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"For the Greater Good!"

07/15/2021 04:56:04 PM

Jul15

Rabbi Reuben Israel Abraham, CDR, CHC, USN (ret)

In this week’s parashah, Parashat Devarim, we find the following: Then all of you came to me (Moshe) and said: ‘Let us send men ahead of us and they shall spy out the land for us, and they shall return to us (with) a word (of) the way in which we should ascend and the cities in which we should enter.  And the matter was good in my eyes…” (Devarim 1:22-23)    However, it must be noted that in the Talmud Bavli, the Babylonian Talmud, in Masekhet Sotah 34b, our Sages state that HaShem did not agree with Moshe.  Rabbi Yissocher Frand notes the difficulty of such a conclusion.  If it is really true that HaShem opposed the idea of sending out the spies, why did He not merely tell Moshe that it was not to be done?  Why did He allow the B'nei Yisrael to do something of which He did not approve?  Why did not Hashem just say "No!"  Well, as is usually the case when a Rabbi asks a question, the answer is provided by that very same person.

Rabbi Frand answers his own question by citing a comment made by the late Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Telz in Cleveland, Ohio.  Rabbi Mottel Katz, zichrono livracha, noted that sometimes children wish to do something that their parents consider inappropriate.  More often than not what is the parents' reaction?  It used to be that they would "put their foot down" and forbid their children from doing what they wished to do.  I remember such reactions from my parents, especially my father.  When he said "No!", he meant "No!"  What did I do?  I stopped dead in my tracks and followed his dictum.  However, it turns out that sometimes this is not always the best reaction.  Sometimes we need to concede and give in to our children.  How do we know this to be true?  We know this to be true because of the lesson learned from the episode of the spies as found in the Torah.  In the episode of the spies, HaShem understood that B'nei Yisrael were not at all ready to accept H-s denial of their request.  He therefore conceded to their request and let them go their own way.  And the rest, as they say, is history.  In the case of our children, as long as there is no danger to their lives, there may be times that they may simply not be able to accept our total refusal at the moment.  And it is at such a time that it might be best for us to concede with the understanding that other opportunities will arise to bring our point across more effectively in order to bring about our desired results.

The major news events that take place week after week always center around "devarim," "words."  What words were said?  What words were not said?  What words should have been said?  At what moment should these words have been said?  At what moment should these words have not been said?  The fact is that words which are said are usually taken and “spun” and "respun" in ways that whoever is speaking them wants to make him/herself appear to be "right."  Sometimes, more often than we care to admit, the words that have been spoken lead to actions that are taken.  And just like words that have been spoken, actions cannot be taken back.  Hopefully, the action that is taken brings about the desired result for all concerned.  However, if the action taken is not right, it is sometimes better to be smart and concede to its performance no matter what the result.  Why?  Because, as HaShem taught us through the episode of the spies, it is always better to be smart than to be right...for the greater good.

Shabbat Shalom and have a meaningful fast!

 

"There Is Danger in Anger!"

07/09/2021 10:31:43 AM

Jul9

Rabbi Reuben Israel Abraham, CDR, CHC, USN (ret)

Imagine you are standing out in the pouring rain trying to open the front door of your house, and you find that the key will not turn.  You try and you try and you try, but it just will not turn.  So, what do you do?  You become frustrated and angry and try to force the key to turn.  But the result is not that the door finally unlocks enabling you to open it.  The result is that the key breaks off in the lock.  Now it is most certain that you cannot get into your home.  Not only that, you have destroyed both the key and the door lock.  If only you had stepped back, taken a moment to calm yourself down, and given some thought to the problem at hand, you might have realized that you had put the key in the wrong way.  What prevented you from solving the problem?  Of course, it was your momentary anger.  Anger is, to say the least, counterproductive.  We see this illustrated in this week's double parashahParashat Mattot/Mas'ei.

We read the following: "Moshe was angry with the commanders of the army...." (BeMidbar 31;14) About what was he angry?  The commanders had made the decision to spare the lives of all the Midyanite women and children in spite of the orders they had received to the contrary.  In his anger, Moshe gave incorrect instructions as to how to kasher (purify) the implements of war they had used during the battle with the Midyanites.  It was Elazar, the Kohen Gadol who, having succeeded his father Aharon after his deathgave the proper instructions as to what to do with the implements of war.  It was Elazar and not Moshe who taught these laws to the B'nei Yisrael.  Because Moshe had become angry, his instincts (i.e.- “gut reaction”) and not his wisdom prevailed preventing him from teaching the people the laws of purification regarding dead bodies.  His anger prevented him from remembering what these laws were in spite of the fact that HaShem had taught them directly to him.  Thus, we see the inherent danger in becoming angry.

Becoming angry and expressing that anger can destroy in an instant the years of investment in a relationship with another human being.  Being angry destroys one's health, eats away at being happy, and causes a person to lose the ability to think clearly.  Holding yourself back from reacting instinctively and negatively in a fit of anger, will enable you to act rationally.

Remember: the word "anger" is only one letter short of the word "danger!"

"This 'Doctor' Is Always on Call!"

06/30/2021 03:15:30 PM

Jun30

Rabbi Reuben Israel Abraham, CDR, CHC, USN (ret)

In this week’s parashah, Parashat Pinchas, we find the following: “HaShem spoke to Moshe saying: ‘Assail the Midianites and defeat them, for they assailed you through the conspiracy they practiced against you because of the affair of Pe’or and because of the affair of their kinswoman Kozbi, daughter of the Midianite chieftain, who was killed at the time of the plague on the account of Pe’or.’” (BeMidbar 25:16-18) The conspiracy mentioned here refers to the wicked Bilaam who advised the Midianite men to send their women on a mission of enticing the B’nei Yisrael men to engage in highly improper sexual behavior with them.  Because the Midianite men were essentially the instigators of the deaths of 24,000 of the B’nei Yisrael, Hashem judged them as being guilty of conspiracy and deserving of death.  Rebbe Nachman of Breslov explains that Bilaam is the epitome of all evil and the embodiment of the seventy nations, all the nations of the world except for Am Yisrael.  (Likutei Moharan I:36b) The history of Am Yisrael shows that the nations of the world continually conspire against us with each nation using its own unique “weapon” against us.  These weapons include the weapon of conspiracy.  Bilaam, the embodiment of all evil in this world, engaged in a conspiracy to destroy B’nei Yisrael’s Holy Covenant with Hashem, an action which would result in the destruction of the B’nei Yisrael.  As the Melitzer Rebbe put it: either Bilaam kills the Jew or the Jew kills Bilaam.  Perhaps the following Chasidic parable will help to explain the concept of general evil and the general correction needed to defeat it:

  The Princess, the King’s only daughter, was deathly ill.  The King sent out an urgent proclamation to all four corners of the kingdom calling for all physicians to hasten to the palace.  The Princess had lost a dangerous amount of weight resulting in becoming pale and frail.  She could barely move let alone sit up or stand on her own two feet.  Her body ached from head to toe, and she suffered from pains in her stomach and in all of her joints.  Her slight was blurry, and her other senses were foggy.

