Revised prayer list: Prayers for Men: Shalom Charles ben Gracia,
Daniel ben Rivka, Ephraim ben Mazel, Zev ben
Rachel, Yisrael Dovid ben Chaya Yenta,
Women: Karen Neshama bas Esther
Ruth, Chaya Melecha Rachel bas Baila Alta, Tsvia Simcha bas Devorah Yachad,
Miriam bas Irene Taita Malka, Chana Friedel bas
Sara, Drorah Rivka bas Chana, Leah bas Sara, Esther Georgette bas
Misooda, Mine’ Dulah bas Maxine, Rachel Izel bas Sara, Devorah
Rosa (row sa) bas Freyda Leah, re-added temp. Miriam Esther bas Golda
Chaya,
The following persons are recovering
from long term non-threatening injuries and need Psalms. Binum Benyamin Tuvia
ben Chana Friedel, Avraham HaCohain ben Yocheved, Melech
David ben Sulah Pearla, Menachem Mendel
Shlomo ben Chaya Rochel,
Notice
to my direct mailing: This week from time to time I hit a control or something
that catastrophically effects my word so I had to recopy the best version which
is off from my usual version.
Parsha
Devarim
Our Parsha starts out
according to some 40days before the death of Moshe others Rosh Chodesh Shevat
2488 and he will be taken on the 7th of Adar.
Moshe was told that he
would die soon after the avenge on the Midianites. He did not act like a modern
politician and have a national inquiry delaying the battle. He took care of the
matter immediately and now Midian and parts of Moav and Balaam were destroyed.
1:1 These are the
words which Moses spoke unto all Israel beyond the Jordan; in the wilderness,
in the Arabah, over against Suph, between Paran and Tophel, and Laban, and
Hazeroth, and Di-zahab.
These places are Mussar to Am Yisrael. Hinted here are all
the times that Israel wanted to return to Egypt, gluttony, and the Egel HaZahav.
Basically, despite the misbehavior of the various members of the nation through
the 40 years, they are now on the threshold of entering Eretz Yisrael.
Between Paran and Tofel and Lavan: Rabbi
Yochanan said: We have reviewed the entire Bible, but we have found no place
named Tofel or Lavan! However, [the explanation is that] he rebuked them
because of the foolish things they had said (תָּפְלוּ)
about the manna, which was white (לָבָן),
saying “And our soul loathes this light bread” (Num. 21:5),
and because of what they had done in the desert of Paran through the spies.
[from Eileh Hadevarim Rabbah, Lieberman]
Note this Tofel is with a Taf. Tofel with a Tet
is secondary especially when one chooses something like fruit in a basket. If
you like plums over the 5 fruits of Israel you can make the over plums if they
are the Eika (preferred fruit).
It is eleven days journey from Horeb unto Kadesh-Barnea
by the way of mount Seir. 3 And it came to pass in the fortieth year,
in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spoke unto the
children of Israel, according unto all that the LORD had given him in
commandment unto them; 4 after he had smitten Sihon the king of the
Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, who dwelt in
Ashtaroth, at Edrei; 5 beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, took
Moses upon him to expound this law, saying:
This is the first of
three speeches that Moshe gives in Devarim.
6 The LORD our God spoke unto us in Horeb,
saying: 'Ye have dwelt long enough in this mountain; 7 turn you, and
take your journey, and go to the hill-country of the Amorites and unto all the
places nigh thereunto, in the Arabah, in the hill-country, and in the Lowland,
and in the South, and by the sea-shore; the land of the Canaanites, and
Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates. 8 Behold, I
have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the LORD swore
unto your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give unto them and to
their seed after them.' 9 And I spoke unto you at that time, saying:
'I am not able to bear you myself alone;
This was when Moshe
delegated his power according to Yisro.
10 the LORD your God hath multiplied you,
and, behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for
multitude.-- 11 The LORD, the God of your fathers, make you a
thousand times so many more as ye are, and bless you, as He hath promised
you!-- 12 How can I myself alone bear your cumbrance, and your burden,
and your strife? 13 Get you, from each one of your tribes, wise men,
and understanding, and full of knowledge, and I will make them heads over
you.' 14 And ye answered me, and said: 'The thing which thou hast
spoken is good for us to do.' 15 So I took the heads of your tribes,
wise men, and full of knowledge, and made them heads over you, captains of
thousands, and captains of hundreds, and captains of fifties, and captains of
tens, and officers, tribe by tribe. 16 And I charged your judges at
that time, saying: 'Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge
righteously between a man and his brother, and the stranger that is with
him. 17 Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; ye shall hear the
small and the great alike; ye shall not be afraid of the face of any man; for
the judgment is God's; and the cause that is too hard for you ye shall bring
unto me, and I will hear it.'
There should be no
favoritism in Judgement.
18 And I commanded you at that time all the
things which ye should do. 19 And we journeyed from Horeb, and went
through all that great and dreadful wilderness which ye saw, by the way to the
hill-country of the Amorites, as the LORD our God commanded us; and we came to
Kadesh-Barnea. 20 And I said unto you: 'Ye are come unto the hill-country
of the Amorites, which the LORD our God gives unto us. 21 Behold, the
LORD thy God hath set the land before thee; go up, take possession, as the
LORD, the God of thy fathers, hath spoken unto thee; fear not, neither be
dismayed.'
Originally an idea with
good but it went sour with the behavior of 10 of the spies.
22 And ye came near unto me every one of
you, and said: 'Let us send men before us, that they may search the land for
us, and bring us back word of the way by which we must go up, and the cities
unto which we shall come.' 23 And the thing pleased me well; and I
took twelve men of you, one man for every tribe; 24 and they turned
and went up into the mountains, and came unto the valley of Eshcol, and spied
it out. 25 And they took of the fruit of the land in their hands, and
brought it down unto us, and brought us back word, and said: 'Good is the land
which the LORD our God giveth unto us.'
