Secret To Aliya

The Chidushei Harim makes an interesting observation about the redemption from Egypt, and other future redemptions.

He bases this observation on the words of the Torah that state, “And I will take you from the sufferings of Egypt.” The word used to express this suffering is סבלות which comes from the word, סובל, which means “to tolerate.”

The idea here is that Hashem will be able to redeem the Jewish people when they can no longer tolerate living in Egypt. As long as the Jew believes that he could tolerate the Galut, and believes that things aren’t so bad, it is a sign that they are not ready for redemption.

This is what the Jews of Egypt are being told. When you find life in Egypt impossible to bear, and you are sick and tired of being in Galut, that is the sign that you are ready to be taken to the Promised Land.

It is remarkable how history repeats itself and must be studied. The signs are becoming more and more obvious that Jews are no longer welcome in most places in the world. But as long as Jews are in denial, (In Egypt, the Jews lived near the Nile. Today they live in “denial.”) they will not merit being able to leave with dignity, and come home to Eretz Yisrael.

Halacha Worship

A very common complaint against the practice of traditional Judaism, is the over emphasis of Halacha. Students wonder why they are not being taught subjects that inspire, rather than being bombarded with detailed Jewish Law, that might only be stringencies at best.

I am fully aware and appreciate the importance of observing the Torah down to its last detail. But something has changed in recent years, where there is even a kind of “Halacha worship.”

The Messilat Yesharim explains that the observance of Halacha is meant to be the “means” towards achieving the desired end of “delighting with the closeness of Hashem.”

Many people have taken things to far by “worshipping the law,” rather than worshipping G-d. Many students have expressed that this overemphasis of Halacha, has been a major “turn off” to them.

Judaism needs to be taught in its totality, and it must be taught in a way that inspires. People need to feel the beauty of Shabbat by experiencing it, rather than focusing on all of the things we are not allowed to do on the holiest day of the week.

Perhaps the importance of Halacha could be appreciated when it is understood in the context of Jewish History. It is very likely that we survived as a people during our long and bitter exile, because the Halachic system was cherished and observed during our darkest times.

Inspiration can also come by learning more about our Jewish heroes throughout our history. Similarly, stories of incredibly righteous and pious Jews can bring about such inspiration.

The observance of Halacha is of great importance. The worship of Halacha and stuffing it down people’s throats has a very opposite and negative effect. Educators need to wake up and inspire their students before they lose them, G-d forbid.

Pharoah’s Mistake

The biggest mistake Pharoah made in the entire story of the exodus from Egypt, was the question that he would deeply regret.

He arrogantly asked, “Who is Hashem that I should listen to Him and let this people go?” When someone asks such a foolish question, he will be taught in a way that he would never dare ask such a question.

Each plague is surrounded with the purpose as to why this plague fell upon Egypt. It was in order that “they will know that I am G-d.”

In other words, these supernatural plagues were meant to make it clear that there is only one true G-d in the world. The history of the world never witnessed such a phenomenon where one nation was taken from the clutches of another nation as was witnessed in Egypt.

Throughout history there were many arrogant leaders who believed that they were all powerful and invincible. All of them rose, but all of them fell.

Titus was an example of one who believed he could challenge Hashem in battle. He said that he was willing to acknowledge that Hashem had power on the sea, but he doubted if He had such power on land. The challenge ended very quickly when Hashem sent a gnat up his nose that tormented him for a long period of time. He couldn’t even overcome a small insect.

The last line of the famous movie, “The Ten Commandments” ended with Yul Brynner, who played Pharoah, saying the simple words, “The G-d of Moses, is G-d!”

The world needs to learn this lesson that Pharoah learned the hard way. If they don’t recognize that the G-d of Israel is the One who rules the world, they will recognize it sooner or later. It will be much more pleasant for them, if they recognize this sooner, rather than later.

“Hakarat Hatov” and Entitlement

Parshat Va’era gives a description of the first seven of the Ten Plagues. There is a subtle but important message within this description.

We learn the concept of “Hakarot Hatov.” This refers to the obligation to recognize the good that was done to us. We must never forget to appreciate an act of kindness that was done for us by another individual.

