#223 | May 2021 • Sivan 5781
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e Holiday Compan
S H AV U O T Exodus Magazin
May 16 – 18,
Holiday Companion page 16
2021
Jewish Russian Community Centre of Ontario
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all of rest as on feasts and days special holiday candle lighting, Celebrate with days Jewish holy (Sunday night) night of Shavuot on the first first day of Shavuot All night learning ments on the of the Ten Command Hear the reading in synagogue and more (kids (Monday), preferable quiches, casseroles cheese blintzes, traditional – East dairy foods • like ice cream) of Shavuot (Tuesday) second day service on the whose passing Yizkor memorial • since King David, Book of Ruth, ies read the t of Ruth Some communit • a descendan s) with flowers this day, was occurred on (and synagogue their homes to decorate the custom Shavuot Some have in advance of • lling plants and sweet-sme olidays at jrcc.org/H Learn more
Pre-Holiday to-do
• Shop for the holiday
needs
list
• Make plans to hear or read the Ten Commandm ents • Get some good Torah study material – available online at jrcc.org/Shavuot • Make Yizkor plans
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and girls are lit by women Holiday candles Monday evening. on Sunday and lighting times. for exact candle See page 13 (Monday night of Shavuot On the second from a presure to light evening), make candle Light a 48-hour existing flame. to be used of the holiday before the onset for this purpose. s, with instruction for lighting, The blessings k and some in your prayerboo can be found Jewish calendars. abbatCandles at jrcc.org/Sh Learn more
programs and i of JRCC Shavuot the JRCC. for a variety avuot or contact the back page needs. See , visit jrcc.org/Sh all your Shavuot or any other assistance to assist with Shavuot plans JRCC is here back page making your to Help. The programs on We’re Here assistance in offered. For See JRCC Shavuot services being
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5 | JEWISH SOUL
Living With the Torah
8
10
8 | JEWISH THOUGHT
A Crown You Can Wear
The holy Torah is not a collection of laws for special occasions. It embraces the totality of the Jew, from his first moment to his last and in all the minute aspects of his day-to-day life.
The Sages were constantly on their guard against exclusivist attitudes to Torah. Equality is never preserved without vigilance – and indeed there were contrary tendencies.
— From the Rebbe's letters
— by Jonathan Sacks
6 | MADE YOU THINK
10 | JEWISH THOUGHT
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editorial jewish soul made you think jewish thought life on earth ask the rabbi our community holiday guide
Mystical vs. Physical
Is There Proof the Torah is True?
Just as the essence of a person is in his home more than anywhere else, so also, G‑d wanted His essence to be drawn into this world in order for this to be His ‘home’.
There is no scientifically flawless proof that the Torah we have today is exactly what Moses wrote. It’s obviously so, since there is no real science of history, of proving anything in the past. But...
— by Shaul Leiter
— by Tzvi Freeman
7 | JEWISH THOUGHT
19 | PERSPECTIVES
Some people seek a philosophical closeness with G-d; others are led to it by the events of their lives, by delving into the mysteries of nature, or by examining Jewish history. There is another way.
At Sinai the world changed. For the first time the human race was given the opportunity to bridge heaven and earth. Have we made progress in this mission, or have we drifted far from it?
— by Adin Even Israel Steinsaltz
— by Simon Jacobson
The Giving
May 2021 / Sivan 5781
simchas perspectives marketplace memorials
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Are We Far From Sinai?
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We live in perhaps one of the freest societies in the history of the world. But are we truly free? If we define freedom as the absence of restriction, then perhaps we can say that we are indeed free. With enough cash and free time, we can pretty much pursue any fantasy we want. But isn’t this type of freedom merely slavery of a different kind? If we are governed by what we want, are we not enslaved by our self-determination? Are we not then just slaves to our own egos? Are we not held captive by our desires? Do our negative drives not restrict us from living a meaningful life and experiencing spiritual growth? Are we not coerced into making certain decisions by destructive impulses that rule over us? Is this state of being really the pinnacle of freedom, or is it a slavery that is even more subversive by virtue of its veneer of freedom? Obviously, this is not freedom. And the failure to acknowledge our enslavement, especially our self-enslavement, is the ultimate obstacle to freedom. Freedom is the potential to be true to who you really are. The more you tap into it, the freer you are. Freedom, therefore, is not a static state of being, but rather a cyclical state of flux: The freer you become, the more of yourself you discover; the more you discover, the more of yourself you need to express in order to become free; the freer you become, the more of yourself you discover, and so on. Repression is a form of self-enslavement. Because freedom is the discovery of the true self, when we don’t allow our entire beings to
flow forth, then we negate the potential for freedom. Even worse, however, is the declaration that freedom has been attained, which is the ultimate form of enslavement, since you have now trapped yourself in a one-dimensional experience of freedom and stifled the potential for further growth and discovery. Our own actions determine whether we will overcome our negative drives or succumb to them. Life is not a series of fragmented experiences, but a complex puzzle in which the placement of each piece affects the quality of every other piece; the manner in which a simple act like waking in the morning is performed affects how much power you have to overcome weaknesses and challenges and be free to do the right thing. We are free to choose to overcome the impulse to deceive ourselves and appreciate the responsibility that comes with our freedom. The question is, will we rise to the occasion by waking up with a roar and pushing ourselves to meet our true potential for purposeful, spiritual living, or will we predetermine our irrelevance by whimpering through life like rats in a cage? The key to being free, then, is to live in a way that enables you to get to know yourself — your true self. Our Creator kindly and wisely provides us with the tools we need for this constant process of discovery. He made us stubborn, instilling within us an innate drive to overcome comfortably blind world views that lead to complacency, regardless of how much friction we have to deal with as a result. And we are given the Torah, a body of wisdom that is a manual for how to discover the human soul and all of the above.
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May 2021 / Sivan 5781
jewish soul
Living With
the
Torah
From the Rebbe's letters
T
he Days of Preparation for the Receiving of Our Torah call for special, deepfelt reflection on what the Torah is. The holy Torah is not a collection of laws for special occasions. It embraces the totality of the Jew, from his first moment to his last, and in all the minute aspects of his day-today life. This is the essential meaning of the Torah, Torat Chayyim, the “Instruction of Life.” Furthermore. Our Sages of blessed memory explain that the Torah embraces the totality of Creation, citing the example of an architect who, before erecting a building, draws up blueprints and plans, covering every detail of the structure. So the Creator used the Torah as a “blueprint,” as it were, for the Creation, down to the minutest particle in the inanimate material world. This, indeed, is one of the basic doctrines of General Chassidus as expounded by the Baal Shem Tov, based on his interpretation of Scripture: “Forever, O G‑d, Thy words stand firm in the heavens” (Psalms 119:89), and explained at length in the Chabad Chassidic teachings of the Alter Rebbe, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, especially in his Shaar Ha-Yichud Veha-Emunah: Everything—in the heavens above and down to the earth below, in all their particulars—exists only by virtue of the “word” of G‑d (“Let there be a firmament,” and the other Divine fiats), which created, creates and vitalizes all things continuously, every instant, without interruption. From this follows the next basic doctrine: Divine Providence—G‑d’s direct knowledge of, and Providence for, all particular things—extends to each and all minute details of the Creation, from individual man, the supreme creature, to the lowest thing in the inanimate world. From the above there follows yet another
May 2021 / Sivan 5781
Especially in these auspicious days, on the eve of Shavuot, the Giving of the Torah, which is also the anniversary of the passing of the Baal Shem Tov, and transforming it into the detailed aspects of the daily life, both in one’s personal life as well as in one’s surroundings, and in all aspects of the world, according to the dictum: Let thy fountains spread forth outside, whereby the fountains of Chassidic teachings, that is, the inner light of the Torah, will overflow and irradiate even the “outside”—the external and most distant details and aspects of the entire Creation. Will this speedily bring the true and complete Redemption through our righteous Moshiach, when the whole Creation will recognize and experience the meaning of “I am the L-d, thy G‑d.” EM corollary, which is likewise basic to the teachings of Chassidus and which was especially emphasized by the Baal Shem Tov, although it is, of course, a law in the Code of Jewish Law, namely, that: It is incumbent upon the Jew to serve G‑d in and with all details and aspects of his life and surroundings, beginning with the study of the Torah and the fulfillment of the 613 Divine precepts, down to the simplest acts and conditions of the daily life, and that... Everything in one’s surroundings is a lesson in love of G‑d and awe of G‑d, the primary wellsprings from which the Jew draws the proper inspiration to fulfill the Torah and mitzvahs, the positive commandments and prohibitions, permeated with true vitality and fulfilled with perfection.
www.jrcc.org 24 hours a day, 6 days a week. Community calendar, plus thousands of articles, online classes, kids videos, and more. New content every week.
