Parashat Vaera: How Can We Merit to End the Current War in Ultimate Victory?

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Parashat Vaera
How Can We Merit to End the Current War in Ultimate Victory?

What Kind of Heritage Do I Wish to Bequeath to Our Offspring?

A long time has passed since my husband and I arrived from different corners of the earth and met in Jerusalem, the vortex of the world. Since then, we have built our lives and settled on a beautiful plot of land in the Land of Israel. Not a day goes by without us thanking Hashem for this zchut (privilege) to manage our homestead here in the Promised Land. What an honor to build our home on our treasured land, and engage in its upkeep, such as renovating, insulating, and painting it. Likewise, we delight in tending to our trees, vegetables, herbs, and flowers here on our own holy land portion. Although our patriarchs and matriarchs also tended the land of Israel – then called Cana’an – they had not yet inherited the land, which Hashem had promised them, as a heritage for their children.  Therefore, Avraham called himself a ‘foreigner- resident’ (Bereishit 23:4) when he needed to purchase the Machplah cave as a burial place for Sarah. Baruch Hashem through our soldiers’ blood, bravery, and tears the former land of Canaan and Palestine has now become our Land of Israel – the Jewish homeland – where we never again will have to be foreigners. My husband and I worked hard for our heritage in Israel, which we wish to bequeath to our children. Many of our friends have already written their will, but we have been hesitating, and now I know why. I just read an article by Rabbi Riskin about the difference between a יְרֻשָּׁה/yerusha – ‘inheritance’ and מוֹרָשָׁה/morasha – ‘heritage.’ Whereas most people’s Will is a yerusha – an inheritance that the children inherit without any strings attached, Hashem gave the Jewish people Israel as a morasha – a heritage – which is not only for the children themselves but will remain within the family for all future generations. Such a heirloom must be deserved, worked for, and maintained. The difference between a yerusha and a morasha is that the latter requires active involvement and participation. It can be compared to the difference between inheriting a sum of money or a family business. Receiving a morasha needs sweat, blood, and tears to maintain, keep going, and develop. So, I told my husband, “I want to leave my children not only with a yerusha, but with the morasha of our homestead, that they continue to tend and develop. I want our descendants to live on our land and pick the fruits of the trees we planted, for fruit-picking is actually work and effort.”

What is the Consequence of Moshe’s Complaint About the Intensified Hardship in Egypt?

The three most important things that Hashem bequeaths to His Chosen people must be acquired through hardships:

תלמוד בבלי ברכות ה ע/א תַּנְיָא, רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַאי אוֹמֵר: שָׁלֹשׁ מַתָּנוֹת טוֹבוֹת נָתַן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְכוּלָּן לֹא נְתָנָן אֶלָּא עַל יְדֵי יִסּוּרִין, אֵלּוּ הֵן: תּוֹרָה וְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהָעוֹלָם הַבָּא:

The Holy One, Blessed be He, gave Israel three precious gifts, all of which were given only by means of suffering, [which purified Israel so that they may merit to receive them. These gifts are:] Torah, Eretz Yisrael, and the World-to-Come (Babylonian Talmud, Berachot 5a).

I believe that suffering can be transformed into effort and through Emunah faith) we can take on a self-imposed effort that will take the place of suffering. Let me explain. At the end of Parashat Shemot Moshe complains that since he followed Hashem’s instruction to tell Pharaoh to “Let my people go” the situation had gotten so much worse for the Israelites. (They now had to gather the straw on their own while still producing the same amount of bricks as beforehand). Thus, Parashat Shemot concludes with Moshe’s complaint to Hashem: “Since I have come to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has harmed this people, and You have not saved Your people” (Shemot 5:23). This statement is the first cause that made Moshe lose the privilege of entering into the Land of Israel. Hashem responds to Moshe’s complaint by telling him about the forthcoming Exodus from Egypt: “Hashem said to Moshe, ‘Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh, for with a mighty hand he will send them out, and with a mighty hand he will drive them out of his land” (Shemot 6:1). Eithin this promise of redemption there is an allusion to Moshe’s punishment as Rashi explains.         

What Character Flaw Caused Moshe to be Barred from Entering the Land of Israel?

NOW YOU WILL SEE - You have questioned My ways [of running the world, which is] unlike Avraham, to whom I said, “For in Yitzchak your seed shall be called” (Bereishit 21:12), and afterward I said to him, “Bring him up there for a burnt offering” (Bereishit 22:2), yet he did not question Me. Therefore, NOW YOU WILL SEE - What is done to Pharaoh you will see, but not what is done to the kings of the seven nations [a reference to the battles fought to conquer Canaan] when I bring the children of Israel into the land of Israel (Rashi, Shemot 6:1). In other words, Hashem reprimands Moshe for his complaint which expresses a lack of emunah compared to Avraham, who had to endure great hardships without questioning Hashem. Due to this lack of emunah, Moshe lost the privilege of joining the Israelites in conquering the seven Canaanite nations when they would (forty years later) enter the Promised Land. Although Moshe’s slight lack of emunah stemmed from his great compassion and empathy for his people, there was still a minute element where he failed to look beyond the suffering of the moment and recognize that it was all part of the divine covenant. Through his immense care for the Israelites, he could see only what was immediately before him, namely that his intervention had resulted in a worsening of the Israelites’ situation. Although Moshe’s limited perspective stemmed from his deep identification with the pain of his people, nevertheless, G-d limited his perspective by cutting his life short; so that he wouldn’t be able to enter the Promised Land and witness the Israelites’ conquest. He who questioned the divine promise will not merit seeing its full realization (Based on Ilana Kurshan, Parashat Vaera). Whereas Moshe’s complaint emanated from his lofty level of love for his fellow Jews, regular people in the midst of suffering unbeknownst to themselves naturally try to alleviate the suffering through complaining or blaming. This tendency stems all the way back to the first humans. It is a way of projecting the hardship that seems too hard to bear onto someone else. However, that usually never helps in the long run. We can learn from Moshe’s complaint and its severe consequence that the best way to deal with hardships is through emunah. Strengthening our emunah in Hashem’s goodness – and believing that in the end, even our current suffering will turn out for the best will help us get through the bumps on our way!

