The Covenant of Circumcision

Lekh Lekha

by Rabbi Avi Billet

Over the last seven months, circumcision has appeared as a regular conversation topic in media outlets. Between metzitzah discussions, European nations becoming enlightened about circumcision and banning it (historians note that all that has changed in Europe is that European anti-Semitism now comes in the guise of liberalism – to save the babies!), and the pro v anti circumcision debate which continues to rage on in the blogosphere, there is no shortage of topics to be covered.

Reading Parshat Lekh Lekha this week, the parsha in which the Covenant of Circumcision is first presented in the Torah, it is a good time to reflect on what Bris Milah is and why we are so attached to it.

Dr. Jon Levenson, professor of Jewish studies at Harvard University, noted a (not) surprising phenomenon in his article, "The New Enemies of Circumcision,” in Commentary Magazine, March 2000.

“…circumcision, itself a divine commandment (mitzvah), is emblematic of the Jews' fidelity to the God who formed them as a people and gave them the Torah.

"It is hardly surprising, therefore, that even in modern times, Jews across the denominational spectrum have continued to have the procedure performed on their sons on the eighth day of life, just as the Torah prescribes. What may be more surprising is the durability of circumcision among those Jews for whom traditional theology is unacceptable. All sorts of other practices bearing the warrant of tradition--Sabbath, dietary laws, daily prayer--have fallen by the wayside, but circumcision, [ ] britmilah [ ], endures."

Levinson went on to discuss different opinions as to the prophylactic effects of circumcision, noting that they are irrelevant to the Jew who will be circumcising regardless of medical opinion. This notion was adequately noted by Herman Wouk in his "This is My God" where he wrote, “[F]or Jews circumcision … is not a detail of hygiene, [but] the seal of the pledge between Abraham and his Creator… The Jews have followed the Mosaic law with a confidence which modern medicine progressively ratifies.  The medical endorsement is not, however, the glory of Judaism.  It is a footnote."

In many Jewish circles, the question of circumcision is not a Hamletian question of "to circ or not to circ," but is merely a question of when and where. This is something the non-Jewish or the non-circumcising world, who view circumcision as barbaric, will never understand. Circumcision is a practice that has defined our people for thousands of years. We have done it openly, in secret, enjoying the support of local government or in defiance of laws against it. The practice has survived hatred, bigotry, persecution, and genocide for many reasons including those discussed in Talmud Nedarim 31b-32a (see also Shabbat 130a). It is the fulfillment of our side of the agreement of Bereshit 17, in hopes of the continued fulfillment of the promises God made to Avraham.

Many people who are anti-circumcision like to quote a passage of Maimonides from "The Guide to the Perplexed" [3.49 (118a), 609] in which Maimonides expressed how circumcision decreases physical sensitivity. But their quotation of Maimonides is always incomplete, and therefore intellectually dishonest.

In the part they don't quote, Maimonides outlines why we circumcise. Avraham was the first to recognize the power of the male "drive" and the need to have other pursuits in life [see Hilchot De'ot 3:2]. More importantly, in his day (certainly before any notion of routine circumcision that exists in the United States today), circumcision gave our people a common physical sign of our peoplehood, along with the faith that this is what God has asked of us. (Levenson addresses the fact that women do not bear a sign of the covenant - which most women I have spoken with are "just fine with that.")

The covenant forged with Avraham, in which God agreed "to be a God for you and for your children after you" [as described in Bereshit 17] is the source for declaring God's oneness.

Maimonides states unequivocally that the Torah cannot be properly fulfilled without circumcision. He shares three points of wisdom in the process of circumcising at this age: 1. Were we to leave it for the child to do when he grows older, there's a great chance that he wouldn't do it. 2. The long-term pain experienced by an older person, who will add emotional stress to the ordeal, does not compare to the when-it's-over-it's-done experience of a newborn 3. Submitting a newborn to circumcision is much easier than an older child, for whom our love only grows over time, who experiences pain differently and who might remember it.

These days, even many Muslims have switched from the older practice of circumcising at 13 or a younger age of childhood, opting for the newborn period, which is far less traumatic and entirely forgettable.      

Small groups of Jews claim "choosing not to circ is the more Jewish thing to do." Discounting the Torah is hardly "more Jewish," but those who don't "get it" will try to use any argument they can to pursue their agenda.

For us, our covenant with God is what will keep this mitzvah alive. May we merit to bring many more babies into the Covenant (though only boys bare the physical mark) as the Jewish people continue to grow in anticipation of the final Redemption. 