Doctors from every province of the kingdom hurried to the King’s Court in the palace, each one bringing his own set of herbs and remedies.  One by one, they were ushered into the Princess’s chambers.  Some of them succeeded in bringing the Princess partial relief, but soon afterward, she would begin to feel the pain in another part of her body.  When it seemed as though all hope was lost, a plain-looking simple peasant requested permission to enter the palace gates.  The palace guards berated him.  “I am a doctor,” the peasant insisted, “and the King has summoned all doctors.  I am sure that I have the remedy for the princess!”  The palace guards, being both highly skeptical of the peasant doctor and very wary of the King’s wrath, decided it would be best to allow the peasant doctor inside.

The peasant doctor examined the Princess.  He placed his finger on her tongue and then turned to the King and said: “Your Majesty, please summon the cook and the governess immediately.”  Although the peasant doctor’s request seemed a bit odd, the King commanded the Captain of the Guard to immediately summon the cook and the governess.  When they arrived, the peasant doctor began to examine them: “What have you been feeding the Princess?”  they both gave him a long, detailed answer.  The peasant doctor shook his head and replied: “Now tell me the truth her in the presence of the King.  What have you been giving the Princess to drink?”  All eyes turned to the cook and the governess who had been secretly conspiring against the King’s only daughter.  They stammered and hesitated in their answer but were finally prodded to speak when the Captain of the Guard waved his deadly saber in front of their noses.  “The Princess has been drinking salt water,” they both answered.

As the two conspirators were led away, the peasant doctor smiled and said to the King: “Your Majesty, the Princess will now be healthy once again in a day or two!”  He then gave the Princess a glass of cool, refreshing mountain spring water.  Her eyes began to glisten, and the color began to return to her face.  As she continued to drink the mountain spring water, she was completely cured in a short period of time.

In this parable, the Princess is symbolic of the soul while the cook and the governess are symbolic of the body.  The saltwater is symbolic of the general evil the nations of the world attempt to cause Am Yisrael to engage in, this engagement being a deliberate attempt to cause Am Yisrael to abrogate its Covenant with Hashem.  The fresh spring mountain water is symbolic of the Torah, the general correction that maintains our Covenant with Hashem.  Whether conspiracies of evil come at us from either the outside world or from our own inner world, may each of us always look to the Torah for the cure that will keep us healthy both in body and in spirit.

 

"How Good It Is!"

06/24/2021 03:39:20 PM

Jun24

Rabbi Reuben Israel Abraham, CDR, CHC, USN (ret)

In this week’s parashah, Parashat Balak, we find the following: “As I see them from the mountaintops and gaze upon them from the heights, there is a people who dwells apart and is not reckoned among the nations.” (BeMidbar 23:9) Rebbe Nachman of Breslov teaches that the prayers of Am Yisrael (the People Israel) lift it up beyond the limitations of nature going so far as to be able to defy and to alter nature as well (Likutei Moharan, I:216) For example, Abarbanel writes that in addition to the fact our ancient ancestors preserved our traditional dress, language, and names during their enslavement in Egypt, by virtue of the fact that Am Yisrael lived apart from the Egyptians in a totally separate area of Egypt (i.e.- Goshen), there was not a single case of assimilation thereby causing their redemption from slavery.  Rashi interprets that Am Yisrael has an entirely separate account from the rest of the nations of the world.  The Zohar and the Midrash say that Am Yisrael exists on a totally different spiritual plane from all the other nations.  Our Tradition teaches that Hashem personally and directly protects and provides for Am Yisrael, especially those who dwell in Eretz Yisrael.  Perhaps the following Chasidic parable will help to explain this most important concept:

The King’s son was restless.  He was tired of studying those thick yellow-paged volumes of the King’s law and lore.  The King often chastised him that a worthy prince should spend every waking hour learning the regal volumes.  He closed the book, took a deep breath, and gazed out the palace window from his princely chambers.  He longed to run in the expanse of the endless green pastures that were spread out before him.  Far in the distance, he could see a few black and white specks.  These “specks” were a herd of cows grazing on the horizon.  He licked his lips and exclaimed, “How nice it would be to drink a fresh glass of milk right now!”  With that, the Prince slipped outside without being noticed.  He exited the palace grounds and made a beeline for the inviting meadows.  Like a lark, he hopped and skipped along the tall grass toward the direction of the herd of cows.  He felt so free without those heavy old volumes weighing him down.  By the time he reached the grazing herd of cows, a peasant boy was prodding them to begin their walk home in the direction of the cowshed not far away.

Just as the cows were entering the cowshed, the Prince caught up with the peasant lad.  “Are you going to milk the cows now?” he asked the peasant boy.  “Yes, I am,” the lad answered. “Would you like to help me?”  “I would love to!” exclaimed the Prince brimming over with excitement.  The peasant lad wore heavy coarse blue coveralls and knee-high black herdsman boots.  Needless-to-say, the Prince was not exactly dressed for the occasion of milking a cow.  His highly shined patent leather slippers became ruined.  His silk breeches were coated knee high with cow manure.  A mixture of mud and straw covered him from head to toe.  And all of this for a glass of milk!

Upon his return, the Prince was not allowed to reenter the palace until three husky palace sentries had undressed him, burned his filthy and wreaking clothes, and bathed him in scalding hot water while scrubbing him from head to toe with stiff bristle brushes.  The Prince shrieked in torment while all this was taking place.  After he was cleaned and dressed, he was ushered into the King’s presence.  The King looked at the Prince and patiently asked, “My son, why did you close your books and so terribly soil yourself?”  “I am sorry, Father,” the Prince replied feeling truly ashamed of himself.  “I merely wanted an intermission from my studies and a glass of milk.”  “Dearest son, said the King, “do the palace grounds lack lush gardens, fragrant groves, or tree-lined pathways by bubbling brooks so much so that you needed to search for beauty on the outside?  After all, you are the King’s son!  You do not have to milk a cow in order to drink a glass of milk!  You belong in the Palace – not in a cowshed!  Ask me for all your needs, and I shall always arrange for them to be fulfilled.”  “But Father, “answered the lad, “you are so busy!  I am ashamed to bother you for such a trivial thing as a glass of milk.”  “Nonsense,” replied the King.  “You are my only son.  My entire kingdom is worthless without you.  On the contrary, I am and will always be happy to hear your voice.”

The Prince of the parable is the symbol of Am Yisrael, while the palace with its thick yellow-paged volumes of the King’s law and lore are the symbol of the World of Torah Learning.  The Prince’s exquisite garments are symbolic of the Jewish soul, while the peasant lad is the symbol of the rest of the nations of the world.  By leaving the palace and mingling with the peasant lad, the Prince fled his duty to the Torah and permanently soiled his soul.  As we are like the King’s son, we must never close the regal volumes of the Torah --- not even for a moment.  For it  is through the study of Torah, the completion of its mitzvot (duties), and prayer from our hearts that we merit and receive the love and protection of Hashem, the King of Kings, each and every day of our lives.

 

"What You See Is Not Always What You Get!"