Acquiring the Land of Israel through the Effort of Emunah

ספר שמות פרק ו פסוק ח וְהֵבֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נָשָּׁאתִי אֶת יָדִי לָתֵת אֹתָהּ לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּלְיַעֲקֹב וְנָתַתִּי אֹתָהּ לָכֶם מוֹרָשָׁה אֲנִי הַשֵׁם:

“I will bring you to the land, concerning which I raised My hand to give to Avraham, to Yitzchak, and to Ya’acov, and I will give it to you as a heritage; I am Hashem” (Shemot 6:8).

The above verse gives me a lot of hope that Hashem will soon expand the boundaries of Eretz Yisrael according to His promise to Avraham “From the river of Egypt until the great river, the Euphrates River” (Bereishit 15:18). As Ramban explains “I have raised the strength of My arm to Myself that I will give them the Land” (Ramban, Shemot 6:8). However, our Torah verse also indicates that our efforts are what brings Hashem’s oath into effect. Hashem swore that he would give us the land as a מוֹרָשָׁה/morasha – ‘heritage’ rather than a יְרֻשָּׁה/yerusha –‘inheritance.’ The added letter mem in morasha is a grammatical sign of intensity, for us to come into possession of a morasha, we must work for it. Thus, the Promised Land is acquired through suffering or effort. The effort of strengthening our emunah to have faith that everything will become better is the mildest way of acquiring Israel through suffering because overcoming our natural urge to complain – when things are hard like during this current war – is a way that we can take on the short-lived suffering of not following our negative inclination, but overcoming it through emunah, which will turn all the darkness into light.  Israel’s new ‘anthem’ is proof that Israelis today especially our brave soldiers are strengthening our emunah by singing at the top of our lungs: “Hashem, blessed be He, always loves me, and everything will always be good for me, and it will be even better and even better and it will always be only good for me!” 

Parashat Ha’azinu: How Do We Keep Up Our Gratitude and Emunah Throughout This Challenging War?

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Parashat Ha’azinu
How Do We Keep Up Our Gratitude and Emunah Throughout This Challenging War? 

Giving in to the Pressure of Cease Fire or Waging War Until Eradicating All Evil?
I have two personal news reporters from opposite vantage points, my husband with his Honest Reporting, and my sharp 89-year-old mother reporting from the CNN et al. perspective. On one of our bi-weekly phone calls during September 2024, my mom, who has two daughters, 6, grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren living in Israel, nervously related, “Now the war in Israel has surely begun, with Israel’s attack on Lebanon.” “What do you mean, Mom?” I asked, “Didn’t[MS1]  it begin almost a year ago with the barbaric slaughter of 1,139 Israelis most of whom were civilians, and the taking of more than 250 Israeli hostages?” “But now it’s escalating and getting more dangerous as we are all concerned that Iran will get involved,” retorted my mother. “It’s all Netanyahu’s fault. He should not have allowed attacks against Lebanon! I hope he will agree to a ceasefire, already,” my mom continued. It’s not the first time I’ve been subjected to Netanyahu being blamed for everything by my secular family and people I know in Denmark. The discussion never goes anywhere, because how can I explain to those who don’t make Hashem and His Torah the center of their life, that the time has finally come to eradicate evil from the world? How many miracles will it take for those who deny Hashem to recognize G-d’s providence and protection in our current war? In my opinion, it’s even a miracle that Israel – who has been so passive about defending herself against terror attacks and has been engaging in one ineffective peace treaty after the other – finally strikes back. After all these years, in which Chamas – with the help of the UN and European ‘humanitarian help’– built up their terrorist underground infrastructure in Gaza, with arsenals of weapons, the majority of Israelis have at last opened their eyes to see that we need once and for all to eradicate the evil that surrounds us. Now, there is a general consensus to continue the war without stopping until we attain the goal of living securely in our land, forever. I am filled with gratitude that Israel is finally fulfilling her moral imperative of eradicating evil, that threatens not only Israel but the entire world. I’m proud and thankful that most Israelis are dedicated to the eliminating the terrorists and their masters, wherever they are – above and below ground. As King David taught us: “I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till I destroyed them. I struck them down, and they could rise no more; they lay fallen at my feet” (Tehillim 18:38-39). Isn’t this how a nation that desires life must behave? (Inspired by Dror Eydar, Why Gratitude is in Order in Tough Times).

