Category: Teachings on Devarim (Deuteronomy)

Parshat Devarim August 5, 2011

Living in the heart of biblical Israel gives me the special privilege of being an eyewitness to the mosaic of historical- religious sites in the landscape, just from my window. On rare occasions I can even go out and touch them. Within a mile from my home in Itamar you can see the old stone monuments of the tombs of Itamar and ElazarHaKohanim, the High Priests that entered the land with Joshua.Their tombs stand as antique testimonies to the original owners of the Land of Israel. This, combined with the sprinkling of modern day organic farms on the hilltops integrates the past into the present. There is another element though that has crept into the domain of ancient Israel. What up until a hundred years ago remained barren and rural, has been built up and taken over by a people and culture far different than ours, making it almost impossible to reach the holy monuments.

ItamarElazarPinchas and the 70 elders are all buried in GivatPinchas, also known as its present name, Awarta. (for more information about that site please see my article on ParshatPinchas 2008) This week, on the first of Av we commemorated the yartzeit of Aaron the High Priest being given an opportunity to pray at the site of his sons, Itamar and Elazar. Only a handful of Jews from all over Israel arrived at 1:00 in the morning on that night to be driven in by armored army escort, myself included. Driving down a lane of gnarled olive trees, past the home of the Awads, convicted THAT DAY for the murder of The Fogel family who lived down my block in Itamar just a few months ago didn’t leave me feeling victorious but there was a painful sweet netzach- yes, I can reach you… Here I was entering the core of holiness surrounded by a husk of fierce, zealous profane uncleanliness. Stepping out unto the dusty dark road leading up to the old broken stairs of the Tomb, a verse from Shakespeare hit me: “The rankest compound of villainous smell that ever offended the nostril.” The silence of the dead night was not betrayed by the hundreds of olive green soldiers standing there in rows only to protect our lives.

These nine days of Av are sad. We don’t listen to music, dance or go to the movies. There are no weddings or simchas as we commemorate the destruction of our Holy Temple destroyed by the Romans. It is hard not to realize that most of our holy places still sit in ruins.They are hard facts for us to see. We cry for the end of our exile. As I touch the wall of the shrine and strike a match to light a candle for the immortal soul of the Tzaddikthat lives on in us, I perceive a swastika above Arabic writings. What comes to mind is the verse we read on TishaB’Av about the swine being placed into the chamber of the Holy of Holies. This is why we mourn. The soldiers lead us back into armored halftracks and down the road, home.

We know that Mashiach is born on TishaB’Av. I turn to face the lights the new outpost set up, GivatAreyeh, where the Awarta murderers passed by with their butcher knives and evil plans. Next week will be Shabbat Nachamu There is a time to mourn and a time Hashem consoles us. A little light shines bright in the dark dark night. I was blessed to live in biblical Israel in a generation that has brought forth sweet grapes from old vines. NetzachYisrael Lo YishakerLaOlam. (Samuel 1:15:29)

Shabbat Shalom Leah Goldsmith

Vezot HaBracha – This is the blessing 2010 September 22, 2010

This is the last parsha of the Torah. It is also the last day of Moshe Rabbeinu’s life. He stands on Har Nevo and Hashem shows him the panorama of the Land of Israel according to the root essence of each tribe in its portion. The field of view the torah described is only five of the tribes: Dan, Naftali, Ephraim, Menashe and Judah. Internalizing into the inner core essence of each of these tribes, Moshe prophesizes the entire stream of Jewish history running its course until the end of days. Rabbi Yitzchak Ginzberg gives a detailed analysis into the spheres of these tribes: 1) Dan- Righteous indignation- like the smoke and fire that burns evil in the world – in a sense- holy anger- on a practical level- the army of the Mashiach (as it says in the prophets that the enemies weapons will burn for 7 years) 2) Naftali- laughter- When Mashiach will be able to include the holy sparks of what was perceived as evil into good. This produces laughter and brings joy to the soul, the joy of the shell being incorporated into the core (like laughing in the face of evil) 3) Ephraim- Marital union- in practical terms- the settling of the Land of Israel as Am Yisrael is considered the land’s husband. Moreover, the Jewish people will procreate, bearing more and more Jews who will live in all parts of the Land of Israel. The picture on the flag of Ephraim was one of a baby. (This growing process is alluded to in the blessings given to Yosef- Mashiach ben Yosef is the physical foundation of Israel in it’s redemptive process in the merit of |Shomer Habrit| Yosef, who guarded the Brit. 4) Menashe- The inner sense of smell – being the Judge, as Mashiach, the true Judge will rule Israel and all the world. The nose and the mouth correspond to Daat, the inner knowledge of the soul – through spiritual smell and taste. 5) Judah- Speech- clarity of leadership as all the new dimensions of the torah are revealed (Mashiach will be outspoken!) – It is said of Moshe that the Shechinah (Divine Presence) speaks through the throat of Moshe. The word of the tongue is called Milah, therefore twinning with the Brit of Yesod (Brit Milah) (The Covenant)

