate. And like bad weather, everyone is taking cover. People everywhere are withdrawing. As we enter this year’s holiday season, there is conspicuous lack of enthusiasm and optimism.

Allow me to submit the following theory: A study of Joseph in Egypt will give us a powerful forecast for the future of business in America and the world. I will allow myself to make a bold prediction: Understanding Joseph will help us create certainty in these uncertain times.

In his scathing critique of capitalism, Marx brilliantly describes how the Capitalist system devalues the worker, reducing him to no more than a commodity, thus leading to mans’ inevitable alienation and estrangement from his essential self.

“Labor is external to the worker, i.e. does not belong to his essential being; that he, therefore, does not confirm himself in his work, but denies himself, feels miserable and not happy, does not develop free mental and physical energy, but mortifies his flesh and ruins his mind. Hence, the worker feels himself only when he is not working; when he is working, he does not feel himself. He is at home when he is not working, and not at home when he is working. His labor is, therefore, not voluntary but forced, it is forced labor. It is, therefore, not the satisfaction of a need but a mere means to satisfy needs outside itself” (Paris Manuscripts, 1844).

Marx asked all the right questions; he just didn’t have the answers, as we retrospectively know today after the failure of the Socialist and Communist experiments. He highlighted the flaws of capitalism without ever really providing a viable alternative.

Reading this week’s Torah portion I was thinking how Joseph, the first “Capitalist,” would respond to Marx. Joseph was faced with this very dilemma. His fathers chose to be shepherds, thus avoiding confrontation with a corrupt marketplace, allowing them to discover their true essence while meditating among nature as the docile sheep grazed in the fields. Joseph, however, was thrust into Egypt, first becoming an accountant (yes, there you have the first Jewish accountant) in the house of Potiphar, and then becoming the viceroy of Egypt, running the entire grain business of the land.

When Joseph’s brothers and then Jacob reunited with Joseph the first thing they recognized was that despite the formidable challenges he faced for 22 years, he had not in any way compromised his profound spiritual connection. The first words Joseph utters to his brothers, as he is no longer able to control his emotions: “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive? I am Joseph your brother!” Joseph sends a sign to his father that he is intact by telling him the topic in Torah (the laws of the eglah arufah) they were discussing 22 years ago when they were separated!

How did Joseph maintain his spiritual integrity – his connection with his essence – even while hard at work, in a corrupt Egypt at that?

Over all that transpired during these years Joseph never lost his connection to G-d. As harsh as it was to accept that his brothers sold him into slavery, Joseph never became bitter and was never broken. He always knew that his arrival in Egypt and the work he did there was G-d’s plan. As he tells his brothers:

G-d sent me ahead of you to insure that you survive in the land and to sustain you through great deliverance. It is not you who sent me here, but G-d. He has made me Pharaoh’s vizier, director of his entire government and ruler of all Egypt.

As immersed as Joseph was in the massive Egyptian grain industry, he did not experience alienation or estrangement, because his work was not something external outside of himself; he saw it for its true nature: Divine work, as part of his Divine essence and mission in this world: to save lives, to insure the survival of his family and ultimately the entire Jewish nation. Arriving first in Egypt allowed Joseph to prepare the ground so his family could survive the great famine; it allowed the Jewish nation to be born – fulfilling G-d promise and vision to Abraham.

Throughout all his work as head of state and ruler of Egypt, Joseph never let go of the vision; he always held on to the promise; he was eternally connected to the Divine process, always recognizing the deeper spiritual meaning of his work as director of the grain industry – the biggest business of its time.

Joseph had to first be leader before Judah could become leader, because Joseph had the unique power to integrate spirit and matter in an imperfect world where materialism dominates. Joseph begins preparing the ground for a more perfect world when Judah’s faith and bittul could dominate (see essay The Selling of Joseph).

The message and lesson to us today is clear:

America today is suffering from some of the flaws of Capitalism that Marx describes. Events in the last decade just amplified these weaknesses. Joseph can teach us how to get back on course.

The unprecedented prosperity of this nation has spoiled us. We have built the greatest empire in history, with the highest standard of living, and the most powerful technology.

Everything seemed to be going so well. The unheard of economic boom, the information revolution, the unbelievable advances in medicine and science, promised to deliver a new world order. Consumption – mass consumption, enabled by mass industry – became the dominating driving force in our consumer driven economy.

But this great corporation lost its soul somewhere along the way. America forgot its true mission statement.

The mission statement of this country was defined by the Founding Fathers 239 years ago when they established this great nation. They engraved it on the currency of this nation: In God We Trust.

By studying different systems and their failures, by personally experiencing the consequences of being denied basic human freedoms, by building this country’s pillars not on their own subjective whims but on eternal values rooted in the Bible – the Founding Fathers understood that the grand American experiment is only possible with a firm foundation that absolutely guarantees individual rights.

And they fought the Revolutionary War to defend this mission stated in the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

A nation built on the principle that “All men are created equal” as “One nation under God” created the best business climate to allow this nation to flourish. With its promise of freedom and equal opportunity, the United States has welcomed people from all over the world and encouraged them to contribute to the growth of this country.

And flourish it did.  The investment of the Founding Fathers paid off. The synergy of people from all backgrounds coming together as equals under God created the highest developed country of all time.

For 239 years our mission statement – the principles of the revolution – has never been challenged. Indeed, our sustained prosperity has given rise to a profound complacency. Now, 239 years later this nation has been issued the greatest challenge it has ever faced. The attacks against this country and its interests around the world put into stark relief the fact that we have taken for granted many of the freedoms and blessings that were contained in the vision of our founding fathers. Our newfound vulnerability and deep feelings of uncertainty expose more than ever the emptiness of financial security. It makes us realize how alienated we become when we our jobs and careers become an end in themselves, divorced from their deeper mission statement: an expression of our souls.

We are locked in a struggle to renew our contract with the soul of our nation. In many ways we now are faced with the formidable task of finishing what our founding fathers began.

One cannot be sure whether the Founding Fathers saw in Joseph the model businessperson and CEO paragon, but their extensive knowledge of the Bible definitely could not ignore Joseph’s critical contribution to balancing business and spirituality, Capitalism and compassion, matter and spirit.

