Modeling is Teaching

Parshat Haazinu

By Rabbi Avi Billet

The song of Haazinu is quite poetic, complete with imagery which invites the most lyrical interpretation.

           
In the context of describing how amazing and incredible God is, Devarim 32:5 reads, "ShiHet lo lo banav mumam, dor ikesh u'f'taltol." In the Living Torah, Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan follows the interpretations of Ralbag; Malbim and HaKethav VeHaKabbalah in his chosen interpretation, "Destruction is His children's fault, not His own, you warped and twisted generation."

            
But in the large footnote, he demonstrates the discrepancy of opinion as to what this verse means.

            
"Literally, 'Destruction to Him not His children their defect.' Or, 'They have hurt themselves, not Him, faulted children' (Targum); 'The defect of His non-children is that they have been corrupt to Him' (Ibn Ezra; Ramban; Sforno); 'They were corrupt to Him, not [like] children; this is the defect of the warped and twisted generation' (Saadia; cf. Lekach Tov); 'They have been corrupt, not Him, it is His children's defect' (Ralbag); 'The ones who have corrupted His [name] are not His children because of their defect' (Abarbanel); 'Is destruction His? No! It is the fault of His children' (Moreh Nevukhim 3:12; Chizzkuni); 'Have they corrupted Him? No. It is [merely] their own defect' (Abarbanel); 'He destroyed His non-children, but it was their own fault' (Chizzkuni); 'Their defect has corrupted it so that they are no longer His children' (Hirsch); or, 'They were corrupt, not [pleasing] Him, defective children' (Septuagint)."

           

 As comprehensive as he is in explaining the verse, Rabbi Kaplan did not get to the Chafetz Chaim, who explained the verse as an important introspective lesson – not with regard to Him (God), but him, a father, who ought to model a proper Jewish existence to his children.

            

"If a person conducts himself in such a manner that he mocks mitzvot, he should know that  'He is not just destroying himself ('lo lo' meaning "not only to himself"), but "banav mumam," he brings blemishes upon his children as well. Because if the father dismisses a light or easy mitzvah, the child will learn to make light of more difficult or more important mitzvot (mitzvot chamurot). This results in a "dor ikesh u'f'taltol," a generation that is warped and twisted."

           
Now that we are past Yom Kippur and about to commence the holiday of Sukkot, this message is more poignant than ever. While we live in a time in which the parents currently raising children are of the most well-yeshiva-educated of the last few generations, the challenges which face today's kids are like nothing that ever existed before.

           

One need only look at films made in the 1980s and 1990s to see how different our world is, from cellphones and computers to text messaging and email. We communicate differently. Most kids today don't know what a cord on a telephone is for, and wonder what purpose pay phones ever served. This is one minute example of how things are different. Over 300 channels on the television exacerbates many people's abilities to think creatively and to find more meaningful ways of occupying down time.

And so when it comes to the transmission of our heritage, we face an even different challenge. The breakdown of real communication has been amplified into different areas of Jewish life. We had a tradition of respect for people older than us that is fading. I grew up calling adults Mr. or Mrs. LastName. Kids today call adults by their first names.

The speed of television and film, the constant changing of angles and images, gives people even shorter attention spans than we can imagine. We are not training the same "zittsfleisch" that may have been more developed in previous generations. (Here's a shout out to two of my friends who have told me 'We are working on getting rid of the TV in the house.' Chazak Ve'Ematz!)

Most important, following the lesson of the Chafetz Chaim, we must reaffirm our commitment to having reverence for the Torah lifestyle we hold so dear. Those who talk in shul, men who don't wear tzitzis, those who don't prepare for Shabbos properly, those who gossip all the time, who complain about the school, who criticize the rabbi, who have bad tempers, who demonstrate over and over how they are not model Torah-citizens, who don't understand that being an observant Jew is about a whole lot more than only buying kosher, sending your kids to yeshiva, and keeping shabbos can not effectively transmit the best "chinuch" to their children and raise a generation that will be respectful of the things we know to respect, even if at times we are lax about them.

