Exodus Magazine - March 2023

March 2023 • Adar 5783

5 | JEWISH SOUL

Purim, Women and Children

Reflections on the role of women and children in the historical events and especially the salvation and victories of the festivals of Purim and Passover.

— From the Rebbe's letters

6 | MADE YOU THINK

Purim and Hakhel

This year is known as a Hakhel year. Hakhel isn't just a one time event but a spirit that permeated the whole year. Every event within a Hakhel year is influenced by this aura and Purim is no exception.

— by Yisrael Harpaz

7 | JEWISH THOUGHT

Purim World Order

Our world has undergone tremendous pain during the last few years. Sometimes we readily understand and see the benefit, and sometimes we don't.

— by Yoseph Janowski

8 | JEWISH THOUGHT

Life is a Masquerade

We look at the Megillah and see people doing things that don’t make sense... The miracle of Purim is that everyone is masquerading, acting drunk, and thinking that they are doing things for their own benefit.

— by Adin Even Yisrael

Steinsaltz

9 | LIFE ON EARTH

Miracles and the Paradox of Art

Mother Nature is a coverup. It’s 100% authored, directed, engineered and powered by Elokim Unincorporated. Every moment, everything appears out of nowhere, miraculously.

— by Tzvi Freeman

10 | PERSPECTIVES

Therapeutic Joy

Is joy the emotion we should feel in perpetuity, remembering the event of Purim – the first warrant for genocide against the Jewish people. Surely what we should feel is relief, not joy.

— by Jonathan Sacks

Once upon a time, we experienced miracles as supernatural phenomena that were literally out of this world, blowing away the natural order and leaving an unmistakable and permanent mark on all who experienced them. The advantage of these miracles is the immutable character of the revelation; we have no option but to attribute a phenomenon that defies the laws of nature to the Creator; the only One who can break the rules is the One who made them. The exodus from Egypt, the splitting of the Red Sea, and the mysteries of the Temple are distinctly G‑dly in the manner and quality of their manifestation.

On the other hand, some miracles are experienced as intra natural where the phenomenon may be equally awesome, yet it conforms to the rules of the natural world. As a result, we can attribute the phenomenon to any number of causal factors, and we can deny its purpose or divine source. Improbable military victories, the story of Purim, and the power of healing are all miracles that, although they go against the grain, are still within the general realm of nature and can be easily explained using the physical parameters that define them.

It seems that the open, revealed miracles, the ones that are totally outside of nature, contain an incomparably greater spiritual quality. It is these miracles that imbue us, and the world around us, with a powerful and immediate sense of humility and make the presence and omnipotence of G‑d known in a very obvious way; they transport us out of the confines of everyday life and put us face to face with the truth. By contrast, the types of miracles that are garbed within natural phenomena seem to serve no greater purpose than to change gears and hasten the turning of the cogs that dictate the pace of history; because they don’t disrupt the natural order, they can pass undetected under our spiritual radar – even of those who are attuned to such things.

However, when an event is obviously supernatural, it doesn’t have a lasting impact; it necessitates that nature be temporarily set aside or distorted, but not actually transformed. When, on the other hand, events unfold in a way that maintains the natural

order, rebelling from within, then nature itself is forced to take on a supernatural persona without divesting completely from its usual course. Thus, the nature of nature is transformed; instead of nature grudgingly stepping aside so that the divine will can have its way, nature itself changes in order to fulfill the divine will.

Human life operates under a similar dichotomy. On the one hand, we can experience moments of tremendous inspiration that push us to do things that we otherwise wouldn’t consider possible. At these moments, our awareness of the self, knowledge of the divine, sense of purpose and vision of the objective we want to accomplish are heightened to the point that they overwhelm our usual inhibitions. But as the inspiration fades so does the resolve; because we cannot integrate the height of the inspiration into our being, it remains disconnected from it. If, on the other hand, the motivation comes from a more practical, down to earth process of self improvement and consciousness, then the resulting resolve is integrated into our being and becomes second nature; though the inspiration is not as high and the change less perceptible, our actual human nature changes, and the change has a lasting effect on who we are.