The concentrated reflection on all that has been mentioned above, reflection with intensity, animation and illumination,
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made you think
Mystical
vs.
Physical
Shaul Leiter
I
n connection with Shavuot and the giving of the Torah, there is a widely discussed section from the Talmud, that relates the following: When Moses ascended to the heavens (to receive the Torah), the angels said to G‑d, 'Master of the universe, what is one 'born of woman' doing among us?' G‑d answered, 'To receive the Torah.' The angels countered, 'This hidden treasure, You want to give it to one of 'flesh and blood'! Why them more than us? Give Your glory to the heavens!' they begged. G‑d told Moses to respond to the angels. [Moses then said,] 'Master of the universe, this Torah that you want to give us, what is written in it? 'I am the Lord your G‑d who took you from Egypt.' Did you angels ever go to Egypt? Were you slaves to Pharaoh? Have you lived among the nations that serve idols? Do you work, do you do business, do you have parents, do you have an evil inclination?' Immediately G‑d accepted Moses's position. Discussion closed. At face value it seems silly. What would an angel do with the Torah since it is filled with physical commandments that angels cannot perform? But from a Torah perspective, there is actually a logic to their claim that they should receive the Torah based on the law known as “baal metzra” – the adjoining neighbor. When a person wishes to sell his property, the neighbor has first rights to it since it is helpful to him that his field conjoin with his neighbor's. This was the angels' argument: they would learn the Torah as a spiritual text since the Torah is at its source a heavenly document, so why shouldn't they be the ones given the Torah. To refute the angels' argument, various commentaries provide responses: the adjoining neighbor rule refers only to land, and the Torah is not land. It applies only to something that is sold, and the Torah is a gift. The Jewish people are G‑d's children, and the laws of the adjoining neighbor do not apply to transactions with a person's children. Moses was almost like an angel, so he was also an adjoining neighbor for the Torah. Also, the adjoining neighbor law does not apply to a partner, and Moses was like a partner to G‑d. However, it turns out that each of these
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defensive responses can be rebutted, making the angels right. But that is because none of them took into account the original response, what Moses actually answered the angels, that the Torah's place must be with a physical recipient, who lives with the challenges of the material world and can perform physical mitzvahs. The purpose of the Torah is to create a dwelling place for G‑d in this plane, the lowest of all the created worlds. And just as the essence of a person is in his home more than anywhere else, so also, G‑d wanted His essence to be drawn into this world in order for this to be His 'home'. This divine desire can only be actualized by the Torah being fulfilled in this world. When we do G‑d's commandments and learn His Torah with our physical bodies and minds, we literally bring G‑d's essence into this plane, something an angel is incapable of doing. This fact automatically negates the angels' pre-eminence also on a legal basis. When a person can choose to sell his property to one of two buyers, one who is a neighbor and wants to plant a field, and the other is a non-
neighbor who wants to build a house, the law is to sell to the house builder. The reason is that dwelling on a property is preferable to planting, and the law of the adjoining neighbor is pre-empted. This is what Moses answered the angels. Since an angel does not have a corporeal body with which to perform the commandments and make this physical world a home for G‑d, the entire argument of "a neighbor" becomes irrelevant. Also, the upper spiritual planes need us to have the Torah too. When this lowest world is enlightened with G‑d's essence, all the upper worlds are enlightened as a result, just as when you lift a tall stack of boxes, you pick them up from the bottom box. This is why the Torah was given to us humans in this world, so we can elevate all of creation in all the worlds. EM Rabbi Shaul Yosef Leiter is the co-founder, executive director and featured lecturer at Ascent Tsfat, a spiritual discovery center in the holy city of Tsfat in Northern Israel (ascentofsafed.com, myascent.org).
May 2021 / Sivan 5781
jewish thought
The Giving Adin Even Israel Steinsaltz
A
fter the great miracles of the Exodus, the splitting of the Red Sea and all of the major events that the Jewish people experienced before arriving at Mount Sinai came the Giving of the Torah. What was the purpose of the sublime revelation itself? The actual contents of the Ten Commandments – for instance, belief in G‑d, honoring one's parents, and the prohibition against murder – are the cornerstones of human morality and can be reached through logic. Moreover, our forefather Abraham is said to have fulfilled all the commandments long before the revelation at Mount Sinai. What, then, did the Giving of the Torah actually add to the world? Every Jew has a "G‑dly spark," which is the innermost core of his spiritual life. This spark is always there, even when we cannot see beyond the screens that hide it. And since this spark is the "holy of holies" of the soul, we always aspire to G‑d, whether consciously or unknowingly. Some people seek a philosophical closeness with G‑d; others are led to it by the events of their lives, by delving into the mysteries of nature, or by examining Jewish history. Another way of nurturing the desire for closeness with G‑d is by looking into oneself: "From my flesh shall I see G‑d" (Job 19:26); it is the understanding that G‑d is the source and essence of not only the entire universe, but also of my own private soul. However, even when the desire for closeness with G‑d turns into a conscious, clear drive – even when it pushes us to search for G‑d – we are in the dark: As we read in the Kedushah service, "Where is the place of His glory?" In the pre-Revelation world, man strove to reach G‑d but remained distant, despite all his efforts. Generally, the first thing that the G‑d-seeker wants to do is to transcend the limitations of matter and soar to the abstract and the spiritual. Our material body and the physical world seem to be the greatest obstacles on our path. Sometimes, one can reach peaks of love for the Divine and totally abandon the world. But is this really the proper approach? Furthermore, deeper thinking will reveal that whatever we do, we will never be able to comprehend G‑d. Whatever we may feel of
May 2021 / Sivan 5781
G‑d's life-giving light is but a tiny, dim spark; in truth, the Almighty Himself is far beyond anything that even the most sublime human mind can comprehend. To Him, not only physical matter, but even the highest degree of spirituality, is nothing. It follows, then, that all human efforts to get closer to G‑d are bound to fail. However high one may ascend, there will always remain an infinite, unbridgeable gap between man and G‑d. We feel the desire to come closer to G‑d, yet we have no means for fulfilling it. This is the point of the Giving of the Torah. We, as humans, are incapable of reaching G‑d; but G‑d – with His infinite loving kindness and goodness – lowers Himself toward us, so to speak, in order to fulfill the purpose of Creation. The Revelation on Mount Sinai is much more than a set of directives, instructing us what to do and how to behave; it is G‑d's will, as it is expressed through the Torah and its commandments. It reveals to us the way to actually unite with G‑d – namely, by fulfilling His commandments. Indeed, the Hebrew word for "commandment" – Mitzvah – comes from the word tzavta, togetherness – being united with G‑d. By "descending," so to speak, on Mount Sinai, G‑d "brought down" His unlimited, indefinable essence into the definitions and limitations, fences and constraints of the
Torah and the Commandments that He has given to us. The Torah is the expression of the Divine. It is G‑d's wisdom and will and is therefore much more than "a Torah from Heaven": it is Heaven itself. There is, therefore, a fundamental difference between the outward manifestation of the commandment, as we understand it, and its innermost essence as a way of connecting with G‑d. "Thou shalt not kill" as a human law, deduced through human reason – while a great achievement of human ethics and morality – does not go beyond the human realm. On the other hand, "Thou shalt not kill" as revealed on Mount Sinai is a Divine commandment, part of the bond that the transcendent G‑d forms with us. The commandments, then, are finite tools for reaching infinity. The Giving of the Torah opened for us the path – the Torah path – to reach G‑d. The Almighty Himself descended and revealed Himself through the Torah, thus giving us the way, and the possibility, to overcome the obstacles of our human nature in order to come close to G‑d. EM Rabbi Adin Even-Israel Steinsaltz, of blessed memory, is internationally regarded as one of the leading rabbis of the last century. The author of many books, he is best known for his monumental translation of and commentary on the Talmud. To learn more visit his website, steinsaltz.org.
