Category: Articles and Essays

Leah’s Blog July 25th 2014

There is a little blue glass bowl I have, a permanent fixture on our kitchen table, always full of sweet candy. After noticing that it is always full, no-one ever asks if it was someone’s birthday or anniversary. It’s just a fact in our home, that there is always something sweet here.

It is not easy to be the mother personally of two boys, soldiers in fighting units, engaged in the war of good over evil this summer. It falls into a solemn time when the fun of the sun is shadowed by our grief for when Rome came against Israel, destroying our Temple, setting our land on fire, scattering us and saying our hope is lost. This is why we have a custom of dipping our bread into salt. To remember.

As a mother living in Israel in this generation, I can say I have the merit of immersing myself in the mikveh of blind faith. I don’t know where the boys exactly are. What they eat, if they sleep, if they can drink when the hot reeking dust of the enemy blows into their faces. I wonder what dangers they encounter and if they internalize what they see. I immerse myself now in steadfast prayer, spontaneously, like never before. Please let them come home safely. Our boys are part of an army whose comradery supersedes any other because “Love your neighbor as yourself” has been so ingrained despite the hundreds of generations since Rabbi Akiva said it. It is a way of life. How they enter the fight in complete will, from the deepest place in their hearts and souls to serve Hashem, the nation and all goodness in the world.

This Shabbat I am baking challah with honey.

This is for the hope restored and ignited that no army or force can ever extinguish. This is for the dreams of all the Jewish generations coming true, for prayers answered. This is not a time for despair. As the missiles fall on Israel, planeloads of her people come to return to her, even now. And here, on the mountain, where I can just make out the sea I wait, knowing prophecy does come true. “Veshavu Banim legvoolam”. – Your children will return to their land” Jeremiah 31:17

Shabbat Shalom, Leah Goldsmith

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Essay on Parshat Pinchas – Zealous for Zion

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Post date 11 July 2014
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In this week’s portion we see the daughters of Tzelafchad requesting an inheritance in the land. It is very interesting that the Torah goes out of its way to state the family genealogy all the way back to Joseph. Why is this necessary? Rashi explains that the Torah purposely wants to show the family connection with Yosef in order to make a comparison between them. Just as Joseph loved the land of Israel as we see from his request to be buried in the land.

In the same way the daughters of Tzelafchad loved the land as we see from their request of an inheritance. One may ask how this proves their love for the land. Maybe they wanted a good piece of real state? Why not? Who would refuse a nice piece of land if he could get one? How did Rashi know that this stemmed from their love of the land? Joseph’s love for the land on the other hand was very clear since his request was after death; surely he had no personal benefit he could only have been driven by his spiritual connection and love for the land and therefore wanted to be buried in Israel. One the other hand, how do we know what the true intentions of the daughters of Tzelafchad were?

I think a possible answer can be found in next week’s portion where we learn about the request of Reuven and Gad to remain on the other side of the Jordan. Their inspiration came from the fact that the fertile grazing land of the Bashan would allow them to prosper financially. It was love at first site. They saw what they wanted and requested it. On the other hand, the daughters of Tzelafchad had no idea of what piece of land they would be getting in Israel. Their only motive was to have a stake in the land of Israel. It was a blind commitment to the land similar to the Jews saying at Sinai “Naaseh Vinishmah” “we will do and we will listen”. As far as they are concerned they would be happy living in a desert wasteland as long as they are in Israel.

This lesson is a lesson to us all about devotion and love for the land. Today many Jews are still living outside the land of Israel. What prevents them from moving to Israel is their fear of giving up their comforts and beautiful homes that they have chosen for themselves. Why settle somewhere in the Israel that brings uncertainty with it? This amazing story of devotion and love for the land should be a light to all of them. The time has come to return home and trust in Hashem what He chooses for us.

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Moshe Goldsmith

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Leah’s Blog – Reflections on the disengagement

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Post date 11 July 2014
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My Blog- The hot Summer of 2014

It is almost a decade ago that our family took an unforgettable bus ride into what was soon to be the demolished Gush Katif. It was a last opportunity to ride as a civilian into that area of Israel, a collage of splendid greenhouses of celery, lettuce and I remember tasting the sweet tomatoes that were too good to be true. There were songbirds, cows, roosters and the steady slushy sound of the waves filling out the quiet, the peace. The beautiful villas that decorated that flourishing oasis facing the blue Mediterranean Sea made me wonder why we hadn’t spent more time in the salty sandy dunes of Gaza in all the years we had lived in Israel.

That tranquility ended abruptly as only a week after our visit, the residents of that paradise that they made in the sand piles were dragged from their homes by our army. Killing factories, bases for Chamas and missiles replace the synagoges and on top of the broken debris of hothouses, training camps for terrorists have been set up. When we passed Ashkelon on that day in the hot glaring blaze before the disengagement I remember seeing signs of doves and slogans for peace, banners rippling in the hot dusty wind of summer. People said, “If we only give it to them- we can have peace!” Something that reminded me of throwing Yosef into the pit, for after that was done the torah tells us the brothers sat down to eat bread.

Today houses in Tel Aviv have sandbags on their windows. There is no eating bread in peace, as the missiles launched from the surf in Gush Katif destroy those Tel Aviv dreams.

This summer has had us praying more. We believe our prayers were offerings that were accepted and are accepted now. As this Shabbat comes in and enters our hearts we thank Hashem for the open miracles He in His goodness has shown us here in Israel as hundreds of deadly rockets have fallen all over. In His mercy we have seen little damage. We also ask to pray for the refuah shelayma of our dear soldier of Itamar, Mordechay Chay Ben Bracha Yehudit who was wounded yesterday. We ask him to protect our soldiers going in to operate and that they all return safely (our two sons included!)We ask Hashem to give clarity of decision to our leaders to preserve the entire Israel at this time of great blessing as the rocks give wine and the prophesy of our Land coming to life returns. We as an entire country have experienced the result of folly, of the mistake of ripping away a limb from the body of Israel in leaving Gaza and pray that all of Israel remains forever in our hands. Hashem promised it to us, an everlasting legacy. To all of our friends out there, a friend brings a friend- please spread the word about our mission here and we need you now more than ever.

Shabbat Shalom, a Shabbat of Shalom in the true sense of the word

Leah Goldsmith

Itamar