Joseph offers us a new business model, a new paradigm – one that integrates our work with our essence. By recognizing that our careers and businesses are means and vehicles to fulfill G-d’s plan in our lives, we can reclaim the core beliefs that are the secret of the nation’s endurance.

But with all that Joseph accomplished, he was also fully aware of the sad reality to come. When he meets his younger brother Benjamin, he weeps over the destruction of the Holy Temple. Additionally, his descendants would split away from the Kingdom of Judah. Both these fracturing events would have profound implications in the split between matter and spirit and between work and the human essence.

Today we are faced with the challenge to finally and permanently mend the fracture. By reconnecting our material lives, our businesses with their true spiritual mission statement.

Let us learn from Joseph how this can be achieved.

The United States now stands at perhaps the most defining moment of its history. We need to fight a war that goes far beyond the military one. This is not a war against. It is a war for: For the fundamental beliefs that this nation was built upon. Our greatest enemy is not Muslim fundamentalism, ISIS or any terrorist; it is complacency.

We must balance our economy of consumption with higher values. Let us learn from Joseph how to reclaim our mission statement: What are we? Who are we? What is this company called America?

New paradigms are always difficult. That’s why they are new.

Tags: business, career, founding fathers, spiritual and material, September 11th, Joseph, alienation
Posted in Bereishit, Weekly Parsha, Soul & Mystical, Personal Life, Social, Spiritual, Torah, Business, Work & Money, Government, Vayigash, Current Events | 2 Comments »

Peace at Home: The Key to World Peace

November 24th, 2021

Just as Jacob desired to settle in tranquility, the agony of Joseph pounced upon him
– Rashi in the opening of this week’s Torah portion

Just as life seems to be calm and peacefully moving along, tragedy strikes. Just as things seem to be normal and relaxing, October 7th hits us fast and hard.

How eerily reminiscent is this rude awakening of our weekly Torah portion: Just as Jacob returns to Israel and is ready to settle down, a new tragedy strikes. In their envy, Jacob’s sons sell their brother Joseph, telling Jacob that he was killed. Joseph ends up in prison in Egypt. Jacob believes his son is dead.

Jacob has struggled all his life. Even prior to birth he and his twin brother Esau clashed – two nations locked in perpetual battle. After taking Esau’s birthright and blessings, he escapes Esau’s wrath, only to go from the frying pan into the fire, spending twenty miserable years with his corrupt uncle and father-in-law Laban. However Jacob comes out a stronger and greater man, and finally confronts Esau. They reconcile for the moment, but then part ways, as they recognize how much more work needs to be done before the two Jacob/Esau forces of spirit and matter can achieve peace.

Finally, after all his hardships and struggles the 100 year old Jacob comes back home and wants to settle down in peace. But that is not to be. As Rashi cites the Midrash:

“Jacob desired to settle in tranquility, but the agony of Joseph pounced upon him. For when the righteous wish to settle in tranquility, G-d says: ‘Is it not enough for the righteous what is prepared for them in the World to Come, that they also ask for a tranquil life in this world?’”

Jacob the tzaddik (righteous person) will not have peace in this world.

Why not? Because a tzaddik – a real person – is never an island unto himself. The destiny of an individual is intertwined with the destiny of the world. If the world is suffering so is he. He cannot be at peace when there is no peace around him.

And the world was not yet at peace. As Jacob tells Esau in last week’s portion, “you know that the children are weak and I have responsibility for the nursing sheep and cattle. If they are driven hard for even one day, they will die… Please go ahead of me… I will lead my group slowly, following the pace of the work ahead of me, and the pace of the children. I will eventually come to you, my lord, in Seir.”

Jacob is telling us that there is much work to be done to resolve the inherent tension between the material and the spiritual. Before it is resolved, this tension will only escalate in the generations to come. This historical evolution of the wars between Jacob and Esau’s (and Ishmael’s) descendants is documented at the end of last week’s Torah portion.

Now, a chapter later, following these chronicles of Esau – which consists of a detailed list of the nations that would descend from him, concluding with Magdiel, father of Rome – come the chronicles of Jacob in this week’s portion. The tension between the two cosmic forces of Jacob and Esau is reflected and plays itself out in microcosm in Jacob’s home and family. If the world is not at peace than our homes will inevitable be affected in kind. And vice versa: Divisiveness in the family brings divisiveness around us. The way to repair the world is to repair the rift at home. How we build our home will affect how we build our world. Peace at home brings peace in the world.

The lesson today is clear:

Just as we are about to settle down, another tragedy strikes, teaching us that there is no room for complacency; important work needs to be done, both in our personal lives and homes and in the world at large. And as long as we don’t do it, trouble looms. When there is an enemy within, the enemy from without can easily attack.

Before September 11 we may have thought that these terrorist murders were isolated events in the Middle East – that they were “Israel’s problem.” Today however, we know better. Killing innocent people – whenever and wherever – is an assault, an atrocity against all innocent people. Many excuses can be proffered for killing innocent civilians. It infuriates me to no end when I hear people protest terrorist attacks, and then add: “but…”  “But we need to review the causes that would bring them to do this;” “But we need to understand their frustration.” Every crime has a root no doubt: childhood abuse, mental illness, rage, grievances, legitimate or not. Yet murder is murder, crime is crime. As such it can never be tolerated in a civilized society.

The attack on any person, on any nation, of any persuasion – Jew, Christian, Muslim or atheist – is an attack on all of humanity. Period. If you cannot control yourself due to your ‘grievances’ then lock yourself up or have yourself locked up in an institution for people who are out of control. Period.

So, just as we were about to settle down, we grieve again. We must remember that evil that attacks ‘other’ innocent people even if they are abroad is an attack on all of us, on our homes and families. Does anyone doubt that at any moment America can be attacked – G-d forbid – by the same lurking evil?! We must not become apathetic again; we must always remember that problems outside always are connected with problems within. All these experiences teach and drive us to do what we must on the home front and abroad and not wait for more innocent people to suffer. As long as we do not awake we will be held hostage by the uncertainty ahead of us and we will be controlled by circumstances instead of taking control of them.

The question is: What are we to do? How do we take control? What peace do we need to build at home that will help bring world peace?

The answer lies in a deeper analysis of the rift between Joseph and his brothers. Why were Joseph’s brothers so angry with him to the point that they wanted to kill him?

