Shemot 2013

In this week’s Parsha, Hashem bestows on Moshe the charge to tell Pharaoh that he must let the Jewish people leave Egypt. Moshe answers, “The Jewish people did not listen to me; how will Pharaoh listen, for I am lame in the lips!”

Many commentators point out that Moshe is making a logical deduction that Pharaoh will not listen based on his previous experience with the Jewish People. After all, the Jewish People had not listened to Moshe previously, so why would the leader of the entire country listen to him?! Yet the logic is faulty. The Sfas Emes points out that in the very preceding verse, the Torah tells us that they could not listen to Moshe for they were so engrossed in the difficult, back-breaking labor which was forced upon them. Pharaoh obviously would be able to listen, for this reason did not apply to him. In essence, Moshe didn’t realize that the Jews didn’t listen because of other factors and had nothing to do with his speech limitations. His logic was not beyond reason, yet it was entirely incorrect. He used faulty logic to allow an argument that would free him to evade this responsibility.

Human nature often sends us in directions that are anything but helpful. We need to be aware of this frailty and make sure that our decisions are made only after evaluating facts objectively, rather than allow personal agendas to cloud our ability to evaluate what is truly beneficial and true.

Our generation is more informed and connected than any previous generation. The access to information that is at our fingertips is startling and at times even humbling. I personally find it amazing every time that I inform my sister in Israel about current events that are happening in her own backyard. The speed at which information travels is truly amazing, and this information has the ability to shape our opinions and perspectives. One of the many challenges that faces our generation is recognizing that this information is being transmitted through filters from the media, and we hear and read the information through great amounts of interpretation. All too often, a perception of an event is transmitted rather than the facts of the event. Impartiality is praised, but all too often ignored. Much like Moshe, if one wants to believe something as the truth, that is exactly what he will hear. We would never believe that Moshe intended to ignore or twist the facts that were playing out in front of him, but the Sfas Emes explains that even the greatest of people can make this mistake due to human frailty.

Recently, there have been many emotionally charged debates and discussions that have come to light because of current events. As we read and come to our own opinions on the matters of the day, it is incumbent upon us to recognize that the information we read is often slanted. As Jews, we of course have a slant as well, which is asking ourselves what the opinion of the Torah is in a given situation. This slant should certainly factor in to our calculations after all has been considered as well. May we merit to always make the right decisions and have the proper perspectives carry us through our lives.

My earliest memory of Tu B’Shevat is sitting in class and being pleasantly shocked as the principal of the school entered with a surprise in hand. We had no idea what was in the box, but it is always exciting to receive an unexpected gift. He then started handing out buxer, or what I found out later is actually dried carob. It looked very unappealing, and tasted even worse than it looked. The day improved a little when I came home and had some dried fruit that was more appealing, but dried fruit was never quite my favorite food. For many, Tu B’Shevat is a day that has little more significance than dried apricot and a lack of Tachanun. We say that it is the birthday for the trees, but what does that even mena? Is there more to this special day? What is Tu B’Shevat really all about? The first Mishnah in Rosh Hashana designates Tu B’shevat as the New Year for the trees according to the opinion of Beit Hillel. Practically, this means that the fiscal accounting cycle begins anew for the farmers as they figure out the amount of Terumah and Maaser (tithes) that need to be given to a variety of people. Once these tithes are properly distributed, the remainder of the crop is now deemed “kosher” and may be eaten.

Rabbi Moshe Feinstein explains that the farmer exerted tremendous energy and time to see his field produce its fruits. Once the produce has been harvested, he deserves to partake in the bounty for which he worked so hard. Yet, he is reminded that he must first tithe his income and only afterwards partake. There is no clear recipient of the tithes; as he is permitted to choose the Kohen, Levi, or poor individual who receives his portion. There are no penalties imposed by the courts if he does not tithe, or if he does not tithe properly. He is very much in control of his finances and only answers to his own accounting. Yet he knows in the recesses of his mind that the entire production that he worked so hard for really only belongs to him and is chullin (kosher for anyone to eat) when he does his tithing properly. The date that the accounting was completed and the tithing could truly begin was Tu B’Shevat. This day was a time of tremendous joy for the farmer, as he could say with confidence that he had fulfilled his obligations and could now enjoy the fruits of his labor with a clear conscience.