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jewish thought
A Crown You Can Wear Jonathan Sacks
M
oses was in sight of the Angel of Death. Miriam had died. So had Aaron. And G‑d had told Moses “you too will be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was.” (Num. 27:12–13), so he knew he was not fated to live long enough to cross the Jordan and enter the land. Who would be his successor? Did he have any thoughts on the matter? With profound attentiveness, the Sages noted the immediately previous passage. It is the story of the daughters of Tzelophehad, who claim their rights of inheritance in the land, despite the fact that inheritance passed through the male line and their father had left no sons. Moses brought their request to G‑d, who answered that it was to be granted. Against this background, the Midrash interprets Moses’ thoughts as he brings his own request to G‑d, that a successor be appointed: What was Moses’ reason for making this request after declaring the order of inheritance? Just this, that when the daughters of Tzelophehad inherited from their father, Moses reasoned: The time is right for me to make my own request. If daughters inherit, it is surely right that my sons should inherit my glory. The Holy One, Blessed Be He, said to him, “He who keeps the fig tree shall eat its fruit” (Prov. 27:18). Your sons sat idly by and did not study the Torah. Joshua served you faithfully and showed you great honour. It was he who rose early in the morning and remained late at night at your House of Assembly. He used to arrange the benches and spread the mats. Seeing that he has served you with all his might, he is worthy to serve Israel, for he shall not lose his reward. This is the unspoken drama of the chapter. Not only was Moses fated not to enter the land, but he was also destined to see his sons overlooked in the search for a successor. That was his second personal tragedy. But it is precisely here that we find, for the first time, one of Judaism’s most powerful propositions. Biblical Israel had its dynasties. Both Priesthood and, in a later age, Kingship
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were handed down from father to son. Yet there is a staunchly egalitarian strand in Judaism from the outset. Ironically, it is given one of its most powerful expressions in the mouth of the rebel, Korach: “All the congregation are holy and the Lord is in their midst. Why then do you (Moses) set yourselves above the congregation?” (Num. 16:3). But it was not only Korach who gave voice to such a sentiment. We hear it in the words of Moses himself: “Would that all the Lord’s people were Prophets and that the Lord would put His spirit on them” (Num. 11:29). We hear it again in the words of Hannah when she gives thanksgiving for the birth of her son: The Lord sends poverty and wealth; He humbles and He exalts. He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; He seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honour. (I Sam. 2:7–8) It is implicit in the great holiness command: “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: Be holy, because I, the Lord your G‑d, am holy’” (Lev. 19:2). This is not a call to Priests or Prophets – a sacred elite – but to an entire people. There is, within Judaism a profound egalitarian instinct: the concept of a nation of individuals standing with equal dignity in the presence of G‑d. Korach was wrong less in what he said than in why he said it. He was a demagogue attempting to seize power. But he tapped into a deep reservoir of popular feeling and religious principle. Jews have never been
easy to lead because each is called on to be a leader. What Korach forgot is that to be a leader it is also necessary to be a follower. Leadership presupposes discipleship. That is what Joshua knew, and what led to him being chosen as Moses’ successor. The tradition is summed up in the famous Maimonidean ruling: With three crowns was Israel crowned – with the crown of Torah, the crown of Priesthood, and the crown of Kingship. The crown of Priesthood was bestowed on Aaron and his descendants. The crown of Kingship was conferred on David and his successors. But the crown of Torah is for all Israel. Whoever wishes, let them come and take it. Do not suppose that the other two crowns are greater than that of Torah…. The crown of Torah is greater than the other two crowns. This had immense social and political consequences. Throughout most of the biblical era, all three crowns were in operation. In addition to Prophets, Israel had Kings and an active Priesthood serving in the Temple. The dynastic principle – leadership passing from father to son – still dominated two of the three roles. But with the destruction of the Second Temple, Kingship and a functioning Priesthood ceased. Leadership passed to the Sages who saw themselves as heirs to the Prophets. We see this in the famous onesentence summary of Jewish history with which Tractate Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) begins: “Moses received the Torah from Sinai and handed it on to Joshua, who handed it on to the elders, the elders to the Prophets, and the Prophets to the men of the Great
May 2021 / Sivan 5781
jewish thought
Assembly” (Mishnah Avot 1:1). The Rabbis see themselves as heirs to the Prophets rather than to the Priests. In biblical Israel, the Priests were the primary guardians and teachers of Torah. Why did the Rabbis not see themselves as heirs to Aaron and the Priesthood? The answer may be this: Priesthood was a dynasty. Prophetic leadership, by contrast, could never be predicted in advance. The proof was Moses. The very fact that his children did not succeed him as leaders of the people may have been an acute distress to him but it was a deep consolation to everyone else. It meant that anyone, by discipleship and dedication, could aspire to Rabbinic leadership and the crown of Torah. Hence we find in the sources a paradox. On the one hand, the Torah describes itself as an inheritance: “Moses commanded us the Torah as an inheritance [morasha] of the congregation of Jacob” (Deut. 33:4). On the other hand, the Sages were insistent that Torah is not an inheritance: “R. Yose said: Prepare yourself to learn Torah, for it is not given to you as an inheritance [yerusha]” (Mishnah Avot 2:12). The simplest resolution of the contradiction is that there are two kinds of inheritance. Biblical Hebrew contains two different words for what we receive as a legacy: yerusha/ morasha and nachala. Nachala is related to the word nachal, “a river.” It signifies something passed down automatically across the generations, as river water flows downstream, easily and naturally. Yerusha comes from the root yarash, meaning “to take possession.” It refers to something to which you have legitimate title, but which you need positive action to acquire. A hereditary title, such as being a duke or an earl, is passed from father to son. So too is a family business. The difference is that the first needs no effort on the part of the heir, but the second requires hard work if the business is to continue to be worth something. Torah is like a business, not a title. It must be earned if it is to be sustained. The Sages themselves put it more beautifully: “‘Moses commanded us the Torah as an inheritance [morasha] of the congregation of Jacob’ – read not ‘inheritance [morasha]’ but
May 2021 / Sivan 5781
‘betrothed [me’orasa]’” (Berachot 57a). By a simple change in pronunciation – turning a shin [=“sh”] into a sin [=“s”], “inheritance” into “betrothal” – the Rabbis signalled that, yes, there is an inheritance relationship between Torah and the Jew, but the former has to be loved if it is to be earned. You have to love Torah if you are to inherit it. The Sages were fully aware of the social implications of R. Yose’s dictum that the Torah “is not given to you as an inheritance.” It meant that literacy and learning must never become the preserve of an elite: And why is it not usual for scholars to give birth to sons who are scholars? Yosef said: So that it should not be said that the Torah is their inheritance. (Nedarim 81a) The Sages were constantly on their guard against exclusivist attitudes to Torah. Equality is never preserved without vigilance – and indeed there were contrary tendencies. We see this in one of the debates between the schools of Hillel and Shammai: “Raise up many disciples” – The school of Shammai says: A person is to teach only one who is wise, humble, of good stock, and rich. But the school of Hillel says: Everyone is to be taught. For there were many transgressors in Israel who were attracted to the study of Torah, and from them sprang righteous, pious, and worthy men. To what may it be compared? “To a woman who sets a hen to brood on eggs – out of many eggs, she may hatch only a few, but out of a few [eggs], she hatches none at all.” One cannot predict who will achieve greatness. Therefore Torah must be taught to all. A later episode illustrates the virtue of teaching everyone: Once Rav came to a certain place where, though he had decreed a fast [for rain], no rain fell. Eventually someone else stepped forward in front of Rav before the Ark and prayed, “Who causes the wind to blow” – and the wind blew. Then he prayed, “Who causes the rain to fall” – and the rain fell.
Rav asked him: What is your occupation [i.e., what is your special virtue that causes G‑d to answer your prayers]? He replied: I am a teacher of young children. I teach Torah to the children of the poor as well as to the children of the rich. From those who cannot afford it, I take no payment. Besides, I have a fish pond, and I offer fish to any boy who refuses to study, so that he comes to study. (Ta’anit 24a) It would be wrong to suppose that these attitudes prevailed in all places at all times. No nation achieves perfection. An aptitude for learning is not equally distributed within any group. There is always a tendency for the most intelligent and scholarly to see themselves as more gifted than others and for the rich to attempt to purchase a better education for their children than the poor. Yet to an impressive – even remarkable – degree, Jews were vigilant in ensuring that no one was excluded from education and that schools and teachers were paid for by public funds. By many centuries, indeed millennia, Jews were the first to democratize education. The crown of Torah was indeed open to all. Moses’ tragedy was Israel’s consolation. “The Torah is their inheritance.” The fact that his successor was not his son, but Joshua, his disciple, meant that one form of leadership – historically and spiritually the most important of the three crowns – could be aspired to by everyone. Dignity is not a privilege of birth. Honour is not confined to those with the right parents. In the world defined and created by Torah, everyone is a potential leader. We can all earn the right to wear the crown. EM
Rabbi Dr. Sir Jonathan Sacks, of blessed memory, was the former Chief Rabbi of the UK and the Commonwealth and a member of the House of Lords. He was a leading academic and respected world expert on Judaism. He was the author of several books and thousands of articles, appeared regularly on television and radio, and spoke at engagements around the world.