We must teach respect of elders, prioritize the environment we want to create in our homes, and respect every aspect of a Jewish life that can help protect our children from becoming a warped and twisted generation.

We can start by fulfilling the mitzvah "to rejoice in your holiday... [with your children and every person who is part of our community]" (Devarim 16:14) If we model it every day, the message will strike home. It always does.

Putting On A Good Face

Parshat Vayelekh

by Rabbi Avi Billet

One of the earlier verses in the parsha describes the encouragement Moshe gave to Yehoshua in the last days before passing the baton of leadership to him.

"Moses summoned Joshua, and in the presence of all Israel, said to him, 'Be strong and brave, since you will be the one to bring this nation to the land that God swore to their fathers that He would give it to them. You will be the one to parcel it out to them." [Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan's translation – Living Torah]

Rabbi Kaplan's translation is generally a loose one, as he moves Hebrew phrases around in the English in order to create a more flowing narrative. Any translator knows something is lost in the change from one language to the next. The challenge is to stay as true to the original as one can, while making it an appealing read to your target audience.

In this particular case, while I believe Rabbi Kaplan's interpretation is accurate in the sentiment, the inaccuracy of the order of the translation removes the possibility of understanding how the teaching shared by the Slonimer Rebbe in his Nesivos Shalom fits in the text. A literal translation of the beginning of the verse will sound more like, "And Moshe said to him, before the eyes of all of Israel, 'Be strong and brave…'"

In his classic Hassidic style of reassigning modifiers, the Nesivos Shalom suggests that we view Moshe's quote as beginning after the words "to him." This may even be a better interpretation than the one suggested by Rabbi Kaplan, when we consider the cantillation marks on the words, as well as the fact that what Moshe is telling Yehoshua is quite personal. We know from past experiences (read: spies) that telling personal and private messages to individuals in front of the entire nation has not boded well when the ax fell.

Yehoshua was faced with a personal dilemma. He was the same Yehoshua he had always been. "Yehoshua bin Nun, the young man, would not leave from the tent." (Shmot 33:11) He was studious, dedicated to his teacher, and not interested in attention. He did not crave the limelight. He learned from his teacher to be humble and to know your place.

And so the Nesivos Shalom suggests, Moshe was telling him, "You are the leader now, whether you like it or not. God chose you! So at least when you are 'before the eyes of all of Israel, be strong and brave.' Be the king! Be the leader! Hide your reservations and your feelings of insecurity when you are in front of the people. You are their leader."

If Yehoshua wanted to cry himself to sleep at night, he could do that in the privacy of his own bedroom. But as a leader, he must present a face of leadership at all times.

Some people have either worked on or are blessed with a tremendous amount of confidence. The confidence may be well deserved or earned. And sometimes the confidence translates to getting too much undeserved attention.

On the other hand, there are some people who are quite capable but are quite reserved or insecure about their abilities, or feel that if they do one thing incorrectly, it will ruin everything and they'll never get a second chance.

A healthy balance uses both traits. It is very important to make mistakes, as long as one learns from them. It is very important to showcase one's talents, when one has talents worth showcasing – even if you personally don't put much stock in them. There are athletes who hate watching sports, and actors who can't stand to watch theater or film. But they do what they do because they are good at it. And if they don't put on the right face when they do it, they might not continue to enjoy the success they enjoy.

Part of the task is to, as Nike puts it, "Just do it." The other part of the task is to put on a good face, and to be confident in what you are doing.

No one can solve my personal devils and distractions except me. This is true for every person who carries emotional baggage.

Moshe was saying to Yehoshua, "God will help you with your personal issues. Don't wear your emotions on your sleeve for all of Israel to see. You may only exhibit leadership qualities before them. And then, if you need to, collapse on your bed in private at the end of the day."

This is particularly a challenge for parents who are looked up to by their children. For those who struggle with bills, debt, financial uncertainty, or whatever else, putting a up a good front for one's children is a difficult assignment. Stress can be quite deflating, and it can bring down those who are incapable of coping.