The joy of Tu B’Shevat is intertwined with the knowledge that we have taken care of our obligations to our country, our community, and those amongst us who are in need. This message is one of the primary manners in which we can have a meaningful Tu B’Shevat. For all of those who enjoy dried fruit and have figured out how to enjoy eating buxer; I wish you a tasty and delightful Tu B’Shvat. Everyone, though, can enjoy the day with the knowledge that we have put the needs of others ahead of our own.

This past week, the world heard of the passing of Essie Mae Washington-Williams at the age of 87. Essie Mae, an African-American woman, did not reveal her father’s identity until six months after her father died in 2003. Essie Mae was born out of wedlock, and her father was the late Strom Thurmond, one of the staunchest segregationists in the Senate, continuously attempting to block civil rights legislation. The news of Mrs. Washington-William’s passing occurred at the start of Black History Month, as well as a week before the birthday of Abraham Lincoln. It also happened to be during the week of the reading of Parashat Mishpatim, a section which discusses the Halachot related to slavery. As the saying goes, “timing is everything,” and in this regard, we appreciate that the timing of her passing is very apropos.

Similarly, the Talmud Yerushalmi explains that the law that a master must free his slave in the seventh year, the Shemittah year, was taught to the Jewish people when they were still in Egypt. This rule would not be put into place until they settled the land of Israel, which would not occur for another fifty years! Why was this lesson conveyed so long before the mitzvah was to become relevant on a practical level?

Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz learned a powerful message from this statement of the Yerushalmi. He explained that Hashem clearly understood the mentality of the Nation in the moments before the redemption was to occur. The Jewish People were highly in tune with the struggles and sensitivities that should be awarded to a slave. They understood very vividly how a slave dreams and longs for the day that his freedom will be restored. At that moment, they were able to connect to the mitzvah in a fashion that would not be palpable in the same manner in the years to come.

Rabbi Shmuelevitz explains that ideally, we should always place ourselves into the shoes of the recipient of our kindness, just as the Jewish People were very clearly able to connect with the plight of the slave being freed. The concept of a Jewish slave is drastically different than the common perception. The Halacha stresses that the slave was to be treated in a way that would help him retain his honor. He was to be fed before the master, and was not allowed to do certain menial tasks. The Gemara in fact relates that one Rabbi exclaimed that “to own a slave is to own a master!” Nevertheless, losing free household help can be difficult. For this reason, the mitzvah was given to the Jewish People precisely at a time that would negate this feeling—at a time that slavery was still very much a reality.

The lesson of the placement and timing of this mitzvah is still relevant to us today. Before engaging in a mitzvah that affects other people, it is important to step into their shoes and be sensitive to their realities. Very often, this perspective will guide us in a direction give us a perspective that we did not  consider previously. Ultimately, with this attitude, we are a better nation, community, and individuals.

Go Green—We have heard the idea so many times. In today’s day and age, our responsibility to reduce pollutants and waste, and thus ensure the Earth’s viability for future generations, has become blatantly clear. When, though, did this movement begin, and is there a Jewish source for the Green Revolution? Furthermore, what does the Green Revolution have to do with the DAT Minyan Purim Edition Newsletter?

The Megilla states in 2:7: “And he had brought up Hadassah, that is Esther, his uncle's daughter.” The Gemara in Megilla 13a debates which of the names, Esther or Hadassa, was primary and which was a nickname. Six opinions on the matter are proposed. Ben Azai, the third of the opinions quoted, states that Esther was nicknamed Hadassah, as her stature was very average, much like a Haddas (myrtle branch). Rabbi Yehoshua ben Karcha teaches that Esther was her true name, but she was nicknamed Hadassah, as she resembled a Haddas with her green skin. When we juxtapose these two opinions alongside the Midrash Rabbah that teaches that Esther was seventy five years old at the time, we are left wondering why Achashverosh was so stricken by the physical attributes of a seventy-five-year-old with average physical appearance and green skin! Achashverosh was the leader of the entire world and had access to every available woman in the land. What led him to choose Esther?