The Parsha taught this concept even in connection with inanimate objects. Moshe was saved as a baby when placed in a basket in the Nile. He was not allowed to smite the Nile during the plague of “blood.” He was not allowed to smite the sand that brought the lice, for the sand helped him hide the Egyptian that he killed.

This is a clear warning that “entitlement” or מגיע לי, “I have it coming to me,” is a very incorrect way of viewing the world. Nobody owes us anything.

The Orchot Tzaddikim even mentions that a gift received from parents or relatives, is really a gift from Hashem. These relatives are acting as messengers of G-d.

We must appreciate everything we have and not take anything for granted. “Hakarot Hatov” is an attribute that we all need to acquire. It will help us view the world in a better light, and it will help give us much more joy and peace of mind.

Hashem’s Reassurance To Moshe

Parshat Va’era begins with a conversation between Moshe Rabbeinu and Hashem, where Moshe needed assurances as to how the redemption from Egypt was to transpire.

He understood that the Hashem can act with His attribute of mercy, known as רחמים, or He would act with the attribute of judgement, known as דין.

We see this expressed when different names of Hashem were used. The name spelled and pronounced as “A-d-o-n-a-i” reflects the attribute of mercy. The name, “Elokim” reflected the attribute of judgement.

Moshe was confused because his first visit with Pharoah didn’t go very well. The Jewish slaves had to work even harder by gathering straw to make their bricks.

Hashem needed to set the record straight by simply saying, אני ה׳, “I will act as the G-d of mercy.” He reminded Moshe of his covenant with the Patriarchs, Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yakov. And he reminded him that He heard the cries of His people.

He then gave Moshe the four promises of redemption and how the Jews would be taken out with “a strong hand and outstretched arm.”

This dialogue is meant to serve as a personal reminder to all of us. We are often faced with challenges and difficulties that might seem insurmountable. We must not forget that if we reach out to Hashem in sincere prayer, we will be answered. He is the “G-d of mercy” who will answer us when we call out to Him in truth and humility.

Brotherly Love

One of the more incidental but beautiful stories, connected with the exodus from Egypt, is the special relationship between Moshe and Aharon.

When Hashem instructs Moshe to go down to Egypt, he is told that Aharon will greet him with great joy. There was never any jealousy between them.

Aharon didn’t mind that his younger brother of three years, would surpass him, and become the leader of Israel. And Moshe was happy to give over some of the glory to Aharon. He allowed him to be his spokesman, and he eventually became the Kohein Hagadol, the High Priest.

Their relationship is referred to as איש אחד בלב אחד, “as one man of one heart.” They truly had the ideal relationship of two loving brothers.

Perhaps this story should be more publicized. In so many situations, whether with family or friends, relationships are ruined because of petty jealousies. People don’t learn how to be genuinely happy for their loved ones.

This is a major component of what we call עבודת נפש, working on our souls. It begins with learning to be grateful with our own lot, and not looking at what others have. There are always going to be people that have more than us, but most likely many more that have less than us.

If we genuinely care about those around us, it should make us happy to see these people succeed. This was what the relationship of Moshe and Aharon was meant to teach us. We must learn their lesson and emulate it.

The Emergence of Moshe Rabbeinu

We are first introduced to our greatest leader, Moshe Rabbeinu, in Parshat Shemot. We learn of his unique upbringing and how he rose to be the head of the Jewish people.

The Midrash tells us that his older sister of five years, Miriam, knew that her little brother would be the savior. He was born circumcised and the house was filled with light from the moment he came into the world.

Even though he grew up in Pharoah’s house, he was not able to tolerate the injustices done to the slaves. He was prepared to even kill an Egyptian in order to save the downtrodden.

He was a very sensitive shepherd, and often carried his tired little sheep on his shoulders. Hashem recognized that Moshe was worthy of leading Hashem’s flock into the Promised Land.

We see his great humility as he argued with G-d for seven days, insisting that he was not the right man for the job.