As we make our commitments to TEshuva in this time period, may we also pray that God can give us the strength to pull it all together, hold it all together, and always put a good face forward as we interact with those who look to us as their models and leaders.

Be Brave and Strong! The best is yet to come.

Rosh Hashana 5773: Secret Ingredient To Teshuvah

Rosh Hashana: The Secret Ingredient to Teshuvah and A Fulfilling Life

Rabbi Avi Billet

This past shabbos we read Parshas Nitzavim,  which the Shulchan Arukh tells us is read on the Shabbos before RH to be a buffer between the devastating affects of the Tokhacha and Rosh Hashana. Who wants the Tokhacha to be the most recent memory of a Torah reading when we enter this Yom HaDin?

So instead, what is our most recent memory?

דברים פרק ל

(א) וְהָיָה כִי יָבֹאוּ עָלֶיךָ כָּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה הַבְּרָכָה וְהַקְּלָלָה אֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ וַהֲשֵׁבֹתָ אֶל לְבָבֶךָ בְּכָל הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר הִדִּיחֲךָ יְקֹוָק אֱלֹהֶיךָ שָׁמָּה:

(ב) וְשַׁבְתָּ עַד יְקֹוָק אֱלֹהֶיךָ וְשָׁמַעְתָּ בְקֹלוֹ כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם אַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשֶׁךָ:

(ג) וְשָׁב יְקֹוָק אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת שְׁבוּתְךָ וְרִחֲמֶךָ וְשָׁב וְקִבֶּצְךָ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים אֲשֶׁר הֱפִיצְךָ יְקֹוָק אֱלֹהֶיךָ שָׁמָּה:

When God pushes you away on account of your bad deeds, you shall return to God and heed His voice – return to Him בכל לבבך ובכל נפשך. Because, if you return to Him, then He will return you to your land, He'll have mercy, he'll gather you from all the nations to where He had sent you, and He'll bring you home.

There's another passage.

(טו) רְאֵה נָתַתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ הַיּוֹם אֶת הַחַיִּים וְאֶת הַטּוֹב וְאֶת הַמָּוֶת וְאֶת הָרָע:

(טז) אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם לְאַהֲבָה אֶת יְקֹוָק אֱלֹהֶיךָ לָלֶכֶת בִּדְרָכָיו וְלִשְׁמֹר מִצְוֹתָיו וְחֻקֹּתָיו וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו וְחָיִיתָ וְרָבִיתָ וּבֵרַכְךָ יְקֹוָק אֱלֹהֶיךָ בָּאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה בָא שָׁמָּה לְרִשְׁתָּהּ:

Then He says what will happen if you don't listen… and He concludes

(יט) הַעִדֹתִי בָכֶם הַיּוֹם אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ הַחַיִּים וְהַמָּוֶת נָתַתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ הַבְּרָכָה וְהַקְּלָלָה וּבָחַרְתָּ בַּחַיִּים לְמַעַן תִּחְיֶה אַתָּה וְזַרְעֶךָ:

(כ) לְאַהֲבָה אֶת יְקֹוָק אֱלֹהֶיךָ לִשְׁמֹעַ בְּקֹלוֹ וּלְדָבְקָה בוֹ כִּי הוּא חַיֶּיךָ וְאֹרֶךְ יָמֶיךָ לָשֶׁבֶת עַל הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע יְקֹוָק לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּלְיַעֲקֹב לָתֵת לָהֶם: פ

            God places before us a choice of life and good or death and bad. And then He tells us, "Choose Life." Which stands to indicate that there isn't really a choice. Life and goodness is the choice we make. And our actions are meant to pave the way for that reality to set in. It all comes from loving God, listening to His voice, and clinging to Him.

            It's a pretty straightforward equation. And as far as an introduction to Rosh Hashana goes, I think you can't do much better than this reminder as far as what we are looking to get out of this day.

            But I want to go back to the idea of "ושבת עד ה' אלקיך" – You shall return to Hashem your God.