Jacob’s eleven sons saw Joseph as a formidable threat to G-d and to fulfilling the Divine purpose of life. Each of the twelve tribes has a unique personality reflecting twelve vital aspects in life. Judah was designated to be the leader. His descendants – the House of David – were given kingship. When the brothers heard that Joseph dreamt that he would be their leader they saw this as mutiny against the Divinely ordained leadership of Judah. They foresaw the split that the children of Joseph would create in their mutiny against the house of David, the Kingdom of Israel that would break away from the Kingdom of Judah. To preempt this tragedy they felt that Joseph’s mutiny deserved death.

Why is Judah the appropriate leader and not Joseph? Judah (from the word ‘hodaah,’ “acknowledgment”) embodies faith and humility: the single most important ingredient in a true leader. He does not see himself as great, only as transparent channel of a Higher Will completely dedicated to serving his people. His ego and personality do not stand in the way between the people and G-d. Without absolute faith, humility and selflessness, leadership and the power that it wields is just plain dangerous.

Chassidic thought applies this to our personal lives: Judah is action and implementation (maaseh), Joseph is scholarship and knowledge (Talmud). Joseph’s great virtue, as his name implies, is the power of growth through wisdom and scholarship. For all its strengths scholarship without humility, knowledge without action, reason without faith, leads to arrogance and ultimately can become destructive. An absolute commitment to truth is built upon the unwavering foundation of faith.

The brothers however were mistaken in one critical regard: Timing. True, a perfect world would have Judah as its leader (Moshiach son of David), but while we still live in an imperfect world, where there is a dichotomy between matter and spirit (Esau and Jacob), ignorant faith can be even more dangerous. The passion of absolute faith without knowledge, humility without the direction of wisdom, action without first studying, can become misguided and misdirected, to the point of harming others in the name of ignorant faith. Thus, the need for Joseph’s leadership, to temper and balance the passion of Judah – wisdom to direct and guide one’s actions, knowledge to channel the power of faith. Joseph’s leadership (Moshiach son of Joseph) prepares and refines the world for the ultimate leadership of Judah (as related in the haftorah of the Vayigash portion).

This is the inside story and deeper significance of Jacob’s heartbreaking loss of Joseph and his inability to live in peace:

Jacob’s encounter and reconciliation with Esau makes him aware of the hard work to come in refining the world. Jacob recognizes that we must go “slowly, following the pace of the work ahead of me.” After the Torah lists the chronicles of Esau – which testify to the nations that would confront each other confirming Jacob’s fears – Jacob finally returns to Israel (Canaan), the land and home of his parents. He wants to live in peace, but he is quickly reminded with the tragedy of Joseph that as long as the world is not at peace he will not be at peace.

What the … is going on? Didn’t Jacob suffer enough? He had to escape Esau, live by his corrupt uncle Laban, returns and confronts Esau – by now Jacob is worn down and wants to live in peace. What does G-d do, he sends him yet another trauma!

Because the refinement of Esau is far from complete, the world is not yet ready to be at peace with G-d. So neither is Jacob. The selling of Joseph is a result and symptom of the pre-existing problems.

At the same time, the remedy lies within the illness. Joseph’s clash with his brothers teaches us how the repair and healing begins. We must begin by repairing the rifts in our homes – the rift between faith and reason, knowledge and action, humility and scholarship. We must teach ourselves and our children that it is not just enough to know what is right, but to do what is right. On the other hand: faith and belief need to be internalized through study and education. The fusion of Joseph and Judah must be complete.

When we achieve the union in our personal lives and within our families, then we have the power to refine the world, and unite Jacob and Esau.

So when we see more violence around us, we need to remember that it is telling us that we must do something. The world will not be at peace until we finish the work we need to do. Death, violence, terrorism continues to haunt us as long as we do not repair the problems at the root.

It tells us that in order to heal the world we must first ensure that it does not contaminate our family. The divisiveness outside of your home, between Esau and Jacob, Ishmael and Isaac, and Esau and Ishmael must not be allowed to infect peace in your home. As Esau goes to war with Ishmael and Ishmael is attacking Israel, we must not allow this attack to cause hostility between Jacob’s children, to begin fighting with each other. No enemy from without can win you if you stand unified as a family. “Our father [G-d] blesses us when we are united as one.” Indeed, divisiveness within allows attacks from without. We must stand strong and united together with one voice of determination against your enemies.

You cannot negotiate with people that call for your destruction. In last week’s Torah portion Jacob rejects Esau’s offer to live side by side with him, as does Sarah regarding Isaac and Ishmael. They clearly understood that until the world is perfected in the time of Moshiach, separation is necessary for peace.

But people are not always wise. They begin to bicker with each other, until they can end up selling their own brother into slavery…

The unity that must be achieved is between our understanding and our action. When under attack people must unite and act accordingly with decisive resolution and with no ambiguity. They must declare for all to hear: We are a land with laws. If you want to live in this land you must abide by them or leave. This is the way any normal civilized country behaves – its first and primary priority is to protect its citizens.

After the Torah portions discuss the struggles of Ishmael and Isaac, and then Esau and Jacob, this week the war stage moves from the global to the local, from the street to the home, from Ishmael, Esau and Jacob, to Jacob’s family. To repair the world we must begin by repairing ourselves and our relationships. We must integrate our beliefs and our actions, our faith and wisdom. We must make peace with our brothers and sisters.

When we achieve harmony at home – shalom bayit – and end the divisiveness between each other, we are then empowered to go out and bring harmony to the world at large. To integrate matter and spirit, and make peace between Ishmael, Esau and Jacob – all children of the one Abraham, under one G-d.

Chanukah emphasizes this dual peace — peace at home and peace in the world. We light the Chanukah flames “at the door facing outward,” underscoring that the warm candles bring tranquility into our homes, and from there the warmth extends into the street, into the community, into the world.

Tonight, on the first night of Chanukah, Jews worldwide will light one candle. One flame. But collectively millions of flames; lighting up the world, one person, one home, one world at a time.