The Reincarnation of Evil at the End of Days
The rise of antisemitism in response to the atrocities committed against Israel is not logical. Yet, everything happening in the world is predicted in our Scriptures, as King David asks, “Why have nations gathered and [why do] kingdoms think vain things? Kings of a land stand up, and nobles take counsel together against Hashem and against His Mashiach? (Tehillim 2:1-2). As the war between good and evil intensifies, the world becomes increasingly more and more polarized. I believe that all the evildoers throughout the centuries, who have opposed Israel and cruelly massacred us are being reincarnated now, so that they will receive Divine retribution at the end of days. Rabbi Joseph Dov Soloveitchik,  defines Amalek as any hate-filled group that directs its enmity toward the Jewish people or one that conspires to commit genocide against the Jewish people  When a people emblazons on its banner, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation: that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance” (Tehillim 83:5) it becomes Amalek. Thus, Chamas and Hezbollah are Amalek of the 21^st century, whom we have a mitzvah to eradicate.  Iran, whom everyone fears, is no other than Persia, whom with the help of Heaven, we will defeat again as we have done through Esther and Mordechai. The following midrashic prediction is comforting for those who live by the Torah: “In the year that King Mashiach will be revealed, all the kings of the nations of the world will provoke one another. The king of Persia will provoke the Arabian King, the Arabian king will go to Aram for advice, and the king of Persia will return and destroy the entire world. All the nations of the world will make loud noises and panic, while falling on their faces and be seized by contractions, like the contractions of a birthing woman. Israel will cry out in panic and say, “Where shall we come and go? Where shall we come and go? Where shall we come and go?” Tell them, my son, do not fear, everything that I did, I only did it for you. Why are you afraid? Do not fear, the time of your redemption has come. The last redemption is not like the first redemption. For the first redemption was followed by pain and subjugation to the kingdoms. However, the last redemption will not be followed by pain and subjugation to the kingdoms” (Yalkut Shimoni 60:499). Although scary things are about to take place in Israel – the vortex of the world – it is comforting to believe that this is part of the final redemption, orchestrated by the good and righteous Creator, Whose every move is for the sake of benefiting His people.

Cultivating Gratitude for the Miracles We Experience in the Current War
Ingratitude is universal. When life is good, it is not always easy to remember the source of our blessings. Maintaining gratitude for the good points is even more challenging when things go wrong. I’m mining for miracles in our current war and life in general, because each miracle reinforces my awareness of G-d’s supervision in the world as well as my personal life. The miracles strengthen my emunah, to believe that even when things get tough Hashem is with us, directing the show! Despite our anguish and the mourning of the fallen, let us not forget to see the bigger picture and be grateful for the miracle of political revival and the ability to defend ourselves. Let us give thanks for what cannot be taken for granted, what we have not had for many generations: the opportunity to live in an independent Jewish state which can defend herself. Until now, we have fled or hid, but this time, Israel has arisen and fought back. When my mother reported that 700 people had recently been killed in the Lebanon war, I asked, “On which side?” in my desire to confirm Hashem’s protection of His people. The fact that she didn’t know if any Israeli soldiers had fallen in the latest war against Hezbollah, was a good sign.  Baruch Hashem! Who protects Israel and directs our iron domes to intercept their repeated attacks? It was reported by the Israeli military,that: “The Islamic Resistance launched a ‘Qader 1’ ballistic missile at 6:30 am on Wednesday, ptember 25, 2024, targeting the Mossad headquarters in the outskirts of Tel Aviv. Warning sirens sounded in Tel Aviv on Wednesday as a surface-to-surface missile was intercepted by Israeli air defense systems after it was detected crossing from Lebanon,  (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/9/27/israel-attacks-lebanon-israeli-bombings-kill-more-than-700-in-lebanon). The Israeli Iron Dome has proved highly successful throughout our current war, intercepting nearly 95 percent of fatal rockets. As I’m writing this, the news about how IDF eliminated this arch terrorist of Hezbollah, who has terrorized the world for decades, killing thousands of people and aiding Iran in its plan to dominate the world and eradicate Israel.  Now, is that not a miracle to be thankful for?

Why is Ingratitude so Common?
As Moshe proclaims G-d’s greatness and justice, His children, the Israelites, fall short, for the generation sustained and nurtured by G-d has repaid His kindness with ingratitude.  

ספר דברים פרק לב פסוק ד הַצּוּר תָּמִים פָּעֳלוֹ כִּי כָל דְּרָכָיו מִשְׁפָּט אֵל אֱמוּנָה וְאֵין עָוֶל צַדִּיק וְיָשָׁר הוּא: (ה) שִׁחֵת לוֹ לֹא בָּנָיו מוּמָם דּוֹר עִקֵּשׁ וּפְתַלְתֹּל: (ו) הַלְהָשֵׁם תִּגְמְלוּ זֹאת עַם נָבָל וְלֹא חָכָם הֲלוֹא הוּא אָבִיךָ קָּנֶךָ הוּא עָשְׂךָ וַיְכֹנְנֶךָ:

The deeds of the [Mighty] Rock are perfect, for all His ways are just; a faithful G-d, without injustice He is righteous and upright. Destruction is not His; it is His children’s defect you crooked and twisted generation. Is this how you repay Hashem, you disgraceful, unwise people?! Is He not your Father, your Master? He has made you and established you (Devarim 32:4-6).

Although G-d has wrought great miracles for Israel, we have been disgraceful, lacking gratitude while falling prey to forgetting all Hashem has done for us (Rashi, Devarim 32:6).  Why is ingratitude so common? When we speak of “lack of gratitude,” we often refer to individuals who attribute their successes solely to themselves and fail to acknowledge the help of others. This is a common human trait, as admitting that we need the help of others may hurt our pride, making us feel more dependent and less self-sufficient and successful. Nevertheless, we must genuinely acknowledge and appreciate the goodness we receive, even if this acknowledgment may lead to discomfort or affect our self-image as successful and independent individuals. This attitude is rooted in perfectionism, causing us to dwell on what is lacking, even if objectively, what is lacking is minimal compared to all the advantages and goodness we have merited. When Moshe rebukes the Children of Israel for their ingratitude, he first and foremost calls upon them to acknowledge the goodness they have received from G-d. “The children of Tzion shall rejoice in Hashem their G–d… You shall praise the name of Hashem your G–d who has dealt wondrously with you” (Yoel 2,23; 26). An essential part of our personal journey of rectification is recognizing the goodness we receive, ceasing to focus on negative aspects, and highlighting the positive aspects of our lives. The next step is to understand the source of this goodness – G-d – and to act from this awareness with humility and joy (Based on Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, Recognizing the Good – Parashat Ha’azinu).

