Shaarei Tzedek – Orthodox Judaism in Downtown Toronto

By Simon Jacobson (Meaningful Life Center)

A birthday is a time for celebration but also a time for reflection. What have I achieved in my years on this earth? Have I lived up to the mission which brought me here? A birthday begs us to ask the biggest question of all: Why was I born in the first place? What is the purpose of my life?

As people celebrate the 60th birthday of the modern state of Israel, it’s a most appropriate time to reflect on the nature and purpose of this complex land, and is it living up to its mission.

In truth, Israel is not 60 years old. It is more like 3745 years old – if you count from the time that Abraham first settled in the land. Or 3280 years old – from the time the Jewish people entered the Promised Land. This number is not just a matter of semantics; it had far reaching consequences. For example, if Israel is only 60 years old what right does it have to displace millions of Palestinians who have been living there far longer?

Regardless – Israel’s age is not the focus of this article – since Israel’s birthday is in the news, it’s hard to ignore the relevance of this week’s Torah portion, which defines in succinct and pointed terms the purpose of the Land of Israel.

Contrast always helps crystallize matters. Examining the wide range of opinions about Israel’s mission will help us appreciate, by contrast, this Torah portion’s glaring message to us on this matter.

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© Rabbi David Lapin, 2008 (http://iawaken.org)

The boundary between nature and miracle is a creation of your own mind. You can open channels of miraculous possibility by removing that imaginary boundary. Is this the teaching of some new age Guru? Not at all: this lesson is taught by the Sefat Emet[1] on our Parsha.

Every seventh year, in Israel, the Shemitta is observed. The land is not worked that year and the farmers use the time as a Sabbatical during which to reconnect to Hashem, study the Torah and grow spiritually. The year after the seventh Shemitta is a Yoveil year. That year too, the land is not worked. Hashem says in the parsha (Vayikra 25:20) “And if you will say during that seventh year: what shall we eat during the eighth year? [2] I shall command My blessing for you in the sixth year (the year before the shemitta) and it will produce sufficient food for three years.” Rashi explains that this will occur by your gaining all the nutrition and satisfaction you need from one third of the volume of food you would normally consume.

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Parshat Kedoshim 5768   © Rabbi David Lapin, 2008 iawaken.org

Kedusha: The Challenge

The Torah’s highest spiritual expectations are not attainable by everyone, but its Halachik (legal) expectations are. “Kedoshim Tiheyu” (“you shall be individuals of sanctity”) is a Halachik expectation, it is a commandment, a mitzvah. We are obligated not only to aspire to sanctity, but to achieve it. And no, Hashem is not joking, He is absolutely serious! What is kedusha (sanctity) and how do you achieve it?

Kedusha is the ultimate level in the Mesilat Yesharim’s[1] remarkable manual of spiritual greatness. In this essay I base my description of what kedusha is on Rabbi Chaim Luzzato’s thesis in Chapter 26. We shall also look at how to achieve it and the dangers of artificial kedusha.

Image and Identity

There is a difference between image and identity. Image is the way we present ourselves to others. Identity is the way we see ourselves when we are honest. A gap between image and identity is neither unusual nor necessarily unhealthy. In civilized societies we tend to present ourselves to others as a little better than we really are. The danger is when the gap is too big or when we are unaware of the differences between our identity and our image. Then we tend to identify with our image rather than with our authentic selves.

The people, things and ideas to which we are attached play an important part in forming our identities. Our parents, children, nationalities, culture, religion and even our professions mold not only our images but often our identities too.

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