            What does this mean? How does one do it? What is the secret ingredient?

            Rabbi Soloveitchik noted Rabbi Akiva's comment in the last Mishnah in Yoma.

 אמר רבי עקיבא אשריכם ישראל לפני מי אתם מיטהרין מי מטהר אתכם אביכם שבשמים שנאמר (יחזקאל ל"ו) וזרקתי עליכם מים טהורים וטהרתם ואומר (ירמיה י"ד) מקוה ישראל ה' מה מקוה מטהר את הטמאים אף הקדוש ברוך הוא מטהר את ישראל:

Rabbi Akiva rhetorically asks, "Before whom do you become pure and who purifies you?" Rabbo Soloveitchik asked, "Why does it talk about purity twice?" And he answers because there are two kinds of purification – the kind one does for oneself through dunking in a mikveh, and the kind one needed someone else for, namely to be sprinkled with the ashes of the Parah Adumah. One could not sprinkle oneself; someone else had to do it. This is the source of the idea of מטמא טמאים ומטהר טהורים.

            Rabbi Soloveitchik said Teshuvah is a similar process. There are two methods of getting rid of sin and achieving forgiveness and atonement. One can apologize to friends and get forgiveness. One can say וידוי. And, quite frankly, the Teshuvah can only come from the person's initiative. God plays no role in the person's Teshuvah. This form of Teshuvah is what Rabbi Soloveitchik calls the all year kind of Teshuvah, the "mikveh-type" of Teshuvah. But there is an element of כפרה which eludes the individual's grasp. You need God to give the כפרה to you through the medium of יום כיפור. – this is the "haza'ah kind of Teshuvah- the sprinkling" which a person can't do alone. He needs help from someone else – in this case, God.

            Most importantly, Rabbi Soloveitchk says there are two methods of getting rid of sin because there are two ways that people sin. He brings a parable of a doctor treating an injury. The doctor needs to know why a person fell down the steps. Were they pushed? Did they trip over something? Or did they pass out or have a stroke?

            In the former case, they need to treat the injury, but there is no malady. In the latter case, the person's internals need a tremendous overhaul.

            One who sins, but who has a good excuse – yetzer hara got the better of me, my friends convinced me, I thought a little skimming off the top was harmless, can correct the behavior and do teshuvah.

            But a person who fundamentally doesn't see what is wrong with one's behavior needs an "uprooting of personality and a transformation of his central value system. For this," RJBS says, "one needs God."

            I want to focus on the kind of Teshuvah that needs God. If I can't fix the errors or mishaps, and I need to do a complete overhaul, how exactly can I achieve such an outcome?

            The Gemara gives two suggestions

תלמוד בבלי מסכת יומא דף פו עמוד ב

 אמר ריש לקיש: גדולה תשובה, שזדונות נעשות לו כשגגות, שנאמר +הושע יד+ שובה ישראל עד ה' אלהיך כי כשלת בעונך. הא עון מזיד הוא, וקא קרי ליה מכשול. איני? והאמר ריש לקיש: גדולה תשובה שזדונות נעשות לו כזכיות, שנאמר +יחזקאל לג+ ובשוב רשע מרשעתו ועשה משפט וצדקה עליהם (חיה) +מסורת הש"ס: [הוא]+ יחיה! - לא קשיא; כאן - מאהבה, כאן - מיראה

            Essentially, the gemara tells us, if a person repents out of fear, שזדונות נעשות לו כשגגות, and if a person repents מאהבה, out of love, שזדונות נעשות לו כזכיות.

            The first approach is understandable – they weren't "Really" on purpose. So Teshuvah can make them look accidental.  But how could sins committed במזיד be turned into merits? Say what you will but they are still SINS!

For this, we need to look to the Rambam. The Rambam says in The last chapter of Hilchos Teshuvah that the improper way to serve God is out of יראה – that I do what I do out of fear, to be saved from the curses. It is much better to serve God מאהבה – out of love.