He was shown certain attributes of Hashem during those seven days. He was never seeking honor or glory. He recognized the vulnerability of man and the need for dependence on Hashem.

The greatness of Moshe was primarily attributed to his humility. No matter what miracles he performed, or that he survived forty days on Mount Sinai without bread and water, and remained humble. He understood that despite the greatest achievements man has ever known, he was only a man, and nothing close to Hashem’s essence. If we understand this, it will allow us to achieve humility, and follow in the footsteps of the greatest man that ever lived.

The Power of the Rabbis

There is a concept in Jewish Law called, הפקר בית דין הפקר, meaning that the Jewish courts were given the rights to declare property ownerless.

It is similar to the idea of “eminent domain” in American law.

The idea behind this concept is that it was necessary that all monetary matters were under the jurisdiction of the Jewish courts. Without this, the courts would be weak and they would have difficulty in enforcing monetary laws. It was for the good of society.

This also created leverage in enforcing court decisions. If they ruled that someone was owed money, they could confiscate the property of the one holding the debt.

There are two sources in Scriptures that are the source for this rule. In the Book of Ezra, he warns the general population that if they do not join him on his journey to Israel within three days, their property would be confiscated. Ezra had the power to this as he was also motivated to stop intermarriage.

The second source came from Joshua and his distribution of the Land of Israel to the respective tribes. The heads of the tribes were given the authority to allocate the land as they saw fit.

There could be no argument because they carried the rights for such distributions. It is important to note that this was not a random right decided by individuals. It represented a right that was G-d given in order to improve society and maintain its stability.

The Danger of Being Too Comfortable

The slavery in Egypt taught us a remarkable trait of the Jewish people. The Torah says, “The more they afflicted us, the more we multiplied and burst forth.”

Difficulties and hardships somehow managed to bring out the best in us. We were motivated with the struggle for survival. It has been said that the Nobel Prizes won by Jews, often took place in less than ideal situations.

The negative side of being comfortable, is that it leads to complacency and a more lax attitude towards religious observance.

The Rabbis gave a strong warning when they said, “A man has a tendency to rebel against G-d when he is full.” They were speaking of when there are no financial worries and family members are pretty healthy, they forget the need to give constant gratitude to Hashem.

This was Moshe Rabbeinu’s warning to the people before he died. He foresaw a time when beautiful houses will be built, filled with plenty, and life will be peaceful. In such times, we must not forget that all of the abundance comes from Him.

When times are tough, Jews wake up and turn to Hashem in prayer. They are motivated to push forward and survive. We must find a way to stay motivated and thrive, in good times and in bad times.

The Jewish Problem

The Torah describes how Pharoah realized that he had to deal with the “Jewish problem.” He saw the incredible rate of growth of the population and he noticed that there was something unique about this nation.

The Alshich elaborates on this point and was more specific as to exactly what Pharoah saw. He saw a people that possessed national unity. They were supported in a supernatural manner. They were a highly intelligent people, and they possessed superior physical strength.

He spoke to his advisors and was concerned that he may not be able to rely on their loyalty. Perhaps Egypt will be attacked by another nation, and the Jews will join the enemy.

Pharoah came up with his solution of הבה נתחכמה, “Let us be wise with them.” According to some opinions, his transition of enslaving the Jewish people was gradual. He was very methodical in getting the Jews to work for him, and later mistreat them with cruel slavery.

There are many parallels in history where Jews lived peacefully in a particular place, and gradually the attitudes changed until it was clear that they were not wanted,

Their stay ultimately ended in persecution and expulsion, and in some cases, even annihilation.

We must learn the lessons of history. We are guests everywhere we live, except for Israel. We must never allow ourselves to become part of “the Jewish problem.

Yosef Was In Egypt

The Book of Shmot begins by listing the names of Yakov’s twelve sons. When Yosef’s name came up, the Torah tells us that “Yosef was in Egypt.”

This seems to be a pretty obvious statement. We all knew that he was there. He’s the one who brought his family down there.

The message here is one of great importance. Yosef managed to survive spiritually in the most decadent place on earth. We are warned not to behave in the manner of the Egyptians.

