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The Power of Loving-Kindness
by Moshe Kempinski
Where does one find the real Israel?
How we see ourselves determines how others end up seeing us. If you believe that you are as insignificant as a grasshopper in someone else's eyes, then you necessarily believe that he can crush and subdue you on a moment's whim.
We live in a world where reality seems to be determined to prove our insignificance. Falling prey to that can prove to be very dangerous. A leadership that loses its sense of self or its vision could lead to disaster anywhere, but Our enemies speak in gloating and glowing terms of their ongoing march towards victory.much more so here in the spiritual center of the world.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert declared, following the terrorist bulldozer incidents, that retaining Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel would lead to more terrorism: "Whoever thinks it is possible to live with 270,000 Arabs in Jerusalem must take into account that there will be more bulldozers, more tractors and more cars carrying out attacks." US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice recently told Palestinian officials that she would pressure Israel against initiating any Jewish construction in eastern sections of Jerusalem.
Furthermore, on a different issue, the Israeli cabinet held three separate votes and decided on the release of over 200 prisoners, including two prisoners with "blood on their hands." The "others" include 26 people who were sentenced to terms of 10 to 16 years for attempted murder, like shooting attacks or bombings. According to Olmert, "Releasing prisoners as a gesture does not attest to weakness, but rather is a sign of strength." And Mark Regev, Olmert's spokesman explained, "We want the Palestinians to understand that we want to live with them in peace. We are ready for historic reconciliation."
Is it any wonder, then, that our enemies speak in gloating and glowing terms of their ongoing march towards victory?
This was clearly evident when one saw the glee and posturing of the Palestinians when the terrorists were released. It is also evident when Palestinian spokesmen declare that Jerusalem is not "that important for the Jews."
The bottom line is that both the Arab world and the world in general can smell weakness and defeatism. They sense that the Israeli leadership see themselves as grasshoppers facing menacing giants. It is that weakness that each of them, for their own reasons, would like to exploit. The Arab world would simply want to destroy Israel in They sense that the Israeli leadership see themselves as grasshoppers facing menacing giants.their unfolding violent messianic fervor. The Western world would like to pare Israel down to a more manageable size. A smaller, weaker Israel could be better managed and thereby more easily controlled.
Based on the public Israeli face that the world sees, they are right. Yet, the public, official Israel is not Israel. It lacks the vision, faith and determination of the real Israel. It lacks the hesed and compassion that has characterized Israel from its birth in Abraham's tent. The public face of Israel lacks the courage and sense of sacrifice that has kept this people alive through thousands of years of persecution.
Then where does one find the real Israel?
One had a glimpse of the real Israel in the battlefields of Lebanon. One can be inspired by the vision of the real Israel if one ventures into the settlements of Judea and Samaria, or the farms and villages of what is termed "the periphery" of this country.
Yet, the most powerful component of Israel's survival and power is in the compassion of its people. It is in the quality of hesed, or loving-kindness, that is so clearly juxtaposed with the selfishness of its political leaders.
That, then, is the secret that separates weak men like Prime Minister Olmert from courageous men like Major Ro'i Klein. That is the stuff that makes up the character of the young settlers on the hilltops - so different than the character of "yes-men" like Tzipi Livni and Sha'ul Mofaz. That is the essence of the Divine attribute that runs through the veins of the "real Israel" and that seems to be so lacking in the present leadership of this country.
"Olam chesed yibaneh" - "The foundation of the world is loving-kindness." (Psalms 89:3)
Those who have learned the secret that giving of oneself is the greatest source of inner strength are the ones who will have the courage to build and refashion the world. Those whose focus remains on receiving are doomed to forever live a life victimized by the turns and twists of reality.
"Many are the sorrows of the wicked; but he who trusts HaShem, loving-kindness shall surround him." (Psalms 32:10)
This past week, as I was descending the steps of the Jewish quarter to pray my afternoon prayers at the Western Wall, I heard loud and exuberant singing. The song I heard was called Ivdu Et HaShem Be'simcha, "Serve G-d With Joy". As I turned the corner, I saw many buses parked in the Western Wall plaza, which hid from me the throng of people who were singing with such excitement and passion.
As I entered the Western Wall plaza and walked past the first bus, I saw hundreds of young people singing and dancing. A little less than half of them were in wheelchairs, or on the shoulders or in the arms of the other half of the group. Regardless of the severity of some of the handicaps that were so evident on the bodies of many of These young people have been empowered by loving-kindness.these young people, their faces and especially their eyes reflected complete freedom and happiness. Regardless of the physical difficulty that those who were accompanying the more challenged youngsters must have experienced, they seemed to fly above and around the wheelchairs with angelic powers.
These were buses of the Kav Lachaim ("Life Line") organization. The stated goal of the organization is "to help every sick child in Israel recover easily and quickly, and to offer chronically ill children and their parents a broad range of services and activities which include outings, entertainment, books, medical counseling and financial support."
Organizations such as Kav Lachaim dot the landscape of Real Israel. The volunteers of this group and the physically challenged children with them represented the true strength of this country, regardless of their age or their limitations.
These young people have been empowered by loving-kindness and they, as opposed to our leadership, will not see themselves as grasshoppers. These faithful young people, like many others throughout the country, have become giants; and it is before them that the evil designs of our enemies will fail.
26 Av 5768 / 27 August 08
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
See the Good Land
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Va'etchanan: See the Good Land
by Moshe Kempinski
Where all things become intertwined.
My recent return from a short visit to Canada helped clarify an interesting question regarding Moshe Rabbeinu and this land. While we were overseas, we were able to spend some good quality time with dear family and friends. I again felt that sense of being refilled and of feeling whole and complete.We spent time in places whose physical beauty was both dramatic and serene. We prayed and studied in the synagogues and study halls that were filled with devout and sincere fellow Jews. I was also moved when I was given the opportunity to speak to committed Jews at a fundraiser for the expelled Jews of Gush Katif.
Yet, when the plane touched the earth of the Land of Israel I again felt that surging sense of being infused with exhilaration. I again felt that sense of being refilled and of feeling whole and complete.
Moshe Rabbeinu in the Torah portion of Va'etchanan declares:
And I beseeched HaShem at that time, saying: "O HaShem G- d, Thou hast begun to show Thy servant Thy greatness, and Thy strong hand; for what god is there in Heaven or on Earth that can do according to Thy works, and according to Thy mighty acts? Let me go over, I pray Thee, and see the good land that is beyond the Jordan, that goodly hill-country, and Lebanon." (Shmot/Exodus 6:2)
Our sages even relate that this prayer was repeated 515 times, a number equivalent to the gematria (numerology) of the word Va'etchanan ("and I beseeched").
Why?
Moshe was the man who had entered Heaven. Here was the man who stood before the burning bush. This was the man who was called by G-d "my faithful servant." What glorious sight could there be left to see, even in the beautiful hills of the land , after one has experienced eternity? What more was there to see in "the good land" after he has already been shown "Thy greatness, and Thy strong hand"?
Moshe Rabbeinu had walked the Earth and and wandered amidst the angels in Heaven, yet he so passionately yearned to go over into the good land.
Why?
I, together with many fellow Jews, worked hard to maintain my spiritual connection alive and active throughout my stay in Canada. With HaShem's help, the efforts at drawing spiritual strength from the Heavens met with success, but it was then I understood our master teacher, Moshe. Herein lay the difference. According to the writings of our mystical teachers, the further one stands from the source of spirituality, the more segregated and separated things become. On the other hand, the closer one gets to the source of all things spiritual, the more all things become intertwined and melded. This is true of the knowledge and awareness of G-d, but it is also true of the land of Israel, "from out of Zion shall come the word of G-d." (Isaiah 2:3) It is this melding The further one stands from the source of spirituality, the more segregated and separated things become.and intertwining that makes life in this country so filled with spiritual possibilities, while at the same time allowing for the dangers of pitfalls and confusion. That is why the walk in this land is such a delicate journey on a very fragile path. Yet, the glorious spiritual riches dwarf the real and present dangers.
This, then, was the reason for that great rush and exhilaration I felt upon landing home in Israel. In Chutz Le’aretz, in the exile, spirituality needs to constantly be drawn from the outside in. In Israel, the feeling is dramatically different. In this "goodly land" the task involves revealing and unleashing the powers that are hidden within each individual, from the inside out. This in no way belittles the incredible power of spirituality wherever it is revealed. But it does point to the unique character of this small, embattled land.
