Let's Keep Moving

 

Ki Teitzei – Ki Tavo – Nitzavim

These are the names of the three Torah portions we always read to close out the Jewish year.

Rabbi Moshe Avigdor Amiel, the chief rabbi of Antwerp and later of Tel Aviv, notes that these names provide a powerful message at the end of the year.

Ki Teitzei and Ki Tavo – we can come and go, but, in truth, “atem Nitzavim hayom kulchem lifnei Hashem Elokeichem,” we are always standing before God. Wherever we may be and no matter how far away we may go, we always return. Year after year, we come back to the shul, to the same place, to continue our relationship with God and with our millennia old tradition.

These names also correspond quite well with the time on the calendar on which they are read.

As the summer draws to a close, we read Ki Teitzei, as people head out on one last vacation, one last breath of fresh air. Afterwards comes Ki Tavo, as people come back home. Next comes Nitzavim, as people firmly take their places in school and shul and resume their routines.

This year, we also read Vayelech before Rosh Hashanah. It fits in nicely with Rav Amiel’s theme as it symbolizes our need to stride forward and walk purposefully into the New Year.

Nitzavim – Vayelech: We must stand before we can walk.

Rabbi Shlomo Yosef Zevin, a prominent and unique Eastern European-born Jewish scholar who spent the second half of his life in Israel, explains the word nitzav as remaining resolute and strong b’komah zekufah, with a straight posture. Actions should never just occur. They must be infused with a specific sense of purpose. The key to Rosh Hashanah is to stand up and resolve to make specific decisions.

At the same time, we’ll only have a successful New Year if we keep moving. We cannot remain nitzavim, standing in place, tethered to what happened this past year for good or for not so good. It is not enough to be resolute in our desire to better or strongly declare our good intentions. We need vayelech - to get busy moving forward.

Judaism is an ever-changing, evolving, dynamic experience.

Water is a powerful symbol in Judaism because it represents life and movement. We reference mayim chaim, living waters, and ma’ayan mitgabeir, an overpowering spring. King Solomon writes (Mishlei 18:4), “The words a man speaks are deep waters, a flowing stream, a fountain of wisdom.” The Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, “No man ever steps in the same river twice. For it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” Jewish living ebbs and flows, slows down and speeds up, and can be choppy or tranquil.

Jewish law is called “halakhah,” which literally means to walk or travel along a path. “Mutar” means permissible and also released or untied. Something “asur” is forbidden, while the world also means bound or tied. We navigate the path of Jewish life. Sometimes, the way is open, and sometimes the path is blocked. Sometimes, Judaism feel like a small, narrow path, and sometimes it’s a multilane highways with plenty of room to maneuver.

In recent years, the term “off the derech” has been used to describe individuals who stray from observance, the right derech or way of life. I think the term is wrong. Everyone is on a derech, on their own path. We just need to keep moving.

An alumnus of a prominent university returned to campus years after graduation for the chance to meet the university president who was in office when he was a student.

This particular individual had done well for himself. As he was introduced to the now elderly president, he took him aside and said, “Sir, I will be forever grateful to you for the words you whispered to me on my graduation day as you handed me my diploma. Over the course of my life there have been ups and there have been downs and thank God things have turned out all right for me. But in the dark moments, it was the wisdom you shared with me that day that has sustained me throughout.”

The university president was at a loss. He turned to the man saying, “Son, I am humbled by your kindness, but I have presided over decades of college graduations, every graduation with thousands of graduates. I have handed more diplomas to more people than I can count. Embarrassed as I may be, I must admit, I don’t remember. Please tell me – I need to know – what was it that I said to you?”

The man looked at him and replied, “You said to me, ‘Keep moving.’”

There has been a lot that took place in 5784 that is difficult to overcome. We are still mired in the aftermath of October 7. There is tremendous pain and sorrow along with a lot of uncertainty. We cannot ignore what happened, but we cannot remain standing in place defined by the difficulties of the past year. We will resolve to move forward.

May we be up for the challenge to resolve how to live our best, true lives for ourselves and for others and keep moving forward.

Lord, Get Us High!

Ishay Ribo in concert at Madison Square Garden, Spetember 15, 2024

It’s not the most complicated Shlomo Carlebach song – and, considering its folk, hippie origins, it has a certain innuendo to it. The song, originally composed for a wedding that took place in Golden Gate Park with the words “Yasis alayich Elokayich,” describes the aspiration to connect in a genuine way with God and people in a better world.

