a Jerusalem Voice

2009-10-01T05:06:00.000-07:00

A wordless prayer at the Kotel
Tishrei 12, 5770, 30 September 09 11:15
by Moshe Kempinski

The Saturday night before Yom Kippur was also the last night of Selichot (penitential prayers) before the start of "the Awesome Day". As I drove to the Kotel (the Western Wall) I found that all the roads in Jerusalem heading towards the Old City were unusually clogged. I later found out that Highway No. 1, the main artery from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, was also backed up heavily. Approaching the Old City close to midnight, I found my way blocked by police roadblocks, until I was finally allowed through only due to the Old City sticker on my car windshield.

Through the Jaffa Gate, I was engulfed by a river of people rushing towards the Western Wall. The striking difference from other such experiences was that almost all the people around me scurrying on the road looked as if they were so called "secular Israelis". Yet it became clear that they seemed to be driven towards the Western Wall adjacent to the "heart of the world" by some inner passion.

The so-called "secular majority" of this country had recaptured the Kotel on this night.

When I finally made it down the steps, the sight took my breath away as I watched the multitudes fill the Western Wall Plaza. It is true that I have seen this plaza filled many times before, but there was something very different about this night. The sight seemed so incongruent and yet so natural at the same time.

On the Shabbat prior to this evening, I had been reading of the great Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev (1740-1810).The Berditchever, as he was known, was one of the main disciples of the Maggid of Mezeritch and he passed away almost exactly 200 years ago. He was known as the "defense attorney" for the Jewish people, because he would consistently intercede on their behalf before G-d .With his intense and passionate love for every one of his people, he would always search for the positive essence in each of his brothers and sisters as he stood in prayer before his Creator.

I though about Rebbe Levi Yitzchak again as I saw the crowds gathering at the Kotel. What would he have said? I also contemplated how such a sight would have empowered him to shake the very heavens and demand redemption.

I watched as Israelis who were not so familiar with the decorum and customs of the Western Wall gathered chairs. Some sat waiting and talking, while some even lit up cigarettes. They were waiting for the start of the Selichot prayers at 12:30 AM. My initial frustration with what on the surface seemed a brazen irreverence melted away as I saw individual after individual reading psalms or prayer books. Others were furiously writing notes to put in the Wall and others just sat with their eyes closed.

I again thought of the Berditchever and how he would turn to G-d and say something like, "HaShem, you know that your children have wandered in the wrong pastures. You know that they have felt unworthy to come before You. You know that they have perhaps even forgotten the words, the passion and the reverence. But look, sweet Father, how your children are yearning to be in your presence. Let their presence here before you be like a mighty prayer."

But I was wrong. That is not what he would have said.

At half past midnight the Selichot prayers began and continued for an hour and a half. I stood back in awe and wonderment. These so-called "lost children" roared their prayers like true lions of Judah. As they held on to their makeshift or well-folded kippot, they sang and prayed with a passion that came from some inner secret space. They prayed with a smoldering intensity I had not expected because of my arrogance. They cried out "Amen, may Your name be magnified for ever and ever" with a bellow that seemed to shake the Western Wall. A people that had been touched by G-d can never truly lose that inner spark and dim their burning heart.

Rebbe Levi Yitzchak would not have said anything on this night. He would probably have looked at his brothers and sisters with tear-filled eyes and then raised his face to the heavens with outstretched arms.

His eyes, beseeching the heavens, would have said it all: Ad matai, HaShem, ad matai? - "Until when, HaShem, until when?"

I am My Beloved's and my Beloved is Mine

2009-08-25T01:15:00.000-07:00

by Moshe Kempinski
Elul 4, 5769,

The old city of Jerusalem during these evenings is awash with people. They arrive in large groups. They arrive with their families. They arrive alone. They do not come as tourists. They are not here to tour any location. They are not here to see anything.

They are here to feel and listen.

During the days of Elul and Tishrei each individual soul undergoes a spiritual voyage that is unparalleled in its intensity and awesome in its implications. It is in the month of Elul that we begin again the courtship with the Beloved. The Hebrew letters that make up the name Elul are also the first letters of the verse, Ani Ledodi VeDodi Lee - "I Am My Beloved's and my Beloved is Mine."

This powerful verse comes from the ultimate love poem written by King Solomon as beautiful allegory of a love story between the infinite and the finite. The great sage Rabbi Akiba declared, "Heaven forbid that any man in Israel ever disputed that the Song of Songs is holy. For the whole world is not worth the day on which the Song of Songs was given to Israel, for all the Writings are holy and the Song of Songs is holy of holies." (Mishnah Yadayim 3:5) It is clearly an allegory, as the young maiden and her beloved keep changing roles. At times, he is a shepherd, at times a king; and the young maiden keeps changing as well just as the people of Israel do.

During the month of Elul, then, thousands of Israelis of all walks of life find their way into the Old City of Jerusalem. Especially in the late evening or early morning, the people make their way towards the Old City like love-stricken lovers. The late hours at the Western Wall sound and look like midday hustle and bustle. Everywhere you turn, you see people in prayer or simply standing in awe. A people living out the verse Ani Ledodi VeDodi Lee - "I Am My Beloved's and my Beloved is Mine" - sometimes without even being aware of it.

Yet, that verse from that sanctified poem of love and relationship, when literally translated, becomes somewhat confusing. Ani Ledodi Vedodi Lee really translates as, "I am entering into the month of betrothal to their ultimate, Divine Beloved. As a result, one individual after another continued to volunteer to help carry that part of the broken wagon through the long trek around the Temple Mount walls. They were individuals in love, and love means constantly moving forward, towards the beloved. They, the sons and daughters of Abraham, were driven forward just as their ancestor was bidden to go forth.

That is the deeper meaning of the verse Ani Ledodi VeDodi Lee - "I Am My Beloved's and my Beloved is Mine." The relationship is defined by the constant move towards - "I am to my Beloved and my Beloved is to me".

When we returned after the long walk, we saw a Western Wall plaza awash with streams of Jews of all sorts, filling its every available space.

The Jewish people, whether they are consciously aware of their relationship with G-d or not, are driven by an inner call to "come towards". That is their eternal strength; and with that we enter the betrothal month of Elul.

Words Are That Powerful

2009-07-16T04:53:00.000-07:00

Moshe Kempinski
Torah Portion ; Matot (Numbers 30:2-32:42)

The Torah portion of Matot begins with the admonitions regarding vows, oaths and obligations. The old adage" sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never harm me" is simply false in Judaism. Words are not harmless nor are they harmful. Yet words have power. The world was created with words. Relationships are built up with words. Our children discover themeselves through words...theirs and ours. Words thrown about carelessly can foster hatred and can lead to the destruction of the temple, both spiritual and physical.. Yet on the other hand words can create songs and words become the vessels of prayer.

Yet we are so careless with them! King Solomon wrote "Better that you not vow, than that you should vow and not fulfill.( KOHELLET/ Ecclesiastes 5:4)

Words have an innate power. In Hebrew the name for a “word” is DAVAR and the name for a "thing" is a davar. We learn that words create new reality and at the same time that reality speaks words. That is the basis of our relationship with the Infinite One .We use words to bridge the seemingly impossibly wide chasm between we the finite and He the infinite. At the same time the Creator speaks with us through his creation, things speak. That is the secret of the bridge between us that was taught to Moshe ( Moses) in the cleft in the rock when he asked G-d to show him His Glory.

Our torah portion then warns us of the power, potential and dangers of words and vows. It sets up the danger signals we are to be watchful for upon encountering individuals who throw words aimlessly or who use words as weapons. It also helps mankind be wary of the individual who has so mastered the power of words that he begins to believe that words are more important than truth and more critical than action. We need to be especially aware and wary of individuals like that when they enter positions of power and greatness like the Presidency of the most powerful nation in our physical reality. Such a mixture can be very heady and is extremely dangerous for the world in general and for that individual as well. That is so because words don’t only endanger and harm, they also entice and entrap the speaker.

As in all cases related to the words of the Torah portions , they do not only hearken from the past, they speak to the very present. As our ancient sages have taught us the words of the weekly Torah portion will also speak into the very reality of the week wherein the portion is read.

Listen to the words in the national arena and hear the subtext and be prepared and at the same time be careful with your choice of words in your own very personal relationships.

Words are that powerful

The New Imposters; the J Street PAC

2009-07-16T04:51:00.000-07:00

Moshe Kempinski

Throughout Jewish history the embittered people of Israel have developed conditions and neuroses very similar to victims of abuse. At times, they have begun to blame themselves for the hatred that they have experienced hurled against them. At other times they have begun to assume that if they would adopt more universal ideals and become more connected to the greater whole, they would cease to be persecuted. As a result of such a desire they have eschewed uniqueness and national identity for the safe anonymity of “sameness”. There is nothing inherently wrong for looking for commonality and initiating bridge building. In fact the building of bridges of understanding between peoples is one of the critical goals of mankind's destiny and purpose. Yet the collapse of identity and the slipping into the morass of blandness and anonymity has become a disaster and ever present danger for the Jewish people.

Yet there is an even darker side to the phenomenon. Throughout history, some of the greatest enemies of the Jewish people have been Jews who so wanted to identify with the world that the result was a deep hatred within themselves of Judaism and Jewish destiny. Some of the greatest persecutors of the Jewish people have been people of Jewish descent. We must be wary that Jewish people like Rahm Emanuel, and David Axelrod, Obama's advisers, don't fall into that trap .

The road into such lethal and dangerous thinking can even begin with well meaning and pure thinking. It usually begins with the desire to ensure that the Jewish people remain within the constraints of safe political correctness. Such groups in the past have taken it upon themselves in the name of the Jewish people to represent views and opinions that were in line with the interests of the ruling monarchy, even if they were antithetical to the needs of their people. These Jewish individuals called Shtadlanim or Court Jews as a general rule acted seemingly on behalf of the Jewish people but were truly more interested in enhancing their positions of power and wealth within the political rulership of their day.

It is usually easy to spot them. They use Jewish concepts and ideals liberally while show no connection to any of these ideals in their private lives. The will usually speak on behalf of the Jewish people as a group and yet as individuals have very little to do with their local Jewish community. They will declare ideas and beliefs that will endear them to their politically correct environment but will deny the unique character and survival needs of their own people. In our days they will demand full rights for all Arabs living inside Israel while denying them for Jews living in areas of biblical and historic import. .They exhibit great concern for Arab pain and suffering while barely offering lip service for Jewish pain . They will advocate Israeli territorial concessions regardless of the danger to security needs such withdrawals have produced in the past. They will argue that any serious criticism of the preaching and teaching of hatred towards the Jews of Israel and the world by Arab preachers and teachers in Arab schools and mosques is somehow disloyal to American interests. Support for Israel 's security needs is viewed as tantamount to a betrayal of American concerns.

According to many , J Street Political Action Committee lobby founded in 2008 seems to be walking this very dangerous and self destructive path.

During the Gaza strip war the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz wrote that while "The left-wing Meretz party on Thursday issued a rare call for military action against Hamas in order to bring an end to cross-border attacks on Israel by Gaza militants” , the J Street on the other hand called for superpower intervention to restrain Israel.

Reform Rabbi Eric Yoffie ,the president of the URJ , whose own views mirror the views of the left in the Israeli political spectrum, complained that " the group ( J Street lobby) could find no moral difference between the actions of Hamas and other Palestinian militants, …., and the long-delayed response of Israel, which finally lost patience and responded to the pleas of its battered citizens in the south.

J Street hit again this week. President Barak Obama who truly believes that the magic of the spoken word can assuage any wound and cross over any chasm of disagreement invited Jewish leaders for a talk .The President invited over 16 leaders but excluded the strongly pro Israel National Council of Young Israel (YI) and Zionist Organization of America (ZOA).

After the meeting Obama's greatest admirers, the J Street lobby, declared;

" J Street commends President Barack Obama on restating today his commitment to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and his serious intent to pursue a viable and sustainable resolution to the broader Arab-Israeli conflict..........President Obama should know that the majority of American Jews support the direction he outlined and his commitment to actively pursue peace and security. “

Is J Street truly speaking for the majority of American Jewry?!?

In a Newsweek article (may 27th 2008) highlighting the newly formed group, columnist Dan Ephron asked the lobby the following question.

Ephron; You're suggesting actually withholding aid?

J Street ; No, I'm not saying that. I want to be really clear. I'm saying that when the U.S. president closes the door with the Israeli prime minister, the U.S. president has a lot more chips to play than any other person who closes that door. …..And it's time for the president to know that there's a group of people here who recognize that that is not only in Israel's best interests, it's in the U.S.'s best interests. We've got to step up and start to make this a more serious, meaningful policy.

Ephron; But my question is might J Street find itself in a situation where it would be lobbying on an issue that would be counter to what the Israeli government is doing?

J. Street: Oh, absolutely. We have absolutely no problem taking a position that says the actions and policies of the Israeli government are counterproductive and not in the best interests in our opinion of either Israel or the United States . …

Ephron ; You'll have to face, I imagine, Israelis who will say, 'wait a second, you don't live here, you don't send your children to the military here, you don't pay taxes. What right do you have to dictate or even to influence the debate?'

J Street I think that's extremely fair [to argue]. But I think as long as the situation in Israel and Palestine is directly related to recruitment by extremist forces, by Al Qaeda, of the terrorists who then come here, I think it is an issue that has ramifications here.

Is J Street speaking out of concern for the destiny and security of the Jewish people or they suffering from the the pain and wounds of exile. Are they concerned for the constituency that they claim to represent or are they more interested to be accepted by the rulers of our time.

Either way they can quickly become a very dangerous pawn in the war against the people of Israel .

Torah Thought: Nature- listening and speaking

2009-06-26T06:31:00.000-07:00

....Moshe Kempinski..( parshat Chukat)..

We are faced with a very unusual commandment of G-d when He declares to Moses the following;

And HaShem spoke unto Moshe , saying: 'Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes, that it give forth its water; and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock; so thou shalt give the congregation and their cattle drink.'(Exodus/Shmot 20:7-8)

What does it mean that Moses was to "speak" to the rock? Do rocks have the ability to hear?

Maran HaRav Kook teaches that the answer is in the affirmative.All of nature is waiting to hear the song of redemption. The whole world is waiting to listen to the melody that was stilled upon the exodus from the garden of Eden.

Istead it felt the brunt of a staff raised in anger. Our sages tell us that the reason that Moshe did not speak to the stone was not out of disobedience but rather that he lost the ability to speak.He lost the prophetic ability to truly "speak" when he became angry.

10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said unto them: 'Hear now, ye rebels; are we to bring you forth water out of this rock?'(Exodus/Shmot 20:10) . In that anger lay the problem .

When Moses became angry he temporarily lost the ability to recieve and " hear" prophecy" and thereby lost the ability to speak propheticly.

It is this concept that is described by our sages; " anyone who is angry , if he is a wise man his wisdom will leave him. If he is a prophet , his prophecy will leave him" ( Masechet Pesachim 66b) .

We see a similar phenomenon in Parshat Vayigash when Jacob is informed that his beloved son was in fact, still alive.

And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them; and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived. 28 And Israel said: 'It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive; I will go and see him before I die.'
(Genesis/ Breishit 45:27-28 27 )

Our sages describe that the Divine Presence which had left Jacob during his twenty two years of sadness had returned .Ruach HaKodesh, Divine Inspiration, cannot reside in the midst of sadness.The surprising but wonderful news that Joseph was in fact still alive allowed for Jacob to be filled with Divine Inspiration once again. It is no wonder that Jacob is again called Israel in the next verse. Israel is the name of this patriarch that relates to his and his children's Prophetic Destiny .It is the name given him by the angel and then confirmed by G-d Himself further on. It is the the name that predicts and confirms the destiny of his progeny, the people of Israel.

As a result nature and the stones were not given the oppurtunity to hear and respond and by so doing bring about a grerat sanctification of G-d's name.

Yet it is important to remember that Nature also speaks. The word for "Thing" iin hebrew is Davar. The word for speech is hebrew is rooted in the same hebrew "Davar". Everything in the world is speaking. G-d is using the reality to speak to us. Yet man hasn't yet learnt how to hear with his eyes.

We in this world need to learn to hear the song of G-d in the world around us and just as importantly the world around us is waiting to hear that same song from us.

The Courage For Real Change

2009-06-24T07:23:00.000-07:00

Moshe Kempinski

In his powerful election night acceptance speech, President Barack Obama announced, “It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.” No one asked the candidate what that change entailed. No one dared to demand that the fawning press do their job ,and ask the questions that needed to be asked .

America wanted instant change with the same passion that they demanded “ instant fame” , “instant wealth” and “ instant power”. Just as those" instant" dreams have fizzled or collapsed completely , we are beginning to see that so has Obama's promise of "change".

Change involves work and struggle. Change involves sacrifice and reality based "vision". Real " change " is what the Iranian protesters ( as opposed to Moussavi) were trying to implement.

That type of change , though, also involves sacrifice. Before Neda Agha-Soltan was gunned down in the streets of Teheran , she displayed her resolve and lack of fear with words she shared with a friend "Don't worry, it's just one bullet and it's over, “she reportedly said .The 26-year-old philosophy student whose murder has made her a martyr to the Iranian opposition, was determined to support the protesters. The rest of the world shed a tear with her murder but is still unwilling to rock the boat.

The Jewish people were taught the lesson of hard earned change and growth many centuries ago.
" And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that G-d led them not by the way of the land of the Philistines, because it was near; for G-d said: 'Lest peradventure the people lose faith when they see war, and they return to Egypt.' ( exodus 13 :17).
Which land was near, the land of Egypt or the Promised Land? The verse could not be speaking about the land of Egypt because as we see in a following verse the Israelites actually cut back towards the land of Egypt.
" And HaShem spoke unto Moses, saying: 'Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn back and encamp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, before Baal-zephon, over against it shall ye encamp by the sea." ( Exodus 14: 1-2).

It was the land of Israel that was too close. In order for these slaves and sons of slaves to become the free people they needed to become, the journey and the process had to become more extended. It was in the wilderness that courage was discovered. It was in the journey that faith was kindled.