Tags: matter and spirit, faith, peace, leadership, Joseph, Jacob and Esau, Isaac, commitment, divisiveness, Ishmael, humility, selflessness, tranquility, Judah
Posted in Weekly Parsha, Bereishit, Torah Personalities, Torah, Vayeishev, Joseph | Comments Off on Peace at Home: The Key to World Peace

A Conversation With Rabbi Simon Jacobson and Rivka Malka Perlman

October 18th, 2021

Tags: political leaders, morals, King David
Posted in Podcasts, 2020-2021: Unprecedented Times, Personal Life, Daily Life, Podcasts, Emotions & Psychology | No Comments »

The Raven & the Dove

October 5th, 2021

How to Deal with Existential Loneliness

The High Holidays have come and gone and a new (Jewish) year is upon us. We have been immersed in inspiration and surrounded by meaningful days for the past two months, receiving daily messages of affirmation and motivation from 60 DAYS: A Spiritual Guide to the High Holidays.

So.. now what? Where do we go from here? From the beginning, I guess. As we leave the high-holiday season, the obvious question is: What do we do when we are not inspired and do not have the power of the holidays to lift us to a greater place?

I received an e-mail today from someone who had just finished using the book 60 DAYS. “I admit to you that this is the first time I have truly experienced the holidays. Thank you for bringing them alive. But I must confess that I am now experiencing a letdown. What do we do now, after the 60 days have ended?”

I replied to him that he shouldn’t worry, because we’re all in the same situation, and I would answer his question in this week’s e-mail. Here’s my response.

The holiday season is a rich one. Filled with awe and joy, renewal and sanctity, introspection and celebration, Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Simchat Torah offer us a profound spiritual experience.

But in direct disproportion to the great holiday high is the contrasting down that we inevitably experience as the inspiration dissipates and we reenter our conventional routines.

Cheshvan, the month following the holidays, is the only month in the year devoid of any holidays. No wonder that the mazal (sign) of this month is Scorpio. The venomous scorpion represents the challenges of material life which begin in Cheshvan. Materialism can be toxic if it is not tamed and channeled. Indeed, throughout history many of the worst persecutions of Jews began in this month of the scorpion.

What is the point of giving us a month that is so devoid of holidays? And especially in such stark contrast to the preceding month filled with holidays.

Cheshvan is the month of existential loneliness. It may be empty of special days, but it has one thing going for it: This month reflects the nature of life on earth. So don’t worry my friend. You’re not alone in your loneliness. We’re all in the same existential boat.

But what is the answer to the question: What purpose does this month serve?

One year over Sukkot I had the honor to sit in a Sukkah with a distinguished Chossid, Rabbi Zalman Posner, who shared with me the following moving story. As a young man he was once summoned by the previous Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn. The year was 1949, and as Reb Zalman told it to me, it was hard to understand all the words of the Rebbe, so it was crucial to also watch his hand gestures.

The Rebbe began dramatically (in Yiddish): When a neshomo (soul) has to come down to Earth, it doesn’t want to go. Why? Because heaven is warm and comfortable, while life on Earth is cold and dark (“kalt un finzter”). What happens? In heaven the soul is ordered: “You must descend below.” And to demonstrate the point the Rebbe took his index finger and repeatedly pointed downward in a deliberate motion, “you must go down below into the dark and cold world, and there you must bring light (“machen dort lichtig”).

The Rebbe then continued and instructed Reb Zalman to travel on a mission (shlichus) to a certain city, which may not be as comfortable as staying home, with the objective of beginning some spiritual light to the city.

“To this day I never forget,” Reb Zalman told me, “the Rebbe’s finger pointing downward, ‘you must go down and illuminate the dark and cold world.’”…

Ultimately, Reb Zalman would settle in Nashville, Tennessee, where he is a Rabbi and educator until today.

I was deeply moved by hearing his first hand account. Firstly, because it is a consolation to know – and to validate – the fact that this world is dark and cold, and that we were deliberately sent here to illuminate our surroundings. Secondly, that we have the power to illuminate the world; that ultimately light is stronger than darkness. We just need to never forget our mission.

Noah too was faced with this dilemma. After seeing the world self-destructing due to human corruption, Noah was terrified of reentering the world and beginning anew. He actually had to be commanded by G-d, “leave the ark,” and commanded, “be fruitful and multiply.” Though Adam was already given this command, it had to be reiterated to Noah after the flood. Because after the human race had abused its contract with existence and forfeited its right to exist, the contract had to be renewed – a renewed commitment to “be fruitful and multiply” and transform the world into a Divine home.

This also explains the mysterious episode following the flood. Noah first sends out the raven to check out if the land has dried after the flood. He then sent a dove, once, twice, three times – until the dove no longer returns, indicating that it had found a dry resting place.

The raven represents gevurah – severity/judgment/discipline. The dove represents chesed or tiferet – love/sensitivity/compassion. Noah felt that after the people had abused G-d’s gifts and corrupted the entire world, now the only way to go is with severity and discipline. Like a delinquent child, Noah felt that the only way to begin life anew after the colossal failure of mankind was through the “raven’s” law and justice. Since “the inclination of man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Noach 8:21), the predominant force in life has to be aggressive judgment and discipline.

But Noah was wrong. It was not the aggressive raven but the compassionate dove that discovered the dry land. It is the dove that first returns with an olive branch in its beak, and then becomes the first creature to return to dry land, demonstrating that even after the great crimes and corruption of the flood generation, we do not give up hope on the human race. Even after bitter disappointment, even after destruction we do not become bitter and hardened. Yes, we have been humbled, but we still recognize that the primary driving force in life must be love and compassion. Discipline is necessary, but only as a sub-set of love.

[This is true both on a personal level and a collective historical one. One Kabbalist explains that the raven represents the world of aggressive Esau – father of the Western/Roman world. The dove represents Israel (Megaleh Amukot, ofen 40). In history first aggressive Esau would rule, but slowly, slowly, as the world becomes more refined, it gets acclimated to the balance of the tiferet of the dove.]

So, the next time you face a dilemma, a challenge, the next time you encounter a disappointment, the next time you witness the pettiness, greed and corruption around you and wonder whether we can ever overcome this challenge – visualize the Rebbe’s finger pointing downward: “You must go down into the cold and dark world, and there you must bring light.”