Moshe Rabbeinu may have wandered between Heaven and Earth; yet, he so clearly understood the power of a land wherein Heaven meets Earth. He understood the circuitous ways and fragile bridges that this land affords; yet, he also sensed that the connection between Heaven and Earth may be the purpose of creation.
He very probably also knew about the opportunity that would be presented in our generation to every one of his people's descendants.
14 Av 5768 / 15 August 08
Va'etchanan: See the Good Land
by Moshe Kempinski
Where all things become intertwined.
My recent return from a short visit to Canada helped clarify an interesting question regarding Moshe Rabbeinu and this land. While we were overseas, we were able to spend some good quality time with dear family and friends. I again felt that sense of being refilled and of feeling whole and complete.We spent time in places whose physical beauty was both dramatic and serene. We prayed and studied in the synagogues and study halls that were filled with devout and sincere fellow Jews. I was also moved when I was given the opportunity to speak to committed Jews at a fundraiser for the expelled Jews of Gush Katif.
Yet, when the plane touched the earth of the Land of Israel I again felt that surging sense of being infused with exhilaration. I again felt that sense of being refilled and of feeling whole and complete.
Moshe Rabbeinu in the Torah portion of Va'etchanan declares:
And I beseeched HaShem at that time, saying: "O HaShem G- d, Thou hast begun to show Thy servant Thy greatness, and Thy strong hand; for what god is there in Heaven or on Earth that can do according to Thy works, and according to Thy mighty acts? Let me go over, I pray Thee, and see the good land that is beyond the Jordan, that goodly hill-country, and Lebanon." (Shmot/Exodus 6:2)
Our sages even relate that this prayer was repeated 515 times, a number equivalent to the gematria (numerology) of the word Va'etchanan ("and I beseeched").
Why?
Moshe was the man who had entered Heaven. Here was the man who stood before the burning bush. This was the man who was called by G-d "my faithful servant." What glorious sight could there be left to see, even in the beautiful hills of the land , after one has experienced eternity? What more was there to see in "the good land" after he has already been shown "Thy greatness, and Thy strong hand"?
Moshe Rabbeinu had walked the Earth and and wandered amidst the angels in Heaven, yet he so passionately yearned to go over into the good land.
Why?
I, together with many fellow Jews, worked hard to maintain my spiritual connection alive and active throughout my stay in Canada. With HaShem's help, the efforts at drawing spiritual strength from the Heavens met with success, but it was then I understood our master teacher, Moshe. Herein lay the difference. According to the writings of our mystical teachers, the further one stands from the source of spirituality, the more segregated and separated things become. On the other hand, the closer one gets to the source of all things spiritual, the more all things become intertwined and melded. This is true of the knowledge and awareness of G-d, but it is also true of the land of Israel, "from out of Zion shall come the word of G-d." (Isaiah 2:3) It is this melding The further one stands from the source of spirituality, the more segregated and separated things become.and intertwining that makes life in this country so filled with spiritual possibilities, while at the same time allowing for the dangers of pitfalls and confusion. That is why the walk in this land is such a delicate journey on a very fragile path. Yet, the glorious spiritual riches dwarf the real and present dangers.
This, then, was the reason for that great rush and exhilaration I felt upon landing home in Israel. In Chutz Le’aretz, in the exile, spirituality needs to constantly be drawn from the outside in. In Israel, the feeling is dramatically different. In this "goodly land" the task involves revealing and unleashing the powers that are hidden within each individual, from the inside out. This in no way belittles the incredible power of spirituality wherever it is revealed. But it does point to the unique character of this small, embattled land.
Moshe Rabbeinu may have wandered between Heaven and Earth; yet, he so clearly understood the power of a land wherein Heaven meets Earth. He understood the circuitous ways and fragile bridges that this land affords; yet, he also sensed that the connection between Heaven and Earth may be the purpose of creation.
He very probably also knew about the opportunity that would be presented in our generation to every one of his people's descendants.
14 Av 5768 / 15 August 08
To Hear With Your Eyes
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Balak: To Hear With Your Eyes
by Moshe Kempinski
Listen to the melody of destiny.
The road forward for the Jewish people is meant to be long, circuitous and torturous. The road for the people of this country is especially convoluted and confusing. It is a road beset by many pitfalls and many precipitous drops. Yet it is a road that must be taken, as the history of the Jewish people in particular, and that of mankind in general, continue forward towards their destiny. At times, in the midst of that journey, the Jewish people seem to lose In the midst of that journey, the Jewish people seem to lose direction and purpose.direction and purpose as they wander into pastures and hills that were not meant for them. That too is part of the exile and is also part of the wilderness that must be traveled.
"So were they scattered, because there was no shepherd; and they became food to all the beasts of the field, and were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill, yea, upon all the face of the earth were My sheep scattered, and there was none that did search or seek." (Ezekiel 34:5-6)
If one listens to the melody of destiny, then purpose and direction is rediscovered. There are many in this country, including those who claim to be our leadership, who have lost the ability to hear that melody. Yet there are many amongst this people that have learned to attune their ears to hear what must be heard. Those who are still being guided by that ancient melody have learned that the ability to hear that unending “Hear o Israel” call involves using something other than one's ears.
In the Torah portion of Balak we learn of how the "Prophet to the Nations," Bilaam, attempts to hear G-d's clear voice in order to curse the people that had come out of the slavery of Egypt. Bilaam, under the prodding of Balak the king of Moav, walks to a place high in the hills where he can view the Israelite people.
He then hears and relates G-d's message:
"How shall I curse whom G-d hath not cursed? And how shall I execrate, whom HaShem hath not execrated? For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, it is a people that shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations." (Numbers 23:8-9)
Frustrated, the King Balak tries again; "and Balak said unto him: 'Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them; thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all; and curse me them from thence.'" (ibid. 13)
As a result, Bilaam returns with the following message:
"Behold, I am bidden to bless; and when He hath blessed, I cannot call it back. None hath beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath one seen perverseness in Israel; HaShem his G-d is with him, and the shouting for the King is among them." (ibid. 20-21)
Hearing the voice of G-d necessitated the ability to be able to truly "see". When the Israelites stood at the foot of Mount Sinai "the entire nation saw the voices and the thunder, and the sound of the shofar, and the mountain was consumed with smoke." (Exodus 20:15 )
Rashi on that verse explains, "They saw the sounds; they saw that which is usually heard, that which was impossible to see under different circumstances."
In order to truly comprehend the Divine message that was relayed at Mount Sinai and the Divine message that is still being relayed to this very day, one would need to begin to listen with one's eyes.
I made the serious mistake of listening to all the noise and confusion coming out of our government's cabinet meetings relating to the situation in the north and south. The words and ideas being expressed reeked of selfishI made the serious mistake of listening to all the noise and confusion. motives and small-minded vision. The burden it put on my heart was overwhelming, so I walked out of my shop in the middle of the central square of the Jewish quarter in Jerusalem's Old City to get some air.
Suddenly, to my right, a large procession of French-speaking Jews walked by singing and dancing with young bar mitzvah boys on their shoulders. They streamed into the square, dancing with Israeli flags and musical instruments. I watched, entranced. At that point, a group of young soldiers who were having a break at the side of the square got up and formed another dancing circle in the middle of the square. Next to me, a young girl turned to her grandmother and spoke in what was obviously a British accent and said, "Bubbie, are you okay?" The grandmother just nodded and watched, with tears streaming down her face.
I wasn't simply watching a scene unfold before my eyes; I was listening to a Divine message. In order to understand the Divine plan being unfolded in our days, we must truly develop the ability to hear with our eyes.
G-d is speaking with pictures.
8 Tammuz 5768 / 11 July 08
Balak: To Hear With Your Eyes
by Moshe Kempinski
Listen to the melody of destiny.
The road forward for the Jewish people is meant to be long, circuitous and torturous. The road for the people of this country is especially convoluted and confusing. It is a road beset by many pitfalls and many precipitous drops. Yet it is a road that must be taken, as the history of the Jewish people in particular, and that of mankind in general, continue forward towards their destiny. At times, in the midst of that journey, the Jewish people seem to lose In the midst of that journey, the Jewish people seem to lose direction and purpose.direction and purpose as they wander into pastures and hills that were not meant for them. That too is part of the exile and is also part of the wilderness that must be traveled.
"So were they scattered, because there was no shepherd; and they became food to all the beasts of the field, and were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill, yea, upon all the face of the earth were My sheep scattered, and there was none that did search or seek." (Ezekiel 34:5-6)
If one listens to the melody of destiny, then purpose and direction is rediscovered. There are many in this country, including those who claim to be our leadership, who have lost the ability to hear that melody. Yet there are many amongst this people that have learned to attune their ears to hear what must be heard. Those who are still being guided by that ancient melody have learned that the ability to hear that unending “Hear o Israel” call involves using something other than one's ears.