Originally the spies too
said the land was OK but later the Lashon HaRa prevailed
26 Yet ye would not go up, but rebelled
against the commandment of the LORD your God; 27 and ye murmured in
your tents, and said: 'Because the LORD hated us, He hath brought us forth out
of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy
us. 28 Whither are we going up? our brethren have made our heart to
melt, saying: The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great
and fortified up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim
there.'
People with Gallus
Mentality or slave mentality to fight fear but panic. Sometimes a Jew must face
his enemy no matter what. The Nazis used and lost more troops fighting a
handful of Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto in the end than they did fighting the
Polish Army. Imagine if half of the Polish Jews had fought the Nazis what could
have been done.
29 Then I said unto you: 'Dread not, neither
be afraid of them. 30 The LORD your God who goes before you, He shall
fight for you, according to all that He did for you in Egypt before your
eyes; 31 and in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the
LORD thy God bore thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye
went, until ye came unto this place. 32 Yet in this thing ye do not
believe the LORD your God, 33 Who went before you in the way, to seek
you out a place to pitch your tents in: in fire by night, to show you by what
way ye should go, and in the cloud by day.'
I tried to convince the
people but failed.
34 And the LORD heard the voice of your
words, and was wroth, and swore, saying: 35 'Surely there shall not
one of these men, even this evil generation, see the good land, which I swore
to give unto your fathers, 36 save Caleb the son of Yephunneh, he
shall see it; and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to
his children; because he hath wholly followed the LORD.'
So in their weak belief,
the generation died in the wilderness.
37 Also the LORD was angry with me for your
sakes, saying: Thou also shalt not go in thither; 38 Joshua the son
of Nun, who stands before thee, he shall go in thither; encourage thou him, for
he shall cause Israel to inherit it. 39 Moreover your little ones,
that ye said should be a prey, and your children, that this day have no
knowledge of good or evil, they shall go in thither, and unto them will I give
it, and they shall possess it. 40 But as for you, turn you, and take
your journey into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.'
So for the next close to
39years you have been wandering around until the non-believers of that
generation died out.
41 Then ye answered and said unto me: 'We
have sinned against the LORD, we will go up and fight, according to all that
the LORD our God commanded us.' And ye girded on every man his weapons of war,
and deemed it a light thing to go up into the hill-country. 42 And
the LORD said unto me: 'Say unto them: Go not up, neither fight; for I am not
among you; lest ye be smitten before your enemies.' 43 So I spoke
unto you, and ye hearkened not; but ye rebelled against the commandment of the
LORD, and were presumptuous, and went up into the hill-country.
This was the Tribe of
Ephraim and they became the dry bones that Yechezkel saw.
44 And the Amorites, that dwell in that
hill-country, came out against you, and chased you, as bees do, and beat you
down in Seir, even unto Hormah. 45 And ye returned and wept before
the LORD; but the LORD hearkened not to your voice, nor gave ear unto
you. 46 So ye abode in Kadesh many days, according unto the days that
ye abode there. 2:1 Then we turned, and took our journey into the wilderness by
the way to the Red Sea, as the LORD spoke unto me; and we compassed mount Seir
many days.
Esav refused to allow us
to have water or travel their roads but since they were brethren to Yacov. So
we did not make war with them for the sake of Yitzchak.
2 And the LORD spoke unto me,
saying: 3 'Ye have compassed this mountain long enough; turn you
northward. 4 And command thou the people, saying: Ye are to pass
through the border of your brethren the children of Esau, that dwell in Seir;
and they will be afraid of you; take ye good heed unto yourselves
therefore; 5 contend not with them; for I will not give you of their
land, no, not so much as for the sole of the foot to tread on; because I have
given mount Seir unto Esau for a possession. 6 Ye shall purchase food
of them for money, that ye may eat; and ye shall also buy water of them for
money, that ye may drink. 7 For the LORD thy God hath blessed thee in
all the work of thy hand; He hath known thy walking through this great
wilderness; these forty years the LORD thy God hath been with thee; thou hast
lacked nothing.'
Esav has not come to the
stage of being judged. Therefore circumvent them.
8 So we passed by from our brethren the
children of Esau, that dwell in Seir, from the way of the Arabah, from Elath
and from Ezion-geber. And we turned and passed by the way of the
wilderness of Moab. 9 And the LORD said unto me: 'Be not at enmity
with Moab, neither contend with them in battle; for I will not give thee of his
land for a possession; because I have given Ar unto the children of Lot for a
possession.
If Balak knew this,
neither would he have been afraid, called Bilaam or got the Midian People to
bring the Tribe of Shimon and others before Baal Peor.
10 The Emim dwelt therein aforetime, a
people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakim; 11 these also are
accounted Rephaim, as the Anakim; but the Moabites call them
Emim. 12 And in Seir dwelt the Horites aforetime, but the children of
Esau succeeded them; and they destroyed them from before them, and dwelt in
their stead; as Israel did unto the land of his possession, which the LORD gave
unto them.
Esav was a hunter and
fighter and not afraid of the giants.
13 Now rise up, and get you over the brook
Zered.' And we went over the brook Zered. 14 And the days in which we
came from Kadesh-Barnea, until we were come over the brook Zered, were thirty
and eight years; until all the generation, even the men of war, were consumed
from the midst of the camp, as the LORD swore unto them.
So they all died off.
15 Moreover the hand of the LORD was against
them, to discomfit them from the midst of the camp, until they were
consumed. 16 So it came to pass, when all the men of war were
consumed and dead from among the people,
These non-believers are
all dead.