Tags: light, transcendence, Noach, love, Rebbe Rayatz, shlichus, elevating the world, loneliness, discipline
Posted in Weekly Parsha, Bereishit, Biblical, Soul & Mystical, Noah, Spiritual, Rebbe | 5 Comments »

Sukkot: My Dear Child

September 23rd, 2021

Tags: inner self, Clouds, sukkah, dance, love, heart, achievement, family, security, children, inner child, relationships, safety, home, Sing, materialism, Yom Kippur, soul, Sukkot
Posted in Tishrei, Months & Holidays, Sukkot, Personal Life, Home & Family, Torah, Emotions & Psychology | 22 Comments »

Tracht Gut Vet Zein Gut: How We Define Our Own Destinies

August 30th, 2021

One of the greatest questions in life is whether tragedy and loss forever controls and defines our lives? 

We are aware of the deep impact suffering has on us — it affects every aspect of our being. We also know that tragedy and loss are impossible to explain. The most brilliant mind cannot — and should not — speak to a bleeding heart. Humble silence is often the best “response” to pain. 

So the question looms: Despite unfathomable suffering, does your spirit have the capacity and resilience to transcend; not to just cope, but to thrive?

The answer is found in a powerful story. 

A man once came to the Tzemach Tzedek, the third Chabad Rebbe, imploring him to pray on behalf of his child who was seriously ill. The Tzemach Tzedek replied: “Tracht gut vet zein gut,” think good and it will be good. 

What does this mean? If the objective reality is a negative one, how can that be changed by positive thinking? Can our thoughts actually alter the situation for the better?!

The answer is: Absolutely yes! 

Why? Because each one of us is blessed with a pure, Divine neshama – soul – which always remains beautiful and pristine — like freshly fallen snow — regardless of what may come one’s way. Your true identity is defined by your G-dly soul, not by your experiences. You may have suffered, but you are not a sufferer.  You may have endured pain, but you are not pain. 

As such, we are told “think good and it will be good:” Even when things seem to be dire, do not allow yourself to be distracted and defined by the ostensible. Access the essential goodness in your soul — and that will define your reality. 

You and I do not control circumstances and events that happen to us, but we do have complete control of our attitudes and how we respond to these events. We cannot control the “what” — what happened; but we can totally control the “how” — how we react. When we “think good” we cause that “it will be good.”

This explains an apparent dilemma. It is a mitzvah, a commandment, to be b’simcha — each of us is obligated to be joyous and happy. But how can feelings be commanded, regulated? If we’re not in a happy mood, and for good reason, how can happiness be demanded of us? The question is compounded when we consider the possibility that some of us may, in fact, be wired with a happier disposition than others, and begs the questions: Does our wiring define our attitudes and personalities or do our attitudes define our wiring? 

Can our thoughts change our realities? Do our feelings shape our destinies? 

The holy Tzemach Tzedek teaches us: Yes! Our positive thoughts reveal the innate goodness of our very beings which in turn shape and define our reality and destiny. 

Once upon a time this could have been taken as a religious statement, primarily driven by emunah, by faith. Today, even scientific research points to the fact that our thoughts define our realities, as stated in numerous studies: neurons get wired by the way they are fired. Repeatedly thinking about something in a particular way, actually (re)wires our minds to follow that thought pattern. 

For instance, if you think negatively about yourself, your neurons get hardwired with a negative self-perception, and if you engage in this thought process long enough, that negative self-image projects and becomes a self-fulfilling reality. At this point you may not be able to distinguish between the initial thought and the reality it has created; the unfortunate habitual thinking has made it increasingly difficult to unwire the now distorted neurons…

Yet, just as we have become wired, we can become unwired. Through persistent effort we can refire our neurons and rewire them with new, positive, and upbeat attitudes. 

Quantum physics takes this to an even further extreme: We have the power not only to impact our neurons and self-perceptions, but the reality of existence around us as well! Indeed, many scientists argue that there is really no distinction between our thoughts and the reality around us. For example, if a certain event has never entered the realm of possibility in your consciousness, you will not be able to see it even if it is actually in your line of vision! 

The entire concept of reality is actually turned inside out: We tend to think there is an objective reality “out there”, we attempt to experience it, and then to comprehend it. The truth is that it is not reality that shapes our perception; it is our perception that shapes our reality. 

So, are we wired to be happy or to be sad? And do we control our wiring? 

Some people may indeed be predisposed to despondency (happily, others to joy) and if hurt and deprivation are added into the equation, it may seem that overcoming the dysfunctionality wired into our psyches is an exercise in futility. 

If we are bound by our wiring, like a computer dependent on its circuitry, perhaps that would be the case. However, we are much more than mere machines! Each one of us has a Divine soul, a beautiful neshama, by whose virtue we have the power to rewire ourselves, and to reshape even a very daunting reality. Besides the fact that many of our demons are our own self-destructive illusions, even the ones that have some objective reality are also in our control. 

Tracht gut vet zein gut. 

As one great master once said: Some people think “Why am I so sad? Because things aren’t working in my life.” The truth is that things aren’t working because you are so sad. People often believe that they are not happy because they have no joy in their lives. The truth is just the opposite! Through being joyous one becomes happy. 

And this comes to explain the ultimate question: Will this world ever change and actually realize the purpose of its being – a world filled with virtue and love, with no more injustice and pain? 

It almost seems like an impossible dream. When we witness the selfishness around and within us – with some researchers arguing that “the average human being is about 95 percent selfish in the narrow sense of the term” – you have to wonder how human inclinations will ever change? Of course, Divine intervention can achieve anything. However, we are told to not depend on miracles. How will things change naturally? 

Each and every one of us is affected by the attitudes and expectations of those who influence us, and ultimately by the expectations we have of ourselves. If one has been inundated with constant negativity since childhood, it is almost inevitable that she will follow her “script”.

I once asked an acquaintance what he looks forward to in life. I will never forget my shock when he shared his response, “I would be happy if life just didn’t hurt me. When a day passes and I remain intact, I breathe a sigh of relief and feel accomplished.” This individual was hurt so many times, that his threshold for “normal” and his expectation for happiness was simply: No damage. 

Dear friends, the good news is that within the disease itself lies the cure: Our attitudes and beliefs have the power to rewire ourselves and the universe—to actually raise the standards that we expect of ourselves. 

We are not doomed and we are not static. Each of us has a vibrant spirit, and with will power, persistence and good support, we can unplug, refire and successfully rewire our systems. 