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life on earth
Is There Proof the Torah is True? Tzvi Freeman
T
here is no scientifically flawless proof that the Torah we have today is exactly what Moses wrote. It’s obviously so, since there is no real science of history, of proving anything in the past. At one time history was thought of as the retelling of traditions. It is within that context that the proof of the Kuzari that you cite was formulated, basically saying that the tradition with the most witnesses wins. With the rise of the natural sciences in the 18th century, physics-envy drove many scholars to attempt to mold history into a science as well. In the 19th century it was a widely held belief that a scientific approach to history would eventually uncover, in the words of Leopold von Ranke, “how it actually was.” But science is about reproducible experimentation and observation, and history is about things that can never be reproduced or observed. So in the 20th century the idea of history as a science came under serious skepticism. By 1964, Alan Richardson was able to write, “No one believes that historical judgments can be ‘proved’ after the fashion of verification in the natural sciences.”1 Today the only historians who still cling to the belief that they are really scientists are those antiquarians who engage in “biblical criticism” (supplemented with related studies of archeological artifacts) in their attempts to “prove” or “disprove” the Biblical account. Many of the “facts of history” that are commonly accepted today are really quite questionable. Just take a look at how newspapers today report events around the world as they are happening. How can anyone then have faith in the history we reconstruct from fragments of copies of copies of documents, traditions and artifacts from thousands of years ago? Rather, history is more an art than a science, a form of interpretation of traditions, relic documents and scattered artifacts. True, there can be overwhelming evidence for a particular event. Specifically, when there is a strong tradition that is accepted by a large population, and that tradition is not directly in contradiction to any evidence to the contrary. Such as is the case, as far as I can tell, with our traditional belief that Moses wrote the Torah. It makes sense that Moses wrote the Torah,
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since that is the simplest and best explanation, and it is a strong tradition that lay uncontested for millennia. We have plenty of evidence that a phonetic alphabet was already in use at the time. We see that the style of the text matches the style of documents from that time period. We see that it provides an accurate account of matters for which we have external evidence. (For one example: In Genesis 37:28, Joseph is sold “for twenty pieces of silver.” Kenneth Kitchen, in a fascinating article in Biblical Archeological Review presents evidence from other Near Eastern texts that this was the going rate for a slave in the Old Babylonian period—just around the time of the event, but not before and not after. In fact, slave prices in later biblical texts are higher, in keeping with the trend recorded elsewhere.) We see that the Torah narrates events that a later chronologist would be very uncomfortable describing—such as the failures of the heroes of the stories and the people as a whole. Then there are accounts of marital relations that were later forbidden. Why would an author later than Moses want to write that Jacob married two sisters, when this was already forbidden by the law of Moses? Or that Abraham claimed to have married his halfsister—likewise forbidden? Or that Judah and Simeon married Canaanite women, and Joseph married an Egyptian? Books written in the 19th century about the 17th are full of anachronisms, but the Torah preserves the idiosyncrasies of each era. In general, the Five Books of Moses have the style of someone obsessed with detail and accuracy—even when those details are overtly embarrassing and inconvenient. (For a thorough treatment of this topic, see Provan, Iain W., V. Philips Long, and Tremper Longman
III, A Biblical History of Israel (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2003).) The line of tradition is also fundamentally reliable, since there is plenty of evidence (not proof, but strong evidence), archeological and otherwise, that the Jews were always a literate society obsessed with preservation of traditions.3 Since the Torah was in the public domain of a literate populace, it would be difficult for significant changes to fall into the text. As well, there was always a central authority with a Torah scroll from which to check any variance. Nevertheless, anyone resting their faith on historical evidence of facts alone—even in this case—is building a home on the swampy banks of the Mississippi. Faith cannot be based on evidence of an event of the past, no matter how strong the evidence may be. Faith arises out of your personal life experience. You don’t have faith in your wife because your research into her past demonstrates that she deserves it; you trust her because you know her, personally and intimately. You build a marriage based on trust, not the other way around. Precisely the same applies to our faith in the Torah. Despite everything they tell you in those seminars, we don’t believe that G‑d gave us the Torah at Sinai because we have proof. Rather, we begin with our personal belief that G‑d is good, that He is purposeful and that there is only one of Him—and we believe all that despite everything we see out there. Then we build from there. Why do we believe? Because we are Jews and that’s just the way we are. We inherited from our ancestors this integral conviction that He is one and He is good, and therefore life is essentially good and meaningful, and no
May 2021 / Sivan 5781
matter what, we just can’t shuck that off. We can try to run from it, or to transmute it into radical politics, guru-chasing, trendsetting or even extreme corporate climbing. But at the bottom of everything that a child of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob does lies an inherent, simple faith that there’s got to be meaning behind all this somewhere. Once we recognize that foundation and give it some room to breathe, we look at our history and see it in that light. We ask, “If G‑d is good, why doesn’t He communicate with us?” Well, here’s an answer: He does, through His Torah and through its sages. Since we are created as semi-rational beings, we need some sort of support for this faith from our power of reason. We look, and we see that it is not unreasonable at all. In fact—if you have no problem with G‑d speaking to man and open miracles—it has more support than any other document from the distant past. Another way of looking at it: Communication is always a two-party process. I can't say I’ve told you something if you weren’t listening. Neither can I tell you that I've given you a wise path in life if you are bound to forget it. Similarly, G‑d cannot say “I gave them My Torah” if we were doomed from the beginning to change and distort it. So there’s a promise that “it will not be forgotten from their seed.” Does that promise necessarily mean that exactly the same book will be transmitted down through the centuries without any discrepancy falling in? I don’t think this is an absolute. We see, in fact, that Rashi and others had different versions of certain words and letters. What it does mean, however, is that the Torah the Jewish people make a blessing on today is G‑d’s communication with them. That’s why, really, your approach of “orthopraxy” is more viable. Your Judaism does not rest on an event of the past, but on your present reality. But I would go further than that. Jewishness should not be reduced to actions alone. There has to be a Jewish experience involved as well. That’s where faith can really rest—on the inner human experience. A Jew needs to find and nurture that faith within that “G‑d is good and there is only one of Him.” He needs to feel an affinity, a closeness and an intimate relationship with
that G‑d, with His Torah and with the Jewish People. So this is where I see your faith right now— tell me if I have it straight: You believe in the Jewish people; you believe in a benevolent, all-encompassing G‑d who created you with a purpose; and you feel that “orthoprax” is good. What you are missing is a meaningful experience of that orthopraxy, in terms of its inner soul and spirit. This is what Chabad attempts to present in terms of intellectual Chassidus and a chassidic lifestyle: not just practice, but an inner, spiritual experience of that practice. In this, as well, lies the answer to your predicament concerning a blessing on the Torah. Ask yourself: In what do I have faith? In a book? Obviously not—since, as I wrote, no one could ever demonstrate without doubt that this book is the real one. Rather, the Jewish faith is in that abovementioned relationship between G‑d and the Jewish people. Torah is the communication of that relationship, and it is really an ongoing dialogue through the Talmudic approach that continues to be generated along the generations. So if this is the Torah that the Jewish people are saying a blessing on today, this must be the Torah that G‑d communicates to them—along with all the innovations of Jewish law that have been accepted by the Jewish community at large over the millennia. I am confident that if you take this approach, eventually you will be able to make peace with the statement of Maimonides that a person who claims that a single word of the Torah was not told by G‑d to Moses, that person is a heretic. For even were it possible that a word may have changed here or there, or fallen away, the Torah that the Jewish people as a whole treasure and make a blessing upon is G‑d’s communication through Moses to His people. EM
Rabbi Tzvi Freeman, a senior editor at Chabad.org, is the author of Bringing Heaven Down to Earth and more recently Wisdom to Heal the Earth. To subscribe to regular updates of Rabbi Freeman's writing or purchase his books, visit Chabad.org. Follow him on FaceBook @RabbiTzviFreeman.