17 that the LORD spoke unto me
saying: 18 'Thou art this day to pass over the border of Moab, even
Ar; 19 and when thou come nigh over against the children of Ammon,
harass them not, nor contend with them; for I will not give thee of the land of
the children of Ammon for a possession; because I have given it unto the
children of Lot for a possession.-- 20 That also is accounted a land
of Rephaim: Rephaim dwelt therein aforetime; but the Ammonites call them
Zamzummim,
Once the giants had
lived in the land but they were replaced by the shorter people. The Bnei Yisrael
would not replace the Bnei Ammon. But in the future after the original people
have been transferred out, perhaps this will be our?
21 a people great, and many, and tall, as
the Anakim; but the LORD destroyed them before them; and they succeeded them,
and dwelt in their stead; 22 as He did for the children of Esau, that
dwell in Seir, when He destroyed the Horites from before them; and they
succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead even unto this day; 23 and
the Avvim, that dwelt in villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorim, that came
forth out of Caphtor, destroyed them, and dwelt in their
stead.-- 24 Rise ye up, take your journey, and pass over the valley
of Arnon; behold, I have given into thy hand Sihon the Amorite, king of
Heshbon, and his land; begin to possess it, and contend with him in
battle.
Sihon will be defeated
as HASHEM has commanded.
25 This day will I begin to put the dread of
thee and the fear of thee upon the peoples that are under the whole heaven,
who, when they hear the report of thee, shall tremble, and be in anguish
because of thee.' 26 And I sent messengers out of the wilderness of
Kedemoth unto Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace,
saying: 27 'Let me pass through thy land; I will go along by the
highway, I will neither turn unto the right hand nor to the
left. 28 Thou shalt sell me food for money, that I may eat; and give
me water for money, that I may drink; only let me pass through on my
feet; 29 as the children of Esau that dwell in Seir, and the Moabites
that dwell in Ar, did unto me; until I shall pass over the Jordan into the land
which the LORD our God giveth us.' 30 But Sihon king of Heshbon would
not let us pass by him; for the LORD thy God hardened his spirit, and made his
heart obstinate, that He might deliver him into thy hand, as appears this
day.
So we shall take over
his land.
31 And the LORD said unto me: 'Behold, I
have begun to deliver up Sihon and his land before thee; begin to possess his
land.' 32 Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, unto
battle at Jahaz. 33 And the LORD our God delivered him up before us;
and we smote him, and his sons, and all his people. 34 And we took
all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed every city, the men, and the
women, and the little ones; we left none remaining;
After the Avoda Zara
disaster with the women of Midian, the women were not left alive.
35 only the cattle we took for a prey unto
ourselves, with the spoil of the cities which we had taken. 36 From
Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of Arnon, and from the city that is
in the valley, even unto Gilead, there was not a city too high for us: the LORD
our God delivered up all before us. 37 Only to the land of the
children of Ammon thou came not near; all the side of the river Jabbok, and the
cities of the hill-country, and wheresoever the LORD our God forbade us. 3:1
Then we turned, and went up the way to Bashan; and Og the king of Bashan came
out against us, he and all his people, unto battle at Edrei. 2 And
the LORD said unto me: 'Fear him not; for I have delivered him, and all his
people, and his land, into thy hand; and thou shalt do unto him as thou didst
unto Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon.'
Og was a giant and the people
should have been afraid and the Medrash says that Moshe at the age close to
120years took him on and killed him. Once dead, like with Gaolyard and Dovid, the
people fled.
3 So the LORD our God delivered into our
hand Og also, the king of Bashan, and all his people; and we smote him until
none was left to him remaining. 4 And we took all his cities at that
time; there was not a city which we took not from them; threescore cities, all
the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. 5 All these were
fortified cities, with high walls, gates, and bars; beside the unwalled towns a
great many. 6 And we utterly destroyed them, as we did unto Sihon
king of Heshbon, utterly destroying every city, the men, and the women, and the
little ones.
So as not to be sold
their gods. Example if you don’t get the Eucharist you will die and go directly
to hell do not pass go do not collect $200 and end up in Facebook Jail. So there
were no women to lure anybody into a strange non-Torah belief.
7 But all the cattle, and the spoil of the
cities, we took for a prey unto ourselves. 8 And we took the land at
that time out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond the
Jordan, from the valley of Arnon unto mount Hermon-- 9 which Hermon
the Sidonians call Sirion, and the Amorites call it Senir.
Different names for Mt.
Hermon.
10 all the cities of the plain, and all
Gilead, and all Bashan, unto Salcah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in
Bashan.-- 11 For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of
the Rephaim; behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbah
of the children of Ammon? nine cubits was the length thereof, and four cubits
the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man.
The bed in which Og
slept is much smaller that the 2000 Amos of the exaggerated Medrash. So, it
would be 4.05 meters long or 13.5 feet. He had to have room to stretch out his
arms and legs and perhaps have wives sleeping above and below and the sides of
him. The width of 4 cubits is like a normal ‘King-Size’ Bed. He most likely
would be like Goliad or The tallest man ever in medical history for whom there is irrefutable
evidence is Robert Wadlow, who when last measured on 27 June 1940 was found
to be 2.72 m (8 ft 11.1 in) tall. He remains the tallest
person in the world, ever.
At least in modern history.
12 And this land we took in possession at
that time; from Aroer, which is by the valley of Arnon, and half the
hill-country of Gilead, and the cities thereof, gave I unto the Reubenites and
to the Gadites; 13 and the rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, the
kingdom of Og, gave I unto the half-tribe of Manasseh; all the region of
Argob--all that Bashan is called the land of Rephaim.
So half the tribe of
Menashe would receive this land.
14 Jair the son of Manasseh took all the
region of Argob, unto the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and
called them, even Bashan, after his own name, Havvoth-jair, unto this
day.-- 15 And I gave Gilead unto Machir.
And this was the portion
of the daughters of Zelaphad.