The world is entering into its own wilderness .The instant solutions and remedies being offered by the world’s leadership are not only futile, they are actually very dangerous. The focus on predetermined results rather than on resolute determination will only lead to calamity and confusion. Unless the lessons of journey and process become absorbed by the leadership of the world in general and by the American and Israeli leadership in particular , great dangers await the world at every turn.

Yet instead of bravery and courage the American Administration is showing hesitancy and shaky resolve. US President Barack Obama supposedly stepped up criticism of Iran's regime, saying he "strongly condemned" its crackdown. That was sure to frighten the Ayatollah’s?!?

At the same time he made sure to deny that he was interfering in the deepening crisis. Obama’s meager contribution was to articulate a State Department-esque fear that if America was to be seen as “meddling” in the internal affairs of Iran, Ahmadinejad would use that fact against America and set back Obama’s high hopes for a diplomatic resolution to the Iranian nuclear weapons advance. That, of course, does not prevent Obama and his people from increasingly meddling in the affairs of the State of Israel , as Israel in their eyes is simply a vassal state. Obama's hesitation, as was his latest decision to reconnect with the regime in Syria ,was meant to ensure that nothing would interfere with his “new world vision” embracing a sanitized Islam and a welcoming west.

As a result just as we have seen that Obama is ready to sacrifice the security concerns of Israel on the altar of his great vision, he seems to be doing the same thing as regards to the plight of the courageous young people on the streets of Teheran. This can prove to be very dangerous to this world.

The Mysteries Of The Olive Tree

2009-06-19T06:35:00.000-07:00

Moshe Kempinski

Israel is being challenged by an American President that believes so deeply
in the power of words that he has forgotten the “power of truth”.

Israel is facing a European continent that is slowly sinking under the
tsunami of radical Islam and has lost the “power of discernment”.

We are also dealing with Israeli leadership that attempts to combat the
pressure but lacking the spiritual eyes of faith makes compromise with
reality.

The storm is brewing and the pressure is growing. The missing light that
would help us navigate through this darkness is the light of the Temple
menorah .Its flickering flame still burns in the hearts of those who have
not lost their connection to their Divine destiny. Yet there are many that
are trying to extinguish those flickering embers as well. It is not
happenstance that the temple menorah was chosen to be the official symbol
of the state of Israel. There were few amongst those that chose it in the
1940’s that knew that the emblem was actually linked to a prophecy of a
menorah in the book of Zecharayah, . In that prophecy we are told of a
vision of a menorah with an olive tree on either side of it and the the
menorah is being fed with olive oil from these branches

And he said unto me: "What do you see ?" And I said: "I have seen, and
behold a menorah all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, with its
seven lamps....and two olive-trees by it, one upon the right side of the
bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof." .( Zecharayah 4:1-6 )

There is a mysterious strength and lesson being revealed in the olive tree
and its oil in these verses.

Every morning as I trudge up the little hill from my synagogue to the
entrance into my building, I always feel a sense of exhilaration that I
tried to understand. Just before I enter the building, I walk under a wide,
expansive olive tree. As I stop under it and look to the west, I have an
uninterrupted view of the Jerusalem forest hills for as far as my eyes can
see. I usually take a deep breath and somehow feel filled and whole, even
for only a minute. At first, this began to happen without my being overtly
conscious of it, but after repeatedly sensing that feeling, I began to
ponder its meaning.

I thought of the midrash brought down in Tractate Menachot 51b: "Rabbi
Yehoshuah Ben Levi said: Why is Israel compared to an olive tree? Because
just as the leaves of an olive tree do not fall off either in summer or
winter. So, too, the Jewish people shall not be cast off, neither in this
world nor in the World to Come."

The olive tree also appears in the Midrash Shmot Rabbah (Tetzaveh 36)
discussing the verse in the book of Jeremiah (11:16) comparing the Jewish
people to an olive tree: "God called your name a green olive tree, fair
(zayit ra'anan) with goodly fruit." The midrash expounds offers insights
gleaned from this verse. Just as the olive oil does not get mixed together
with other fluids, so too the Jewish people will never disappear fully into
the cauldron of assimilation. In fact, in a miraculous fashion, despite
being agitated, persecuted and oppressed, the Jewish people, like the oil,
always rise to the top. They rise above those nations oppressing them and
retain their distinct and unique character.

Finally, our sages continue with another thought based on the same verse,
(Tractate Menachot 53bJ "Just as the purpose of the olive is the oil which
is extracted from it, says Rabbi Yitzchak, so too is the purpose of the
exile and all its events realized only after it reaches the end of its
processing." The classic commentator, the Maharsha, explains that only
after the olive has been crushed and pressed to extract its essence can the
fruit's potential truly be revealed.

So it seems that this is the process we are now witnessing

President Obama , Jimmy Carter, Iran's Ahmanidjad and the European union
are simply the olive press.The Olive tree is being crushed and pressed and
the groundwork is being laid for the next chapter of Jewish history

Giants Of The West

2009-06-19T06:30:00.000-07:00

Moshe Kempinski

The world is seemingly looming over the small and fragile state of Israel. It is raising its fists in frustration and filling its chest with indignant airs over the incalcitrant Jews of Israel. On the other hand this same world is much more insecure and bruised than it was before the financial crisis.

It is a world which is much more frightened and fragile than it was in before the events of 9/11. Mankind feels a lot more unstable and uneasy in our time as bastion after bastion of security has fallen and anchor after anchor of permanence has been uprooted.

As a result the world is a lot more dangerous to itself in general and to Israel in particular.

Mankind yearns for simple solutions and quick conflict resolution in the best of times. Yet in times of insecurity and confusion it is more easily drawn down that futile path of simplified solutions. It is especially in such times that individuals and leaders arise and speak in comforting sound bites and with packaged metaphors. Such leaders, in such times, can become formidable foes of complicated and layer-deep truths, even if their intentions are well meaning. President Obama has become such a leader.

His administration's proposed peace plan with its two year deadline is an example of the dangers that Israel is confronted with. The new American president has adopted the classic colonialist attitude of coming in to a situation and imposing a solution on the "unruly children" in the third world .In the words of Samantha Powers considered one of president Obama's closest adviser (the Washington Post identified her and retired Maj. Gen. Scott Garion as “closest to Obama, part of a group-within-the-group that he regularly turns to for advice. ;

"What we need is a willingness to put something on the line in helping the situation. Putting something on the line might mean alienating a domestic constituency of tremendous political and financial import;.....also, to support what will have to be a mammoth protection force, not of the old Rwanda kind, but a meaningful military presence. ....Unfortunately, imposition of a solution on unwilling parties is dreadful. It’s a terrible thing to do, it’s fundamentally undemocratic. But, sadly, we don’t just have a democracy here either, we have a liberal democracy. There are certain sets of principles that guide our policy or that are meant to, anyway. It’s essential that some set of principles becomes the benchmark, rather than a deference to [leaders] who are fundamentally politically destined to destroy the lives of their own people.( in an interview in Berkeley in 2002)"

What Israel may be facing then is an administration that toys with the idea of military intervention in Israel on behalf of a Palestinian state.

President Obama's two state solution is in reality, in Benny Begin's words ,a two stage solution for Israel's destruction..Yet there are few in this floundering world that have the nerve and stamina needed to stand up to this man being termed as "the coolest President America has known" . There are few capable of helping President Obama confront reality rather than to be dazzled by his own rhetoric. This administration needs to be reminded that the Middle East is not a third grade class and those are not spitballs that are being thrown around in this region.

Yet at this point the plans and machinations of the west are looming over this country like giants of great powers. It is, as always no coincidence that this week’s Torah portion relates similar fears by the people of Israel as they were about to enter into the "land of Promise".

And they spread an evil report of the land which they had spied out to the children of Israel, saying: 'The land, through which we have passed to spy it out, is a land that eats 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)

They too , saw the obstacles before them as Giants. They too fell into that faulty vision because they lost sense of their own self worth and lost the understanding of the Divine source of their power. They too could not hear the pure faith filled voices of Yehoshua and Calev;

And Yehoshua the son of Nun and Calev the son of Yefunneh, who were of them that spied out the land, rent their clothes. And they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: 'The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceeding good land. If HaShem delights in us, then He will bring us into this land, and give it to us--a land which flows with milk and honey. Only rebel not against the LORD, neither fear the people of the land; for they are bread for us; their defence is removed from over them, and HaShem is with us; fear them not.'( Numbers 14:6-9)

Prime Minister Netanyahu will be answering the American demands on Sunday. It would do him well to read the Torah portion on Shabbat and avoid the cries of those who see themselves as grasshoppers. Rather he should heed the supporting calls of those who have not lost faith and have not abandoned vision. He should fine-tune his soul so that it too could hear the call declared by Calev so very long ago. A call that continues to resonate throughout Jewish history.

“ Ki Yachol Nuchal La; for we are well able to overcome it.(Numbers 13:30)

Bibi, Obama and Yom Yerushalayim

2009-05-18T04:57:00.000-07:00

Moshe Kempinski

Nothing in this world happens by happenstance or coincidence. The lines of human history intersect the lines of destiny and purpose all the time. This occurs regardless if those witnessing these encounters between” time and purpose” are aware of it or not. Such is the nature of our existence. The world we live in is called Olam in hebrew, and that very word is a whisper of its root denoting hiddenness.

It is not happenstance that the Pope representing Rome arrives in Israel on the week we honor Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai the great spiritual and physical opponent of Ancient Rome. Ancient Rome has disappeared and the teachings and spirit of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai continue to live on. There is an important lesson there.

It is also not happenstance that the leader of the State of Israel is meeting with one of the most powerful leaders of the world to discuss Israel's retreat from the biblical heartland on the week we celebrate the miracle that brought about its liberation. President Obama will discuss the fragile situation in the Middle East as if he would discuss a chess match . Obama true to everything we have seen thus far will make decisions that are politically correct and noble sounding but without being connected to the reality on the ground. Yet the simple Divine reality and the miracles of the Six day war will prove to be much more powerful than the notions of one man, even a very popular man.

Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Obama both need to be reminded of a hot and humid June in 1967.For the months prior to those fateful days, the radio waves were filled with hatred and threats against the small sliver of a country called Israel. Gamal Abdel Nasser, the president of Egypt declared on radio" We intend on beginning an all out campaign, it will be a total war and our basic purpose is the eradication of the Israeli state" (27.5.67). Ahmed Shukeiri the head of the Palestinian resistance movement also delivered the following statement" Israelis who were born in Palestine that will still be alive after the war will be allowed to live in Palestine. But based on my best estimation not a single one of them will still be found alive." (26.5.67)" Similar threats were being aired every day by leaders of Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. Even the darling of North American media, King Hussein of Jordan joined the war that began in June of 1967 with the following words," Kill the Jews with everything that comes to your hands. Kill them with your arms, with your hands, with your nails and with your teeth."

All this hatred and rhetoric before a "west bank" ever existed as a concept and prior to any delusions of "two states living side by side in peace"

The residents within the pre-1967 borders - which Israel's famed orator and foreign minister, Abba Eban, called the "Auschwitz borders" - were busy digging mass graves in Tel Aviv and Netanya. All this in preparation for the onslaught that was coming their way. The World powers, as is their custom even to this day, continued their endless babble and diplomatic game-playing as the noose around Israel was continuing to tighten. Not that many years had passed since the disaster of the holocaust and the fear and anxiety was palpable.

Reuven was a seventy-year-old survivor of Auschwitz who had migrated to America after the Second World War and subsequently made Aliyah to Israel. He told his children that he was determined to live out the dreams of his ancestors in the land of G-d and spend his last years in Israel. As the reports from the Middle East became more frantic and threatening, Reuven’s children desperately tried to get him to return to the safety of America. He described to a friend of ours the daily arguments, pleading and tearful requests he had to endure from his family. He explained that he understood his children, but that he was tired of running and that this was his home and final place of refuge.

Meanwhile, all around him, the hatred kept growing. Around the land, a thick pall of foreboding lay heavily over the population.

Yet, in the midst of those fear-filled and hot days in June, G-d produced a miracle, and the mighty armies of all the Arab countries that had amassed around Israel were vanquished. All this was done in an astonishing six days. A small but determined army attacked and beat back the Russian-equipped hordes of the Arab world.

Just as the eight days of the Hanukkah miracle of oil was a Divine signature on the even greater miracle of the victory of the small band of Maccabees against their oppressors, so did these six days dispel the notion that anything in this country came into being by happenstance. In those heady days of victory and celebration, most of Israel's population rejoiced at the notion that they had been a witness to a modern-day miracle.

Mr Reuven of Netanya had no doubts regarding the Divine nature of this experience. This seventy-year-old man got on the first bus that was traveling to Jerusalem after the ceasefire. As the bus drove along Jaffa Road, it broke down and all the occupants began to walk, almost mesmerized, towards the liberated Old City of Jerusalem. As they were nearing the walls, a group of Israeli paratroopers were passing by marching towards the Jaffa Gate. The soldiers then broke ranks and began dancing through the gates. Reuven, the seventy year old survivor from Europe, joined them and danced all the way to the Western Wall. His age was forgotten, his past became a whisp of smoke and his heart was rejuvenated as he danced and sang with these young soldiers.

Later, he was to remark to his friends in Netanya, "I don't know how but I found the courage to stay in my new home despite the treats and the dangers. As a result, I Reuven who came out of the graveyard of Poland was given the zechut, the merit, to be able to join the soldiers of Zion in their joyous dance towards our holy mountain."

May that type of spirit and resolve fill the hearts of our Prime Minister and his government as the struggle against the steadily mounting pressure from President Obama and the world. If any of them feel ill equipped to face that challenge they would do well to come to Jerusalem during Yom Yerushalayim .They could join the tens of thousands of Jews young and old who will be dancing through the streets of Jerusalem towards the holy mountain..If they then develop the courage to look to the heavens , they may merit to see that generations who have come before us , for they too will be dancing in the heavens on this day.

The Reed Sea and Yom HaAtzmaut

2009-04-26T11:22:00.000-07:00

Moshe Kempinski

The holiday of Yom HaAtzmaut (Israel's Independence Day) - the day of Israel's rebirth as an independent country - occurs in a season of blossoming and promise. Passover, too - the holiday of Israel's birth as a people - has classically and Biblically been connected to the season of springtime and rebirth. Passover's message of liberation from spiritual and physical enslavement remains an eternal message. Can the same be said of Yom HaAtzmaut?

The impact of Yom HaAtzmaut and of the State of Israel continues to be complicated and confused. On the one hand, after two thousand years of exile and persecution the scattered remains of a battered people have found refuge on ancient shores. On the other hand, it continues to be a country where much of its leadership has forgotten the dreams and yearnings of thousands of years.

It is a country of conflicting images. On the one hand, we see a hedonistic "wannabe" society festering in the nightclubs of Tel Aviv; on the other hand, earnest and faith-driven young people risking all to continue the vision of their people. On one side, we see young people reveling in the fact that they have succeeded in eluding army service; while on the other, young men and women voluntarily put their lives at risk, and at times sacrifice them, to protect their nation. One snapshot is of young soldiers fighting long battles with terrorists, while the other snapshot shows black-vested soldiers ripping their fellow Jews away from their homes. One image has Yitzchak Rabin walking into the liberated Old City of Jerusalem, and the other has him shaking hands with arch-terrorist Yasser Arafat and heralding the disaster called the "Oslo peace process". We see an image of Ariel Sharon planning homes in the Biblical heartland of Israel, and then we see one of Sharon planning the destruction of the same Jewish homes.

Can an eternal message of hope and redemption come out of such confusion? Is the message of Yom HaAtzmaut a harbinger of an eternal truth, or is it just a secular plastic replica of a two-thousand-year-old spiritual vision?

Yom HaAtzmaut is integrally related to the holiday of Passover. More important, it is connected to the seventh day of Passover, when the Israelites crossed the Reed Sea. Rabbi Shlomo Goren (z.ts.l.), the former chief rabbi of Israel's defense forces, revealed an interesting fact. There is an ancient mystical cipher called At-Bash. The system involves taking the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet and switching with the last letter, and then the second letter with the second to last letter, and so forth. Based on this At-Bash system it was found that whichever day of the week the first (or aleph) day of Passover lands that will be the day that that the holiday starting with the last letter of the alphabet (tav) will land. For generations, this system worked for every day of Passover except for the seventh. The seventh letter in the Hebrew alphabet, zayin, corresponds to the letter ayin. Rabbi Goren showed how the word atzmaut or "independence", which begins with letter ayin, solved the dilemma. Whichever day of the week is the seventh day of Passover is also the day of the week on which Yom HaAtzmaut falls.

This could have remained as quaint symbolic exercise if there was not a deeper message and connection involved.

On the seventh day of Passover the Israelites stood at the edge of the Reed Sea. When the Egyptians were coming from the back and the desert was closing in on the sides, they cried out in fear. The Mechilta says that as they stood at the shore of the sea, the people of Israel split into four factions. One faction said: "Let us cast ourselves into the sea." A second faction said, "Let us return to Egypt." A third said, "Let us wage war against the Egyptians." A fourth said, "Let us cry out to G-d."

"And Moshe said unto the people: Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of HaShem, which He will work for you today; for whereas ye have seen the Egyptians today, ye shall see them again no more forever. HaShem will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace." (Exodus14:13-14)

Those were powerful words for every one of the factions; and those words continue to stir the hearts of many even unto these days.

Yet, it is the following verse that carries the ultimate power, for it seems HaShem wants and expects more from them: "And HaShem said unto Moshe: Why are you crying out to Me? Speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward." (Exodus14:15) The spiritual ingredient which heralded the miracle and tore the sea apart was the fact that the people simply "went forward".

When the tattered remains of the Jewish people returned to their ancient homeland and fulfilled the first part of a clear prophecy in Ezekiel, there was cause for great rejoicing. "Therefore prophesy, and say unto them: Thus said HaShem G-d: Behold, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, O My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel." (Ezekiel 37)

Yet, it was not long before many Arab nations gathered to attack them; they miraculously survived. There would be many more such threats and dangers heaped on this small land, and the people began to become more and more fretful. Just like at the shores of the Reed Sea.