For now, spiritual ecstasy and pragmatic self improvement each have their distinct time and place within the mosaic of human experience. In the future, with the coming of Moshiach, we will be able to experience the advantages of both lifestyles simultaneously. We will have the tremendous high of supernatural inspiration, but we will also be able to appreciate it to the extent that it can be internalized and lead to permanent change; we will experience miracles that operate within the natural order and transform it, but at the same time contain the quality of revelation now reserved for metaphysical phenomena. Because it will be an era in which peace will reign, including peace between concepts that are now paradoxical, we will be able to have our cake – the beauty and inspiration of spiritual transcendence –and eat it – the transformation that comes about through practical, down to earth integration.

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Purim, Women and Children

In the coming days, connecting the festivals of Purim and Passover, it is incumbent upon every Jewish woman, wife, mother and daughter, to reflect on the important historical part which the Jewish woman had in these festivals, and what useful lesson may be learnt therefrom.

Our Law requires the Jewish woman to participate in the special Mitzvoth connected with the festivals of Purim and Passover (such as the Megillah, Haggadah, etc), expressly stating that she merits these privileges because of the special merits of Jewish womanhood in helping bring about the wonderful deliverances “in those days at this season.”

The Megillah tells us clearly of the decisive part which Esther had in the Miracle of Purim. This is further emphasized by the fact that both the Fast of Esther and the Book of Esther are named after her.

As for Passover, our Sages tell us at length in the Midrash that it was the Jewish women who kept up the courage and spirits of their men in the most trying times of Egyptian bondage, and who, moreover, raised the generations which were to receive the Torah at Sinai and later enter the Promised Land, the everlasting inheritance of our people.

The part played by Jewish womanhood on these two occasions was somewhat different: In the case of Passover, the woman’s influence was concentrated in the home and family (‘Kol kvudo bas melech pnimo’), displaying all the true feminine Jewish virtues of modesty, piety and faith. In the case of Purim, Jewish womanhood showed that where Divine Providence places her in a position of prominence and influence, she uses it wholly for the benefit of her people, and is ready to sacrifice her very life for it, in compliance, with the instructions of the religious authorities.

The two festivals, Purim and Passover, are two everlasting witnesses testifying to the devotion of the Jewish woman to the Torah and Mitzvoth. These festivals are living testimony that both at home and outside the Jewish woman will do her utmost to help preserve the sacred traditions and institutions of our people, even with self sacrifice where need be.

Jewish Women, Mothers and Daughters! Follow the example of your mothers of old and keep alive the great tradition of Jewish womanhood; remember, the future of our people is largely your responsibility.

Your sincere devotion to your responsibilities will surely bring you G‑d’s help; not only will all difficulties and dangers disappear—as in the case of Esther—but you will receive generous Divine blessings for the fulfillment of your needs and those of your family, materially and spiritually. * * *

In connection with the forthcoming days of Purim, I wish to call the attention of my fellow Jews to a significant event connected with the Miracle of Purim, an event which has a profound and timely message for all of us. Our Sages relate that when the terrible decree of annihilation of the Jews, planned by Haman, became known, Mordechai went out into the streets and gathered 22,000 children, whom he taught the Torah and with whom he prayed for G‑d’s mercy. He imbued them with the spirit of self sacrifice, so that they declared unanimously, “In life or

in death we will not part from thee.” By this action the Heavenly decree for the Jews was rescinded and reversed from death to life, and from mourning to gladness—physically, as well as spiritually.

Let us remember that Mordechai was one of the heads of the Sanhedrin, the greatest Jew of his time, “like Moses in his generation.” Nevertheless, he went out in person to teach the holy Torah, with piety and self sacrifice, to small children.

The lesson for everyone of us is clear: No matter what one’s station in life, or how important one’s activities seem to be, one must first and foremost, dedicate at least some part of his time and efforts to the most important of all causes—saving our young generation by implanting into them devotion to all that has been holy to us ever since our ancestors received the Torah at Mount Sinai and we became a “Kingdom of Priests and a holy nation”, devotion to the point of self sacrifice. Only in this way can we make sure that the young generation will be ours, and, as a matter of course, ensure the existence of our people. And great is the merit of this work, for herein lies our strength against all Hamans and our security under G‑d’s protection.

It is well to bear in mind that the education of the young is very much like the planting of a seed. A slight defect in the seed, the like of which in the grown tree may be of little or no consequence, assumes major proportions in respect of the whole growth that is to come from the seed, to the extent of crippling it. Similarly must the utmost care be taken to ensure the proper education and upbringing of our children, boys and girls. A slight deflection from Torah true education may have a crippling effect, G‑d forbid, upon the whole future of the child and generation to come. EM

made you think

Purim and hakhel

Yisrael Harpaz

Picture this scene: Millions of Jews – men and women, infants and their great grandmothers, scholars and laypeople – assembled in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount. A hush falls over the mammoth crowd, as the royally bedecked king of Israel ascends on to a platform and reads sections of the holy Torah. The nation is inspired and invigorated. A display of unity and a statement of purpose converge to revitalize and refocus a multifarious people.