06/17/2021 05:36:10 PM

Jun17

Rabbi Reuben Israel Abraham, CDR, CHC, USN (ret)

In this week’s parashah, Parashat Chukat, we find the following: “HaShem spoke to Moshe and Aharon saying: ‘This is the ritual law of the Torah that Hashem has commanded: Instruct B’nei Yisrael to take for you a parah adumah (“red heifer”) without blemish in which there is no defect and on which no yoke has been laid.’” (BeMidbar 19:1-2) The Hebrew words for “ritual law of the Torah” are Chukat HaTorahThis decree that requires the use of the ashes of a burnt pure red heifer in the ritual purification process is the only decree in the Torah that is introduced by these words.  Why?  Because this mixture of ashes and water which is created to purify a contaminated person also makes the person who created it impure.  Confusing?  Yes!  Even Shlomo HaMelech (King Solomon) confessed that he could not understand the rationale behind this decree. Rebbe Nachman of Breslov teaches: “Take my advice and do not let the world fool you.” (Sichot HaRan, Discourse 51) In order to better understand Rebbe Nachman’s words, perhaps this Chasidic parable will help:

Grisha had never been out of Moscow in his life.  Out on the vast Siberian plains where he grew up, a person was either healthy or he defunct.  There was no-in-between: no doctors, no hospitals, and no medicines.  There were not even any spoons or forks for that matter.  The Siberian peasants thought that a fork was only good for pitching hay or straw.  It never occurred to them that a hand-sized version of the implement could make eating easier.  One day, out of the blue, a rare letter arrived for Grisha.  Inside was a train ticket for Moscow with a twenty-ruble banknote for pocket money sent by a long-lost uncle who wanted to see his nephew before passing on into the Olam HaBa (“the World-to-Come”).  Grisha was thrilled, and he prepared himself for the imminent journey.

Needless-to-say, everything in Russia’s west was odd, new, strange, and fascinating to the peasant from the Siberian plains.  Grisha saw, for the first time, horseless carriages, marvelous structures, majestic fountains, huge stores, and all sorts of other things he could never see in Siberia.  These and many more things were both exciting and puzzling to him.  There seemed to be so much confusion in this world of Moscow.  Grisha’s uncle was the administrator of the hospital in Moscow.  He had decided that he wanted show his nephew the wonders of modern medicine by giving him a tour through the various wards of the hospital.  As they proceeded through the hospital, his uncle took Grisha to the surgical ward where they proceeded to a glass-paned observation room.  From there, they were able to witness an operation that was about to take place at the very same time.

His uncle explained to Grisha how doctors are able to remove infected parts of the body in order to save the rest of the body and, ultimately, the patient’s life.  Grisha scratched his head, confused.  He heard and understood his uncle’s words, but he was unsure of their meaning.  Suddenly, he saw a sleeping patient being wheeled in on a bed (gurney).  A nurse lifted the patient’s gown and spread alcohol on the patient’s abdomen.  A doctor leaned over the patient with a small knife (scalpel) in his hand and made an incision in the patient’s chest.  Suddenly, Grisha shrieked hysterically: “Murderer!  He is murdering that person in his sleep!  Uncle, you have got to stop this right now!”  With that, Grisha started banging on the glass panes with his fists.  It took four brawny male nurses to retrain him.

“Calm down, nephew,” urged Grisha’s uncle.  As soon as Grisha had done so, his uncle explained to him what an appendectomy was and how, if the doctor did not complete the operation within the next few minutes, the infected appendix could burst and release poisons that would flow throughout the patient’s blood stream causing the patient’s death.  “The doctor is no murderer, explained Grisha’s uncle patiently, “on the contrary, he is a compassionate healer!”

Just as the decree of the red heifer is deceiving in that the impure becomes pure and the pure becomes impure, we live in a world where fantasy can become reality and reality can become fantasy.  For example, things that look real today (e.g.- wealth and fame) can be gone tomorrow.  Ultimately, they are illusions.  What is real is HaShem’s love for us. And although we might not witness it or experience it in a way that is always understandable to us, it is there, and it will always be there.  Why?  Because we are Hashem’s treasured people, H-s covenanted people, H-s Chosen People.  Even in the worst moments of our confusion, may we never forget that fact!

06/09/2021 02:42:27 PM

Jun9

"All You Really Need Is Respect!"

06/09/2021 02:40:33 PM

Jun9

Rabbi Reuben Israel Abraham, CDR, CHC, USN (ret)

Do you remember the American Presidential Campaign of 2020 and the two nights of the "first" debates involving ten of the Democratic candidates contending with each other for the nomination to run for President?  I would dare say that both nights were filled with political, theological, legal, and interpersonal disagreements between the candidates.  Some of the issues being debated involved some very heated exchanges, even more than mere arguments.  The Rabbis of the Talmud call such an exchange between people a "makhlokhet," an argument that can create an insurmountable separation between the parties involved.  We are seeing the same thing in Israeli politics at this time with the formation of the new Bennet/Lapid government with its eventual replacement of the Netanyahu government.  To say that Israeli politics is filled with volatility is to state the clearly obvious.  What saddens me the most is to see that often during the exchanges between either American politicians or Israeli politicians what seems to be missing is the respect we should be showing each other simply because we are human beings.  Each of us is created B’Tzelem Elohim (in the Image of G-d).  How apropos that we read about the most famous makhlokhet of the Torah in this week's Torah portion.

In this week's parashahParashat Korach, we find the makhlokhet which occurs between Moshe and KorachKorach, along with Datan and Aviram and Ohn along with 250 members of B'nei Yisrael, challenges both Moshe and Aharon.  We read the following:

“And they assembled against Moshe and Aharon and (they) said to them: ‘Rav Lachem! --- You have gone too far!  For the entire congregation is holy - all of them - in their midst is HaShem.  Why then do you raise yourselves above the assembly of HaShem?’” (BeMidbar 16:3)

 So just what is happening here?  Korach and his followers are accusing Moshe and Aharon of being "holier than thou," and they attempt to raise up a challenge against Moshe's leadership.  Moshe responds by saying the same words: "Rav Lachem --- You have gone too far!"  He tells the rebels that they are not challenging him; they are challenging HaShem!  The Torah tells us that the result of this makhlokhet is that Korach and his followers are swallowed up by the earth.  Does this mean that the Torah is telling us that we must never disagree with each other let alone with those who lead us?  The answer to this question is really quite simple.  Korach's mistake was not that he dared to disagree with Moshe.  Korach's mistake centered around the way in which he disagreed with Moshe.

During the time between Pesach and Rosh HaShanah, we read "Pirkei Avot" (the Ethics of the Fathers) after mincha services on Shabbat.  In Pirkei Avot, we find the following:

"A controversy for Heaven's sake will have lasting value.  But a controversy not for Heaven's sake will not endure.  What is an example of a controversy for Heaven's sake?  The debates of Hillel and Shammai.  What is an example of a controversy not for Heaven's sake?  The rebellion of Korach and his associates." (Pirkei Avot 5:17)

Korach, in his attempt to unseat Moshe's leadership, did not debate issues or abilities.  Instead, he tried to defame Moshe's character by falsely accusing him of illicit activity.  And it is his transgressions of slander, anger, jealousy, and envy that eventually lead to Korach's death and to the deaths of those who followed him.