Some fell into depression and faithless sadness ("Let us cast ourselves into the sea"). A second faction lost the courage to remain steadfast in this land of trials and began to leave the country ("Let us return to Egypt"). A third began to believe that their salvation would simply be a function of their own strength and power ("Let us wage war against the Egyptians"). The fourth said there is nothing we can or must do except to depend on the mercy and redemption of HaShem ("Let us cry out to G-d").

To all those people, HaShem's message is clear: "Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward." In order to break out of the constraints that bind, the message was to "move forward" to our destiny.

We are seeing clear signs of this "going forward". The country will be defended. Its houses will be built and the land will be settled. The study of Torah will increase. The numbers of people searching for more meaning and a deeper commitment to G-d and His people's destiny will continue to grow.

On Yom HaAtzmaut we celebrate what HaShem has done for us until this time. We will also celebrate Yom HaAtzmaut and go forward with joyful praise and loud singing of the Hallel for what is yet to be. That rejoicing and celebrating of a redemption that has only just begun to blossom is the ultimate "stepping forward" in faith. That rejoicing is integral in making the sea of confusion part. That acknowledgement of the miraculous mercies of the past and the Divine intervention of the future is a key component of moving out of the confusion that envelops this new and developing land.

That is the spirit that was missing in the governments of the last two decades. That is the spirit that will be sorely tested by American President Barack Obama's dangerously naive view of the world. It will be brought under attack by the already defeated regimes of Europe. It is a spirit that will be ridiculed by the faint-hearted and impatient segment of our people.

Yet, we will continue to be thankful for the miracles G-d has shown us, and not fall into the trap of assuming it was solely our might and strength. In spite the self-defeating words, and the brutal and cruel actions, of some of those claiming to be our leadership, we will continue to declare faith in the still small voice of redemption. The naysayers and the critics who will scorn our faithfulness to this piece of G-d's destiny as a way to cover their inaction or lack of courage to live and struggle alongside us will not deter us either.

Only in this way will the next part of Ezekiel's prophecy come into being as well: "And you shall know that I am HaShem, when I have opened your graves, and caused you to come up out of your graves, O My people. And I will put My spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land; and you shall know that I, HaShem, have spoken and performed it, says HaShem." (Ezekiel 37:13-14)

The Cry of Redemption

2009-04-26T11:19:00.000-07:00

Moshe Kempinski

The story of redemption always begins with disappointment. The morning seems to always begin in the night, "and it was evening and it was morning, one day." (Genesis 1:5) The greatest blessing seems to always be preceded by wilderness. Why is that so?

After hundreds of years of slavery, the children of Israel in Egypt had lost the courage to dream of freedom. A young Moshe (Moses) ventures out of Pharaoh's palace to explore the state of his people. He sees a Hebrew slave being beaten almost to death. After looking around and seeing that "there was no man around" (Exodus 2:12), he intervenes and kills the assailant. Later, he encounters two Hebrew slaves fighting each other. When he tries again to intervene, he is chastised by one of them and reference is made to the killing of the Egyptian slave-master. Moshe escapes to Midian when he realizes that "the thing is known." (ibid 2:14)

Our sages explain that "the thing" that became known was not just the fact of the dead Egyptian, but also an answer to a question that was perplexing Moshe for a very long time. The "thing" that became clear to him was how low his people had sunk. Were they incapable of raising themselves to achieve liberation? After seeing that there was no man who would be "man enough" to stop the murderous beating of a fellow Hebrew, and that two Hebrew men would refuse to be reconciled, he began to believe that this people were beyond salvage.

So Moses escapes to Midian and he is not heard from for over sixty years. In his despondency, he escapes into anonymity. We read of him again in the Biblical text after he has turned eighty. It is only then - after sixty years of silence - that he is confronted with the mystery of the burning bush on Horev, the mountain of G-d.

Moshe then makes a determined decision to investigate this unexplained phenomenon, a bush burning in a fire and yet not becoming consumed. Moshe thought, "I will turn aside now and book at this great sight, why will the bush not be burned." (Exodus 3:3)

That "turning aside" seemed to be a critical step. We sense its importance in the wording of the next verse: "HaShem saw that Moshe turned from his path to see the sight and He called out to him from amidst the bush." (ibid 3:4) The fact that Moshe turned from his path seems to be significant in G-d's subsequent revelation to Moshe. The Midrash Tanchuma describes G-d as saying, "You made the effort to investigate and see; I declare you are worthy of my revealing Myself to you."

Yet, liberation and redemption awaited a small but powerful "turning" on the part of the people: "...and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried out, and their cry came up unto G-d by reason of the bondage. And G-d heard their groaning...." (Exodus 2:23-25)

They had been beaten down until they thought that they were beyond redemption. Yet the oppression around them brought out from the depths of their soul one clear and plaintive cry. "And their cry came up unto G-d."

And we then hear: "And G-d heard their groaning."

A cry that burst forth from a deep part of their soul that they are capable of being much more than they are and yearning for much more than they have. That was what G-d was waiting for, a stirring from the people (itrauta delitata).

Throughout the generations, the Jewish people have been enjoined to see themselves as if they themselves are re-experiencing the Exodus. Our sages tell us in the Mishnah (Tractate Pesachim), "In every generation one is required to view oneself as if one personally left Egypt." We need to experience the cry of the oppression around us as much as the joy of liberation. If we are not sensitive enough to feel the need to cry out, events will bring it about.

This month, that cry is being heard again. A young boy, Shlomo Nativ (H.y.d.), was butchered by an axe-wielding Palestinian near his home in Bat Ayin. The cry rises in our midst like bile, "How much longer?"

The newspapers of the world do not feel that it is an important event, but prod Israel to offer more concessions - so that more such events can occur. The enemy surrounds us and has poisoned our friends, and even our Jewish family in the Diaspora; so we cry out again.

Yet, after crying out we must act. If we do not, then our "crying out" is for naught. It then becomes a cry that comes out of pain and not out of yearning. It then becomes the "cry of exile" and not the "cry of redemption". It is only yearning that will put the building blocks of redemption into place.

The greatest blessing seems to always be preceded by wilderness. Why is that so? The night identifies the need and establishes the yearning. It is the yearning that brings the morning. That is the purpose of the cry of redemption. Licking our wounds will do nothing. We must act, and act swiftly and strongly. We must act without regard to the whining of the world around us, which in general has no sympathy for the cry of a butchered Jewish child.

We must act because we have reached the final dayenu - enough!

The Twilight Hours

2009-03-22T12:28:00.000-07:00

bsd

Moshe Kempinski

We are in the midst of the time of "not knowing", the eerie period between darkness and light. The world is awash with a pale and grey pall of uncertainty and a sense of foreboding and concern seems to weigh heavily over every nation and over every people. This is a very dangerous time for the world. It is a dangerous time because in the twilight hours , uncertainty leads to indecision and creates stagnation. This could be fine if time was not moving forward. It would be acceptable if there were not forces in the world that pounce on these twilight times in order to push forward their self serving agenda with great ruthlessness.

This is not new to the Jewish people;

"Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt, 18 how he attacked you on the way when you were faint and weary, and cut off your stragglers, those who were lagging behind you, and did not fear G-d. Deuteronomy 25:17

As I drive to work every day, I come up Ramban street, past the Prime Minister's residence and then move on to the Old City of Jerusalem. Every day involves my passing a little plaque on a small wall in memory of the terrorist destruction of a bus that killed many, including my friend Chezi Goldberg ( hy"d). I then drive past the Moment cafe, another scene of carnage and terrorism. These weeks it also involved passing two demonstrations opposite each other , adjacent to the Prime Minister's home. One is the protest tent of the Shalit family, demanding that the Israeli government do everything possible, including the mass release of jailed terrorists, in order to bring kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit back home. Gilad has been held in difficult conditions by the Hamas terrorists for over 1000 days and all efforts have not succeeded in even ascertaining if he is alive or dead and what his state of health is. On the other side of the street was a protest tent manned by the families of terror victims .They were crying out that Gilad should be brought home but not at the expense of releasing murders back into the highways and cities of Israel.

As I drove past these two "opposing camps" my heart was wrenched to both sides of the street. The twilight zone of not knowing what should be done.

My wife and I escaped for a pre-Shabbat afternoon stroll along the beaches of Tel Aviv. We parked under the Savoy hotel, site of one of the early terrorist attacks, and then walked past Mike's place, site of another murderous attack . We ended our "stroll" at the Dolphinarium where so many other young people lost their lives to terrorism.

It was only the bright healing sun and the never-ending tug of the waves that gave us back the strength to replenish our souls in preparation for Shabbat. Every where one walks in Israel ,one stands on the edge of the night of tragedy and evil and attempt to reach towards the daybreak of hope and destiny.

We are in the midst of a time wherein we elected a Prime Minister who cannot muster the courage to lead the nation with vision. He would prefer a fractured and weak Labor party on his side rather than a clear voiced and committed National Union party . We are at a time when the army relaxes its "security hold" around the city of Shchem/Nablus because of the reduction of terror emanating from that city. This is being done, without taking into account that the reduction only came about because of that increased "security hold". We are living in a world that has watched all the secure fortress walls that protected them begin to crumble and fall. Heavily fortified steel and concrete proved useless in 9-11. Brilliant financial planning and insight proved to be as solid as wisps of smoke. Political leadership around the world has become ratings directed and popularity seeking at the best and has lost the understanding of true leadership.

This is a time of danger when impassioned and fiercely zealous forces will pounce on a shaken world. We see that happening in a secular confused Europe falling deeper and deeper under the influence of radical Islam. We see it in an America that is clinging to wonderful concepts of dialogue and discourse even with evil without understanding that the evil sees those things as weakness and failure.

In times of darkness even a little light would be revelatory. In times of hushed confused silence even a still small voice would be inspirational. In times of twilight even a softly spoken word of faith would be redemptive. We each have the ability to find the little candle, hear the still small voice and speak a soft word of encouragement of faith to those around us. Those are the tools critical to gather the strength to then boldly and directly confront evil.

Therefore when HaShem your G-d has given you rest from all your enemies around you, in the land that HaShem your G-d is giving you for an inheritance to possess, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven; you shall not forget. ( Lo Tish Kach )" Deuteronomy 25:19

Our sages ask if we are told to blot out the memory then why are we told "not to forget"? The answers are varied and abound in wisdom. The Oztrovcer Rebbe suggested the following. The words you shall not forget are lo tishkach. Tish kach is made up of two words Tash( give up ) and Koach( strength). The meaning is better understood , he suggested , as not to lose strength in the battle with the doubt sewn by the spirit of Amalek . This is especially true as the battle with that doubt and twilight fear is to be a long and arduous battle.

15 And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, HaShem is my banner, 16 saying, "A hand upon the throne of HaShem! HaShem will have war with Amalek from generation to generation." (Exodus 17:15)

To day I walked out of synagogue and a heavy scent surrounded the neighborhood. It was not yet the scent of spring time and yet it was. My neighborhood is in the area of the Yehuda Matza factory. The smell of freshly baked Pesach matza filled the air.

That too is the smell of springtime.

That too is the smell of redemption.

Eight Souls, Eight Scrolls

2009-02-26T05:55:00.001-08:00

by Moshe Kempinski

Eight Torah scrolls for eight souls. Eight Torah scrolls were completed one year to the day after eight young Jewish boys were gunned down by a Palestinian murderer. Eight Torah scrolls were brought together with singing and dancing through the streets of Jerusalem back into the yeshiva where the flame of those eight young souls was extinguished.

I struggled during the day as to whether I wanted to join the ceremony in memory of those boys, a ceremony that would be so interlaced with sadness and loss. The evening was called "Remembering and Continuing" and I finally decided that, in fact, I could not detach myself from that sadness and loss.

As I approached the area of the Merkaz HaRav Yeshiva I found myself joining a steady stream of young people, families with little children, and older Jews walking on canes. Every face set with determination and every set of eyes glistening with a tear. Yet, as we got closer the stream became a river and the mood seemed to change. Soon, I was engulfed by a sea of people singing and dancing as they approached the gates of the yeshiva.

The numbers of people were so great it became almost impossible to enter the narrow entryway. There was a little pushing and pressure at the front, but each push was accompanied with an apology and a sheepish grin. Everyone, it seems, knew that every other person there had as much an obligation, right and privilege to be there. We were all there to honor the souls of eight young people who had still so much to achieve in their young lives. We were there to offer strength and comfort to eight families who had lost the most precious of gifts that G-d and life have to offer. At the deepest level, we were also there to be comforted and strengthened ourselves.

As I entered the yeshiva study hall, I was again engulfed in a sea of pain and joy, hope and loss. The new Torah scrolls were held aloft amidst the dancing, each scroll with the name of one of the eight young boys embroidered on the Torah cover. The Torah scrolls of Avraham David Moses, Ro'i Aharon Roth, and of Neria Cohen were dancing with the scrolls of Yonatan Yitzchak Eldar., Doron Maharete, Yochai Lifshitz, Segev Peniel Avichail and Yonadav Chaim Hirschfeld.

It was probably because I wanted it to be so, but as I closed my eyes I imagined eight souls dancing in a circle above us and above the circling Torah scrolls. Then the Torah scrolls mixed in and joined the other Torah scrolls of the yeshiva.

The thunderous singing shook the large windows of the building with the words of psalm 24:

O you gates, lift up your heads and lift up the everlasting doors so that the King of Glory will enter. Who then is this King of Glory? HaShem Tzvakot, He is the King of Glory forever.

It was impossible to do anything else but jump up and down; and that very action added to the intensity of the moment. Thousands of people trying to reach to the very heavens with leaps and bounds. The song then changed to "Open up the gates of Prayer, HaShem, and listen to our prayers" - and the prayers kept pouring out and up.

The evening was also an opportunity to bring to a culmination a study cycle of the Talmud that was begun in the memory of the eight boys. Over the course of the year, those who wished to study a section of the Talmud in memory of the slain students had signed up via an Internet site designated for the purpose, specifying the pages they planned to study. The entire Talmud was completed more than three times in this manner.

As Rabbi Shapira began the siyum ("conclusion") ceremony, each bereaved father sat with his son's Torah scroll. It was clear that they were not holding up the Torah scroll at all, but rather the scroll was holding them up and strengthening their broken souls.

I remembered a story that I had heard a very long time ago.

After the end of the madness of the Holocaust, a small community tried to regather in one of the small towns of Poland. It was the eve of Simchat Torah, the holiday celebrating the study and reading of the Torah. When the congregants opened the ark to dance with the scrolls, they were shocked to find it empty. The scrolls had been stolen. At that point, the children began to cry uncontrollably. Several men simply picked up the children, some of whom were orphaned in the camps, and began to dance with the children.

The Torah scrolls became children.

In Jerusalem, over sixty years later, the children became Torah scrolls.

Circles within Circles

2009-02-20T00:02:00.001-08:00

Moshe Kempinski

On Monday (15 February 2009) a special ceremony took place in Yeshivat Merkaz HaRav in the Kiryat Moshe section of Jerusalem The Brit or circumcision ceremony was being held a week before the tragic one year anniversary of the slaughter of eight young Yeshiva students in the same school. On that night, on the first day of the Hebrew month of Adar , an Israeli-Arab walked into the Mercaz Harav yeshiva armed with a Kalashnikoff and ammunition belts.. He opened fire on a group of teenage boys and young men immersed in their studies, firing an estimated 500-600 bullets in the span of 10 minutes and butchering eight young students. The gunman didn’t konow these young boys personally ,he simply hated what they represented. The rampage on that night was stopped by two young men . One was torah scholar , author and off-duty IDF officer Yitzchak Dadon and the other was Captain David Shapiro, an IDF officer who was nearby at home who responded after hearing the gunfire.

Eight young souls were extinguished in the midst of studying G-d's Torah in the Yeshiva library. The gunman didn’t hate these specific young boys, he hated what they represented.

On Monday , a year later, Yitzchak Dadon brought his newborn son back into that same Yeshiva library so that his son could be initiated into the Jewish people. The man who saved so many other lives re-entered the room where eight young lives were curtailed holding in his arms precious new life.

Rabbi Tzemach Hirschfeld, whose son, 18-year-old Yonatan Chaim was murdered in the attack, was the mohel who carried out the ritual. Rabbi Hirschfeld, said "this is a very special occasion for me – to circumcise the son of the man who shot the terrorist who murdered my son, and all this just a week before the first anniversary of the attack."

A true understanding of the spiritual undercurrents that flow through life is to understand the concept of circles flowing through circles.

A man who was responsible for stopping the carnage brings his newborn son into the peoplehood of the Jewish people amidst singing and dancing. On the following week, eight new torah scrolls will be delivered to the Yeshiva amidst singing and dancing.In addition the event will also be marked by the worldwide conclusion of the study of the 2,700-page Babylonian Talmud, . Over the course of this past year, those who wished to study a daf of gemara, or several of them, in memory of the slain students, signed up via an internet site designated for the purpose, specifying the pages they planned to study. The entire Talmud was completed more than three times in this manner, and the festive conclusion ceremony will be featured at next Tuesday's memorial.All this again with singing and dancing.

When Jews dance they dance in a circle ..circles within circles.

Rabbi Hirschfeld , the father of murdered Yonatan Chaim ( hy'd) appeared happy after what must have been a very heart wrencing and dramatic occasion, He spoke to several media outfits and a couple of newspapers and the following is a compilation of some of his words."Yes, this is definitely the closing of a circle. But it's not the first time; I also circumcised the son of Dudi Shapira, who also took part in killing the terrorist. But here, of course, it is even more poignant, given the timing and the location...As we say at the brit and also at the Passover seder, 'With your blood you shall live' - the blood that was spilled here is not the end of the story; there is life after death. Life goes on, babies are born, and thank G-d I deal with this, I am always involved with people who have just had babies, and life continues....It's true that our grandparents said that every baby born is a revenge against Hitler, but I don't live with that sensation. I could say it is a victory of sorts. We're not giving up, we have babies; I too had grandchildren this year..."

The prayers recited over the baby declared;

Our G-d and G-d of our fathers, preserve this child for his father and mother, and his name in Israel shall be called Elkanah ben (son of) Rabbi Yitzchak .May the father rejoice in his offspring, and his mother be glad with the fruit of her womb, as it is written: May your father and mother rejoice, and she who bore you be glad. As it is said: I passed by and saw you weltering in your blood, and I said to you: You shall live through your blood; and I said to you: You shall live through your blood. ..........May this little infant Elkanah ben Rabbi Yitzchak become great. Just as he has entered the Covenant, so may he enter into Torah, into marriage, and into good deeds.