16 And unto the Reubenites and unto the
Gadites I gave from Gilead even unto the valley of Arnon, the middle of the
valley for a border; even unto the river Jabbok, which is the border of the
children of Ammon; 17 the Arabah also, the Jordan being the border
thereof, from Chinnereth even unto the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, under
the slopes of Pisgah eastward.
They would inherit the
foot of the Golan Heights and eastern side of the Jordan River Valley unto some
point opposite the Dead Sea.
18 And I commanded you at that time, saying:
'The LORD your God hath given you this land to possess it; ye shall pass over
armed before your brethren the children of Israel, all the men of valor. 19 But
your wives, and your little ones, and your cattle--I know that ye have much
cattle--shall abide in your cities which I have given you;
Basically, these people
who defeated the giant Og and powerful Sihon are not to be tangled with and the
women and children would be left alone and protected by HASHEM.
20 until the LORD give rest unto
your brethren, as unto you, and they also possess the land which the LORD your
God giveth them beyond the Jordan; then shall ye return every man unto his
possession, which I have given you. 21 And I commanded Joshua at that
time, saying: 'Thine eyes have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto
these two kings; so shall the LORD do unto all the kingdoms whither thou goes
over. 22 Ye shall not fear them; for the LORD your God, He it is that
fights for you.
G-D will intervene
whether hidden or openly to fight for you (on condition that you at least put
in a good effort to observe the Mitzvos).
Tisha B’ Av and
crying.
In 1969 and 1970 I sat
on the floor by the Bostoner Rebbe and saw Holocaust Survivors crying on Tisha
B’ Av. About 46 years ago I was hit by a few round objects that fell from an
Acadia Tree by the grandson of one of our leading Rabbis especially in Mussar.
He claimed custom. He was then between 17 to 19 in my estimate. It did not make
me happy on Tisha B’ Av but he seemed like a prankster and I was wondering if
that was his way of being happy. I assume at 60 plus today he is a bit more
somber.
After the Romans
plowed over the Temple and the Arabs took out 200 truckloads a day from the
remnants on the mount is there anything left to cry about? We are a generation
that has lost our ability to cry for a Temple destroyed so long ago. Our own
Government of Israel refuses to let Jews Pray there and have given it to a king
in Yarden. Our Rabbis tell us not to go up there for we are Tumay. We have been
murdered, tortured, beaten, exiled and chased for 1952-4 years and no longer
have tears or feelings left.
Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Jacobson wrote this week about crying:
How Questioning Unfathomable Suffering Can Help Us Cope
He will call Me and I shall answer him; I am with him in distress; I shall
rescue him and I shall honor him — Psalms 91:15
Where is G-d? Wherever you let Him in — Menachem Mendel of Kotzk
Holy Temples are destroyed; sacred
sanctuaries are shattered; bodies of peace are desecrated, defiled, and
dehumanized. There is such darkness in this world, such unbearable pain, such
untold suffering.
Where is G-d in all of this? When
the darkness enshrouds and the pain trembles, where is the Creator of these
temples, these children, these lives?
“Where is G-d when I cry?” Perhaps
we can say that G-D IS IN…
…THE QUESTION
Asking where G-d is in times of pain
acknowledges the fundamental contradiction between G-d and pain. Pain is
darkness and G-d is light. Asking, “Where is G-d when I cry?” is tantamount to
asking, “How is it possible for pain to exist in such a Divine world?” The
question is the dream and belief in the world’s potential; and the pain is in
the realization that the world is not living up to it.
To ask is the ultimate act of faith.
To ask is the first step in overcoming the pain, but we all want answers.
However, know that G-D IS IN…
…THE SILENCE
There is no answer other than
silence. To question the pain is essential. To answer it is impossible. To
question the pain is an act of sensitivity. To answer it is an act of
callousness. Pain reaches the unfathomable recesses of the soul; answers are mere
intellectual exercises.
Sometimes we are silent because we
have not found the right words. Other times we are silent because the right
words do not exist.
In times of pain, G-d is silent. But
G-d is silent not because G-d has nothing to say. G-d is silent because G-d is
crying.
And G-d is crying because G-D IS IN…
…THE HEARTBREAK
How is it even possible for a heart
to break? How is possible for human dignity to be destroyed? How is it possible
for murder, for illness, for suffering to exist in this world? How can the
world be so broken?
Every time a heart shatters, a piece
of the Universal Heart shatters as well. Every time a mother feels pain for her
child, the pain ripples across all the layers of existence. The grief is
magnified and it is unbearable.
The pain is unbearable precisely
because of the joy that could be in its stead. Death is so acrid precisely
because of the vibrancy of the life it tries to replace. Heartbreak is so
painful precisely because hearts are meant to be whole. Divisiveness and hate
are so sorrowful precisely because G-d is complete.
But, just as a part of G-d is in the
heartbreak, so too a part of G-D IS IN…
…THE LIGHT
Our hearts are broken; but our
broken hearts inspire us to fix the world. When we see darkness, we demand more
light. This part of us, this unbreakable spirit, this perpetual resolve, this
eternal flame, is the most Divine part of who we are. This light, this light
that illuminates darkness itself, is where G-d can really be found. When we
demand joy, and create light, it is in this that G-d is found. ForG-D IS IN…
…THE BRIDGE
Pain is not rational. Body and soul
are meant to be together as one; the
division of body and soul is destruction. Pain is a result of the irrational
division of body and soul. It does not have to be this way and when it is, it
is a tragedy.
This is why G-d cries. And this is
why we cry together with G-d.
Death itself is the greatest sin
against G-d; it is the greatest antithesis to G-d. Death is an aberration. Why
should a soul ever have to leave a body?
But then we begin to rebuild the
bridge between body and soul, between matter and spirit, between heaven and
earth. And it is in this bridge that G-d is most present.
The bridge may not be our answer to
pain, but it is our unequivocal response. And, unquestionably, G-D IS IN…
…THE RESPONSE
There is no answer to the question.