In the Torah portion of Balak we learn of how the "Prophet to the Nations," Bilaam, attempts to hear G-d's clear voice in order to curse the people that had come out of the slavery of Egypt. Bilaam, under the prodding of Balak the king of Moav, walks to a place high in the hills where he can view the Israelite people.
He then hears and relates G-d's message:
"How shall I curse whom G-d hath not cursed? And how shall I execrate, whom HaShem hath not execrated? For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, it is a people that shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations." (Numbers 23:8-9)
Frustrated, the King Balak tries again; "and Balak said unto him: 'Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them; thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all; and curse me them from thence.'" (ibid. 13)
As a result, Bilaam returns with the following message:
"Behold, I am bidden to bless; and when He hath blessed, I cannot call it back. None hath beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath one seen perverseness in Israel; HaShem his G-d is with him, and the shouting for the King is among them." (ibid. 20-21)
Hearing the voice of G-d necessitated the ability to be able to truly "see". When the Israelites stood at the foot of Mount Sinai "the entire nation saw the voices and the thunder, and the sound of the shofar, and the mountain was consumed with smoke." (Exodus 20:15 )
Rashi on that verse explains, "They saw the sounds; they saw that which is usually heard, that which was impossible to see under different circumstances."
In order to truly comprehend the Divine message that was relayed at Mount Sinai and the Divine message that is still being relayed to this very day, one would need to begin to listen with one's eyes.
I made the serious mistake of listening to all the noise and confusion coming out of our government's cabinet meetings relating to the situation in the north and south. The words and ideas being expressed reeked of selfishI made the serious mistake of listening to all the noise and confusion. motives and small-minded vision. The burden it put on my heart was overwhelming, so I walked out of my shop in the middle of the central square of the Jewish quarter in Jerusalem's Old City to get some air.
Suddenly, to my right, a large procession of French-speaking Jews walked by singing and dancing with young bar mitzvah boys on their shoulders. They streamed into the square, dancing with Israeli flags and musical instruments. I watched, entranced. At that point, a group of young soldiers who were having a break at the side of the square got up and formed another dancing circle in the middle of the square. Next to me, a young girl turned to her grandmother and spoke in what was obviously a British accent and said, "Bubbie, are you okay?" The grandmother just nodded and watched, with tears streaming down her face.
I wasn't simply watching a scene unfold before my eyes; I was listening to a Divine message. In order to understand the Divine plan being unfolded in our days, we must truly develop the ability to hear with our eyes.
G-d is speaking with pictures.
8 Tammuz 5768 / 11 July 08
The Manna; Miracle or test
Miracle or Test
by Moshe Kempinski
What is the difference between miracle and nature?
If one takes a cursory and objective glance at the recent history of the people of Israel and the rebirth of a Jewish commonwealth in the land of Israel, one cannot escape the resemblance to a classical Biblical text. An oppressed, dispersed and maligned people ingathered to their ancient homeland. A small, beleaguered nation Most of the people who have experienced those same miracles would rather believe in happenstance and coincidence.fighting off multiple nations intent on their destruction. A two-thousand-year-old yearning to return to their beloved Jerusalem fulfilled in a miraculous six days. An economy that began with young pioneers fighting off malaria that has soared to unexpected heights in a mere sixty years.
Miracle after miracle. Yet most of the people who have experienced those same miracles would rather believe in happenstance and coincidence. That is partly because the miracles in this land have become so numerous that they are even expected and depended upon. More importantly, believing in miracles necessitates commitment and that belief is rife with implications. Most men would rather live their lives not being impacted by such implications.
The manna was also the stuff of miracles, a miraculous gift from the Heavens:
"And when the layer of dew was gone up, behold upon the face of the wilderness a fine, scale-like thing, fine as the hoar-frost on the ground. And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another: 'What is it?' - for they knew not what it was. And Moshe said unto them: 'It is the bread which HaShem has given you to eat.'" (Exodus 16:14-15)
It was an item that appeared without fail every morning and sufficed the needs of every family:
“This is the thing which HaShem hath commanded: Gather ye of it every man according to his eating; an omer a head, according to the number of your persons, shall ye take it, every man for them that are in his tent. And the children of Israel did so, and gathered some more, some less. And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating." (Exodus 16:16-18)
As King David was to write in the book of Psalms, these events were of great spiritual and supernatural importance:
"And He commanded the skies above, and opened the doors of heaven; And He caused manna to rain upon them for food, and gave them of the corn of heaven. Man did eat the bread of the angels (abirim); He sent them provisions to the full. (Psalms 78: 23-25)
Yet, a tired and nervous people were quick to listen to the evil counsel of the mixed multitude rabble amongst them:
"And the mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting; and the children of Israel also wept on their part, and said: 'Would that we were given flesh to eat! We remember the fish, which we were wont to eat in Egypt for naught; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic; but now our soul is dried away; there is nothing at all; we have naught save this manna to look to. ...And Moshe heard the people weeping, family by family, every man at the door of his tent; and the anger of HaShem was kindled greatly; and Moshe was displeased." (Exodus 11:4-10)
What happened? How did Moshe lose faith in his own people, which caused him to scream out, "I cannot carry this people by myself, for it is too much for me!"
What essentially, then, is the difference between miracles and nature? Perhaps there isn’t much of a difference at all. Nature simply occurs more frequently and regularly.
When the Israelites began to receive the manna from heaven, they were being taught the rudiments of faith. They were being taught to trust the promise of G-d and have the faith that the correct amount of sustenance would be available every single morning. Those that faltered in their faith and tried to hoard some of the heavenly bread simply found that the bread became destroyed. They too were taught to wait upon the promise. Finally they were also taught to expect to receive what they needed and not necessarily what they desired. Those who understand the miraculous nature of this reborn state will not tire.
Each day, the Divine promise was kept. Each day, the miracle occurred. In time, the miracle became the natural. What was different, then, for those born in the desert between picking the dates off the tree in the oasis and picking up the manna covered by the dew? Both were expected and "natural" realities.
The miracle of the manna became commonplace. Even more importantly, the miracle of manna came with obligations. It came with rules and regulations and it necessitated faith. That is the subtext behind their comment, “We remember the fish which we ate in Egypt freely (heenam); the cucumbers, watermelons, leeks, onions and garlic. Now our bodies are withered, there is nothing at all but the manna before our eyes.”
They were slaves in Egypt and nothing was free. Rashi explains that what they were referring to was the fact that the food in Egypt came with no spiritual “strings attached”. They came with no mitzvot or expectations. The manna had limitations and expectations attributed to it. That was the burden that those of little faith could not continue to carry.
And the same is true of the land of Israel. It is no wonder that the miracle of the manna ceased upon the entry of the Israelites into the land: "And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year." (Joshua 5:12 )
Those who understand the miraculous nature of this reborn state will not tire of the long, arduous voyage of this people and this land through history. Those that do not understand, or prefer not to understand, will weaken and allow corruption and frailty to seep into their leadership and nation.
Yet, it is the ones with the faith, insight and courage to walk the long road who shall persevere in the long run.
27 Sivan 5768 / 30 June 08
by Moshe Kempinski
What is the difference between miracle and nature?
If one takes a cursory and objective glance at the recent history of the people of Israel and the rebirth of a Jewish commonwealth in the land of Israel, one cannot escape the resemblance to a classical Biblical text. An oppressed, dispersed and maligned people ingathered to their ancient homeland. A small, beleaguered nation Most of the people who have experienced those same miracles would rather believe in happenstance and coincidence.fighting off multiple nations intent on their destruction. A two-thousand-year-old yearning to return to their beloved Jerusalem fulfilled in a miraculous six days. An economy that began with young pioneers fighting off malaria that has soared to unexpected heights in a mere sixty years.
Miracle after miracle. Yet most of the people who have experienced those same miracles would rather believe in happenstance and coincidence. That is partly because the miracles in this land have become so numerous that they are even expected and depended upon. More importantly, believing in miracles necessitates commitment and that belief is rife with implications. Most men would rather live their lives not being impacted by such implications.