future tense
MOSHIACH MUSINGS
People differ physically and mentally. Individual distinctions, however, need not separate and divide. They complement and supplement one another. Moreover, in essence we share a common denominator, as R. Shneur Zalman of Liadi writes in Tanya that the souls are “all of a kind, and all having one Father-therefore all Israelites are called real brothers, by virtue of the source of their souls in the One G‑d.” Joining and harmonizing the differing yet complementing aspects in everyone thus leads to a higher-ultimateunity and perfection. The Jewish people at Sinai sensed this ultimate and absolute unity joining them together. In that frame of mind, therefore, “as one man, with one mind,” they jointly desired and anticipated receiving the Torah, and that is when G‑d gave it to them. When Moshiach comes, it is said that “the one preoccupation of the entire world will be solely to know G‑d.” All knowledge of G‑d derives from the Torah. Moshiach’s ultimate function, therefore, will be to “teach the entire people and instruct them in the way of G‑d, and all nations will come to hear him.” He will reveal new insights, novel understandings of the presently hidden, unknown and esoteric teachings of the infinite Torah, allowing people “to attain knowledge of their Creator to the extent of human capacity.” In order to make it possible for the world to partake in these new revelations, the Messianic era will thus be a time of peace and harmony, with “neither famine nor war, neither envy nor strife.” As we look forward to the bliss of the era of Moshiach, therefore, we must prepare for that new revelation even as we had to prepare for the revelation at Sinai. We must overcome all differences that may lead to dissension and divisiveness, to become as “one man, with one mind” by concentrating on that which unites us, on the common denominator we all share. Peace and harmony among ourselves is assured to hasten the universal and everlasting peace.
ask the rabbi
Engraved in the Heart Rabbi Yoseph Y. Zaltzman
Q
I find it interesting that the Ten Commandments were engraved on stone tablets, as opposed to written with ink on parchment like the rest of the Torah. What is the significance the engraving on stone? Does it make the Ten Commandments more important that the test of the Torah and its commandments?
The Torah contains 613 mitzvahs (or commandments), including the ten famous ones that make up the Ten Commandments. While it may seem like the ones listed in the Ten Commandments are the “big” ones, like believing in the oneness of G-d, every single mitzvah is considered an expression of the Divine will – by fulfilling it we fulfill what G-d wants for us and of our world. That being said, there is something special about the Ten Commandments. They are the ones that were revealed to the entire nation in a dramatic fashion at Mount Sinai. The Sages teach that all the other 603 mitzvahs of the Torah can be derived from these ten. And, as you noted, the Ten Commandments were engraved on stone, while the rest of the Torah was written with ink on parchment. The Divine revelation at Mount Sinai was so intense and overwhelming that the souls of the people present there actually left their bodies. Our mission on this earth is to embody and affect unity between the Creator and Creation. Some make the mistake of abandoning or disconnecting from the physical in the pursuit of the spiritual. One of the great functions of the Torah is to empower us to bride the seeming divide between the physical and the spiritual; the Torah contains lofty spiritual wisdom, yet at the same time is so down to earth. That’s why so many of the Torah’s mitzvahs deal with the mundane details of our material life – to give us the opportunity to bring the Divine into those areas. Engraving the central revelation of the giving of the Torah onto stone tablets
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emphasizes that our purpose is to rectify and elevate the physical world – even the lowly inanimate aspects of it like stones. The engraving of the letters is a metaphor for the soul, where the essential unity we seek already exists. When letters are written with ink on parchment, though the ink and parchment unite, they are two distinct entities. As such, they can be separated and erased. Letters engraved in stone, on the other hand, are completely unified with the stone itself. The letters have no distinct existence of their own; they are from, and within, the stone itself. The letters and the stone on which they are engraved constitute one cohesive reality. The Torah is intrinsically engraved upon every Jewish soul. Dust may cover part of the letter, but it never ceases to exist. It cannot be erased like ink. After some spiritual 'dusting' the letter will reappear. The soul's connection to Torah also transcends natural limitations, as did the letters of the tablets of the Ten Commandments. The letters were engraved all the way through the stone to the opposite side. Miraculously, some letters which should have simply fallen out remained suspended in mid-air. (Imagine the letter “O” being engraved all the way through – the middle of the O should fall out.) The tablets thus defied the laws of space and time. Similarly the connection of the soul to G-d’s Torah remains constant and eternal, defying any and all laws of nature. EM
Rabbi Yoseph Y. Zaltzman is the Senior Rabbi of the Jewish Russian Community Centre of Ontario. You can Ask the Rabbi at jrcc.org or fax to 416.222.7812. To meet with Rabbi Zaltzman in person, feel free to call 416.222.7105 to book an appointment. Appointments are generally available on Wednesday evenings after 7pm. Rebbitzin Chiena Zaltzman is also available for private consultations by appointment on Wednesday evenings from 9 to 10pm by calling 416.222.7105.
Сегодня мы собираемся поговорить о создании генеалогического древа в еврейских семьях. Генеалогическое древо представляет собой схему поколений семьи, в которой указываются родственные связи настолько глубоко во времени, насколько позволяет наличие информации. Кто-то знает своих родственников на несколько веков назад, кто-то только на три-четыре поколения. В генеалогическом древе записываются все члены какой-то конкретной семьи. Хотелось бы узнать, насколько важно еврейской семье иметь собственное генеалогическое древо и почему нам надо знать информацию о своих родственниках – близких и далеких. Далеких во временном понятии. Когда мы читаем Пятикнижие Моисея – Тору, прямо с первого взгляда видна очень интересная вещь: Вс-вышний ведет запись поколений еврейского народа, начиная с Адама Ришона – Первого Человека. Вс-вышний, упоминая о нееврейских семьях, оставляет их и возвращается к еврейской линии. Б-г проводит прямую линию от Адама до Ноаха, в которой Ноах является десятым поколением от Адама. От Ноаха линия продолжается до Авраама. Вс-вышний перечисляет все звенья этой цепи. Затем от Авраама доходит до Моисея. А потом в ТаНаХе прослеживаются все еврейские поколения до конца существования Второго Храма. После этого мы можем проследить линию продолжения еврейского народа вплоть до сегодняшнего дня. Генеалогическое древо Любавичского Ребе идет от отца к отцу, восходя до Адама. И это очень просто: генеалогия Царя Давида до Адама отражена в ТаНаХе. Раши – известный мудрец, комментатор Торы указывает свою родословную до Царя Давида. Рамбам также потомок Царя Давида. Магарал из Праги – известный раввин, который сделал из глины и одушевил Голема, - тоже потомок Царя Давида и вместе с тем является шестым прадедом Первого Любавичского Ребе. Вот вам и линия от Ребе напрямую до Царя Давида. Все легко прослеживается... The article above is excerpted from the Russian edition of Exodus Magazine. To subscribe, please visit exodusmagazine.org call 416.222.7105. Mayor 2021 / Sivan 5781
ב”ה ב''ה
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
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THE HUMAN SOUL, BEREAVEMENT AND AFTER-LIFE
SHAVUOT KIDS EVENT
POST-PASSOVER CHALLAH BAKE
The longstanding custom of post-Passover challah baking known as Shlissel Challah, was celebrated simultaneously via Zoom by JRCC Branches following Passover last month. Though communal Challah baking sessions are organized throughout the year, and are a tremendous source communal blessing for those in need, the post-Passover challah baking is known to be especially auspicious for eliciting healing energy and sustenance. The custom usually involved a key - according to some versions the key is baked into the challah, some pierce the challah with a key, and some bake a challah shaped like a key. They “key” connection is that the channel from which heavenly blessings flow is often referred to as a gate - such as, the gates of mercy, the gates of healing, the gates of forgiveness, the gates of wealth, etc. Since we are asking that the gates of blessings be open, we symbolically connect a key to the custom, as if to say that this challah will serve as a key to open the gates of blessings for the Jewish people.
IYAR 2 FARBRENGEN
05/16 05/18
SHAVUOT
TUE
IS MONEY THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL?
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KISLEV 5781
T H E M O N T H I N R E V I E W. U P C O M I N G E V E N T S & P R O G R A M S .
MAY 2021 | SIVAN 5781
WED
Our
Community
НОЯБРЬ 2020
On April 13, the JRCC marked the birthday of the Rebbe Maharash, Rabbi Shmuel of Lubavitch, with a special virtual farbrengen (Chassidic gathering) via Zoom organized by the JRCC Rockford. One of the Rebbe Maharash’s best known teachings is the approach of “L’chatchila ariber” – elevating oneself above life’s challenges without hesitation. Indeed, that is one of the cornerstones of what a farbrengen gathering is all about – listening and supporting one another trough the challenges we face in living meaningful, spiritual lives, so that we may transcend those challenges together as we learn and grow from them. Stay tuned for upcoming farbrengens in the community.
