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The movie Sandlot is a wonderful film about a group of kids who play baseball together on a local field (a.k.a a sandlot). The main character of the movie, Smalls, just moved to the area and wants to fit in with the group, but has no idea how to play baseball. His step-dad, played by Denis Leary, tries to teach Smalls how to play. Leary throws the ball at him, and (somewhat hilariously), because Smalls has no idea what to do, the ball goes whizzing past his glove and right into his face, giving him a black eye.
This week we begin reading the book of Bamidbar. The book opens with the following verse (Num. 1:1), “The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai/וַיְדַבֵּר ה’ אֶל-מֹשֶׁה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי.” The Rabbis ask, why was it necessary for these things to happen in the wilderness? They teach in a Midrash (Num. Rab. 1:7), “anyone that does not make themselves ownerless like the wilderness cannot acquire wisdom and Torah. Therefore it is said, ‘in the wilderness of Sinai.’” The Midrash teaches that there is something about the quality of the wilderness that allows for the ability to acquire Torah. What is it about being “ownerless” that enables this capacity? The Sfas Emes* teaches (Bamidbar 5664) that on the Shabbat before Shavuot (this week!) we need to prepare to receive Torah. That is why Shabbat was given before Torah, so that it can serve as a preparation to receive the Torah**. This is why it is written (Ex. 16:30), “the people rested on the seventh day/ וַיִּשְׁבְּתוּ הָעָם בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִעִי,” immediately before the people of Israel travel to Sinai. The Sfas Emes explains that it is through the power of Shabbat that we were able to come together as one to Sinai. He teaches that the wilderness is about nullification. In the wilderness, one can get rid of everything and just focus on hearing the word of God. Luckily, we have a little taste of that opportunity every week on Shabbat, when we cease from all of our work and put it out of our minds.*** When we clean out our minds and hearts and join together, we are able to fully receive the Torah. It is difficult to receive anything without first being prepared. Smalls could not catch the ball because he did not know how to receive it. And it we rush into Shavuot without preparation, we will not be able to properly receive the Torah. This Shabbat, let us begin our preparations. Rest. Put the mundane thoughts, conversations and activities on hold. Let's clear out some space in our lives so we can enter the wilderness together and come out on the other side shining with the rays of Torah on our faces. Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Ezra *Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter (15 April 1847 – 11 January 1905), also known by the title of his main work, the Sfas Emes (Yiddish) or Sefat Emet שפת אמת (Hebrew), was a Hasidic rabbi who succeeded his grandfather, Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Alter, as the Av beis din (head of the rabbinical court) and Rav of Góra Kalwaria, Poland (known in Yiddish as the town of Ger), and succeeded Rabbi Chanokh Heynekh HaKohen Levin of Aleksander as Rebbe of the Gerrer Hasidim. **Shabbat first appears in Genesis, long before the revelation on Sinai. *** This is also why that in Dayenu we receive shabbat before being brought to Mt. Sinai. At the end of the movie, Field of Dreams (spoiler alert!), Kevin Costner’s character, Ray Kinsella, is upset because he is not allowed into the magical corn field where all of the legendary dead baseball players emerge from and return to on a daily basis. Shoeless Joe Jackson, played by Ray Liotta, tells him, “you’re not invited.” “Not invited?!,” Ray retorts, “you guys are guests in my corn!”