The Rambam wrote that Egypt was such an unholy place that was so bad that men married men, and women married women.

Yosef was a truly remarkable person. He lived in Egypt for ninety-three years of his life. Despite his rise to power, it did not change him. He was the same Yosef and did not allow himself to be affected by the immorality that surrounded him. Most people are not that strong, and they are brought down by negative influences.

I have a dear friend who has been a rabbi in Los Angeles for over fifty years. I have often told him how impressed I am that he never lost his ideals, or his enthusiasm for Judaism, during all those years.

The materialism with the fancy houses, and the glamor of Hollywood, did not affect him. He’s the same Rabbi Zvi Block that I knew in the middle seventies.

We must know ourselves and our own strengths and weaknesses. It is difficult to maintain our spiritual level of observance. Not everyone is a Yosef or Rabbi Block. We need to surround ourselves with positive, upbeat individuals. And we must distance ourselves for any impurity resembling Egypt. We will then be able to succeed.

Efraim and Menashe

One of the final tasks of Yakov Avinu was to give a double portion to his designated first born. He chose Yosef, who was the first born to his mother, Rachel, as his official “Bechor.”

He could have chosen Reuven, who was also first born to his mother, Leah, but he proved to be unworthy. Yakov found Reuven to be too hasty and impulsive. He was not pleased when he took his bed and placed it in his mother’s tent.

The double portion was given to Efraim and Menashe. They each received portions in the Land of Israel, while the Tribe of Levi did not receive a portion. They were designated for Temple service, and they were the educators of the Jewish people.

Efraim and Menashe impressed Yakov of their worthiness to be counted among the tribes of Israel. They were able to follow the tradition of Yosef and their ancestors rather than the enticement of Egyptian culture.

Their commitment to Judaism in the face of great temptations, was truly admirable. Egypt excelled in decadence and impurities, and Yosef’s two sons represented the elite of Egypt. Everything was available to them, but they refrained.

They were not only given portions in Israel, but they were the subject of fatherly blessings every Friday evening at the Shabbat.

The blessing of our sons is that Hashem should make them like Efraim and Menashe. Just as they remained steadfast in their commitment to our traditions, and did not give into physical temptations, our own sons should follow their example. They should grow up as proud Jews, strongly committed to Jewish ideals.

True Giving

The real beauty that is experienced in Judaism, comes from the aspect of giving. We are moved when we see how people go to great lengths to ease the pain of another person.

People need to learn that they themselves are as much the beneficiaries of the act of kindness as the recipients themselves.

The ultimate Chessed is called “Chessed Shel Emet,” kindness of truth. This applies to the Chessed that comes with caring for the dead.

This was learned from Yakov Avinu when he asked Yosef to act with such kindness towards him. He asked that he be buried in Eretz Yisrael. All he could ask for was a promise that his wish be fulfilled. Otherwise, he was helpless.

Caring for the dead is the greatest Chessed, because there is no glory in it. The dead can’t thank the person who cared for him.

I have always told my students that if they are moving to a new community, find out who the volunteers are for the Chevra Kadisha, burial society. These are the people that are involved with the ritual washing of the dead. These are the people that you want as your friend. They are genuinely, kind and giving people. This has proven to be true over and over again.

We are people of Chessed, but the greatest Chessed of all, is caring for the dead.

Intellectual Dishonesty

In my career as rabbi, I have often been challenged by students who were turned off by their respective schools. Their complaint is that they were not taught subjects that inspire. All they learned were Halachic prohibitions that became very tedious. Sometimes their complaint was worsened by what they thought was hypocrisy on the part of some of their teachers. They may have discovered certain unethical behavior, or great intolerance for those who did not agree with their strict interpretation of Judaism.

I always tried to emphasize that there is a problem of intellectual dishonesty when one is ready to abandon religious observance only because of poor representation or being turned off by a specific individual. One has an obligation to seek truth and not look for excuses to run away from our tradition. Admittedly, it is difficult to get over the trauma of being put down by a so called religious figure, over foolishness. Nevertheless, our desire for truth should override our unfortunate past experiences.