The answer can perhaps be found several verses later when Esther is summoned to Achashverosh. All of the other women had arrived before him and he fulfilled their every request (Verse 13—“Then with this the maiden would come to the king; whatever she would request would be given to her”), yet Esther requested nothing (Verse 15—“Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abichail, Mordecai's uncle, who had taken her for a daughter, came to go in to the king, she requested nothing”). Her actions could certainly have been understood as a sign of disobedience or lack of gratitude. Yet neither her disobedience, age, average appearance, nor green skin caused disdain in the eyes of Achashverosh. Odd.

An answer begins to develop when we examine why Esther was chosen. In verse 17, we see that Achashverosh loved Esther more than the other women. She was the one who “found more favor and kindness” than any of the other women. She showed compassion in excess, and Achashverosh noticed her exemplary traits. Where and how did she show these traits?

The answer to this question can be found in the requests that she noticeably did not make. She recognized that Persia at that time was insensitive to the environment and unconcerned with issues related to nature. Being the Torah observant and sensitive Jew that she was, Esther began her own Green Revolution. While all the other women were interested in the physical pleasures offered by the gas guzzling appliances and inefficient energy machines of the time, Esther wanted no part. While the other women indulged in oils and cosmetics that were unapproved by the environmental agencies of the time for the sake of impressing Achashverosh, Esther needed to be forced under duress to anoint herself.  Furthermore, to clearly demonstrate her lack of approval with Persia’s lack of sensitivity to the environment, she appeared in public painted in green—just as a myrtle branch.  She became known as Hadassah, the environmentalist, and she inspired all who saw her determination to keep our Earth free of toxins and pollutants. Achashverosh was so smitten by her determination to save our planet, that he looked past the fact that she was not necessarily physically special or unique. Her “chessed” for the environment set her aside from  all of the other fair maidens of the land, and set her course to be the heroine of the Jewish people, and perhaps one of the saviors of our Earth as we know it.

How  will it all get done? How can I prepare for Pesach in time while still being a good parent/spouse/child/neighbor? How can I juggle all the responsibilities of home life while still putting in my all at work? How do I do all of these preparations and still enter into Pesach in a festive mood, truly happy to see the holiday arrive as opposed to being terrified by the prospect of watching Erev Pesach ebb away?

When the Torah describes the individuals who designed and built the Mishkan, the words that are used are that they were “Chachmei Lev”—wise of heart. The obvious question is that intellect and wisdom do not emanate from the heart but rather from the mind. What is the Torah trying to teach us from this strange description of their credentials?

On numerous occasions, I remember Rabbi Meir Goldvicht, a Rosh Yeshiva in Yeshiva University, explaining in class that the Jews leaving Egypt were not worthy of receiving higher educations in the finest educational institutions. They were slaves who were the children of slaves, and throughout their lives were treated as such by the Egyptians. When they left Egypt in miraculous fashion, they lived magical lives in which their needs were provided straight from Hashem. In Egypt they didn’t have the chance to receive an education, and in the desert there was no use for the skills that the education would have provided. Their shelter, sustenance, and protection were clearly provided from above. This reality did not pose much of a problem until the commandment to build a Mishkan. These former slaves were suddenly charged with the construction of a complex structure and its intricate vessels. How exactly were they to be expected to complete this seemingly impossible task?

Rabbi Goldvicht explains that the answer lies within the phrase Chochmei Lev. These were not individuals who necessarily contained the intellectual knowledge to complete the task, yet they did have the wisdom of the heart—namely, the motivation. They understood that they would not have been charged with this mission unless Hashem believed that they could complete it. This belief carried them through the entire challenge until the completion of the Mishkan.

Often in life, we face challenges that seem insurmountable. We think that we do not have the tools, knowledge, or abilities to complete the task. Yet with motivation and belief in Hashem, we can surely overcome great odds and accomplish great achievements. If slaves can build a Mishkan, then we should not devalue our own potential to see the tasks ahead of us be completed. May we all have a Chag Kasher V’Sameach!