The manna was also the stuff of miracles, a miraculous gift from the Heavens:
"And when the layer of dew was gone up, behold upon the face of the wilderness a fine, scale-like thing, fine as the hoar-frost on the ground. And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another: 'What is it?' - for they knew not what it was. And Moshe said unto them: 'It is the bread which HaShem has given you to eat.'" (Exodus 16:14-15)
It was an item that appeared without fail every morning and sufficed the needs of every family:
“This is the thing which HaShem hath commanded: Gather ye of it every man according to his eating; an omer a head, according to the number of your persons, shall ye take it, every man for them that are in his tent. And the children of Israel did so, and gathered some more, some less. And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating." (Exodus 16:16-18)
As King David was to write in the book of Psalms, these events were of great spiritual and supernatural importance:
"And He commanded the skies above, and opened the doors of heaven; And He caused manna to rain upon them for food, and gave them of the corn of heaven. Man did eat the bread of the angels (abirim); He sent them provisions to the full. (Psalms 78: 23-25)
Yet, a tired and nervous people were quick to listen to the evil counsel of the mixed multitude rabble amongst them:
"And the mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting; and the children of Israel also wept on their part, and said: 'Would that we were given flesh to eat! We remember the fish, which we were wont to eat in Egypt for naught; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic; but now our soul is dried away; there is nothing at all; we have naught save this manna to look to. ...And Moshe heard the people weeping, family by family, every man at the door of his tent; and the anger of HaShem was kindled greatly; and Moshe was displeased." (Exodus 11:4-10)
What happened? How did Moshe lose faith in his own people, which caused him to scream out, "I cannot carry this people by myself, for it is too much for me!"
What essentially, then, is the difference between miracles and nature? Perhaps there isn’t much of a difference at all. Nature simply occurs more frequently and regularly.
When the Israelites began to receive the manna from heaven, they were being taught the rudiments of faith. They were being taught to trust the promise of G-d and have the faith that the correct amount of sustenance would be available every single morning. Those that faltered in their faith and tried to hoard some of the heavenly bread simply found that the bread became destroyed. They too were taught to wait upon the promise. Finally they were also taught to expect to receive what they needed and not necessarily what they desired. Those who understand the miraculous nature of this reborn state will not tire.
Each day, the Divine promise was kept. Each day, the miracle occurred. In time, the miracle became the natural. What was different, then, for those born in the desert between picking the dates off the tree in the oasis and picking up the manna covered by the dew? Both were expected and "natural" realities.
The miracle of the manna became commonplace. Even more importantly, the miracle of manna came with obligations. It came with rules and regulations and it necessitated faith. That is the subtext behind their comment, “We remember the fish which we ate in Egypt freely (heenam); the cucumbers, watermelons, leeks, onions and garlic. Now our bodies are withered, there is nothing at all but the manna before our eyes.”
They were slaves in Egypt and nothing was free. Rashi explains that what they were referring to was the fact that the food in Egypt came with no spiritual “strings attached”. They came with no mitzvot or expectations. The manna had limitations and expectations attributed to it. That was the burden that those of little faith could not continue to carry.
And the same is true of the land of Israel. It is no wonder that the miracle of the manna ceased upon the entry of the Israelites into the land: "And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year." (Joshua 5:12 )
Those who understand the miraculous nature of this reborn state will not tire of the long, arduous voyage of this people and this land through history. Those that do not understand, or prefer not to understand, will weaken and allow corruption and frailty to seep into their leadership and nation.
Yet, it is the ones with the faith, insight and courage to walk the long road who shall persevere in the long run.
27 Sivan 5768 / 30 June 08
Discernment and Darkness
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Discernment and Darkness
by Moshe Kempinski
Seeing the jagged edges of reality.
The free world is sinking into the whirlpool of indecision. The value of postponing critical decisions and making concrete choices has become an axiomatic belief of Biblical proportions. Differences between good and evil and darkness and light have become blurred and obscured. Leaders are chosen not because of their ability to cut through the haze, but rather their ability to increase the haze through verbal calisthenics. The increasing of the blurring and the haziness helps dispel the harsh corners and jagged edges of reality.
We have already seen how this wave of Relativism has swept away courage and fortitude.
It has become politically correct, and even advisable, to deal with evil as if it does not really exist. Evil is, in fact, be explained away with socioeconomic and political influences. This is true all over the globe. We have already seen how this wave of Relativism has swept away courage and fortitude from the European continent. The United States of America is poised for an election in which issues have been downplayed in lieu of charisma and oratory skills. Rather than confronting and combating the symptoms of evil in the world, there is much talk of redefining evil and of looking for ways to avoid confronting such evil head on.
The government in Israel has agreed to embark on a tahadiyeh or "cooling off" period with the Hamas terrorists in Gaza. This should not be confused with a treaty or ceasefire, as it is being portrayed in the Western media (as in the New York Times headline: "Israel Agrees to Truce With Hamas in Gaza"). It is simply a tahadiyeh, which means, in Islamic thinking, a period of rearming and repositioning forces.
Brig.-Gen. Yossi Baiditz, head of Military Intelligence's Research Division, said that "even if the calm is achieved with Hamas and the other terror organizations, it will be temporary and breakable." IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi told the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Tuesday that, in his estimate, the calm in Gaza will be "fragile and short." Haim Ramon, one of the ministers most aligned with the Left, declared at a Haifa University conference, "I am against a truce, because it is another triumph for radical Islam. It won in Lebanon and now it is about to win in Gaza. So what is the point of being moderate? Why would Hamas be interested in a resolution?"
Hamas is seeing this agreement as a victory. The Hamas spokesman said, "The Egyptians have told us that Israel has agreed to release most of those appearing on our list," and he further contended that "[we] have reached understandings according to which Israel would have no role in running the Rafah border crossing. From now on, the border would be managed by Palestinians, Europeans and Egyptians." Hamas also declared that "[in] the past, Israel was opposed to the reopening of the border crossings unless the soldier was released," but this has dramatically changed. Hamas spokesman Mahmoud Al-Zahar also said that "the calm (his words - MK) is a victory for the resistance organizations who took up arms, and its meaning is that the [Israeli] siege on Gaza has failed."
It is a painful reality that the decisions of this present Israeli government have nothing to do with peace or the security of this nation, but rather are only focused on the peace and security of this Israeli government. Yet, it is still important to understand how the Israeli people can be led down this dangerous and precarious road. The Israeli people do not trust Ehud Olmert or Mahmoud Abbas, but are desperate to try anything. They too, like the When discernment fails, then continuing on a journey can be a very dangerous venture.rest of the world, want to believe that evil is not as evil as evil truly is.
When discernment fails, then continuing on a journey can be a very dangerous venture. This lack of discernment is not new at all. Moshe sent twelve spies to discern the quality and strength of the land of Israel before their entry:
"Send thou men, that they may spy [vayaturu] out the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel; of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a prince among them." (Numbers 13:2)
Ten of them came back with a negative report:
"And they spread an evil report of the land which they had spied out unto the children of Israel, saying: 'The land, through which we have passed to spy it out, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature. And there we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, who come of the Nephilim; and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.'" (Numbers 13:32-33)
When discernment fails, then continuing along even a destined journey may be an impossibility. Towards the end of the Torah portion of Shelach we read:
"Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them throughout their generations fringes in the corners of their garments, and that they put with the fringe of each corner a thread of blue. And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of HaShem, and do them; and that ye go not about after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go astray; that ye may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy unto your God." (Numbers 15:38-40)
These two Biblical narratives are clearly connected. On the one hand, we are told that Moshe commanded the spies to spy out the land with the Hebrew word yaturu. Further on, we are warned in the section about the tzitzit "and that ye go not about after your own heart and your own eyes" using the same Hebrew word, taturu. What does the commandment of the tzitzit have to do with the sin of the spies?
What does the commandment of the tzitzit have to do with the sin of the spies? What remedy can it reveal?
In the Mishnah Berakhot 1:2, we learn the following ruling: "From when may one recite the Shema in the morning? From when one can distinguish between techelet and white."
On the practical level, we are being taught the appropriate times for the Shema prayer. On a deeper level, we are told much more. Night and darkness represents the times of exile and tribulation in this world. In order to truly comprehend the beginning of daybreak and the beginnings of change, we need to be able to discern the difference between the Biblical blue color of techelet from the white. This Biblical blue, which represented G-d's throne of Glory, needs to be discerned in order to understand the process of redemption. Not being able to make that discernment leaves us in darkness.
That is the darkness that has overcome much of Europe and has dimmed much of the world. That is the darkness that has enveloped our own present Israeli leadership. It is only the desire and effort to discern between light and dark and between good and evil that will enable our return to the clarity of daybreak. If we continuously search for the easy road and the compromise of "you're OK, I'm OK," then we will be greatly weakened in the struggle against the darkness that threatens to engulf us all.