The Prophecies of Parashat Ha’azinu Relating to Our Time and the Final Redemption
In Parashat Ha’azinu, Moshe proclaims the story of the Jewish people. His prophetic song includes our past, present, and future. In the future Israel will sin and be punished, however, we will ultimately survive the hardships and recover. The Ha’azinu Song describes not what ought to be, nor what must be, but rather what will be. This Song constitutes a true and faithful witness, for it explicitly spells out all that will befall us.  It begins by describing G-d’s compassion by taking us to Him as His portion and recalling how He took care of us in the wilderness.  He caused us to possess the land of great and powerful nations, and we enjoyed goodness, wealth, and honor in the Holy Land.  Despite all this goodness the Israelites became complacent, demonstrated ingratitude, rebelled against G-d, and served idolatry.  G-d responded in anger, and the Israelites were stricken with pestilence, famine, wild beasts, and the sword until they were exiled and scattered to every corner of the globe.  These historical facts are well known. G-d has given us a mission in the world, a unique responsibility that sets us apart from other people. Throughout our history, we often oppose our mission to adopt other nations’ worldviews and ways of life. Yet, our attempts to surrender our legacy will never entirely succeed, for though we may stray far from our spiritual heritage, our identity and destiny will always remain bound up with the name of the G-d of Israel.  Conversely, though mighty nations may rise up to destroy us, they will never succeed. In the end, G-d will return to His people and return them to His land, if not due to our merits then for the sake of ‘His great Name.’ The Song proclaims that in the end, Hashem will exact vengeance on our enemies, for all their oppressive cruelty, which had as its underlying motivation a hatred for G-d, rather than simply an antipathy toward the Jews. This final vindication refers to the Future Redemption, that the Jewish people are promised. Through our redemption, the return of G-d’s presence to the world will also inevitably transpire, and the purpose of Creation will finally be realized (based on Ramban, Devarim 32:40).

Gratitude Focus for the Week of Parashat Ha’azinu –
Tips on Recognizing Goodness that Opens the Door of Redemption

When we don’t recognize any goodness in our lives and focus solely on the negative it can cause us to accumulate negative feelings about the past and the present and develop a pessimistic attitude toward the possibilities of repairing things in the future. However, when we acknowledge the good, this recognition develops positive feelings and we become more optimistic, believing in the possibility to improve and advance.

•      We clearly see Hashem’s protective miracles in the current war. It has been reported that soldiers were repeatedly surprised by attacking Arabs whose guns suddenly didn’t work, giving the IDF just enough time to pull their act together and shoot the terrorists first.
• Iran’s attack before Pesach was also miraculous. Iran sent 331 missiles in one go. The Iron Dome can shoot down a single enemy missile with 95% accuracy, yet the Iron Dome CANNOT handle 331 missiles sent simultaneously, some of them massive. It wasn’t a joke when the Iranians said they were going to wipe out all of Israel. Yet 99% of their missiles did not even enter Israeli airspace. A month later the president of Iran who’d ordered that failed missile barrage on Israel died in a helicopter crash.
• There was a terror attack right before Pesach in Jerusalem, crowds of hundreds of adults and children burning their chametz, and the terrorists’ guns didn’t work. Afterward, the police checked the guns, and they worked perfectly.
• In a BBC interview with one of the heads of the Chamas, the interviewer asked him: You’re working so many years on these missiles yet you’re missing your targets 98% of the time. The Chamas leader answered him: I want you to know that we have it down to perfection. We should be hitting our targets 98% of the time instead of missing 98% of the time. But “the Allah of the Jews loves them, and he moves our missile to the right or to the left to miss them.”

Thank You Hashem for loving us, please continue watching over us in these scary times! (Based on Revealed Miracles Since October 7th by Rebbetzin Rena Tarshish).
Recognizing goodness not only represents the right approach but also opens the door to a better future.  

•   Showing Gratitude When all is Well can be a Challenge for Some – But there are times in our lives when it is very hard to thank and praise G-d! There are times when even hard to hold on to hope!  But there is hope even for a tree. If it is cut down, it will sprout up again and new shoots will not fail, as it states, “For a tree has hope; If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail” (Iyuv 14:7). Sometimes it feels like we are cut down in life. We think this might be the end. This is not true. G-d can change things. He can bring new life.  
• When someone says, “I lost my faith in this crisis” – my response is: “Get rid of that faith. That faith is not worth a single penny.” Anybody can have emunah and praise Hashem when the sky is blue, and the sun is shining. But if you maintain emunah when things go wrong that is true emunah. Giving thanks for everything shows that you know in your heart that G-d is greater than any struggle and that He can help you solve all difficulties if you approach Him with a broken and humble heart.
• Keep Praying Even When You Don’t Feel Like It – We keep our emunah even when we are hurting. Our Emunah keeps us serving Hashem no matter what.  Sometimes I am not in the mood. I do it anyway for the sake of the mitzvah. 
• Express Your Gratitude – In addition to feeling gratitude, it is important that you express it through your attitudes and words. You have to give thanks to G-d, but also tell people how grateful you are for their presence in your life, show to them how important someone’s help was to you. Share and express gratitude and you will have a great life. Learn to appreciate the small things and give thanks to G-d in all circumstances.
  If you’re going to wait to feel grateful and happy when good things happen such as a job promotion or buying a new house, you’ll not experience the power of gratitude in your life.
  To enjoy the benefits of gratitude, you need to appreciate what you have, especially the little things. Gratitude opens the doors to miracles! If you’re going to wait to feel grateful and happy when good things happen such as a job promotion or buying a new house, you’ll not experience the power of gratitude in your life. 
• Replace Complaints with Gratitude – Recognize that G-d is taking care of you and that you trust Him in every situation. Try to see the good side of every situation. For example, if you find yourself feeling down because it’s cold or raining and you need to get up for work, you’ll soon remember that at least you have a job and many people don’t. Replace complaints with gratitude and you will see G-d working many miracles in your life.
• Thank G-d Today for Simply Being Alive and Breathing – Many people struggle to even breathe! Have you thanked Him for your health? There are so many people sick fighting for their lives. Do you always thank G-d before eating your meals? Because many people don’t have anything to eat. 
• Stop Complaining and Express Your Gratitude – for Gratitude opens doors to miracles! May Hashem bless you and help you to live in gratitude! 