In Defense of Noach

Parshat Noach

by Rabbi Avi Billet

Of all the Biblical heroes, those we might call the "good guys," Noach gets the worst rap. When we are first introduced to him, we are told he was a tzaddik (righteous man) "in his generation." Rashi famously pounces on the added term, suggesting that he was a good guy in his generation alone, but had he lived in the generation of Avraham, he would not have been a person of significance.

Some further note that Noach never prayed for, or interceded on behalf of the people of his generation, in any manner similar to Avraham's protests on behalf of the doomed inhabitants of Sodom (see Rabbenu Bachaye on 6:14, for example). He may have taken his time building the ark, but as Bill Cosby noted in his popular "Noah" routine, if people asked him why he was building the ark, his response did not exactly inspire repentance (as is indicated by Rashi's "'Perhaps' they'd repent" in 6:14).

The Midrash Rabba compares the Torah's depiction of Noach to how it depicts Moshe. Noach starts as an "Ish Tzaddik" - a righteous man (6:9), but is last depicted as an "Ish Ha'Adamah" - a man of the earth (9:20). While being a man of the earth is not particularly a bad thing, it seems to be a step down from his original status. And once one considers that the epithet comes even after he has offered sacrifices to his God, the evidence is reproving in his disfavor.

Moshe, on the other hand, is depicted in his early days as an "Ish Mitzri" - an Egyptian man (Shmot 2:19), while at the end of his life he is called an "Ish Ha'Elokim" - a man of God (Devarim 33:1). His life seems to be a progression to greater holiness.

These critiques may reflect personality traits of Noach. He listened to God's instructions, but did not have the wherewithal to confront or inspire people, or to teach them to be more Godly. He may have been a tzaddik when others were around, but maybe the same personality trait did not hold water when Noach is the "only" human being around (aside from his immediate family) after the flood.

While I can not defend Noach against these accusations, I would like to share a defense pointed out by the Kli Yakar, which adds to Noach's esteem even beyond the Torah's "And Noach found favor in God's eyes." (6:8)  

Towards the end of Chapter 6, God tells Noach, "And you will take for yourself of all kinds of edible foods. You will gather it to you. And it will be food for you and for [the animals]." (6:21)

Says the Kli Yakar: "Taking for yourself implies 'from your own and not from the [food] of others.' This was to remind Noach not to think that just because everyone else will die soon and will have no need for their money or property, that everything in the world was available to him for the taking." The miracle, he explains, is that Noach's personal rations – from what he personally owned – sufficed for all those on the ark, man and beast, for one year.

This is quite significant. Noach is living in a time in which "Chamas" – robbery – is rampant. The fact that this does not even register as a possibility for him, he being the only one who understands that God will be destroying the world, and how truly "you can't take it with you" applied to the people of his generation, is a remarkable trait for a person living in that time period.

Think about it. Adam and Chava "stole" from the tree from which they were forbidden to eat. The Slonimer Rebbe (Nesivos Shalom) points out a remarkable difference between the offerings of Kayin and Hevel, that Kayin brought from "the fruit of the earth" (4:3) while Hevel brought from "the best of his sheep" (4:4). The source of Hevel's offering was his own property! Kayin's offering may not have been "his!" It may have been stolen!

Noach did not descend from Kayin. Nonetheless it is noteworthy how the concept of taking "that which does not belong to you" is a flaw which afflicted even the first humans on earth. But Noach overcame, and did not have that temptation. This allowed him to even hold back from taking from those who would never miss it.

The message is simple. Noach is a tzaddik in the first part of the parsha because he never let money, or the pursuit of money, get in the way of his relationship with God and other human beings. Any food ultimately brought aboard the ark was either grown by him or purchased honestly.

It takes a big man to go against the grain. Particularly in a society when everyone is stealing because "everyone else does," it is the truly righteous who steps back and says, "I don't. Because stealing is wrong."

By the end of the account of Noach in the Torah, he does not enjoy the same status as he did at the beginning of his tale. But his moral stance should continue to inspire all of us. Unlike many who choose to do the wrong thing following the bad example of others (like, say, double parking on a busy street that has one lane in each direction), who justify their behavior because "everyone does it," Noach set a standard that if it's wrong you don't do it, even if everyone else says otherwise.

The Crouching Sin

Parshat Bereshit

by Rabbi Avi Billet

The stage is set. The first two sons of Man have brought their offerings to their God, and He has favored the younger's dedication. The older brother is disheartened, and it shows on his face.

