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#232 | February 2022 • Adar I 5782

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think! again. February 2022 • Adar I 5782

| JEWISH SOUL

Joy, Healing, and Redemption

10 | JEWISH THOUGHT

The Healing Why

The month of Adar is characterized by redemption — a connection that is further reinforced by the fact that this is a leap year, which resolves the differences between the solar and lunar calendars.

What makes a life satisfying is not external but internal, a sense of purpose, of starting something that would be continued by those who came after, of bringing something new into the world

— From the Rebbe's letters

— by Jonathan Sacks

18 | PERSPECTIVES

editorial jewish soul made you think life on earth jewish thought ask the rabbi our community simchas

| MADE YOU THINK

Are You Damaged Goods?

Let it Come

How deep are the effects of psychological trauma? Are some situations pretty much hopeless? Do some professionals share this belief, but simply choose not to share that information?

Sometimes we have to work hard to make things happen. And sometimes we just need to sit back, watch, and appreciate that they are, in fact, happening.

— by Simon Jacobson

— by Yoseph Janowski

19 | PERSPECTIVES

| LIFE ON EARTH

Wisdom to Heal the Earth

marketplace memorials

The UN and Israel: A Deepening Hostility

Real healing means to ensure that the illness cannot return. So a truly healed person is one who is living at a whole new level of health, beyond the state that allowed illness to begin with.

The recent decision to establish and finance an “ongoing, independent, international commission of inquiry” aimed solely against Israel raises the fearful specter of unjustifiable persecution and discrimination.

— by Tzvi Freeman

— by Alan M. Baker

February 2022 / Adar I 5782

perspectives

4 5 6 8 10 12 13 17 18 21 24

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I look around and see a world at war with itself. It is a war between the body and the soul — not just the body and soul within the individual, but the body and soul of all things, of every experience, of every opportunity, of every art, or every movement, of every aspect of life. The body is the selfish and materialistic aspect. The soul is the altruistic and spiritual aspect. Every thing and every moment has both of these aspects, and for some reason they always seem to be in conflict. And so the war rages on: In the parliaments, in the boardrooms, in the bedrooms, and in the minds of those who dream of something better. But though it seems ubiquitous, it didn’t have to be this way. The peace treaty was delivered over three millennia ago on a little mountain the desert. Still, the fight continues unabated. The path was revealed and a royal decree issued to tear down the wall between body and soul, but the call was generally ignored. The absolute clarity that could have been is overshadowed by the fogginess that is, like mud in clear water kicked up by centuries of the unnecessary handwringing and mudslinging of the small-minded, the bloodthirsty, and the ignorant. And so this barrier continues to haunt us, and remains the flashpoint from which all conflict emerges and hatred burns. The propagators, the promoters, and all those who benefit by receiving their cut lost sight of the big picture long ago. A world of abundant goodness and wealth is bled dry by the shortsighted greed of those who, if they would only open their minds, would see that they themselves would benefit more from giving. But we cannot place blame, nor find fault, since they have been effectively trained for their vocations and they’re just doing their jobs. Even they have mostly grown tired of it, but they have gotten used to playing this game and have found effective methods to alleviate the guilt. At the same time, I see alternative realities

around every corner, waiting for the right moment so they can emerge, waiting for an optimistic soul to be open to the promise, to allow them to brush aside the oppression and injustice. It’s like we’re teetering on the precipice of revolutionary change, yet shrouded in clouds that obscure it. Why does such obvious potential for immediate goodness and peace coexist alongside such blatant violence and ugliness? Or, perhaps more practically, what am I going to do about it? Today, more than ever, it is up to each individual to be a revolutionary. Not the flag-waving, guntoting, manifesto-spewing revolutionaries of old (though we can certainly still use a few of those on occasion), but personal revolutionaries who embody transformation in a real way in their own private lives — in their thoughts, in their relationships, in how they live their lives. The rules of the game seem to dictate that we have to play along or risk getting written out of the script altogether. (Imagine the horror!) So we play it safe by playing along. But the supposedly safe course is no longer guaranteed to provide even the most minimal return on investment. There is no pot of gold at the end of that road. Each person has their portion of the world to illuminate. I can’t do this by sitting on the sidelines observing, playing by fake rules written for an extinct and irrelevant reality. Is the world beautiful or ugly? Is it blessed or damned? Will I tap into the power of the soul, or succumb to the world of the body? Ultimately, that war is over, though it rages on as if it had just begun. The only battle left is the one I create in my own mind, so the revolution begins within my mind as well. I choose which reality is allowed to persist. I no longer need to fight for the beauty that is the harmony of body and soul to persist. I just need to allow the inherent goodness and balance in the world to just be, right there in front of my face, right there where it was all along.

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jewish soul

Joy, Healing,

and

Redemption

From the Rebbe's Letters

he month of Adar is characterized by redemption. Our Sages explained that Purim is celebrated in the second Adar in order “to join redemption to redemption;” i.e., from the redemption of Purim, we proceed to the redemption of Passover. This also implies that there is the potential that from the redemption of Purim, we proceed to the ultimate and complete redemption, led by Moshiach. The connection to the redemption is further reinforced by the fact that this is a leap year. The resolution of the differences between the solar and lunar calendars shares a parallel with the fulfillment of the prophecy: “And the light of the moon will be equal to the light of the sun.” Another important aspect of the month of Adar is mentioned by the Mishnah which relates that at the beginning of Adar, announcements were made in regard to the collection of the half-shekel given for the communal sacrifices to be offered for the coming year, from the beginning of the month of Nissan. The beginning month of Nissan is unique among the other new months. Though every new month represents a new beginning, Nissan represents a new beginning for the entire year. Therefore, the new season of communal offerings was begun at that time. The preparation for this service began on the new month of Adar when the announcement regarding the collection of the half-shekels was made. The latter point has a parallel in our service of G‑d. The word korban — “sacrifice” — is related to the word kerov — “close.” The sacrifices represent a process of drawing close to G‑d. Each year, this process of drawing close must be renewed by giving the half-shekel. The gift of the half-shekel awakens our connection and oneness with G‑d, drawing attention to the fact that our souls are “half-shekels” and can attain fulfillment by being joined to the second half-shekel, G‑d... Since, as mentioned above, the new month of Adar influences the entire year to come, it is an appropriate time to mention the requests for blessings and the like that were sent to be recalled at the grave of

February 2022 / Adar I 5782

the Previous Rebbe. There is no need to individually assure each person that his letter was received. Instead, let this public statement be sufficient. May G‑d fulfill these requests in all matters, both spiritual — the needs of the soul, granting success in the service of G‑d: Torah study, prayer, and deeds of kindness; and material — the needs of the body, children, life, and sustenance in abundance in a revealed manner. This also applies in regard to soulmate matches. May the people involved establish an eternal structure on the foundation of Torah and mitzvahs, with sons and daughters involved in Torah and mitzvos, a house filled with all types of good including children, life, and sustenance in abundance. A proof that we can be assured of G‑d’s blessings can be taken from the Rambam’s decision that a son who is dependent on his father for his livelihood does not require an eiruv even though he lives in a separate house. Similarly, each Jew is like an only son of G‑d and can be assured that G‑d will provide him with all his needs. Also, certain letters include questions. There are some general answers that the