“Lord get me high, get me high, get me high. Lord get me high, get me higher. (2x)
Higher and higher, higher and higher, higher and higher and higher. (2x)”

I was thinking about soaring spiritual heights while attending Ishay Ribo’s sold-old Madison Square Garden concert on Sunday night. Together with 15,000 Jews (I’m guessing only members of the tribe would have paid those prices to attend!), we sang, prayed, swayed, and danced.

The attendees came from all different communities, affiliations, and religious backgrounds. There was a palpable energy in the room whenever Ishay mentioned Israel, the IDF, wounded soldiers, bereaved families, or, Israel’s ultimate victory. When the spotlight shone on Ronen and Orna Neutra, whose son Omer is one of the hostages, it felt like the entire audience was embracing them together.

Ribo began the concert quoting from the sefer (Torah book) he is currently studying about how there is tremendous koach ha-tzibbur, spiritual energy when many Jews come together. The assembled congregation heard lyrics such as “Rak Lecha – Only to You, Lord” and “Ein lanu Melech ela Ata – We only have You, Lord, as our King.” Ishay led everyone in the prayer “Ana Hashem hoshiah na – Please, God, save us!” and asked everyone in the arena to commit to speak less lashon ha-ra (gossip). The last words sung that evening were “Baruch shem kevod malchuto l'olam va'ed - blessed is the name of God’s glorious kingdom forever and ever.”

All in all, a pretty frum, religiously uplifting evening.

Ishay Ribo is one of a growing number of Israeli singers whose soulful songs are growing in popularity with religious and secular Jews alike. Not all the singers are religious, but the religious themes have become wildly popular.

From the songs to the prayers to the onstage persona with his tzitzit visibly out, Ishay is particularly soulful and religious. In a New York Times article last year, he mentioned that he envisioned his melodies might sound like Coldplay, the popular British rock band, but his lyrics “would be about God and faith.” The songs resonated more than he could imagine. In 2021, “Sibat Hasibot,” a song about God as the Cause of all, was the most played song on Israeli radio stations, religious and secular alike. “I never imagined I’d play to this kind of crowd,” he said after one concert. A decade ago, he said, “This kind of crowd just didn’t really exist.” Now, he has sold out the Garden twice.

All of this popularity of genuinely Jewish music today is response to the Jewish soul’s desire to rise. Shlomo Carlebach would call it “Lord, get me high.” I call it elevational. The Jewish soul naturally strives to ascend.

It’s a blessing.

This week, we read the tochecha, the blessings and the curses. Tucked into the blessings is one that, on its surface, may not seem all that special. 

וְהָיִיתָ רַק לְמַעְלָה וְלֹא תִהְיֶה לְמָטָּה

“You will only be up, and you shall not be below.” (Devarim 28:13)

What exactly is the blessing of being up?

Rabbi Ezriel Hildesheimer, a leading 19^th century Modern Orthodox German Rabbi, explains that this blessing emphasizes the Jew’s gravitational pull towards spirituality. When we do our best to act like Jews, follow mitzvot, and connect with God and others, then we will feel uplifted, inspired, and elevated. That’s a tremendous blessing.

The natural state for a Jew is to connect to a higher purpose, something beyond ourselves. Living our most authentic Jewish lives is the pathway towards the blessing of being up.

Over and again, we discuss Judaism as a quest for being holy. What does it mean to be boly? Rabbi Chaim Vital, the famed Kabbalist and student of the Arizal, taught:

“A holy person is one who has opened themself up to holiness. A holy place is a place which draws people looking for holiness. A holy time is a time that awakens or invites us to holiness.”

Being open to holiness, to growth, and to the soul are the first steps towards acquiring the blessing of elevation. When people mention the pintele Yid, the spark of the Jewish soul, they are referring to just this openness. A non-observant Jew once noted, “I do not know why, but whenever I drive through an observant Jewish neighborhood, I feel a gravitational pull.” Somehow, the Chasidic Jew or the kosher restaurant or the Orthodox experience exudes a more authentic Jewish air.

We live in a world where so much seems to be dragging us down. The past 11 months in Israel have been a huge strain on our positive energy as so many thousands have been impacted, pained, and bereaved. Here in America, there is more and more Jew hatred and overall negativity. (Did you know there’s an election soon?) It would be very easy to just get sucked down into the negativity. Instead, we should follow our innate spiritual natures upwards.