The child was named after the late head of the Yeshiva Rabbi Avraham Elkana Shapiro, Yitzchak Dadon's rabbi. Yet the name Elkana means G-d will enact revenge. This revenge is personified by a young baby entering the nation of Israel, eight Torah scrolls entering the sanctuary and thousands of hours of Torah study culminating at this day.

Circles within circles threading through every moment in this land of unfolding destiny.

In blessed memory of Avraham David Moses, Ro’i Aharon Roth, Neria Cohen, Yonatan Yitzchak Eldar. Yochai Lifshitz, Segev Peniel Avichail, Yonadav Chaim Hirschfeld, Doron Meherete, May HaShem Avenge their blood..

A HUMBLED LEADERSHIP

2009-02-11T06:45:00.000-08:00

Moshe Kempinski

True leadership of the people of Israel must always be a humble leadership. That was true of Moshe as the left Egypt and was true of King David after his difficult and event filled rise to leadership. G-d did not take the Israelites on a shorter route into the land of Israel because it “was too close”. Not that it was too close to Egypt because they in fact went even closer. It was too close to their destination. The journey was to be long and arduous so that the destination would be arrived at with the correct spirit and understanding.

The announcement regarding the projected results of the elections hit Israel like a dull thud. Those in the “land of Israel movements” had been working long and hard and were hoping for a clear and decisive victory. The media and the left, on the other hand, were hoping for a miracle that would ensure the continuation of what was. When the results were announced my son and I were sitting with the activists of the National Union party in the hotel hall. The three large television screens presented their polls with colorful graphics exactly at 10:00 p.m. and showed the column of the Kadima party rising dramatically and towering over the column of the Likud. The resulting frivolity and joyful dancing filled the television screens .The activists in the room watched quietly feeling great disappointment.

All the leaders of the National Union got up to speak to encourage and strengthen the activists .One after the other they were trying to lift the spirits of those who were still sitting in a quiet stupor. Yet it took great effort to escape the hypnotic messages and subtext being offered by the media. At a certain point a young woman walked to the podium and went right up to the microphone. She spoke forcefully and clearly.

." What is going on here? Why do you all look stunned and sad? For a month we have been using our slogan “not to be afraid at all". Now is the time to live out our slogan. We are beginning our journey and we will not be afraid at all".

As she shyly walked off the stage people began to smile. After the smiles the true assessment of what had actually transpired began to seep past the subtext and confusion presented by the three television stations.

Even if Kadima did receive one more seat than the Likud (and that may change after the soldier’s votes come in) it was far from being the dominant party. It barely received 25% of the mandated seats in the Knesset. Israeli law does not give the leadership of the country to the largest party but rather to the party that can create the largest coalition.

It soon began to seep into our consciousness that we were not witnessing a disappointment but rather a great victory.” The Land of Israel “faithful now make up at least 65 seats of the Knesset mandates. Yet all that evening, Tzippy Livni tried to dance sing and smile and project herself as the victor . In actual fact the only place where she was victorious was in decimating and weakening all her natural allies of the left. The Meretz party dwindled to 3 to 4 seats. Labour was whittled down to 13 seats. Livni did not succeed in drawing out one mandate from the other side of the political spectrum, she simply drained her own side.

The people of Israel chose the land of Israel. The people of Israel chose strength and courage when facing murderous enemies .The people of Israel chose to face a world that has become less and less friendly with a clear vision .The world would say that the solution to the diminishing friendliness would be for Israel to be more flexible. They demand that Israel must continue to compromise on Israel's security issues and must bend over backwards even more than it has until now. Israel it seems has bent over as back as it can without completely breaking. The people of Israel have decided to stand straight and upright.

The only difficulty is that the leadership of Israel has not yet absorbed the passion and understanding that has permeated the people.Binyamin Netanyahu is an intelligent man with a good core understanding of the direction this people need to follow. The difficulty is that as in the past, Netanyahu's greatest enemy is his own ego. Netanyahu becomes so filled with Netanyahu that it obscures his judgment and blinds his vision. Feeding or threatening that ego becomes the tool used by our enemies to break or compromise Netanyahu's resolve.

That is the reason these election results may turn out to be even more positive than it may seem today .Had Netanyahu won a resounding success, it would have fed his own weakness, his own ego. Instead, Netanyahu is being forced to listen to the passion of the majority of the people of Israel. The numbers will do much to humble Binyamin Netanyahu and a humbler Netanyahu is a better candidate to lead the people of Israel.

Tu B’shvat and the Israeli Elections

2009-02-11T06:43:00.000-08:00

Moshe Kempinski....

The celebration of Tu B'Shvat--the 15th of the month of Shevat on the Hebrew calendar is described in the Talmud, where Tu B'Shvat is called "the new year of the trees." The determination of the date is connected to the fact that four months have passed since the commencement of the rain season on the Feast of Tabernacles. From that point on the roots of the tree have been saturated and the life giving fluids are filling the tree and beginning the energy and revitalizing power of blossoming.

The ancient books describe the traditional eating of the fruits of Israel on this day as a means of Tikkun or correcting the sin of Adam and Eve.

Adam and Eve were put into the garden to protect and care for the garden. They were given one restriction, one prohibition, and that was to avoid eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Every fruit they ate from the garden was a source of blessing because it was received as a gift from the Almighty. Yet that was not enough and they earned to reach out and eat from the one tree that was forbidden to them. That act had nothing to do with the Divine Giver but was an act done in spite of Him. It was an act that fulfilled their passion to take for their own selfish desire.

Yet there was something deeper that was missed by Adam and Eve that led to their act of defiance, and it is something that continues to be missed by mankind until this very day.

Rabbi Kook, of blessed memory, revealed that deep insight regarding two verses in Genesis. God commanded the earth to give forth fruit trees producing fruit: "And God said: 'Let the earth put forth grass, herb yielding seed, and fruit-tree bearing fruit after its kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth.' And it was so" (Gen. 1:11).

The earth fulfilled G-d's command but with one modification: "And the earth brought forth grass, herb yielding seed after its kind, and tree bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after its kind; and God saw that it was good" (Gen 1: 12).

The earth produced "trees producing fruit." Our sages in the Midrash teach homiletically that the original and ideal creation was that the trees themselves (their bark and trunk) would taste like the fruit that it produced, fruit-trees bearing fruit.

Instead, the earth fashioned trees that only produced fruit. The deep meaning and instruction in such a seeming difference between the ideal and the created reality points to the flaw in the reality we all experience in life. Yet G-d "saw that it was good." G-d purposely created a reality at odds with its ideal, a tension filled imperfect world.

Rav Kook explained that one of the basic failings of our limited perception of reality is that we generally aspire to the goal and ignore the process of attaining that goal. Man often focuses on the fruit of the tree and ignores the sweetness of the tree that bore the fruit. We place emphasis on the destination and as a result are unable to appreciate the means by which we attain our goals. We focus on some goal we have determined is important and ignore the journey and as a result we often stumble and fall. Focus on the voyage and the journey is the only way to ensure that we reach the right point in our destiny. That focus is also the only way to ensure that we arrive with our souls and hearts intact.

Such a decision stands before the people of Israel again . The choice in the coming election must be made with a clear determination of the purity of heart. We are choosing a voice to speak and stand for the people of Israel and it must be a voice that is clear pure and vision based. The voice of the National Union/ Ichud Haleumi is such a clear voice. Much will be done in these final days before Election Day to deter those who are committed to electing such a voice.

There will be many that will declare that such a decision to vote for a small party is weakening the Likud and enlarging the threat of a Kadima government. That in fact does not seem to be the case based on the latest polls. The Land Of Israel bloc seems to be growing rather than weakening. It may in fact force the Likud to rely more heavily on parties such as the Jewish Home and the National Union.

But yet despite those threats, the decision about how to vote this coming Tuesday must be one filled with the surety of commitment . It must be based on the sweet truth of the journey without rushing towards a destination we assume will be the only correct one. It must be based on a commitment to the truth of the land of Israel, the people of Israel and foremost to the G-d of Israel. That has been and continues to be the secret of this people’s survival.

Choice, the Privilege and the Responsibility ,

2009-01-29T06:09:00.000-08:00

Moshe Kempinski

Traditional Jewish theology has declared that one of the greatest gifts G-d has given mankind is the power to choose.

" And now, Israel, what does HaShem your G-d ask of you, but to fear the HaShem your G-d, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the HaShem your G-d, with all your heart and with all your soul; (Deuteronomy 10:12)

The verb to "ask” pre-supposes the possibility of choice.

The people of Israel in the State of Israel are again standing before a choice. A new leadership for this beleaguered nation will be chosen within a very short time. Yet choices are not as easily free as we might assume. There are situations where there is no option of choice, a situation where all the alternatives are equally negative. There are times when the effort to investigate and explore the options is so cumbersome and overwhelming, that the choice is dictated by the winds of public opinion and preconceived notions. There are also times when choice is viewed and acted upon as randomly as the throw of a die and those types of choices are not truly free.

Yet choice and discernment is not only a responsibility but it clearly is a privilege. That is true even if the effect of your choice is seemingly negligible. Every individual must remember that the little picture is in fact "the Big Picture" in the development of history. Regrettably there are those that because of negative past experiences with the electoral process have decided that "what is the point, I cannot make a difference." In the short term they may be correct. They voted in Ariel Sharon and they got the disengagement. They voted in Netanyahu and the received the Wye and the Hebron agreement.

Yet choices cannot only be assessed by their short term successes and failures. They must be assessed by three critical parameters. Those parameters are, moral conscience and values, history and destiny, and ultimately one’s soul and its Creator.

Man and woman must make decisions which are true to one's conscious and are a function of his or her intrinsic value system. They must further make choices that are a function of what has been learnt in history and are that are directed by a clear vision of destiny and hope.

Yet most importantly and most liberating is the deep understanding that in the Heavens every act of choice, those that seem large and those that seem insignificant, are recorded and are treasured. It is this parameter that needs to be considered in the choices we make regarding the raising of our children, the choice of our spouse and even the choice of where to build our homes. It is no less true regarding the choosing of Israel’s leadership.

Pharaoh, in the days of Exodus ,made choices and was punished for those choices . Yet as generations of sages have asked ,why should he have been punished when in fact we read that;

' And I ( G-d) will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt.( Exodus 7:3).

Maimonides explains that the example of Pharaoh teaches us there may be indeed a point beyond return over which a man forfeits his free choice and empowerment to repent. The Midrash on the book of Exodus declares “The wicked are under the control of their heart, as opposed to their heart being under their control,”. Evil is best defined by the decisions and actions that take into account only selfish desires and egocentric concerns .The Midrash is saying that each such choice inevitably leads to a frame of mind that continues those same decisions. Pharaoh took away his own free will by beginning with his policy of refusal, and the events took control of Pharaoh and forced him to follow its path to the inevitable and bitter end. G-d allowed Pharaoh to make those choices and live with its implications.
The Ramban and the Sforno offer another fascinating thought. Every single plague and national calamity ate away at Pharaoh’s resolve. Every supernatural event chipped away at any free will that Pharaoh may have originally had. G-d had to harden Pharaoh’s heart in order to bring his heart and awareness back to equilibrium of free choice. G-d did not take free choice away. He actually re-instated it.

This country has been inflicted by one plague after another. It began with the hatred of our neighbors followed by the indifference of the world. That was soon followed by the weakening of Israel's leadership and resolve which came along with the intensifying of the animosity of most of the world. The plagues of terrorism, corruption and selfish hedonism soon followed. It is becoming very difficult to live in this country and have the courage and the resolve to make real and honest choices. We will have to dig deeply into our reservoirs of faith and vision in order to choose with intelligence and truth. We will need G-d’s help to return us into the equilibrium and balance of true free choice.

Now that it seems clear that Netanyahu will be the next Prime Minister , it has become increasingly important to ensure that a clear, courageous voice of the land of Israel, its torah and its vision ,is strengthened. Especially if such a voice becomes lost within Binyamin Netanyahu’s attempts to be politically correct.

For me, that meant to do all that I can to influence those that love this land and people to vote for the National Union/ Ichud Leumi party. The land of Israel movement represented by the National Union, has brought together people of all types. It seems that the love for the land of Israel is the vessel G-d has used to imbue all of them with an undying sense of purpose and direction. It is a voice that must not be silenced. It is a voice that must be heard above the din of small politicians and raucous media .It is a voice that will strengthen the elected leadership to avoid the pitfalls of misguided policies. .

Yet most important of all , is that though a small party, its voice of faith and resolve is the strong voice that will empower the people of this country to become all that they need to be.

Leadership Of A Higher Calling

2009-01-16T03:06:00.000-08:00

Moshe Kempinski

For years the people of Israel have been fed a low level of journalism and concocted media events. For years we have had to endure reading on the front pages of Israel’s newspapers about who hates who, in the corridors of power. We have been inundated for a very long time with reports of corruption, thievery and immoral conduct. The television is replete with Reality television glorifying the most basal and self serving qualities of the people of Israel. It is no wonder that the Israeli people have become demoralized to such an extent that they do not expect any better from their leadership and no revelation of criminal activity or immoral behavior is received with surprise.

Yet suddenly the leaders of Israel are making the right decisions and saying the right things. Their motivation remains suspect and the new approach is probably temporary. This is so since even in the midst of warfare the bickering of these self serving leaders has simply become embarrassing. Senior sources in Jerusalem,( read the Prime Minister Office) slam defense minister Barak over his support of Egyptian ceasefire initiative which they claim Hamas interprets as weakness. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert very un-diplomatically claims that his intervention with President Bush made the US abstain from last Thursday's UN Security Council resolution vote on a Gaza cease-fire. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Olmert's story of what happened in his conversation with Bush was "just 100 percent, totally, completely not true "Whether the story was exaggeration, falsehood, or the whole truth, it reeks of self serving interests. Meanwhile Foreign Minister Livni is being maligned by all sides for her handling of the crisis.

This is the elected leadership of Israel and one wonders if there is any hope for a people who elected and have supported such a leadership.

We read in the beginning of the book of Shmot that Moshe left the palace to walk amongst his people in order to both understand their plight and show his support. Upon seeing an Egyptian beating the Hebrew slave and no one standing forth to protect him, he began to realize the full impact of the oppression. The Israelites had lost the will or courage to stand up and fight back. Yet when confronted with the brazen response of this evil Hebrew slave beating another, Moshe began to comprehend the full impact of this slavery. This Hebrew slave considered Moshe’s act of justice and compassion to be inherently evil.

This was what is meant when Moshe declares "Indeed the matter is known" (Shmot/Exodus 2:14).These oppressed slaves had lost the understanding of justice, righteousness, and compassion. If Moshe wondered ,as Rashi implies, what is it that kept this people in bondage for so long, "Indeed the matter (was now) known.” Moshe escapes from Egypt when Pharaoh hears of the event. Moshe escapes from the persecution of the Egyptian authorities. He escapes as well from his disappointment in the people that he sought to reach out to. The pain of looking to and fro and seeing that there was no man that had the courage to stand up for his freedom was too great to bear. as it says in the verse ;

" And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, ( ibid 2:12) "

Moshe seemed to have lost his belief in the ability of this people to soar above their slave mentality. Perhaps there was no hope for such a people. We then hear nothing regarding Moshe for over fifty years.

Yet when the people cry out to G-d with the classical Jewish sigh, the events take a dramatic turn.

” and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto G-d ( ibid 2:23) .

That Jewish sigh was the classical cry of sadness mixed with an undertone of hope and faith . It was what Jews called a Krechtz a sigh that intimated that things could and should be better. It is after that “sigh” that G-d meets Moshe at the burning bush. The small little bush which so clearly became a metaphor of the Israelite nation under oppression became a message that Moshe clearly understood .This little bush blazing with fire was not to be consumed and Moshe was to understand that the same was true of this his people.

Such is the case of the beleaguered people in the small nation of Israel. The power of this people is not to be found in its faulty leadership. The power of this people is found in the midst of the people themselves. Suddenly the pages of those same newspapers are filled with stories of faith passion and courage. Stories that keep unfolding hour after hour and day after day.

The parents of St.-Sgt. Nitai Stern and Capt. Yoni Netanel sent messages to the soldiers whose “friendly fire “accidentally killed their sons. Rabbi Amos Netanael and his wife Malki wrote the following" It is important for us to tell you that we love you with all the warmth of our hearts, you are like our own children Please, we ask you, keep up the same great spirit that beat in Yoni¹s heart ¬ the spirit of faith, of strength, daring and love, and we will then know that Yoni continues to live forever within you."

Thousands of reservists answered the nation’s call and entered Gaza this week. These groups of soldiers were made up of working people, professionals and students. Many left young children at home and one of those declared on the radio ,that as he entered Gaza , he said Shma Yisrael and prayed that he would see his children again . Yet in spite of those concerns he said that he was filled with a determination to do what needed to be done to protect his fellow countrymen. Another soldier declared”We came here with a lot of will. We are taking upon ourselves this mission with all the courage necessary, and we will do whatever we need to do and return home victorious, healthy and whole, amen," .

IDF officer Aharon Karov was critically wounded Monday night in the Gaza strip. Aharon had only been married a week and a half before his injury. .He had studied in a yeshiva in Netzarim, one of the Jewish communities destroyed in the 2005 Israeli Disengagement from Gaza. Yet neither the wedding nor the fact that he was one of the victims of this same government's Expulsion/Disengagement kept Aharon from doing what he felt he was religiously driven to do. Prayers are being said throughout the world for his recovery.

Homes across Israel have opened to residents of the south who needed a place of refuge for themselves and their children, even if only for a Shabbat. Prayer gatherings were being held across the country in homes, synagogues and Yeshivot. Many individuals took upon themselves to pray for an individual soldier, many times not knowing who those soldiers were. A woman in the old city of Jerusalem has been busy knitting scores of socks and warm hats while another in the north is baking cookies nightly to deliver to the boys on the front. People are donating games clothes and baked goods for the residents in the south that have been ordered to stay within 15 seconds of the shelters.

