Reflections on a Ceased Fire

As a tenuous ceasefire takes hold in Israel, I think it is imperative to reflect on the situation we find ourselves in and not pretend that all is ok because a ceasefire was announced. While there are many layers to this situation, not least the security of Israel and the continued threats to its existence, I would like to unpack a few factors that should weigh heavily on the collective mind of the American Jewish Community.  It's essential to recognize that 2021 is not the same as 2014 and definitely not 2009 regarding how America perceives Israel and its neighbors. The support of Israel by the United States Congress used to be a non-issue and a strong basis of bi-partisan support. Unfortunately, there appear to be cracks in the wall of support. There are presently a small but growing and influential number of Members of Congress who are not only indifferent to Israel's predicament but also openly hostile to its well-being. It was quite alarming that at the height of recent hostilities, when Israel was facing a barrage of thousands of rockets to its civilians, there was a measure introduced in Congress to block Israel from securing much needed funding for its defense. Equally disturbing was the backlash from the Congressional leadership on AIPAC for daring to criticize a Member of Congress who essentially was serving as the spokesperson for Hamas on Capitol Hill. The tenor and conversation have changed in Washington, and it should concern everyone no matter what your preferred political party is. Secondly, it is deeply worrisome about the violence directed at Jews throughout America. As mobs of anti-Israel people demonstrated against Israel, it quickly spread to violence in several cities, including New York and Los Angeles. Patrons of kosher restaurants were attacked and Jews were verbally and physically assaulted in several communities. For anyone that thinks that the animosity towards Israel and the Jewish People is limited to the Middle East, this was a rude awakening.  Finally, it was dispiriting to see the apathy to Israel from a growing number of people in the American Jewish Community. As we become more assimilated, it is no surprise to see increased disengagement and indifference towards the Jewish State. This week's widely read article in the NY Times highlighted the estrangement of many younger American Jews towards Israel. It quoted a 26-year-old Jewish woman who volunteers in Boston with IfNotNow, a network of Jewish activists who want to end Jewish American support for Israel, has found protesting for the Palestinian cause to be its own form of religious observance. Unfortunately, these groups can no longer be dismissed as fringe and irrelevant as their voices are growing stronger, and of course, they embolden our adversaries.   I heard once from a rabbinic colleague that the role of rabbi should sometimes be to comfort the afflicted and sometimes to afflict the comforted. I take no pleasure in choosing the latter this week. If recent events are not a wake-up call for us to strengthen our connection to G-d, the Land of Israel, and our fellow Jews, I am unsure what can be. Have a Peaceful Shabbos, Rabbi Yaakov Fisch

Israel in Crisis

The Land of Israel has once again become ground zero on the world stage. In just four days, Hamas has rained down nearly 2,000 rockets into Israel. The vaunted Iron Dome has struggled to keep up with the barrage of missiles as the terror organizations attempt to overwhelm the defense capabilities and inflict maximum casualties on the Jewish State. It's essential to understand what the agenda of the terror organizations are and why they deliberately are putting their own citizens in harm's way to advance their nefarious plan. It's not because of a property dispute between Jews and Arabs in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem. It's not because of the infringement of the right to worship for any Muslims on Temple Mount. Ironically, according to secular Israeli law, although Jews may enter Temple Mount with special permission, we are forbidden to pray on Temple Mount. There have been stories of Jews getting arrested by Israeli police on Temple Mount for merely reciting a chapter of Tehilim/Psalms. What than is the reason of all this violence that these Palestinian terror organizations have unleashed? It's a very simple yet uncomfortable truth. They are declaring war against the very notion of a Jewish State in its ancient homeland. They are declaring to the world that the Jewish people have no right to be in their homeland. Over the years, they have become more sophisticated and graduated from throwing stones to shooting missiles for hundreds of kilometers into Israel. The rejection of the existence of Israel is what this is about and what they are fighting for. Israel, of course, recognizes the battle that it faces and its security forces are working around the clock to ensure its citizens remain secure. It's important to remember that although we may be geographically distant, we can do much to assist in this time of crisis. Our Rabbis have taught about the importance of turning to prayer in times of distress. It behooves all of us to take a few extra moments out of our day and daven for our brethren in the Land of Israel. It is imperative to pray on behalf of the members of the Israel Defense Forces who put themselves in harm's way to protect us all. We should not delude ourselves into the false sense of security over here and assume that only the Jews in Israel are in danger. There is Jewish blood being spilled all over, and we are in desperate need of the Guardian of Israel to deliver salvation. It's time to move past internal divisions and turn our hearts to our Father in Heaven. The world is in turmoil. The call has been put out. What else are we waiting for? Have a Peaceful Shabbos, Rabbi Yaakov Fisch