This is the prophecy that Moshe Rabbeinu receives as he is about to leave the world. As he enters the spheres and passes through Yesod and Malchut he KNOWS that he will return as Mashiach to redeem the world and reveal the torah again, making the ultimate and final redemption complete. We are eager to begin again the torah anew after closing it on Sukkot. If we take into our hearts the concepts revealed to us in this torah, then we join the awesome resolution to settling Israel physically, philosophically, and practically at this geula time now. It is time the life force of Am Yisrael actualizes itself. It is one thing to read from the torah, but there no illusions here. Shakespeare once said, such stuff as dreams were made on- For us it is time to LIVE the dream. Every parcel of Eretz Dan, Naftali, Ephraim, Menashe and Judah are sacred. Every inch of the entire land of Israel is fortified by the spirit of Hashem, untouchable to the contrariety and disagreement of the nations, whatever they may say. If we want it to be VeZot HaBracha- This is the blessing- let us bless Israel and activate our righteous indignation- THIS IS NOT A TIME FOR APATHY!!! This is the blessing- let us laugh in the face of evil! This is the blessing- let us settle the land and build it. This is the blessing- let us judge be’zchuyot Am Yisrael. This is the blessing- Open your mouths- say the truth- don’t be afraid of who you are! Share it with the world! This is the blessing- This is the Torah. It is not just a book you pass around. We pray that Malchut will rise into the Keter of torah for a new year full of all of the torahs revealed to us in this parsha and the coming of Mashiach, Amen!

Chag Sukkot Sameyach, Shabbat Shalom Leah Goldsmith

Parshat Ha’azinu – Shabbat Shuva (Return!) September 25, 2009

Moshe Rabbeinu signs, seals and delivers G-d’s message to Am Yisrael: Give ear, oh you heavens and I will speak- hear oh earth, the words of my mouth”. With this, he comes to a finish as he is about to exit from the long drama of the exodus. “For tomorrow, I die”, he tells the masses. He is telling them that no mortal is immortal, but the heavens and earth, who never die, bare witness to the warnings he delivers. Most of this parsha is a song, conveyed through a prophecy about Israel’s relationship with G-d and the blessings they can receive if they listen: “The grapevine will give forth its fruit and the Land its produce.” However, if they do not listen, the forewarning states that the witnesses themselves (the heavens which supply the abundant rain and dew and the earth which blossoms and gives forth sustenance) will execute judgment: “And the Land will not give its yield …”

The heavens and earth, we know are represented by the masculine attributes-(the one that influences) and the feminine attributes (the one that receives). This is the motion of the world, the give and take relationship, that represent too the spiritual and physical realms- like the body and the soul. It is the clock of the world ticking, turning, and bringing always new life. What Moshe Rabbeinu is telling us in his final words is that man keeping the Torah is the mechanism that “runs this machine”. The torah is timeless and was created specifically for the purpose of connecting these 2 spheres in order to maintain the cycles of life and the rejuvenation of blessing to the world.

It is not coincidence that our parsha’s theme is all about what was what is and what will be, as we too come to a full circle as the book of Life is sealed on Yom Kippur. It is precisely at this time that we retrospect, “How was I with so and so…” It is a time to introspect, “How am I with Hashem? How am I with myself?” We pray that “My wisdom will drip down like rain” as we rededicate ourselves to a New Year of being the kli (the vessel) that connects Heaven to Earth in doing more mitzvoth, in thinking better thoughts, and in seeing Glory even when it is not obvious. Let me take this opportunity to bless you with a Shana Tova U’metukah, G’mar Chatimah Tova. We are all witness to the Land giving her fruit, be’ayin tova– a coming to fruition of the blessings promised after 2,000 years of desolation and waste when no people could live here on this Land. A full circle of fate has turned too as we, Am Yisrael return to the beginning, where it all started- in the Land of Israel. Let us rise above the nations of the world that say Israel is not for Israel and show the world the truth. Let these very mountains and this Land be our voice and proclaim His name as one.

Shabbat Shalom, Leah Goldsmith