It is helpful to try to connect with a very kind and righteous mentor. Sometimes, when one is able to meet a person who epitomizes goodness, it can put that past trauma to rest. There really are people who love doing Chessed. They selflessly devote their lives to bringing joy to others. It is important to see our religion as one of holy people that both follow the laws but are accepting of others without judging them, and clearly show the love they have for every Jew.

There are real challenges to our religion and there are many issues that need to be addressed. There is so much beauty in being an observant Jew. It is our task to be living examples of this beauty, in the way that we live our lives and interact with others.

Inspiration From a Convert

I have been associated with Machon Meir since 1995. This wonderful institution has three kinds of students. There are students going though the process of conversion, and there are Ba’alei Teshuva, formerly non-observant Jews, desiring to become religious.

The third category of students are young men who come from observant homes but are uninspired by their religious education, and feel that religion was forced upon them.

Recently, I first had a one on one session with one of these students who was willing to give Judaism one last chance before entering the secular world. He was followed by a twenty-four year old conversion candidate from Poland. I was given the task of preparing him for his meeting with the Beit Din, Jewish court, hoping to approve his conversion.

I asked my first student to stick around and watch me question the conversion candidate as if I was one of the judges of the rabbinic court.

The wavering student from the religious home looked on in disbelief. How was it possible that someone raised as a Christian could be so inspired by experiencing one Shabbat dinner, to go through Jewish conversion?

He left his family and comfortable lifestyle to study in a Jerusalem Yeshiva for over year. He willingly has taken upon himself all of the restrictions of an observant Jew. He is excited to soon be performing the Mitzva of circumcision. He doesn’t have to do any of this stuff, but wants to do it with great passion.

This meeting may have been stronger than any convincing that I might be able to do. We must remember that beautiful quote at all times, “Judaism is perfect. Those who practice it, are not.”

The Gift of Life

The subject of death, is a major theme of Parshat Vayechi. The Torah describes the last years of Yakov Avinu’s life and his blessings to his sons before he left the world.

Our commentators tell us that Yakov Avinu was the first person to actually experience sickness before he expired. Before him, people passed away with little warning. Some thought a sneeze would be followed by death. This is why we say things like, “G-d bless you,” when somebody sneezes.

In Yosef’s case, he was told to visit his father because he was suffering from sickness. This prompted him to bring his two sons, Efraim and Menashe for a blessing.

Rav Avigdor Miller wrote that the aging process was meant to prepare family members of the impending departure from this world of their loved ones. This is what makes the sudden or untimely death of a young person all the more tragic.

The Mussar books emphasize that there needs to be a daily awareness that we will not live forever. It helps give us a perspective on things. It reminds us of what really matters in this world.

It also makes us appreciate the gift of life, and should motivate us to make every moment count. The Rabbis interpret the Pasuk, מפני שיבה תקום, that we are to rise for an elderly person, to mean, לפני שיבה תקום, paraphrased to mean that before old age takes hold of us, we should wake up, and do as many Mitzvot as possible.

The reality is that we will all die. We must take this reality to love life and live our lives in the most giving and productive manner.

Appreciate Every Day

Yakov Avinu was criticized for the way he described his life before Pharoah. He told him that he was 130 years old and his years were מעט ורעים, “few and bad.” He added that he had not yet reached the years of his father.

It sounded as though he was bitter and complaining about all of the difficulties that he had to endure. When he compared himself to his father, he was implying that his father did not have as many problems that he had.

There are those who felt that he lost years of his life because of his complaints. He died at 147, while Avraham and Yitzchak lived to 175 and 180, respectively.

We are told that the first seventeen years of Yakov’s life and the last seventeen years, were very happy years for him. As difficult as Yakov’s life was, he should not have complained at all. I was impressed by an interview with Dennis Prager, that was aired recently. Prager was paralyzed a year ago in a bad accident. He only spoke of how grateful he was for being granted a very fulfilling life of seventy-six years, until his past misfortune.

We see this same attitude with holocaust survivors and even more recently with our freed hostages. Despite unbelievable hardships, they are not bitter. They remain positive and appreciative for the gift of life.