But there is a response—a very emphatic response. We respond to pain like never
before, we respond with a light force greater than the dark force.
Answers are rationalizations.
However, pain touches the very core of who we are, a place much deeper than
rationalizations. Reponses too come from the very core.
An answer is philosophical. A
response is personal. An answer attempts to cool your hot tears. A response
turns your hot tears into hotter fires.
The response ensures that the acute
pain does not destroy your life but that your acute life destroys the pain.
Know that G-d is in the response to
pain. What is pain? Pain is a nerve telling you that something is terribly
wrong. The response is fixing that wrong. And you fix that wrong by ultimately
realizing that G-D IS IN…
…YOUR ACTION
Pain occurs when matter and spirit
are divided. The antidote is to do everything in your power to unite that
divide. For every loss of life, nurture new life. For every death, birth new
positive actions. For every extinguished wick, help another person to find his
or her own inner light.
Yes, G-d is with us in our pain. And
the proof is in the action we take to eradicate the pain.
The question, “Where is G-d when I
cry?” is the same question as, “Where is G-d?”
The answer is that G-D IS IN…EVERYTHING. (ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS LET HIM IN.)
Hillel and Aristotle, Shammai and
Plato by Rabbi Dr. Benji Levy
https://aish.com/hillel-and-aristotle-shammai-and-plato/
What
would you say if I asked you to summarize the entire Torah on one foot, to
provide a pithy soundbite or an "Idiot's Guide" of sorts to the
totality of Judaism?
Well,
a prospective convert once had this exact question. He approached the Talmudic
sage Shammai, who was insulted and rejected him outright. His sagely colleague
Hillel on the other hand had a famous reply: “What is hateful to you, do not do
to your neighbor. That is the whole Torah; the rest is commentary; go and
learn.”
It's
an intriguing claim that this simple moral maxim is, in fact, the entirety of
Torah hiding in plain sight. But maybe it's not so simple.
Around
15 centuries after Hillel walked through the cobblestoned streets of Babylon,
the great Renaissance painter Raphael produced The School of Athens.
This fresco is considered a masterpiece for its deft use of color and
perspective, and it is an enduring tribute to the history of humanist thought
and features the Renaissance version of a meme.
In
the center of the painting stand two figures. Both are clutching books, but one
is pointing at the heavens, and the other gestures in front. In an all-star
line-up of philosophers, these would be the MVPs: Plato and Aristotle.
For
Plato, ultimate reality is 'up there,' abstract and eternal. Aristotle is more
grounded in the here and now; the truth is in front of your nose if you pay
enough attention.
Is
the most profound meaning here on Earth, or is the good life one that shuns the
coarse material demands of mundane existence?
Through
this tension, Jewish tradition shines some light on what it means to be a good
person.
Hillel
and Shammai are not just two of the most significant teachers in Jewish
history. The two schools of interpretation that follow in their wake stand for
two approaches to life and paradigmatic ways of understanding.
Things
became more contentious amongst their disciples, with more and more
disagreements emerging over time. What was created first, the heavens or the
Earth, for example? According to the School of Shammai, the heavens were
created first. No, insisted Hillel's followers, first Earth was created and
then the heavens.
At
first glance, this may seem like a dry debate about a question we could never
really answer, and it hardly seems to warrant such heated disagreement. What
would it mean that the spiritual dimension, presumably a realm beyond time and
space, was made 'before' the material world? Why must the Talmud record such
hair-splitting for posterity?
The
question is not so much which chronologically came prior, the
spiritual or the physical, but rather what ultimately demands our focus as a
matter of priority.
In
fact, the two schools of thought pose a profound question about ethics and the
meaning of existence. The question is not so much which chronologically
came prior, the spiritual or the physical, but rather what
ultimately demands our focus as a matter of priority.
To
appreciate the stakes, let's quickly refresh ourselves on some basic concepts
in the Jewish mystical tradition.
The
School of Hillel is often associated with "Chesed" - the
attributes of loving-kindness and benevolence, openness, abundance, and
expansiveness.
The
School of Shammai is oft-associated with "Gevurah" -
strict judgment, restriction, and rigorous discipline.
We
can see these attributes at play in the way each school makes decisions. While
this is a simplification, many have framed the disciples of Shammai as tending
toward viewing life through the strict letter of the law, while those of Hillel
towards viewing the law through the everyday demands of the real world.
These
attributes are even embodied in the very personalities of the sages themselves
– and vividly brought to life in the well-known story that began this piece
regarding reducing the whole Torah to that which one could share on one foot.
We should recognize that each rabbi's answers and actions were in complete
harmony with those of the other rabbi. Hillel was practicing what he preached,
and Shammai was, too, in a different way.
So,
who was right? Certainly, Hillel's statement resonates with the Jewish values
of kindness and mutual respect. You may not be too surprised to learn that, in
practice, we follow the way of Hillel and not Shammai the vast majority of the
time.
But
what if we follow the path of Chesed not because it is
more true (who amongst us could second-guess either Shammai or
Hillel) but because it is necessary?
After
all, we are imperfect beings, made of flesh and blood and driven by desires and
instincts. That's not all we are, of course. But we are sufficiently unlike the
angels that if the strict standards preferred by Shammai judged us, we could
never justify our existence. On the mystical level, we simply do not meet the
standards of pure judgment.
"Chesed",
kindness, must, of necessity, be the measure of our relations with others.
The
injunction to love one's neighbor as oneself is of biblical origin. Hillel, of
course, wasn't the only great sage who promoted "Chesed" as
the central tenet of the Torah. The first Century Sage Rabbi Akiva called it a
great principle, and its essence is invoked in many other texts and traditions.
Perhaps
John Lennon had a flash of Divine insight when he penned, “All you need is
love.”