This event was known as Hakhel, "assemble!" It was the only event that required the attendance of every Jew, reminiscent of the historic moment when our nation stood at Mount Sinai, when every member of our nation was present when G‑d lovingly gave us the Torah.

Though seemingly improbable, this scene repeated itself in ancient Jerusalem on a septennial basis. And when the Temple will soon be rebuilt, the practice will be renewed, with Moshiach himself reading from the Torah scroll.

This year is known as a Hakhel year. Hakhel isn't just a one time event but a spirit that permeated the whole year. Every event within a Hakhel year is influenced by this aura and Purim is no exception. At the end of the Purim story the Megillah says, “And the Jews took upon themselves what they had once begun to do.” The Talmud comments that until then, the Jews’ acceptance of the Torah could have been questioned on the grounds that they were forced to accept it. At Purim, with their firm resolve, the Jews ultimately showed their willingness to receive it.

Which quality in Hakhel do we refer to when we speak of its impact on Purim? The verse says, “Gather...in order that they hear, and in order that they learn...and they will observe to do all the words of this Torah.” The attitude of Hakhel is about the willing re dedication to Torah observance, and it influences how we again receive the Torah, willingly, on Purim.

So, Purim and Hakhel are not only connected by virtue of them both being about conscious commitment to the Torah. More than that, our Purim is affected by the general spirit of Hakhel, making this year’s

“

vekibel hayehudim” that much stronger. The Talmud says, “Moshiach will come during the year after the seventh,” an allusion to the Hakhel year. Why has Hakhel been singled out as a year that Moshiach is more likely to come? It is because one of the actions Moshiach will take when he comes is the ingathering of the exiles. Every Jew regardless of his location and stature will be brought to the Land of Israel. More than just a casual deed, this assembly is at the heart of the redemption. Indeed, when enumerating Moshiach’s activities, Maimonides mentions the ingathering of the exiles last, indicating its significance as the culmination of the redemptive process. What better way to reward people involved in Jewish unity, than to bring the redemption and end the

dispersion that is exile, once and for all?

In a public letter dated the 7th of Cheshvan 5741, in an effort to emphasize the oneness between the Jewish people, the Rebbe suggested that everyone accept a small resolution uniquely for the occasion of Hakhel. “Adding one deed is something anyone can do. Learn a part of the weekly Torah portion, give charity daily (including the extra portion given before Shabbat and festivals for the following day). Giving in multiples of ten (a dime, etc.) would be a good idea, as that number symbolizes the ten types of Jews in Hakhel.” The Rebbe explains why these two mitzvahs are especially significant, because regarding both of them it is written that they bring joy. EM

Purim World order

Yoseph Janowski

When I consider what Purim is all about and what it means today, I turn to my fond memorials of the Rebbe on Purim. I was a young teenager at the time. My older brother, Yisroel, made sure that I would have a seat about a row or two behind the Rebbe, I think it was during the reading of the Megillah. At one point, near the end of the service, while the final kaddish was being recited, the Rebbe turned around to look at the people in the shul. (During later years, I noticed that he generally did so.)

On this occasion, on Purim, the Rebbe looked directly at me. In those days, the relatively immature young man in me was into staring contests. At that point in time, I was not too familiar with the Rebbe and Chabad. So, in that awkwardness of youth and inexperience, I decided to see if I could out stare the Rebbe. It did not occur to me that there might be something amiss in this, a lack of due respect. So I stared, rather mischievously.

The Rebbe didn’t waver. I’m not sure if he was onto me and my game, trying to teach me a lesson, or simply being the Rebbe – maybe all of the above. Either way, the Rebbe kept looking right at me until I looked away, thus losing the staring contest.

I didn't think much about it, until the next day when I helped someone deliver some Purim mishloach manot gift packages. After asking permission to taste some of the tempting cream puffs, I helped myself to the sweet treats. That night, I experienced the most excruciating stomach pain. My hosts called a doctor, who came and diagnosed a severe case of food poisoning. It was so bad that I thought I might not make it. Thankfully, I survived, and the next day I was fine. But I remember that I firmly resolved not to attempt to out stare the Rebbe again, even if the two events were loosely, if at all, connected.