Shlomo Carlebach, Ishay Ribo, the Shabbat table, the High Holidays, supporting Israel, praying for the hostages, performing acts of kindness and just being Jewish are all pathways to this elevated experience and the blessing of being up.

Lord, get us high!

Listen to Your Yeitzer Ha-Ra

It is a mitzvah like no other.

“If you go out to war against your enemies, and the Lord, your God, will deliver them into your hands, and take captives. And you see among the captives a beautiful woman, and you desire her. You may take her as a wife.” (Devarim 21:10-11)

This is the mitzvah of eishet yefat to’ar, the captive bride, Mitzvah #532 in the Sefer Ha-Chinuch.

Really?! It is true that there are very specific guidelines attached to the permissibility of such a captive bride, and the Sages struggle to explain the order of events. No one is encouraging such an eventuality, but the very possibility raises eyebrows. Does this treatment of captives correspond to the Torah’s moral code? Should a vanquished woman be forced to marry her captor against her will? It is a strange mitzvah indeed.

The traditional response to these questions is found in Kiddushin 21b: “Lo dibra Torah ela k’neged yetzer ha-ra – the Torah is relating in this situation to a person’s evil inclination.” In effect, expected behavior takes a back seat to desire. How can this be?! As Rabbi Yair Kahn of Yeshivat Har Etzion puts it:

“Isn’t the Torah a blueprint for the redemption of man? Isn’t the purpose of the mitzvoth to help the individual control their desires and lead a moral life? Wouldn’t it be more appropriate for the Torah to encourage one who encounters the beautiful captive to overcome the carnal desire? Why do our Sages suggest that the Torah allows us to give in?”

Lo dibra Torah ela k’neged yetzer ha-ra recognizes the reality of human frailty.

We are human beings. Permission to marry the captive bride is an accommodation to human weakness. It is a singular acknowledgment that our desires can get the better of us.

At the same time, it comes with a warning. No good comes out of this union. The Talmud states that marrying the yefat to’ar will lead to a dysfunctional family and, ultimately, a ben sorer u’moreh, the rebellious child. We are warned about the danger, but it is still allowed. Why? The dangers serve as motivation to fight even if technically we are allowed to give in.

Rabbi Michael Rosensweig of Yeshiva University writes:

“[T]he Torah communicates through the halachot of yefat toar that one must strive mightily to maintain halachic standards and perspective even in the most challenging environments and circumstances. While conceding man's spiritual frailty… our ultimate goal is to attain authentic kedushah (holiness)…”

Sometimes, we may grudgingly listen to our yetzer ha-ra and give in to our desires. It may be allowed, but it is not ideal. It is the exception that is meant to guide us back to following the rules.

The captive bride demonstrates the very real struggle of being human. We know what we are supposed to do. Sometimes, we face temptation. Ideally, we resist. We understand there are limits. There may also be consequences. But…sometimes the desire is too strong, and we transgress. Hopefully, we do better next time.

This is the “conversation of the evil inclination” the Torah describes with this episode.

OK. We’re human. We struggle. We make mistakes. We fall, and we get back up again. Why teach this lesson specifically using the eishet yefat to’ar? The details of the captive bride are mind boggling. After all the explanations, one word still comes to my mind: Really?!? How would we respond to a real-life implementation of this mitzvah. Even if it could not happen today, I have always wondered if such a case was ever confronted. Let’s say it happened. How would we respond? I know how I would respond: That’s preposterous!

Eishet yefat to’ar is presented as a cautionary tale that no sin should be unfathomable. Lo dibra Torah ela k’neged yetzer ha-ra. The evil inclination is real, and sometimes it wins. Do not be surprised by what people are capable of doing. 

Our contemporary reality proves this. This past year, we have witnessed the pure evil of innocents slaughtered and ripped from their families. We have seen American students wave Hamas flags. We have seen supposed friends and allies refuse to acknowledge the crimes committed against the innocent. The Torah warned us about this. The yetzer ha-ra is evil. We ignore ours – and its power over others – at our own peril.

Listening to the yetzer ha-ra is relevant as the High Holidays approach, and we are tasked with reflecting on our actions and decisions. The sins we see or hear about or commit are reminders and cautionary tales of how easy it is for anyone to act in surprisingly terrible ways. If eishet yefat to’ar can occur, how much more so, must we pay attention to the mistakes we are capable of and those made by others.