And
yet. Rabbi Akiva was one of the greatest sages of all time. He was the man who
interpreted even the crowns above the letters of the Torah, devoting his energy
and genius to the finest of fine details of law. That may seem like unusual
behavior if we take his message simply and superficially.
Because
while it's true that "Chesed" makes the world possible, maybe
"Gevurah" makes "Chesed" possible? After all,
kindness without a standard of truth can become indulgence, and indiscriminate
giving makes meaningful kindness almost impossible to achieve practically. It
would be best if you judged where and how to direct your kindness at the most
basic practical level.
Truth
without compassion may not be a possible state. But unfettered compassion is no
less realizable.
Practically
speaking, most of us can train our spiritual focus on one paradigm or the
other. We can be the best imperfect beings we can in our imperfect
circumstances, appreciating that our work and lives are in the here and now, as
we usually decide according to Hillel: 'The Earth takes priority.' Or we can
keep our eye on the prize of our ultimate redemption when tradition says we
will decide according to Shammai: 'The heavens were created first.'
I
want you to bear those heady concepts in mind when I raise this final thought
about what it means to judge others (and ourselves).
What
does it actually mean to treat others as you would want to be
treated?
There's
a crucial question here. How do you want to be treated? Think
about that seriously. If you commit a crime, do you want to go unpunished? What
if you cause real harm to innocent people? On some level, sure, we don't really
want to face the consequences of our actions. But is that truly the ethical
standard to which we know we ought to hold ourselves and, by extension, those
around us?
In
one sense, the demand to treat others as we would want to be treated forces us
to confront our own ethical code. How do we truly want to be
treated? What is the ethical standard by which we ultimately judge ourselves?
Only once we know the answer to that question can we authentically apply the
same standard to other people.
And
that, in turn, raises a more profound question. What ought to
be the standard we hold ourselves to? What does it mean to be a good person?
This is one of the most fundamental questions of all. And I'm afraid there's no
snappy one-liner that instantly resolves the mystery. The whole Torah may well
be contained in Hillel's single principle. But determining the contours of that
principle is perhaps the work of a lifetime, grappling with the rest of the
Torah and the real world. When Hillel claimed that the rest of the Torah is an
explanation of the central tenet, he wasn't diminishing the significance of the
rest of the Torah but encouraging us to live further and study to truly
understand.
One
final question. Rabbi Akiva highlights the Torah's injunction to love your
neighbor as you do yourself. Well, how do we relate
to our own selves? Do we love ourselves?
If
the world depends on "Chesed," perhaps we should start by
practicing it on ourselves.
Milestone: Nichelle Nichols, 89,
Star Trek Lt. Nyota Uhura. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357420
Milestone: Rabbi Tuvia Weiss, 95, Av
Beit Din antizionist against Charedi Draft. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357362
Milestone: Mo Ostin, 95, Warner
Bros. Records Chair discovered Jimi Hendrix. https://www.timesofisrael.com/music-giant-mo-ostin-famed-warner-records-chairman-dies-at-95/
Milestone: Melissa Bank, 61, witty
author of lung cancer. https://www.timesofisrael.com/bestselling-jewish-author-melissa-bank-dies-at-61/
Inyanay Diyoma
After last week’s murder of Arab
Woman, another one from the same city forced by Judge to be in Shelter. https://www.timesofisrael.com/judge-rules-woman-to-be-placed-in-shelter-against-her-will-amid-ex-husbands-threats/
IAF stops F35 flights over ejector
seat. https://www.timesofisrael.com/military-halts-f-35-training-flights-over-faulty-ejector-seats/
Civilians to be evacuated from
Donetsk. https://www.timesofisrael.com/zelensky-calls-to-evacuate-civilians-from-donetsk-frontline-amid-russian-terror/
PA GOP Gov. Candidate rejects
antisemitism. https://www.timesofisrael.com/pennsylvania-gop-governor-nominee-says-he-rejects-antisemitism-in-any-form/
Elon Musk files contra-suit to
Twitter. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357372
FDA did not approve a long enough
regiment of Paxlovid as a result, Biden tests positive again. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357371
Opportunists in politics. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357403
With the dry summer heat and perhaps
Arabs large fires start. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357369
Jewish Man brutally attacked in
Subway. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357349
IDF not opens up all positions to
Charedi Soldiers. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357373
Mysterious red glow over Pacific
Ocean. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357374
Bad time. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357354
IDF raids 39 Hamas Homes arrests 1/3rd.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-raids-39-homes-of-palestinians-with-alleged-hamas-ties-arrests-13/
Armed individual with AK47 caught in
NYC near Iranian dissident. https://www.timesofisrael.com/armed-man-arrested-after-trying-to-gain-access-to-iranian-dissidents-home-in-nyc/
Golan wildfire-evacuations. https://www.timesofisrael.com/golan-wildfire-prompts-evacuations-as-firefighters-try-to-contain-blaze/
Plan to slash hours of Medical
Interns from 26 to 18hours delayed again. https://www.timesofisrael.com/plan-to-slash-medical-interns-shift-delayed-until-2023/
Iranian Bargain Bazaar. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357424
Saying no to stipends to terrorist
but in reality only for the elections. https://www.algemeiner.com/2022/07/31/israel-to-withhold-180-million-in-palestinian-tax-funds-over-terrorist-stipends/
Ukraine still alive despite
bombardment. https://www.timesofisrael.com/pummeled-by-russian-guns-kharkiv-is-dark-quiet-but-alive/
Friedman was more Zionist than all
talk Bibi. https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-new-book-kushner-claims-envoy-friedman-went-rogue-to-okay-west-bank-annexation/
Beirut gain silos finally collapse. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357425
Yair Netanyahu ordered to pay
thousands for defamation. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357425
Third female general to brief
President. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357410
Gilboa Prison sexual abuse of
soldier girls. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/syznygb6q
Baby Steps with Saudi Relations. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/b13vsuphc
