The Bet in The Desert -Bamidbar

 

The Bet in The Desert
Parshat Bamidbar

This week's Parshah begins the narrative of the Jewish people's experience Bamidbar-in the desert. After the Jewish people left Egypt in the year 2448, it was intended for them to enter the land of Israel. Unfortunately, due to their most grievous sin of the golden calf, G-d decreed that they would wander in the wilderness for forty years. Indeed it was not until the year 2488, that the Jewish people entered Israel with Yehoshua as the new leader.

The experience of "Bamidbar" was not an easy one for our people. There were many challenges - negative episodes like the spies, the sin of the quail, the rebellion of Korach, the waters of strife, to name a few. Throughout these years, a full generation passed on and new leadership arose. To say that these were transformative and challenging years, is a gross understatement.

Hence, the question. How did we weather that type of storm? How did a young faith and community survive such a difficult thing? For that matter how do we weather the "Midbar" of our own lives, when we face challenges, hardships and difficulties?

The Hebrew word מדבר - Midbar, means wilderness, or desert. במדבר - Bamidbar, with the letter ב (Bet), means in the desert or can mean through the desert. In Hebrew, the word for worries or trouble is Da'agah, spelled דאגה. This word has in it the first five letters of the Aleph Bet with the exception of the letter Bet. Our sages tell us that the letter Bet stands for Bitachon, trust in Hashem. Worries come from the lack of proper Bitachon in Hashem. 

Perhaps we can understand the name of our Parshah through this lens as well.      The way the Jewish people survived the challenges and vicissitudes of the Midbar was through having the Bet, the strong Bitachon and trust in Hashem.

Community Projects - Vayakhel-Pikudei

Community Projects
Parshat Vayakhel-Pikudei

This week we read the double portion of Vayakhel and Pikudei. These two portions are the final portions of the Book of Shemot (Exodus). The Parshah begins with the words " ויקהל משה - And Moshe gathered." (Shemot: 35:1). This portion discusses in great detail the actual building of the Mishkan (tabernacle in the wilderness) and how all the planning and design finally came to fruition.

The etymology of the word Vayakhel comes from Kahal or Kehilah, which means to congregate or congregation. In fact, it is common and appropriate in Hebrew to call a community or synagogue a Kehilah. It is fascinating that the word Kehilah or Vayakhel seemingly first appears in the Torah in this portion, as it relates to the communal building project of the Mishkan. Why is that?

Building communities is a tricky and challenging task. Big and vibrant communities seem to have it all, infrastructure, support systems, organizations and more.  Disconnected or fractured communities seem to be lacking the abovementioned systems and the special sauce of what makes a community vibrant and rich. 

So, what is the secret? How do we set out to build community? How do we take individuals with varied ideas and opinions and begin to mesh them together into a unified force?

The great military powers of the world as well as successful businesses and organizations recognized long ago, that in order to create a unified community or group, there must be a shared vision and purpose. This is the singular greatest objective of the military's basic training - to take individuals and make them into a fighting force. In military jargon "To tear down the individual and build back a disciplined, physically and mentally tough, professional warrior". Similarly, smart leaders, recruit, train and have their employees buy into a vision, for without a shared goal and raison d'etre - there can be no real community.

In the last portions, we see how Hashem commanded the Jewish people to build the Mishkan. They donate materials, plan the structure, lay out the building schematics, and more. But it is only in this portion, Vayakhel, where they actually start the building that they are called a Kehilah. That is because now is when they truly became one community, focused and driven towards the same goal. The same applies to building any community. When a community has a shared vision and belief, a collective objective and goal, beautiful things happen. For when individuals come together with a greater purpose and goal, they truly become a Kehilah - a special sacred community.

Shabbat Shalom

Shemot - Lfum Tzara Agra - Success Comes with a Price

Shemot
Lfum Tzara Agra - Success Comes with a Price

This week we begin the book of Shemot (Exodus). The story of the servitude in Egypt and our subsequent Exodus to the promised land is the subject of the Passover Seder and  Haggadah. Our portion of Shemot begins with the story of the Jews being subjugated and enslaved. The Torah also describes how Pharaoh proposed Infanticide (killing of Jewish babies) after his initial plan of stemming the Jewish growth failed. Pharaoh called in the Jewish midwives and commanded them to kill the baby boys, while allowing the baby girls to live. The Jewish midwives refused to obey this command, and the nation prospered.

The verse states (Shemot 1:17), But the midwives feared G-d and they did not do as the king of Egypt spoke to them, and they caused the boys to live". G-d rewarded these brave women as the Torah states (1:20), "G-d benefited the midwives-and the people increased and became very strong. And it was because the midwives feared G-d, that He made them houses" (of royalty and priesthood).

According to our commentaries, these midwives were none other than Yocheved and Miriam, the mother and sister of Moshe and Aharon. 

The Or Ha'Chaim Ha'Kadosh (1696-1740) explains that when G-d sees that a person desires to serve Him at a great personal sacrifice, He enables him to succeed. So it was with the midwives, these heroines who had risked their lives for the Jewish people, and their risk paid off. G-d rewarded them that they merited to see the Jewish people grow and prosper.

So it is in life. We are often required to make deep personal sacrifices and commitment to do the things that are meaningful and worthwhile. Anything that comes easy is usually not worth much. Without the hard work and investment, there is no reward.

We learn from this portion, that when we invest and give of ourselves to a noble cause, G-d blesses us to see the work of our hands fulfilled.

Shabbat Shalom

Hear O Israel - Vayechi

Hear O' Israel
Parshat Vayechi

This week we read the final portion of Genesis. The portion of Vayechi chronicles Jacob's blessings to his children prior to his passing. The portion also documents the passing of all the tribes and the transition to the servitude which we read about in the book of Exodus.

The Torah describes how Yackov gathers his children to bless them. The verse states, (Genesis 49:1) "Then Yackov called for his sons and said, "Assemble yourselves and I will tell you what will befall you in the End of Days. Gather yourselves and listen, O sons of Yackov and listen to Israel your father".

According to the Midrash Rabbah (Bereishit Rabah), Yackov wished to bless his children and tell them when the Moshiach (Messiah) would arrive. G-d did not want him to divulge this information and withheld the knowledge from Jacob. When Jacob realized that G-d was withholding this prophecy from him, he was concerned that perhaps one of his sons was unworthy and a non-believer. When he expressed his concern to his sons they responded with the famous words "Hear O' Israel (their father), the Lord is our G-d, the Lord is One - Shema Yisrael, Hashem Elokeinu, Hashem Echad". Jacob then responded, "Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever-Baruch Shem Malchuto Leolam Vaed". It was then that Jacob realized that G-d just did not want him to reveal the Messianic time. 

This fascinating explanation of the verses traces the root of what became the most central prayer in all of Judaism. The Shema Yisrael is also in the Torah itself later on in the book of Devarim (6:4). The Shema Yisrael prayer is the highlight of the Yom Kippur service, the weekly and shabbat prayers, and also the final prayer a Jew says prior to their passing from this world. From a young age, children are taught the Shema Yisrael as it holds such a special place in Jewish liturgy and history.

Perhaps there is also a parenting lesson in this. Sometimes we worry excessively about our children and whether they are doing well or not. We concoct in our own minds so many scenarios and possibilities of how they are not doing well or how they may be failing.

Perhaps the message is that we must have some faith in our children. While we must certainly be vigilant and parent well, we must also have trust in our children and students. We must believe in the education and the love we have given them. Sometimes, we just need to really listen to our kids as they say, "Listen mom and dad, we're really ok".

Shabbat Shalom