Shaarei Tzedek - Orthodox Judaism in Downtown Toronto

Parshat Matot 5768

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

Contaminating Flavors

Gourmet chefs know how flavors retained in the walls of their cooking utensils can contaminate dishes. Cultures such as the Japanese, with highly developed taste senses, will often keep their utensils for specific foods and wash them up separately. We too are sensitive to flavor, but as the Nation of Hashem, we are more concerned about the pollutant flavors of Issur and Tumah (two different forms of negative spiritual energy that can attach to food and utensils) than we are about culinary contamination. Hashem teaches Benei Yisrael in this week’s Parsha, how to cleanse the utensils of Midyan of those spiritual contaminants to make them fit for Jewish usage. These laws are the foundation of our laws of the kashrut of keilim (utensils):

Laws of Kashrut of Keilim

If a keili (utensil) contains non-kosher food, not only may we not eat that food, but we may also not use that utensil for hot kosher food if the non-kosher food it previously contained was hot. The reason is because flavor is absorbed in the sides of the keili, and ta’am ke’ikkar - flavor has the spiritual and halachik properties of the food itself.

There is a way to repair that keili and make it fit for kosher use. The parsha teaches us a second principle, keboll’oh kach polltoh - a keili will discharge the flavors it has absorbed if the same level of heat is applied to it as was used when it absorbed the non kosher food’s flavors initially. So a pot in which non-kosher was cooked (in liquid) will discharge those flavors if it is immersed in boiling water. This is called hag’allah.

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Parshat Pinchas 5768

© Rabbi David Lapin, 2008

The Imperfection of Knowledge

Wisdom is mysterious and human knowledge is not absolute. There is a dimension of wisdom that eludes even the wisest of men. “Fifty pathways to wisdom were created in the Universe” says the Gemarra,[1] “and all were given to Moshe except one.” Human knowledge will always lack at least one dimension of understanding, and therein lies its mystery.

Wisdom is like an onion. Each time that new insights peels away another layer of ignorance or confusion, we find yet another layer of questions and mysteries. At its core, this “onion” of knowledge carries a secret, a secret known to no one but G-d Himself: the fiftieth gateway to wisdom.

This applies even when man must make halachik decisions or decide in a matter of justice between two litigants in a court of law. “Ki Hamishpat Leilokim hu”, says Moshe,[2] “for the decisions of Justice are ultimately in G-d’s domain.”

If this is so, how are we meant to make halachik decisions? Even if a judge, Poseik or Rav is inherently competent and qualified, how is he to decide on matters of justice if his knowledge is always incomplete, never absolute?

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Ego - “Now you see it; now you don’t”

Parshat Chukat 5768

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

Ash and Dust - Sota and Para

Travel with me on an imaginary trip forward (or backward) into a time when the Beit Hamikdash is operational.

We stroll and we observe. We see two strange, seemingly unrelated practices. First, we see a Kohein fixing a drink. The scene is sad. Conflict, fear and resentment permeate the atmosphere. He is mixing sand and water for the Mey Sota (Waters of a Sota). A man requested that his wife avoid ongoing privacy with another man. After ignoring his request, he accuses her of unfaithfulness. Drinking this water will prove her either guilty or innocent. If innocent, cleansed of the negative energy between them, the couple will reconcile in peace and joy. Later, a righteous son of Abrahamic stature will be born.

In a different place a Kohein is mixing another inert powder, the ashes of a Para Aduma (Red Cow), with water, the source of life. This mixture also cleanses negative energy; the negative energy that attaches to a Jew when he has contact with a dead body. This mixture however will not be drunk; it will be sprinkled.

The intersection of Masechet Sotah in the current Daf Yomi program with Parshat Parah in this week’s Parsha, begs a comparison that the Gemmara (Sotah 17a) provides: “Rava researched[1] and discovered that as a consequence of Avraham’s humble declaration ‘and I am merely dust and ashes,’ his children were privileged with two mitzvot: the ashes of the Red Cow and the dust of the Sotah (water).”

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

Seeing Different vs. Looking Different

The meraglim (spies) were exceptionally great people to start with and that is the hardest part of the story.

I cannot imagine the gedolim (great Torah leaders) of our generation doing what the meraglim did. I certainly cannot imagine it of the gedolim of the generation in Europe before the war, and earlier. We couldn’t picture the Chofetz Chaim or the Vilna Gaon, the Rishonim, Amoraim, or Tana’im, doing what the meraglim did. Then how can we picture the gedolim of the generation who stood at Sinai stooping to such levels?

Different individuals who go through the same situations or see the same sights may experience those situations or sights very differently from one another. We should not assume that we understand what another person has experienced or is experiencing even if we have been through exactly the same situation. We are different from one another and we experience the world and life differently.

Ten spies reported an insurmountable enemy of vast strength and fortification. Two spies, Yehoshua and Kalev saw an opportunity for a G-dly nation to overcome a G-dless enemy that is so filled with fear that they fortify endlessly. The ten saw defeat. The two saw victory.

The ten meraglim saw the same land that Yehoshua and Kalev saw. But they experienced it differently. The differences in their experiences were not caused by anything different in the objects of their experience but in their subjects. It was something inside each of them that caused them to experience the same land so very differently.

The differences between Yehoshua and Kalev and the other ten, were not differences in intellect or in belief in G-d. All twelve of them were equally great in both. The Targum Yonattan refers to them as chariffin (of sharp intellect), Rashi talks of their importance as people and leaders. The differences were in an emotion: they were in different emotional states in that moment and this caused their different experiences of the same event. The ten felt fear. The two felt courage. The ten absorbed their experience into a space of fear and interpreted it there. Yehoshua and Kalev absorbed it into a space of courage, and interpreted their experience as they felt it in that place of courage.