NEW PUBLICATIONS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Thanks to a grant from the Canada Periodical Fund, the JRCC was able to set up and implement new systems for its Publications department based on the SaleForce platform. In addition to better automation that will increase efficiency for managing and expanding online and print advertisements, the system also enables the JRCC to better serve you, our community and readers, by ensuring everyone always gets the content they want in the language they need.
SUMMER WOMEN’S CLASSES
Throughout the year, the JRCC organizes various events and educational programs specifically for women. As the days get longer after the Passover holiday, it is customary to set aside some time on Shabbat afternoon for the study of Pirkei Avot, the Ethics of the Fathers. (You can also learn more and access resources on Pirkei Avot at jrcc.org/ avot.) Every Shabbat afternoon women gather to network, connect, and glean wisdom from the Sages through study focused on one chapter of Pirkei Aviot. As summer approaches, we hope to be able to meet in person. Check jrcc.org/ WomensCircle for updates about times and locations. In the meantime, enjoy a weekly virtual Pirkei Avot class given by Mrs. Esther Neft of the JRCC Rockford every Wednesday at 8pm at zoom www.zoom.us/my/jrcchq.
CANDLE LIGHTING TIMES
HEBREW SCHOOL REGISTRATION BEGINS
Friday, May 7, 2021
8:09 PM
Friday, May 14, 2021
8:17 PM
Sunday, May 16, 2021 Shavuot
8:19 PM
Monday, May 17, 2021 Shavuot
9:29 PM
Tuesday, May 18, 2021 Shavuot
9:30 PM
Friday, May 21, 2021
8:24 PM
The past year has been a challenging one for everyone, and educational programs are no exception. The JRCC Hebrew School, with eight locations in the GTA plus an online learning option, has done its best to continue delivering its curriculum in the COVID era – both in-person when possible, and virtually. The benefits of Hebrew School are well known, connecting children to their rich Jewish heritage, the Hebrew language, the Land of Israel, and the traditional and values hared by Jewish people around the world and throughout history. Sending a child to Hebrew school is a gift that gives them all of these benefits, and helps them carry on as part of the chain following their parents, grandparents and ancestors through the generations. In addition to the great gift of belonging and meaning that is bestowed upon the children, as well as the satisfaction of their parents and grandparents, Hebrew School, whether in-person or virtual, is a wholesome, educational and enjoyable way to keep children occupied. Registration for the upcoming year is now open at jrcchebrewschool.org, or call 416-222-7105 ext. 225 for more info.
Friday, May 28, 2021
8:31 PM
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Photo of the Month
ENGLISH CLASSES ON ZOOM LEARN ABOUT MOSHIACH with CHIENA ZALTZMAN EVERY MONDAY AT 8PM ZOOM ID: 83834122371
TORAH AND TEA
with CHANIE ZALTZMAN EVERY MONDAY AT 8PM ZOOM ID: 770 613 7608 PW: 770
SECRETS OF THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION with Rabbi MENDEL ZALTZMAN EVERY TUESDAY AT 8PM
ZOOM ID: 770 613 7608 PW: 770. zoom.us/my/jrcceast
Students learn and review the Hebrew letters in an Aleph Bet Gymnastics competition. Students form the letters with their limbs and have friends and teachers guess and copy the letter!
CAFFEINE FOR THE SOUL for women only
with SARALE ZALTZMAN
EVERY THURSDAY AT 11AM ZOOM ID: 770 613 9699
THE HUMAN SOUL, BEREAVEMENT AND AFTER-LIFE
Birth Kit
PROGRAM
WEDNESDAY, MAY 12 8:00 PM Eve of 2nd Sivan, Shloimele’s 12th Yahrtzeit
For all the newborn Russian Jews
With Rabbi Avraham Plotkin, Chabad Markham. Followed by Q&A
Zoom ID: 770 613 7608 Password: 770
With prayers for the immediate redemption. Mitzvot & contributions: JrccEastThornhill.org/Shloimele
Did you just gave a birth? Did you become a grandparent? Do you know any of your friends who just gave a birth? JRCC is ready to deliver a baby package right to the house. It includes: baby diapers, body suits, napkins, baby cream, kids cup, baby powder, shower gel, Jewish soft toy, blessing for a child and a mother, Jewish educational book, baby blanket.
Contact JRCC office for more info
416.222.7105 ext.245
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Tuesday, May 25 | 7:00 PM By Edward Kholodenko, CEO of The presentation will be followed by Q&A
Zoom ID: 770 613 7105 Password: 770
Faces of the Community
Sunday, May 16, 2021
Rose Levit
Contact your local branch for more details
ALL-NIGHT
SHAVUOT
LEARNING WOMENS
PIRKEI AVOT
One of my vivid childhood memories is preparing for Passover in the town where we lived. My G-d, what a revolution took place in the house before Passover! It all started with the window: the double frames were taken out, the old cotton wool lying between them was sent to the trash heap. The curtains were soaked in a large basin of warm water, which instantly turned black. It was always shocking to see that while it was hanging on the windows, it seemed so clean. And then it turns out that during the year so much dust was collected on the fabric!
When the cleaning was over, my mother began to prepare food for the holiday. Our town, Ashmyany, was located fifty kilometers from Vilnius. My parents went to Vilnius a week before Passover and brought a large package of matzah. We, the children, were told that these are “cookies,” and we will eat them all week instead of bread.
Rotating locations. Contact Chaya Mushka Weinstein chaya.weinstein@jrcc.org. All covid-19 regulation in place.
ב״ה
SHAVUOT
The process of making this special matzah is not simple or automated. It is monitored from the moment the grain ripens until the baking itself, which should take exactly eighteen minutes, not a second longer. It was made in Dnepropetrovsk, where Rabbi Levi Yitzchak, the father of the Rebbe, lived.
"Yes," said my mother, "you can't see the dust, just as you can't see the dust that sometimes covers a person's soul." And, seeing my surprised face, she added: "The dust must be disposed of both from the inside and from the outside!” My mother was a philosopher, a philosopher by nature, or maybe she heard all this from my mother, my grandmother Rachel.
IN CONCORD
OSCAR YOLLES
I would like to comment on the beauty and meaning of a wonderful tradition in our community: Ten years ago, the JRCC seared delivering hand-made shmurah matzah before Passover to EVERY Jewish Russian-speaking family in Ontario whose address was on file. The package generally includes instructions for conducting the Passover Seder. The first year, in 2011, 5,000 packages were delivered; this year, over 12,000 Jewish families in our community throughout Ontario received shmurah matzah before Passover.
Jewish Russian Community Centre of Ontario
WONDERLAND VIRTUAL PROGRAM SUNDAY MAY 16 AT 11AM ON ZOOM • Entertainment with Rabbi B • Build-A-Torah • Edible Mount Sinai
Early registration $8 until May 6 $10 after May 6 Contact ariel.zaltzman@jrcc.org 416-222-7105 ext. 225 Recommended ages 3-9
We were already used to the fact that our parents lived a double life to conceal their Jewish practices from the authorities, and that unnecessary questions should not be asked. During the day, my father read the newspaper Pravda or Izvestia, and at night, with closed doors and curtained windows, we listened to Voice of America, Radio Liberty, or broadcasts from Israel. Today I understand why many things were not explained to us. Teaching children Jewish customs and observing religious holidays was punishable by law, up to and including deprivation of parental rights. That is why we celebrated Jewish holidays without any explanation: you need to eat matzah, so eat and don't ask questions. Today, more than forty years later, in the free country of Canada, we celebrate the Festival of our Freedom with the whole family. We have become truly free people! My grandchildren know very well about the Jewish holidays, they read the Passover Haggadah in Hebrew, and in addition to the Exodus from Egypt I tell them the family story of our Exodus. Shmurah matzah lies on the table. Its history goes back to the distant years, to another country. Here is what our Rabbi, Rabbi Yoseph Zaltzman, told in one of our conversations: “In 1935, the leader of the struggle for Jewish life in Russia was the father of our Rebbe, Rabbi Levi Yitzhak Schneerson, the chief rabbi of Yekaterinoslav-Dnepropetrovsk from 1909 to 1939, a man who was absolutely uncompromising in matters of faith. That year, Jewish communities in Europe ordered the Soviet Union to purchase Ukrainian kosher flour for Passover. At the same time, they set a condition that they would pay for the order only if Rabbi Levi Yitzhak from Dnepropetrovsk confirms that the flour is kosher. Officials contacted Rabbi Levi Yitzchak and told him to write a confirmation letter. Rabbi Levi Yitzchak replied that he would only do so if he was sure that the flour was kosher. He was told that the country could lose a lot of the much-needed currency. And Rabbi Levi Yitzchak said: 'You are forcing me to give false information!’ And left for Moscow to meet with Mikhail Kalinin. Hearing Rabbi Levik's story, Kalinin said: "You are right!" - and gave the order that the process of making flour was to be supervised by observant Jews. Thus, in that year, not only the Jews of Europe received kosher flour, but the Jews of the USSR also had kosher matzah for Passover. That year, Jews from all over the Soviet Union came to receive matzah from Dnepropetrovsk, and no one returned home emptyhanded. In 1939, Rabbi Levi Yitzhak was arrested and sentenced to exile in the impoverished Kazakh village of Chili for five years. He did not live to see the end of his term. His wife, Rebbetsin Chana, writes in her diaries that he survived for the week of Passover on water and one package of matzah that he managed to smuggle with him.” And today Dnepropetrovsk supplies the whole world with matzah! Thanks to the selfless work of the Lubavitcher Chassidim, we also received a box with matzah as a present this year. I would like to say a huge thank you to Rabbi and Rebbetsin Zaltzman and all the JRCC staff for the amazing work they do, which we often overlook or take for granted.