So why do I say that it is a fond memory? And why am I telling it over?

Because I later learned, that even severity is ultimately tremendous kindness. My interactions with the Rebbe in later years are now, in my mind, all treasured. My efforts to follow in his footsteps, even if

sometimes these efforts were not easy, were still precious, and wonderfully beneficial.

So what does this have to do with today?

Our world has undergone tremendous pain during the last few years. Ultimately, everything happens by Divine providence for our benefit. Sometimes we readily understand and see the benefit, and sometimes we don't. As the prophet says, "I will thank You G‑d that You showed anger to me." The Rebbe explains that the future tense (I will thank You) is used, because even if we don't understand and appreciate it now, in the future, at the time of our Redemption, we will understand and thank Him. Even though it appears to be severity now, it is benevolent kindness. And one day soon, with the proper perspective, we will see and appreciate it.

We live in a time when the world is confused. Things seemed to be going so well in all areas – commerce, health, science, peacefulness. And then came Covid, and the disruption that it caused, and the subsequent unrest, wars, polarization and uncertainty have left people shaken and suddenly unsure of their ability to make it. It’s as if the entire world ate some of those spoiled cream puffs.

So then what happens? A miracle. In Israel, for the first time (during the holiday of Chanukah no less, when we remember

G‑d's miracles and kindness), Israelis formed a stable and united government coalition for the first time in several years, one that is committed to being faithful to Jewish heritage and values, including the protection of Jewish lives and the security of the land. With this newfound stability and authenticity as a springboard, Israel is now in a better position to serve its role as a “light unto the nations.” As the Torah says, “For all the nations on earth will see that G‑d's Name is upon you.” When the people of Israel are true to their own values, even if they are somewhat unpopular in some circles, we succeed. And success breeds imitation. The world will view the Jewish people as a role model. They will respect our adherence to our principles as the true source of our strength. They will see supernatural success and Divine blessings, and they will follow our example, also choosing to serve their Creator and follow in His ways. As a result, the entire world will be blessed with peace and prosperity. Then we will all appreciate the momentary severity, and we will thank Him for His benevolence. May it happen now. EM

Yoseph Janowski lives in Toronto, Canada.

life is a masquerade

Adin Even Yisrael Steinsaltz

The holiday of Purim is unusual, even strange, in many ways. It is the only time of the year when we are not only allowed, but expected, to get drunk.

We look at the Megillah and see people doing things that don’t make sense for them, as if they were drunk or, perhaps, insane: Vashti refuses to appear at the King’s party, and is killed for it. The two guards conspiring to kill the King allow their plans to become known, and are executed. Haman’s grandiose plans for being honored are turned around, as he is forced to honor Mordechai, and then the gallows he built for Mordechai are used, instead, for him.

It is also the only holiday when we have the custom to masquerade – men dressing as women, women dressing as men – which, at any other time, would not even be permitted. Again, this seems to come straight from the Megillah, where so many people are acting and, in some way, wearing a mask: Achashverosh is the King, but he doesn’t act like a king; every time he has to make a decision, he has to ask others to help him. The guards are supposed to be protecting Achashverosh, but they are actually plotting to kill him. Haman is promoted to a position of power, but he is still just a poor little anti Semitic wretch. And Esther hides her Jewish identity for years.

Even G‑d seems to be wearing a mask, hiding His face, so to speak and allowing the Jews to believe that He is so angry at us that He will allow us to be destroyed. In fact, He is so hidden that He is not mentioned in the Megillah at all. The Talmud even identifies the source for Esther as the verse “I will hide My face“(Deuteronomy 31:18).

G‑d’s Name is absent in the Megillah that records the story of Purim, and G‑d’s power seems to be absent, too. We refer to Purim as miraculous, but where are the miracles? On the surface, everything seems to be explained. Everything is rational, with a clear cause and effect chain. So where is the miracle?

To understand it, we have to know that there are, generally, two kinds of miracles.

In the miracles of the first period of Jewish history, the ones that we celebrate on our major holidays – Passover, Shavuot, Sukkot – Divine providence was obvious. When the

Red Sea was divided, the face of G‑d was apparent. In the events on Mount Sinai, the face of G‑d was apparent. These and other supernatural miracles – miracles of the first order – are clear, and they are visibly directional and intentional.