Torah suggests for these questions. It is self-understood that when these answers are followed, G‑d’s blessings will be aroused. In regard to questions in the service of G‑d, there is a clear instruction in the Torah, “Acquire a teacher for yourself.” G‑d will surely help one fulfill the teacher’s instructions in the most successful manner possible. In regard to questions about earning a livelihood, the Torah gives the advice, “Salvation comes through much consultation.” G‑d will surely help and grant the advisors the ability to give advice that will bring G‑d’s salvation. In regard to questions over medical matters, the Torah promises, “the doctor will heal.” Our Sages explain that G‑d has granted doctors the ability to heal. With G‑d’s help, one can be healed entirely. There is a spiritual counterpart to illness. The word choleh, “sick person,” is numerically equivalent to 49. There are 50 gates of wisdom in the world. Thus, a person who attains 49 levels is sick (lovesick) because of his lacking the fiftieth level. However, it is possible to attain the fiftieth level. This is the significance of the Mount Nebo (Moses' resting place). That name can be interpreted as “Nun-bo” —“It contains the nun,” referring to a transcendent level of G‑dliness. This level is also relevant to those who cannot attain this level in the comprehension of the inner dimension of Torah and the service of G‑d. As explained in regard to prayer, the highest level of conviction is “praying according to the intention of a baby,” [i.e., going beyond the limits of one’s knowledge]. This commitment above knowledge will bring success in regard to both spiritual and material affairs. May it be that in the last moments of the exile abundant blessings be drawn down from G‑d. These blessings will bring about abundant happiness. This happiness will “break down barriers,” destroying the barriers of exile and we will “join redemption to redemption” and before the redemption of Passover and even before the redemption of Purim, proceed to the coming of Moshiach. EM

made you think

Are You Damaged Goods? Simon Jacobson

ot long ago a young man in his early 30’s came to see me. Tall, handsome and articulate, he seemed put together. That is, until he began to share his story. At first he spoke calmly and deliberately. Even as he discussed himself he did so as if he was speaking about another person, totally aloof and detached. But then the dam broke. With tears in his eyes he shared with me how he was violated and deeply wounded as a child, in ways that I would prefer not to graphically describe here. Hearing how an innocent defenseless child has been hurt tears your heart out. I too began to well up. But then things got worse. This man, at no fault of his own, told me how his entire childhood and growth into adulthood was haunted by one prevailing feeling: “I am damaged goods.” And if this wasn’t bad enough, he related how, after years of intense therapy, he sensed that his own therapist agreed with him. “In one of our last sessions,” he told me, “I asked my therapist if he sees me making any progress. I still am having extreme difficulty dating and building a healthy relationship. I don’t feel that I trust anyone, and am pretty sure that no one trusts me. So where is this therapy going”? The fellow continued: “My therapist’s tepid reply made my heart sink. He told me that healing takes time; it can often be a lifelong experience, and even then some things may never be fixed.” “So what am I paying top dollar for therapy when things may never be fixed?!” he blurted out to me – and, I guess, to his therapist. Great question. I asked him for permission to call his shrink and try to get some clarity. With his blessing I unabashedly picked up the phone and had a conversation with this mental health professional. Long story short, this particular therapist believes that therapy can soothe, minimize and alleviate some of the pain, hopefully enough to allow this fellow to function better, but damaged goods are damaged goods, and he didn’t have much hope that this individual would become functional enough to build a healthy marriage and family. “Some people are not destined to find true happiness, especially in that way.

We need to help them find some comfort in other ways.” I didn’t expect that he would share this sentiment with his paying client… When I pushed him further, wondering what his role as a healer of souls may be, he finally conceded that some damages cannot be repaired. He actually presented a plausible and even scientific (based on his axioms, that is) argument: Just as body parts can be severed (G‑d forbid) in an accident, with no hope of growing back, so too can our psyches incur irreversible damage.” Whoa… I thought to myself: This certainly opens up a Pandora’s box. Is this true? Do many – and how many – psychologists actually believe that certain life experiences damage you forever? How many feel that some people are actually damaged goods? And how does this bode for the benefits of modern psychology and its interventions? I went to search for the definition of “damaged goods” and discovered that most dictionaries offer a gloomy definition: “A person who is considered to be no longer desirable or valuable because of something that has happened.” “A person considered to be less than perfect psychologically, as a

result of a traumatic experience.” I reminded myself of Josephine Hart’s damaging quote: “Damaged people are dangerous. They know they can survive.” Is that good or bad news? The questions mount – and challenge our very perception of ourselves, as well as the perception of our professionals. How deep are the effects of psychological trauma? Trauma results from a violation of a person’s familiar ideas about the world and of their human rights, putting the person in a state of extreme confusion and insecurity. This can also be experienced when people or institutions, depended on for survival, violate or betray or disillusion the person in some unforeseen way. Traumatic experiences in people’s lives, especially in children, completely overwhelm the individual’s ability to cope or integrate the ideas and emotions involved with that experience. This sense of being overwhelmed can be delayed by weeks, years or even decades, as the person struggles to cope with the immediate circumstances. We know that a severe traumatic event, especially one that is repeated or enduring,

February 2022 / Adar I 5782

made you think

can lead to serious long-term negative consequences that are often overlooked even by mental health professionals. Trauma victims, young and old, organize much of their lives around repetitive patterns of reliving and warding off traumatic memories, reminders, and affects. But how deep are these affects? Do they cause permanent damage? Once broken, can a soul be repaired? Are some of us then damaged goods? Are some situations pretty much hopeless? Do some professionals believe that, but simply choose (for many reasons) not to share that information? Doesn’t this question lie at the heart of all healing? How powerful is the healing process when it comes to human psyche and soul? For that matter, what does our soul and psyche look like? What potential do they have? Can we ever completely heal? Theories abound about these fundamental questions – cutting into the very core of the human soul. These theories surely span the spectrum from one extreme to the next: Some argue that like all things in nature the human psyche can get irreparably damaged. Others feel that some healing can be achieved. The differences of opinion range as to how much healing. But the consensus more or less is that we cannot expect a traumatized or wounded psyche to ever fully rebound. I would like to humbly submit the Torah/ Chassidus view on the matter. You can compare the different modalities and draw your own conclusions. May the best man win. Though the world obscures G‑dliness — i.e. the spirit of folly stemming from the animal soul can obscure the light and truth of the G‑dly soul — this affects only the emotional attributes of the G‑dly soul, but not its essence. The question is how deep is this concealment? How deep the damage? Each and every person has a healthy divine soul that always remains intact in its health. Upon birth this soul enters into a material body and animal soul, which conceals the purity and health of the divine soul. The healthy soul, which is essentially divine, is aligned with its purpose. Like a

February 2022 / Adar I 5782

healthy machine that follows its engineer’s plan. But once inside the body and animal drive, their selfish desires dull his healthier senses, causing the person to deviate and get misaligned from his or her life calling. Conflict has been born – a split between who you truly are and what you do, between your core and your behavior. This is the root definition of all “disease” – a body that is misaligned from its soul. From this stems every form of dissonance. In its more extreme form this is the effect of trauma, which overwhelms the individual and causes a part of him or her to break off from itself and its soul connection. But even the most extreme form of trauma and dissonance only impacts the emotional faculties of the soul, its self-perception, selfawareness and feelings. This damage is only as strong as the feelings vested in it. But beneath the surface of our consciousness, the core soul remains intact, healthy and as connected as ever. Indeed, what is even more amazing – as the chapter explains – is that the very concealment and dissonance itself was created for you: your challenges are a vote of confidence in you and your ability to overcome this temporary concealment, and recognize your true inner divine power. The reason that the “animal soul” has the power and ability to conceal your healthy core is because its power is rooted in the divine desire to overcome these challenges and transform them into colossal forces of good. And therefore, though initially and ostensibly life’s traumas can cover up and conceal the outer dimensions, the conscious feelings, of the healthy soul, they do not in any way compromise the core itself. Our faith and connection to the core gives us the strength to overcome these overwhelming forces and discover the unscathed soul within. So there you have the psychology of Chassidus: There is no such thing as damaged goods. In a man-made world with man-made objects things are built and then broken. In a world subject to the laws of erosion, aging, deterioration and death, things always get

damaged; the arrow travels in one direction, from healthy to less healthy, from complete to broken. This process cannot always be reversed. But in the divine-made world of the immortal soul, nothing is ever permanently damaged. The expression of the soul – its feelings and outer faculties – can be concealed and temporarily blinded. Trauma can impede our functions. But they can never damage our core souls. You are only as damaged as your perception and feelings convince you to be. Otherwise known as projection. In truth, beneath it all, on the foundation level, where it matters most, you are not damaged at all. Your beautiful soul sits waiting for you to believe in it and set her free. As Michelangelo famously explained how he sculpts such beautiful angels in the marble: I saw the angel in the marble, so I carved and carved and set her free. Life’s travails can wear us down. Loss, pain, trauma etch their wounds into our psyches. Our pure souls get entangled and trapped in marble, concrete or even more sullied substances. But their effect goes only as far as our perception and feelings allow them to go. They do not touch the core essence of who you are. This is the foundation of all true healing. Believe in yourself because G‑d believes in you. Indeed, your very challenges – the ones that control your initial perception and feelings, concealing the inner power of your divine soul – were created for you to overcome them and seek out the divine within. Thus, even your feeling like “damaged goods” is meant to motivate you to transcend that feeling and reach the true you. So the next time your despondent voice whispers to you that you are “damaged goods,” and the next time your therapist concurs – tell them both that you just read in a discourse of a mystic and healer of the highest order that it just ain’t so. 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).