The leadership of this country has failed its people. Yet the people are showing greatness, compassion and vision. The leadership of this country is focused on election day while its people are focused on destiny. The Israeli nation is a people without true leadership and it is therefore a great relief that they are a people that are being led by a Higher calling.

KNOWING THE END

2009-01-09T02:36:00.000-08:00

Moshe Kempinski

The Torah portion of Vayechi stands out from the other torah portions in an interesting way. In the Torah scroll there is usually a space between the last words of the previous Torah portion and the next one. The Torah portion of Vayechi is not separated from the previous one by a space .In Jewish terms that is called that the portion is SATUM or closed. Rashi asks what we are to learn from the fact that this Parsha( Torah Portion) is SATUM. Rashi says;

“Why is this portion closed? The death of Yaacov caused a closing of the eyes and hearts of Israel, due to the troubles of the oppression which began (at this time).Also .. (Yaacov) wished to reveal the end of days to his children, but it was closed to him. [Rashi 47:28, based on Breishit Rabba 96:1]

Jacob wanted to explain to them what would happen in the "end of Days" and the secret was SATUM-Closed to him as it says;

" And Jacob called unto his sons, and said: 'Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the end of days. (Breishit 49:1)

Yet one wonders what benefit such a revelation would bring his children about to enter into exile and slavery. Would it offer them any sense of hope and comfort that redemption was over three thousand years away?

Rabbi Yehuda Aryeh Alter known as the Sfat Emet quotes his Grandfather, the Chidushei HaRim , who, in turn, quoted Rav Simcha Bunim of Psyshcha , that Yaacov was not in fact attempting to reveal the secret of “ the end of days” but rather he was attempting to reveal to them that such a concept was a fact.

Though the particulars of that end may have been closed to him , the message buttressed by his demand to be buried in the land of his forefathers brought the message clearly into their hearts. It is only with that knowledge that his children could withstand the long voyage still ahead of them. Only thusly could they weather the coming storms of oppression. An eternal people have no fear of a long voyage when they know that the voyage is headed towards destiny.

Those armed with such knowledge can have the strength and courage to enter the dark alleyways of the Gaza strip to weed out terror. Those who have a deep sense of destiny can withstand the pressure of a world that has sometimes lost direction in the eternal battle against evil.

In Afghanistan there has been a war raging against the terrorist designs of the Taliban and regrettably many innocent civilians are being killed in the fray by the European and American forces. Yet even though very few European soldiers are being killed, no one is calling that war a disproportionate war. A world that has lost direction inevitably loses discernment.

When Israel does what any healthy nation would do if their citizens were under the barrage of thousands of rockets is called aggression by a world that is partially confused and partially malicious. When the murderers who sent out the missiles and kassams clearly hide behind men women and children .the shells fired back in defense are viewed as the evil. The evil of "he hit me back first".

It is further interesting that none of the casualties on the Palestinian side are ever called terrorists , or even militants. They are all civilians. What happened to the Hamas? Where did they go? They have disappeared and become invisible to a world that has lost vision.

Yet even amongst our own people the concept of Destiny has waned. This is true of the weak leadership that took months to do what should have been done before the enemy became so dangerous. Yet it is also true of the people who call for a division of this people of Israel. They, being so frustrated by the stubborn ignorance of those that have lost their way , call for separating from those others and disconnecting from Israel’s institutions. That too is a mark of losing the sense of destiny.

That type of call might be understandable coming from those living in the exile. It is very hard to be connected to the vision of redemption in the affluent towers of exile. But one cannot avoid that sense or vision here in the land of Israel for very long . You can avoid G-d elsewhere, G-d forbid , but you cannot avoid G-d here His land.

That fact may explain why some secular Jews in Israel are so vehemently secular. You can be passively secular in America. It is impossible to do so here. As a result, if the implications of a redemptive G-d becomes too frightening for some that as a result they wrongly feel a need to rip that awareness out in anger and vehemence. That is the secret of the passion of secular Israel and yet it is a passion that is easily turned.

That is the reason that the return to Judaism movement has grown so dramatically in this land. That is the reason our young men in battle are turning inwards into their Jewish souls. Events around us have forced many in Israel to relook at that deep sense of destiny that flickers in their soul.

What Yaacov revealed to his sons in Egypt , if only in remez, by hinting , is a passion that is waiting to be fulfilled.

STANDING FOR ISRAEL'S TRUTH EFFECTIVELY

2009-01-06T01:29:00.000-08:00

Moshe Kempinski

Since the early seventies Israel seems to have been losing in the public relations war again and again. After the Six Day War in 1967, Israelis awash with a sense of pride which quickly developed into arrogance seemed to have lost the ability to explain their position and situation. What followed after the Yom Kippur war was that the frustration of being misunderstood in the world deepened into a fierce feeling of self doubt and insecurity. It was not long before many Israelis and many more Jews in the exile began to adopt the views and aspirations of some of the worst of our enemies.

There are two possibilities. The first is that the Jewish people and the struggling Israeli nation were wrong about the options presented to them at the outset of the six day war. Perhaps peace is simply attainable if only the Israelis were more conciliatory.

The second option is that we have been so sure of our cause that we assumed everyone simply understood and thereby left the battlefield of public opinion to the other side.

The first possibility has proven to be false again and again, most prominently after the irresponsible expulsion and disengagement from the Gaza strip. That leaves the second possibility which needs to be addressed as quickly as possible. With the strong surge of blog and internet media, simple civilians are suddenly in a position to have an impact on the stage of world opinion in ways that were unheard of earlier. We just need to seriously consider what approach is effective and which one simply becomes a salve for our own conscience or an outlet for our deep concerns and angers.

I have been involved with various forms and modes of dialogue and opinion exchanges for over thirty years. The experience of life, marriage, and children has given me, as it has every other individual in this world insight and wisdom regarding meaningful dialogue. My experience as a family therapist, kiruv (Jewish outreach) worker, political activist and in involvement in all sorts of dialogue between groups of differing ideologies or faiths has presented me with a few other insights as well. It is with that in mind I would offer the following rules of interchange and dialogue.

There are many people in this world that are truly interested in broadening their world view and knowledge base, whether consciously or not. They only know what they have been taught. As a result every lover of the land of Israel and of the spiritual message it conveys, can become an agent of change, growth and destiny. It is in our hands to be in the words of Rebbe Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk , "the language of G-d".

Rule number one in dialogue is that dialogue is not about agreement but rather about understanding. Though that may be self obvious but it needs to be restated and that simple statement frees the listener from the onus of a response. He is free to listen.

Rule number two is to never let anger and frustration overwhelm your argument.

Rule number three is to begin with your points with ease and patience. You also must always remember that your goal is not to convince the other side but rather help them understand you a little more. Since you believe in the truth of your argument, know that if they are ready to listen they may also be ready to eventually change or grow.

Rule number four is to never assume that your listener knows what you know and feels the truth that you feel. Ignorance is rampant so a lot of what your listener believes is based on the little that he knows. Never point to that ignorance but you must be aware of its existence. Your role is not to make your listener aware of how much he is in the dark but rather simply to add a little more light.

Rule number five is that it is an accepted axiom that every story has another side. If you present your points as a simple attempt to shed light on the possible other side of the story, people are ready to listen. I was once speaking to a Quaker group that was in Israel supporting Palestinian refugees. I offered them the choice to either believe that I and other Israelis they met are simply hating racist thugs , or that perhaps we are seeing and living a different reality .I simply suggested that I wanted to let them have a peek into my reality and that they would do with it what they desired. That request opened a discussion that was much more sincere and relevant than most such discussions.

Rule number six is to accept that the job before us is massive and is therefore impossible and overwhelming. Therefore the focus should be on the little picture and not on the larger one. The little picture is the big picture. Your neighbor, your fellow employee and your local place of worship is your target audience. A corollary of this point is to not waste time on “the haters”. Their hatred comes from a place much deeper than anything you could reach.

Rule number eight is being smart in your approach and use the language, metaphors and spokespeople that would be meaningful to your listener. Remind your listener that the Palestinians have become the greatest victims of their terrorism and the most unwitting pawns in the power games of corrupt leaders. It is futile to paint the other side as the embodiment of evil, and the pawns of Satan and expect anyone to listen to the rest of your points. The other side is more realistically portrayed as the victims of the evil desires of men. Leave any insights you may have about spiritual realities out of the arena of perceived realities. It is especially true in the Middle East that the perception of reality is more impactful than reality itself.

Finally be aware that destiny is being determined in our days and you have the opportunity to be part of it blossoming .In the words of Pirkei Avot (2:16), Lo Alecha Hamelacha Li’gmor… - "It is not incumbent on you to complete the task. Yet neither are you free to abstain from it. "

Joseph Judah and Bibi Netanyahu

2008-12-24T06:29:00.000-08:00

Moshe Kempinski

The conflict between Yosef (Joseph) and what he represents and Yehuda (Judah) and what he is meant to represent runs as a continuum throughout Jewish history. A continuum wherein Yosef becomes the prototype of the sons of Rachel and Yehuda representing the traits of his mother Leah. Throughout history the two sides struggle against each other and at times one side comes out in control and at others the other side becomes the prevalent force. Rachel the beautiful and activist of the two sisters was Yaacov's (Jacob’s) first love and the one that he intended to marry. Leah, the more submissive and quiet one was the one that he married regardless.

Yaacov, being Yaacov, is drawn to the self assured and activist Rachel and therefore becomes very connected to Yosef her son who shares some of her attributes. The sons of Leah have difficulty with the aggressive ego and self assured activism presented by Yosef and throw him into the pit. Two sons of Leah, Reuven and Yehuda try to minimize the crime and fail, leading one of them at least into depression and feeling a need to abandon his whole family. Yet Yosef after experiencing the humbling experience of slavery and his successful passing of the tests laid before him becomes fitting to become the leader of the nascent Israelite nation. He rules them in Egypt just as his dreams prophesied.

Yet it is a descendant of Leah, Moshe (Moses) who takes them out of slavery. Following that a descendant of Rachel, Yehoshua ( Joshua) brings them into the land. The pendulum swings both ways until Saul, a descendant of Rachel becomes the first king. He loses that kingship to King David whose reign seemingly will last forever. Yet it is David's grandson that loses part of his kingdom to Yerovam a descendant of Rachel. The kingdom he establishes is destroyed and is dispersed ,yet the remnant of all twelve tribes gather in Jerusalem and the struggle continues until the reign of David will truly last forever.

What lies in the deeper levels of this struggle. What can we learn from this struggle about lasting leadership. The Lubavitcher Rebbe writes that the struggle represents;" the conflict between growth and self-fulfillment on the one hand, and subservience and commitment on the other. Rachel, "of beautiful form and of beautiful appearance," embodies the drive for self-fulfillment and self-realization, while the humble, submissive Leah represents our capacity for servitude and self-effacement. "

It is clear that both forces are critical for the formation and continuation of this people. Yet the drive of Rachel and Yosef could easily be thwarted into self centered arrogance. The submissive attributes of Leah could lead to inaction and weakness. Yosef needed to go through the experience of Egypt as did all of his family to refine the balance. Yehuda on the other hand had to go through the difficult experience with Tamar to find his own balance.

Tamar his daughter in law gives him back the power to live up to the secret power of his name. When she is taken to be burned she declares "..'By the man, whose these are, am I with child'; and she said: 'Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and the cords, and the staff.' " (Breishit/Genesis 38:25) She does not declare whose they are but allows Yehuda acknowledge his responsibility .

In Hebrew he is Modeh/ axcknowledges his part and the word modeh forms the basis of his name Yehuda." And Judah acknowledged them, and said: 'She is more righteous than I; "( ibid 26). It is that strength of character he bequeathes to his descendant David. King Saul would not acknowledge his failings and loses the kingdom;

And Saul said unto Samuel: 'Yea, I have hearkened to the voice of HaShem, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the devoted things, to sacrifice unto HaShem thy God in Gilgal.' ( Shmuel 15: 20-21)) .

Yet David did and with that established his eternal monarchy.

And David said to Nathan: 'I have sinned against HaShem.' And Nathan said to David: HaShem also has put away your sin; you shall not die. ( Shmuel II 12:13)

Binyamin Netanyahu is very far from being a Yosef or a Yehuda but he is poised for leadership. Throughout his political career he has been plagued by one problem. That problem was Binyamin Netanyahu.

He was so filled with drive and a sense of vision that he constantly stumbled over his ego. He was strong willed and sure of himself but he would easily be weakened by pundits and opinion polls. That is the failure and weakness of self centered visionaries, capable of so much but hampered by worrying if it looked good. The disastrous agreement in Hevron was a result of that weakness as well as his failings at Wye.

Yet despite that he is being made ready to lead the people of Israel soon. What Binyamin Netanyahu needs to do is to reach deeper into himself as Yehuda was forced to do. His problem is not about coming on strong but rather about coming across more human and humane. All that he would need to do is to sincerely acknowledge past mistakes. It is something that is hard for him it seems. It may be also something his political advisors warn him against because it might weaken his image.

They are wrong.

That simple change of approach and style would cause a paradigm shift in his own awareness. This is especially true because it would almost instantly endear him to a people looking for real leadership. That acknowledgment is not about groveling and pandering but about the ability to grow from mistakes and move more humbly onto the path of destiny.

It is a path he must consciously decide to embark on.

THE POWER OF DREAMS

2008-12-24T06:24:00.000-08:00

Moshe Kempinski

Since the first handshake with the arch terrorist Arafat on the lawn of the White House we have been living in a strange almost surrealistic nightmare. Truthfully the nightmare has been going on for a very long time. It actually began with the destruction of the Temple and the long night of exile. A long night that included pogroms, crusades, forced conversions, expulsions and gas chambers. Yet when an Israeli Prime Minister shook the hand of the devil in Washington, the nightmare became even more intense and frightening. The handshake symbolised the beginning of a time when nothing made sense anymore. The enemy ceased to only lie in waiting outside the ghetto walls or in the other part of the village. The dangers began from within the very body of the Jewish people.

The mystery and power of dreams lies in the fact that all things can coexist in a dream. Emotions that contradict each other can permeate a dream where even the impossible co-exists with the possible. They seem to come out of the deepest parts of our souls and whisper of hopes and hidden desires. Yet at the same time they rage with the passion of the greatest fears along with the most delicate of hopes.

The first exile of the Jews began with dreams. The dreams of Jacob followed by the dreams of Joseph and pharaoh all culminated in the long exile of Egypt.Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi , the Baal haTanya explains that exile was born out of a succession of dreams because exile is the ultimate dream.

It is in this world of spiritual exile wherein white is seen as black and black is seen as white. It is a situation where opposites reign and seven fat cows in Pharaoh’s dream can be eaten by seven lean cows and the lean remain lean. It is a state that, in our days ,allows a politician whose life has become embroiled in petty theft and illegal activity to continue to believe that he retains the right to be a the Prime Minister of this country. Rabbi Yehoshua of Ostrova said that s vain person is worse than a liar. A liar knows he is lying, whereas someone who is absorbed in his self-image of greatness, firmly believes in his delusions.
Spiritual exile is exile from simple unadulterated truth just like a dream. It is a dream that is cluttered with unwarranted exaggeration, muddled and confused metaphors with consistent inconsistency. In essence this dream state describes painfully the state of affairs in the world in general and in Israel in particular. In such a state, the Defense Minister of Israel can call the not responding to daily acts of violence against Israel's citizens as a moral and courageous stance. In such a spiritual environment the Prime minister can decry the actions and jail young people passionately in love with their land calling them a threat to Israel's democracy while releasing blood stained terrorists from jail even though they are a threat to its very existence. A woman running for Prime Minister can arrange for a song “Livni-boy” to be created by her staff and not be mortified that is but a pathetic copy of a successful ploy of Obama's campaign.

Everything is possible in a dream.

Yet as Rav Kook writes everything is possible in a dream, both the negative and the positive. A single dream may contain conflicting messages, since it reflects the conflicting qualities within each soul.Such is true of the collective soul of a people as well. When the wine butler tells Pharaoh about the unusual slave he met in prison called Joseph he says;""Just as he interpreted, so (my dream) came to be" [Gen. 41:13]."

This prompted our sages to declare a fact that has been increasingly adopted by modern psychology; "Dreams are fulfilled according to the interpretation" [Berachot 55b].

The interpreter does not refashion the future but rather he reaches into the positive depths of each conflicted dreamer and empowers the dreamer to live up to those qualities. There are those in this country that will interpret the dream that is our reality with predictions of doom and gloom. There are others , though, who will reach deeper and find the qualities of hope and vision that will lead this people into safe harbor.

In a time of elections where confusion reigns, search out for the dreamers who interpret the strengths of this people and not their weaknesses. Reach out, not to those who tear down and declaim even if their motives are pure, but rather those who have not lost hope. Leaders who may not all be cognizant of the spiritual heart that burns within them , yet nevertheless offer voice to those exact yearnings. Look to the dreamers who may be found in all the vrious political parties and constellations. People like Uri Ariel , Rabbi Hillel Horowitz ,Aryeh Eldad , Benny Begin and Uri Banks are deeply aware that the future is all in the hands of the interpreter of the dream.

A Song of Ascents When HaShem brought back those that returned to Zion, we were as dreamers ( Psalm 126:1)

" You can take the Jew Out Of Exile...."

2008-12-14T12:11:00.000-08:00

Moshe Kempinski

The latest media frenzy around the list of candidates chosen in the Likud primaries was at first infuriating to listen to and it soon became simply became embarrassing . It seems that the "guard dogs" of democracy, our media, were foaming at the bit, waiting with articles dripping with sarcasm and hatred even days before the Likud Primaries. They were probably disappointed when Moshe Feiglin only achieved reaching the number 20 slot, but that would not stop their yelping and barking. They pointed to the list of people who were elected, describing it as a "Feiglin list" even though Feiglin was not connected to the list and is held in disdain by many of those voted in at the primaries. The list of people chosen by the electorate were the people suggested by many groups like Matot Arim , the residents of Jerusalem , Judea and Samaria and by the expellees of Gush Katif and all those who love this land and are inspired by its past and its future

I am not a supporter of Moshe Feiglin and yet I am happy that he got in as well and am incensed at Netanyahu’s childish attempts at rebuffing him. I am not a supporter, even though some of the main points of his Manhigut Yehudit faction, mirrors some of my own beliefs. This country does need a more faith based leadership. This people do need to regain courage and stamina to shake off the effects of the disease called Political Correctness. Yet I am not a supporter, because regrettably Moshe Feiglin has adopted the tact that got us into the mess we are in. All of us in the Land of Israel camp are guilty, because we have been so sure of our views and so self assured in our vision that we have slipped into self righteous rage at times. Instead of trying to co-opt and engage our opponents we have belittled them and/or ignored them. The "B'Ahava NeNatzeach-With Love We Will Win" campaign prior to the expulsion of Gush Katif failed not because it was inherently false but because it was too little and too late. We cannot assume that leadership will be ours simply because our cause is right. We cannot assume that everyone will agree with us simply because our vision is so clear. If great effort is not made to win the hearts and minds of the Israeli people we will continue to be maligned and ignored.