17 Sivan 5768 / 20 June 08
Discernment and Darkness
by Moshe Kempinski
Seeing the jagged edges of reality.
The free world is sinking into the whirlpool of indecision. The value of postponing critical decisions and making concrete choices has become an axiomatic belief of Biblical proportions. Differences between good and evil and darkness and light have become blurred and obscured. Leaders are chosen not because of their ability to cut through the haze, but rather their ability to increase the haze through verbal calisthenics. The increasing of the blurring and the haziness helps dispel the harsh corners and jagged edges of reality.
We have already seen how this wave of Relativism has swept away courage and fortitude.
It has become politically correct, and even advisable, to deal with evil as if it does not really exist. Evil is, in fact, be explained away with socioeconomic and political influences. This is true all over the globe. We have already seen how this wave of Relativism has swept away courage and fortitude from the European continent. The United States of America is poised for an election in which issues have been downplayed in lieu of charisma and oratory skills. Rather than confronting and combating the symptoms of evil in the world, there is much talk of redefining evil and of looking for ways to avoid confronting such evil head on.
The government in Israel has agreed to embark on a tahadiyeh or "cooling off" period with the Hamas terrorists in Gaza. This should not be confused with a treaty or ceasefire, as it is being portrayed in the Western media (as in the New York Times headline: "Israel Agrees to Truce With Hamas in Gaza"). It is simply a tahadiyeh, which means, in Islamic thinking, a period of rearming and repositioning forces.
Brig.-Gen. Yossi Baiditz, head of Military Intelligence's Research Division, said that "even if the calm is achieved with Hamas and the other terror organizations, it will be temporary and breakable." IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi told the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Tuesday that, in his estimate, the calm in Gaza will be "fragile and short." Haim Ramon, one of the ministers most aligned with the Left, declared at a Haifa University conference, "I am against a truce, because it is another triumph for radical Islam. It won in Lebanon and now it is about to win in Gaza. So what is the point of being moderate? Why would Hamas be interested in a resolution?"
Hamas is seeing this agreement as a victory. The Hamas spokesman said, "The Egyptians have told us that Israel has agreed to release most of those appearing on our list," and he further contended that "[we] have reached understandings according to which Israel would have no role in running the Rafah border crossing. From now on, the border would be managed by Palestinians, Europeans and Egyptians." Hamas also declared that "[in] the past, Israel was opposed to the reopening of the border crossings unless the soldier was released," but this has dramatically changed. Hamas spokesman Mahmoud Al-Zahar also said that "the calm (his words - MK) is a victory for the resistance organizations who took up arms, and its meaning is that the [Israeli] siege on Gaza has failed."
It is a painful reality that the decisions of this present Israeli government have nothing to do with peace or the security of this nation, but rather are only focused on the peace and security of this Israeli government. Yet, it is still important to understand how the Israeli people can be led down this dangerous and precarious road. The Israeli people do not trust Ehud Olmert or Mahmoud Abbas, but are desperate to try anything. They too, like the When discernment fails, then continuing on a journey can be a very dangerous venture.rest of the world, want to believe that evil is not as evil as evil truly is.
When discernment fails, then continuing on a journey can be a very dangerous venture. This lack of discernment is not new at all. Moshe sent twelve spies to discern the quality and strength of the land of Israel before their entry:
"Send thou men, that they may spy [vayaturu] out the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel; of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a prince among them." (Numbers 13:2)
Ten of them came back with a negative report:
"And they spread an evil report of the land which they had spied out unto the children of Israel, saying: 'The land, through which we have passed to spy it out, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature. And there we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, who come of the Nephilim; and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.'" (Numbers 13:32-33)
When discernment fails, then continuing along even a destined journey may be an impossibility. Towards the end of the Torah portion of Shelach we read:
"Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them throughout their generations fringes in the corners of their garments, and that they put with the fringe of each corner a thread of blue. And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of HaShem, and do them; and that ye go not about after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go astray; that ye may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy unto your God." (Numbers 15:38-40)
These two Biblical narratives are clearly connected. On the one hand, we are told that Moshe commanded the spies to spy out the land with the Hebrew word yaturu. Further on, we are warned in the section about the tzitzit "and that ye go not about after your own heart and your own eyes" using the same Hebrew word, taturu. What does the commandment of the tzitzit have to do with the sin of the spies?
What does the commandment of the tzitzit have to do with the sin of the spies? What remedy can it reveal?
In the Mishnah Berakhot 1:2, we learn the following ruling: "From when may one recite the Shema in the morning? From when one can distinguish between techelet and white."
On the practical level, we are being taught the appropriate times for the Shema prayer. On a deeper level, we are told much more. Night and darkness represents the times of exile and tribulation in this world. In order to truly comprehend the beginning of daybreak and the beginnings of change, we need to be able to discern the difference between the Biblical blue color of techelet from the white. This Biblical blue, which represented G-d's throne of Glory, needs to be discerned in order to understand the process of redemption. Not being able to make that discernment leaves us in darkness.
That is the darkness that has overcome much of Europe and has dimmed much of the world. That is the darkness that has enveloped our own present Israeli leadership. It is only the desire and effort to discern between light and dark and between good and evil that will enable our return to the clarity of daybreak. If we continuously search for the easy road and the compromise of "you're OK, I'm OK," then we will be greatly weakened in the struggle against the darkness that threatens to engulf us all.
17 Sivan 5768 / 20 June 08
A Cloud Over Jerusalem Day
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A Cloud Over Jerusalem Day
by Moshe Kempinski
An unfettered soul had become my voice.
This land breathes the mood of its people. It senses it and affects it as well. The land of Israel has always been different than all the other lands in the world. In Egypt, if you needed water you went to the Nile River; in Israel you needed to turn to the Heavens:
"...but the land, whither ye go over to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water as the rain of heaven cometh down; a land which HaShem thy G-d careth for; the eyes of HaShem thy G-d are always upon it, from the beginning of Am I making too much of such coincidences? the year even unto the end of the year." (Deuteronomy 11:11-12)
It was not surprising, then, that the bright blue cloudless days that characterized this month in Jerusalem were marred on the day that President George Bush arrived in Israel to discuss the separation of this land. It was not surprising that the skies cleared up when the same president spoke so eloquently and passionately at the Knesset of Biblical destiny and truths.
Am I making too much of such coincidences? Most probably, but living in this land gives you either the poetic license or perhaps the prophetic eyes to see an interlacing of events, Biblical verses with eternal destiny.
Yet, sometimes dark clouds are not physically visible, but they hang nevertheless as a pall over this country. Such a dark cloud is our Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Whether or not he is legally liable for the alleged crimes does not change the fact that he is clearly unworthy to be a leader in Israel. His continued rule simply saddens me greatly.
I compare Olmert's financial and cowardly shenanigans with the courage of deputy commander Roi Klein (H.y.d.), who jumped on a grenade with a cry of "Shema Yisrael" to save his soldiers, and I begin to cry. I think of Olmert's tenacious hold on his parliamentary seat and I remember how the tenacious hold of the land of Israel by so many young people was ruthlessly beaten back by Olmert's police at Amona. I read about his luxurious hotel suites and my heart is pained thinking of all those families who were evicted by this same man from their simple homes in Gush Katif.
I thought of all these things this week at the Kotel (Western Wall) and felt sullied.
Suddenly, a raggedly dressed man came to stand next to me at the wall, holding a tattered plastic bag with a bottle of water and a cup. He put his face into the stones and began to scream, "Abba (Father) enough! Enough. No more killings, no more terror.... No more shootings."
I turned to watch him and his eyes seemed to burn with passion. He turned and walked away, and then abruptly came back to another stone at the wall and again screamed, "HaShem please help your people; we love you, help us."
He turned, walked away and then nervously returned to another spot at the Wall and began again: "How much longer, Abba? How much longer?"
This man with his unfettered soul had become my voice and I walked up to him. I took his hand and said. "Thank you. I know that HaShem heard every one of your words. Thank you."
He gave me a toothless grin.
We are beginning this week the celebrations of Jerusalem Day. We so easily forget that behind every dark cloud The prophet Tzephania declared words that can dispel the dark clouds even today.the sun never ceases to shine. No matter how sullied our leadership has made us feel, we will rejoice over the healing rays of the sun. Though this leadership may be a distorted reflection of this people's faults and magnifies those things in a grotesque fashion, those things are only part of the story.