life on earth

The Wisdom

Heal

the

Earth

Tzvi Freeman

n Wisdom to Heal the Earth by Rabbi Tzvi Freeman, we return to the roots of humankind’s collective mission to heal the world, physically and spiritually, reconnecting that mission to its Biblical, Midrashic and Kabbalistic sources—all as articulated and made sublimely practical in the teachings of the Rebbe. Here is a little preview of what the book is about, in the author’s own words. WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT WAYS THAT THE WORLD NEEDS TO BE HEALED, AND WHAT DOES A HEALED WORLD LOOK LIKE TO YOU? Healing isn’t accomplished with a BandAid, by masking the problems or just treating the symptoms. Real healing means to ensure that the illness cannot return. So a truly healed person is one who is living at a whole new level of health, beyond the state that allowed illness to begin with. So, too, with the world. If we focus all our energies on putting out the fires—containing conflicts, providing foreign aid, reducing the carbon footprint—yes, those things are important and vital, but we haven’t really healed anything. To heal life on Planet Earth, we need to get to the core of the problem and find a solution at its source—so that none of these problems could possibly return. The core of the problem is our attitude, our state of consciousness. We look at our world and we say, “This is a wild jungle with neither master nor meaning. How can I get all I can out of it before some other beast does? How do I avoid being eaten by some beast bigger than me?” As though all of life is a zero-sum game. One of the Rebbe’s strongest points was that the world is not a meaningless jungle. It’s a masterfully exquisite garden. And we are both students and partners of its Creator. In this garden there is an underlying harmony, an inherent peace. In its every detail, you can detect the soul of the master gardener. When you recognize and appreciate that, you naturally tread carefully and responsibly. You do all you can to not only preserve the garden but to understand it better—so that you can further nurture and even enhance its beauty.

So a healed world, first and foremost, is one whose every inhabitant sees this world for what it truly is: A divine garden. And so, of course, we treat it that way. And we live in harmony with that divine beauty. WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY WISDOM, AND WHAT IS WISDOM’S PLACE AND ROLE IN HEALING THE EARTH, IN CONFRONTING THE CHALLENGES OF THE 21ST CENTURY? The Talmud has something amazing to say on this. It tells us that every person is an entire world. That each one of us must think of ourselves as Adam, the first human being—a single individual responsible for the entire world. That’s not just a metaphor. The Rebbe, in the tradition of the 16th-century Jewish philosopher Rabbi Yehuda Loewe of Prague, took that very literally. He understood it as a radical redefinition of the term “world.” This world is actually many, many worlds. It is one world for the cow in the field, another world for the tree in the forest, another world for a tribeswoman in Africa, and another world for Joe Cohen in New York. Each individual consciousness is the center of his, her or its world, which comprises everything

that revolves around and affects that center. Then there’s another step. There’s an ancient Jewish belief, ensconced in the Mishnah, that absolutely nothing is superfluous in G‑d’s world. No person, no living being, no object or event enters your life without purpose— divine purpose. Every detail is essential in reaching the ultimate goal to which this world is heading. So you can think of your world as a massive, organic web of individuated consciousness, in which the movement of any node reverberates and shifts the state and modality of the entire web. Each movement is essential essential to the healing of the entire organism. But there’s only one node that has volition, and that’s you. Of course, that could seem an irresolvable paradox. How could each one of us stand at the center of the world? And I deal with that in the book. But it helps us understand a statement of Maimonides that the Rebbe often cited: that every person must see himself and the entire world as sitting on a finely balanced scale. Any deliberate action on your part could tip the entire scale to one side or the other. The point is that whatever G‑d has dropped in your lap, that’s the most important thing

February 2022 / Adar I 5782

life on earth

in the world. And right now is the most important moment to do it. It may look small and insignificant to you, but if you take care of it with integrity, putting yourself aside for the moment, then it could be the tipping point needed to transform the entire world. WHAT’S DIFFERENT AND SPECIAL ABOUT THE REBBE’S CONCERNS AND APPROACH? When the roots run deep, the tree grows strong, tall and wide. The Rebbe’s teachings have deep and ancient roots, and he had the education, the wisdom and the vision needed to apply that wisdom to the modern era. He was eminently qualified—a great scholar in Talmudic studies, Jewish philosophy and mysticism, while at the same time a graduate of the University of Berlin and the Sorbonne—and a leader and advisor to every kind of person, including men and women of great power and influence. Perhaps most importantly, he was a man who demonstrated the kind of love for his fellow human beings I’ve never seen elsewhere. He possessed a kind of humble dignity, integrity and transcendence that made you understand what Moses must have been like. Look, we all face personal issues today that seem unprecedented. And the global issues appear frighteningly beyond human solution. It’s liberating to know that none of this is entirely new. The problems may be of greater magnitude and complexity, but the human condition hasn’t essentially changed. That being said, it takes an almost superhuman insight to see how solutions of the past can resolve problems of the present. Which is what the Rebbe provides. Take a look at the solutions concocted by human reason implemented in the 20th century, such as fascism, Marxism, racism and Nazism. These were radical solutions in the original sense of the word; they tore themselves out from the roots of the past and built towers without foundations. So naturally, they fell—and with a loud bang. Environmentalism is a positive movement that made the same error. Rather than gluing the movement to Biblical roots, its leaders

February 2022 / Adar I 5782

decided to forcefully divorce those roots and attempt to grow something new out of the air. And the movement has suffered considerably as a result. Spiritual solutions have been offered as well, but very rarely with a practical agenda. On the other hand, here we have a kind of wisdom that is at once both spiritual and down-to-earth, ancient and relevant, mysterious and practical. What aches me is that the Rebbe’s teachings remain so inaccessible except to a small few. That’s what drives me to get these nuggets of wisdom and counsel out there in a format that anyone can digest. WHAT IS TIKUN OLAM, AND WHY IT IS MEANT TO BE A KEY DRIVER OF ALL HUMAN EFFORT? From Genesis to the Midrash and the later Kabbalists, we find the human being in a pivotal role within Creation. When you look objectively at the original sources, you see that the general understanding was that with the creation of the human being, the divine act of creation did not end, but was extended. The world was created incomplete in order for us to participate in bringing it to its ultimate perfection. Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, the 16th-century Kabbalist known as “the Arizal,” took that much further. He described our world occurring as the artifact of a deliberate shattering, or implosion/explosion. Everything we encounter is sustained by a spark that fell from that initial divine cataclysm, and our job is to reassemble and reconnect the pieces, imbue them with a new divine consciousness, and thereby create a form that will hold permanently. The Arizal called that process birurim and that ultimate world tikun. It is the Creator’s way of granting us a partnership in His act of creation: He creates from the top down, and we, His creations, refine and recreate from bottom up. The Chassidic masters took that much further. Particularly in Chassidut Chabad, the major focus of all spiritual and material endeavor is not getting to heaven, but the tikun of this very earthly world. “World” in Hebrew is olam, which is related to the

word for “concealment,” helem. So Tikun Olam means to repair or refine the concealment of this world. It means to remove the dust, harmonize the noise, allow the pores to breathe and open the windows so that the sunlight can shine through, the music can be heard, and the world can be recognized for what it truly is—a divine symphony heard and appreciated by every living being. Since that is the entire purpose of humanity’s creation, there cannot be anything we do that is outside of that purpose. Every human activity either delays that tikun or furthers it. The Rebbe was adamant that this tikun is fundamentally complete. The basics are already in place. At this point, it could be any one action that could be the tipping point. That’s why there was such urgency in his voice and such emphasis on the value of every deed of every individual. 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.