Yes, we have the power to rewire ourselves—to rewire the very consciousness of existence. 

The world will change when we change our attitudes. Expect more of yourself and you will become more. Expect more of others and they too will become more. 

All it takes are a few individuals who will be truly “independent” and lift the expectations that we have of each other to their deserved place, and that is that we live up to the Divine image within ourselves. 

All it takes is you and I and a few other individuals. If ten of us can do it, ten thousand can. If ten thousand can, ten million can…

Tracht gut vet zein gut. I promise. It will.

Posted in Anxiety and Depression, Personal Life, Emotions & Psychology | No Comments »

Orthodoxy vs. The World

July 26th, 2021

How do we reconcile faith and modernity? The spectrum of human religion and faith today is so vast and diverse. To name just a few there are the faith intolerant, the faithless liberalists, the religious fundamentalist, and many that form some sort of compromise in between. Each perspective offers their own opinions and thoughts on the issue of faith and modernity, but none address the core issue at hand. What is one to do? What does the Torah advocate?

Often a problem seems impossible to solve because it is based on a false premise, which in turn has become a “given fact” defining, hijacking, the context of the discussion. Presumed solutions, then, are not true solutions; they are more like cosmetic band-aids, and band-aids upon band-aids, which not only don’t solve the problem; they become part – and an extension – of it. To solve a problem we have to get out from under any false premises and look at the issue with a fresh eye.

Hardly will you find an issue where this distortion is more apparent than the challenge of balancing faith and modernity, especially when it touches intimate matters of love and marriage, the sensitive subject of intermarriage. The dissonance between these two worlds is built on a false premise, which completely dominates and directs the discussion, obfuscating the heart of the issue.

The false premise is this: We live in a compartmentalized world in which faith and modernity can never be truly integrated. Out of this premise stem all the different positions in the debate around faith and tradition: Some feel that the only way to live in the modern world is to reject many elements of ancient tradition. Others, in fear and reaction to the former, go to the other rigid extreme, preaching dogma, protectionism and intolerance. And yet others react strongly to religious condescension and ostracism, and compromise the standard.

The conflict can be traced back to the early stages of the Jewish emancipation in the 18^th century. The primary challenge facing the Jewish people following the emancipation was how to benefit from their newfound freedoms while not compromising the integrity of millennia-old Jewish tradition. Indeed, modern assimilation was birthed as a result of a people unprepared for the challenges of accelerated emancipation. The challenge would take on different forms in the subsequent years – the battle between religion and science, between church and state and between faith and reason. Some chose insulation to protect from these progressive forces; others compartmentalization, and yet others assimilation.

The problem with all these options is that they all are based on, what they saw as, a fundamental rift between the secular and the spiritual. Thus, the only choice is to either opt for one or the other, or to find partial solutions to balance the two.

As centuries passed, this compartmentalized flaw became ingrained in the consciousness, and has shaped the thinking and education systems of hundreds of schools, affecting the minds of millions, and has by now, understandably, taken on many lives, which control and define the dialogue – with each position reacting to the other.

Once a fundamental misconception becomes a “fact,” it is extremely difficult to dislodge its power without radical rethinking of the initial premise. Often, we have to hit “rock bottom” to shake us out of our presumptions and recognize the logical missteps that led to the distortions.

Every now and again, someone or something comes around and forces us to revisit the stereotype and compels us to address the challenge head on: how to bridge the unbridgeable gap between faith and modern life.

[It reminds me of the powerful words of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev to a self-proclaimed atheist: The G-d you don’t believe in, I also don’t believe in. Once the definition of G-d has been hijacked, we can never discover G-d’s true meaning until we revisit the initial premise].

What is the philosophical flaw – exposed by the challenge of emancipation – in compartmentalization? Why is it problematic to say that faith and modernity cannot be bridged?

The problem is that compartmentalization implies a duality, which challenges the very notion of G-d Himself and His purpose in creating the universe.

The root issue is not just how we cope with balancing both worlds and what attitude we should have to intermarriage (these are but symptoms), but question missing from the discussion is: What does G-d want of us? Is Torah actually inconsistent with modern, secular life?

Earlier in history people lived in secluded environments, insulated and protected from outside influences. The challenges were internal. The question of a pluralistic (or dualistic) universe was more philosophical than practical. As the world broadened due to emancipation, the issue of reconciling G-d with the modern world became very real, with far reaching consequences. The question of duality stormed to the fore with enormous force.

But “the cure precedes the illness:” When the duality challenge arose the spiritual masters of the time, anticipating the great battles it would spawn, began emphasizing, like never before, the deeper spiritual nature of Torah and G-d’s plan with creating this seemingly dualistic universe.

And here lies the “new” option that upsets the very premise of the discussion on faith and modernity (not new at all, just going to back to the original Torah and recognizing its relevance today):

The Torah approach is based on the cardinal principle of Divine unity. As we declare in the most famous of all liturgy – the Shema: Hashem Echod. G-d is One does not merely mean that there is one G-d and not many. In its fullest, richest sense, it means that there is only one reality; the Divine permeates all of existence. So though on the surface the universe seems fragmented and multi-faceted, in truth there is no duality or plurality. Underneath it, all everything is permeated with Divine Unity. It is our role and mission in life to expose and reveal the inherent unity in every fiber of creation.

The Torah offers us a comprehensive system to bridge the schism between the material and the spiritual – presenting a dynamic blueprint for Jewish life today, one that makes the spiritual journey personally relevant to contemporary times.

Briefly, the Torah teaches that within all of matter lies potent spiritual energy. Each of us is charged with the mission of discovering the Divine “sparks” allocated to us in our respective corner of the world and sphere of influence.

We relieve the tension between matter and spirit by spiritualizing the material, releasing the Divine energy embedded in every person, object and experience. Redemption is the natural culmination of this process. Recognizing the Divine soul in each person naturally leads to a loving attitude toward every individual, regardless of background, persuasion or faith.

This seamless interface between the Divine and the human allows us to enter the emancipated world without compromising timeless values. On the contrary: it begets the opportunity to integrate both freedoms, material and spiritual, by refining and spiritualizing material secularism, turning the world into an intimate home for the Divine. The Torah offers man the tools to perceive and reveal the Divine in every aspect of life: to integrate personal independence with the highest moral standards of Torah, to blend fiery passion with profound intellect.