9 Staff Members abused helpless
adults. https://www.timesofisrael.com/nine-staff-indicted-over-abuse-of-residents-at-care-center-for-special-needs/
Netanyahu damaged relations with
Jordan over photo-op, https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357398
Prince Charles accepted money from
Bin Laden Family. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357419
Government is still suffering post
trauma on Gaza. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357421
Still breaches in security fence. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357427
More threats Sunday on gas field. https://www.algemeiner.com/2022/07/31/hezbollah-threatens-gas-field-off-israeli-coast-as-us-envoy-arrives-in-beirut/
Former authority in Kyiv was a
blood-libel Antisemite. https://www.algemeiner.com/2022/07/29/ukraine-jews-call-for-prosecution-of-former-kyiv-city-councillor-who-promoted-antisemitic-blood-libel/
Jewish Student sues Leeds Univ. over
paper. https://www.algemeiner.com/2022/07/29/jewish-student-suing-leeds-university-for-failing-paper-too-sympathetic-to-israel/
Swedish Student arrested as
political pawn in Iran. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/skvcfg7p5
China vows military action to
Pelosi. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357516
Al Qaeda Leader eliminated. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357475
From Nov. 20, 2020 Reports the terrorist, 68, died of natural
causes related to asthma citing four sources in Pakistan and Afghanistan. https://www.the-sun.com/news/1831397/al-qaeda-leader-ayman-al-zawahiri-dies-asthma/
Top Jihadi arrested. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357481
Iran can make the Bomb. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357480
Drug smuggling thwarted. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357446
IAEA – Iran’s Nuclear Program
growing. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357536
Charedi Paratroopers get their own
commander. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/r1dv1alp5
Eric Schmidt wins MO primary. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357540
Dixon gets Trump endorsement and
wins. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-backed-tudor-dixon-wins-crowded-michigan-gop-gubernatorial-primary
DUI with drugs too but 3,000,000
shares of NVDA. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/paul-pelosi-allegedly-slurred-speech-drug-system-handed-police-privilege-card-dui-bust
Grain ship leaves Odessa. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357458
Pharmacist works with nanotech to
develop chip-program for optimized treatment. https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/ygzqobysp
Amber Heard visits Tel Aviv. https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/rknwekvpc
Netanyahu puts personal gain over
what nation needs. https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-envoy-warns-time-running-out-on-visa-waivers-amid-likud-refusal-to-cooperate/
Kentucky Floods (Bahrain flooding). https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kentucky-flooding-death-toll-climbs-governor-hundreds-unaccounted-for/ https://www.newsofbahrain.com/bahrain/82900.html
Iranian flood kills 53. https://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-raises-death-toll-in-monsoon-floods-mudslides-to-53/
Putin does not want to annex but to
destroy the Ukraine. https://www.timesofisrael.com/exiled-oligarch-in-israel-putin-doesnt-want-to-annex-ukraine-but-to-destroy-it/
Man that drowned found. https://www.timesofisrael.com/after-8-days-search-teams-locate-body-of-missing-umm-al-fahm-man-in-sea-of-galilee/
Jewish Pilgrims will come to Uman. https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-ukraines-uman-locals-predict-war-wont-keep-all-jewish-pilgrims-away/
Trying to break in to Charles
Paine’s house. https://www.foxnews.com/media/charles-payne-security-camera-catches-man-lurking-outside-home-ultimate-violation
Russian Jews side step Jewish
Agency. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hydnvjlpc
Progressive Jews are out of step
with mainstream. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357357
Attempted Mafia murder in Tel Aviv. https://www.timesofisrael.com/shots-fired-on-tel-avivs-dizengoff-street-in-attempted-criminal-killing/
Police framed Charedi but videos
tell the truth. Lawsuit? https://www.timesofisrael.com/charges-dropped-against-ultra-orthodox-man-police-framed-for-lockdown-violation/
Israeli self-driving system signs
$4B deal with Volkswagen.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/charges-dropped-against-ultra-orthodox-man-police-framed-for-lockdown-violation/
Chinese & UAE firms sanctioned
over Iran. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357476
James Bond of Israel: https://www.ynetnews.com/magazine/article/rkdxls6n5
Brooklyn Schul has windows smashed. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357449
Netanyahu was not even excited about
embassy. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357356
Man
beaten by Mosque Congregation another goes into Arab Town for
auto-repairs and ends up in hospital but w/unrepaired car. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357332
Missing teen – Moshe knew the
subject. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357326
4Toronto Doctors die but not from
Covid. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357321
9year old British Girl stabbed to
death. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357329
2nd hand donated wigs
missing from cancer ward. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357451
After prison rape case, Ganz will
keep conscripts out of the Prison Service. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357472
Master Mind of two homicide killings
gets Master’s in Prison. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357470
Another Russian who disputed Putin
hospitalized. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357469
Some 70 percent of Israeli households are expected to have
access to high-speed internet infrastructure by the end of 2022. https://www.timesofisrael.com/70-of-israelis-to-have-access-to-fiber-optic-internet-by-end-of-year-says-minister/
High Security Alert on Southern
Border. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/s1lmk7dtc
Jenin Battalion of Jihad threatens
revenge. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357590
Last month top commanders of Hamas
and Jihad escaped Israeli Capture. https://www.timesofisrael.com/terror-leaders-narrowly-escaped-israeli-raid-in-west-bank-last-month-report/
Lapid mocks Netanyahu. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357588
Israel signs contract to construct
Moroccan Embassy. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357594
Rep.