But in the post Biblical world, clarity and direction are often lost. Purim happens during this very different time in our history. When we say that G‑d is “hiding His face” in the Purim story, it is not just a play on words; it is a basic notion. Part of the miracle of Purim is that everyone is masquerading, acting drunk, and thinking that they are doing things for their own benefit, but it is because G‑d is acting “off stage” that it comes together for a good ending.

This may be why the Jerusalem Talmud says that the other holidays – the Biblical ones marked by obvious miracles – will eventually be forgotten, but Hanukkah and Purim will continue forever. The miracles of Hanukkah and Purim are part of the second phase of our life as a people. Almost by definition, they must be obscure, hidden, disguised.

When we celebrate Purim, we are celebrating a time in which nothing is revealed. Some of it is masked, and some is crazy. G‑d is speaking to us in a different language, and the only way of understanding this language is by letting go of ourselves and the conceit that we control our lives through rational, well thought out plans. He is telling us that there

are things that we will never understand, certainly not when we are completely sane and coherent. There are things that we may begin to understand only when we lose our self consciousness.

Purim is the miraculous story that takes place in the apparent absence of G‑d or miracles. Purim is the holiday that we celebrate by behaving as though we don’t know what we are doing and aren’t even sure about who we are. On Purim we abandon the illusion that we control, or even understand, our world. We don’t know quite where we are going or where it will end.

Perhaps, we will only understand this Megillah – or the “megillah” of our own lives – after it is written. For now, we continue to live in a time when our very existence is threatened, and when miracles masquerade as everyday occurrences. Because we are sober, sane, and rational, we think the events that we witness are the result of human endeavor. If we are to see and appreciate G‑d’s role, we may have to let go a little as we celebrate the miracle of Purim. EM

Rabbi Adin Even Yisrael 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.

miraC les and the Paradox of art

Mother Nature is a coverup. It’s 100% authored, directed, engineered and powered by Elokim Unincorporated. Every moment, everything appears out of nowhere, miraculously. For those of you who believe miracles are absurd, dangerous, and a threat to the entire endeavor of science, Nature, it turns out, is nothing more than consistent miracles.

The problem is, you get used to the way things work, and begin to believe that all your interactions are with a closed system that’s just there because it’s just there. That this is all there is. You start confusing the show with reality.

So, along comes a miracle of the inconsistent variety. Maybe even an open miracle, shifting the most fundamental parameters of nature. Or better, a hidden one, dressed up as though it were perfectly natural.

Like one of those situations where things don’t look good. At all. And whatever direction you take only confirms to you that there is just no way out. To which everyone else nods their heads. Especially the experts. At which point the totally unexpected occurs, life flies for a moment on eagles’ wings, and you find yourself in a place better than you could have ever prayed for. You know you didn’t make this happen. You know there’s no one here on earth who could have orchestrated it. So you look up to the heavens and say, “G‑d, I love you!”

Whatever door just opened, you find yourself in interaction with the Director of the show. Which means you just discovered that this is a show. And that there is a Director. And that you are a character in this show. Okay, you have (limited) freedom within the script—so maybe it’s a game, and there’s a Programmer (who is also the User), and you are a sentient sprite. Whichever way, everything now changes.

Is that good change or bad change?

Definitely, very good change. Because now your current existence is no longer just a natural consequence. Existence is a deliberate, voluntary act that does not have to be. Nothing has to be. Everything could be otherwise. It’s only this way because there’s a purpose in it being this way that it’s this way. Knowing it’s a show means you’re in

constant contact with the Director of the show.

Knowing it’s a show just means knowing it all from a higher context. Context provides a possibility of direction, purpose and meaning—all of which could not be if this was just a place that just is because it just is. The universe, life, and the science of it all becomes a whole lot more amazing. It becomes actually worth taking care of.

In other words, a miracle comes to demonstrate that nature is also miraculous. Like Moses keeps telling Pharaoh, “So that you will know that the earth belongs to G‑d.”

So, is Mother Nature a total fake? Only if you take her at face value. You need to know her deeply. Nature, we said in the last installment, is a modality of G‑d. G‑d as He is Elokim, in restraint and disciplined, so that He can get a real world. In that sense, Nature is real. So, science is real.

Miracles don’t make science irrelevant. They give science meaning.

Now, if this is the purpose of a miracle, what would be the best way for the Director/ Programmer/User to pull it off?