Parashat Chukat: A Tribute to Miriam – The Provider of the Eternal Well of Emunah

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Parashat Chukat
A Tribute to Miriam – The Provider of the Eternal Well of Emunah 

Why do We Appreciate Something or Someone So Much More When They are Gone?
“You only appreciate something when you lose it” seems to be a universal principle. How many times has it happened that you held on to an item – be it a garment or a cooking utensil or whatnot – although you hadn’t needed it for years? Then after you finally gave or threw the item away, the very next day you urgently need it!  Unfortunately, we also often truly appreciate people after they are gone. Many great authors like H.C. Andersen, only received their due credit posthumously.  I realize how much I often appreciate the contribution of certain students especially after they have left. For example, we have a wonderful, modest student who went abroad to visit her family for an extended time. As soon as she was gone, the cleanliness of the midrasha kitchen and Beit Midrash fell apart. None of us had realized how hard this student worked to take out the compost and garbage, sweep, mop, clean up the stray mugs from the classroom, do the dishes, organize the books, and more. She did her work quietly without taking any personal credit. When our youngest son took a while to get married, it seemed a bit of a nuisance to keep providing him with room and board for so many years. Only after he got married and left us empty nesters, did we truly appreciate all his many contributions, and we still miss his daily presence dearly. I especially recall working at my desk and hearing my son’s singsong of his Torah learning from his adjacent room. Pesach preparations this year were also overwhelming without his help, and with no one to clean ‘his own room.’ At this moment, I’m praying for the return of the internet or to be able to complete my blog without the internet. I’m counting the hours that Netfiber has been down which so far amounts to 15, it seems that there is only one thing more vital for survival than the internet, which we may all take for granted until it runs out, as we have experienced in our neighborhood at the most inconvenient occasions. Yes, you guessed it, when the water pipes have broken down we all cry out “Water, water!”

Miriam Perpetually Answers the Cry for Water
This cry – although less severe – echoes the cry of our forefathers in the wilderness, after Miriam’s burial:

במדבר פרק כ:א-ב וַיָּבֹאוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּל הָעֵדָה מִדְבַּר צִן בַּחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן וַיֵּשֶׁב הָעָם בְּקָדֵשׁ. וַתָּמָת שָׁם מִרְיָם וַתִּקָּבֵר שָׁם: ב) וְלֹא הָיָה מַיִם לָעֵדָה. וַיִּקָּהֲלוּ עַל משֶׁה וְעַל אַהֲרֹן: ג) וַיָּרֶב הָעָם עִם משֶׁה וַיֹּאמְרוּ לֵאמֹר וְלוּ גָוַעְנוּ בִּגְוַע אַחֵינוּ לִפְנֵי הָשֵׁם: (ד) וְלָמָה הֲבֵאתֶם אֶת קְהַל הָשֵׁם אֶל הַמִּדְבָּר הַזֶּה לָמוּת שָׁם אֲנַחְנוּ וּבְעִירֵנוּ: 

“Then the children of Israel, with the whole congregation, to the desert of Tzin, on the first of the month: and the people dwelled in Kadesh.” Miriam died there and was buried there, and there was no water for the congregation. They then assembled against Moshe and Aharon. The people quarreled with Moshe saying, ‘If only we had perished when our brothers perished before Hashem.’  Why have you brought Hashem’s congregation into this wilderness for us and our animals to die there?” (Bamidbar 20:1-2).

The Talmud asks why the lack of water is mentioned immediately after Miriam’s death. Rabbi Yossi answers that of the three miraculous gifts in the wilderness, the well was in the merit of Miriam. When Miriam died, the well subsided, as it is written: “Miriam died there.” This is followed by, “Then there was no water for the congregation” (Babylonian Talmud Ta’anit 9a). This is to teach us, that during the entire forty years, the Jewish people were blessed with the well of water in Miriam’s merit (Rashi, Bamidbar 20:2). Only after Miriam’s passing was it discovered that the well was in her merit. For more than 38 years, the Well of Miriam accompanied the Israelites’ desert wandering, without Miriam ever receiving the slightest credit, or gratitude for it from any of the Israelites. The water that the people had enjoyed all these years was due to the merit of Miriam who had stood by watching what would happen to her infant brother when he was in a basket in the reeds at the edge of the river (Shemot 2:4). G-d rewarded her for that act of kindness by making her the water provider for Moshe’s people. The people didn’t appreciate this until the well ceased with Miriam’s death (Rabbeinu Bachaya, Bamidbar 20:2).

