The Torah portion of Lech Lecha relates that Avraham built three altars to G-d.1 Rashi , basing his commentary on the Midrash2 , explains that Avraham built the first altar “upon hearing G-d’s promise that he would have children, and that they would inherit the land of Israel.”3

Rashi goes on to state that he erected the second altar — in the vicinity of Ai — because “he saw in his prophecy that his progeny would stumble there through the sin of Achan. He therefore prayed for them there.”4

However, no explanation is given by Rashi as to the reason for Avraham’s third altar, since Avraham built it out of his simple love of G-d upon his arrival in the city of Chevron.

Our Sages inform us5 that “G-d gave Avraham a sign that all that transpired with him will transpire with his children as well.” This is so because the actions of the Patriarchs serve as an antecedent and a catalyst for the subsequent actions of their descendants.
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© Rabbi David Lapin, 2008 (http://iawaken.org)

Yesterday does not predict tomorrow

Timeless values rather than transient, political events are the subjects of these essays. But this week’s events in the United States are not transient and they are far more than political. They call for comment.

The US elections are the third event in eight years that permanently changed the course of global history. But there is something even more startling about those events than the changes they ushered in. In all three cases we saw the failure of yesterday to predict tomorrow.

The three events were 1) September 11th; 2) the current financial crisis; and 3) the Obama landslide victory.[1] In each case the instruments traditionally relied upon to predict future trends proved incapable of doing so. In each case the world, including its experts, was taken by surprise and shocked out of complacency.

The United States had a sophisticated intelligence system that was caught unaware in 2001. The world of finance was driven by complex models designed by brilliant minds using cutting edge technology, but it could not foresee the collapse of US credit markets. Even Alan Greenspan told Congress last month that he was in a state of “shocked disbelief.” Barack Obama’s victory was not a surprise (although not very long ago many considered it impossible and even in September McCain’s lead was considered within the margins of polling error), but its landslide dimensions were. None of the polls predicted anything like it.

Yesterday is over

The reason that none of these events were predicted is because the future is no longer a continuation of the past. No longer can one use yesterday’s tools, data and trends to predict tomorrow. Yesterday is over. One needs a deep understanding of today to predict tomorrow. As it Pirkei Avot (Ethics of our Fathers) says: “A wise man is one who is roeh et hanolad - who can visualize that which has just been conceived.” Many of the factors that drove the course of history for decades and maybe centuries drive it no more. New factors have been born that drive it now. Mr. Obama seems to see those factors and uses them.
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©Rabbi David Lapin, 2008 (http://www.iawaken.org)

The Wisdom of Trust

The creation of Adam and Chava on the sixth day, inaugurated a short period of intellectual and spiritual grandeur for man, a grandeur that lasted for no more than six hours.[1] Then it was shattered - not by Chava or Adam eating from the forbidden fruit of the Eitz Hada’at, but because their union was compromised by the poison of mistrust.

Adam and Chava were super-intelligent. They were “arumim” (Chakimim, wise, according to the Targum Yonattan). Their wisdom however was not vested in their individual beings but in the unit of their togetherness: “Vehayu Lebasar Echad” (and they will exist as a single being). “And they were, the two of them together, man and wife, wise.” (Bereishit 2:24-25)

It is Adam who first compromises the integrity of their partnership. After Hashem instructs them not to eat of the Eitz Hada’at, Adam of his own accord uses the principle of siyag (a legal “fence” designed to make transgression less likely), and tells Chava that not only is eating the fruit forbidden but touching it is forbidden too. The snake (nachash) slyly proves to Chava that no harm results from touching the fruit, leading her to question the authenticity of the entire instruction that her husband purportedly received from Hashem. “Perhaps,” she thinks to herself, “the entire instruction my Rebbi (this is the last time she refers to her husband as rebbi,) gave me, is a lie.” (Avot DeRabbi Nattan 1)

Had Adam trusted Chava at the outset; had he taken her into his confidence, told her precisely what the Divine prohibition was and then taught her the principles of siyag, Chava would never have been seduced by the nachash. Had Chava trusted in her husband, she would not have succumbed to the snake’s seduction. Insufficient trust shattered the purity of their union, diminished their wisdom, and opened the door to the snake.
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The holiday of Sukkot (”Tabernacles”) is the most joyous holiday of the year. There are four levels of joy on this holiday, corresponding to the four letters of God’s Essential Name, Havayah.

