Just do good

In a somewhat bizarre incident, Yosef brings his two sons Menashe and Ephraim to his ailing father’s bedside for a final parting and for the two young grandchildren to get a blessing from their sage grandfather. Yaakov stuns Yosef when he places his right hand on the second brother Ephraim and his left hand on the firstborn son Menashe. This is met with resistance from Yosef, who not so gently reminds his elderly father that Menashe is the firstborn and thus deserving to have the right hand placed on him. (This is somewhat ironic considering that Yosef who was not the firstborn was considered the preferred son and now he is taking offense that his firstborn son was not receiving his due honor). What was it about Yaakov’s insistence that Ephraim is the recipient of the preferred bracha? Not only that, but Yaakov designated the gold standard of blessings should be “ May G-d make you like Ephraim and Menashe” -- why was it so important that Ephraim precedes Menashe ? The Nesivos Shalom writes based on a famous verse in Tehillim/Psalms: סור מרע ועשה טוב /Desist from Evil and Perform Good. This is the formula that King David taught us toward the path of character development and improvement. First and foremost, it is important to desist from wrongdoing and only then to engage in mitzvah or good deeds. The only problem with that approach is that a person can always be busy with desisting wrongdoing and never get to perform one mitzvah or good deed -- for who can actually say that I have no baggage left in the closet and now I am free to pursue mitzvahs and good deeds? One of the best ways to desist from wrongdoing is to just do a mitzvah or good deed. This is illustrated with the story of Menashe and Ephraim. In Parshas Mikeitz, it states the reason why Yosef named his two sons Menashe and Ephraim. His first son was named Menashe for as he put it “God has made me forget the toil”, in essence that is the value of desist from wrongdoing. His second son was named Ephraim for as he put it “G-d made me fruitful in the land of my affliction”. In essence, this is the value of Asei Tov/Doing a Mitzvah or good deed. That was the deeper message of Yaakov in his designation of his two grandsons. Although in an ideal world, it is important to first get away from wrongdoing it is imperative that one just perform a mitzvah or a good deed as activation energy. Have a Peaceful Shabbos, Rabbi Yaakov Fisch

Seek to understand then be understood

“If I were to summarize in one sentence the single most important principle I have learned in the field of interpersonal relations, it would be this: Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” This is one of the fundamental teachings of Stephen Covey. It is also the fifth habit in his famous book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. If you’re like most people, you probably seek first to be understood; you want to get your point across. And in doing so, you may ignore the other person completely, pretend that you’re listening, selectively hear only certain parts of the conversation or attentively focus on only the words being said, but miss the meaning entirely. So why does this happen? Because most people listen with the intent to reply, not to understand. You listen to yourself as you prepare in your mind what you are going to say, the questions you are going to ask, etc. You filter everything you hear through your life experiences, your frame of reference. You check what you hear against your autobiography and see how it measures up. And consequently, you decide prematurely what the other person means before he/she finishes communicating. Covey teaches us the supremely important value of truly trying to understand an opposing person’s position before attempting to convince someone else of your own opinion. I have long believed the Seven Habits of Covey are aligned with the wisdom found in the Torah. For example, in the Megilas Esther, when Esther sees Mordechai dressed in sackcloth, it was shocking and painful to view a loved one in such a compromising way. The message Esther sent to Mordechai was לָדַעַת מַה־זֶּה וְעַל־מַה־זֶּה This is translated as to know what this was and this was. I have wondered why the repetitive expression was necessary for Esther to get her point across! I believe she was applying the concept of seeking to understand before being understood. When you see something unusual and bizarre before rushing to judgment, it may be worthwhile to legitimately explore the reason for this viewpoint or practice. Unfortunately, when this does not occur, the consequences can be nothing short of catastrophic. We don't have to go further than this week's Parsha to witness the relationship of Yosef and his brothers and the cost of not seeking to understand the others first. Indeed, so many people are estranged from parents, spouses, siblings, and other family members. It doesn’t have to be this way. It might be worth it to seek to understand before being understood. Have a Peaceful Shabbos, Rabbi Yaakov Fisch

Rising Inflation

People having frayed nerves about the economy is not a new thing. Government officials attempting to bring solutions forward is also an ancient practice. "A chicken in every pot and a car in every garage", declared a presidential hopeful about a century ago. The declaration did not calm the masses, and the person was derided for the comment. Alas, with the economic advancement in the modern age, people have real concerns again about the economy, with record inflation being felt in all sectors of the economy. Reaching into your pocket and feeling some cash in your pocket doesn't elicit the same feeling of security as the dollars don't translate into the same buying power of a short time ago. Social Security beneficiaries will receive a 5.9% increase as the cost of living adjustment to keep up with the rising cost of living in America today. While I am not an economist as there are various factors for the worrisome trend in the economy, it is a worthy time to reflect on the importance of materialism in our lives. In this week's Parsha, Yaakov makes a heartfelt prayer to G-d as he is about to embark on a journey fraught with danger. Yaakov explicitly asks that he be granted the privilege of having "bread to eat and clothes to wear." It's important to note the simplicity associated with the request. There were no extravagant or grandiose expectations. In times of plenty, one doesn't think twice about clicking and ordering the latest " must-have" on Black Friday or Cyber Monday. The times that we find ourselves in should give us pause to reflect about the role of materialism in our lives. Have a Peaceful Shabbos, Rabbi Yaakov Fisch

