Israel at 75

"Palestine is desolate and unlovely. And why should it be otherwise? Can the curse of the Deity beautify a land? Palestine is no more of this work-day world. It is sacred to poetry and tradition – it is dream-land. The further we went the hotter the sun got, and the more rocky and bare, repulsive and dreary the landscape became…There was hardly a tree or a shrub any where. Even the olive and the cactus, those fast friends of a worthless soil, had almost deserted the country". Mark Twain , Innocents Abroad, 1867 כֹּה אָמַר יְיָ צְבָאוֹת עֹד יֵשְׁבוּ זְקֵנִים וּזְקֵנוֹת בִּרְחֹבוֹת יְרוּשָׁלָ ִם וְאִישׁ מִשְׁעַנְתּוֹ בְּיָדוֹ מֵרֹב יָמִים: וּרְחֹבוֹת הָעִיר יִמָּלְאוּ יְלָדִים וִילָדוֹת מְשַׂחֲקִים בִּרְחֹבֹתֶיהָ: There shall yet be old men and old women sitting in the broad places of Jerusalem, every man with his staff in his hand for every age. And the broad places of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the broad places thereof. (Zecharia 8:4) The description from Mark Twain about the Land of Israel referred to as Palestine, provides us with a snapshot of how Israel looked a mere 150 years ago. Then, it was desolate, depressing and projected the feeling of an abandoned country. It is with that context that one can appreciate the prophecy of Zecharia, who declared thousands of years ago that we, as a people, would return to our homeland after being in exile for a prolonged period. The mere thought of ever returning to our land, let alone having children playing in the streets, was sheer fantasy. The fantasy of the past has turned into the reality of today. Regardless of anyone's views on Zionism and how it intersects with the coming of the Mashiach, one cannot deny the modern-day miracle of the Jewish People returning to their ancient homeland. A hundred years ago, in 1922, there were under 84,000 Jews living in the Land of Israel. Today in 2023, there are over 7 million Jews in Israel!! Considering the entire Jewish population in the world is just about 15 million, Israel currently has more than half of the global Jewish population. The number of Jews worldwide, including in the United States, continue to decline for various reasons, and assimilation is the most prominent factor. The numbers in Israel continue to grow in the opposite direction as more and more Jews worldwide are finding their way back to their ancestral homeland. On a spiritual level, it is estimated today that there are over 3000 yeshivas or centers for advanced Jewish learning. The Mir Yeshiva alone has over 9,200 students and over 800 students in its largest daily shiur. In addition, there are countless shuls and minyan factories in every city, town, and neighborhood. The proliferation of Judaism and Jewish life is nothing less than breathtaking and miraculous. Recent events have highlighted the divisions that exist within Israeli society over proposed judicial reforms. No doubt, this is unsettling as people tend to focus on issues that divide one another and not the things that unite us. The Achilles heel of the Jewish People has been our inability to focus on the things that unite us. Hopefully, cooler heads will prevail and this controversy works itself out without too much collateral damage. Another thing to ponder is that while one cannot be naive about some tension and controversy between religious and secular factions in Israel, it's important to note the universal Jewish character of the modern Jewish state. For example, El Al does not fly on Shabbos or Yom Tov since it was state-owned for years, and the state prohibited it from operating on these holy days. Now, that is many days to give up revenue and forfeit customers to your competition. A company or country can only do that if they have values; in this case, there is a country that has a value for Shabbos. I am sure someone will be able to point out many unsavory things about the Israeli government and establishment. Still, on this particular day, I am forever grateful to G-d for increasing the Jewish population in Eretz Yisroel from 84,000 to 7 million in the last century and for bringing His children home. Have a Peaceful Shabbos, Rabbi Yaakov Fisch