Should He shout, “Cut! Turn up the lights!”? Should he hack the game and make super weird things occur?

Well, that would certainly shake your sense of reality. And it would tell you that He’s got a huge amount of power. But it doesn’t give you a sense that He’s running the show.

Because it means that the only way He can get His way is by breaking the rules.

If, on the other hand, the Director/ Programmer/User interacts with you within the system and through the system, directing it in every which way without breaking a thing, answering your prayers through means you would never have expected, responding to your behavior in the most surprising ways, and yet all within the realm of the natural world—then you know that, hey, He is truly the Master of All Things. He is the Master even as the things are running.

Indeed, the more pedestrian the miracle, the more impressive. The weird and the wonderful have their “wow” factor, but then life switches back to its normal humdrum, and you submit once again to the predictability of everyday life. It’s when you see that nature doesn’t lose a beat to perform the supernatural that you begin to seek its Master under every rock and behind every circumstance. It’s these seamless interweaves of miracle and nature, impossible and possible, Creator and creation that get G‑d what He’s really out for—that get G‑d down to earth.

The difference in G‑d consciousness that results from the two experiences is chasmic. For a true life example, take the story of the spies whom Moses sent to tour the Promised Land.

Tzvi Freeman

jewish thought theraPeutiC Joy

Jonathan Sacks

There is a unique law in the approach to Purim. Mishe-nichnas Adar marbim be-simcha : “From the beginning of Adar, we increase in joy.” It is stated in the Talmud, and is based on the passage in the Megillah (Esther 9:21 22) in which Mordechai sends a letter throughout the land instructing Jews “to observe the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and the fifteenth day, every year – the days on which the Jews obtained rest from their enemies and the month which for them was turned from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday.”

This in turn refers back to the text in which Haman decided on the timing of his decree: “In the first month, the month of Nissan, in the twelfth year of Achashverosh, they cast pur (that is, lots) before Haman from day to day, and from month to month until the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar” (Esther. 3:7).

The difficulties though are obvious. Why an entire month? The key events were focused on a few days, the thirteenth to the fifteenth, not the whole month. And why joy? We can understand why the Jews of the time felt exhilaration. The decree sentencing them to death had been rescinded. Their enemies had been punished. Haman had been hanged on the very gallows he had prepared for Mordechai. Mordechai himself had been raised to greatness.

But is joy the emotion we should feel in perpetuity, remembering those events? The first warrant for genocide against the Jewish people (the second if one counts Pharaoh’s plan to kill all newborn Jewish males) had been frustrated. Is joy the appropriate emotion? Surely what we should feel is relief, not joy. Passover is the proof. The word “joy” is never mentioned in the Torah in connection with it.

Besides which, the Talmud asks why we do not say Hallel on Purim. It gives several answers. The most powerful is that in Hallel we say, “Servants of the Lord, give praise,” – meaning that we are no longer the servants of Pharaoh. But, says the Talmud, even after the deliverance of Purim, Jews were still the servants of Achashverosh (Megillah 14a). Tragedy had been averted but there was

no real change in the hazards of life in the Diaspora.

It seems to me therefore that the joy we celebrate throughout the month of Adar is different from the normal joy we feel when something good and positive has happened to us or our people. That is expressive joy. The joy of Adar, by contrast, is therapeutic joy.

Imagine what it is to be part of a people that had once heard the command issued against them: “to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and children—on a single day” (Est. 3:13). We who live after the Holocaust, who have met survivors, heard their testimony, seen the photographs and documentaries and memorials, know the answer to that question. On Purim the Final Solution was averted. But it had been pronounced. Ever afterward, Jews knew their vulnerability. The very existence of Purim in our historical memory is traumatic.

The Jewish response to trauma is counterintuitive and extraordinary. You defeat fear by joy. You conquer terror by collective celebration. You prepare a festive meal, invite guests, give gifts to friends.

While the story is being told, you make a rumbustious noise as if not only to blot out the memory of Amalek, but to make a joke out of the whole episode. You wear masks. You drink a little too much. You make a Purim spiel.

Precisely because the threat was so serious, you refuse to be serious – and in that refusal you are doing something very serious indeed. You are denying your enemies a victory. You are declaring that you will not be intimidated. As the date of the scheduled destruction approaches, you surround yourself with the single most effective antidote to fear: joy in life itself. As the three sentence summary of Jewish history puts it: “They tried to destroy us. We survived. Let’s eat.” Humour is the Jewish way of defeating hate. What you can laugh at, you cannot be held captive by.