The Concealed Well of Miriam

The first time we hear about Miriam’s Well is in Refidim, when Hashem tells Moshe to hit a certain rock that would spring forth water. That was the well of Miriam (Shemot 17:1-7). “This rock at Refidim was the same rock we encountered almost 40 years later at Kadesh. This was also the source of the well of Miriam which traveled with the Israelites through the desert during all those years” (Rabbeunu Bachaya, Shemot 17:6). On the surface it seemed that Moshe brought the well as he was the one who hit the rock that gushed forth water. No one had any idea that the well was in the merit of Miriam until she died. We also don’t hear a word of Miriam taking credit for the well. She modestly concealed her greatness, allowing her brothers to stand in the limelight. With a soft motherly caress, she sweetened Israelites’ bitterness and provided sweet waters.

Sweetening the Bitterness of Doubt with Waters of Emunah
The thirst for water caused Israel to doubt Hashem: “Is Hashem among us or not?” (Shemot 17:7). The consequence of this heresy appears in the following Torah verse: “Amalek came and fought with Israel in Refidim” (Shemot 17:8). Amalek is the exterior reflection of the piercing doubt in their heart, as the gematria of עֲמָלֵק/Amalek = סָפֵק/safek – ‘doubt.’ The inner conquest over doubting Hashem happened when the people drank from Miriam’s well: …Before they drank from the well, what did they say? “Is Hashem among us or not?” (Shemot 17:7). After they drank, they said, “All that Hashem spoke we will do and we will hear” (Shemot 24:7); (Midrash (Shocher Tov), Tehillim 5). מִרְיָם /Miriam strengthened the people against doubt and Amalek as the gematria of both the first part of her name and Amalek is מר/mar – ‘bitter.’ Miriam’s well not only satiated the Israelites’ thirst but moreover, provided them with the spiritual nutrients of emunah, which sweetened their spiritual bitterness. After Egypt had imbittered their lives for so long, the Israelites needed Miriam to soothe their pain. Sweetening and soothing the pain is exactly the job of Puah to soothe the crying babies. Puah: This was Miriam, [called Puah] because she cried (פּוֹעָה/poah), talked and cooed to the newborn infant in the manner of women who soothe a crying infant (Rashi, Shemot 1:15). Miriam was the spiritual midwife who appeased and soothed the people newborn from the womb of Egypt.

Where is Miriam’s Well Today?
Parashat Chukat teaches us that Miriam’s well provides faithful nourishment even to this day.

ספר במדבר פרק כא פסוק יח בְּאֵר חֲפָרוּהָ שָׂרִים כָּרוּהָ נְדִיבֵי הָעָם בִּמְחֹקֵק בְּמִשְׁעֲנֹתָם וּמִמִּדְבָּר מַתָּנָה: (יט) וּמִמַּתָּנָה נַחֲלִיאֵל וּמִנַּחֲלִיאֵל בָּמוֹת: (כ) וּמִבָּמוֹת הַגַּיְא אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׂדֵה מוֹאָב רֹאשׁ הַפִּסְגָּה וְנִשְׁקָפָה עַל פְּנֵי הַיְשִׁימֹן:

“A well dug by princes, carved out by nobles of the people, through the lawgiver with their staffs, and from the desert, a gift. From the gift to the streams, and from the streams to the heights. From the heights to the valley in the field of Moav, at the top of the peak, that overlooks הַיְשִׁימֹן/hayeshimon – ‘the wastelands’” (Bamidbar 21:18-20).

Although Miriam’s name is not mentioned, our sages explain that the well described here is the well of Miriam. Just as she didn’t receive credit for the well while being alive, so did the Israelites praise Hashem for the well, without mentioning her name. Rather they attributed the well to the princes referring to Moshe and Aharon (Rashi, Bamidbar 12:18 based on the Midrash). Describing the healing properties of Miriam’s well, the following midrash also confirms that the well dug by the princes indeed is the Well of Miriam. It happened that someone who suffered from boils went down to immerse himself in the waters of Tiberias. It was a favorable time, and he saw Miriam’s well, washed in it, and was healed. Where is the well of Miriam? Rabbi Chia bar Abba said, it states, “Look down on the face of Yeshimon” (Bamidbar 21:20). Whoever ascends the mountain of Yeshimon and sees something like a small sieve in the lake of Tiberias, this is the well of Miriam… (Midrash Vayikra Rabbah 22:4). Even in our day and age, “some have a tradition to draw water Motzei Shabbat because Miriam’s well supplies all the wells each Saturday night, and one who does so and drinks will be cured of illness” (Kol Bo, Orach Chaim, 299:10). Miriam’s well is said to feed the waters of Israel’s most important water reserve nowadays, the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee), while hidden in its depths. Rabbi Chiya said, Miriam’s well is a type of sieve located in the Mediterranean Sea. Rav said, Miriam’s well is mobile and pure (Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 35a).

Keeping the Spirit of Israel Alive Through Maintaining Miriam’s Well

The fact that Miriam’s well is mobile and changes location teaches us that Miriam’s power enlightens everywhere. Miriam is herself the well that gives water. She strengthens “those who sow with tears,” in bitterness to “reap in ringing song.” Believing in the Master of the Universe and continuing to sow – is the power of Miriam (Rav Nir Minussi, Mi Zot Olah, p.217). The well of Miriam is implanted within the people of Israel through the righteous women of all generations. This is the basic inner power of the people, hidden within the daughters of Israel who are greatest in their emunah and greatest in their power to endure. They do not break but continue and build the coming generations and the chain of generations of the Jewish people. Just as Miriam embodied the character trait of kindness, when as a young midwife, she kept the babies alive and supplied them with food (Shemot 1:17; Sotah 11b), so did the well supply the Jewish people with all their needs. Thus, in the merit of Miriam, the well sustained the Jewish people with water in the wilderness. Water symbolizes life, since nothing can grow without water. The nurturing quality of water associated with Miriam is a feminine quality. Women keep the Jewish people alive. Without the perpetual kindness of women pouring out like a bottomless well, nothing would be able to be conceived, born, or kept alive (Chana Bracha Siegelbaum, Women at the Crossroads, Parashat Chukat, p. 145). Let us keep Miriam’s Well of emunah flowing! 