Let’s listen to the yetzer ha-ra. Just as heeding it can be responsible for unfathomable mistakes and lows, taking heed and acting positively can propel us and those around us to unfathomable heights in the coming New Year.

Chasing Tzedek

This week has us screaming for justice.

On Sunday, we were shattered by the news of the six hostages murdered just before IDF troops reached them. Throughout the week, we saw images and heard reports of how much our enemies hate us. Our kids are back on campuses where rules against hate-speech and interfering with students are not enforced. Institutions we think we can trust do nothing or even pile on the hatred. A doctoral student at Columbia University, who was roundly mocked for demanding "humanitarian aid" for the students who broke into and occupied a building on campus in April, is teaching a class in that same building this fall – a class which all undergraduates are required to take in order to receive a diploma. Yesterday, the Portland, Maine, city council voted to divest from companies doing business with Israel.

All these developments are painful, frustrating, and dispiriting. Where is the justice?

While there are no easy solutions, we must chase after tzedek.

“Tzedek tzedek tirdofe – Tzedek, tzedek shall you pursue.” (Devarim 16:20).

Tzedek is most often translated as “justice.” I believe justice doesn’t do justice to the word “tzedek.”

Tzedek means to act honestly, uprightly, and charitably to fill a void. An act of tzedek may be to punish the criminal or speak and deal honestly or to give to the needy. “Give a little tzedakah!”

The Torah repeats the word “tzedek” because there are many types of injustice that require our attention. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” There are many wrongs that need righting, and one size of “justice” does not resolve all of them.

It is not within our power to set everything right, but that doesn’t mean there is nothing for us to do. Rav Kook, whose yahrzeit is today (3 Elul), noted:

“The pure and righteous do not complain about wickedness: they increase righteousness. They do not complain about heresy: they increase faith. They do not complain about ignorance: they increase wisdom.” (Arpilai Tohar, pp. 27–28)

We cannot sit back and let injustice get the better of us. We respond with acts of goodness, kindness, justice, and we speak up loudly for Israel and our community. That is Tzedek.

The Torah commands us to pursue tzedek with the word “tirdofe,” which literally means to run or chase. Pursuing tzedek by acting honestly, justly, and generously is a race. When it comes to running, people run at different paces and can run for different distances. The pursuit of tzedek is a different “race” for each issue and each person. We may not finish. What is important, though, is for each of us to get in the race. We cannot sit on the sidelines.

There is another type of tzedek to pursue.

Tzedek is the root for tzaddik, the righteous or accomplished individual. “Tzedek tzedek tirdofe” requires of us each to be the best we can be and seek out the tzaddik in ourselves and others. There’s no guarantee we’ll “catch” that tzaddik, but we need to try.

Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach was a great Torah scholar and posek. He had an amazingly warm and kind personality which endeared him to all. When he would see a car drive by on Shabbat, which, being Israel, was very likely being driven by a Jew, would shout out, “Mazal tov!” Why? He figured that a Jew driving must be heading to the hospital for a good reason like the birth of a child.

Reb Shlomo Zalman was fulfilling the mitzvah of “tzedek tzedek tirdofe,” chasing after the righteousness in others. We should do the same and seek the righteousness within and within others.

There is a lot of injustice surrounding us, and tzedek to pursue everywhere. The Torah doesn’t tell us to catch justice; we are commanded to pursue it and seek it even if we cannot achieve it. As we begin the month of Elul, it’s time for each of us to open our eyes, our minds, and our hearts, put on our “tzedek shoes,” and join the race for justice, honesty, integrity, charity, aspiring for righteousness and seeing it in others.

The race is on. On your mark, get set, go!

Hostages Murdered, a Torah Dedicated, Rosh Chodesh Elul & Displaying Jewish Pride

On Rosh Chodesh Elul, we heard the first shofar blasts setting the tone for this month of getting into a High Holiday mindset. It’s a time for introspection, improvement, and preparing to move forward.

What is our avodah at this time? What should our Jewish response be?

It has been an unprecedented year. Eleven months later, we are still living with the effects of October 7. Sometimes, it feels like nothing changes. Often, I am literally reading the same headlines day in and day out – “Israel bombs Lebanon,” “Hezbollah fires rockets at northern Israel,” “Hostage negotiations reach critical phase,” and “Protestors on campus support Hamas, block Jewish students.” There is, of course, good news as well. Babies have been born, couples get married, and Israel won more medals than ever at the Olympics.