Throughout this eternal city there will be rejoicing and dancing from hearts that have not been corrupted and souls that have not lost hope. The alleyways of the old city will be filled with Jews of all types carrying the blue and white flags of the promise and the hope with unselfish pride.
Many years ago, the prophet Tzephania declared words that can dispel the dark clouds even today. Words that herald Jerusalem Day:
In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Fear thou not; O Zion, let not thy hands be slack. HaShem thy G-d is in the midst of thee, a Mighty One who will save; He will rejoice over thee with joy, He will be silent in His love, He will joy over thee with singing. "I will gather them that are far from the appointed season, who are of thee, that hast borne the burden of reproach. Behold, at that time I will deal with all them that afflict thee; and I will save her that is lame, and gather her that was driven away; and I will make them to be a praise and a name, whose shame hath been in all the Earth. At that time will I bring you in, and at that time will I gather you; for I will make you to be a name and a praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I turn your captivity before your eyes," saith HaShem. (Tzephania 3: 16-20)
25 Iyar 5768 / 30 May 08
A Cloud Over Jerusalem Day
by Moshe Kempinski
An unfettered soul had become my voice.
This land breathes the mood of its people. It senses it and affects it as well. The land of Israel has always been different than all the other lands in the world. In Egypt, if you needed water you went to the Nile River; in Israel you needed to turn to the Heavens:
"...but the land, whither ye go over to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water as the rain of heaven cometh down; a land which HaShem thy G-d careth for; the eyes of HaShem thy G-d are always upon it, from the beginning of Am I making too much of such coincidences? the year even unto the end of the year." (Deuteronomy 11:11-12)
It was not surprising, then, that the bright blue cloudless days that characterized this month in Jerusalem were marred on the day that President George Bush arrived in Israel to discuss the separation of this land. It was not surprising that the skies cleared up when the same president spoke so eloquently and passionately at the Knesset of Biblical destiny and truths.
Am I making too much of such coincidences? Most probably, but living in this land gives you either the poetic license or perhaps the prophetic eyes to see an interlacing of events, Biblical verses with eternal destiny.
Yet, sometimes dark clouds are not physically visible, but they hang nevertheless as a pall over this country. Such a dark cloud is our Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Whether or not he is legally liable for the alleged crimes does not change the fact that he is clearly unworthy to be a leader in Israel. His continued rule simply saddens me greatly.
I compare Olmert's financial and cowardly shenanigans with the courage of deputy commander Roi Klein (H.y.d.), who jumped on a grenade with a cry of "Shema Yisrael" to save his soldiers, and I begin to cry. I think of Olmert's tenacious hold on his parliamentary seat and I remember how the tenacious hold of the land of Israel by so many young people was ruthlessly beaten back by Olmert's police at Amona. I read about his luxurious hotel suites and my heart is pained thinking of all those families who were evicted by this same man from their simple homes in Gush Katif.
I thought of all these things this week at the Kotel (Western Wall) and felt sullied.
Suddenly, a raggedly dressed man came to stand next to me at the wall, holding a tattered plastic bag with a bottle of water and a cup. He put his face into the stones and began to scream, "Abba (Father) enough! Enough. No more killings, no more terror.... No more shootings."
I turned to watch him and his eyes seemed to burn with passion. He turned and walked away, and then abruptly came back to another stone at the wall and again screamed, "HaShem please help your people; we love you, help us."
He turned, walked away and then nervously returned to another spot at the Wall and began again: "How much longer, Abba? How much longer?"
This man with his unfettered soul had become my voice and I walked up to him. I took his hand and said. "Thank you. I know that HaShem heard every one of your words. Thank you."
He gave me a toothless grin.
We are beginning this week the celebrations of Jerusalem Day. We so easily forget that behind every dark cloud The prophet Tzephania declared words that can dispel the dark clouds even today.the sun never ceases to shine. No matter how sullied our leadership has made us feel, we will rejoice over the healing rays of the sun. Though this leadership may be a distorted reflection of this people's faults and magnifies those things in a grotesque fashion, those things are only part of the story.
Throughout this eternal city there will be rejoicing and dancing from hearts that have not been corrupted and souls that have not lost hope. The alleyways of the old city will be filled with Jews of all types carrying the blue and white flags of the promise and the hope with unselfish pride.
Many years ago, the prophet Tzephania declared words that can dispel the dark clouds even today. Words that herald Jerusalem Day:
In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Fear thou not; O Zion, let not thy hands be slack. HaShem thy G-d is in the midst of thee, a Mighty One who will save; He will rejoice over thee with joy, He will be silent in His love, He will joy over thee with singing. "I will gather them that are far from the appointed season, who are of thee, that hast borne the burden of reproach. Behold, at that time I will deal with all them that afflict thee; and I will save her that is lame, and gather her that was driven away; and I will make them to be a praise and a name, whose shame hath been in all the Earth. At that time will I bring you in, and at that time will I gather you; for I will make you to be a name and a praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I turn your captivity before your eyes," saith HaShem. (Tzephania 3: 16-20)
25 Iyar 5768 / 30 May 08
Moshe And Yom Haatzmaut
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Moshe Rabbeinu and Yom HaAtzmautby Moshe Kempinski
He wanted to share our joys and troubles.
We are entering the days of celebration for the establishment of the State of Israel, followed three weeks later by the day celebrating the reunification of Jerusalem. Around us, the world gathers their weapons and brandishes their swords at us. Those in the world who claim to be our friends attempt to batter this nuisance called Israel into a more manageable pest. Those that claim to be our leaders seem to constantly find ways to redefine the word What would Moshe have given in order to stand in one of those never-ending lines in the government offices?corruption.
There are those that look around them and wonder: Is there anything to really celebrate? There are others that smile smugly an declare: "We told you people all along that you were wrong to support and sanctify this secular state." There are yet others who are still recovering from the blows, the injustices and the shame heaped upon them by this same state that they had so rejoiced in.
Yet there are many of us who will rejoice on these days and will declare with unhesitant faith the Shehecheyanu blessing: "Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who has kept us in life, sustained us and brought us to this moment."
Moshe Rabbeinu ( Moses) is the man who walked between Heaven and Earth. He is the man who spoke to G-d as men speak to each other, panim el panim, that is to say, "face to face." This is the man who walked into the fiery mountain and felt the Glory of G- d pass over him. This man at the end of his life had but one request, one final plea (Deuteronomy 3: 24-25):
And I beseeched HaShem at that time, saying: "O HaShem G- d, Thou hast begun to show Thy servant Thy greatness, and Thy strong hand; for what god is there in Heaven or on Earth that can do according to Thy works, and according to Thy mighty acts? Let me go over, I pray Thee, and see the good land that is beyond the Jordan, that goodly hill-country, and Lebanon."
In order to emphasize his passionate plea, our sages declare that he prayed this plea 515 times, a number equivalent to the gematria (numerical equivalent) of the word Va'etchanan ("and I beseeched").
What would Moshe have given in order to stand in one of those never-ending lines in the government offices? What would he have sacrificed to be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the young people settling the hilltops of Judea and Samaria? What joy would he have had to taste the sweet fruit of the land he so yearned for? That yearning was so great that he was ready to postpone his entry into the bliss of the World to Come. All in order that he could "see the good land that is beyond the Jordan, that goodly hill-country, and Lebanon."
Moshe knew his people and sensed clearly what the future held for them. He knew the arrogance and difficulties that would overcome them. Yet, he wanted to share that future with them.
What of us - those who have merited to be born in such a generation as this? We who have seen how from the ashes of Auschwitz and the slaughterhouse of Europe rose the "dry bones" as foretold in Ezekiel 37. Painstakingly these dry bones began to wear flesh, sinews and skin (37: 4-6).
It was this generation that witnessed how, with the culmination of the Six Day War in June 1967 and the miraculous victory of the Jews over their Muslim enemies, the holy city of Jerusalem was reunited: "Jerusalem that is built like a city, in which all is united together." (Psalms 122:3)
It is those of us who live in Israel today that watched the Divine plan continue to unfold; and the streets and squares of Jerusalem were once again filled with children playing, exactly as Zachariah prophesied: "Thus says the L-rd of hosts: old men and old women shall yet again dwell in the streets of Jerusalem.... And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets." (Zechariah 8:4-5)
It is those of us who live in this great land that can wonder if in fact some of the children that Zechariah saw could have been our very own.