Says God, "What are you so frustrated? Why has your face fallen? If you do good, you will lift up! But if not, then sin lies crouching at the door. It desires to get you, but you can rule over it." (4:6-7)

            

In the next verse Kayin kills his brother.

The story is incomplete. Why Kayin killed Hevel is unclear. Was he provoked? Was it self defense? Did he even understand that his act could be fatal? Was the murder premeditated? Or an error? There are a myriad of interpretations hinged on the question of what the "sin crouching at the door" might be. As God's statement was the last thing Kayin heard before he committed murder, one can argue it was the trigger that unleashed his rage. But what did God mean?

In a lecture on repentance delivered in 1987, Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein explained the "sin that crouches at the door" as the most blatant obstacle to proper observance of the Law and commitment to God which plagues a particular hashkafic (philosophical) community.

"…[It] is not the same sin at every door. Each door, each domicile, each community has its particular sin, a specific spiritual danger indigenous to it, endemic to that group or that individual." Quoting the Chafetz Chaim, he notes that different generations have different pitfalls. Some "succumb to idolatry, others to desecration of Shabbat, some to sins between man and his Maker, and others to interpersonal sins."

At the same time that he declared the sin plaguing the Religious Zionist community (ie "Modern Orthodox" community in the United States) to be one of "shikhecha," forgetting God, or "lacking the immanent sense of God felt so deeply, keenly and pervasively in other parts of the halakhically committed Jewish world" (which is indeed a problem), he defined "avodah zara" – beyond idolatry – as "superstition and misguided conceptions of God."

Rabbi Lichtenstein does not need my stamp of approval. His assessment of our community is spot on. But I think his definition of avodah zara is also quite noteworthy.

Looking to rabbis (people) as role models is wonderful. Idolizing them and turning them into flawless human beings is idolatry. Many rabbis exhibit excellent judgment all the time. Some make mistakes. The real Gedolim acknowledge their mistakes.

Kosher laws are quite special. Making an obsession about invisible parasites – and thus declaring water, lettuce, broccoli and strawberries unkosher – is idolatry. (No one is interested in eating infested vegetables. Remind people that bugs are not kosher, but don't wage war on fruits and vegetables!)

Modesty is one of the most important Jewish traits. But making a religion solely about personal definitions of such – when the law is somewhat flexible, and in some cases changes based on the standards of the general society – is idolatry! Modesty is not just about length of clothing and size of head coverings.

A chupah is a public event that declares a man and woman united in marriage. This allows them to be seen together in public, and to sit together at a wedding or any simcha other than their own wedding. Who has separate seating at their family Shabbat table?

Why do advertisements for communities and retirement homes in magazines only feature males in the photographs? Is it such a crime to see a photograph of a little girl, a mother in modest dress, or an elderly woman in a wheelchair? This is our world. This is life.

           

Mandating to others how to live, and judging their "frumkeit" based on externals (not calling a Kohen or Levi to the Torah or not counting a bar mitzvah for a minyan on account of a T-shirt or their not being from "your crowd") is not only the most disgusting form of sinat chinam (baseless hatred), but is also a form of idolatry. 

I received the following email in response to a debate about metzitzah that I posted on my blog, in which a pro Metzitzah b'Peh person told me that he cares not about Jews or people (or babies) in general, but only about "God and Halacha": "The 'pious' Jew who only cares about 'God' and His rulebook is clearly off the derech… whatever he is worshipping it is not God. He [has] invented a God to worship and [has] created an imaginary rule book… to replace the much more challenging reality [of what it means to be an observant Jew]."

Kayin could not overcome his crouching sin, perhaps his passion, and it caused him to kill his brother.

           

For some Jewish people, worship of the "avodah zara" I have described is their crouching sin. On account of it Judaism is ultimately denigrated, the shouting matches which ensue, and the negative feelings exacerbated through criticizing others all come at the expense of the, perhaps unanticipated, desecration of God's name which appears in television, newspapers and blogs fueled by misinformation, yes, but also improperly presented information which depicts Orthodox Jews as being hopelessly stubborn or blinded by their own faith.

            

In Kayin's case, his sin lay in his inabilities: to discern the flaw in his gift to God, to learn from his mistakes, and to see that he could live in harmony with his brother, despite their differences, and that each had a unique way of relating to God. If they could only respect the other approach – live and let live and stop telling the other what to do in the most intolerant of ways – they could have lived in harmony.

The saga of brother versus brother need have never unfolded so tragically.

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.