            The Rambam describes what that kind of service of God is: Osek BTorah UbMitzvos, walking in the paths of wisdom, not on account of anything in the world, or out of fear of bad things which might happen, and not in order to inherit goodness, rather to seek truth because it is truth. And in the end, goodness will follow. This is the way of Avraham Avinu – about whom we read from the Torah on both days of RH -  whom God called אוהביו, because he served God out of pure love and dedication. This kind of love of God is described in the Shma - ואהבת את ה' אלהיך. And when a person loves God in this manner, he fulfills all the mitzvos out of love.

            Then the Rambam asks a unique question? כיצד? HOW does one love God in this manner?

וכיצד היא האהבה הראויה? הוא שיאהב את ה' אהבה גדולה יתירה עזה מאוד עד שתהא נפשו קשורה באהבת ה' ונמצא שוגה בה תמיד כאלו חולה חולי האהבה שאין דעתו פנויה מאהבת אותה אשה והוא שוגה בה תמיד בין בשבתו בין בקומו בין בשעה שהוא אוכל ושותה, יתר מזה תהיה אהבת ה' בלב אוהביו שוגים בה תמיד כמו שצונו בכל לבבך ובכל נפשך, והוא ששלמה אמר דרך משל כי חולת אהבה אני, וכל שיר השירים משל הוא לענין זה.

            The Rambam does not go into such detail as to how to fulfill a mitzvah in any other place.

            More poignantly, however, we can ask how come the Rambam goes into these details here – in Hilchos Teshuva? Wouldn't it be more appropriate to describe the mitzvah to love Hashem in the laws of יסודי התורה? What are they doing in Hilchos Teshuvah?

            Because the Rambam is teaching us how to do Teshuvah properly! He is teaching us how the מזידs become merits! When you can't eat, you can't drink, you can't sleep because you are so in love with God – the Teshuvah is complete and the sins are turned into merits! This kind of love is beyond the scope of the natural world. As such, the net result can be supernatural – sins can become merits!.

            The Slonimer Rebbe,  in his Nesivos Shalom, accents this point with the most profound insight. The Torah begins this section saying "והיה כי יבאו עליך כל הדברים האלה הברכה והקללה" – in other words the blessing and the curse will come upon you. Then – והשבות אל לבבך – you will reflect on it in your heart, ושבת עד ה אלקיך – and then you will return to God. How could you return to God if the curse has come upon you?

            Says the Nesivos Shalom, "When a Jew loves God as a lovesick lover – חולי אהבה – there is no difference between a ברכה and a קללה. Whatever God sends a person's way, the person takes the message and fulfills the message of והשבות אל לבבך… When a person is at such a level of love, anything which comes his way comes in the form of God saying שובה אלי ואשובה אליכם and שובה ישראל עד ה אלקיך. You reflect on it in your heart, and love God even more.

            The goal of Teshuvah is to create a new person. I'm no longer the person who sinned. The verse the Rambam quotes from Shir Hashirim is

שיר השירים פרק ה

 אִם תִּמְצְאוּ אֶת דּוֹדִי מַה תַּגִּידוּ לוֹ שֶׁחוֹלַת אַהֲבָה אָנִי: - If you find my beloved, what will you tell him, - that I am lovesick. In other words - I am not the same person, I am lovesick.

 The pasuk in Nitzavim said

דברים פרק ל

 אִם יִהְיֶה נִדַּחֲךָ בִּקְצֵה הַשָּׁמָיִם מִשָּׁם יְקַבֶּצְךָ יְקֹוָק אֱלֹהֶיךָ וּמִשָּׁם יִקָּחֶךָ:

Even if your diaspora is at the ends of the heavens, God your Lord will gather you up from there and He will take you back.

When you're thrown to the ends of the earth, and it takes a very long journey to make your way back, you're not the same person. You can't be the same person. The adventures you've had along the way, the encounters, the experiences, have molded and shaped you into a new person, one informed by history and street-smarts and נסיון – experience. You've been there, done that. You know your life is in the hands of God, so you make a commitment.