It is true that the hate spewed against the Land of Israel faithful will happen in any event but our obligation is not to calm the haters but rather to reach out to people of Israel who are still yearning for courage and vision, and they remain the silent majority and they are not our enemy. If we forget that we lose our right to be part of the miracle of rebuilding.

To understand the venom being spewed by the media one must simply read the noted pundit Ari Shavit in his article called An Israeli Tragedy published in Haaretz ;(http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasen/spages/1045664.html)

" Last month the world entered the Obama era, but Likud members paid no attention. The result is intolerable. Even though most Israelis are sane and moderate citizens capable of dialogue with a sane and moderate world, Likud's extremist majority seeks to drag them back to a dark and dangerous extremism."

There it is. The classic Jewish response of the Jew in exile. We cannot believe what we are we are meant to believe. We cannot feel what we are being made to feel. Why is that? It is because the rest of the "sane” world doesn't see it that way. The same "sane " world that has lost its direction and purpose and has lost the courage to battle evil. The Ari Shavits want so much to be loved by the Obamas of the world in much the same way the Jews in exile wanted to be loved by their landlords and bishops.

After Jacob our forefather fights the Angel of Esav and prevails he is blessed by the angel of G-d and recievs the name of Israel.

Shortly after Shimon and Levi avenge the kidnapping and rape of their sister Dina and Yaacov is very concerned and he says to them; "...... 'You have troubled me, to make me odious unto the inhabitants of the land, even unto the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and, I being few in number, they will gather themselves together against me and smite me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.'( Breishit 34:30)

What happened to Yaacov ? Where was “Israel”? The answer seems to be centered in the words "being few in number". According to Rav Hillel MiShklov, the Gaon of Vilna explains the importance in the numbers of Jewish population

"I asked Rabbeinu what to do if it would be physically possible to bring all the Jews to Eretz Yisroel at one time. So many questions and difficulties would arise regarding the arrangement of the settlement..After much thought, Rabbeinu answered, "If it becomes possible to bring 600,000 to Eretz Yisroel at one time, it should be done immediately because there is a great and total power in the number 600,000, and that could defeat Samae"l in the gates of Jerusalem.

The Zohar explains that Yaacov was concerned, that without the number of 600,000 the newly forming people of Israel were in danger and were to be live temporarily in a type of exile mentality, even in the land of Israel. It was with the mighty number of 600,000 that the people of Israel were finally redeemed from Egypt.

Rav Menachem Kasher, in his introduction to Kol HaTor in HaTekufah HaGedolah, mentions two statistical records in this regard;

The year 5708 (1948) was the first year in centuries that there were 600,000 Jews living in Eretz Yisrael and the State of Israel was born..The year of 5727 (1967) was the first year in centuries that there were 600,000 Jewish males of army age above the age of 20 living in Eretz Yisrael.In 1967 the city of Jerusalem was reunited and the process of redemption was hurled forward.

If one is sensitive to those numbers one knew how to act like a Yaacov in exile or knows that it is time to stand up like an Israel in the land of promise. It is harder to take the exile out of the Jew than it is to take the Jew out of exile but that is what needs to be done. The people of Israel must be given back the power to be who they are meant to be.

Those Angry Youth

2008-12-05T03:35:00.000-08:00

Moshe Kempinski

When the news first broke of the police expulsion of the residents of the Peace House I was overwhelmed by a wave of anger pain and disgust. Memories of facing the horsemen at the street corner demonstrations during the early Oslo years, , standing against the cold lifeless faces of the soldiers in Kfar Maimon, and driving helplessly along the roads by the Gaza strip trying to find a way in , all came up like poisonous bile. Memories of the water cannons, the grey shirted Yassam thugs and the brutal forces at Amona all chilled my heart again .

Nothing seems to have changed and nothing seems to have been learnt. Just like in Amona the possibility of an agreed upon solution was discarded in favor of confronting the "powers of evil" as a way of lifting the political prospects of our Minister of Defense.

No...the powers of evil were not the terrorists holding Gilad Shalit. It wasn't the murderers lobbing death missiles into Sederot. It wasn't even radical Islam which murdered so many good souls just this last week.

It was a stand off against young ideological and faithful Jews living in a house that they legally purchased.

Yet the expulsion on Thursday was not the worst of the crime . The media defamation and hateful lies regarding the settlers of this house and of all the Biblical heartland was horrific. Reports were repeated about a soldier blinded by acid poured on him. Just as in Gush Katif this news story proved to be false. Suddenly young religious Zionist youth were all branded as homeless toughs with no controls. The young families in the Peace House represented the greatest threat to Israeli democracy since the Altalena. Reshet Bet news correspondents described the people demonstrating in the street corners as "thrill seekers". Psychologists and pundits wondered on radio talk shows “ why these youth were so angry.”

Lets see if I can help.

You arrested them as they sat in intersections in a cry of anguish after terrorist murderers.

You threw 14 and 15 year old kids into jail for long periods of time as you were releasing terrorists murderers as a "gesture"

You ran over them with your horses and you attacked them with water cannons

You brutalized them with hooked batons and heavy clubs in Amona.

You threw them out of their homes

You blamed them for everything from Rabin's murder to the spread of world wide Islamic terror.

You called them thugs and wild weeds and yet let them die for your ill planned wars in Lebanon.

You threw stun grenades and tear gas canisters at them when you wanted to evict them AGAIN from a home they purchased

And you wonder why they are angry and mistrustful of you…

Abraham Isaac and Jacob in Mumbai

2008-12-05T03:28:00.000-08:00

Moshe Kempinski
The concept of Zechut Avot (the merit of the forefathers) in Jewish thinking refers to the concept that,when all else fails, the Jewish people can at times depend on the merits of their forefathers, Abraham Isaac and Jacob”. The simple understanding of that concept might lead one to assume that one’s direction and determination in life would be decided based upon the greatness and sanctity of others. That simple understanding would be inconsistent with Jewish understanding . We each stand before our Creator armed with the decisions we make , the character of our souls and the yearnings of our hearts.

What then is Zechut Avot?

The Ramban describes that "the deeds of our fathers are a signpost for the children." And that this is a cardinal rule of Jewish history.In his commentary on Parshat Lech Lecha he writes;
" I will tell you a rule to be applied throughout the parshiot of Avraham Yitzchak and Yaakov. The Rabbis stated this rule as “everything that happened to the fathers is a sign for the children”. The Torah tells stories, at length, about journeying or well digging ...one might think that these are meaningless detail but in reality they reflect something of the future. When an event occurs to one of the prophets who are our forefathers, he will understand that a form of these occurrences will occur as well to his descendants.”

Can this give some insight to the concept of Zechut Avot?

I believe the merit of our forefathers Avraham Yitzchak and Yaacov is that within every one of their descendants, a seed has been embedded deeply in every heart. We all carry within us a fragment of the qualities that each one of the fathers developed and revealed in this world. It is to those fragments we turn to for empowerment or guidance when reality comes crashing around us.

Each one of the forefathers became a master of a differing and powerful attribute. Abraham is identified with the divine attribute of Hesed: of kindness, of giving to others without limitations. Yitschak is connected with Gevura, the strength coming from self imposed rigor and disciplined limitations. Yaacov is connected with Emet, the truth that melds the two previous attributes into an ongoing walk of faith in difficult and threatening circumstances. Yaakov’s name implies that steady and consistent walk forward (Okev)

It is these attributes that lay ensconced within every one of their descendants waiting to blossom forth and be revealed. It is in the merit of these spiritual gifts left to the children that a small and fragile people can venture into and survive the difficult waters of human history.

It was Avraham's quality of Hesed and faith that led Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg and his wife Rivka to leave the comforts of their American home and travel to the dusty and chaotic port city of Mumbai, to open a Jewish outreach center. They worked tirelessly to run a Chabad house serving homemade kosher meals to their many guests and strengthening their connection with God. Much like Avraham's tent their "house” was open to the traveling seekers and the needy souls.

According to the Zaka volunteers who entered the bullet ridden ruins of the Chabad house,they found six badly damaged bodies. Yet Rivka's body was covered with a tallit. It seems that her husband in the midst of the terror and despite his wounds gathered the emotional, spiritual and physical strength to cover his wife before he succumbed to his own wounds. That was the attribute of Gevura working through him. The attribute revealed by Yitzchak who even when faced with his own impending death on Mount Moriah accepted the binding by his father. It is the attribute that gives the spiritual strength that enables one to continue to concern oneself with spiritual concerns even when confronted with extinction.

It is the Emet or truth of Yaacov that enabled the young couple to continue forward despite the previous tragedy of losing a child to a genetic disease. It is also that truth that will give his family and the rest of the Jewish people the empowerment to move forward and rebuild , eventually to recreate the tents of Avraham every where they need to be set up.

Yet it is also the truth of Yaacov that finally gave our forefather the strength to become Israel. The Yaacov who must become Israel does not turn another cheek but will strive with G-d, that is alongside G-d, to face, confront and vanquish evil.

In such a fashion the memories of all six victims of this hatred,Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg 29 years old and his 28 year old wife Rivka 38-year-old Leibish Teitelbaum, 50-year-old Norma Shvarzblat Rabinovich , Yocheved Orpaz, 60, and Bentzion Chroman, 28, will truly be for a blessing

Jacob's Journey

2008-11-27T10:29:00.000-08:00

Moshe Kempinski ....

We read an unusual verse in Isaiah that says;

Therefore thus saith HaShem, who redeemed Abraham, because of the house of Yaacov: Yaacov shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale;( Isaiah 29:22)

The Midrash Tanchuma related to Parshat Toldot explains

Rav Shmuel son of Yitzchak says Abraham was saved from the fiery of furnace ( according to our tradition Nimrod threw Avraham into the furnace because he was afraid that his faith would deter his royal plans) . He was saved only on the merit of Yaacov. For the judgment came forth before Nimrod that Avraham be burned and it was known before HaShem that Yaacov was to be Avraham's descendant and G-d declared it was important that Avraham be saved on the merit of Yaacov ;

We need to understand the meaning of this Midrash.

Is it saying that without Yaacov, Avraham should have been burned?

Were all of Avraham's deed, greatness and incredible faith and faithfulness all for naught?

The text " Yifat Toar" explains that Avraham's great faith and his faithfulness that led him in the past into the unknown would have led to Avraham desiring to sacrifice his own life in order to sanctify G-d's name and to make the ultimate sacrifice and declaration of faith . This was Avraham's way. The importance of Yaacov's birth kept him away from that option.

If so the next question that needs to be asked is :

What did Yaacov introduce into the world that could not have been realized through Avraham ?

Why did the creation of the Jewish people have to wait until Yaacov and did not start with Avraham?

The secret of the survivability of this people and their eternal destiny was fully revealed within the character of Yaacov a process only begun with Avraham.

HaRav Kook writes the following in his book " Midbar Shur"

There are two paths in worshiping HaShem. One is spontaneous revolutionary and radical.

Avraham that broke into pieces all that was his past. Avraham battled the kings in spontaneous response to an evil that was perpetrated .The man who accepted the command to do the Brit Mila and even went unto the ends of human ability when he undertook the task of the binding of Yitzchak .This was the way of Avraham

Yaacov on the other hand was a simple man who dwelled in the tents .Yaacov as his name hints is the man who moves forward ( OKEV )step after careful step climbing the ladder of Yaacov ,rung after every rung

According to the Mystics of Judaism the purpose of mankind and the goal of every soul is to reach higher and higher with deliberate effort and spiritual work. All this so that they would not have to be nourished by the NEHAMA KISUFA the bread of shame? This bread of shame is based on the shame
of :" receiving without giving" .... About receiving from the Divine source with no spiritual endeavors"

That is the deeper understanding of the verse

Therefore thus saith HaShem, who redeemed Abraham, because of the house of Yaacov: Yaacov shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale;( Isaiah 29:22)

This is the secret of the Jewish people ensconced within Yaacov . The secret that " The Eternal People Have No Fear of The Long Voyage"

The journey that Avraham began with his "Lech Lecha ( go forth) " into the unknown, continued with Rivka the mother of Yaacov who told Eliezer, Avraham's servant " I will go" not knowing to where she was headed.

Yaacov forced to leave Israel wanders into the unknown and into his destiny.

Ruth the daughter of Moab who becomes Ruth the grandmother of King David when she declares to Naomi" wither you go I shall go"

The step by step journey into the unknown is the constant strength of Yaacov and of all his descendants.

I had the great merit recently of joining in the simcha celebrating the release of a young Jewish man from prison where he served a sentence for being involved in anti Disengagement activity that may have been illegal .Yet they were actions that came out of a deep passion and love for the people and the land of Israel. He is soon to be married and by so doing they will place another brick in the building of Jewish destiny. Another step in the long road of Jacob's journey.

As the world sinks deeper into the unknown and into confusion our people will continue to move forward and upward.

(from the Torah drasha at the Bar Mitzva of my son Baruch Eliyahu)

Walking In The Valley

2008-11-14T03:37:00.000-08:00

As I was leaving the Western Wall recently, after evening prayers, I suddenly saw a group of young women students of one of the Ulpanot/ religious high schools burst unto the Kotel plaza. They were all wearing white sweatshirts and some were carrying Israeli flags , while others were draped with the flags. They exploded into singing and dancing. In essence they were whirling and jumping seemingly driven by some inner passion and joy. They seemed like starving wanderers who had finally reached an oasis filled with sparkling life giving waters.

In fact that is exactly what they were.

They had just returned from the wasteland of Europe, visiting the concentration camps and the historic Jewish communities that were no more. Nothing could contain their joy at that moment.

Several weeks later I was walking by the ancient Cardo Street in the old city, I saw some students from another school sitting and singing spiritual songs amidst the ancient pillars. Suddenly another group wearing different colored sweatshirts came running through the narrow entrance into the Cardo plaza and the two groups merged together with shrieks and hugs. The same scene that I had witnessed so many times at the Kotel plaza with other groups of Yeshiva boys and Ulpana girls was recreated as they burst into song and dance as well

Upon investigation I learned that the first group in the Cardo had been half the class that had decided to travel the length and breadth of the land of Israel. Their journey culminated in the old city of Jerusalem. The second group was the other half who had decided to make the trip to visit the destroyed synagogues and the death camps in Poland. They met together in the center of the world, in the Old city of Jerusalem.

In this world G-d speaks in images.

One needs to learn how to listen with one's eyes. There was great comfort in the images I was seeing. In a world of uncertainty and confusion certain images and metaphors stand as an anchor in seas raging with concern and doubt.

My son recently led a group of students from Yeshivat HaKotel to a trip through Poland and Austria. As the group stood in front of the horrific memorial in the death camp of Maidanek he handed every one of the students a page with the prophecy of Ezekiel printed out on it. The memorial in Maidanek is a small mountain of ashes and bones culled from the crematoriums that attempted to burn and destroy the memory of the Jewish people. A mountain of pain and hopelessness.

Ezekiel says in chapter 37;

1 The hand of HaShem was upon me, and HaShem carried me out in a spirit, and set me down in the midst of the valley, and it was full of bones; …… 5 Thus said HaShem G-D unto these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live. 6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am HaShem.' …. ….. 11 Then He said unto me: 'Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say: Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are clean cut off. 12 Therefore prophesy, and say unto them: Thus said HaShem G-D: Behold, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, O My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel. 13 And ye shall know that I am HaShem, when I have opened your graves, and caused you to come up out of your graves, O My people. 14 And I will put My spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I will place you in your own land; and ye shall know that I HaShem have spoken, and performed it, said HaShem.'

My son then said to his students, these are the dry bones and you, the young people learning torah in Israel are the fulfillment of the end.

Interesting thoughts to ponder as we watch our frantic Prime Minister trying to promote a suicidal peace negotiation. This , being done either out of vengeance or out of desperation. These thoughts will be the anchor when other ministers in the government mount a hate campaign against young Jewish settlers and residents of the Biblical Heartland. It will bring some comfort when even in the nation that has proven to be a great friend of Israel in the past is experiencing new and dangerous changes.

The process of Destiny continues in spite of the small efforts of men to deter it

THE SIGN ON THE FOREHEAD

2008-11-04T01:19:00.000-08:00

Moshe Kempinski.....

Israel is surrounded by enemies but the greatest threat lies within.

The dark clouds in the skies of our world are quickly gathering and seem ever more menacing. The clarity that seems so prevalent when the sky is blue and the sun is blazing seems to be dissolving in a frightening pace. The world is in intent on continuing its spiral into chaos and confusion. Axioms and understandings that were once anchors in our human voyage have been uprooted. Evil has become a relative and amorphous word while the word Good seems to have become a limited definition of whatever it is that fills one's own individual needs.

Rav Nachman of Bratslav tells the story about a king and his servant. The servant tells the king that there was a terrible plague with the new crop of wheat . It was contaminated and anyone who would eat of it would go insane. There was nothing else for the people to eat .But the servant assured the king that he had set aside enough of last year's wheat for the two of them. They could eat the old wheat and not go insane.

The king refused to eat anything other than what his subjects were eating, explaining that if the world goes insane and the two of them remain sane, they would be viewed as the insane ones., "You and I will eat what everyone else eats. However, we will mark our foreheads with a symbol, so that when I look at you and you look at me, the two of us will know that we are insane!"