A Win for Jewish Education in Florida

With a steady diet of depressing events in our daily news feed, we have become worn out and disillusioned. As the global village shrinks, we hear about painful and tragic events more quickly. There is also a near disbelief that anything positive and helpful can emerge from any government entity. With all that in the background, I think a really historic and positive event for the Jews living in Florida may have been overlooked. I am, of course, referring to the recently passed Universal School Choice that was passed this month by a majority in the Florida House and Senate and signed into law by the Governor. Starting this coming school year, Florida students in K-12 schools will be eligible to receive approximately $8,000 to use towards tuition and other educational expenses, with no income eligibility requirements. Regardless of anyone’s political leanings or philosophies, the elected officials, including the Governor, deserve our gratitude for this seismic change for Jewish living in Florida. The significance of this development and its impact on our community cannot be overstated. As one of the biggest challenges in modern American Jewish life is the affordability of Jewish Day School tuition, this law will go a long way in mitigating this near crisis for any family that desires a Jewish education. Jacksonville is known for many quality public schools that are free of charge to any student. It’s hard for any school to compete with a product offered for free by a competitor. It’s not unusual for an Orthodox Jewish family with just a few children to spend over $50,000 (after-tax dollars) per year on private school tuition. It’s also important to note that it costs more to educate a student than even full tuition paid by some parents. Most Jewish schools in Florida invest at least $15,000 per student; in many schools, even full tuition does not cover that expense. This results in large deficits at the outset of the school year and puts enormous pressure on the fundraising infrastructure of the Jewish schools. While the passage of Universal School Choice will not solve every financial issue related to Jewish school affordability, it will go a long way to assisting families and our schools statewide. It will no longer be an option for someone to choose not to send their children to a Jewish school because of affordability. In an era of increasing challenges on the macro and micro levels, it’s essential to pause and celebrate this victory for our community. Have a Peaceful Shabbos, Rabbi Yaakov Fisch

Why Keep Kosher

Hey Rabbi, I'm in Trader Joe's, and I see they just got this new cool organic seaweed product, and it's all the rage on Twitter. The only thing is that it has a Hechsher that appears to be the Vaad of the Mariana Islands. I researched it online, and there is a mixed review on the acceptability of the symbol. Please advise.  This question is (more or less) a fairly common one that I receive at least weekly. Gone are the days when kosher certification meant looking at several Manischewitz products in the local supermarket aisle. The OU (Orthodox Union) Kosher itself is the world's largest and most widely recognized kosher certifying agency, with over 1,261,754 products produced in more than 3,000 plants located in 103 countries around the world. That is just one kosher certifying agency in the world! There are dozens of agencies all over the world, including our very own Gesher K agency based in Jacksonville. One can now find a gourmet kosher meal on par with any cuisine in any space, from the Whitehouse to the most elegant restaurant and cruiseliner. The prominent publication of The Wine Spectator routinely lists Israeli (kosher) wine as some of the top 100 wines in the world! As the kosher industry continues to advance more than ever, it's important to pause and reflect on the true nature of the reason to adhere to Kosher dietary observances.  This week's Parsha provides an insight into this fundamental aspect of observant Jewish life.  כִּ֣י ׀ אֲנִ֣י ה' הַֽמַּעֲלֶ֤ה אֶתְכֶם֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם לִהְיֹ֥ת לָכֶ֖ם לֵאלֹהִ֑ים וִהְיִיתֶ֣ם קְדֹשִׁ֔ים כִּ֥י קָד֖וֹשׁ אָֽנִי׃  For I am Hashem, the One who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God: you shall be holy, for I am holy. In essence, the reason to maintain a Kosher diet is for us to retain our holy spirit within us. As the Rabbis explain, just as foods have physical properties, they also have spiritual properties. The physical properties can be viewed in a lab: calories, fat, carbs, etc. The spiritual properties cannot be viewed in a lab but are nonetheless present. The spiritual properties that are productive and conducive to spiritual growth are referred to in the Torah as "Tahor." The spiritual properties that are corrosive and toxic to our spiritual growth are referred to as tamei or impure. Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato writes in his famed Mesilas Yesharim the consequences of not adhering to kosher dietary laws: "The forbidden foods bring spiritual contamination in a person's heart and soul so that the holiness of G-d, blessed be He, departs and withdraws from him".  The next time you are strolling down the aisle in your local grocery store and you out a product with a kosher symbol in the cart, you are not just doing a mitzvah. Instead, you declare within yourself a desire to be holy. Have a Peaceful Shabbos, Rabbi Yaakov Fisch