The Gift of Shabbos

Throughout thousands of years in several different continents and tumultuous eras, the Jewish people strictly adhered to the Shabbos observance. Shabbos observance is unlike other mitzvahs in its importance and its seriousness to the life of a Jew. An individual that observes the laws of Shabbos is essentially subscribing to a fundamental tenet of Judaism. The basic article of faith is that G-d created this world in six days and rested on the seventh day. I would like to explore the meaning of G-d “resting” on the seventh day. Obviously, it cannot mean G-d was tired and fatigued from a challenging week at work in a way that us mortal beings get tired at the office. So what does it mean that G-d “rested”? Furthermore, why, just because God rested, should we all rest? There are plenty of things that an infinite, eternal, Al-Mighty G-d can do that mortal beings cannot even begin to dream of accomplishing!! Rashi in his commentary on the creation of the world in Berieshes states that after the six days of creation, the world was deficient of Menucha. At the onset of Shabbos, Menucha arrived as well. Menucha is traditionally understood to be rest, but applying the word rest in this context leaves something lacking in understanding. Our Rabbis have taught a profound interpretation into this passage. At the conclusion of the six days, G-d created a perfect physical world and was complete. It contained mountains and valleys, oceans and rivers and lions, tigers and bears! (oh my!) Although the world was complete in the physical realm, it still lacked in one major area. It lacked the spark of G-d’s existence and the intense manifestation of His presence. When Shabbos came, the world experienced an intense spiritual manifestation of His presence like no other time. This idea is expressed in the Kiddush we recite every Friday night in the words of תְּחִלָּה לְמִקְרָאֵי קֹֽדֶשׁ . This is translated as first to the holy gatherings or convocations. That is because this Shabbos experience was like no other in which the manifestation of G-d presence is present in our lives like no other time. For thousands of years, the Jewish People have been at the brink of survival, and it is not an exaggeration to say that it is in no small part to its commitment to Shabbos that allowed it to survive to this very day. A few years ago, the Chief Rabbi of South Africa started the Shabbos Project to share the gift of Shabbos with a wider group of our brothers and sisters who are not fortunate to regularly take advantage of regularly this treasure. Over the last few years, the Shabbos Project has exploded in popularity and we are fortunate to host a program in our community this year. The Jacksonville Kollel is hosting a phenomenal program tonight for the community and partnering with our shul tomorrow to bring this three thousand year plus gift to a wider audience of our Jewish brothers and sisters in Greater Jacksonville. There was a ton of effort and energy by many people that was invested in making this Shabbos Project, and on behalf of a grateful community and appreciative Klal Yisroel, I simply nod my head in gratitude. For all those invested in increasing the cause of Godliness in this world through the observance of Torah and Mitzvos-- it doesn’t get much better than this!!! Have a Peaceful Shabbos, Rabbi Yaakov Fisch

Oasis in the Storm

As we begin a new cycle of the weekly Torah reading, we are challenged to find any meaning and insights into narratives and stories that we have heard about for years and decades. This week’s Parsha of Noach is an excellent example of that. Any attendee of Hebrew school knows that Noach built an ark to save him, his family, and many animals from the destruction of the flood that G-d had unleashed into the world. Even Hollywood caught on a few years ago, releasing a blockbuster movie, Noah. Despite the rave reviews, it seems that consensus, as with most things the book is better than the movie! What then can we practically glean from the story of Noach building an ark to escape the flood? The Nesivos Shalom offers a fascinating insight into the eternal lesson of building an ark to find an escape from a flood. Figuratively speaking, our generation needs to find a respite from the ongoing bombardment of distractions that keep invading our space at every waking moment of the day. The stress that the season of COVID has added to our daily arena has only exacerbated an already tense reality. That is where I have come to appreciate Shabbos so much even more. Shabbos has been a day of rest for all of time, but arguably, our generation needs the rest of the holy Shabbos in more ways than ever before. Shabbos is a time not just for extra naps and rest but rather a time to be more connected to G-d and our families. It is also a special opportunity to become more in touch with ourselves as we go 25 hours with tweets, updates, and the latest breaking updates. Essentially, the gift of Shabbos is akin to leaving the stormy and treacherous waters that we are confronted with all week and enter an area of respite and reprieve. As we once again review the Parsha and learn about the ancient ark, let us be forever grateful for the eternal ark that we enter Friday evening at sundown. Have a Peaceful Shabbos, Rabbi Yaakov Fisch