Gratitude Focus for the Week of Parashat Chukat –

Some Tips for Cultivating Gratitude During Hardships

Humans are unique creatures, who often only fully appreciate what we have once it’s gone. We take things for granted and only understand their value once we lose them. We start to value things only when we experience the pain of losing someone or something, and then we realize their worth. “People can get so self-absorbed chasing their desires that they take the special people in their life for granted. This reality hits hard when a person passes on because the opportunity to love and appreciate is over then. Nothing can be done anymore. The guilty feelings and thoughts of ‘could’ve and should’ve’ take hold. In losing someone all the trivial barriers held against the person dissolve and become meaningless. We are reminded of death as the great equalizer. The illusion of conflict is over, and the ego is left with nothing to fight against. Truth is finally allowed to flow. You see the person as they really are…. far bigger than the petty issues your ego led you to fixate on” (Mandy Wessen).

• Work on Valuing Yourself – To genuinely respect and appreciate others, you must first value yourself enough to respect and appreciate who you are. This is because your outer world is a reflection of your inner world. To change your experiences, you must start by changing your personal beliefs and attitudes to align with what you wish to experience.

• Remind Yourself to be Grateful – take just a little bit of time to remind yourself to appreciate all the people and things we may take for granted without valuing them properly. Send them thoughts of appreciation regularly, preferably daily, for example, your health. You definitely appreciate being in good health while you have it. The more you value it the more you will be able to keep it. 

• Take an Object (Anything You Choose) – associate it with being grateful for being healthy and place it somewhere you see it every morning.
  
  
• Write in Your Gratitude Notebook “I am grateful to be happy” – I recommend at least ten times. In addition, if you have ten things in mind that you are grateful for, perhaps you can write about one of these things each day.
  
  
• Make an ‘I am grateful to be happy’ Poster – Post it somewhere you see it every morning like your mirror, put it on your cellphone or next to it the night before, and put it on a door you open at the time you want to exercise your gratitude.
  
  
• Set an Alarm on Your Cellphone – with a push-through message – to the time you want to be reminded to pay attention to the people you are grateful for in your life. 

How Do the Curses Herald Eternal Hope for Redemption?

Printable Version

Parashat Bechukotai

How Do the Curses Herald Eternal Hope for Redemption?  

Elevating Ourselves to Becoming Immune to Curses 

This morning, I got up on the wrong side of the bed. I had been lying awake during the night with gloomy thoughts about various matters that weren’t going well in my personal and professional life. Being in shalom with others is of ultimate importance to me. Yet despite my best efforts to solve a dispute peacefully in a way, where both sides yield to the other for the sake of shalom, I hadn’t been successful. What is worse, sadly ☹ there seems to be no prospect that this will ever happen. In response to my suggestion to work out an agreement that would make us both feel good about each other so that we would be able to greet each other with shalom while looking each other in the eye, I received a message, saying, “I am deliberating whether to find a way to force you to give me what I want or to let G-d demand your debt. I am personally not forgiving you.” Being an energetically sensitive person, I’m concerned that this toxic message includes a curse. Although I’ve done spiritual healing for undoing the curse, I’m still apprehensive and my concern keeps me up at night. Every night I have this person in mind when reciting the prayer of forgiveness before going to sleep. How I wish this were mutual! When I woke up late groggy and irritated with little desire and focus to write my blog, I decided to pull myself up. It is known that when King David initiated his Tehillim with Mizmor L’David, (as opposed to when his Tehillim begins with L’David Mizmor), he elevated himself from depression through his melody. We can all be inspired and learn from King David to rise from whatever low we may find ourselves. Trying to unpack the hidden message in uncomfortable situations, and searching for the good points in ourselves and others is the key to personal elevation. I reminded myself, that although Parashat Bechukotai is known for its curses it actually opens with blessings if only we “follow Hashem’s statutes and observe His commandments and perform them” (Vayikra 26:3). If we are clear that we are doing the right thing in Hashem’s eyes nothing, and no one can harm us.

 

Why Does Parashat Bechukotai Mention Many More Curses than Blessings?

Parashat Bechukotai opens with ten verses of blessings followed by twenty-eight verses of curses. They include illness, famine, plague, desolation, and exile. We may wonder why the descriptions of the blessings are so lacking compared to the rich descriptions of the curses. Yet when we look deeper into the wording of the blessings and the cures respectively, we’ll notice that the “blessing verses” come all at once, like an overflowing, boundless blessing of abundance. “If we follow Hashem faithfully” His endless blessings will immediately envelope us. This is because by walking with Hashem we remove the blocks that prevent us from receiving Hashem’s infinite light and goodness which He constantly showers upon us. In contrast, the root of all curses is when we impede Hashem’s blessings from entering our entire being, by entertaining negative emotions such as fear and anger and straying from the Torah path. Therefore, every curse is paraphrased with a precondition expressing various levels of blocks we cause upon ourselves by diverging from the way of G-d. Through His compassion, Hashem doesn’t expend all the curses in one go. He starts with the less severe punishments to give us a chance to repent. If that doesn’t help, He is compelled to administrate a stronger and more bitter medicine, each subsequent curse according to the level of the block our wrongdoing creates. Thus, if you count the verses that describe the curses themselves, and not the actions that brought about the curses (variations of “if you do not listen to Me”), it turns out that there are no more curses than blessings. Furthermore, the numerous verses about the curses are actually blessings in disguise. They don’t come all at once but in stages, starting with the mildest curses to teach us the gradual, involving process of constant assessment and hope that we mend our ways and open ourselves to receive Hashem’s infinite light. Thus, in truth, the blessings far outweigh the curses. They permeate everything, infusing the world with their goodness. “I will surely open the floodgates of the heaven for you and pour down endless blessings upon you” (Malachi 3:10). 