 דברים פרק ל

 וְשַׁבְתָּ עַד יְקֹוָק אֱלֹהֶיךָ וְשָׁמַעְתָּ בְקֹלוֹ כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם אַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשֶׁךָ:

            As you return to God, you listen to his קול, His Voice. And today, the קול is the קול שופר, which, as the Rambam writes, is a wake up call. It's the voice of God calling from whatever a person is going through.  It’s a reminder to leave behind the sins and to forge forward as we each become a new person.

            When we achieve משם יקבצך ה אלקיך – that God gathers you up from your most distant place, we also achieve ומשם יקחך, that He takes us anew.

            This is the goal of Teshuva. This is the goal of Rosh Hashana. This is the goal of the יום הדין. That we judge ourselves and conclude that we no longer want to be the people we were until now. We want a new chance, a new life, to become a new person. We want to be able to love God wholly and completely. We want to be able to see that both the ברכה – which is easy – AND the קללה – which is much harder – is from God. And we want to love him all the same!

            Let the sound of the Shofar uplift us all. Let it penetrate the deepest depths of our souls. Let it shake us to our core. Let it herald for each of us the cry of battle – the battlecry that we channel within ourselves.

            That we can let go of any ego. That we can shift our focus to fulfill the words that we so diligently say every day – ואהבת את ה אלקיך בכל לבבך ובכל נפשך ובכל מאדך. Teshuvah does not only mean repenting. It meant RETURNING. Returning to God, as the lovesick people we are, who are having a reunion with our beloved.

            Just like most who חלילה become estranged from their parents would be welcomed with open arms if they would only knock on the door, we are always welcome if we choose to return to God. If we can truly love God with all hearts, souls and מאד, we become new people, with a new purpose. And, according to the gemara, our sins become merits.

            Let us pray that we can achieve this. Let us pray that God can give us the strength to serve Him in such a manner. That we can look past all the things we raise eyebrows to, and all the things we are cynical of, and all the things we mock. Let us flip the switch so that every task we undertake and everything which happens to us can all be seen as stemming from the mutual love that exists between father and child, between Creator and His Creations.

            If we can do this, I am confident that not only will we be blessed with a good year, but our lives will be enriched as our spirituality soars, as the totality of the focus of our existence becomes one guided by my love of God.

            What drives my going to shul? ואהבת את ה אלקיך

            What drives my eating and bentching habits? ואהבת את ה אלקיך

            Why do I work? ואהבת את ה אלקיך

            Why do I keep shabbos? ואהבת את ה אלקיך

            Why do I treat my spouse with the utmost respect? ואהבת את ה אלקיך

            How do I know how to relate best to my children? ואהבת את ה אלקיך

            How do I know how to fulfill כיבוד אב ואם – which can be fulfilled whether parents are alive or no longer alive? ואהבת את ה אלקיך

            What guides my choices in life, my tzedakah giving, my proper usage of time? ואהבת את ה אלקיך

            Why do I exercise? Why do I engage in sport? Why do I read? Why do I learn? ואהבת את ה אלקיך

            What makes me a good friend that people look to and admire? What makes me a mentsch? What makes me a model citizen? ואהבת את ה אלקיך

            It's the answer to everything. It is the key to תשובה. It is what makes and creates the "New Me." It is the secret ingredient to the most fulfilling life.

Rosh Hashana 5773 - The Idealist and the Realist

Rosh Hashana: The Idealist and the Realist

Rabbi Avi Billet

          At the beginning of August, Curtis Martin was inducted into the football hall of fame in canton, Ohio. At his induction speech, he delivered an unremarkable speech, in which he surprisingly noted how much he doesn't really like football.

          He may rank quite high in the all-time running back stats lists, but the fact that he was an exceptional player has never made him a fan of the game. He got into football because he needed a safe place to spend his time after school when_living in a world that seemed to set his destiny to be dead before age 21. And football literally saved his life. Not only did it eventually help him earn a lot of money and take care of his mother who had long suffered to take care of him, but it gave him the opportunity to become: a responsible adult with a wife and young daughter, and, most importantly, a God-fearing person.