The lesson found in this week's parashah needs to be heeded by anyone who finds themselves in a debate or a disagreement, be they a leader or not.  Yes, we may lose our temper.  Yes, we may end up saying things we should not have said.  Yes, we may even blow things all out of proportion.  But when and if we do this, we would do well to remember Korach.  While on occasion we may in some way even identify with Korach, we must always, always, always treat each other with respect, celebrating both our commonalities and our differences.  After all, is this not what being created B’Tzelem Elohim is all about?

“An Udder Failure!”

06/04/2021 09:26:26 AM

Jun4

Rabbi Reuben Israel Abraham, CDR, CHC, USN (ret)

In this week’s parashahParashat Shelach Lecha, we find the following: “And how is the Land --- is it wealthy or poor?  Are there trees in it or not?  And you shall strengthen yourselves, and you shall take from the fruit of the Land….” (BeMidbar 13:20) The question that might be asked is this: Why was it so important for Moshe to see the fruit of Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel)?  What could be so important that the meraglim (spies) should bring back a cluster of grapes for Moshe to see?  We look to Rebbe Nachman of Breslov for a possible answer.  He teaches that the fruit of Eretz Yisrael possesses the attribute of the very air of Eretz Yisrael that one breathes while there (Likutei Moharan, I:61).  Our Tradition teaches that breathing the air of Eretz Yisrael makes one wiser.  David HaMelech (King David) states: “The beginning of wisdom is the fear (awe) of Hashem.” (Tehillim 111:10)  In other words, to begin to gain wisdom, you must be in awe of HaShem Who is all wisdom.  What Moshe hoped the meraglim would do was to view the land from a spiritual perspective rather than from a physical perspective.  They in fact did not do this (other than Yehoshua and Kalev), and the rest, as they say, is history.  How does one view the world from a spiritual perspective?  Perhaps the following Chasidic parable will help clarify the mistake that the meraglim made:

 Laibel was fed up with life in the big city of Lvov.  He decided to sell his modest flat and his sundries shop and live the robust life of a farmer in the outback of Galicia.  But, since a Jew needs a minyan, he chose a shtetl where he could have the best of both worlds --- a quaint little country homestead with a garden and a cowshed and a Beit Midrash nearby that offered daily prayer services with a minyan.  Obviously being a greenhorn city slicker, Laibel looked a bit funny to the locals.  On the other hand, they looked a bit coarse to him.  He felt superior to them, because he knew how to learn Gemara, while most of them knew only their daily prayers, Chumash with Rashi, and Tehillim (the Psalms).  Laibel began walking around with his nose high in the air.  Unbeknownst to him, however, he was setting himself up to receive a good lesson.

Every Thursday morning there was a rinok (an outdoor market) in Tereschov.  The farmers and craftsmen from the surrounding villages would take advantage of the morning minyan in Tereschov and then proceed to the market and exhibit their wares, produce, livestock, and anything else they had to sell or barter.  Laibel needed a cow so that he could make his own milk, butter, and cheese.  After morning minyan, still dressed in his brown city suit, he went down to the market square strutting along in his oversized self-importance.  When he reached a gathering of several peasants who were standing around some Holstein cattle, he loudly declared: “I want to buy a cow!”  Chaimk’e, the shrewd livestock trader, saw at once that he had a fat gullible “fish on the line.”  He winked at Simchal’e, the Tereschov shtiebel beadle, indicating that he intended to have some fun with this highbrow from Lvov who thought he was smarter than anyone else.

Chaimk’e showed Laibel one cow, but Laibel refused saying the cow looked too weak.  He then showed Laibel another cow, but Laibel turned that one down as well saying that it looked too old.  He showed Laibel a third cow which Laibel dismissed with a wave of his hand declaring that the price was too high.  “Then what on earth do you want?” Chaimk’e frustratingly asked, “a cow that gives chocolate milk?”  The other Tereschovniks were rolling in laughter as they enjoyed seeing Laibel being brought down a peg.  “No,” answered Laibel with his nose still held high in the air.  “I want something big, young, strong, and not too expensive!”  Chaimk’e replied, biting his lip to prevent himself from laughing: “I have just the behema for you --- a perfect animal at a reasonable price!”  He then took a young bull that was earmarked for slaughter and sold it to Laibel for double the price the shochet would have paid.  Ruvkie, the town jester, could not resist just one last jibe as Laibel proudly led his newly purchased animal away.  “Laibel, save me some buttermilk.  I will pay you triple the market price!”

Laibel could not understand why all the Tereschov peasants were holding their sides while roaring with laughter and slapping each other on the back.  “Simpletons,” he snarled under his breath as he continued walking home.  Once he reached home, Laibel put the animal in the cowshed, fed it some grain and straw, washed out a pail, and sat down to milk his new “cow.”  Much to his dismay, he could not find the “cow’s” udder.  “Idiot!” he yelled at himself while slapping his forehead as he realized he had been swindeled.  “If only I had inspected the animal from the inside!”

 The “cow” of the parable is symbolic of what the ten meraglim saw when they spied out the Land.  The Torah tell us that they reported back to Moshe and the B’nei Yisrael how the Land was flowing with milk and honey.  They had even fulfilled Moshe’s request to bring back some of the fruit of the Land.  But they also brought back with them the doubt and the fear they felt as they looked at the Land and its inhabitants using their material eyes and not their spiritual eyes.  Had these ten meraglim and the B’nei Yisrael looked “from the inside” instead of from the outside, if they had come to realize that Hashem had “set up” a guaranteed victory in their conquest of the Land, there would have been no forty years of wandering in the wilderness – not only the wandering in the physical wilderness in which they found themselves but also the wandering in the spiritual wilderness which they found within themselves.

Rebbe Nachman teaches that there is no such thing as despair in this world as long as we have both emunah (faith) and bitachon (trust) in Hashem.  May we never forget that we have been chosen by HaShem to bring kadosh (holiness, sanctity) into both the physical and the spiritual worlds in which we live.

"Always Look on the Bright Side...!"

05/11/2021 12:54:22 PM

May11

Rabbi Reuben Israel Abraham, CDR, CHC, USN (ret)

In this week’s parashah, Parashat Naso, we find the following: “’However, if you have gone astray while married to your husband and have defiled yourself, if a man other than your husband has had carnal relations with you,’… the Kohen shall make the woman swear the oath of the curse, and the Kohen shall say to the woman, ‘May HaShem make you a curse and an imprecation among your people as HaShem causes your thigh to sag and your belly to distend’…And the woman shall say “Amen!  Amen!’” (BeMidbar 5:20-22) This passage of the parashah speaks to what will happen measure for measure regarding a woman whose husband suspects her of having committed adultery.  If one gets past the language, what can be found is a unique teaching: the same exact limb can be used either to perform a mitzvah or to perform a sin.  The entire passage revolves around the guilt or innocence of the suspect woman.  If she is guilty, she will suffer an agonizing death after drinking the mixture described in the Torah.  However, if she is innocent, our Tradition teaches that she will give birth to the most healthy, the most beautiful, and the most gifted child she has given birth to up to that point.  Ultimately what happens rests in the actions she has taken be they good or bad.