1. The Celebration of the Drawing of Water (Simchat Beit Hashoevah): In this festive ceremony in the Temple, water was drawn from the Shiloach spring, simultaneously drawing God’s Holy Spirit (ruach hakodesh) into the souls of Israel. This level of joy corresponds to the letter yud of God’s Name and to the attribute of (the fountain of) chochmah.  
2. The joy of the sukkah (”tabernacle”) that protects us, both physically and spiritually. This level of joy corresponds to the first hei of God’s Name and to the attribute of binah.
3. The joy of the Four Species, which activate the emotions of the heart with love and unity of Israel. This level of joy corresponds to the vav of God’s Name and to the emotions of the heart.
4. The joy of the harvest, the natural joy of the farmer when he reaps the bounty that God has showered upon him. This level of joy corresponds to the final hei of God’s Name that enlivens all nature.

Read more …

On Rosh Hashanah we take a break from Selichot. Rosh Hashanah is not about begging for forgiveness. Begging for forgiveness focuses on the past whereas Rosh Hashanah focuses on the future. Rosh does not mean beginning; it means much more than that. Rosh Hashanah means the Head of the Year. The head is the seat of thought, of intellect, of purpose and of vision. Rosh Hashanah is the Head, the quality of whose thinking will determine the direction and quality of the entire year.

You create your whole year on Rosh Hashanah. You apply your mind (Rosh) to envisioning the future you really crave. In this process do not limit yourself. Think big. Do not limit yourself by your past, by your disappointments and by one of the tens of thousands of negative, critical messages your mind communicates to you every day of your life. Your future knows no limits except the limits you impose on it by the fear and timidness to envision boldly. Envision your future in detail, including color, feeling, smell and sound. Picture every detail of the future you want. Your family, spiritual heights, learning, finances, home, and every thing that goes with them. Feel what it would be like to live inside the painting you have created of your envisioned future. Whenever your mind is pulled back into the past, into negativity and thoughts of failure, gently bring it back to your beautiful picture of the future you are creating.

Only you can create the blueprint of your future, Hashem makes it happen but He doesn’t create it without your help. Too often we leave Hashem to create our futures and then we over-exert ourselves to try to make things happen. Try it the other way around: you create your own future, and leave Hashem to help you make it happen! Bederech She’Adam Rotzeh Leileich, molichim otto (”Hashem leads a person in the way he or she truly wants to go”). You have to want to go places for Hashem to lead you there. Determining the places you want to go this year, is your Avodah on Rosh Hashanah.
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A week doesn’t go by without three or four people asking me what to do about the chatter in the synagogue, especially among the “big wigs”. Since it’s easier to correct ourselves than it is to correct someone else, I tell people not to get into arguments with the chatterboxes, but to work on their deep concentration in praying until they don’t hear or feel anything that’s going on in the periphery.

Image, left: A Big Wig

Folks chatter in the synagogue because they don’t believe that Hashem is right there with them. If they knew that The King was there, they’d freeze! If a person chattered to his buddy in the solemn court of a flesh-and-blood king, he’d get the guillotine.

The more we develop our emuna, the greater our spiritual sensitivity becomes. The greater our spiritual sensitivity becomes, the more we feel Hashem. The more we feel Hashem, the better we pray. The better we pray, the less we chatter in the synagogue.

Our dear friend from London, gifted musician and songwriter David Dome, wrote the following witty song about the big wigs that run their mouths off in the synagogue:

The Big Wig

words and music by David Dome

Well I’ve got plenty to say, In the shul everyday.

I’m such a big wig in here, No one else can come near.

You see I open my mouth, My big “north and south”.

And I break all of the rules, About talking in shul.

Instead of saying Amen, I’m gonna talk to my friend.

And when the Rabbi turns round, I won’t make a sound.

But when he turns round to pray, I still have more to say.

About the traffic that lay, On the road yesterday.

Someday when I realise, I’ll shut my mouth and open my eyes.

Such a twittering bird, I know I’m quite absurd.

Ah, but what can I do? I’m more important than you.

I speak of whiskey and wine, The Financial Times.

And what’s happening in, The shul I haven’t yet been.

I’m a twittering bird, With what’s overheard.

But when I’m outside the door, I won’t say anymore.

I got plenty to say, In the shul everyday.

I’m a big wig in here, No one else can come near.

The Big Wig, by David Dome

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

“The Power of Pride”

I was the second speaker of the day. I walked up to the podium with a knot in my stomach. I was following immediately after Ian Thomas, an inspiring wildlife guide turned public speaker. His topic is “The Power of the Pride,” showing how lions use pride as a tool of leadership. Ian enthralls his audience, and after he finished they were in no mood to listen to me.