The cost of Internal Strife

The most effective BDS campaign targeting Israel may be unfolding before our very own eyes. The objective of the adversaries of Israel with BDS has had limited success. Still, the current kneecapping of Israel in the realm of security, economy, and diplomacy is going full throttle. In the greatest of sad ironies, this campaign has emerged internally from a growing number of Israeli Jews. Fueled by the dissatisfaction with the proposed judicial reform by the majority of elected representatives in the Israeli Knesset, this opposition has morphed into a force that is undermining the foundations on which Israel rests.  To be clear, I am not arguing in favor of judicial reforms. I am observing that there have already been consequences that have been harmful to Israel, and who knows how far this can unravel. Recently, a political opponent of the Israeli Prime Minister called upon the allies of Israel to boycott the elected leader of Israel. The PM of Israel visited the UK in London, and upon his arrival at 10 Downing was heckled by Israelis, declaring, "everyone knows that Bibi is a criminal!"  Some hi-tech companies have chosen to take their funds and assets out of Israel and relocate to countries that include Spain and Portugal. A few centuries after Jews were burned to death for not abandoning their faith and accepting Christianity, some Jews are choosing to return there because they do not like the judicial reform proposals in Israel. Most damaging is the refusal of many reservists in the IDF to serve. In normal circumstances, this would be treated as insubordination, but now some are reacting as if these soldiers are heroes for threatening not to serve. Israel's neighborhood has enemies that wish to destroy the Jewish State regardless of how judges are nominated. On the diplomatic stage, the leadership has been upbraided by its allies. Consider the following. French President Emmanuel Macron told the Israeli PM that Israel risks disconnecting itself from democracy if it pursues the planned judicial reform. Macron apparently had no issues lecturing Bibi, even though he chose this month to bypass French Parliament to force through a highly unpopular bill raising the retirement age in France. The UN has weighed in and declared that the reforms would drastically undermine the rule of law in Israel. This statement was especially rich coming from the UN Human Rights Council, which has autocratic and repressive regimes among its ranks. Who can blame the world for such a reaction when a growing number of Israelis publicly declare for the world to hear that Israel is turning into a dictatorship?  As Pesach is celebrated this week, it is worth remembering one of the main lessons of this season. An individual could not bring the Pesach offering. It must be brought as a group. Therefore, one had to seek out other people and connect with the group in order to celebrate Pesach. The larger idea is that we as a people must realize that despite our differences, we are one people and our similarities outweigh our differences. Our adversaries, historically and today, make no distinction as to which party one vote for or what one feels about the Israeli Supreme Court. There was a heartwarming anecdote that gives me some hope. The protestors opposing the reforms arrived in Bnei Brak, a predominantly Orthodox city, to demonstrate and challenge the residents on this contentious issue. What happened next, however, nobody expected.  The city's Orthodox Jews greeted the demonstrators with drinks and warm cholent, Jewish music was played, people danced, and the demonstrators' reacted positively to the overtures. It was the first time for many of those present that they met people who opposed their own lifestyle. Orthodox and progressives finally spoke to one another. It just took a bowl of cholent and some music to break down the barriers.  As we are on the cusp of Pesach, it may be worthwhile to recall the heartwarming story that occurred in Bnei Brak. The alternative path of division and discord will yield a price that will be unbearably painful to bear. Have a Peaceful Shabbos, Rabbi Yaakov Fisch

Will You Answer the Haggadah?

We begin this week not only with a new parsha but a new sefer as we begin to read from the Book of Vayikra (Leviticus). It opens up with the words ``Vayikra el Moshe” or “ And He Called to Moshe.” Many of the commentaries have pointed out that though it’s evident from the text that G-d called out to Moshe, it doesn’t explicitly say so as it typically does in other textual settings. The Nesivos Shalom quotes the Midrash that a heavenly voice emanates from Mount Sinai daily and exhorts the Jewish people to repentance. He questions this by asking why we can’t hear this voice emanating from Sinai, and if we can’t hear it, what’s the point of it being declared? He writes the following profound idea. There is spiritual energy being released in the world daily. Some of us make a choice to capitalize on these sparks and internalize them into our souls. This enables us to embark on a journey of self-improvement in this world and allows our soul to connect to G-d in this finite and temporary world through meaningful Torah study, heartfelt prayer, and practicing acts of kindness. Unfortunately, some of us take a look at these spiritual sparks and even experience the spiritual energy that originates from Sinai and just take a pass for whatever reason. These souls lie dormant and become atrophied and dehydrated. In life a person needs to feel as if they are being filled with purpose. Otherwise, they will feel the need to fill that void in unhelpful and negative ways. There is a powerful phrase in our Shabbos liturgy mentioned, and that is שבענו מטובך.  This is translated as “satisfy us from your goodness”. Judaism is enriching as it allows a person to become filled with holiness and Godliness in an otherwise mundane world. An individual that can utilize these opportunities to connect will be satisfaction and purpose in life. The reason we pray for  שבענו מטובך is we realize the stakes if one does not satisfy ourselves with the goodness of our faith.  We continue to be presented with opportunities to fill our souls with enriching faith. Moshe heard that call over three thousand years ago. That call continues to reach us in our daily lives. So we have to ask ourselves the hard question of how we are answering that call. Have a Peaceful Shabbos, Rabbi Yaakov Fisch