jewish thought

The Healing Why Jonathan Sacks

istorically, Araham and Sarah were among the supreme examples of what it is to have a “Why” in life. The entire course of their lives came as a response to a call, a Divine voice, that instructed them to leave their home and family, set out for an unknown destination, go to live in a land where they would be strangers, abandon every conventional form of security, and have the faith to believe that by living according to the standards of righteousness and justice they would be taking the first step to establishing a nation, a land, a faith and a way of life that would be a blessing to all humankind. The portion where Sarah dies is called Chayei Sarah, “the life of Sarah,” but it begins with the death of Sarah. What is more, towards the end, it records the death of Abraham. Why is a portion about death called “life”? The answer, it seems to me, is that – not always, but often – death and how we face it is a commentary on life and how we live it. The first sentence of the portion is: “Sarah’s lifetime was 127 years: the years of Sarah’s life.” A well-known comment by Rashi on the apparently superfluous phrase, “the years of Sarah’s life,” states: “The word ‘years’ is repeated and without a number to indicate that they were all equally good.” How could anyone say that the years of Sarah’s life were equally good? Twice, first in Egypt, then in Gerar, she was persuaded by Abraham to say that she was his sister rather than his wife, and then taken into a royal harem, a situation fraught with moral hazard. There were the years when, despite G‑d’s repeated promise of many children, she was infertile, unable to have even a single child. There was the time when she persuaded Abraham to take her handmaid, Hagar, and have a child by her, which caused her great strife of the spirit. These things constituted a life of uncertainty and decades of unmet hopes. How is it remotely plausible to say that all of Sarah’s years were equally good? Regarding Abraham, the text is similarly puzzling. Immediately after the account of his purchase of a burial plot for Sarah, we read: “Abraham was old, well advanced in years, and G‑d had blessed Abraham with

everything” (Gen. 24:1). This too is strange. Seven times, G‑d had promised Abraham the land of Canaan. Yet when Sarah died, he did not own a single plot of land in which to bury her, and had to undergo an elaborate and even humiliating negotiation with the Hittites, forced to admit at the outset that, “I am a stranger and temporary resident among you” (Genesis 23:4). How can the text say that G‑d had blessed Abraham with everything? Equally haunting is its account of Abraham’s death, perhaps the most serene in the Torah: “Abraham breathed his last and died at a good age, old and satisfied, and he was gathered to his people.” He had been promised that he would become a great nation, the father of many nations, and that he would inherit the land. Not one of these promises had been fulfilled in his lifetime. How then was he “satisfied”? The answer is that to understand a death, we have to understand a life. Biblical narrative is, as Erich Auerbach

said, “fraught with background,” meaning that much of the story is left unstated. We have to guess at it. That is why there is such a thing as Midrash, filling in the narrative gaps. Nowhere is this more pointed than in the case of the emotions of the key figures. We do not know what Abraham or Isaac felt as they walked toward Mount Moriah. We do not know what Sarah felt when she entered the harems, first of Pharaoh, then of Avimelech of Gerar. With some conspicuous exceptions, we hardly know what any of the Torah’s characters felt. Which is why the two explicit statements about Abraham – that G‑d blessed him with everything, and that he ended life old and satisfied – are so important. Further, when Rashi says that all of Sarah’s years were equally good, he is attributing to her what the biblical text attributes to Abraham, namely a serenity in the face of death that came from a profound tranquillity in the face of life. Abraham knew that everything that happened to him, even the bad things, were part of the journey on

February 2022 / Adar I 5782

which G‑d had sent him and Sarah, and he had the faith to walk through the valley of the shadow of death fearing no evil, knowing that G‑d was with him. That is what Nietzsche called “the strong heart.” In 2017, an unusual book became an international bestseller. One of the things that made it unusual was that its author was ninety years old and this was her first book. Another was that she was a survivor both of Auschwitz, and also of the Death March towards the end of the war, which in some respects was even more brutal than the camp itself. The book was called The Choice and its author was Edith Eger. She, together with her father, mother and sister Magda, arrived at Auschwitz in May 1944, one of 12,000 Jews transported from Kosice, Hungary. Her parents were murdered on that first day. A woman pointed towards a smoking chimney and told Edith that she had better start talking about her parents in the past tense. With astonishing courage and strength of will, she and Magda survived the camp and the March. When American soldiers eventually lifted her from a heap of bodies in an Austrian forest, she had typhoid fever, pneumonia, pleurisy and a broken back. After a year, when her body had healed, she married and became a mother. Healing of the mind took much longer, and eventually became her vocation in the United States, where she went to live. On their way to Auschwitz, Edith’s mother said to her, “We don’t know where we are going, we don’t know what is going to happen, but nobody can take away from you what you put in your own mind.” That sentence became her survival mechanism. Initially, after the war, to help support the family, she worked in a factory, but eventually she went to university to study psychology and became a psychotherapist. She has used her own experiences of survival to help others survive life crises. Early on in the book she makes an immensely important distinction between victimization (what happens to you) and victimhood (how you respond to what happens to you). This is what she says about the first: We are all likely to be victimized in some

way in the course of our lives. At some point we will suffer some kind of affliction or calamity or abuse, caused by circumstances or people or institutions over which we have little or no control. This is life. And this is victimization. It comes from the outside. And this, about the second: In contrast, victimhood comes from the inside. No one can make you a victim but you. We become victims not because of what happens to us but when we choose to hold on to our victimization. We develop a victim’s mind – a way of thinking and being that is rigid, blaming, pessimistic, stuck in the past, unforgiving, punitive, and without healthy limits or boundaries. In an interview on the publication of the book, she said, “I’ve learned not to look for happiness, because that is external. You were born with love and you were born with joy. That’s inside. It’s always there.” We have learned this extraordinary mindset from Holocaust survivors like Edith Eger and Viktor Frankl. But in truth, it was there from the very beginning, from Abraham and Sarah, who survived whatever fate threw at them, however much it seemed to derail their mission, and despite everything they found serenity at the end of their lives. They knew that what makes a life satisfying is not external but internal, a sense of purpose, mission, being called, summoned, of starting something that would be continued by those who came after them, of bringing something new into the world by the way they lived their lives. What mattered was the inside, not the outside; their faith, not their oftentroubled circumstances. I believe that faith helps us to find the ‘Why’ that allows us to bear almost any ‘How’. The serenity of Sarah’s and Abraham’s death was eternal testimony to how they lived. 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.

future tense

MOSHIACH MUSINGS

We believe that Moshiach can come any moment—after all, “I await his coming every day” is one of the fundamental principles of the Jewish faith. Still, the sense that Moshiach will come at this very moment is hardly consistent with the reality of our lives. Our conclusion sometimes is that all this is a nice dream (and, as we say in our prayers, “May all my dreams be positively fulfilled for me and for all of Israel”)— nice, but not very realistic. So what’s the point of speaking, in such length and frequency, about one’s dreams? The truth, however, is the very opposite. Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi explains that our current state of exile is comparable to a dream, in which a person’s sense of perception can tolerate the most contradictory and irrational things. In other words, our current “reality” is a dream, while the world of Moshiach is the true reality. In a single moment, we can all wake from the dream of exile and open our eyes to the true reality of our existence—the perfect world of Moshiach. It is in the power of each and every one present in this room to immediately wake himself from his dream, so that today, indeed this very moment, we all open our eyes and see Moshiach, in the flesh, with us, here in this room!

ask the rabbi

Does "Kosher" Mean "Healthy?" Rabbi Yoseph Y. Zaltzman

Is eating kosher connected with health, or are they two separate things? On the one hand, I see certain health benefits in the kosher diet. On the other hand, certain foods that are clearly unhealthy, such as junk food, sodas and energy drinks, are marked as kosher. Can you please explain?