 

How do We Tap Into Eternal Hope Even Within Horrific Curses?

The curses culminate with Hashem’s promise that He will never reject us no matter how far we have gone. His Presence follows us perpetually to whatever exile we must undergo:

 

ספר ויקרא פרק כו פסוק מד

וְאַף גַּם זֹאת בִּהְיוֹתָם בְּאֶרֶץ אֹיְבֵיהֶם לֹא מְאַסְתִּים וְלֹא גְעַלְתִּים לְכַלֹּתָם לְהָפֵר בְּרִיתִי אִתָּם כִּי אֲנִי הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֵיהֶם: (מה) וְזָכַרְתִּי לָהֶם בְּרִית רִאשֹׁנִים אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִי אֹתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לְעֵינֵי הַגּוֹיִם לִהְיוֹת לָהֶם לֵאלֹהִים אֲנִי הָשֵׁם:

“Yet, despite all this, while they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them… I will remember for them the covenant of their ancestors, whom I took out from Egypt in the eyes of the nations, to be their G-d. I am the Hashem” (Vayikra 26:44-45).

 

Rabbeinu Bachaya explains the unusual expression וְאַף גַּם זֹאת /v’af gam zot – “But despite all this” in depth. According to the simple meaning (peshat), it refers to G-d’s promise to keep His Covenant with the Jewish people no matter what. From the kabbalistic perspective approach, the word זֹאת/zot refers to the Jewish people as understood from Tehillim 118:23 that we recite during Hallel: מֵאֵת הָשֵׁם הָיְתָה זֹּאת – “This was from Hashem” which according to its inner meaning means: “The Jewish people emanated from Hashem.” Since we emanate from Hashem, we eternally carry an element of the Shechinah with us. Therefore, the Shechinah follows the Jewish people wherever they may be exiled. The preceding words אַף/af and גַּם/gam refer to Gevurah and Chesed respectively. Interestingly גַּם/gam consists of the first two letters of גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים/gemilut chassadim – bestowal of loving/kindness (Based on Rabbeinu Bachaya, Vayikra 26:44). Perhaps our verse alludes to Hashem’s eternal promise that even when (G-d forbid) a Jew rejects G-d, (“despite all this”) Hashem will always remain our G-d. He will remember the covenant through judgment (אַף/af), because we deserve it due to the merit of our Fathers, and He will never reject us – even if we don’t deserve it – due to His loving/kindness (גַּם/gam). Thus, even the curses herald eternal hope for redemption. As Martin Luther King put it. “God is just. He may punish. He may hide His face. But He will not break His word. He will fulfill His promise. He will redeem His children. He will bring them home” (Quoted by Rav Jonathan Sacs, The Birth of Hope, Bechukotai 5779). Within G-d’s justice resides His loving kindness even if we have betrayed the covenant Hashem never gives up on us. Eventually, we must all return home to the Torah and to the Promised Land.

         Gratitude Focus for the Week of Parashat BeChukotai –

Some Tips for How to Revert Negative Energy and Curses into Blessings 

Although negative energy and curses exist, being too preoccupied with these matters makes us more susceptible to becoming victims. We can strengthen our immunity to negative energy by aligning ourselves with Hashem, and elevating our own energy through Emunah that whatever happens is from Hashem and for a reason. “The evil eye does not have power except over a person whose eyes are blemished to look at a place unsuitable for him” (Rav Tzaddok of Lublin, Yisrael Kedoshim 6). When we do not look at what belongs to others and avoid sending out negative energy, negative energy will also have no power over us. Let us be particular never to send out negative energy to anyone! Note that negative energy has no power over the person who doesnot want to take nourishment from what does not belong to him (Babylonian Talmud, Berachot 20a).  

 

• Simply Look Into the Energy That You are – Let your energy bes an energy of love, empowerment, and wisdom. It’s the most powerful energy in the universe and it works to empower your energy. This powerful energy works immediately and will restore you and your life.

 

• Strengthen Your Emunah and Ensure You are Acting According to Hashem’s Will – The Evil Eye has no power over those whose robust sense of self-esteem does not let others dictate what is important and worthwhile. Being a person of great emunah and self-confidence, Yosef was not susceptible to negative energy. He was immune to what others thought about him, because of his strong connection to Hashem.

 

• Recite Birkat Kohanim (the Kohanim Blessing) Twice – to bless the person who sends out hateful energy or is really angry at you whether s/he expresses the anger or not.

 

• Take three coins” (even as small as a dime (ten agurot) to give to charity – to dissipate negativity from a particular person. Make a verbal intention as you drop each coin in the Tzedakka box: “This is for the nefesh of so-and-so (full name) daughter of so-and-so. This is for the Ruach, and the last one is on behalf of the Neshamah of the one sending the negative energy. 

 

• Keep a Kosher Mezuza on Your Doorpost – with the Name ש-ד-י/Shada-I written on its reverse side. The end letters of the word ציר/tzir – ‘adversary’ spells out שַׁדַּי/Shada-i.  ,צדי, יוד, ריש. This shows that Shada-i is in your tzir (adversary or in the hinge of your home), in the place of the mezuzah. This explains why we write שַׁדַּי/Shada-i on the mezuzah on the backside of the word “and it shall be…” It is as if the Torah writes that Shada-i (G-d) shall be against your adversaries or in the hinge of your home to protect you (Chayim Vital, Sha’ar Hahakdamot 42b).