Rebbe Nachman of Breslov speaks to the principle of using one’s powers for good.  He writes: “Sometimes when people dance and rejoice, they grab a person from the outside --- someone who is sad and distressed --- and they bring him into the circle of dancers thereby forcing him to rejoice with them.”  Rebbe Nachman proceeds to explain that there are two important ways to overcome sadness and depression.  (1) A sad person can chase away sadness by immediately doing something that makes him/her happy.  After all, he says, sadness and bitterness “run away” at the first sign of happiness, (2) A person can take the power of sadness or depression and bring it directly into joy thus causing the power of the negative emotion to become a positive emotion.  Says Rebbe Nachman, instead of chasing the sadness away, we should run after it and harness its power for good.  You may ask, “How can this be done?”  Perhaps the following Chasidic parable will provide the answer:

Stanislav was a strapping Polish dairy farmer whose shoulders were almost as wide as the road between Lodz and Lublin.  Although he was not overly bright, he was joyful all of the time.  When he was not milking his cows or churning butter, he would be guzzling a glass of his home-made vodka or raisin wine and taking his fiddle off the shelf to play a polka.  Stanislav’s cows gave more milk than anyone else’s cows.  Even more, their milk made the best butter.  Everyone joked that his cows were always happy because their master was never angry.  Instead, he was always singing and dancing.  “Let them make fun of me,” Stanislav would tell himself.  “They are all suffering, and I am not!  They always have a bitter taste about life while I walk around with the taste of sweet butter in my mouth.  ‘Better butter than bitter,’ I always say.”  He would laugh with amusement reveling in his own good humor and thankful of his own good fortune.

One bitterly cold Polish evening, Stanislav lit his kerosene lamp and went out to the cowshed to milk his cows.  He sat down on his milking stool, took his pail, and began milking the first of his cows.  Suddenly, a tremendous rat darted across the floor, right between the cow’s front legs startling the otherwise tacit Stanislav.  He kicked the pail of milk which, in turn, knocked over the kerosene lamp.  Before he could react, the entire barn caught fire.  Quickly assessing the situation, he consoled himself by saying, “I can always build a new barn.  First, however, I must save my cows!”  Once all seven cows had been led to safety, Stanislav breathed easier.  After a few minutes, he thought to himself, “Brrrrr, it is cold tonight!”  He had moved away from the still burning ruins of the barn.  “Why should I be cold?” he asked himself.  Because the cowshed was a total loss anyway, Stanislav saw no reason why he should not warm himself by the burning embers of the charred clapboards that were once the south wall of the cowshed.

Smelling the smoke in the air and seeing the glow of the blaze in the January sky, Stanislav’s neighbors raced in the direction of his homestead.  How amazed they were to find the brawny dairy farmer with a bottle of his home-made vodka in his hand dancing a polka and warming himself by the smoky aftermath of what was once his barn and cowshed.

In this parable the burning barn and cowshed are symbolic of sadness and depression.  It would have been very easy for Stanislav to sit on his milking stool and cry out, “Woe is me!”  Our Tradition relates that giving in to such emotions is giving in to the Yetzer HaRa (the Evil Inclination), a move (or lack thereof) which never results in anything good happening.  When Stanislav took action and saved his cows from the burning barn and cowshed, he was turning toward the Yetzer HaTov (the Good Inclination), a move that ultimately resulted in a positive outcome in spite of his loss.  How can we turn from the Yetzer HaRa to the Yetzer HaTov?  This is most easily and effectively done through tefilla (prayer) and reciting Tehillim (Psalms).  In the darkest and most dreadful hours of our history, Am Yisrael (the People Israel) have always done so, turning sadness into happiness and happiness into holiness.  May we, too, always turn to the “bright side” of our Tradition.

"The Power of a Pidyon"

05/06/2021 08:32:56 PM

May6

Rabbi Reuben Israel Abraham, CDR, CHC, USN (ret)

In this week’s parashah, Parashat BeMidbar, we find the following: “HaShem said to Moshe: ‘Record every first-born male of B’nei Yisrael from the age of one month up and make a list of their names; and take the Levi’im for Me, Hashem, in place of every first-born among the B’nei Yisrael.’…So Moshe recorded all the first-born among the B’nei Yisrael as HaShem had commanded him. All the first-born males as listed by name recorded from the age of one month up came to 22,273…HaShem spoke to Moshe saying: ‘Take the Levi’im in place of all the first-born among the B’nei Yisrael…and the Levi’im shall be mine, HaShem’s.  And as the redemption price of the 273 B’nei Yisrael first-born over and above the number of Levi’im [22,000] take five sh’kalim per head…and give the money to Aharon and his sons as the redemption price for those who are in excess.’  So, Moshe took the redemption money from those over and above the ones redeemed by the [22,000] Levi’im; he took the money from the [273] first-born of the B’nei Yisrael…” (BeMidbar 3:40-50) Although there was a negligible number of first-born B’nei Yisrael who participated in the incident of the Eigel HaZhav (the Golden Calf), all of them had a shared collective responsibility for the sin that was committed by the few and thus lost their status of first-born who were to both serve in the Mishkan (Wilderness Tabernacle) and fulfill duties as Kohanim (Priests).  HaShem chose the Levi’im to take their place.  This passage is the basis for the ritual ceremony of Pidyon HaBen (Redemption of the First-Born).  Outside of the Orthodox Jewish Community, I would not be incorrect in saying that the Pidyon HaBen ritual ceremony has fallen into disuse within the American Jewish Community as a whole.  But why?  Because I believe that the average “Jew-on-the-street” (i.e.- non-Orthodox/non-observant) does not believe in the power of redemption.

Rebbe Natan of Breslov teaches (Kitzur Likutei Moharan, I:51.2) that a person should not wait until encountering trouble before considering the power of redemption.  S/he should provide a pidyon to a tzaddik (righteous person) even in good times.  Why?  Because, says Rebbe Natan, such an action helps to prevent future trouble (spiritual or otherwise) from happening.  You protest that you did know any tzaddikim?  Rebbe Natan says that providing Torah scholars with support can serve as a pidyon.  Perhaps the following Chasidic parable will give a clearer picture as to the power of a pidyon:

The hamlets of the Jewish Ukraine consisted of wooden houses with thatched rooves.  If a fire broke out, chas ve-chalilah, the entire shtetl would be nothing but a pile of ashes by the time the bucket brigade schlepped to the river and back.  The clever people of Podol learned their lesson after having witnessed their homes and possessions going up in smoke every other year.  They undertook a unique initiative to build a large shed in which they stored a sturdy horse-drawn wagon which was equipped with two tremendous barrels filled with water.  Itche-Meir, the shtetl “genius” and mechanical innovator, created a hand-drawn pump that was able to siphon water from the barrel through a metal pipe that Honya the blacksmith had made thus giving Podol’s water brigade ten times the water power in both speed and volume of even the best of any shtetl’s bucket brigade.  It was after peasants stole Podol’s horse and fire wagon a second time that the people of Podol decided to install a large, heavy door to seal off the shed from intruders and thieves.  Under Itche-Meir’s careful direction, Honya made a massive lock for the heavy door.  They were determined to protect the fire wagon at all costs, for its use had already successfully extinguished half a dozen blazes that would have otherwise consumed the entire shtetl.