Technically, an unhealthy food or drink can be kosher. All the ingredients can all be manufactured according to the kosher dietary laws and contain a seal that means it was done so under rabbinical supervision. But just because something is technically kosher doesn’t necessarily mean it is in the spirit of Jewish eating. Our bodies don’t belong to us exclusively – they are entrusted to us on load by our Creator. As such, we are expected to give that body the care it deserves. That is why traditional advice from the Talmudic Sages were far more concerned with matters of health than is ordinarily assumed. One commentator who provided more advice on these matters than any other was Maimonides, also known as The Rambam. Born in Cordoba, Spain in 1138, this rabbi, philosopher and physician gave advice which even today is offered by public health educators for our modern population. In any modern dietary lecture, the stress is not simply on what one eats, but on what the dieticians call “portion control.” Maimonides said 800 years ago in the Mishna Torah that one should only eat until one's stomach is three quarters full. Sage advice considering America is faced today with what some have called an obesity epidemic. He also advised that one should not drink too much when eating. Just as today the common advice is to exercise before breakfast, not afterwards, Maimonides' advice is to work first, wash in hot water, and once the body has settled, eat. The Rambam even dealt with the matter of constipation and holding back bowel movement, a practice which he considered unhealthy. This is another concept which even today many do not follow. He stressed the importance of nutritious foods, regular bowel movements, and warming the body

before eating. While it is true that the Talmud does not contain medical treatises except in the context of religious practice, much of what the sages said is still relevant. For example, it suggested to physicians that a thorough examination of the patient is necessary for a correct diagnosis. Despite this advice, law courts today still encounter medical malpractice suits where this has not been done. Jewish medical knowledge was surprisingly advanced. It was known for example, that heart disease was a very serious illness since all organs depended upon the heart. Cleanliness, bathing, proper nutrition and isolation of infected patients was advised. It is interesting to note that Jews were being advised to bathe hundreds of years before bathing became common practice in Europe. The Talmud also directed that washing take place before and after meals. The Talmudists recognized that unhygienic conditions, dampness and insufficient sunshine were major factors contributing to illness. Eating unripened fruit and drinking contaminated water were also declared health hazards. Maimonides divided the practice of medicine into three sectors, each of which is still regarded as appropriate in modern times: prevention of illness, healing the sick, and long-term care such as invalids and the aged. This recognition is at the core of modern public health policies throughout the world. Is it any wonder that with the discussions of health matters in both the Talmud and by Maimonides, so many Jews over the centuries have played a major role in the practice of medicine and in overall healthcare? EM

В сложных жизненных ситуациях люди хотят, более того – должны писать письма к Ребе. Нас часто спрашивают, как именно надо писать письмо Ребе. Кроме того, скажите, почему люди должны писать письма Ребе. Это два разных вопроса, давайте отвечать на них по-порядку. В экстремальных ситуациях люди пишут письма к Ребе. И это правильно. Но это должно быть в качестве крайней меры. В повседневной практике Ребе пишут и когда все хорошо. Каждый день? Нет. Обычно мы пишем перед Рош Ашана. Пишем о том, как прошел год, перечисляя всех членов семьи и друзей, за кого хотим попросить, за успех еврейского народа и всего мира. В настоящее время мы пишем с просьбой о том, чтобы завершилась пандемия. В письмах к Ребе, просят благословения на успехи в Новом году. Кроме того, человек пишет письмо к Ребе в день рождения или в предшествующий этой дате день. Пишут примерно таким образом: «Мне исполня-ется столько-то лет, и я прошу Ребе благословения на благополучие в семье, здоровье, на успехи детей». У кого-то родился ребенок (или внук), человек устроился на новую высокооплачиваемую работу. Тогда пишут письмо Ребе, описывая то хорошее, что произошло в жизни, а также высказывая благодарность Вс-вышнему и Ребе за благословения. И это очень важно. The article above is excerpted from the Russian edition of Exodus Magazine. To subscribe, please visit exodusmagazine.org or call 416.222.7105.

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.

February 2022 / Adar I 5782

‫ב”ה‬ ‫ב''ה‬

Our

FEBRUARY 2022 | ADAR I 5782

Community

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

TU B'SHEVAT EVENTS

FEBRUARY2022 FEBRUARY

115

FEBRUARY

PURIM KATAN

JGIRLS

SPA FOR THE SOUL

CANDLE LIGHTING TIMES Friday, Feb 4, 2022

5:15 PM

Friday, Feb 11, 2022

5:24 PM

Friday, Feb 18, 2022

5:34 PM

Friday, Feb 25, 2022

5:43 PM

February 2022 / Adar I 5782

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 .

The Jewish new year for trees, Tu B’Shevat, is a time to celebrate and reflect upon the Divine blessings bestowed upon us through nature, and the spiritual lessons we can learn from the natural world. The JRCC marked the day with several children’s events. The JRCC East Thornhill’s Hebrew School hosted a holiday-themed Kiddie Chefs session, the JRCC Concord held a Tu B’Sehvat Festival, and the JRCC S. Richmond Hill & Maple organized a Tu B’Shevat Creations craft activity. In addition, the JRCC East Thornhill and JRCC Woodbridge co-hosted a StoryTrail happening for families, where parents got to read “Dear Tree,” a sweet book about a little boy and his favorite tree, while enjoying a hike on the beautiful, snowy trails of Chatfield District Park. Of course, all the events included a sampling of fruits.

CELEBRATING THE REBBE A special evening was held commemorating the anniversary of the Rebbe’s leadership on Yudy Shevat (January 11). Originally, the event was planned to be hosted at the JRCC East Thornhill, but due to quickly changing COVID restrictions, the evening was re-organized as a virtual online event via Zoom. The theme of the evening was “The Rebbe & Moshiach,” which focused on the most astonishing ideas the Rebbe left us with. This topic was elaborated on by our guest speaker, Rabbi Reueven Wolf of the Maayan Yisroel Chassidic Center in Los Angeles, as well as by others in attendance. Those who joined from home had the option of ordering a “farbrengen in a box” package for the event, containing some treats. l’chaim and study material. Despite the letdown of having to hold the event virtually instead of in person, it was a meaningful, welcome respite from the isolation blues and an uplifting evening of connectedness to the Rebbe and his vision. MONTHLY CHALLAH BAKE The JRCC West Thornhill hosts a monthly Challah Bake for women with special guest speakers, refreshments and more. It is an opportunity to get to know fellow women in the community, engage in the special mitzvah of making Challah for Shabbat, learn something new from our guest speaker, and get inspired by the uplifting messages and camaraderie. The next Challah Bake is Feb 10 at 8pm at the JRCC West Thornhill. For more information and to register, contact nechama.jacobson@jrcc.org or visit jrccwestthornhill.org. 13

Photo of the Month

VISIT OUR NEW WEBSITE You can now read our magazine online!

Full online archive is available from 2002 at

ExodusMagazine.org Nine local young Jewish professionals joined Rabbi Shmuel Neft, Director of JRCC Rockford, for the annual Chabad Young Professionals Encounter convention in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York. The young men and women, some of whom are pictured above in front of Chabad World Headquarters, experienced the unique Jewish Brooklyn vibe for their first time, touring around the neighborhood, enjoying local food, and of course, having an uplifting Jewish experience which will last a lifetime.

INCOME TAX RETURNS FREE OF CHARGE FOR THOSE IN NEED

During the upcoming tax season, the JRCC will be offering a FREE program to prepare income tax returns for community members who are unable to afford the service of an income tax professional. This service is intended for individuals with an income of less than $20,000 and families with an income of less than $30,000. The service is provided according to COVID-19 public health measures and restrictions.