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By Simon Jacobson (http://meaningfullife.com)

Companies often advertise themselves as “in business for 89 years,” “brewing beer since 1874,” “loyally serving you for six decades.” By invoking generational continuity these businesses are trying to elicit confidence. We tend to trust something that has lasted for an extended time period. It means that the company is time tested, has weathered ups and downs while others failed and has the experience and know-how that you can depend upon. That’s why it has lasted so long.

Never mind that many of these companies have changed hands and are no longer owned or controlled by the founding family. Still, the mere mention of longevity engenders trust in the brand.

That’s why I always feel proud to emphasize that the traditions and ideas conveyed in this column go back thousands of years in an unbroken chain.

This year we celebrate the 3320thyear since the Torah was given at Sinai. Not 89 years, not 1874, not six decades. Three thousand three hundred and twenty years that we have been “in business.” And despite all the radical changes through the millennia and the extreme challenges – through genocides, expulsions, oppressions and every form of assault that brought the Jewish people to the brink of extinction – we stand tall today 3320 years later and live to tell about the events that transpired 3320 years ago.

Not just live to tell about it, but we have a book – actually the best-selling book of all time – that documents in detail a blueprint of how civilized people ought to live.

We study and pore over this book, just as our parents and grandparents did, just as their ancestors did day after day, year after year, century after century, millennium after millennium, all the way back to Moses and his people on that fateful day when they stood at Sinai receiving the Torah.

If this does not inspire awe what does?

It’s true that many people advocating Torah may be doing it an injustice and may be distorting its message. Many others study Torah and follow its guidelines mechanically and often lack soulfullness and personal integration. Some have used Torah in despicable ways.

But all this does not take away from the enduring power of a tradition that has made it through history and stands strong today, as the most influential document of all time – one that serves as the basis of modern democratic institutions and constitutions, advocating principles of virtue and generosity, honoring the equality of all people, the absolute dignity of every individual created in the “Divine Image,” caring for the less fortunate, living in peace with each other while maintaining our individual rights and offering a comprehensive system to spiritualize the material universe in which we live.

Yes indeed, we are “in business” for 3320 years and counting.

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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via Rabbi Zalmen Marozov.

Today is Yom Hasho’ah - Holocaust Remembrance Day. Today we remember the six million Jews who were murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators.

Remembering is a Jewish trait and a mitzvah! In fact, there are six remembrances that the Torah commands every Jew to recall each day. One of them is:

“Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt, how he met you on the way and cut down all the weak who straggled behind when you were weary and exhausted… You shall blot out the memory of Amalek… Do not forget.”

The Torah stresses that in addition to “remembering” we must also “not forget.” Teaching us that one may remember, yet, at the same time, be guilty of forgetting.

How is this possible?

A person functions through intelligence and action. Yet, many times they are worlds apart! Too often we see people doing the wrong things even though intellectually they know that what they are doing is terribly wrong.

This applies to one’s actions which bring harm to themselves. It may apply to actions which affect one’s family, one’s social life, community matters or in one’s business dealings. G-d gave humans the great advantage of intellect. One has the ability to use that intellect to achieve great positive things or to create havoc and destruction, even on a global scale, all the while knowing that what they are doing is wrong.

Thus, the Torah commands us to “remember” but this alone is not enough. One must also “not forget” to act according to the principles that result from that remembrance.

The Ten Commandments begin with “I am the L-rd your G-d” on the first Tablet. The sixth commandment, “Do not commit murder” is right opposite it on top of the second Tablet. These two commandments go hand in hand.

Today (and every day) we remember the six million men, women and children whose lives were so brutally extinguished by beasts in the form of humans, who pretended to have the most civilized culture in the world at the time. Today we must not forget that the commandment, “do not commit murder” is very much dependent on the first commandment, “I am the L-rd your G-d!”

Let us transform this Remembrance Day into deeds by strengthening the observance of our spiritual heritage - the Torah and mitzvot. Let us take to heart the words of this week’s Parsha, “You should love your fellow as (you love) yourself, I am your G-d.”

Let us strengthen our support for the State of Israel during these crucial times. Let’s support our Jewish educational institutions, keeping the eternal light of the six million holy souls and their revered and blessed memory alive forever.

By Shifra Hendrie

“As in the days when you left Egypt, I will show you wonders” Micah 7:15.

On the fifteenth of the Hebrew month of Nissan, Jews around the world will sit together with family and friends. They will sit at tables covered with white cloths, illuminated with candlelight, sparkling with silver, china and crystal. Throughout the night, they will taste the richness of wine, the bitterness of horseradish, and the subtle pure taste of matzah, the bread of faith.

On the seder night, we celebrate our liberation from slavery in Egypt, our redemption and freedom.

And yet, we are still waiting to be free.

When I was a small child, I lived in Chicago. We weren’t observant, but my grandparents were. And every Passover (Pesach), we would go to their apartment - my parents, my brothers and I - together with all my aunts, uncles and cousins, to celebrate the seder.

I remember my Uncle Artie and my Aunt Shiffy joking, the kids clowning around, my grandfather talking about the Exodus from Egypt and my grandmother saying: “Samuel, I’m hungry! Can you please hurry so we can eat?”

I never wanted my grandfather to hurry. I would have loved it if he had told the story of the Exodus all night long. Because from as far back as I can remember, at the seder - in the eating, the drinking and the telling of the story - I could feel the walls of the world shifting, opening and moving back. I could feel the presence of something else; something sparkling, something powerful, profoundly in motion, real and alive.

Many years have passed since my grandparents passed away. There were years - lots of years - when I didn’t go to any seder. There were years when I didn’t even know that Pesach had come and gone.

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