Struggling with Faith

Keeping the faith these days is not an easy thing. It was heart-wrenching to observe the funeral of the 45 victims of the Miron tragedy. I found myself watching a couple of the funerals on the live stream this past Sunday. There was a eulogy given by a father who flew in from the United States to Israel in order to bury his 19-year-old son. The searing pain that one could feel from the father's voice was palpable and vivid. This scene played itself out in funeral after funeral as young parents bid goodbye to their young children who they never see again on this earth. There are many angles of pain and hurt to this story, and it's a challenge to our faith when we witness the holy and the pure taken from us while visiting a sacred site. How do we begin to make sense of this? This is particularly troublesome for a community of faith that struggles to reconcile a just and benevolent G-d with the cruel and painful reality that we are confronted with now.  If we are having our doubts about the hand of G-d in our lives, then we are in good company. The Haftorah of this Parsha Behar (that is not read this week since we read the Haftorah of the second Parsha of Bechukosai) retells a fascinating story about the prophet Jeremiah. At the onset of the Babylonian invasion of ancient Israel that culminated with the catastrophic destruction of the First Temple, Jeremiah receives a prophecy that seemed extremely bizarre. He was told by G-d to purchase a piece of land from a relative and then put the documents that recorded the sale in earthenware vessels so that they may be preserved for many days. He then proceeds to execute this transaction faithfully and not only purchases the property but conceals the documents in a carefully hidden manner. Jeremiah is very troubled by the directive to buy the land in such a painful and tragic time. Here the spiritual leader of the Jewish people who wanted to comfort his flock in their time of peril was busy with a real estate transaction! He began to question G-d about the timing of the need to purchase the land. The prophet appears at his wit's end with this directive, which coincided with the impending invasion of Israel. He even neglects to address G-d as הנורא or the Awesome One. The Talmud provided the necessary commentary on this as Jeremiah felt that G-d's awesomeness was absent. The Haftorah concludes ominously as G-d says that nothing is hidden from Him. The Rabbis have taught that G-d meant to say that Jeremiah was only looking at the present moment, and indeed, the timing to purchase the real estate seemed odd. On the other hand, the infinite and eternal G-d was planning the return of the Jewish People to Zion and Jerusalem with the purchase of the property.  The notion of being in a state of Hester Panim or G-d's concealed face is troubling because we can't see the chessboard of life displayed in a manner that makes sense. While we do not have any answers to the tragedy on Miron, it would be worthwhile to recall the lesson Jeremiah purchasing the plot of land as we look for ways to strengthen our faith.