JGirls

To take advantage of this service, you must make an appointment. 416-222-7105 ext. 293

In depth course on the laws and meaning of

Mikvah

"MINI Purim" Event For Young Teens

Wednesday, February 16 | 6:30pm at JRCC West Thornhill, 1136 Centre St., Unit 2

WEDNESDAYS | 8:30-10 PM

By Mrs. Mushky Blau JRCC South Thornhill. For women only Register and more info at mushka.blau@jrcc.org or text 647-709-5770

• REFRESHING SALAD BAR • VOLUNTEER TO PACK MISHLOACH MANOT FOR COMMUNITY DISTRIBUTION • BRING YOUR JEWISH FRIENDS AND MEET NEW ONES

YOUR CHILD WILL ENJOY A UNIQUE PROGRAM OF DANCING, SINGING, FINGER GYMNASTICS, PAINTING, AND MUCH MORE.

oug Br

ht to you by

FOR TODDLE RS 18-36 MONTHS

A TASTE OF

KLYUCHIK Every Tuesday, 10:00 - 10:45 in Russian

JRCC East Thornhill, 7608 Yonge St. # 3 $120/12 weeks Space is limited. Registration required. RSVP: www.JrccEastThornhill.org/Klyuchik

JEWISH LIBRARY

Faces of the Community Alexandra Schwartz Corporate Manager Please tell us a little about your career. I am a corporate manager in the area of corporate governance – a team of specialists who direct the work of the company in order to achieve the goals and objectives of upper management. Managers must represent the company's strategy and work on the efficient allocation of its resources. I am a senior sales manager. My field of activity is extensive: I am engaged in marketing, accounting, keep track of finances, am responsible for personnel, and conduct training sessions with employees to improve their skills. But it should be noted that I started as a social worker and worked in the well-known organization Bernard Bethel Center. I graduated from Seneca College with a degree in Business Administration and Human Resources, as well as Humber College with a degree in Crisis Management, which is very relevant in our difficult time. Now I am deepening my education in ‫ב״ה‬ economics, studying at the University of Toronto and taking a bachelor's degree in Sociology. I worked in large companies where I learned a lot. I want to express my gratitude to all the wonderful teachers, lawyers, managers who believed in me and passed on their knowledge and experience to me. Where does your family come from? I am an Ashkenazi Jew. My grandparents were from Ukraine - from the famous city of Odessa. During the war, they were evacuated to Tashkent, where my parents met. I was born in Tashkent, and when I was seven years old years old, my mother took me to Odessa to show the city of her youth. My great-grandfather on my mother's side was called Mendel. He was a deeply religious person. During the evacuation in Tashkent, he secretly prayed every day in an underground synagogue, located in a small residential building. His son, my grandfather Boruch, was one of the first to open a garment factory in Tashkent. A cotton industry developed in this southern city and a lot of textiles were produced there. When my mother was in school, she and her friends were sent to the fields to pick cotton. An interesting fact is that my grandfather accepted the hearing impaired into his factory, because they had no other opportunity to earn a living. At home, out of habit, my grandfather spoke loudly, as he was used to communicating with hearing-impaired people. In our family, it was not customary to intermarry, and all boys were circumcised. My grandmother's mother - her name was Sheva Slabitker - had five children. Her first husband died in the war, and she married a second time. She was the first business woman in our family. I Close was named Shura in herand honor. I not only your bear her name, but also your eyes express chose the same field of activity - business.

WelL-ConNected

WITH BOOKS FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

• ONLINE PORTAL! • IN PERSON VISIT BY APPOINTMENT • CONTACTLESS PICK UP • MAILING OPTION

Visit ShloimelesLibrary.org

1/ UNROLL THE SCROLL

The mystery of the mezuzah, VOLUNTEERS that little parchment that keeps your home safe—and sacred. NEEDED! Monday, Nov 24, 2021 | 7:30 PM

Packing and / or distributing Purim gift packages

2/ SOUL FOOD

FOR MORE INFORMATION

416-222-7105 Go#291 behind the symbols and certification agencies to discover the world of kashrut. Monday, Dec 6, 2021 | 7:30 PM

WelL-ConNected It’s not what you know. It’s what you do.

A M O N T H LY S E R I E S O F C L A S S E S F O R WO M E N

3 / E N D L E SBLESSED S LY B L E S S E D ENDLESSLY

Like some sort of Jewish mantra, berachot are better known those brief blessings recited over How canasreciting a berachah— food. As it happens, there are blessings for sighting a rainbow, when on a road trip,life andmore even after a benediction—make visiting the bathroom. Isn’t it all a bit much?

mindful, focused, grounded? We’ll discover how recitingand a few words at the right time can transform a given activity or event and Monday, 3, 2022 | 7:30 PM make it more Jan mindful, focused, and grounded. We will end off with a Brachot and Amen party! Monday, January 31 – 7:30pm

It’s not what you know. It’s what you do. 5 / P R AY I T F O RWA R D

soul through the uplifting and

What are your priorities in life? elusive language of prayer. For my mother, the main thing was to instill in me Jewish moral values - honesty, decency, devotion, humanity. Therefore, I grew a person for PM whom it is very important to Monday, Marup7,as2022 | 7:30 live in a society where the principles of freedom, security, loyalty, openness, friendship, and creativity are respected. People who also care about these standards are a source of inspiration for me, because thanks to them our world is getting better, and they know exactly who they want to become and what they should strive for. It is important for me to move in the right direction - to my spirituality and faith, to be part of a friendly community. I am very grateful to the JRCC East Thornhill, where my Jewish life takes place.Beyond In particular, Rebbetzin Chani Zaltzman, our relationship withwho, like a good friend, is always there. Also Rabbi Mendel Zaltzman, Rabbi and Rebbetzin Yoseph and Chiena G-d, just how does religion Zaltzman for their warm and attentive attitude. Thanks also to help Elena Kasimova and Faina Garber, who treat people with deep understanding and friendliness. I am grateful to us treat each other better? my dear brother, who is an example of a real man to me, a true individual. I also want to acknowledge my close friend, who saved me during Monday, Aprliterally 4, 2022 | 7:30 PM a difficult time when I lost my mother. And my dear grandmother taught me to be a good Jewish housewife – thanks to her I really like to cook, put things in order, receive guests, and manage the house.

6/ THE KINDS OF KINDNESS

7 / TO L I V E I N D E E D

If you had the opportunity to meet with any person in history, who would you choose and why? Dowith Judaism’s cycle ritualsItnot I would really like to talk the mother life of Moses, Yocheved. is written in the Torah “The king of Egypt turned to the Jewish midwives (midwives), one of whom was called only mark our major milestones— Shifra, and the other was Pua, and said: when taking birth from Jews, do not take your eyes off the maternity but chairs:mold if this isthem a son, kill him, and if it is a daughter - let him live. too? But the midwives feared G-d, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but kept the boys alive.” Shifra was Moses’ mother, Yocheved, Monday, May 2, 2022 | 7:30 PM and Pua was his sevenyear-old sister Miriam. Thanks to them, the Jewish people survived. My mother was also a midwife and also brought many lives into our world.