Register online: www.jrcchebrewschool.org/shavuot 15
ב׳׳ה
Exodus Magazine Holiday Companion
SHAVUOT May 16 – 18, 2021
Jewish Russian Community Centre of Ontario
All times displayed in this guide are for the Greater Toronto Area.
What is Shavuot? Shavuot, which translates as “weeks,” celebrates the completion of the seven-week Omer counting period following Passover, and commemorates the day of the receiving of the Torah over 3,300 years ago. According to Jewish tradition, each year the Torah is given anew, and we prepare and celebrate accordingly in order to receive it.
Pre-Holid
ay to-do
• Shop fo r the holi day needs • Make pl ans t the Ten Co o hear or read mmandm ents • Get som e good To rah s available online at tudy material – jrcc.org/ • Make Yi Shavuot zkor plan s
list
Shavuot Customs •
Celebrate with candle lighting, special holiday feasts and days of rest as on all Jewish holy days
•
All night learning on the first night of Shavuot (Sunday night)
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Hear the reading of the Ten Commandments on the first day of Shavuot (Monday), preferable in synagogue
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East dairy foods – traditional cheese blintzes, quiches, casseroles and more (kids like ice cream)
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Yizkor memorial service on the second day of Shavuot (Tuesday)
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Some communities read the Book of Ruth, since King David, whose passing occurred on this day, was a descendant of Ruth
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Some have the custom to decorate their homes (and synagogues) with flowers and sweet-smelling plants in advance of Shavuot
i Learn more at jrcc.org/Holidays
Holiday Candle Lighting Holiday candles are lit by women and girls on Sunday and Monday evening. See page 13 for exact candle lighting times. On the second night of Shavuot (Monday evening), make sure to light from a preexisting flame. Light a 48-hour candle before the onset of the holiday to be used for this purpose. The blessings for lighting, with instructions, can be found in your prayerbook and some Jewish calendars. Learn more at jrcc.org/ShabbatCandles
We’re Here to Help. The JRCC is here to assist with all your Shavuot needs. See the back page for a variety of JRCC Shavuot programs and services being offered. For assistance in making your Shavuot plans or any other assistance, visit jrcc.org/Shavuot or contact the JRCC. See JRCC Shavuot programs on back page
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May 2021 / Sivan 5781
The Ten Commandments
Children and Shavuot
Forty days after the Exodus from Egypt, the entire nation stood as one at Mount Sinai and heard the Ten Commandments communicated directly from the Divine. It was an otherworldly experience. These commandments were later carved into two tablets, which remained in the Holy Ark of the sanctuary for generations. The Ten Commandments are the cornerstone of the Torah, representing the kernel from which the entire Torah can be derived, so the event at which they were transmitted is known as the “Giving of the Torah.” On Shavuot, we relive this awesome moment by reading the Ten Commandments together and studying the Torah.
When G‑d was about to give the Torah, He demanded guarantors who would ensure it would be purely preserved and authentically transmitted. The people made a number of suggestions – including their ancestors and their prophets – all of whom were rejected. When they declared, “Our children will be our guarantors,” G‑d immediately accepted and agreed to give the Torah.
i Learn more at jrcc.org/TenCommandments
Besides the purity, sincerity and authenticity being central to Jewish life, one of the messages of this conveys is the idea that the Torah is for everyone. If the sages or the prophets were the guarantors, it would have created a “Torah caste” within the Jewish people. When every child is given the gift of his or her heritage, it ensures that every individual has the opportunity to connect. So make sure that engaging the children – our guarantors – is a central part of your Shavuot experience, especially when it comes to hearing the Ten Commandments.
i Find great Shavuot content for children at jrcc.org/Kids
Celebrating Shavuot at Home Due to COVID restrictions, you may find yourself unable to attend synagogue services on Shavuot. You can still experience the Shavuot observances and experiences in your own home, or perhaps outdoors with some of your neighbors (regulations permitting). Prepare in advance by reading up on the holiday and downloading resources online.
i Learn more at jrcc.org/Shavuot
All Night Learning When: Sunday night, May 16 - the first night of Shavuot When the actual moment arrived to give the Torah, the Israelites were sleeping. Mystical teachings explain that it was an intentional attempt to connect to the subconscious, transcendent self in preparation for revelation of divine wisdom. Ultimately, it was not the right approach, so to rectify it we spend the entire first night of Shavuot studying Torah.
i Download and print some texts to study at jrcc.org/Torah
Shavuot Now In addition to the giving of the Torah, which is connected with Moses, Shavuot is also connected with King David, who was born and died on this day, and Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov, founder of the Chassidic movement, who passed away on Shavuot. The first letter of each of their names spells the Hebrew word “miyad,” which means “immediately.” All three of these great leaders focused on removing the obstacles that prevent us from the immediate realization of our goals. Moses, who taught us the Torah, showed how studying Divine wisdom and observing the mitzvahs elevates our consciousness and breaks the barrier between the material and spiritual in our lives. King David, through his Psalms and the poetry of the life he lived, teaches us the power of meditation, music and prayer to achieve transformation by removing the barrier between the divine will and our personal needs and wants. The teachings of the Baal Shem Tov and his disciples, especially the teachings of Chabad, empower us to overcome the disconnect between our spiritual longings and the realities of life with their emphasis on “practical mysticism” – laying the groundwork for a more holistic and peaceful existence.
Yizkor When: Monday, May 18 Yizkor is the remembrance prayer for departed loved ones, where we implore G‑d to remember the souls of our relatives and friends that have passed on. The main component of Yizkor is our private pledge to give charity following the holiday in honor of the deceased. By giving charity, we are performing a positive physical deed in this world, something that the departed can no longer do, especially if our goods deeds emulate theirs. Yizkor renews and strengthens the connection between us and our loved one, brings merit to the departed souls, and elevates them in their celestial homes.
May 2021 / Sivan 5781
Tapping into the energy and teachings of Moses, King David and the Baal Shem Tov empowers us to overcome our challenges with an effectiveness and an immediacy that is not generally attainable through normal human effort alone. Ultimately, this can carry us past the greatest barrier of all – the one between exile and redemption – with the coming of Moshiach (immediately!).
i Learn more at jrcc.org/Moshiach
Shavuot concludes on Tuesday, May 18 at 9:30pm.
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SHARE THE JOY! t he ex odus ma g azine sim cha sectio n
MAZEL TOV!
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Benjamin Lev Duchon David Pavlovsky Jonathan Meerovich Reuven Asher Junaev Matthias Silvio Loiero Ben Zilberman Ari Mathew Rabinovich Asher Kogan Vlad Liam Dudarev Austin Roman Birsell
IT’S A GIRL!
Elly Zvia Liba Greenspan Kaila Faynberg Romi Miri Fridman Eve Jade Rosenberg Mia Samoilov Jessica Berd Valeriy Berd Bella Gerb Alina Dehkanov
to
Rabbi Avrohom Zaltzman on his birthday
May Hashem send you an abundance of blessings materially and spiritually. From the JRCC Rabbis & Staff
MAZEL TOV!
BAR-MITZVAH!