I learned this from a Holocaust survivor. Some years ago, I wrote a book, Celebrating Life, to write my way out of the depression I fell into after the death of my father, of blessed memory. It was a cheer you up book, and it became a favorite of the Holocaust survivors. One of them, however, told me that a particular passage in the book

was incorrect. Commenting on Roberto Begnini’s comedy about the Holocaust, Life is Beautiful, I had said that though I agreed with his thesis – a sense of humour keeps you sane – that was not enough in Auschwitz to keep you alive.

“On that, you are wrong,” the survivor said, and then told me his story. He had been in Auschwitz, and he soon realized that if he failed to keep his spirits up, he would die. So he made a pact with another young man, that they would both look out, each day, for some occurrence they found amusing. At the end of each day they would tell one another their story and they would laugh together. “That sense of humour saved my life,” he said. I stood corrected. He was right.

That is what we do on Purim. The joy, the merrymaking, the food, the drink, the whole carnival atmosphere, are there to allow us to live with the risks of being a Jew – in the past, and tragically in the present also – without being terrified, traumatised or intimidated. It is the most counter intuitive response to terror, and the most effective. Terrorists aim to terrify. To be a Jew is to refuse to be terrified.

future tense

MOSHIACH MUSINGS

The mitzvahs we do today pale in comparison to those we will perform when we will be returned to the Holy Land. In fact, to a certain extent they are merely "practice" or "keeping in shape" for the real high quality mitzvot we will perform in the Holy Land. The Jewish nation, the Torah, and the Land of Israel constitute one indivisible whole—and the greatest of mitzvot are performed when all three are joined.

Terror, hatred, violence – the dark forces that are currently ravaging country after country in the Middle East, sub Saharan Africa and parts of Asia – are always ultimately self destructive. Those who practise them are always, as was Haman, hoisted on their own petard, destroyed by their very will to destruction. And yes, we as Jews must fight antisemitism, the demonization of Israel, and the intimidation of Jewish students on campus. But we must never let ourselves be intimidated – and the Jewish way to avoid this is marbim be-simcha, to increase our joy. The people that can know the full darkness of history and yet rejoice is a people whose spirit no power on earth can ever break. 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.

And side for the greater quality of mitzvot performed in the Land of Israel, and specifically once all the Jews have been returned to the Land after being freed of the yoke of – physical and spiritual – exile, quantitatively, too, we then will finally be capable of performing so many mitzvot which we are unable to do today. In fact, of the 613 mitzvot that the Torah commands us, only 369 are practicable today!

Here are some of the mitzvahs we will resume practicing with the coming of Moshiach:

The perpetual calendar we follow today will be discontinued. With the reinstatement of the Sanhedrin (Rabbinical Supreme Court) in Jerusalem, we will once again revert to sanctifying new months and establishing leap years based on the testimony of witnesses who see the new moon and other seasonal factors.

The laws of ritual purity and impurity will again become germane. Ritually impure people will be unable to enter the Holy Temple

With the rebuilding of the Holy Temple, we will once again resume Temple services as mandated by the Torah.

The laws of the Sabbatical and Jubilee years will once again be in effect. (Though today the Sabbatical year is observed in Israel, it is only by rabbinic injunction. With the coming of Moshiach, it will revert to being a Biblical obligation.)

torah and animals

Rabbi Yoseph Y. Zaltzman

QI learned recently that there will be some kind of “new Torah” revealed in the times of Moshiach. Doesn’t this contradict the idea that the Torah is eternal and is never supposed to change?

The times of Moshiach will be an era of unprecedented prosperity – a wealth that will be both material and spiritual, and the material wealth will give people free time to pursue the study of G‑d and the Torah.

It is true that the Sages, based on a verse in Isaiah (51:4), teach that Torah we study now is nothing comparison to the Torah of Moshiach. But this does not, G‑d forbid, mean that the Torah we have now will be exchanged for a new one. One of the principles of Jewish belief is that the Torah and all its commandments are eternal and immutable. Judaism has always steadfastly rejected foreign doctrines that claimed that there is any text or teaching that replaces, or modifies, the Torah.