As we reach the end of one year and the start of another, we must be more vigilant in showing and living our Jewish identities.

On Sunday morning, we woke up to the devastating news that six Israeli hostages were murdered by Hamas just days before IDF troops reached them. 

Ori Danino, age 25
Carmel Gat, age 40
Hersh Goldberg-Polin, age 23
Alexander Lobanov, age 32
Almog Sarusi, age 27
Eden Yerushalmi, age 24

For 331 days, we had prayed and demanded their safe return together with all the hostages. Every day, we mention their names, tell their stories, and watch their families heroically struggle for their release. In particular, the story of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an American citizen, has resonated deeply. Hersh became the face of all the hostages for many in the US as his parents, Rachel Goldberg and Jon Polin, crisscrossed the globe and spoke to anyone and everyone who would listen in a powerful and dignified manner. (I met with them at the end of October in the beginning of their crusade.)

On Sunday morning, so many of us felt broken and shattered.

On Sunday morning, hundreds celebrated the completion of a new Torah dedicated by the Linsenbaum family. It was a joyous affair as the Torah was danced through the streets. There was music and singing. There were flags for the children. We had Korn’s Torah Truck, the experts in Torah dedication accoutrements. Police kept the streets clear of traffic as the entire procession followed the new Torah to be greeted by the other Torahs in the Shul.

As the procession neared the synagogue. I saw an older member out for a walk. She is a Holocaust survivor. I ran over to watch some of the festivities with her, and I experienced a powerful moment of Jewish eternity: Standing with a survivor of the Shoah on the day six hostages were murdered, we are proudly and publicly celebrating a new Torah’s arrival in the streets surrounded by men, women, and children of all ages.

We all needed that moment.

How do we make the moment last?

The essence of the Torah dedication was proudly and joyously living and celebrating our Jewish identities. I suggest we strengthen our observance of mitzvot that express our Jewish identities and elevate our celebration of Judaism. Three mitzvot we can focus on are: mezuzah, tefillin, and Shabbat candles.

The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (128) states: “Pious men are accustomed to examine their tefillin and mezuzot during this month; and wherever any defect may be found in other mitzvot, to repair it.” Shouldn’t we worry about our mezuzot and tefillin year-round? Why do we check them specifically during Elul? The answer is that the mezuzah and tefillin are symbols to the outside of Jewish identity and pride. Each year, as Rosh Hashanah approaches, we are encouraged to examine the state of our Jewish pride and make any repairs needed.

Now is the time to make sure the mezuzot in our homes are where they should be. Maybe we want a bigger mezuzah case outside to amplify our Jewish pride. It is also an appropriate time to make sure to have all the mezuzot needed for each doorway. If you need any, let me know, and we’ll make sure you have what you need.

Tefillin present a more personal opportunity to demonstrate Jewish identity and pride. Now is a good time to make sure the tefillin are kosher. Maybe they need to be fixed or adjusted. Maybe it’s time for a new pair. If you don’t have and want, let me know, and we’ll make sure you have what you need.

I believe lighting Shabbat candles is a mitzvah that can be compared to tefillin. They, too, are a symbol of Jewish identity, pride, and celebration. Shabbat is considered a sign of Jewish belief and observance. Lighting Shabbat candles bring that light into our homes. Candle lighting can be a family moment, and a chance to pray for so many things. We need more of the beauty contained in these lights in our homes and in our lives. Shabbat candles are easier than mezuzot or tefillin, but…If you don’t have and want, let me know, and we’ll make sure you have what you need.

Mezuzah, tefillin, and Shabbat candles are mitzvot that demonstrate Jewish pride and joy. We need more of these in our lives, and we can share these mitzvot with others.

Rachel Goldberg-Polin in her eulogy for Hersh asked for the strength to “help us rise again.” Even during dark moments, we look ahead to, once again, experiencing the light and the joy we know is ahead.

It is customary during Elul to start wishing each other a “shana tova,” a happy, healthy, sweet New Year. There is another traditional expression for the month of Elul”

Tichle shana v’kileloteha, tacheil shana u’virchoteha – May this year and its curses end so that a New Year with its blessings may begin.”