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Michael Rabkin
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Ben Mingov & Katya Dzynbenko
Wishing you much health, happiness and nachas, from the rabbis of the JRCC Rabbi Yoseph Y. Zaltzman (Senior Rabbi) Rabbi Avrohom Yusewitz, Rabbi Avrohom Zaltzman, Rabbi Avraham Weinstein, Rabbi Chaim Hildeshaim, Rabbi Levi Jacobson, Rabbi Mendel Zaltzman, Rabbi Levi Blau, Rabbi Shmuel Neft, Rabbi David Davidov, Rabbi Yisroel Zaltzman
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perspectives
Are We Far From Sinai? Simon Jacobson
T
he single most important event in history took place over 3,000 years ago. Sinai set in motion a series of events that would change the world forever, and continues to impact our lives today. At Sinai the human race received a Divine blueprint how to live our lives. This great gift was given for all of mankind, however at the time the nations of the world rejected it. At Sinai the world changed. For the first time the human race was given the opportunity to bridge heaven and earth – to fuse spirit and matter. Until that point there existed an invisible wall between the transcendental and the material. A decree, a schism separated between above and below. “That which was above could not descend below, and that which was below could not ascend above.” Sinai opened a door, never again to be closed, that allows mortals in a material world to become Divine. It gave us the power to spiritualize the material, and to make our lives sacred, not just ethical. This was no small event. Philosophers, thinkers, theologians and lay people have all always asked the eternal question: How high can a human being reach? Are we humans just sophisticated beasts, with limited potential? Can we ever reach heaven and beyond or bring heaven down to earth? Can we integrate spirituality into our material lives? Can we fuse the finite and the infinite? The fact is that matter and spirit are in a perpetual struggle. Narcissism, greed, corruption are staples of life. When we look at ourselves each of us knows that we often feel that “I exist and nothing else” — to the detriment of others. When this feeling becomes extreme it can destroy lives of those around us. On the other hand, we also have a spirit inside of us. We have the power to live noble lives, filled with dignity and selflessness. So we have an inevitable clash. Matter by its very nature is selfish. Spirit is selfless. No wonder that people have always speculated whether these two worlds can meet, let alone merge. In general we find two approaches evolving
May 2021 / Sivan 5781
in history: Asceticism and immersion. One states that in order to experience spirit we must separate ourselves from the material tentacles of life, and “climb the mountain” to meditate and become absorbed in a higher reality. Basically, one must deny the material life. An extreme version of this would be the ascetic life. To achieve the sacred the material life must be compromised. The infinite may be reached, but only by denying the finite. The other extreme is that we cannot really reach heaven. We must live ethically, build healthy homes and workplaces, and find spirit in limited ways within our limited lives. Because we are essentially mortal creatures, with inherent selfishness or even evil, we cannot expect anything more than the best an earthy creature can achieve.
A variation of this includes the ability of achieving salvation but not through our own efforts but by embracing something beyond us. The infinite is not integrated into our own personal lives. Sinai opened the door of a third option. Sinai created an interface that bridged heaven and earth, giving us the power to integrate matter and spirit, utterly and completely, without compromising one or the other. The finite can become one with the infinite; matter one with spirit; the sacred one with the secular. Briefly, because G-d is neither spirit nor matter, He gave us the power to completely integrate the two. This third option, however, does not come easily. As limiting as the first two options may be, they seem simpler, while the Sinai option requires a continual straddling of the
19
perspectives
thin line between matter and spirit. That is why Sinai did not come easily. The nations of the world could not accept – nor understand – how one can bridge the two worlds. They therefore rejected the Torah at the time. Even the Jewish people did not reach Sinai effortlessly. Twenty-six generations of hard work, culminating with the terrible Egyptian slavery, was necessary before the people would be ready for Sinai. This struggle between heaven and earth has many manifestations, including the battle that we so often have witnessed between religion and secularism. If you are a firm believer how do you deal with the secular world? According to the twoabovementioned options you either have to wage a holy war against the secular, or your basically embrace the secular with limited sanctity. Therein lies the essential root of the religious wars waged throughout history. Recognizing secular heresy as an enemy, the Christians and later the Muslims, engaged in aggressive battles with the forces they perceive as threatening. Chassidic texts explain that the problem was rooted in balance. Ishmael (son of Abraham) was an archetype of abundant chessed (love) without the discipline of gevurah (judgment and discretion). Esau (son of Isaac) was an extreme of gevurah without the sensitivity of chessed. Jacob, by contrast, was tiferet. Tiferet is beauty – harmony within diversity. Tiferet has the power to fuse love and discipline into one symmetrical unit. Tiferet possesses this power by introducing a third dimension – the dimension of truth, which is neither love nor discipline and therefore can integrate the two. Truth is accessed through selflessness: rising above your ego and your predispositions, enabling you to realize truth. Truth gives you a clear and objective picture of yours and others’ needs. Jacobs’ children were educated with this Tiferet balance. They thus were ready for to receive the Torah, which is called Tiferet. This is why we don’t find the Jewish people embarking on any religious war against heretics, or converting the nations of the world to Judaism. Conversion is actually
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When you are a person of Tiferet harmony and balance... then you can maintain the highest standard of spiritual integrity without resorting to killing or terrorizing others to conform to your beliefs. dissuaded in Jewish law. When you are a person of Tiferet harmony and balance – secure in your own beliefs; aware that all humans were created in the Divine image, and one need not be Jewish to serve G-d; maintain a perfect equilibrium between love and discipline; absolutely confident that the sacred and the secular can be integrated with the Divine, and that this integration will come to fruition; lacking any fear that evil may be more powerful than good – then you can maintain the highest standard of spiritual integrity without resorting to killing or terrorizing others to conform to your beliefs. Ishmael and Esau lacked this balance. Unbridled love and untempered discipline, even if they are driven for a good cause, ultimately become aggressive forces of destruction. Too much undisciplined love spoils a child and can create a monster, like too much rain that floods and destroys
the fields. Unlimited judgment and severity, without underlying love, becomes tyrannical. Thus, at Sinai the children of Ishmael and Esau were not yet prepared to receive the Torah. But their time would come, and come it did. Maimonides writes that by the mysterious ways of Divine Providence, Christianity and Islam helped pave the way for the Messianic age by acquainting the world with the principle of Messiah, the Torah and mitzvot. As time would pass their beliefs would continue to refine and mature. In the centuries that followed Esau and Ishmael’s descendants would go through their growing pains in learning how to balance religious beliefs and daily life. This would not be an easy process; history is witness to the devastation and bloodshed wreaked by this journey. But slowly, slowly, Sinai would seep into the fibers of all people. The process concludes with the refinement of the last two powers, Edom (Esau) and Ishmael, which leads to the Messianic age – a world where there is no more destruction and terror and all children of Abraham serve the One G-d of Abraham in peace and harmony. After years of tyranny the Western/ Christian world has finally bred countries like America that champion the fundamental principles of Sinai: All people are created equal with inalienable rights and freedoms. The children of Esau have come to embrace the teachings of Abraham, formalized at Sinai. After all we have endured in the last three millennia, and with the current state of affairs in the Middle East, we can appreciate the need for all nations to embrace the mandate given to us at Sinai. So, 3,000 years later how far are we from Sinai? On one hand it seems quite far, but on the other Sinai may be just around the corner. It’s up to us to determine which one it will be. EM Rabbi Simon Jacobson is the author of Toward a Meaningful Life: The Wisdom of the Rebbe and the director of the Meaningful Life Center (meaningfullife.com).
May 2021 / Sivan 5781
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May 2021 / Sivan 5781
FIERA FOODS COMPANY IS HIRING! As one of North America’s largest, privately-owned large-scale bakeries, Fiera Foods Company and affiliated companies has an incredible history of expansion, innovation and quality over the past 30 years. We’re looking for outstanding people to join our outstanding team. • Production (Mixers, Scalers, Oven Operators, Production Line Operators,
General Production Staff, Forklift Operators, Shipper/Receivers); • Skilled Trades (Electricians, Mechanics, Refrigeration Mechanics, PLC Technicians) • Sales (Canada and US); • Management (Lead hand, Supervisory, Management, Project Engineers)
Our commitment to quality, excellence, and responsiveness are critical to our team and our success. Superior communication, teamwork and attention to detail are expected of everyone. Please submit your resume and your compensation expectations to jobs@fierafoods.com or call (416) 746 1010 (ext. 258). We thank all in advance for their interest, however only those selected for interviews will be contacted.
SHAVUOT AND TEN COMMANDMENTS
Listen to the Ten Commandments at your local JRCC community synagogue. For locations and times visit
www.jrcc.org/shavuot DUE TO COVID-19 FINAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE EVENT WILL BE AVAILABLE CLOSE TO THE DATE
Address correction requested
PM 40062996
Jewish Russian Community Centre of Ontario