Where God Is Found

Parshat Nitzavim

by Rabbi Avi Billet

The Mechilta (and many other Midrashic passages) utilize the phrase "Imo Anokhi B'tzara" (Tehillim 91:15) to prove that God is not only pained by difficulties which affect the community (based on Yeshayahu 63:9), but is feeling the pain of the individual as well, as he or she is faced with personal trials and difficult times in life.

            

The concept that God is everywhere is not only made famous by the Uncle Moishy song, "Hashem is here, Hashem is there, Hashem is truly everywhere." We say it daily in "Kedushah" – "The world is filled with His glory." (Yeshayahu 6:3)

            

As Rosh Hashana comes upon us, those who are most concerned about what the outcome of the Day of Judgment will be may carry both of these notions in their own defense. If God is everywhere, I cannot hide. Nothing I do is really a secret and so my every deed can be scrutinized. And if God knows how I am suffering on this day, maybe He can fulfill His promise of being with me in my difficult hour.

            

After all, He made me, He gave me my yetzer hara (evil inclination), and He is constantly tempting me. And while I do make good choices much of the time, I am an imperfect human and I make mistakes.

            

Or, to put it a different way, sometimes things go well for me. But I've also had setbacks during the year. Family issues, financial setbacks, health problems, a loss in the family. The world is filled with Your glory! You know what I've been through! Can't You use that as part of my defense this year?

            

We certainly hope that this will be taken into consideration.

            

But there is another way to look at our relationship with God, and the role these kinds of arguments can play.

            

In the first verses of Devarim Chapter 30, we are told, "There shall come a time when you shall experience all the words of blessing and curse that I have presented to you. There, among the nations where God will have banished you, you will reflect on the situation and return to your God…" (translation of Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan)

            

The phrase Rabbi Kaplan translates as "you will reflect on the situation etc." can more literally be said to mean, "You will take it to your heart, among all the nations that you were dispersed [to] by God, to there."

            

The Dubno Maggid looked at the literal meaning of the words and explained, moving around punctuation in his inimitable style, "Take to your heart the understanding that in all the nations to which you are dispersed…" – God is there. Instead of "to where God dispersed you," he says "To where you were dispersed... Hashem Elokekha Shamah, that is where God is as well!"

            

In other words, don't despair on God! God is literally everywhere, even in the darkest places and in the most difficult moments of life - God is alongside us. He knows what we are going through. This feeling is how I understand Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik's statement describing the great lesson he learned from his mother, "to feel the presence of the Almighty and the gentle pressure of His hand resting upon my frail shoulders." ("A Tribute to the Rebbetzin of Talne")

            

A Chassidic tale places one of the Great Masters in a prison, put there by local authorities who had it in for the rabbi. He started to say Tehillim 23, and when he got to the popular verse "Even as I walk in the shadow of the valley of death, I shall not fear bad because You are with me" he read it differently. "Even as I walk in the shadow of the valley of death, I shall not fear" the prison. A prison is created by Man, and it is a mere combination of stones, cement, bricks, and metal. They can lock me up, but they can't lock up my mind.

            

"It is bad that you are with me" because here I am in prison, and I am further pained by the fact that you, Master of the World, need to also be found in this place.

            

Everything is relative. As much as God might see or notice the things we hope He'd miss, God also sees all the little good things we've done. As much as we might have not put too much thought into some of these deeds, they do count in our defense, and may play a significant role in getting us over the proverbial hump of the Day of Judgment.

            

To wherever God may have banished us, if we can bear in mind that He is there with us, feeling our pain with us, we can have a more confident outlook that He is front and center pulling for us to make it through this Rosh Hashana being positively inscribed in the Book of Life.

Simcha: The Art of Joyous Living

Parshat Ki Tavo

by Rabbi Avi Billet

Nechama Leibowitz was fond of teaching her students to find the "milah mancha" – a shoresh (root noun or verb), word or phrase that appears numerous times in a given section.