There are, however, two conditions for effective integration: 1) A system of guidelines and boundaries how to achieve this fusion. Living in a complicated world of rich diversity, with each of us facing the battle between narcissism and soulfulness, affected, if not consumed, by our own individual subjective desires and needs – the right choice isn’t always clear. We therefore require a roadmap to navigate the complexities of life, directing us to make the right choices in allowing spirit to dominate over matter, while respecting the uniqueness of diverse aspects of existence.

The second requirement is 2) Spiritual maturity. We don’t throw a young child into the world to face its cruel challenges until s/he is fortified with the wisdom and resources to face life’s battles. The same is true collectively: Before the 18^th Century, communities were insulated from many outside forces. But the challenge of a modern world requires a particular level of spiritual maturity, so as not to be overwhelmed by the newfound freedoms and the endless options that prosperity offers; a fortitude that allows one to generate spiritual passion that will parallel and surpass material passion; spiritual strength to counter ego-strength.

And this is where the Torah comes in: Torah is a roadmap that instructs us how best to fuse spirit into our material and modern lives, and to so at the right pace, with the appropriate boundaries honoring the diversity of our lives.

The Torah in effect offers us a comprehensive spiritual vision of life that teaches us how to infuse soul into every aspect of our lives. It tells us that the way to look at life is not from the outside in: First there is a material universe and a modern world, then we try to find ways to fit spirituality and G-d’s laws into the pre-existing framework of life. No. First there is G-d. He chose to create a universe, and our mission is to align the universe with His plan. A universe on G-d’s terms, not ours.

The do’s and don’ts of Torah are not merely about commandments and prohibitions. They reflect a universal spiritual vision of life, while respecting the rich diversity of different souls in our universe.

This, of course, includes the issue of marriage: The Torah view on marriage is highly sophisticated – defining the dynamics of a true spiritual union. It is about the mysteries of every soul’s unique journey and destiny, It highlights the spiritual compatibilities necessary in marriage, even more than physical, emotional and intellectual commonalities.

When you appreciate the spirit of Torah you also come to understand that G-d created all humans, Jews and gentile, in the Divine Image. The Torah’s prohibition against intermarriage is not about petty discriminations and parochial concerns. It is not due to elitism, exclusivity, or plain, primitive superstition – all juvenile concepts that are as foreign to Torah as idolatry itself. It is also not merely about protecting Jews from gentile influences.

The tragedy is this: As long as we do not know the Torah’s spiritual approach to marriage, we in a way are all “intermarried,” in the sense of confusing spiritual roles and adventures in life. The approach of so many of us today, is our desperate attempt – without success – to make sense of and bridge a dualistic universe, in which G-d and existence are two distinct entities, rendering faith and modernity as two dissonant forces, unable to fully meet.

If we look upon the Torah only as a book of laws, as grand as this legal corpus may be, we will ultimately never be able to overcome the rifts, some more subtle than others, between the Torah view and the world view. And ultimately, a rift between our ideals of love and marriage and the Torah’s expectations.

A pluralistic or dualistic material world, and by extension – modern life – poses a profound challenge: What to do when the world of spirit conflict with the world of matter? How much of modernity do we allow into our spiritual lives? Or how much spirituality do we allow into our material lives?

We are left with either those dismissing Torah’s relevance to our modern lives, or the opposite extreme – “ultra-orthodox” insulation and intolerance (reacting to ultra-liberalism), or some compromise in-between.(1)

However, if we see Torah as a spiritual blueprint our entire attitude is different: In a unified world, with inherent Divine unity running through every fiber of existence, there is no such challenge, because everything – matter and spirit, faith and reason, the secular and the sacred – is driven by the Divine energy within. The only challenge is this, and it is a great challenge: Will we have the discipline and fortitude to overcome personal desires and be able to recognize and reveal the Divine purpose latent in all of existence, as outlined in the Torah and its guidelines?

In such a spiritually cohesive world the challenges of modernity actually do not even exist. We don’t need to be “modern” to engage in the world and its beauty. From the outset we should be engaging the world and its gifts in order to reveal the Divine sparks within.

For one who has lived in a “ghetto,” isolated from the larger world, emancipation becomes an “eye-opener,” offering many new seductive options (both positive and negative), leaving one to make personal decisions: “how much” to let in and at what point am I compromising my Judaism (or it may even come to a point where one doesn’t care).

But one whose world outlook encompasses all of existence will not be seduced by modern options; on the contrary he sees the world as channel, a tool to express the Divine. His spiritual life is therefore not challenged by modernity – he does not see it as emancipation nor as compromise; simply as a development that needs its Divine sparks revealed and elevated. His only question is: How? What are the Torah guidelines that define the best way to align any new discovery with the Divine plan?

If, for instance, Torah’s prohibition of intermarriage is no more than another “legality” (which may be seen outgrown in modern times), then yes, “modernity” may include marrying anyone, even outside your own faith. Aren’t we all part of one human race? But if you study the universal and timeless spiritual nature of Torah’s guidelines, you come to appreciate the beautiful diversity of souls, and not every soul must unite with another to respect its majesty and reveal its Divinity.

Who is more hip and modern? The one who sees the modern world as a novelty, and is perpetually trying to juggle with the dissonance between faith and modernity; or one who initially sees the entire universe – with all its cutting edge developments – as a Divine “playground,” for us to tap and access its Divine energy?

To our credit, may of us do sense the need for true unity between the world and the Torah/spirituality. But we are often lacking the method and strategy on how to implement a workable integration. When a unified spiritual vision is missing, integration is impossible.

The sad fact is that millions of people never learned about the spiritual dimension of Judaism and Torah, of a soul and its purpose. What we need most today is a true cohesive view of Torah that embraces all souls while appreciating their differences. An understanding of Torah that is neither dogmatic nor diluted, neither Orthodox nor Secular – it is about one G-d, and how the drama of life unfolds in expressing the Divine unity, in all its beautiful diverse manifestations, or sadly not.

Our challenge today – and a formidable challenge it is – is to teach people of the Torah personal relevance to our lives. From psychology to relationships, from pain to joy, from the moment we are born to the moment we die and beyond, every aspect of life, every nuance and dimension can be realized to its fullest through Torah.