The loud din eventually settled. In a quiet voice I asked the audience whether Ian had shown them how lions make each other proud and how they can make even baboons feel proud. They shook their heads quizzically. “You see,” I said, “The reason Ian didn’t show you that is because lions cannot make others feel proud. Only humans can. Making others feel good about themselves is a G-dly trait, it comes from the Divine within each of us. This is why we should not learn leadership from animals; we should learn leadership from G-d.” You could hear a pin drop.

Feeling and transmitting emotion

The same applies to many emotions. We are capable not only of feeling a wide range of emotions but also of transmitting those emotions to others. This is the role of art. Art does not convey information. Art conveys feelings. Looking at a landscape of a scene you could never have been at, still allows you to feel something of what the artist felt as he or she looked at that scene. A great work of fiction can give you the feel of a place in the world or a time in history at which you could not have been present. Music and drama do the same thing.

We transmit not only positive emotions. We can transmit negative emotions too. We can radiate negativity, sadness, and cynicism just as we can radiate happiness, optimism and joy. We can demotivate people and we can uplift them. We all know the effect of being around people who are draining with their negativity compared to being around people who radiate positive energy.
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© Rabbi David Lapin, 2008 (http://iawaken.org)

Last evening I wrote a list of my incomplete tasks and projects. I wrote down everything I could think of that was awaiting decision, action, completion or abandonment. Stunned by the length of the list I understood why I was feeling so drained, overwhelmed, somewhat unfocused and generally miserable!

Unresolved issues and incomplete projects clutter the mind and block our energy. I am sure you have felt the liberation of un-cluttering a space, whether a desk, a computer filing system, a room in the house or a closet. There is an ease, a lightness and a clarity that comes with a clean-out. The clarity and lightness, and the high energy and focus that follow a mental clean-up is far greater even than the feeling after a physical clean-up.

Unfinished projects can be things as trivial as unreturned voicemails or as serious as unfinished masechtot (Talmudic Tractates), incomplete construction or business projects, and relationships that are unresolved.

Some incompletion is due to not having made a decision. Some of it is due to not having acted on a decision that has been made, and some is not having completed tasks that have been started. We’ll look at each of those categories:

No Decision

In an indecisive state we can fool ourselves into believing that two or more doors are open and we are not yet decided which to walk through. We are deluded into feeling we have the freedom of multiple options. The truth is we are paralyzed. We have no freedom at all. None of the options are open doors until we actually choose one of them. Not making a choice is disempowering and paralyzing.

It is helpful to perceive indecisiveness not as a decision pending, but as a decision made. Indecisiveness is a decision not to act at all! Recognizing that indecisiveness is in itself a decision, and accepting that it is a decision not to act, enables us to close the issue or it forces us into a different decision: a decision to act. Either way we break the paralysis and move on.

Imagine a person agonizing over whether or not to go on Aliyah. He believes that until he makes his decision his options are open and thast holds him back from deciding. However, if he accepts that his ambivalence is a decision for the status quo, he might confront the fact that for now he has made his decision: he is not going on Aliyah. This will either propel him into making a different choice, or still the turbulence of his agonizing dilemma.
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Please join us on Sunday, August 24, 2008 at 5:00pm to hear one of our generation’s greatest Torah minds and author of over 60 books.

Harav Yitzchak Ginsburgh will be speaking on “The Kabbalah of Gold and Monetary Standards.” (Download PDF)

• Are we headed towards another Great Depression?
• Worried about the future of your finances and capital?
• Would you like to understand more about Gold as a spiritual as well as financial refuge in times of monetary crisis?

• Time: 5:00pm
• Place: Congregation Shaarei Tzedek, 397 Markham St, Toronto, ON
• Date: Sunday, August 24, 2008

Books & Tapes: www.kabbalahsource.com

The names of all the months in the Hebrew calendar are originally from Babylon. The Jewish people adopted these Babylonian names during the 70 year exile in Babylon. Yet, of all the Babylonian names adopted, Tamuz stands out as peculiar: it is the name of an actual Babylonian deity and idol. Why would the sages allow the adoption of the name of idolatry into the holiness of Judaism?

The short answer is that our role is not only to combat idolatry by defacing it, because the psychological motivation that draws people to idolatry is not cured that way. Instead, in the long run, we have to transform the negative psychological proclivities that lead to idolatry and transform them into positive ones.1 It seems therefore, that the sages’ choice of the false god of the Tamuz provides us with a case study of the problem of idolatry and its solution. The month of Tamuz is thus the time of year best suited for understanding and practicing the process of transformation (or, ithapcha as it is called in Chassidut) in the psyche.

As we will see, the Tamuz is a parasite that lives off of the human tendency to self-pity and our sense of the tragic—two sentiments that are intrinsically linked to this time of the year.

Read more at inner.org …