A New Season Has Arrived

The Pesach season begins to go into high gear with the arrival of Rosh Chodesh Nissan. This date does not merely signal the arrival of the month that Pesach finds itself in or that Pesach is two weeks away. Rosh Chodesh Nissan is significant in its own right. In fact, the Haggadah entertains a possibility that the Mitzvah of retelling the story of the Exodus should take place not on Pesach but two weeks earlier on Rosh Chodesh Nissan. What would be the rationale for observing the core Mitzvah of Pesach two weeks before the Yom Tov begins? Is there any other Yom Tov with the core Mitzvahs observed two weeks before it starts? The basis for this conversation is our tradition's appreciation for the month of Nissan. The Mishkan was inaugurated in the desert on the first of Nissan. The date was not a coincidence in scheduling. The purpose of the Mishkan was for the Jewish People to have a central house of worship in which they could connect to God’s presence. According to Rashi, the mandate to construct the Mishkan was immediately after Yom Kippur in the aftermath of the debacle of the Golden Calf. Over 40 days, Moshe engaged in intense prayer, and on the tenth of Tishrei, G-d responded with the words, I have forgiven. The following morning, the campaign to construct the Mishkan began. The purpose of this campaign was not only to build a structure but also to restore the Divine Presence in the Jewish Community. The construction was completed in the month of Kislev, but the Mishkan was only inaugurated on the first of Nissan. This date was not chosen by accident but rather carefully selected. The Rabbis have taught that different dates have not only different meanings but also have various spiritual manifestations in this world. As the Torah states about the First of Nissan, This Month is the First of All Months for You. The First of Nissan represents this powerful spiritual manifestation in this world where the Jewish People become a Nation. This date is so auspicious because it ushers the first stages of freedom to a beleaguered nation that was subjugated to foreign rule. As we learn throughout the Haggadah, authentic freedom is the ability to live with meaning and purpose and not be subject to the will of other entities. Since the First of Nissan was such a turning point in our history, it is no wonder that the Haggadah entertains the notion that we should begin retelling the story of the Exodus on the First of Nissan. Although the debate concludes that we start this Mitzvah on Pesach night and not on Rosh Chodesh Nissan, the process of preparing for this season begins as the month of Nissan begins. It is time to contemplate the question of what freedom means to you. Have a Peaceful Shabbos, Rabbi Yaakov Fisch

Building a Foundation

No donation is too big, and no donation is too small. Every organization that needs to fundraise to operate has lived by this statement in one way or another. With some donors, the message needs to be that we appreciate every donation, no matter how small. With other donors, the message needs to be that we need more significant gifts to sustain and fuel the organization's success.  With that in mind, the beginning of our Parsha teaching us about the obligation to contribute to Machtzis Hashekel/ Half Shekel is quite bizarre. The Torah states that a wealthy person may not increase his contribution, and the poor may not ask for a scholarship. This defies any conventional fundraising that seeks to maximize donations from the affluent and will give the folks with limited means a break. (There was an additional reason for contributing a half shekel as that would indicate the population's size, which might explain the half shekel. Nonetheless, there might be another way to conduct a census without everyone contributing a half shekel!) It's instructive to note that the contributions of the silver half-shekel coins were applied to the making of the sockets or אדנים. The sockets had two openings in which the planks or קרשים were placed. These sockets were essentially functioning as the foundation of the Mishkan as it was literally upholding the Mishkan. There is a profound lesson on community building that can be learned from the lesson of the Half Shekel contributions. When it comes to any area of Jewish communal life, one should contribute according to their means. However, when laying down a foundation for the community, all must be equal participants. If only the more affluent people contribute, then those with more limited means will not be as invested. Everyone needs to have "skin in the game". The Torah teaches that giving and sharing our financial resources with a worthy cause is an opportunity for the donor as he has the ability to have the mitzvah of helping others. As the Talmud teaches, G-d could have easily provided for all the needy directly. He created this paradigm of donors and recipients for the donor to have the opportunity to give. This applies in all areas of Tzedaka but especially when creating a foundation for the community. Times may have changed but the lesson of the half-shekel is more pertinent than ever. Have a Peaceful Shabbos, Rabbi Yaakov Fisch