Jackie Walorski (R-IN) died in a car crash. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357585
Firebomber caught red handed. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357560
US Senate backs Sweden and Finland
for NATO. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357589
Canada Hatred – Jews the most
targeted group. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bjodkbo69
Coral Reefs in Eilat didn’t recover
from 2020 storm. https://www.algemeiner.com/2022/08/03/coral-reefs-in-eilat-havent-recovered-from-extreme-2020-storm-worrying-report-finds/
CUNY once w/high Jewish Population
is antisemitic. https://www.algemeiner.com/2022/08/02/new-york-city-council-member-urges-ny-governor-to-address-hostile-climate-for-jewish-cuny-students/
Iranian President to address UN. https://www.algemeiner.com/2022/08/02/irans-raisi-plans-to-address-un-in-new-york-despite-us-sanctions/
NY Yankees acquire Jewish Pitcher
from Cubs. https://www.algemeiner.com/2022/08/03/new-york-yankees-acquire-jewish-pitcher-scott-effross-from-chicago-cubs/
US Army tests Iron Dome. https://www.algemeiner.com/2022/08/02/us-army-successfully-tests-israels-iron-dome-in-live-fire-interception/
TV shows Iranians tracking Israelis
in Turkey. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/ry4rsv006q
Unilever in war with Ben & Jerry
Israel. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rkjnh11d6c
Ethiopian Shepherd boy
who became a top Surgeon. The IMPACT scholarship program was established
by the FIDF 20 years ago for IDF combat soldiers that put their lives in danger
for the sake of their homeland and the Jewish people. https://www.ynetnews.com/magazine/article/sk1c8vhaq
Ed-Op Ron Ben Yishai. The Islamic Jihad
terror group took a major hit overnight when its West Bank commander Bassam
al-Saadi was arrested by IDF troops, in the Jenin refugee camp. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/s1cdkyit5
Violence in a hospital. Nursing
Asst. attacked. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357576
Two more suspects arrested in boy’s
disappearance. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357561
Like Biden, the “Palestinians” take
the wrong side. https://www.algemeiner.com/2022/08/02/palestinian-authority-declares-support-for-chinese-regime-as-tensions-deepen-between-washington-and-beijing/
Reopening: 144th Squadron, which operates UAVs
at Hatzor Air Force Base. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357571
Shiry
Sapir is expected to win her race against five other Republicans. Sapir was
born in Israel and is a strong Zionist. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357522
Israeli trade with China souring. https://www.timesofisrael.com/after-years-of-blooming-trade-some-see-israel-china-relationship-start-to-sour/
Who will run the PLO? https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/mahmoud-abbas-is-87-who-will-replace-him/
Besides the very dark side of the
security issue, there is a different dark side to Tik Tok. https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-dark-side-of-tiktok/
Arizona Republicans on Tuesday chose Blake Masters for Senate
whose record includes once citing a prominent Nazi - Goering. https://www.timesofisrael.com/blake-masters-republican-who-once-cited-a-nazi-official-wins-in-arizona-primaries/
A Jewish political dynasty’s four-decade run in Congress has
come to an end after Rep. Andy Levin conceded to pro-Israel Rep. Haley Stevens
in Michigan’s 11th congressional district Tuesday. https://www.timesofisrael.com/aipac-backed-stevens-ousts-levin-in-race-seen-as-bellwether-on-us-israel-politics/
Too close to call Rep. Gov. Primary
in AZ ahead is: "Kari Lake, the former anchor for Fox 10 News in
Phoenix, became a symbol of truth in journalism when she walked away from the
mainstream media despite being number one in the ratings for more than two
decades. Now she's running for Governor of Arizona on a platform of common
sense conservatism dedicated to individual liberties, low taxes.
Small Reserve call-up for Gaza. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rjlxr00ktc
Sderot Residents should not be hostages. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357655
1) Ed-Op Caroline Glick. US Unprepared for
conflict. https://carolineglick.com/the-u-s-is-unprepared-for-the-coming-conflagration/
2) Why Politicians Lie. https://carolineglick.com/why-politicians-lie-to-voters-and-why-voters-lie-to-themselves/
Border with Gaza remains closed. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/sy2cn5ya9
Israel develops precision viruses to kill
harmful stomach bacteria. https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-scientists-developing-precision-viruses-that-kill-bowel-harming-bacteria/
T.A.U. finds antibodies that kill cancer. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357653
Sometimes as in Perkei Avos a fence for wisdom
is silence. Alex Jones ordered to pay $4million in defamation over Sandy Hook. https://www.timesofisrael.com/court-orders-alex-jones-pay-sandy-hook-parents-over-4m-for-claiming-shooting-a-hoax/
Lightning strike injures 4 near White House. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357667
Hezballah can launch 10-20,000 rockets at
Israel. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357656
Iran claims to have arrested 10 members of
ISIS. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357664
Afrifah, 18, Ramat Gan, ran in the 200meter race in 19.96 seconds
and defeated Letsile Tebogo from Botswana. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357659
Catskills 2 alarm fire in Jewish Camp. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357636
New Poll right wing 62 but Zionist Spirit does
not make it. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357647
Leah Goldin slams government. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/357621
New Born found in Cardboard Box. https://www.timesofisrael.com/newborn-baby-found-abandoned-in-cardboard-box-on-acre-street/
Average Israeli Wage Falls. https://www.timesofisrael.com/average-salary-in-israel-falls-slightly-tech-wages-hold-steady/
FL Jews fight the governor over
abortion bill. https://www.timesofisrael.com/floridas-jews-find-themselves-front-and-center-in-abortion-fight-with-desantis/
Israel man dies of brain eating amoeba.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-man-dies-after-contracting-very-rare-brain-eating-amoeba/
Soldier drowns on recreation day. https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-soldier-dies-after-drowning-in-pool-during-recreation-day-for-his-unit/
Israel is the leader in plant-based
food. https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-companies-lead-world-in-plant-based-food-tech-investments/
Basketball player a pawn in Russian
Game. https://www.timesofisrael.com/russia-convicts-us-basketball-star-griner-on-drug-charges-sentences-her-to-9-years/
Have a healthy and
peaceful Shabbos and a productive fast.
Rachamim Pauli