It is time to create a true revolution in Jewish education – insisting on the infusion of soul and spirit in the Jewish dialogue and curriculum of our schools. Explaining to our children not just how to find ways of reconciling the vastly disparate values of tradition and modernity, but how to recognize that Hashem Echod – G-d is one – all of existence is one reality, not duality, both actually part of one seamless whole.

The ultimate way to preempt “intermarriage” is not only by invoking law or ostracizing transgressors, but to address the root of the issue: A lack of awareness as to the true nature of a spiritual union (marriage) and the soul of intimacy; how to balance a universal vision with the unique spiritual journey of the individual. Without this awareness, there ultimately is no reason (besides for guilt or fear) not to marry outside of the faith.  Or, even if a reason can be found, it may not be more powerful than the reason to marry.

In the final analysis, Judaism’s ultimate answer is: Yes, our lives are full of contradictions, because the universe is a diverse, multi-faceted fragmented world. But through our choices we can connect to Hashem Echod – the oneness and unity of G-d, and that can allow us to transcend the differences

But to do so requires putting an end to our compartmentalized life choices. G-d and Torah must permeate not just the food we eat, the holidays we keep, but our choices in love and marriage, in the “important matters of life and love.”

———–

[1] This bizarre distortion also manifests in the irreparable rift between the “denominations:” As a reaction to those rejecting the Torah’s Divinity, Orthodoxy has laid claim to the Torah. And for good reason: The other denominations, by rendering Torah into man made literature, have in effect emasculated the Torah of its absolute authority.

The problem is that the Torah belongs to the Orthodox no more than it does to any group or individual. The reason Torah was given in the wilderness – not in a beautiful civilized city – was to declare its autonomy: Torah was given in a no man’s land to show that no one, no city, community, denomination or group, has a monopoly on Torah.

The Torah – and the soul – is not orthodox, conservative or reform. It is a Divine entity, that cannot be quantified by man-made definitions (see Was Moses Orthdox?).

Tags: Divine light, faith, Torah, divine image, intermarriage, love, traditions, marriage, spiritual
Posted in Weekly Parsha, Faith, Eikev, Beliefs & Concepts, Devarim, Torah | No Comments »

Giving Up Your Life for God?

July 19th, 2021

Does serving God mean that you have to sacrifice your life for God? Is it conforming to be someone you’re not? Obliterating your personality?

If this sounds unappealing, it’s no wonder: it’s not only wrong, it’s anathema to the very fundamentals of Judaism. In the third book of the Bible called Vayikra (Leviticus), we learn the quintessential approach to how each and every one of us can and should serve God. But rather than presenting a serene picture of spiritual reverie the book of Vayikra reflects a subject that is more likely to evoke confusion (even revulsion for some) than sublimity! In this Book, we enter the bloody world of the great altar in the Holy Temple (Beis HaMikdash) where the Jewish people brought animal sacrifices to Jerusalem to atone for their sins. What possible connection could this slaughter of ox and sheep have to do with establishing a fulfilling relationship with God?

The Ramban, a classical Torah commentator, tells us (Leviticus 1:9) that when a person had to bring a korban (animal sacrifice) to be offered in the Beis HaMikdash, “a person had to envision that what was happening to the animal should have been happening to him or her.” Since it is we who need to be cleansed of our wrongdoings—a cleansing of our blood, our flesh, and our fat—God in His great mercy gave us an alternative: we could replace ourselves with an animal, an animal that would endure this process in our stead.

The Torah is not a lesson in ancient history; its every word is eternal and relevant to each one of us in every day and age. In a Temple-less world, we need to look a little deeper into Torah to discover the relationship of these sacrifices to our contemporary lives.

There are two polar forces within each of us: a force that desires material pleasures and a force that yearns for spirituality and Godliness. Simply put, our search for purpose, for meaning, for serving God are at constant odds with “the animal” in us: the part of us that would rather indulge our selfish passions than contribute our time and resources to a higher cause. The centrality of the animal offerings in the Temple reflects the essence of our Divine purpose: To submit the animal within us to God.

Now, when we read how a person brought a sacrifice upon the altar: “Adam ki yakriv mikem…,” we find a curious twist of words. Instead of saying, “When one of you will bring an offering,” the literal translation is, “When a person will bring an offering of you.” The “of you” tells us that by bringing an animal to be sacrificed on the altar, we are actually bringing to the altar the animal in us.

Offering yourself, the animal in you, to God is the cornerstone of all Judaism, but how is this accomplished? Do you crush the animal passion and pleasure in you and live a somber life of deprivation and misery? The answer lies in the derivation of the word korban. While korban is often translated as “sacrifice,” the actual translation of the word comes from the root word kiruv, meaning “to draw close.”

We make ourselves a korban by “bringing close” the pure essence of the animal in us to God. We don’t annihilate it, we don’t squash it, we use it to help us approach Divinity, to transcend our limits and get closer to the quintessential purpose for which we were created. An animal cannot behave in any way other than how G-d created it. Bulls are aggressive, sheep are slothfully self-indulgent, and goats are stubborn. But the animal in us has a choice. We can be an obnoxious “bully,” or we can channel our passions toward an assertive love for God. We can indulge in our sheep like lust for pleasure, or we can get pleasure in helping others and living a meaningful life.

At the heart of every force in our lives, even the ones that manifest negative expression, lies a kernel that can be directed to a constructive and Godly cause. What we do “sacrifice” is the object of our desires, the immature or narrow attitudes we assume, our ignorance and our blind spots—so that our essential natures can emerge, just as you sacrifice the weeds to allow the flowers to surface.

Should we “give up” our lives for God? Certainly not! That’s sacrifice. We shouldn’t give up our God-given talents and behaviors; we should bring them closer to their purer state. When you become a korban, you have the opportunity to transform every aspect of yourself, to become the greatest person you can be; a person who no longer walks among the beasts, but hand and hand with God.

The story of the korban in the book of Vayikra teaches us that serving God is not about self-annihilation but about self-actualization.

Giving Up Your Life for God? No Thanks!

By Simon Jacobson.

 

Tags: self-discovery, purpose of life, sacrifices and offerings, Ramban
Posted in Vayikra, Weekly Parsha, Religion, Vayikra, Personal Life, Spiritual, Torah, Emotions & Psychology | 2 Comments »