RSVP:JrccEastThornhill/rcs

4/ A SLICE OF LIFE

February 2022 / Adar I 5782

Between baking, breaking, and

JRCC Directory

JRCC Program Spotlight

416-222-7105 | www.jrcc.org Jewish Russian Community Centre of Ontario

BE A PARTNER IN GROWTH The JRCC is planning a Day of Giving campaign for mid-February in order to galvanize local support for the new initiatives of the JRCC and its branches. The theme of the campaign will be “Activate. Tremendous. Growth.” The mission is to support the JRCC and its branches in their plans for building new centers, expanding their reach, and enhancing their programs to ensure that no Russian Jew is left behind. “We have, thank G-d, a huge community made up of tens of thousands of families,” explains Rabbi Yoseph Y. Zaltzman, JRCC founder and Senior Rabbi, “The challenge is and always has been, how do we make sure we are able to reach and include every single individual in Jewish community life? Almost everything that we do in terms of strategy, planning, growth, and new initiatives revolves around this question.” All of the JRCC’s branches are in the midst of significant growth spurts. JRCC South Thornhill, JRCC

Willowdale & the City, and JRCC Woodbridge are in the process of establishing new locations for their respective branches. JRCC East Thornhill is in the process of renovating an adjacent property to serve as a Youth Centre and

children, youth and adult programs,

including JKids, CTeen and Chabad Young Professionas, building on their

JRCC BRANCHES

tremendous success to inspire even

JRCC of Ontario: 5987 Bathurst St., #3 Rabbi Yoseph Y. Zaltzman x278 Roi Aftabi, COO x257

JRCC Ontario Head Office is working

JRCC Woodbridge: 12 Muscadel Rd. Rabbi Avrohom Yusewitz x261

more participation. Meanwhile, the

on completing the setup of a massive

holiday and lifecycle services operation that connects

community,

the

entire well

expanding all its social services

including,

growing

the

all-new

JRCC Food Bank. There

much

growth happening, and

so much more to come. You can be of it, and

part of ensuring that no Russian Jews gets left behind. This campaign

is an opportunity for members of the JRCC community,

well

around

the

as local residents and people

world who are inspired

Mikvah for the neighborhood. JRCC West Thornhill recently received permits to begin construction of a magnificent new building on Centre Street that will serve as a central community hub. JRCC Rockford is in the process of expanding its core

5987 Bathurst Street, #3 Toronto, ON M2R 1Z3 Canada Office Hours: Sun: 12 — 5 Mon to Thurs: 9 — 6 • Fri: 9 — 3hrs before Shabbat

by the JRCC’s work, to support the community and the organization by being a partner in our upcoming initiatives.

For more information, visit

jrccgiving.org.

JRCC S. Richmond Hill & Maple: 9699 Bathurst St. Rabbi Avrohom Zaltzman x247 JRCC Concord: 411 Confederation Parkway, #14 Rabbi Levi Mishulovin x 253 JRCC Affiliate CRC of Thornhill Woods: 8808 Bathurst St. Rabbi Chaim Hildeshaim x224 JRCC West Thornhill: 1136 Centre St., #2 Rabbi Levi Jacobson x240 JRCC East Thornhill: 7608 Yonge St., #3 Rabbi Mendel Zaltzman x227 JRCC South Thornhill: 1 Cordoba Dr., Party Room Rabbi Levi Blau x288 JRCC Rockford: 18 Rockford Rd. Rabbi Shmuel Neft x235 JRCC Affiliate Jewish Gorsky Assn.: 465 Patricia Ave. Rabbi Dovid Davidov x255 Downstairs JRCC Willowdale and the City: 5700 Yonge St. Rabbi Yisroel Zaltzman x231 JRCC Sheppard & Bathurst Senior’s Building 4455 Bathurst St., Party Room / Mr. Roman Goldstein x221 JRCC Lawrence & Bathurst Senior’s Building 3174 Bathurst St., Party Room x221

JRCC AFFILIATES Danforth Beaches Rabbi Shalom Lezell (416) 809-1365

Durham Region Rabbi Tzali Borensein (905) 493-9007 Georgina, Ontario Rabbi Yossi Vorovitch (905) 909-8818 Hamilton Region Rabbi Chanoch Rosenfeld (905) 529-7458 London, Ontario Rabbi Lazer Gurkow (519) 438-3333 Niagara Region Rabbi Zalman Zaltzman (905) 356-7200 Ottawa, Ontario Rabbi Chaim Mendelsohn (613) 218-8505 Waterloo Region Rabbi Moshe Goldman (519) 725-4289

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS L&M Gelfand Daycare JRCC Daycare and Preschool x501

JRCC Hebrew School Sunday and after-school program x225 Institute of Jewish Studies Classes & Lectures for Adults x221 Exodus Magazine Monthly Publications in Rus & Eng x222 JRCC Bookstore & Library jrcc.org/bookstore x221

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February 2022 / Adar I 5782

SHARE THE JOY! the ex odus ma g azine s im cha sectio n

MAZEL TOV!

to Rabbi Yisroel & Mrs. Shaina Zaltzman

IT’S A BOY! Yehoshua Israel Minns Levi Ytschok Vorovitch Leo Schocher Milen Zubkov Brice Michil Schneider Liam Benjamin Buzov

On the birth of their son Menachem Mendel

BAR-MITZVAH!

May it be G-d’s will that you raise him and enable him to attain Torah, marriage and good deeds amidst prosperity.

MARRIAGE!

With best wishes, the JRCC Rabbi & Staff

Shneur Majeski & Menucha Carlebach Assaf Yaacov Goldberg & Talia Nechama Zahavi Israil & Yael Yakobov

Our Online

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BAR &BAT MITZVAH CLUB February 2022 / Adar I 5782

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OPSHERN

Rabbi Avrohom Yusewitz, Rabbi Avrohom Zaltzman, Rabbi Levi Mishulovin, 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

Let

Come

Yoseph Janowski

ometimes we have to work hard to make things happen. And sometimes we just need to sit back, watch, and appreciate that they are, in fact, happening. I once stubbed my toe pretty badly. I could barely walk, and was concerned it was broken or seriously damaged. My doctor diagnosed it as badly bruised, and advised me to soak it in warm salt water twice a day and try to keep it elevated to help expedite the healing. And then he said something interesting. He said the truth is that even if I do nothing at all, the toe will eventually heal itself anyways. I did my best to soak it and rest it and elevate it, which probably alleviated some of the pain and sped up the healing, but my body pretty much just healed itself. Over the course of a few days I watched in fascination as the bruising and swelling dissipated, and my foot slowly returned to normal on its own. Amazing. The body G‑d gave us is fascinating – it functions intricately and beautifully, and it even has the ability to regenerate and heal itself. Our Sages teach us that the human being is “a small world’ – a metaphor for and a reflection of the world at large. By observing ourselves, we can better understand the

world around us. An illuminated world will aid in clarifying our universal mission so that we can see what we are doing and not stumble. But when we do mess up, the world has the ability to heal – to heal itself. We can mitigate the pain and speed things up, but, just like our body's self-healing ability, the world has within it latent G‑dliness which needs only to be allowed to shine. Despite all the adversity faced within humanity and the Jewish people in particular, Judaism has an optimistic worldview. The world is inherently good. Indeed, the Rebbe once explained that our world is a beautiful garden to which G‑d returns and establishes His dwelling place, where people can become more aware of His presence, unite with Him, and delight with Him. By following His guidelines we can speed up the process, revealing His light and holiness. But the world is intrinsically good. And when we open our eyes to it, we internalize G‑d's light and warmth within ourselves and the world – we make that intrinsic goodness manifest and bring us closer to a time when the entire world will be at peace with itself, and with its Creator. These days, with Russia threatening to invade Ukraine, China threatening to invade

Taiwan, and Iran trying to acquire the bomb and do who knows what, people wonder if the peaceful era of Moshiach is just a distant fantasy. Indeed, we recite in Psalm 126, "when G‑d returns us to Zion, we were like dreamers." But when we open our eyes to current events, we see something remarkable. In spite of the war-mongering and saber-rattling, the world is actually a relatively peaceful place. Nations are for the most part united against any kind of violence or aggression, and working together to resolve tensions diplomatically. We may have become accustomed to these types of processes, but that doesn’t make them any less fantastical; compared to how things worked less than a century ago, each instance of a war averted or minimized is an open miracle. Among the prophecies regarding the era of Redemption, Isaiah proclaims that nations, “will beat their swords into plowshares ... and they will not raise their swords against each other, and won't learn war anymore,” ushering in an era of universal peace and prosperity for all humanity. Maybe we’re closer than we think. EM Yoseph Janowski lives in Toronto, Canada.

perspectives

The UN

and Israel:

A Deepening Hostility

Alan M. Baker

he inherent, long-existing political hostility against the State of Israel within the UN, in general, and the UN’s Human Rights Council, in particular, comes as no surprise to anyone. However, the recent unprecedented decision to establish and finance an “ongoing, independent, international commission of inquiry” to function as a permanent “inquisition” or “kangaroo court” aimed solely against one state – Israel – to the exception of all other countries in the world, raises the fearful specter, reminiscent of times gone-by, of unjustifiable persecution and discrimination. The Human Rights Council, having been politicized, manipulated, and abused since its establishment by one group of irresponsible states with a single political agenda targeting Israel and bearing little relation to human rights, has acquired notoriety in its ongoing illogical and unbalanced fixation against Israel. Even former UN Secretary-General Kofi Anan strongly criticized the bias of the UN Human Rights Council in November 2006, not long after its creation. He stressed its anti-Israel emphasis: “Since the beginning of their work, they have focused almost entirely on Israel, and there are other crisis situations, like Sudan, where they have not been able to say a word.” When the UN Human Rights Council set up its 2009 “Fact Finding Mission” to investigate Israeli military operations in Gaza, its chairman, Justice Richard Goldstone, ultimately distanced himself from the biased and error-filled “Goldstone Report.” He wrote an op-ed, “Reconsidering the Goldstone Report on Israel and War Crimes,” in the Washington Post on April 1, 2011: “If I had known then what I know now, the Goldstone Report would have been a different document.” As such, the UN Human Rights Council is discredited and has lost any professional credibility as a genuine, bona fide human rights body capable and willing to substantively function in accordance with the principles and purposes for which it was established. In establishing the “ongoing, independent inquiry commission,” the Council is

February 2022 / Adar I 5782

abusing the bona fides of member states of the UN and misleading them by misusing their contributions to the UN’s budget by manipulating and abusing funds to finance what is an illegitimate body. The Human Rights Council’s resolution of May 27, 2021, created the “ongoing, independent, international commission of inquiry” with the sweeping mandate to investigate in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel all alleged violations of international humanitarian law and all alleged violations and abuses of international human rights law leading up to and since April 13, 2021, and all underlying root causes of recurrent tensions, instability, and protraction of conflict, including systematic discrimination and repression based on national, ethnic, racial or religious identity. As is evident from its title and mandate, the resolution chooses to single-out only Israel, alleging violations of human rights and international humanitarian law by Israel, as well as systematic discrimination and repression prior to and during the 2021 hostilities between Israel and Hamas. The inquiry commission’s mandate ignores that it was the Hamas terror organization ruling the Gaza Strip that initiated the wave of hostilities for which the commission was established. Hamas launched thousands of rockets aimed at Israel’s civilian population and committed numerous war crimes including

the abuse of its own Palestinian civilian population, their homes, hospitals, business premises, and schools by turning them into human and civilian shields. The unique one-sidedness and permanence of this “independent” inquiry commission is inherent in the fact that it ignores the terror organization Hamas, whose basic and declared purpose is to destroy Israel and terrorize its population. The one-sidedness of the resolution is all the more evident since it undermines the universal responsibility of the UN Human Rights Council “for the promotion and protection of all human rights around the globe,” as stated on its own website. The UN Human Rights Council was established in March 2006 by its founding instrument, UN General Assembly Resolution 60/251, with the basic aim that “all human rights must be treated in a fair and equal manner, on the same footing and with the same emphasis.” The resolution stressed “the importance of ensuring universality, objectivity and nonselectivity in the consideration of human rights issues, and the elimination of double standards and politicization.” Similarly, it determined that: the promotion and protection of human rights should be based on the principles of cooperation and genuine dialogue and aimed at strengthening the capacity of Member States to comply with their human rights obligations for the benefit

perspectives

of all human beings. In this founding resolution, the General Assembly established a work ethic for the Council: …the work of the Council shall be guided by the principles of universality, impartiality, objectivity and non-selectivity, constructive international dialogue, and cooperation, with a view to enhancing the promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development and: …members elected to the Council shall uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights. In view of the above founding principles and work ethics that were intended to guide the functioning of the Human Rights Council, the Council’s recent resolution establishing the “ongoing, independent, international commission of inquiry” with such a blatantly biased, politicized, and discriminatory mandate is clearly ultra vires both the founding purposes and principles of the Human Rights Council as well as those of the United Nations itself. The financing of the permanent inquiry commission was approved by the UN General Assembly’s 5th (Budget and Administration) Committee on January 6, 2022, including the addition of 29 new posts required to enable those activities mandated by the Human Rights Council in its resolution. Clearly, the UN General Assembly’s endorsement and financing of this one-sided and discriminatory inquiry commission further undermines and violates the UN’s own founding purposes and principles, including Art. 2(1) of the UN Charter which determines that “The Organization is based on the principle of the sovereign equality of all its members.” In addition to its inherent illegality by undermining the founding principles of both the UN itself and the UN’s Human Rights Council, the establishment of the “independent and ongoing” inquiry commission would also appear to be blatantly lacking in bona fides inasmuch as it emanates from a politicallygenerated resolution, sponsored by members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference

(OIC) and led by paragons of humanitarian virtue such as Pakistan and the “State of Palestine,” as part of an ongoing campaign of delegitimization against one member state of the UN – Israel. The motivation behind those states that sponsored and supported the resolution has absolutely nothing to do with advancing global human rights. The inherently partisan title and content of the resolution dictate in advance the expected outcome, since it alleges and assumes that Israel, and only Israel, violates international human rights law and international humanitarian law and indulges in “systematic discrimination and repression.” In addition to the openly anti-Israel tenor of the resolution and the mandate and plan of action of what is intended to be an “independent” inquiry commission, the element of independence as such is, in and of itself, undermined from the start by the fact that the members of the commission appointed by the President of the Human Rights Council are known, from their own publications, pronouncements, and personal history, as possessing a clear anti-Israel bias. As such, any claim that the inquiry commission would function as a bona fide and “independent” commission cannot be maintained. With the establishment of this ongoing international commission of inquiry, both the UN Human Rights Council, as well as the UN organization itself, have permitted themselves to be abused and manipulated by states that have absolutely nothing to do with any genuine concern for promoting and protecting human rights. To the contrary, they are intent on nothing more than seeking the vilification and delegitimization of Israel. Oft-quoted and internationally-sanctioned human rights buzzwords and related expressions used in the resolution establishing the commission are nothing more than a transparent and unsubtle cover intended to deceive states and to attract maximal support for the ultimate purpose of the commission to vilify the State of Israel. Many of the states promoting and supporting the establishment of the commission are among the most ardent and prevailing human rights violators in the international community.

The sanction given by states in supporting the establishment of the commission, the wide-open budgetary carte-blanche to which they have subscribed, and the commission’s clearly one-sided nature undermine and violate the very purposes and principles of the United Nations, including the principle of sovereign equality. The commission is nothing more than a cynical vehicle, using the pretext of respectability offered by the UN, for a number of states to manipulate member states, to abuse their bona fides, and to manipulate the administrative and financial mechanism of the UN in order to sanction and finance a harsh, wildly partisan agenda intent on seeking to harm one state member of the UN – the State of Israel. Member states who will be called upon to support the continued functioning of this “ongoing independent, international commission of enquiry” and to approve budgetary allocations for this purpose should not allow themselves to be so manipulated, and are urged to act to prevent the UN from allowing itself to be harmed from within. To this end, those states that provide the bulk (70 percent) of the UN’s budget (including the U.S., China, Japan, UK, France, Germany, Italy, the Republic of Korea, Australia, Canada, and others) are called upon to oppose the continued financing and functioning of this commission, and to quantitively and qualitatively withhold their individual state funding in the proportion of the UN budget devoted to the inquiry commission. States are called upon to open their eyes to this abuse of their sincerity and act immediately and before the commission commences its work to prevent the misuse of their funding. EM Amb. Alan Baker is Director of the Institute for Contemporary Affairs at the Jerusalem Center and the head of the Global Law Forum. He participated in the negotiation and drafting of the Oslo Accords with the Palestinians, as well as agreements and peace treaties with Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon. He served as legal adviser and deputy directorgeneral of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and as Israel’s ambassador to Canada.

February 2022 / Adar I 5782

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February 2022 / Adar I 5782

Exodus Magazine - February 2022

Articles inside

MADE YOU THINK

LIFE ON EARTH

PERSPECTIVES

JEWISH SOUL