This week we read the double portion of BeHar/BeHukotai. Parshat BeHar opens (Lev. 25:2-4) with the mitzvah of the Sabbatical year/Shmita, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them: When you enter the land that I am giving you, the land shall observe a sabbath for the Lord. For six years you shall sow your field, and for six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather in their yield; but in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath of complete rest for the land, a sabbath for the Lord: you shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard./דַּבֵּר אֶל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם כִּי תָבֹאוּ אֶל-הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי נֹתֵן לָכֶם וְשָׁבְתָה הָאָרֶץ שַׁבָּת לַה’. שֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים תִּזְרַע שָׂדֶךָ וְשֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים תִּזְמֹר כַּרְמֶךָ; וְאָסַפְתָּ אֶת-תְּבוּאָתָהּ. וּבַשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁבִיעִת שַׁבַּת שַׁבָּתוֹן יִהְיֶה לָאָרֶץ שַׁבָּת לַה’, שָׂדְךָ לֹא תִזְרָע וְכַרְמְךָ לֹא תִזְמֹר.” The Sfas Emes* teaches (Parshat BeHar 5648) that these verses remind us that Hashem gave us the Land of Israel and for us to know that it in fact belongs to God. As it is taught in another Midrash (Tanḥuma), God gave the world to Abraham and he returned it and gave it back to God. This is the mitzvah of Shmita, that the Land is given to the People of Israel anew, after every seventh year. And the People of Israel are ready to accept this gift every time, as the verse says (Lev. 25:23), “with me you are but aliens and tenants/כִּי-גֵרִים וְתוֹשָׁבִים אַתֶּם עִמָּדִי.” The Sfas Emes explains that this is actually a praise given to the People of Israel who know that they are tenants, and they make clear for all to see that the Land belongs to God. I was actually In Israel two years ago during a Shmita year where we could not easily eat local produce and the price of fruits and vegetables was significantly higher. This is one practical way to see this process play out even today. For that year, we practice giving the Land back to God. And the following year we receive again. Ray Kinsella did not understand this concept. He assumed that since he had the deed to the farm, that he owned the land and could do whatever he wanted on it. This Parsha comes to teach us humility in that respect. Next week, we will celebrate the miraculous victory of 1967 and the liberation of Jerusalem. Jerusalem is our people’s capital. And yet we must always remember that we alone do not hold the deed. Our shared ownership with God places a demand on us to live up to the city’s name, The City of Shalom/Peace. May we merit to continue to hold onto the gift of Jerusalem, and may we see the blossoming of a more full redemption. May we see it speedily and in our days. Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Ezra *Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter (15 April 1847 – 11 January 1905), also known by the title of his main work, the Sfas Emes (Yiddish) or Sefat Emet שפת אמת (Hebrew), was a Hasidic rabbi who succeeded his grandfather, Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Alter, as the Av beis din (head of the rabbinical court) and Rav of Góra Kalwaria, Poland (known in Yiddish as the town of Ger), and succeeded Rabbi Chanokh Heynekh HaKohen Levin of Aleksander as Rebbe of the Gerrer Hasidim. About six months ago, Ray Allen, former NBA All-Star, wrote a piece in the Player’s Tribune that was a letter to his younger self. In the letter, he described his day to day routines and habits and that he would have to choose daily to work hard and dedicate himself to becoming great at his craft. Allen writes, “but if I’m being real with you, what you’ll realize after you win the first title is that the thrill is fleeting. The vindication is fleeting. If you only chase that high, you’re going to end up very depressed. The championships are almost secondary to the feeling you’ll get from waking up every morning and putting in the work. The championships are like when you were sitting in class at UConn with your shirt and tie on. They’re just the culmination...I really mean it from the bottom of my heart: Life is about the journey, not the destination. And that journey will change you as a person.”
In this week’s Parsha, Parshat Emor, we are given the mitzvah of the Omer/עומר. The verse reads, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them: When you enter the land that I am giving you and you reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest/דַּבֵּר אֶל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם, כִּי-תָבֹאוּ אֶל-הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי נֹתֵן לָכֶם, וּקְצַרְתֶּם אֶת קְצִירָהּ וַהֲבֵאתֶם אֶת עֹמֶר רֵאשִׁית קְצִירְכֶם אֶל-הַכֹּהֵן (Lev. 23:10).” The Midrash (Lev. Rab. 28:1) brings a verse from Ecclesiastes to raise a point. “What do people gain from all the toil at which they toil under the sun/מַה יִּתְרוֹן לָאָדָם בְּכָל עֲמָלוֹ שֶׁיַּעֲמֹל תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ?” The Midrash is asking about the purpose of mundane work and the work that is so connected to this world. What is the point? Rabbi Binyamin ben Levi said that in fact, people sought to ban the book of Ecclesiastes since it could lead to heresy. If there is no point to anything, why engage in our tradition at all?!? The Midrash fixes this and goes on to explain that when one toils in the meaningless, that it has no use, but, when one toils in Torah, then there is a profit to the hard work. But what does this look like? The Sfas Emes* teaches (Parshat Emor 5656) one can only find hidden wisdom through the power of Torah as the Torah opens by teahing “Breishit Bara/בראשית ברא.” Torah is called Reishit/ראשית.