A barren corner of the Middle East began to bloom and flower. A land seemingly cursed as uninhabitable and forsaken began to blossom, reaching out to welcome its children back home, just as we read in the prophecies of Ezekiel: "But you O mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to My people Some of the children that Zechariah saw could have been our very own.Israel, for they will soon be coming." (Ezekiel 36:8)
As we today eat the sweet fruits of this land and marvel at how good they taste, we must remember that we are not eating mere fruits, but are actually eating a prophecy that has been fulfilled.
As history moved into the last decade of the twentieth century, the Iron Curtain that surrounded the Communist countries of Eastern Europe and Soviet Russia collapsed. And suddenly the hidden Jews from the former Soviet Union began returning home to the Land of Promise:
Therefore behold, days are coming when it will no longer be said. "As the L-rd lives, Who took out the Children of Israel from the land of Egypt," but rather, "As the L-rd lives, Who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the North, and from all the lands to which He had driven them;" and I shall return them to their land, which I gave to their forefathers. (Jeremiah 16:14-15)
We who have seen all this, can we dare not rejoice? How can we explain not lifting our voices in song and praise? There is yet much more to do and much more to fix and repair .It is a fact that this Heavenly gift is still unformed and is still covered with unsightly husks and coverings. Yet underneath lies a glorious gift, a gift from G-d. We cannot stand back and watch and wait for the gift to be ready and pleasing .We must begin to unwrap it with singing and Hallel. We need to do that for those who are not here with us, because they never ceased their yearning over two thousand years of history.
We need to do it for Moshe Rabbeinu because, more than any other human, he foresaw this wondrous gift called the reborn State of Israel.
1 Iyar 5768 / 06 May 08
Moshe Rabbeinu and Yom HaAtzmautby Moshe Kempinski
He wanted to share our joys and troubles.
We are entering the days of celebration for the establishment of the State of Israel, followed three weeks later by the day celebrating the reunification of Jerusalem. Around us, the world gathers their weapons and brandishes their swords at us. Those in the world who claim to be our friends attempt to batter this nuisance called Israel into a more manageable pest. Those that claim to be our leaders seem to constantly find ways to redefine the word What would Moshe have given in order to stand in one of those never-ending lines in the government offices?corruption.
There are those that look around them and wonder: Is there anything to really celebrate? There are others that smile smugly an declare: "We told you people all along that you were wrong to support and sanctify this secular state." There are yet others who are still recovering from the blows, the injustices and the shame heaped upon them by this same state that they had so rejoiced in.
Yet there are many of us who will rejoice on these days and will declare with unhesitant faith the Shehecheyanu blessing: "Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, Who has kept us in life, sustained us and brought us to this moment."
Moshe Rabbeinu ( Moses) is the man who walked between Heaven and Earth. He is the man who spoke to G-d as men speak to each other, panim el panim, that is to say, "face to face." This is the man who walked into the fiery mountain and felt the Glory of G- d pass over him. This man at the end of his life had but one request, one final plea (Deuteronomy 3: 24-25):
And I beseeched HaShem at that time, saying: "O HaShem G- d, Thou hast begun to show Thy servant Thy greatness, and Thy strong hand; for what god is there in Heaven or on Earth that can do according to Thy works, and according to Thy mighty acts? Let me go over, I pray Thee, and see the good land that is beyond the Jordan, that goodly hill-country, and Lebanon."
In order to emphasize his passionate plea, our sages declare that he prayed this plea 515 times, a number equivalent to the gematria (numerical equivalent) of the word Va'etchanan ("and I beseeched").
What would Moshe have given in order to stand in one of those never-ending lines in the government offices? What would he have sacrificed to be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the young people settling the hilltops of Judea and Samaria? What joy would he have had to taste the sweet fruit of the land he so yearned for? That yearning was so great that he was ready to postpone his entry into the bliss of the World to Come. All in order that he could "see the good land that is beyond the Jordan, that goodly hill-country, and Lebanon."
Moshe knew his people and sensed clearly what the future held for them. He knew the arrogance and difficulties that would overcome them. Yet, he wanted to share that future with them.
What of us - those who have merited to be born in such a generation as this? We who have seen how from the ashes of Auschwitz and the slaughterhouse of Europe rose the "dry bones" as foretold in Ezekiel 37. Painstakingly these dry bones began to wear flesh, sinews and skin (37: 4-6).
It was this generation that witnessed how, with the culmination of the Six Day War in June 1967 and the miraculous victory of the Jews over their Muslim enemies, the holy city of Jerusalem was reunited: "Jerusalem that is built like a city, in which all is united together." (Psalms 122:3)
It is those of us who live in Israel today that watched the Divine plan continue to unfold; and the streets and squares of Jerusalem were once again filled with children playing, exactly as Zachariah prophesied: "Thus says the L-rd of hosts: old men and old women shall yet again dwell in the streets of Jerusalem.... And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets." (Zechariah 8:4-5)
It is those of us who live in this great land that can wonder if in fact some of the children that Zechariah saw could have been our very own.
A barren corner of the Middle East began to bloom and flower. A land seemingly cursed as uninhabitable and forsaken began to blossom, reaching out to welcome its children back home, just as we read in the prophecies of Ezekiel: "But you O mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to My people Some of the children that Zechariah saw could have been our very own.Israel, for they will soon be coming." (Ezekiel 36:8)
As we today eat the sweet fruits of this land and marvel at how good they taste, we must remember that we are not eating mere fruits, but are actually eating a prophecy that has been fulfilled.
As history moved into the last decade of the twentieth century, the Iron Curtain that surrounded the Communist countries of Eastern Europe and Soviet Russia collapsed. And suddenly the hidden Jews from the former Soviet Union began returning home to the Land of Promise:
Therefore behold, days are coming when it will no longer be said. "As the L-rd lives, Who took out the Children of Israel from the land of Egypt," but rather, "As the L-rd lives, Who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the North, and from all the lands to which He had driven them;" and I shall return them to their land, which I gave to their forefathers. (Jeremiah 16:14-15)
We who have seen all this, can we dare not rejoice? How can we explain not lifting our voices in song and praise? There is yet much more to do and much more to fix and repair .It is a fact that this Heavenly gift is still unformed and is still covered with unsightly husks and coverings. Yet underneath lies a glorious gift, a gift from G-d. We cannot stand back and watch and wait for the gift to be ready and pleasing .We must begin to unwrap it with singing and Hallel. We need to do that for those who are not here with us, because they never ceased their yearning over two thousand years of history.
We need to do it for Moshe Rabbeinu because, more than any other human, he foresaw this wondrous gift called the reborn State of Israel.
1 Iyar 5768 / 06 May 08
The Ongoing Exodus
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The Ongoing Exodus From Egyptby Moshe Kempinski
We need to acknowledge that we are still enslaved.
It has been over a month since the senseless slaughter of the eight young boys in the Mercaz HaRav Yeshiva. Though I usually attempt to pen some thought on a weekly basis, after that first night of Adar, words left me. I have been more closely connected to other souls that were snuffed out by the vicious sword of Palestinian Enslaved people need to prepare themselves spiritually and psychologically for the redemption of Passover.terrorism, but the brutality of the murders and the general silence around the world - and especially in the corridors of our own government - simply rubbed salt into a festering wound. It was in one of the Torah portions of that period that the powerful words "vayidom Aharon" ( "And Aaron was stilled"; Leviticus 10:3), after the death of his two sons, carried meaning I had not understood before.
There are times when there is nothing to say; all that is left is to feel the pain and the suffering.
Our sages describe the thirty days before Passover, which begin with Purim, as days of spiritual preparation and strengthening (Mishnah Berurah 429:1). We begin with the festival that describes the ancient and eternal battle between the ideology of Randomness and the theology of Direction and Purpose. That battle continues unto these very days and at times even rages in the most faithful of hearts. Purim represents the day wherein hidden purpose was revealed so very clearly. On a deeper level then, our sages require that we begin our preparations with that revelation of Purim and continue to grow with that understanding until the newer revelation of Passover. Enslaved people need to prepare themselves spiritually and psychologically for the redemption of Passover. And we are all still enslaved. We are enslaved to our whims and ego. We are trapped by the expectations of society around us. We are still imprisoned by our uncertainties and doubts. The time between Purim and Passover is used, then, to learn to step out of the pitfalls of happenstance and randomness and enter into the Passover season defined by the conception and realization of destiny.