It never gets old

What more can we learn that we have not known already? Who does not know that Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden fruit? Or that Cain and Abel had the first sibling rivalry in history? Or that Noah had to build an ark to protect himself from a catastrophic flood that would destroy civilization? These are fair questions as we once again begin the Torah reading cycle anew with Sefer Bereishis. How many times do we have to hear the same Parsha and pretend not to get bored? At least with the rest of the Torah, there are the various laws and Mitzvahs recorded, which is essential to review. However, Bereishis/ Genesis is devoted primarily to the Jewish People's story and how it came into being with our Patriarchs and Matriarchs. How many times do we have to hear the same stories? No less a formidable Biblical Commentator than Rashi poses the following question. I would like to paraphrase his answer with a story that occurred in London just over a hundred years ago. Chaim Weizmann (who later became the first president of modern Israel) met with Lord Balfour in England and lobbied for the British Government to recognize a Jewish Homeland. He was met with much resistance. It is well known that the British attempted to offer Uganda to the Jews as an alternative relocation site. Weizmann dismissed this offer and insisted there was no alternative to the Jewish Homeland but Eretz Yisroel. Balfour upbraided Weizmann for rejecting the Uganda offer. Weizmann responded, "Mr. Balfour, suppose I were to offer you Paris instead of London, would you take it?" But, Dr. Weizmann, "we already have London," replied the British Lord. "That is true, but we had Jerusalem when London was a marsh," concluded Dr. Weizmann. Balfour was moved to tears and later wrote that the road followed by a great and suffering nation had been illuminated for him". Rashi writes that it is essential for us to constantly review the Book of Berieshes/Genesis, as the nations of the world will accuse the Jews of improperly occupying the Land. If there is one cause that seems to unite different religions, faiths, and varied political stripes, it is that Israel is a nation of colonialists and occupiers. The United Nations General Assembly in 2020 had a total of 17 resolutions against the Jewish state versus six resolutions singling out any other country. The ongoing demonization has had a corrosive effect on the Jewish community as there are now multiple progressive Jewish organizations that openly challenge Israel's natural right to its ancient homeland. For this reason, Rashi teaches us we must review the story of our people and our Land on an annual basis. It never gets old. Have a Peaceful Shabbos, Rabbi Yaakov Fisch

Responsible for Each Other

The final Shabbos of the Jewish Calendar boasts one feature that does not change from year to year. We always read the Parsha of Nitzavim. What is it about this Parsha of a mere forty verses that make it required reading for the final Shabbos of every year? There are various fundamental themes in Judaism that include Free Will and Teshuva that are recorded in Nitzavim. I will highlight one central theme of the Parsha, which is necessary to internalize before bringing in the New Year. These words feature an unusual characteristic marking above the written words in the Torah. It has several dots above these words. Indeed, if you look into a Sefer Torah, you will see these dots above the words וְהַנִּגְלֹת לָנוּ וּלְבָנֵינוּ עַד־עוֹלָם. This is translated as the “revealed are to our children and us forever.” This is a continuation of the beginning of the verse  “ the hidden belongs to Hashem our G-d.” The deeper meaning here is that the private action of Man is under the purview of the Al-Mighty, for better or worse. However, what Man does in public is the responsibility of the Jewish Nation. The Rabbis have interpreted this to mean that we are responsible for one another. In Hebrew, this dictum is famous as כל ישראל ערבים זה לזה. The literal translation is that we are the guarantors of one another. The role of a guarantor carries great responsibility. It reflects a legal commitment for the borrower who committed a liability. The Chofetz Chaim writes that if a guarantor sees the borrower act in a financially irresponsible maaner, he will be worried as ultimately he assumes responsibility. Similarly, the Chofetz Chaim wrote that if we see the majority of Jews estranged from Torah Judaism, then we bear the responsibility for that. It is unfortunate for us to shrug our shoulders when hearing about the deteriorating numbers of Jews engaged in Judaism. It’s incumbent for every one of us to be the best ambassadors that we can be for G-d and Torah Judaism. The notion of being responsible and a guarantor has brought out the best in Jews over the years. We most recently witnessed it with the collapse of the Surfside towers. Immediately after the tragedy, a group of Israeli soldiers boarded a plane to travel to the other side of the world to assist in a most daunting challenge. That is being a guarantor to the highest degree. As we read the final Parsha of the year, it is a timely reminder that ultimately we are all in this together.  Have a Peaceful Shabbos, Rabbi Yaakov Fisch