Reflecting on a Tragedy

The Jewish World is reeling with intense grief in reaction to the horrific events that occurred at Meron last night on the eve of Lag B’omer. It is difficult to contemplate or fathom the scope of this devastating tragedy. The manner in which dozens of mostly young men lost their lives is beyond traumatic. As of this writing, many people are still missing, and their families are desperate to contact them, not knowing if they are still among the living. There are so many layers to this tragedy that it is hard to process. I will try to give it some context in the best way that I can.  For many in the Orthodox community in Israel, Lag Ba’omer in general and traveling to Meron, in particular, is the highlight of their year. The spiritual connection that people feel at the sacred space of where the revered sage Rabbi Shimon was laid to rest is compelling for hundreds of thousands to make the journey to Mt. Meron in the Galilee on Lag Ba’omer. This year, in particular, the pilgrimage to Meron on Lag Baomer was anticipated with greater fervor than usual. It was as Israel was emerging from the pandemic and finally turning a corner on COVID. On a national level, this was going to be the first massive gathering, and indirectly this was a celebration of the conclusion of COVID. Alas, this was not meant to be. Instead of our brothers and sisters waking up to a festive Lag B’omer, they are waking up to an intensely dark day of burying many people.  As people of faith, this is acutely challenging as we are once again forced to reconcile how a benevolent G-d can allow so many holy and pure souls to be literally trampled to death? Unfortunately, we have a precedent with a great celebration that was marred with tragedy, and that story is recorded in the Torah. As the Mishkan was being inaugurated after many months of great anticipation, tragedy struck with the unexpected death of Nadav and Avihu, the two sons of Aaron the Kohen Gadol. The Torah records the reaction of Aaron as “ Va’yidom Aaron,” translated as Aaron was silent. With the unspoken words of Aaron, I believe he was teaching us that there are times when words do not suffice and when they in fact, can be unproductive. No words of comfort will assuage the collective pain in our hearts. We may be willing to accept the justice of G-d, but we know as long as we are in this world, we will never fully understand. For us, in the face of overwhelming tragedy, there is only one response for now: silence. As Aaron taught in the face of immense tragedy, silence may be the most profound communication. Have a Peaceful Shabbos, Rabbi Yaakov Fisch

Seeking Holiness

One of the fundamental tenets of Judaism is for us to be a holy people. When G-d propositioned the Jewish People to accept the Torah, it was for us to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. This week's Parsha (the second Parsha) begins with the mandate for us to be a holy people. In fact, G-d tells us to be holy because He is holy. That doesn't seem to make a lot of sense. There are a lot of things that G-d can do that we cannot. G-d is infinite, and we are finite. G-d is eternal, and we are all mortal beings who will die. So the nagging question is, why should we be holy because G-d is holy? After all, there are plenty of differences between an eternal, infinite, and Almighty G-d and a frail human being!! This issue touches upon why the human being was created and why the Jewish People embraced G-d's mission with accepting the Torah. The purpose of this was to infuse Godliness into a world that was mundane and physical. That is the general purpose of the Mitzvos. It is to infuse Godliness and Holiness into everyday life. Although this may be applicable in many areas, there are two areas where the Torah emphasizes connecting Holiness to the particular Mitzvah. Those two areas are the prohibitions to consume non-kosher foods and to engage in forbidden sexual activity. In terms of food, one can wonder what it is that makes bacon unkosher and brisket kosher (when it's appropriately prepared)? It's not because brisket is cleaner, necessarily on a physical level. Instead, every food has spiritual properties as it has physical properties. The spiritual properties of non-kosher food are so corrosive to someone's soul that one should abstain from it as one would abstain from physically toxic foods. On the other hand, Kosher food is embedded with these spiritual properties that have Holiness and enhance our spirituality and soul. Similarly, with sexuality, there are spiritual properties in the relationship. When a man and woman come together under a chuppah their relationship is infused with Holiness and their home now has Godliness embedded in its walls. A sexual relationship outside the confines of the Chupa may consist of two consenting adults, but it falls way short of bringing Holiness into one's home. There are popular arguments for love and equality but Judaism subscribes to a higher value in sexuality, and that is Holiness. Just as in Kosher, there are spiritual properties with the sexual confines of relationship and we have a mandate to live within that higher realm.   There are so many different labels that are used to identify us today.  People sometimes struggle as to how to identify themselves within the Jewish community. I would humbly suggest going back to the original proposition of Judaism that G-d made to our ancestors and seek to embrace Holiness. Have a Peaceful Shabbos, Rabbi Yaakov Fisch