** Through engaging and toiling in Torah, one can see that everything in nature is essentially Torah. It is our job as Jews to believe that Torah is hidden everywhere. Just like silver is found in the earth, one just needs to find it, clean and fashion it. That is our role. We are challenged to look everywhere to free and redeem the seemingly mundane so that everyone can see its divinity. A table is more than a table if you look at it the right way. It can bring people together. It can serve a Shabbos meal. Our day to day lives, seen through the right prism, have tremendous meaning. Every year we need to rededicate ourselves to this orientation. That is why we start counting the Omer the day after Passover/Pesah. Pesah is supposed to be an intense and life altering moment of redemption. And I think for many of us, it is easy to feel that at the Seder. But what happens the next morning? Are we changed? The counting of the Omer ensures that we, every day for forty-nine days, look to lift up the world around us so that all can see that it is essentially Torah. Every day, we lift up a little bit, adding pieces to the puzzle until we arrive at Shavuot, where we receive the entirety of Torah at Sinai. Later in Allen’s article, he tells a story about how the morning after the Game 7 victory where he and the Miami Heat won a championship, he got up early and started working on his daily routine. “This is what success looks like for you. You’re the kind of guy who goes to the dentist the morning after winning an NBA title.” Pesah is a fleeting moment. Let us embrace the mission of the Omer. Let us take these next days to look at everything around us and see the potential Torah in it. Let us choose to continue this journey towards Torah together and may we be blessed with Torah every step along the way. Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Ezra *Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter (15 April 1847 – 11 January 1905), also known by the title of his main work, the Sfas Emes (Yiddish) or Sefat Emet שפת אמת (Hebrew), was a Hasidic rabbi who succeeded his grandfather, Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Alter, as the Av beis din (head of the rabbinical court) and Rav of Góra Kalwaria, Poland (known in Yiddish as the town of Ger), and succeeded Rabbi Chanokh Heynekh HaKohen Levin of Aleksander as Rebbe of the Gerrer Hasidim. **This is a common Hasidic teaching, that the verse should be translated not as “In the beginning,” but rather, “With Reishit (i.e Torah) the world was created.” A couple of years ago, when I was in Israel for the semester, I decided that I wanted to learn the recipes of my wife and the Moroccan side of her family. There are many dishes to learn, but I was particularly interested in learning how to prepare the various salads/salatim that are so delicious as an appetizer course. Among these dishes, is the famed matbucha. This is a salad of roasted red peppers and tomatoes that are cooked down with various spices into a delicious dish that some call, “the red stuff.” After the laborious preparations, and after all the ingredients are in the pot, my wife instructed me, pretty seriously I might add, to lower the flame, and KEEP STIRRING every couple of minutes!!
This week, we read a double portion of Aharei Mot and Kedoshim. The opening verse/pasuk of Kedoshim reads, “speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy/דַּבֵּר אֶל-כָּל-עֲדַת בְּנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם--קְדֹשִׁים תִּהְיוּ כִּי קָדוֹשׁ אֲנִי ה’ אֱלֹקיכֶם (Lev. 19:2).” This is the classic translation of the pasuk. We are holy, because God is holy. The Midrash (Lev. Rab. 24:9) teaches that our holiness is limited, and that God’s holiness is on a higher plane than ours. Holiness starts at the top and flows downward. This makes plenty of sense, in its own right. However, the Meor Einayim* reads this very differently. He teaches (Meor Einayim pg. 236) that the whole world was created for the sake of Israel and the Torah and that the righteous one moves and leads the world through Torah. And God derives great pleasure in this. He compares this to a human king who derives great pleasure in his children who truly know how to lead his kingdom. This is how the righteous one leads, that “through lower stirrings there are upper stirrings/באתערותא דלתתא אתערותה דלעילה.” That is to say, when we move and lead the world towards a state of holiness and redemption, God is moved and delighted. Our holiness activates God’s holiness. So the pasuk does not read, “Israel is holy for I the Lord your God am holy,” rather, it reads “Israel is holy so that I the Lord your God am holy.”** My wife insists that I stir the matbucha so that the bottom does not burn. When I stir, not only does the bottom not burn, but the flavors that are at the bottom, get dispersed throughout the whole dish and completely fill the sauce all the way up to the top. The matbucha is made better by stirring up what is at the bottom. This is our task. We must lead and be an example to the rest of the world. We are challenged to follow the Torah and fulfil the mitzvot. Our mandate is to act with love and justice so that we may bring about a world of holiness and redemption. May we succeed, and may God smile and delight in our holy lives. Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Ezra *Rabbi Menachem Nochum Twersky of Chernobyl (born 1730, Norynsk, Volhynia - died 1787, Chernobyl, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth) was the founder of the Chernobyl Hasidic dynasty. He was a disciple of the Baal Shem Tov and the Maggid of Mezritch, and published one of the first works of Hasidic thought. **This is a brilliant reading of the pasuk. He ultimately does not translate the word “כי” as “because”, but as “so that” or “in order.” |
AuthorRabbi Ezra Balser has been the rabbi at Temple Beth Sholom since July 1, 2016. He received his “smicha” (ordination) in June 2017 from Hebrew College while also earning a Master’s Degree in Jewish Studies. He has also received the iCenter's Certification in Israel Education. Archives
March 2018
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