Our sages tell us in the Mishnah (Pesachim), "Bechol dor vador chayav adam lirot et atzmo keilu hu yatza miMitzraim" - "In every generation one is required to view oneself as if one personally left Egypt." Maimonides (the Rambam) has a different version of the thought and writes, "...keilu hu atah yatza miMitzraim" - "...as if he is at this moment leaving Egypt." In Jewish thinking "time" is not linear, but cyclical. We do not only remember the Exodus from Egypt, we relive the idea of being liberated from our own limiting and confining Egypt in our very own individual lives. The Hebrew word for shackles or for things that bind and constrain us is meitzarim, which is the source of the Hebrew name for Egypt – Mitzrayim. We relive breaking those bonds, or meitsarim, in our individual or national life experience.
Thus is understood the source of the declaration of the farmer in the land of Israel who lives generations after the Exodus. When he brings his first fruits to the Temple, he makes a declaration that is then repeated in the Passover Haggadah: "The Egyptians dealt harshly with us and oppressed us they imposed heavy labor upon us. We cried to the Lord... and the Lord heard our plea and saw our plight, our misery, and our oppression. The Lord freed us from Egypt...." (Devarim 6-8)At times, we get so accustomed to the bitterness in our lives we assume that it is the normal state of being.
Yet, in order to truly experience the Exodus from Egypt in this fashion, we need to acknowledge that we are still enslaved. In order to yearn and reach for freedom, we need to sense the bitter tastes that we have simply become accustomed to and therefore ignore.
One of the great Hassidic leaders, Reb Simcha Bunim of Psyshcha, offered a deep insight in this vein in reference to the maror, or bitter herbs, we eat at the Passover meal. We actually use the maror twice. Once as a bitter herb that must be chewed and experienced, and the second as chazeret, a type of grated bitter herbs that is eaten together with the matzah (and in Temple times, with the Passover sacrifice). The first taste of the maror delivers the clear message of bitterness and suffering. The second time, the maror becomes a spice that actually brings out the flavor of the matzah and the Passover meat.
Reb Simcha Bunim goes on to explain that, at times, we get so accustomed to the bitterness in our lives we assume that it is the normal state of being and cease to yearn for it to change. The bitterness of the maror is meant to remind us that there are greater things to yearn for than the bitterness that we become accustomed to. Only after such a realization can the herbs themselves be changed into a spice that will bring out the taste and yearning for complete redemption.
The people of Israel are undergoing the bitterness of hatred and oppression. They are experiencing it on the national level and, in some cases, on the personal level. It is that very bitterness that will strengthen the yearning for, and hasten the coming of, complete redemption in both the personal and national spheres.
The lessons learned from the senseless and brutal massacre are many and painful. The loss of such pure and obviously powerful souls is overwhelming for the families and devastating for the people of Israel. Yet, the courage, the faith and the vision of the bereaved families has moved the Jewish people one step closer to redemption. All the families have simply strengthened their faith, reinforced their resolve and moved closer to their Father in The reporter asked the mother, "So where was G-d on that night?" Heaven.
One mother was asked by a rather unscrupulous reporter about her son who was killed in the library of the Merkaz HaRav Yeshiva. The reporter asked the mother, "So where was G-d on that night?"
The mother seemed confused by the ignorant and insensitive question. "What do you mean?" she responded. "G-d was in the library as well."
The spiritual depth of the answer was probably lost on the reporter, but in the Heavens there was probably great weeping.
May this Pesach be a time of healing for the pained and hope to the wandering. May it be the time of ultimate and complete redemption for Israel and the whole world.
17 Nissan 5768 / 22 April 08
The Ongoing Exodus From Egyptby Moshe Kempinski
We need to acknowledge that we are still enslaved.
It has been over a month since the senseless slaughter of the eight young boys in the Mercaz HaRav Yeshiva. Though I usually attempt to pen some thought on a weekly basis, after that first night of Adar, words left me. I have been more closely connected to other souls that were snuffed out by the vicious sword of Palestinian Enslaved people need to prepare themselves spiritually and psychologically for the redemption of Passover.terrorism, but the brutality of the murders and the general silence around the world - and especially in the corridors of our own government - simply rubbed salt into a festering wound. It was in one of the Torah portions of that period that the powerful words "vayidom Aharon" ( "And Aaron was stilled"; Leviticus 10:3), after the death of his two sons, carried meaning I had not understood before.
There are times when there is nothing to say; all that is left is to feel the pain and the suffering.
Our sages describe the thirty days before Passover, which begin with Purim, as days of spiritual preparation and strengthening (Mishnah Berurah 429:1). We begin with the festival that describes the ancient and eternal battle between the ideology of Randomness and the theology of Direction and Purpose. That battle continues unto these very days and at times even rages in the most faithful of hearts. Purim represents the day wherein hidden purpose was revealed so very clearly. On a deeper level then, our sages require that we begin our preparations with that revelation of Purim and continue to grow with that understanding until the newer revelation of Passover. Enslaved people need to prepare themselves spiritually and psychologically for the redemption of Passover. And we are all still enslaved. We are enslaved to our whims and ego. We are trapped by the expectations of society around us. We are still imprisoned by our uncertainties and doubts. The time between Purim and Passover is used, then, to learn to step out of the pitfalls of happenstance and randomness and enter into the Passover season defined by the conception and realization of destiny.
Our sages tell us in the Mishnah (Pesachim), "Bechol dor vador chayav adam lirot et atzmo keilu hu yatza miMitzraim" - "In every generation one is required to view oneself as if one personally left Egypt." Maimonides (the Rambam) has a different version of the thought and writes, "...keilu hu atah yatza miMitzraim" - "...as if he is at this moment leaving Egypt." In Jewish thinking "time" is not linear, but cyclical. We do not only remember the Exodus from Egypt, we relive the idea of being liberated from our own limiting and confining Egypt in our very own individual lives. The Hebrew word for shackles or for things that bind and constrain us is meitzarim, which is the source of the Hebrew name for Egypt – Mitzrayim. We relive breaking those bonds, or meitsarim, in our individual or national life experience.
Thus is understood the source of the declaration of the farmer in the land of Israel who lives generations after the Exodus. When he brings his first fruits to the Temple, he makes a declaration that is then repeated in the Passover Haggadah: "The Egyptians dealt harshly with us and oppressed us they imposed heavy labor upon us. We cried to the Lord... and the Lord heard our plea and saw our plight, our misery, and our oppression. The Lord freed us from Egypt...." (Devarim 6-8)At times, we get so accustomed to the bitterness in our lives we assume that it is the normal state of being.
Yet, in order to truly experience the Exodus from Egypt in this fashion, we need to acknowledge that we are still enslaved. In order to yearn and reach for freedom, we need to sense the bitter tastes that we have simply become accustomed to and therefore ignore.
One of the great Hassidic leaders, Reb Simcha Bunim of Psyshcha, offered a deep insight in this vein in reference to the maror, or bitter herbs, we eat at the Passover meal. We actually use the maror twice. Once as a bitter herb that must be chewed and experienced, and the second as chazeret, a type of grated bitter herbs that is eaten together with the matzah (and in Temple times, with the Passover sacrifice). The first taste of the maror delivers the clear message of bitterness and suffering. The second time, the maror becomes a spice that actually brings out the flavor of the matzah and the Passover meat.
Reb Simcha Bunim goes on to explain that, at times, we get so accustomed to the bitterness in our lives we assume that it is the normal state of being and cease to yearn for it to change. The bitterness of the maror is meant to remind us that there are greater things to yearn for than the bitterness that we become accustomed to. Only after such a realization can the herbs themselves be changed into a spice that will bring out the taste and yearning for complete redemption.
The people of Israel are undergoing the bitterness of hatred and oppression. They are experiencing it on the national level and, in some cases, on the personal level. It is that very bitterness that will strengthen the yearning for, and hasten the coming of, complete redemption in both the personal and national spheres.
The lessons learned from the senseless and brutal massacre are many and painful. The loss of such pure and obviously powerful souls is overwhelming for the families and devastating for the people of Israel. Yet, the courage, the faith and the vision of the bereaved families has moved the Jewish people one step closer to redemption. All the families have simply strengthened their faith, reinforced their resolve and moved closer to their Father in The reporter asked the mother, "So where was G-d on that night?" Heaven.
One mother was asked by a rather unscrupulous reporter about her son who was killed in the library of the Merkaz HaRav Yeshiva. The reporter asked the mother, "So where was G-d on that night?"
The mother seemed confused by the ignorant and insensitive question. "What do you mean?" she responded. "G-d was in the library as well."
The spiritual depth of the answer was probably lost on the reporter, but in the Heavens there was probably great weeping.
May this Pesach be a time of healing for the pained and hope to the wandering. May it be the time of ultimate and complete redemption for Israel and the whole world.
17 Nissan 5768 / 22 April 08
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