My Heart Is In The East

דרש רבי שמלאי מפני מה נתאוה משה רבינו ליכנס לא"י וכי לאכול מפריה הוא צריך או לשבוע מטובה הוא צריך אלא כך אמר משה הרבה מצות נצטוו ישראל ואין מתקיימין אלא בא"י אכנס אני לארץ כדי שיתקיימו כולן על ידי As Israel celebrates its Independence Day, Jews worldwide reflect on what Zion and Jerusalem mean to them. For thousands of years, we have concluded our Pesach Seder and Yom Kippur Service with the uplifting words of “Next Year in Jerusalem.” Under the chuppah, as a couple starts a new life together and their hearts are filled with joy, there is a practice of breaking a glass to demonstrate that their joy is incomplete as long as Jerusalem is not rebuilt. The Talmud (original is quoted above) questions why Moshe so desperately wanted to enter the Land of Israel. For forty years, Moshe encouraged and inspired the Jewish People not to give up hope about the promise that they would enter the Land of Israel. In heartbreaking irony, as everyone would be crossing the Jordan to enter the Promised Land, Moshe would die at the border and not make it into sacred territory. The Talmud probes why Moshe desperately wanted to enter the Land of Israel? Was it to taste the delicious fruits and vegetables? Anyone that has been to Israel knows that the quality of the fruits and vegetables is totally superior to anywhere else! The Talmud responds that Moshe had a burning desire to enter the Land of Israel as one can fulfill multiple more Mitzvahs in Israel than any place in the world. The deeper meaning behind Moshe’s quest was that the more Mitzvahs a person fulfills, that enhances his ability to connect with G-d in this world. Moshe was teaching all of us this fundamental truth in Judaism. The ideal place for a Jew to live and spend their time in this world is the Land of Israel. Whatever one feels about the Zionist movement and the State of Israel, it is clear to anyone with eyes and ears that we are witnessing a miracle in front of our eyes. The rebirth of Torah and religious life that is taking place in our ancient homeland would be a mere fantasy to our great grandparents just a few generations back. We hope and pray for the day when we will all return to a rebuilt Beis Hamikdash in Jerusalem. Until than, while we may be physically here, our hearts remain back in Israel.

Making the Most of Everyday

2020 was a strange year in many ways that needs no elaboration. Anecdotally, there was quite an unusual film that was produced at the end of 2020 by Disney called Soul. For decades, the same mass media and entertainment conglomerate that brought us Cinderella and the Beauty and the Beast now presented us with a compelling story that focused on having a neshama/soul and the meaning of life. It's an animated film about this high school teacher Joe Gardner, a pianist and middle school music teacher living in New York City, who dreams of playing jazz professionally. His mother Libba insists that he make his teaching job full time, fearing for his financial security. One day, Joe learns of an opening in the band of jazz legend Dorothea Williams and auditions at a music club. On his way there, he accidentally falls into a manhole and dies. As his soul leaves this world and goes to the next world, he learns that jazz and piano aren't the sole purposes for his existence. By being obsessed by his dreams' lack of success, he has forgotten how to live a fulfilled life and therefore lost that spark. Joe is ultimately given a second chance to come back to this world and declares, "this time, I'm going to live every minute of it."  There is an essential lesson in making the most of every day. Each day that we are fortunate to live and breathe is a blessing, and we would be wise to take advantage of it. I believe that is also an important message behind the Mitzvah to count the Omer every day between Pesach and Shavuos. It is not enough to count the days. We must make our days count. Every single day is precious that is not returning. We can accomplish so much in just one day. The blessing that we make before counting the Omer of, אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו על ספירת העומר The translation is we acknowledge G-d, who sanctified us by providing us with His mitzvos to count the Omer. When we recite the blessing, I suggest that we pause and reflect on the tremendous gift we merit to experience another day and commit to utilizing it in the best way possible. King David put it best when he said, זֶה־הַיּוֹם עָשָׂה ה' נָגִילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה בוֹ " This day G-d created, let us rejoice and be happy with it." Let us make the most of every day!