In Parshat Ki Tavo, a surprising "milah mancha" is the root of the word "simcha," meaning joy. While the word only appears in three contexts, each instance brings its own set of immeasurable valuable lessons.

The first reference to joy comes in the context of bringing the first fruits. After placing the basket on the floor of the Mishkan, having said one's declaration of gratitude, the Torah says "You will rejoice in all the bounty that God has given you, along with the Levite and the 'ger' who lives amongst you." (26:11) The joy here comes from a recognition that the gifts we enjoy come from God.

The second mention of joy alerts the people of a time in the hopefully not-too-distant future when they will gather at Mount Eival after having crossed into the land of Canaan. Moshe instructs them as to how they will construct a Mizbeach (an altar) out of uncut stones and bring sacrifices upon it. They will also take very large stones, coat them with limestone and write the words of the Torah upon them - which they will read, and which will serve as a reminder to them of their relationship with God. In the midst of all the festivities, "You will bring peace offerings there and you will rejoice before your God." (27:7) The joy will come from a feeling of closeness to God, because we are in the land He promised, and we are seeing the circle of the Redemption from Egypt coming to a close.

The third time we see the word "simcha" is in the Tokhacha (Rebuke), when the people are told that all the curses will come upon you "because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and a merry heart on account of having plenty of everything." (28:47) This notion would seem to be a reference to the concern voiced in Devarim 8:14-20 when Moshe warns of what will happen when things are going well for you and "your heart becomes elevated, and you forget God who took you out of Egypt… [to the point that] you'll say in your heart, 'It was my own strength and fortitude that got me here.'"

It seems the Torah is suggesting that for some people money can buy happiness. But the idea that the money causes people to forget God, and consequently not to serve God with joy, is one of the ingredients that will bring about the curses of the Rebuke.

Living life with joy, and rejoicing with God, seems to be an easy antidote to life's ills and pitfalls. For some people, living life with joy is much easier said than done. There are everyday pressures from bosses, children, spouses. There are bills to pay. There is the ever-present concern of "Am I doing right in how I am raising my children?" It's hard to live in the moment and to simply be happy.

Those who follow the teaching of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov that "it is a great mitzvah to be happy," have a built in reminder that as much as everything weighs on the shoulders, there is a higher calling. We can look at all the blessings we have and be reminded that life is good.

I like to think the Tokhacha has been visited upon the Jewish people enough times. I like to believe that the warnings are a remnant of a time that was, and that they need not happen again. Less than 70 years after the Holocaust, however, there are still survivors and certainly many children of survivors who know that the Tokhacha was fulfilled yet again during that period of very recent history. And I am certainly not suggesting that I understand the ways of God as to why it had to happen. Giving reasons for the Holocaust is at the least insulting to all its victims and smacks of pure ignorance.

But the Torah explains why the curses of the Tokhacha would be visited upon the Jewish people, and it tacks in the message of not serving God with joy.

We need to find joy in everything we do. We need to rise above the mundane and the day-to-day concerns that pull us down and prevent us from feeling joy.

Bringing the first fruit was a reminder that, despite everything that might be difficult, there is bounty in your life. Tap into it, know where it comes from (hint: God), appreciate it, and rejoice with it.

The celebration at Mt. Eival, which is recounted in Yehoshua Chapter 8, was a reminder that God fulfills His promises – even though the fulfillment of the promises sometimes comes to a different generation. There is merit to serving God, to fostering the man-God relationship and rejoicing in the gift that from being God's People.

We build the relationship through our time commitments, our monetary commitments, and through our life choices. We pray, we learn, we act, we serve, we fulfill commandments, and many are committed to growing in observance, in learning, and in each person's closer feelings for God.

If we smile more, and rejoice more in our service and dedication to God, who knows what can happen? Maybe the Messiah will come. And maybe we'll become a light unto others as we are "motzim chen b'einei Elokim v'adam" – finding favor in the eyes of God and Mankind.