   One hot summer day, a spark from Mrs. Klebanoff’s oven set her house on fire.  Everyone in the shtetl smelled the smoke, and the urchins of Podol were already running to-and-fro yelling “Fire!  Fire!”  The men of Podol raced to the fire shed only to find that the door was locked.  They yelled at each other screaming: “Who’s got the key?”  Nobody could provide an answer to the question.  In the meantime, Mrs. Klebanoff’s house fire was growing in size and was beginning to spread out in the direction of the Turlitzky house.  “Where’s Itche-Meir?” someone yelled.  “He’s got the key!”  “Oy-vey!” exclaimed Chaimke the baker.  “Itche-Meir’s gone to his nephew’s wedding in Zhitomer!  He will not be back until next week!”  Just as clouds of doom and gloom seemed to be ready to descend upon Podol, Honya the blacksmith came running with the key to the fire shed.  It was a spare key he had made for himself.  And although the Klebanoff house was a total loss, the rest of the shtetl was saved because the water brigade of Podol was able to extinguish the blaze in the nick of time.

The shtetl fire of the parable is symbolic of the troubles we face in this world.  The fire wagon is symbolic of the chesed (the compassion) which Hashem uses to extinguish a din (a severe decree [e.g.- a calamity]) which may hang over our heads at any time.  The key that the blacksmith used to unlock the shed in the “nick of time” is symbolic of the pidyon a tzaddik receives in order to invoke Hashem’s compassion that is needed to extinguish the fire of an impending din.  The moral of this parable is just this: never discount the power of a pidyon.  The history of Am Yisrael (the People Israel) is replete with stories of how peoples’ lives were turned around simply by their remembering who they were and why they were: HaShem’s Chosen People with all of the required privileges and responsibilities given to us at Har Sinai (Mount Sinai).  And that pidyon, the receiving and accepting of Hashem’s Torah, is the ultimate pidyon

"And Then What!?!"

05/06/2021 08:31:16 PM

May6

Rabbi Reuben Israel Abraham, CDR, CHC, USN (ret)

“And Then What!?!”

In this week’s double-parashah, Parashat Behar-Bechukotai, we find the following: “If you follow My laws and faithfully observe My commandments, I will grant your rains in their season so that the earth will yield its produce and the trees of the field their fruit…you shall eat your fill of bread and dwell securely in your land.  I will grant peace in the land, and you shall lie down untroubled by anyone….” (VaYikra 26:3-6) In this week’s Torah reading, Hashem grants H-s solemn promise that if we observe H-s mitzvot (commandments) and walk in the path of H-s Torah (i.e.- follow halachah [Jewish Law]), our lives in Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel) will be filled with abundance and tranquility.  But do we not see exactly the opposite in today’s reality?  Observant Jews who are true to Torah as well as other Jews who live in Eretz Yisrael are not blessed with an abundance of wealth while there seem to be many Diaspora Jews (e.g.- Elon Musk) who are living affluent lives and seem to be in total control of all they own.  “Nu,” you may ask, “what is does this passage from the Torah mean?”

Rebbe Nachman of Breslov teaches that the more a person has a lust for money, the more s/he fears losing the money already in his/her possession (Likutei Moharan, I:23).  Conversely, where there is no lust for money, there is also no fear of losing money.  In accordance with the passage cited above, Rebbe Natan teaches that since Eretz Yisrael is a land filled with abundance, the lust for money is overcome (Likutei Halachot, Birkat Hamazon: D).  Both Rebbe Nachman and Rebbe Natan stress that while Torah-observant Jews in Eretz Yisrael did not have wealth, they did have an abundance of bread as promised in the Torah.  Because of this, they had less to worry about, and they trusted in Hashem to provide for them.  The opposite was (and is still) true in the Diaspora.  Both the amount of money and the lust for more money is far too powerful a driving force in the lives of many American Jews.  As such, they are never satiated with the “bread” they have.  They fail to understand the Torah’s double blessing given to all those Jews who choose to lead a life guided by Torah.  Perhaps, this variation of a Chasidic parable will help to obtain a better understanding of the Torah passage cited from Sefer VaYikra:

A young man in the Galilee had a small plot of land on a tranquil hillside with a few trees on it and a stream running through the property.  He was immensely happy needing only a minimum of worldly possessions on which to get by.  A supply of available water, his daily sustenance, and a roomy tent was more than adequate for his needs.  With no need for money, he was free to spend his time playing his flute, singing praises to Hashem, and learning Torah under the shade of a large apple tree.  Amazingly, whenever he was hungry, the young Galilean would catch an apple that dropped from the tree.  He did not even need to stand up let alone pick an apple from the tree.  The fruit would literally come to him.  When the apple season was over, he would spend his time learning from his holy books sitting under the shade of an almond tree which, much like the apple tree, provide him with its nutritious almonds for the next two months.  The almonds would drop into his lap whenever he was hungry.  The same was true with the carob tree.

One day, a pair of wealthy-looking tourists who were sporting fancy backpacks were hiking in the Hills of the Galilee, and they stumbled upon the young Galilean’s modest homestead.  To fulfill the mitzvah of Hachnasat Orchim (“welcoming guests”), the young man rose to his feet and picked two apples from the tree.  The two tourists gladly ate the apples commenting on their exquisite taste.  “You could make a lot of money with these apples,” they raved.  “These are the best apples we ever ate!  Why don’t you plant more trees?”  “And then what should I do?” asked the Galilean.  “Then you can market the apples overseas and earn thousands of dollars!” they exclaimed.  “And then what should I do?” he again inquired.  “Then you can build an apple juice, apple cider, and apple cider vinegar factory.  You can employ people to take care of the orchards as well as people to run the factory.  You would have hundreds of employees.”  “And then what?” the Galilean asked.  “Then you can branch out and build more factories, buy more land, and plant more orchards, this time in Europe and America!” the two tourists bubbled over.  “And then what?” the Galilean patiently replied.  “Well, you will be so big that you will have to go public on Wall Street.  You will make a ‘mint!’” they pair enthused.  “And then what?” the now frustrated Galilean asked.  “You can then retire and do whatever you like.  You can live a worry-free life up on these gorgeous hills learning Torah every day and playing your flute to your heart’s content,” smugly replied the two tourists.  “Simpletons!” exclaimed the Galilean. “I am already doing that!”

          For Am Yisrael (the People Israel) our main task in this world is to learn and study Torah and to communicate with Hashem in prayer.  The obsession to make as much money as is humanly possible is just that: an obsession.  It is merely a means to an end.  It is not the ultimate goal in life.  We know this from Pirkei Avot which says:Who is rich? He who rejoices in his lot, as it is said: “You shall enjoy the fruit of your labors, you shall be happy and you shall prosper.” (Tehillim 128:2) You shall be happy in this world, and you shall prosper in the world to come.” (Pirkei Avot 4:1) May we learn to be happy with our lot in this world as Hashem’s Chosen People and may we fill this world with Torah.    