The world has been suffering from such contaminated crops of wheat for some time now. A plague that seems to have swept across the European continent has landed on the shores of the Untied States in time for their elections. This land of Israel was not spared and has been overrun since the failed Oslo Peace process with the Palestinian terrorists was begun.

What then is the sign on the foreheads that we need to look for in order to re-establish balance.

During the darkening months of Heshvan it may be hard to remember the comforting glow of Tishrei. It may be difficult at times to reconnect to that incredible feeling of safety and protection we all felt as we sat under the clouds of Glory in our Sukkoth. Yet the instructions for re-entering the world of the "crazy wheat" were given during the festival of Sukkoth as well. On the Shabbat of Chol Hamoed Sukkoth we read the following from the book of Exodus

“And HaShem said unto Moses: 'I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken, for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.' And he said: 'Show me, I pray Thee, Your glory.' And He said: 'I will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of HaShem before you ; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.' And He said: 'You cannot not see My face, for no man shall see Me and live.' And HaShem said: 'Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand upon the rock. And it shall come to pass, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and will cover you ( VeSakotee) with My hand until I have passed by. And I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.'(Exodus 33:17-23)

Though we may be finding ourselves alone in a cleft or crevice during the coming passing storms, we will hearken back to the memory of the covering of Sukkoth . It, like the covering of Hashem's hand ,"and will cover you ( VeSakotee) with My hand until I have passed by" will give us the stamina and vision to see all that needs to be seen and understand all that needs to be understood . Only after experiencing the passing of and sensing the impact of the ever developing hand of Divine destiny, will history ever achieve real meaning.

A decision seems to have been made in Israel 's government to stoke the fires of hatred in the land. In the inner chambers of the crumbling and faltering cabinet it would seem that a decision was arrived at regarding the villifying of the settlers and their children. That would explain the sudden outpouring of “concern" and consternation regarding the remarks and actions of some teenagers on the windswept hilltops of Judea and Samaria .

Massive amounts of weapons are still being smuggled into the Gaza strip. Missiles are still being fired into Israel from the ruins of Jewish settlements in Gush Katif. Leftist Israelis, European anarchists and Palestinians are staging a weekly violent demonstration at Bilin, wounding soldiers and civilians. Several terrorist incidents in Jerusalem have recently been thwarted. Yet the Government held urgent discussions on “the recent bout of violence directed towards security forces in West Bank by Jewish extremists" All this coincidently timed to occur around the date of the commemoration of Yitzchak Rabin's murder.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak declared: "These riots and public disturbances are extremely grave, and their objective is to undermine the authority of the state and its ability to impose order on its citizens. There is an attempt here by a group of extremists to fracture the authority of the state and its representatives in the field, the IDF and the police, born of their pretension to dictate to the state the patterns of behavior seen in Judea and Samaria."

One needs to remember we are talking about a handful of teenage boys and girls who dared to resist the violent demolition of the Federman house near Kiryat Arba.

Vice Premier Ramon bellowed recently that "Several hundred unruly Jewish hooligans are running amuck in the Territories, beating IDF officers, breaking bones, (sic) and trying to assassinate Professor (Ze'ev) Sternhell( sic). And the government stands before them trembling and helpless, and all the law enforcement agencies explain why nothing can be done against them. I am convinced that if these were Palestinians, they would all be behind bars by now,"

One needs to remind Ramon that had they been Palestinians they would be immediately released from prison as a "goodwill gesture" as opposed to the young Jewish girls who sat in Jail with no recourse for months.

It may very well be that the orders to destroy the Federman house in the accompaniment of the violent Yassam thug unit may have been given to stir the pot and create the reactions and enhance the image of "violent settlers".

Why all this effort?

Our Prime Minister, Olmert, is being charged or suspected of common thievery. Our Minister of Defense, Barak , lost his position in a landslide vote after having been a failure as a Prime Minister. Our Vice Premier, Ramon, has been convicted of sexual misconduct. Their coalition government is in tatters and their only defense from the scrutiny of the Israeli public is an offense. Setting up the settlers as Public Enemy #1 and then "cracking down" on them, may be the antidote to help cover over their own failures and incompetence.

With the media completely backing them up in the effort, one might wonder how the nationalist camp expects to withstand the renewed attack from their fellow countrymen. The press, the judicial system, the political leadership and the world has already prejudged each and every resident of the biblical heartland. Resisting such an onslaught seem to be a feat more impossible that withstanding the terror attacks and missiles of those who are clearly identified as the enemy.

An interesting insight into the torah portion of Lech Lecha might give us some direction.

And, behold, the word of HaShem came unto him, saying: 'This man shall not be your heir; but he that shall come forth out of your own loins shall be your heir And He brought him forward , and said: 'Look now toward heaven, and count the stars, if you are able to count them'; and He said unto him: 'Thus shall be your children .' And he believed inHaShem; and He counted it to him as righteousness.( Genesis 15:4-6)

G-d tells Abraham to go out and count the stars though He also tells him that that is an impossible task. Then G-d says "'Thus shall be your children ". The simple understanding of the verse explains that Abraham is told that his children would be as numerous as the stars. The deeper understanding says much more.

G-d tells Abraham to do an impossible task and then we see a pause. At the end of that pause G-d begins to speak again and says "'Thus shall be your children ".

What did Abraham do during that pause? Clearly he went out and started counting the stars just as G-d had asked him to do. At that point G-d tells him that it is that characteristic that will exemplify his children. They will endeavor to do even the impossible because that is what their beloved G-d asked them to do.

It is that passion and faith that is so infuriating people who have no passion except for themselves and no faith except in their own power. It is that vision and commitment that so angers people who have lost the ability to see.

These young people are being condemned by the press and the leadership as agents of hatred and discord. Yet the reality is so clearly different. It is these young people who have withstood the truncheons and horse at Amona and the fists and batons in Kiryat Arba that represent simple unconditional love.

Love for the land of Israel and love for the vision of what the people of Israel will yet grow to become. That is what will be the sign on the forehead, love for
the G-d of Israel, the people of Israel and the land of Israel

SUKKOTH: Heaven and Earth

2008-10-13T03:00:00.000-07:00

by Moshe Kempinski

bsd

Drive through many streets in any city in Israel and you will find colorful stands selling the spiritual tools of Sukkoth, lulavim etrogim and assorted decorations for the sukkah dispersed throughout
.
Our Torah tells us;
"And ye shall keep it a feast unto HaShem seven days in the year; it is a statute for ever in your generations; ye shall keep it in the seventh month. Ye shall dwell in sukkoth seven days; all that are home-born in Israel shall dwell in sukkoth ;that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in sukkoth , when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am HaShem your G-d.( Vayikra 23:41-43)

Our sages disagree as to the meaning of the verse "that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in sukkoth ". What is it that they were supposed to remember? According to Rabbi Eliezer, the word "sukkoth" refers to the clouds of glory with which God protected the Jews. Rabbi Akiva teaches that it refers to the actual booths that they lived in during their time in the wilderness.. ( Sukkah 11b).

The understood principle in all such disagreements is " these and these are the words of living torah"

What then is the core of their disagreement? The essence of the festival of sukkoth is that it is the culmination and fulfillment of the redemptive process began in the month of Elul . A process that then moved through the Days of Judgment of Rosh Hashana and on through the crucible and purifying fire of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.

The days of Sukkoth which should have been celebrated during the month of their Exodus from Egypt, Nissan, is instead celebrated here in the month of Tishrei following the Days of Awe. The Vilna Gaon writes that the heavenly clouds of glory that protected the people were restored on the 15th of Tishrei after having been removed following the sin of the golden calf in the month of Nissan.

What then is the connection between the Clouds of Glory and Tishrei?

During the days of Elul and Tishrei each individual soul undergoes a spiritual voyage that is unparalleled in its intensity and awesome in its implications.

It is in the month of Elul that we begin again the courtship with the Beloved, The letters of Elul standing for the first letters of the verse " Ani Ledodi VeDodui Lee-I Am My Beloved's and my Beloved is Mine. The soul clothed in the physicality of reality then enters into the day of Judgment .Yet on this day the focus seems not to be on the judgment but rather on the simple and awesome act of declaring G-d to be Ruler and Majesty of the earth. Only after comprehending the fact of that Rulership can the soul move on through the intensity and supreme focus of the ten days of repentance.

Eventually on the Day of Atonement the soul attempts to disconnect from the physicality of his existence .A day that is spent attempting to mirror the existence of angels. We desist from actions that speak of our physical existence, eating , washing ourselves, the wearing of comfortable shoes and intimate relationships between husband and wife. All this is done in order to remove the spiritual impediments that stand in the way of our relationship with our Creator. Eliminating the sins that impede the intimacy of true connection with the Divine. Yet the process of that purifying and self-inspection leaves our hearts and souls as seared and broken vessels.

The only way to mend a seared and fractured heart is with Joy. The feast of Sukkoth is the antittode as it is the feast of Joy.”VaHayitem Ach Sameach- and thou shalt be altogether joyful” (Deuteronomy 16:15) G-d is not commanding us to be happy. G-d is telling us that we will be!

What then is the greatest Joy. It is the ability to give to one’s true beloved what it is that beloved truly desires. After leaving the intensity of G-d’s very throne room on Yom Kippur we are then told what our Beloved’s desires are.

“And ye shall take you on the first day the fruit of goodly trees, branches of palm- trees, and boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook, and ye shall rejoice before HaShem your G-d seven days. And ye shall keep it a feast unto HaShem seven days in the year; it is a statute for ever in your generations; ye shall keep it in the seventh month. Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are home-born in Israel shall dwell in booths; that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am HaShem your G-d. And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the appointed seasons of HaShem. (Leviticus 23:40-44 )

Throughout Jerusalem and throughout the country Jews have spent intense energy and many shekels to find the perfect gift for their Beloved. One of the agents that I deal with in our Old City shop with who represents a large Judaica company told me that for the first time he was meeting with a incredibly heightened desire and need for Sukkoth Judaica all over the country." Not just in Jerusalem or in Bnei Brak. It is happening all across Israel. “he said” There is something new in the air, it is palpable. "

He is right, the feeling is palpable and powerful. There is a great stirring in the land. Despite the dangers from without and the decay within the stirring is blossoming like a tender shoot.

It is that stirring that will bring the Great stirring in the Heavens as well.
This then explains the disagreement between Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Akiva . They were disagreeing as to which stirring must come first? Which stirring is the most critical? Was it the fact that the Israelites built Sukkoth in the wilderness and then trusted G-d to protect them from the ravages of the barren desert? Was it in fact the Clouds of Glory that first surrounded the people and empowered them to trust?

In Israel we see that a great stirring has begun here amidst us. It instigates or mirrors a great stirring in the Heavens. It is that stirring that brings a clear melding between our earthly Sukkoth and the Heavenly clouds of Glory.A melding of the views of Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Eliezer.

" these and these are the words of living torah"

The Mysterious Rashi Commentary

2008-10-07T06:33:00.000-07:00

Moshe Kempinski

Anybody that has visited the Old City of Jerusalem these last several weeks would have been touched by a fascinating and incredible phenomenon. The streets and plazas of the old city are filled, all night, with people of all types walking hurriedly towards the Western Wall for Selichot prayers . Young and old, observant and those Jews who were less so ,were walking together in the same direction. As my wife and I were driving home late one such night from the Western Wall we stopped at the intersection at the foot of Mount Zion. The policeman guiding traffic at the corner turned to us and said,” Everybody is suddenly religious in these days. They all think about Him now.” He said with a sparkle in his eyes. As we drove off I said “Baruch HaShem- Thank G-d”. He smiled and looked up and mouthed a “Yishtabach Shmo- May His Name be Praised”. We crossed the intersection carefully trying not to hurt all those people walking together with such similar purpose.

In the Torah portion ' VaYelech “that is usually read before Yom Kippur we read the following;

"And Moshe went and he spoke the words to the Children of Israel." ( Deuteronomy 31:1)

Rashi, the classic Jewish commentator highlights the first words of the verse "And Moshe went " and offers as an explanation, the cryptic word "etc" and nothing more.

The question that Rashi was attempting to answer was "To where did Moshe go to? In the previous torah portion, Nitzavim, we read that Moshe addresses the whole nation. Why then did Moshe have to go anywhere to speak to the people? They were already arrayed before him.

Rashi's answer to that question was simply, "etc"?!?

Perhaps that simple explanation points to a great spiritual truth. Moshe was delivering his last message to the Jewish people. These were the last 24 hour of his life. Moshe had shepherded these people for forty years. He had carried them through difficult and tumultuous times. He was approaching the end of his mission but that did not stop this man. Rash's use of the word veGomer or "etc" was that the words "And Moshe went " indicated that Moshe never stopped moving and never stopped growing even during the final 24 hours of his life. That had been his spiritual strength throughout his life and it was the spiritual strength he had imparted to his descendants.

Rav Yekusiel Yehudah Halberstam (January 10, 1905-June 18, 1994) the founding rebbe of the Sanz-Klausenberg Hasidic dynasty lost his wife and ten of his children in the flames of the living hell called the Holocaust. Throughout those years of terror and horror, Rabbi Halberstam continued to try to spiritually uplift and encourage his fellow prisoners despite his own personal losses. In the fall of 1945, after the liberation of the camps , the Rebbe moved to the new DP camp of Föhrenwald, On Yom Kippur of that year, General Dwight D. Eisenhower visited the camps in an attempt to "asses the state of the Jewish DP's". On that same day the Rebbe was speaking to the tattered remnants of his people.

The Klausenberger Rebbe dressed in a white kittel, the white linen robe traditionally worn on Yom Kippur, and wrapped in a large tallit, looked angelic and pure

With tears in his eyes he began by thanking God for saving the lives of those standing before him from the Nazi hell. He then pointed to his kittel – and began to speak slowly, deliberately, tearfully:

"One of the reasons we wear this kittel is because it is the traditional burial garment, in which we wrap a body before laying it to rest in the ground, as we do when we bury our parents and those that came before us. Wearing a kittel on Yom Kippur thus reminds us of our final day of judgment when we will be laid to rest. It therefore humbles and breaks our hearts, stirring us to do complete Teshuvah (return). The white, linen kittel is a symbol of purity that we achieve through our introspection and efforts to repair all our wrongs.

"Since the kittel reminds us of the burial shroud of those that passed on before us," continued the Klausenberger Rebbe , "why are we wearing a kittel today? Our parents and loved ones were just slaughtered without tachrichim (burial shrouds). They were buried, with or without clothes, in mass graves, or in no graves at all…"

Suddenly, the Klausenberger Rebbe began removing off his own kittel . "No kittel!" he cried out in an anguished voice. "Let us be like our parents. Let us remove our kittels, so that they can recognize us. They won’t recognize us in kittels, because they are not wrapped in kittels…"

He continued expounding on the following words from the traditional Yom Kippur prayerbook.

"Ashamnu - Did we sin? Bagadnu - Were we unfaithful?… Were we, God forbid, unfaithful to God and fail to remain loyal to him? Gazalnu - did we steal? From whom did we steal in Auschwitz and Mühldorf? … Maradnu - We rebelled.. Against whom? …we are guilty of sins that are not written in the machzor… How many times did many of us pray, Master of the Universe, I have no more strength, take my soul "?… We must ask the Almighty to restore our faith and trust in Him. ‘Trust in God forever.’… Pour your hearts out to Him."

The Jews, young and old, religious and those that had lost faith all broke down in tears. The utter sadness, the excruciating pain and the humiliation of the past years came pouring out in wailing and sobbing.

General Eisenhower, visibly moved by the words he heard from the translator, approached the Rebbe later. He asked him if there was something he could do for him. The Rebbe simply asked that he help them find lulavim and etrogim for the upcoming festival. The general was taken aback by the simple request and immediately instructed his lieutenant Berl Smith to arrange for the items to be flown in from Italy.

The general of the mighty victorious army confronted with a simple request of faith. Even after the horrors of turmoil of the valley of Death the Klausenberger Rebbe simply wanted to continue with a simple Mitzva .In that simple request lay the spiritual fortitude that bespoke of a power that was greater than the mightier armies.

The spiritual power expressed by Rashi's simple statement of "etc"

The Jewish people in our days are entering another Yom Kippur. They will be entering the Throne room of the Almighty armed with nothing but " a contrite and broken heart" . Dressed in white kittels wrapped in large tallitot, they will be spending intense and intimate time with their Creator. The experience is exhilarating, awesome and yet frightening. The incredible spiritual journey ends with a mighty Shofar blast. Every Jew walks home tired with a sense of Holy contentment mixed with earthly anxiety.

Yet within a very short period of time they will be out on their porches and balconies building their Succoth. They will be out on the streets buying a lulav and etrog. They will be walking in search of the simple Mitzva. That is the spiritual strength of this people. They move forward past the tragedies of their history and continue through the uncertainties of the future. The spiritual power of "and Moshe went" continues.

Each of us in our individual lives must go through the trials and uncertainties of our existence. The secret is to continue on the voyage. Our people in the land of Israel have had to endure the insanity of the Gush Katif upheaval and the brutality of Amona. The secret is to continue on the voyage.

The voyage includes the standing against those that try to thwart the voyage but the secret is in the voyage and not the destination.

You Stand This Day- Rosh Hashana

2008-09-25T01:01:00.000-07:00

Moshe Kempinski

Generally on the Shabbat before Rosh Hashana, the days of judgment of the world, this dramatic verse from the Torah portion of Nitzavim is read in the synagogues.

"You stand this day, all of you, before HaShem your G-d: your heads, your tribes, your elders, your officers, and every Israelite man; your young ones, your wives, the stranger in your gate; from your wood hewer to your water drawer." (Deuteronomy 29:9)

Rabbi Moshe Sofer known as the Chatam Sofer asked what is meant by the words "You stand this day,... ". Were they not standing before G-d earlier at Mount Sinai? Were they not standing before Him at the shores of the Reed Sea?

In reality the Israelites could not muster the spiritual courage to " stand before G-d". They implored Moshe to stand for them in their stead " Go thou near, and hear all that HaShem our G-d may say; and thou shalt speak unto us all that HaShem our G-d may speak unto thee; and we will hear it and do it.' ( ibid 5:23)

G-d responds favorably to their request and tells Moshe " But as for thee, stand thou here by Me, and I will speak unto thee all the commandment, and the statutes, and the ordinances, which thou shalt teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess it.' ( ibid 5:27) .