It is never good to dwell on the negative on any level. Faith, optimism, and gratitude, are clearly the correct attitude we are supposed to have as we confront life’s challenges.

The lesson from Yakov Avinu is that we pay a price for our bitterness and negativity. Yakov lost years of his life because of it. This implies, that the opposite approach of gratitude and appreciation for all that we have, will not only bring us peace of mind, but it may very well add years to our lives.

They Took Hold of the Land

The Torah tells us that Yakov and his family dwelled in the land of Goshen, and ויאחזו בה, “they took hold of it.” They prospered and multiplied in a miraculous.

The commentators discussed why this word, ויאחזו was chosen rather than simply saying, וישבו שם, “and they dwelled there.”

They explained that “taking hold of the land,” implied that they no longer saw themselves as temporary residents. They became firmly implanted and felt that Goshen was their home. They felt comfortable there. This was the beginning of the Galut, exile.

The Keli Yakar commented that the positive side of ויאחזו is that they prospered. But the negative side of this prosperity was very severe. Their deep entrenchment in Egypt, made it that much more difficult to get out of Galut and come home to Israel.

This has been the story of our current exile. Jews have been entrenched and have felt very comfortable living in various places outside of Israel.

They see themselves as citizens and part of the Gentile society. They really believe that they are home. When this happens, it is exactly what the Keli Yakar is talking about. They are so deeply in Galut, that it’s difficult to get out.

I am very saddened when family and friends visit Israel, and they end their stay by saying, “We are going home tomorrow.” They are not going home, but they are leaving home.

They are going to the place where they have been welcome guests for a long time. It is now becoming clear that Jews are no longer welcome. All Jews must realize that the only permanent home for the Jew is Israel.

They must get the Galut mentality out of their heads, and not be fooled by their affluence and comforts. The Jews in Egypt learned this the hard way. This lesson must be relearned today, when all Jews can come home with dignity, and their heads held high.

The Shechina Is Back In Israel

Despite all of the joy in having Yakov reunited with his beloved son, he was uneasy about leaving Eretz Yisrael and going to live in the most decadent place on earth.

Hashem appeared to Yakov Avinu that this is what he needed to do. The Shechina, Divine Presence would go down to Egypt, for his protection and inspiration.

He would live in the land of Goshen, which was given to our Mother, Sara, by Pharoah, when they went down to Egypt, many years before.

It was ironic that the peacefulness that Yakov was hoping to find in Israel, he found in Egypt. The last seventeen years of his life were quite peaceful for Yakov.

The assurances of the safety of Chutz L’aretz, no longer exist. The Shechina has returned to Israel, and Hashem is calling out for His children to come home.

The anti-Semitism of the world has never been more illogical. They hate us specifically after the horrible events of October the Seventh. There should be sympathy for what our people had to endure, not hatred.

It is clear that the current situation is a wake up call for all Jews to come home to Israel with our heads held high. Yakov Avinu needed special assurances that it was okay to leave Israel. It was okay then, but not okay today. Time to come home!

Divine Plan

The Alshich points out a number of incidents that proved it was clearly part of the Divine plan that the Jewish people were meant to go down to Egypt.

This may have been the way that Yosef consoled his brothers by telling them that this is the way it was supposed to be.

It began with Yosef receiving directions from an angel, telling him where he could find his brothers. Why would he go to be around his brothers, who hated him?

The decision to sell Yosef rather than kill him, was also part of the plan. His encounter with Potiphar’s wife ended with his imprisonment. It was there that interpreted the dreams of the butler and baker.

It was uncanny just how successful Yosef was, with everything he touched. He was in charge of the prison just as he was in charge of Potiphar’s house.

His rise to power was nothing short of miraculous. How does one make the jump from being a slave and prisoner, to instantly become second to the king?

Yosef recounted all of these events to his brothers, to show them that he couldn’t possibly be angry at them, when it was obvious that this was the Hand of G-d.

It is always important to see the Hashgacha, the Divine supervision, in all aspects of our lives. Nothing happens for nothing.