 

 

"Clothes Do Make the Man - or the Woman!"

04/28/2021 03:24:57 PM

Apr28

Rabbi Reuben Israel Abraham, CDR, CHC, USN (ret)

In this week’s parashah, Parashat Emor, we find the following: “Speak with Aharon saying: ‘A man from your sons for all their generations who has a defect on him shall not approach to offer “lechem” [consecrated food] to his G-d; for any man in/on whom there is a defect shall not approach…” (VaYikra 21:17-18) The Shulchan Aruch (“Set Table”/Code of Jewish Law) specifically states that prayer is the replacement for ritual sacrifices in the absence of the Temple in Jerusalem (Orach Chaim 98:4).  With this in mind, it is concluded that the same criteria regarding the offering of sacrifices should be used to offer prayer.  Rebbe Nachman of Breslov cites the Zohar (Zohar Yitro 79) that says the following: “In a place where one finds ‘Yirat Shamayim’ – the Fear/Awe of Hashem – one finds perfection.” (Likutei Moharan I:14h) And the reverse is also true: a place where there is no fear of Hashem is blemished.  Rebbe Nachman concludes that just as unblemished sacrifice requires it, unblemished prayer requires Yirat Shamayim.  But why?  Does not Hashem hear prayers whether or not the one who prays fears H-m or not?  To answer this question, the following Chasidic parable is offered for your consideration:

The Royal Ball was held every year on the eve of the King’s birthday.  This was a grand event attended by the leading dignitaries and bluebloods of the civilized world.  Representatives of the media from every corner of the globe arrived to cover the regal affair.  Months ahead of time the Queen had begun her preparations.  She personally chose the exquisite hand-tailored gowns that her daughters would wear choosing from hundreds of samples.  Most of the Queen’s time was consumed by meetings with the various representatives of the best-known fashion designers who competed for the honor of outfitting the Queen’s daughters, the Princesses.  The competition was very fierce, for the Queen would choose the highest possible quality at the most reasonable price.

Barazanoff was a fast-talking, cigar-smoking, vodka-drinking designer and manufacturer who had been trying to stick his foot inside the castle door for years but with no success.  Finally, he gained an audience with the Queen after having deposited a few gold rubles in the “right pockets.”  Barazanoff displayed his wears before the Queen.  “Have a look, Your Majesty.  Ceylonese silk, Belgian lace, Armenian velvet --- it’s all here in your choice of colors.  My whites are whiter than the Gates of Heaven, and my satins shimmer like the harvest moon on a clear October night.  My tailors are descendants of the Yang dynasty royal outfitters.  Yet, I will not only top the competition’s quality, I will undercut any price by at least 20%!”

The Queen raised an incredulous brow.  Although Barazanoff sounded blatantly boastful, he succeeded in arousing her curiosity.  “I will tell you what,” she told Barazanoff as she picked up a sample of a high-necked turquoise Manchurian silk gown, “I shall order twelve of these for my handmaidens.  If I find the quality as excellent as you promise, I will place an additional order for my daughters’ gowns.  If they, too, shall meet my standards, you will be invited to design and sew my new royal gown!”  With that, they agreed upon a price, and a representative of the Royal Chancellor of the Exchequer place a pouch of gold talons directly into Barazanoff’s already outstretched hands as a down payment.  In just a fortnight, Barazanoff returned to the palace with the twelve gowns for the handmaidens.  The Queen inspected the wares and found them to be quite satisfactory especially in light of the very reasonable price she paid him.  Barazanoff could barely conceal his glee.  “What about the Princesses, Your Majesty?  Would not the white Armenian velvet with the Siberian sable trim be perfect for your daughters?”  The Queen nodded her ascent agreeing to the offered price.

As with the previous order, Barazanoff arrived ahead of schedule with the goods.  This time, however, he received a rude awakening: standing by waiting the Queen’s instructions were twenty people who pounced on the gowns intended for the Princesses examining every single stitch.  “Who are these people?” protested the highly flustered Barazanoff whose face had turned bright crimson.  “These are the kingdom’s foremost tailors and garment experts,” replied the Queen.  “What, did you think that I would accept your goods and then fill your pockets with gold without inspecting the wares I have purchased?”  Suddenly, one of the experts declared: “Your Majesty, the fur trim on this gown is not Siberian sable --- it is domestic rabbit!”  “Your Majesty,” cried out another tailor, “this seam lacks an overlock.  It could easily fray in the middle of the Royal Ball!”  As each minute proceeded, the Queen’s experts discovered more and more blemishes on the garments.  Reaching the point of total exasperation, the Queen called the palace guards and instructed them to escort both Barazanoff and his faulty garments through the palace gates.  As the burly Sergeant of the Guard grabbed Barazanoff’s arm, the merchant blurted out: “Your Majesty, I do not understand!  The quality of these gowns is just as good as the quality of the last gowns that I made for your handmaidens.  You inspected them yourself and approved them.  What did you have to bring these twenty inspectors for?”

“Barazanoff, you silly merchant, if I were as stupid as you think I am, would I even be the Queen?  I am fully aware of the mediocre quality of the garments you prepared for my handmaidens.  But for the price, it was an attractive purchase.  However, you were to receive double the price for each of my daughters’ gowns.  The daughters of the King and Queen undergo the scrutiny of every photographer in the Kingdom while no one even looks twice at my handmaidens.  You should have taken that into account.  Now take your goods and leave before I have you thrown out!”

In this parable, the handmaidens represent the other nations of the world.  They do not need to be perfect.  However, the Princesses --- the daughters of the King and the Queen --- represent all Jewish souls who are known as the daughters of the Shechinah (HaShem’s Holy Presence), the Queen.  The royal garments are the prayers offered to Hashem in lieu of sacrifices.  As such, they must undergo close scrutiny before they are offered up to Hashem, the King of Kings.  The lesson of the parable is this: the more we strive to feel Yirat Shamayim --- the Fear/Awe of Hashem --- the more our prayers become like the ancient sacrificial offerings of our ancestors: worthy offerings to Hashem. 

"Do Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth!"

04/20/2021 12:25:47 PM

Apr20

Rabbi Reuben Israel Abraham, CDR, CHC, USN (ret)

This week’s Torah reading consists of the double parshiyot of Acharei Mot and Kedoshim.  In Parashat Kedoshim we find the following: “But you shall love your fellow as [you love] yourself; I am HaShem!” (VaYikra 19:18) Is this mitzvah (commandment) an impossibility to fulfill?  After all, how can a Yemenite Jew love an American Jew?  Each has a set of completely different customs and traditions which seem to be totally incompatible.  Furthermore, how can a Chasid love a Litvak when the two have been arguing for centuries about the proper (i.e.- correct) way to serve Hashem?  And how can an observant Jew love a secular Jew when they seem so diametrically opposed to each other?  And yet, there, in “black-and-white,” is the mitzvah (probably the most important one of all) of our Torah as clear as day.