The words we hear in the Torah portion of Nitzavim were the words spoken in the last 24 hours of Moshe's life. Moshe is telling his people that he has suffered as the sieve or protective covering for them for forty years. Now that they are about to enter the land, they must be prepared to enter the next phase of their Divine mission. Until "this day" they had been the tools that G-d had been using to reveal His involvement in this world. After "this day" they were becoming active participants in that very revelation. They were about to enter the land of Israel without Moshe standing between them and G-d any longer. Henceforth they were going to stand themselves before HaShem their G-d . They were to do that in the land where Divine involvement with the world is more visible than in any other place in this world.

That thought should have been a daunting almost frightening thought., Could they live up to the task and the expectation?

The Baal Shem Tov related that whenever the word " HaYom - this day" is mentioned it refers to Rosh Hashanah. We too stand before HaShem our G-d on this very day .That thought too should be daunting and frightening. A true understanding of the implications of such a "stand" should be enough to overwhelm our spirit and silence our tongues. What could we say at such a moment. Could we develop the courage to look upward and forward without being daunted by feelings of inadequacy.

The words HaYom-This Day " are used elsewhere as well.

" And it fell on this day( Vayhi HaYom ), that he ( Elisha the prophet )came thither, and he turned into the upper chamber and lay there. And he said to Gehazi his servant: 'Call this Shunammite.' And when he had called her, she stood before him. And he said unto him: 'Say now unto her: Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host?' And she answered: 'I dwell among mine own people.' (Kings II 11-13)

The writings of the Zohar ( parshat Beshalach) offer another level of understanding to theencounter between the prophet and this simple woman. It explains that the prophet Elisha asks this woman if he can intercede on her behalf on "this day" that was Rosh Hashana before the "King" who is none other than the ultimate King.

Her answer gives insight and inspiration to all of us who are cognizant of our own stand before the King on this Day of Judgment. She answered " I dwell amongst my own people". Though I may feel inadequate to stand before HaShem on this or on any day, I wish only to be judged together with the entire people of Israel. Only when I become part of the corporate soul that is the people of Israel can I receive the empowerment to "stand before HaShem". Only in the unity of the people is our judgment tempered with ultimate Divine mercy.

That is the deeper meaning of the verse "You stand this day, all of you, before HaShem, your G-d":

That is the secret of Rosh Hashanah. Before we enter into the days of Atonement and repentance we enter into the Palace of Rosh Hashanah and together, as a people, declare G-d to be Ruler and Majesty of the Universe. Within that corporate purpose lays the empowerment for individual growth. The eternal concept of Klal Yisrael gives each member of that Klal the ability and courage to become the individual he needs to be.
That is the purpose of the Jewish people as it is the purpose of every community of faith as we enter the days of judgment of the whole world.

During the months preceding these Holy Days , NefeshB'Nefesh planeloads of young and old Jewish families arrived in this land in order to begin the new adventure of Aliyah. The hidden strength of these people, and of those that already live here and also of those that yearn to live here is their connection to Klal Yisrael . That connection has more overcome their preoccupation with their more individual lives. It is these types of souls that will stand before the King with unified purpose also on behalf of those who have not attained that awareness. Yet that unified stand will also serve to hasten that awareness to cover the whole world " as the waters cover the sea." (Isaiah11:9)

Farmers and Priests

2008-09-18T23:44:00.000-07:00

Our generation has seen a miracle unfold before our eyes. A battered and struggling people came into the swamps and desolate valleys of this land and became the agents of its flowering. Furthermore their pioneering efforts were imbued with miraculous and idealistic passion. Regardless of what they claimed to believe or not believe these early pioneers of Israel were active partners of Divine revelation. Yet only one or two generations later , the descendants of these same great pioneers became mired in self serving politics and small minded leadership. The great visionaries spawned heirs with no vision.

What Happened?

The ancient sage called the Sifri declared that " The Creation of the world occurred in the merit if the commandment of Bikkurim-First fruits.” That statement is so powerful in its simplicity that it demands to be explored.

After a year of toiling, planting, watering, tending, and caring for the produce man has grown, he enters his field. He sees the first ripening fruit of one of the seven species and he ties a band over this fruit and declares “This is for Bikkurim (the ceremony of first fruits)" Later, when it ripens, he places it in a basket. These baskets were then brought to the Beit HaMikdash in a festive procession. In all parts of Israel they would gather in the middle of their towns in special gatherings called Maamadot. They awoke after spending the night in the open are when an appointed individual announced “Arise and let us go up to Zion and the house of our L-rd." The groups would then in a festive procession to Jerusalem singing, "I was happy when they said to me let us go to the house of the L-rd" (Psalms Ch 122). The procession included a bull to be used as a thanksgiving sacrifice, adorned with gold and a wreath of olive branches, with the whole procession led by the music of flutes. As they stood within the temple, the one offering the Bikkurim states to the priest in the Temple,"I proclaim this day to the L-rd thy G-d that I have come unto the land which the L-rd swore unto our fathers to give them." The person then declares the Vidui recanting the travails of the Israelites till they arrived in the land, settled it and now have succeeded in gathered in its fruits.

As the procession would walk through the streets of Jerusalem, all the workmen , laborers and scholars would stop what they are doing and stand in honor of these farmers bearing Bikkurim. The Torah commentator Bartenura raises an interesting question. According to another Jewish law, It is obligatory to stand in honor of a Torah scholar when he passes This is done not so much to honor the scholar as it is to honor the Torah that this " living torah scroll "represents. Yet that Jewish law continues that craftsmen do not have to stop their work to stand up for such a scholar as this would interrupt their work and livelihood. Such is not the case with the law regarding these farmers bringing the first fruits. “Why”, asks the Bartenura, is that so?

The reason seems to be that these farmers, in this situation, during these festive times act as high priests. They are examples of G-d's revelation within nature. In the land wherein Heaven touches the earth the very fruits carry a Divine message. The return of G-d's Glory, Kavod HaShem back into awareness and revelation is symbolized by the fruits and blossoms of the land. Kavod or G-d's Glory is the manifestation of G-d's Presence that necessitates man to reveal and declare it. When the prophet Ezekiel describes G-d's Glory leaving the Temple Mount (Ezekiel 11:23). , he is describing a people going into exile with the Glory of G-d going into exile with them as a result. G-d’s Presence never left but His Glory did.

Yet Ezekiel describes the return of the people from Exile in the following way; "But you, O mountains of Israel, will produce branches and fruit for my people Israel, for they will soon come home."(ibid 36:8 ) . Every fruit, every tree, every flower is a testament to G-d's promises. That then becomes the role of these simple farmers. They are the vessels through which G-d's Presence is revealed and glorified. That as the Sifri pointed out is in essence is the purpose of creation.

That helps explain what happened to the generations that followed the early pioneers of this newborn state. The visionaries who built this land were all farmers. It is difficult to be a farmer, especially in the land of Israel and not be imbued with a deep mystical sense of the inner harmony of this world. Whether they could or would have the insight to identify G-d in their passion, their passion was G-dly nonetheless.

Their children and grandchildren ceased to be farmers and became obsessed less with how to make the land blossom and grow but rather how to do that with their bank accounts. Without the anchor and compass of faith they have lost the Divine impetus of their mission in this land. As a result they falter and fail and will be replaced by young men and women of vision.

The Redemptive Power Of Memory

2008-09-12T04:36:00.000-07:00

12 Elul 5768, 12 September 08 01:27

by Moshe Kempinski

The Ba'al Shem Tov, the founder of modern day Hassidism, said, "Forgetting is the beginning of Exile; remembering is the beginning of Redemption."

President Shimon Peres said, in an interview with David Hume (2000), the following chilling words, "You know, they say the Jewish people have a long memory. What we need is a rich imagination today, because the things that are going to happen - or did happen already - are so revolutionary that the past becomes pale, irrelevant."

We are living in a world that glorifies the present and denies its responsibilities of the past. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is head of a political party that boasted that they had no ideology and were "not prisoners to any legacy." It is not surprising, then, that he has fallen into the state wherein he is in now being accused of bribery and corruption .This is the inevitable result of having no sense of memory and purpose. Olmert, in fact, believes that the memory of Israelis is so short that they will yet forgive him for any of his own past misdeeds. That is the reason he is so intent on creating some diplomatic and political event that will sway the short attention span of modern Israel.

That is not the spirit of Judaism that is blowing in the wind, but rather the noxious breeze of Amalek.

Amalek, a small tribe descending from Esau living in the Negev region of Israel, attacks the Israelite nation as they leave Egypt. They may have been the first, but were definitely not the last. They may have been cruel, but were not the most brutal. They may have inflicted damage on the new people leaving slavery, but the destruction pales in comparison to the damage inflicted by the Romans, Babylonians and Edomites. Yet, it is the nation of Amalek that becomes the prototype of evil.

Remember what Amalek did unto you by the way as you came forth out of Egypt; how he then happened upon you by the way, and smote the hindmost of you, all that were enfeebled in your rear, when you were faint and weary; and he feared not G-d. Therefore it shall be, when HaShem your G-d hath given you rest from all your enemies round about, in the land which HaShem your G-d gives you for an inheritance to possess it, that you shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; you shalt not forget. (Devarim 25:17-19)

The Zohar asks, "What is the reason that the war that Amalek waged against Israel was singled out for remembering by the Holy One Blessed Be He, more than all the wars that all other nations waged against Israel?" (Zohar, Shemot 194b) The answer is that the war battled by Amalek was not only physical, but spiritual. The essence of the battle of Amalek can be understood by understanding one word in the Biblical text:"...how they happened upon you [asher karcha] by the way, and smote the hindmost of you."

The word karcha does not make sense. The Amalekites could not just have happened upon the Israelites, as they were living a very great distance from where the Israelites were wandering. So if the attack was premeditated, then what then does the word karcha mean? Rashi on that verse gives three possible explanations for the word, all three of which give great insight into Amalek and their mission. We will focus on one of them. The word karcha comes from the word mikreh - "happenstance"

In the words of Reb Tzadok HaCohen, "The whole essence of Amalek is random happenstance... and as it is written 'how they happened [asher karcha] upon you': since Amalek attributes all things to random chance."

That is the reason the descendant of Amalek, Haman, decided to throw lots to determine the date of the Jewish people's destruction, rather than destroying them the moment he had the chance. It was more important for him to solidify the belief in random happenstance when confronting the Jew than it was to eradicate the Jew immediately. That is the reason that Amalek attacked the Israelites immediately after the miraculous exodus from Egypt. The exodus from Egypt had achieved one of its stated goals in impressing the nations of the world that the world was being ruled with Divine purpose and was not, in fact, run by randomness.

The woman Rahav of Jericho says to the two spies that Joshua sent into the land:

...and she said unto the men: 'I know that HaShem hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land melt away before you. For we have heard how HaShem dried up the water of the Red Sea before you, when you came out of Egypt; and what you did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were beyond the Jordan, unto Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. And as soon as we had heard it, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more spirit in any man, because of you; for HaShem your G-d, He is G-d in heaven above, and on earth beneath. (Joshua 2:9-11)

Amalek did away with that memorable history. Amalek, who in Gematria is equivalent to the Hebrew word safek or "doubt," ignored those memories because Amalek was to be a nation with no memory. Amalek was a nation that lived simply in the here and now; past events and experience was irrelevant. In so doing, he was following in the footsteps of his ancestor Esav, whose name comes from the word asui - "fully made." Esav and Amalek did not need to grow and change, they were what they were. Jacob was all about memory. Jacob, by virtue of his name, was all about following forward - le'akov.

That is the reason that the Jewish people are bidden to remember and never forget Amalek. They are bidden to blot out their remembrance. To blot out the remembrance of a nation with no memory. If the Jewish nation does not succeed in that task, then Amalek will have succeeded in tainting their spiritual core. Without a deep sense of history , a clear vision of the reality around them, and a spiritual vision of destiny, the Jewish people will lose direction and falter. This is what has already happened to our leadership and continues to threaten to engulf the rest of Israeli society.

Yet, deep historical memory, open-eyed awareness of reality and spiritual vision has not died in this country.

This week, I participated in a wedding among the ancient ruins of the Talmudic village of Katzrin on the Golan. A son of friends who had settled in the community of Nov, on the Golan, was marrying the daughter of one of the founding families of that community. As we guided the groom towards his bride with singing and dancing through the narrow alleyways of the ruins of the Katsrin village, I was struck by an overwhelming thought.

Here we were, two thousand years after the destruction of this village, singing, "There will yet be the sound of the groom and the bride...." And I imagined that behind the dark stones of the ruins were hiding the souls of all the ancient residents singing and rejoicing with us. The descendants of those same souls never forgot their past and, after two thousand years, came back to reclaim it. These young people with their whole future unfolding before them decided to cement that future by declaring their faithfulness in the ruins of an ancient synagogue.

One of the secrets of the Jewish people is that there is no such thing as a twenty-, forty- or sixty-year-old Jew. Every Jew alive today is three thousand years old.

That is the power of memory. "Forgetting is the beginning of Exile; remembering is the beginning of Redemption."

A Holy System Of Government

2008-09-03T01:19:00.000-07:00

bsd
A Holy System Of Government
Moshe Kempinski

Attitudes towards the rebirth of Jewish commonwealth in Israel are very similar to the old adage “ do you see the glass as half empty or as half full”. That is to say do we look at all the foibles in the state? Do we bemoan and wail how what we see has become such a caricature of what is meant to be in this land .Or do we understand and see the seeds and blossoms of a new thing..

Our judicial; system seems to be stricken with peripheral vision.Our police rife with corruption and small mindedness. Those that claim to be the levites of our nation seem to have forgotten the rest of the people and the vision that has once led this people into their destiny seems to have waned.

The torah portion of Shoftim essentially deals with the establishment of four such bodies whose roles are to provide governance and guidance in the land of Israel. These words and instructions regarding these institutions are being delivered by Moshe 36 days before his death. These systems seem to be so important that Moshe makes them a critical part of the intricate legacy he bequeaths his people before he leaves this world.

The four bodies are Shoftim VeShotrim, judges and officers (Deut. 16:18),Kohanim or levitical priests (18:1 ),a Melech or the king (17:14) and the Navi ,the prophet (18:15).Each of these individual bodies or people represent a different function and purpose. The first is a judicial system that any nation needs to institute., The second represents a system of national and individual worship ,while the third, the king points to leadership that binds them all together. Yet the fourth the Navi, the prophet or those who bear those prophetic words represents the vision and direction that this nation must follow in order to thrive and survive.

Why such a cumbersome system? Why would Moshe spend so much time focusing on its establishment during these last critical days of his life? Is it to uplift this nation and give it prominence in the world?

Behold, I have taught you statutes and ordinances, even as HaShem my G-d commanded me that ye should do so in the midst of the land whither ye go in to possess it. Observe therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, that, when they hear all these statutes, shall say: 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.' For what great nation is there, that hath G-d so nigh unto them, as HaShem our G-d is whensoever we call upon Him? And what great nation is there, that hath statutes and ordinances so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?
(Deuteronomy 4:5-8)

Is it all related to that? That the nations of the world would realize that "Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” Is it about the Jewish people being extolled ?That seems more like a by product than a goal. The answer seems to be related to a declaration made by G-d through the prophet Isaiah.

Thus saith G-d HaShem, He that created the heavens, and stretched them forth, He that spread forth the earth and that which cometh out of it, He that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: "I HaShem have called you ( the children of Israel) in righteousness, and have taken hold of your hand, and kept you, and set you for a covenant of the people, for a light of the nations ( Ohr HaGoyim) "(Isaiah 42: 5-6).

Note that it says a light of the nations not a light to the nations as is usually translated.Yet tody that seems like a goal much to high to be attained and much too fraught withdangers, animosity and pitfalls.This is a people that would undergo peaks and valleys. .This is a people that would experience great achievements and also fall in to great disappointments and tragedy. These are people with human frailties and fears .As a result many individuals would not or could not on their own be a light to any one even unto themselves.

Yet G-d declares " HaShem did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because you were more in number than any people; for you were the fewest of all people; but because HaShem loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your ancestors." (Deuteronomy 7:7, 8) .

This is a people that would be used to create a new reality in the world, not because they deserved it and not because they were so important. Their worthiness and their importance comes from one source, and that is G-d. That fact is the sole purpose of this people and their divinely chosen message. That is the reason for the cumbersome system. This people living in their own land would be the greatest statement of G-d's Rulership in this world.

" and you shall be unto Me a Mamlechet Kohanim VeGoy Kadosh- a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation .'(Exodus 19:6).

A Mamlechet represented by the king, a system of worship represented by the kohanim and levites, a Goy or developed nation represented by law and order and the holiness embodied by the vision of a prophet." Only in such a fashion will this people on their land succeed in becoming a " Light of the Nations". Any compromise in any of the spiritual and divine requirements of any of this system would simply prove to be , G-d forbide , a desecration of G-d's name.

Only the reestablishing of spiritual vision, of true justice, of heaven directed worship and a leadership that binds all those together will bring about the reestablishment of a Mamlechet Kohanim VeGoy Kadosh- a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. So is the cup half empty or half full.It may be more than half empty but it is in the process of being filled.In spite of the hardships and the threats surrounding us something is blossoming. In spite of the fears and antagonism of segments of our own people something is growing. Look into the eyes of the young people and you will find the vision. Search the actions of all those people involved in acts of charity and lovingkindness and you will see the seeds of true justice and order. Listen to the roar of prayer Friday night at the Western Wall.and you will sense the new sense of worship and prayer.

As for a king. We are in the month of Elul, 'haMelech BaSadeh..the King is in the field"

The Power of Loving-Kindness

2008-08-27T06:18:00.000-07:00

bsd

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

See the Good Land

2008-08-27T06:16:00.000-07:00

bsd

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

2008-08-27T06:13:00.000-07:00

bsd

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

2008-08-27T06:10:00.000-07:00

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

Discernment and Darkness

2008-08-27T06:08:00.000-07:00

bsd

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

2008-08-27T06:05:00.000-07:00

bsd

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

2008-08-27T06:04:00.000-07:00

bsd
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

2008-08-27T06:03:00.000-07:00

bsd
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