Rebbe Nachman teaches that each member of Am Yisrael (the People Israel) possesses a special quality that every other member lacks thus making everyone of us “uniquely unique” (my words).  He writes that one Jew’s special quality might be the ability to arouse another Jew to action opening his/her heart and soul to serve Hashem.  Because of this, the members of Am Yisrael are therefore dependent upon one another for increasing our Avodat Hashem (Service to Hashem).  For example, whereas one Jew may be a serious scholar who is capable of learning Torah for hours on end, another Jew may be a dynamic person who does good deeds and exhibits lovingkindness to his fellow Jews.  If they both meet each other and develop a relationship, something quite wonderful can happen: each person can reflect his/her own special quality on his/her friend to the mutual benefit of both people.  This upwardly spiral movement results in both people being more devoted both to Hashem and to Am Yisrael thus becoming better Jews.  They then are able to fulfill the mitzvah to love their fellow Jews as they love themselves.  Perhaps the following Chasidic parable will better explain this principle:

That particular Ukranian winter was a very bitter one indeed.  The snows did not melt until Pesach, and even then the roads were barely negotiable muddy messes of ruts and potholes.  The annual May Farmers’ Bazaar in Berditchev managed to attract only one-third of its normal number of participants. This made the merchants especially glum.  Yankele, a tall strapping livestock dealer from Zhitomer, sold draft horses.  Every time he tried to interest a prospective customer to buy one of his steeds, the customer would back off, shrug his shoulders, and say, “What good is your horse to me if I cannot afford a harness and a wagon?”

On the other side of the market, Yoshke sat on a wooden crate in front of his pile of harnesses and twiddled his thumbs.  He had not made a single sale all day long.  Across the street from him under an open shed was Feivel who was exhibiting his five new sturdy wagons, all guaranteed to last a long time.  However, not a single person stopped to interrupt his recitation of Tehillim (Psalms) to inquire about the price of a wagon.  Later in the day the merchants gathered in the local shtiebel to daven Minchah (afternoon) prayers.  After they finished davening, they filed out of the shtiebel and began returning to their respective stalls.  It is then that Feivel, Yoshke, and Yankele struck up a conversation with each other.  Each sang his respective song of woe to the other two, a song which spoke of no customers and no income.

Suddenly, Yankele came up with a wonderful idea: “Say, why don’t I bind one of my horses to one of your best quality harnesses, Yoshke, and then hook it up to Feivel’s best wagon?  We can then display the whole thing in the center of the Bazaar and see what happens.  Would both of you like to try such a partnership?”  Both Yoshke and Feivel immediately agreed to Yankele’s proposal, giving praise to both Yankele and Hashem for such a wonderful idea.  In a short period of time, the sale of the harnessed horse and wagon brought almost twice the price of each component sold by itself much to the satisfaction and gratification of all three merchants.  By the end of the week, they had sold another four horse-drawn wagons.  Each man returned home with more money than he had ever earned, with a new and thriving partnership, and – more than anything else – with two new friendships.

          Like Yankele, Yoshke, and Feivel of this parable, each member of Am Yisrael has the ability to bring his/her own special quality into a friendship and a relationship that can be made with any other member of Am Yisrael.  The more one Jew truly loves another Jew, the more s/he gains from that person’s special quality.  It only makes sense then that the more we love those of Am Yisrael who come from different backgrounds and histories, the more we become better servants of Hashem by recognizing that each one of us – all of us – have been created b’Tzelem Elokhim, in the Image of G-d.  And that makes all of us “uniquely unique.”

04/14/2021 02:01:33 PM

Apr14

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"Here Comes the Judge!"

04/07/2021 04:18:00 PM

Apr7

Rabbi Reuben Israel Abraham, CDR, CHC, USN (ret)

This week’s Torah reading consists of the double parshiyot of Tazria and Metzorah.  In Parashat Tazria we find the following: “He who is afflicted with tzara’at shall be brought before a Kohen.” (VaYikra 13:9) Our tradition teaches us that the metzorah (the one who suffers from tzara’at) has this condition because he has committed the sin of lashon hara (evil tongue), engaging in slander and gossip.  Tzara’at (incorrectly translated as “leprosy”) creates a horrific blemish on a person’s soul in the same way it manifests itself on a person’s body.  Our Torah tells us that only a Kohen can determine if a person is actually suffering from tzara’at.  It is this connection with a Kohen, whether the metzorah wants it or not, that can bring about the healing of both the body and the soul.  Our Sages teach us that every mention of a Kohen in the Torah alludes to the true tzaddik of each generation.  Rabbi Natan of Breslov says that when one accepts the advice and instruction of a tzaddik, a person’s heart and eyes are opened both to the truth and the merits of doing t’shuva which can bring about the healing that is so desired.  Perhaps the following Chasidic parable will illustrate his teaching:

 Mendel the “milchiker” (dairyman) barely scraped together a livelihood from his three cows, two of which were well on their way to the endless green pastures of “cow heaven.”  He worked from way before dawn until well after dusk milking the cows, churning the butter, delivering the milk, taking the cows out to pasture, and bringing them back to the barn at night.  Mendel barely had enough to feed and clothe his wife and three daughters.  He had no idea where he would get the wherewithal to put together a decent dowry for his eldest daughter, who had now reached the age of marriage, let alone the other two sisters who were to follow her.  He calculated that he would need at least five hundred crowns (an exorbitant sum!) for each girl.

One evening after dark, a fierce pounding on the front door startled Mendel.  After he opened the door to see who it was, he found three mean-looking policemen standing there.  He was issued a royal warrant to appear in a Bucharest courtroom in seven days.  A large lump formed in his throat.  “W-what did I do w-wrong?” stammered the hapless milchiker.  The police sergeant growled, “Don’t ask questions!  Just show up on time!”  Mendel spent the next seven days praying and fasting as if Yom Kippur was just around the corner.  His heart pounded harder as each day passed.  He had no idea what was in store for him in Bucharest.

On the appointed day, he arrived in court as instructed.  The Judge addressed him: “Mendel Mashevitz from Anatolia, son of Chatzkel, step forward!”  Mendel could barely stand on his wobbly knees.  He winced and held his breath as he prepared for the worst.  The Judge continued: “Your great uncle Moses Mashevitz has died.  You are the next of kin.  The State awards you the inheritance of two thousand crowns of which 500 shall be paid in inheritance tax.  You are thereby granted fifteen hundred crowns.  Case closed!”

Poverty-stricken Mendel the milchiker would never have gone to Bucharest on his own, as he was expecting the worst.  However, the seemingly bad summons proved to be the blessing of his life.  In these days of the COVID-19 pandemic, far too many of Am Yisrael (the People Israel) have been suffering, both those who have suffered from the disease itself and those who have suffered from its lasting effects on their hearts and souls.  While there is absolutely no correlation between COVID-19 and tzara’at, there may still be the need to seek out a “tzaddik” (i.e.- Rabbi) who can provide wise and compassionate counseling and guidance that could hopefully help those who suffer to begin the journey toward the healing of body and soul.  Our Tradition is an endless source of love and healing for those who suffer.  We only have to seek out those who know how to “tap into” this source to begin the healing process.   

Thu, March 28 2024 18 Adar II 5784