Nevertheless, while there is only one Torah, this Torah is multi layered. Every word in the Torah and every one of G‑d's commandments can be understood on infinite levels—which is quite understandable considering that the Torah is the wisdom of an infinite G‑d. Every one of these layers exists in the Torah that was given at Sinai, simply waiting to be uncovered. Moshiach, who will be greater than even Adam and Moses, will reveal a completely new and profound dimension of Torah. He will reveal a Torah that will make all the Torah that was studied until then pale in comparison.

In addition to the superior level of Torah that will be studied during the times of Moshiach, our capacity to integrate that Torah will be much different than today. The human being can become conscious of an entity or idea in one of two manners, which can be described as “hearing and “seeing.”

A concept acquired through hearing, which includes apprehension and logical inference, can never be considered conclusive, as human intellect is always prone to error. Perhaps more importantly, even if the concept is never disproved, it will never attain absolute definitiveness in its knower's consciousness. Thus, a person would never board an aircraft simply because someone explained to him the principles of aerodynamics. Our present

day knowledge of G‑d is limited to the "hearing" variety.

Seeing, on the other hand, is revelation. Most of the phenomena we take for granted are such that we may not understand, but we have seen or sensed. These ideas we accept as fact; they constitute our daily reality. Most people don't fully understand aviation science, and many don't know the first thing about it, yet they have no problem embarking on a transcontinental flight—for they have seen that it works. "Seeing is believing."

It is also possible for an entity that cannot be seen or sensed to attain seeing like status. On occasion, a certain fact is so patent, and its effects so clear, that it becomes incontrovertible although it cannot be physically sensed. For example, no one has ever seen electricity or a radio wave, yet we all are certain that they exist.

With the exception of very great tzaddikim (righteous individuals), our present day knowledge of G‑d is limited to the "hearing" variety. We may study about Him, we may assiduously research and analyze the hosts of spiritual worlds detailed in the kabbalistic teachings, yet they will never be as real in our perception as the computer screen you are now looking at. One is theory, the other is real.

Moshiach will permanently change this dynamic. As Isaiah prophesied, "All flesh together shall see that the mouth of G‑d has spoken." We will look at the world and perceive the divine energy that provides its existence just as we look at a vacuum cleaner and perceive that there must be an electrical current that powers it. Moshiach will teach about G‑d and we will "see" it. At last, G‑d will be really real. And all that we perceive to be real today? We will see them for what they truly are: mere extensions of the ultimate reality. 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.

Рабби, затронув недавно тему о чудесах Ребе, мы получили многочисленные отклики, в которых читатели просят продолжения.

Пожалуйста. Вот еще один рассказ.

Еврейский бизнесмен по имени Макс Коэн жил в Англии в городе Манчестер. Он вел бизнес в странах Дальнего Востока. Однажды, как обычно, он планировал деловую поездку на Дальний Восток, в том числе хотел заехать в Бангладеш. Перед тем, как уже должен был отправляться, из новостей он узнал, что тропические ливни, обрушившиеся на Бангладеш, залили всю страну – случилось буквально наводнение. Он стал сомневаться в целесообразности поездки – путешествие могло обернуться серьезной опасностью. В то время брат его жены учился в Нью-Йорке в «Севен Севенти» у Ребе. Макс Коэн звонит шурину в Нью-Йорк и говорит: «Пожалуйста, пойди в воскресенье к Ребе (Ребе обычно по воскресеньям встречался людьми, которые выстраивались в длинную очередь) и спроси, имеет ли смысл мне ехать в Бангладеш, так как там идут непрекращающиеся ливни». Тем не менее, к поездке он был уже готов и решил, не теряя времени, из Манчестера отправиться в Лондон, откуда потом должно было начаться путешествие на Дальний Восток. По приезду в Лондон он связывается с шурином, чтобы узнать информацию от Ребе. «Ребе ответил, - сказал шурин, - что ливни уже закончились, и ты не только можешь, но и должен ехать в поездку. Ребе дал мне для тебя доллар»...

The article above is excerpted from the Russian edition of Exodus Magazine. To subscribe, please visit exodusmagazine.org or call 416.222.7105.

книгa

основной труд философии хасидизма

Класс ведет рабби Йосеф И. Зальцман На русском языке

КАЖДЫЙ ВТОРНИК В 20:00

28 Townsgate Dr., Thornhill

или Zoom: www.zoom.us/my/jrcchq

ID: 416-222-7105

"ТАНИЯ"

CANDLE LIGHTING TIMES

ONE SHABBAT ONE WORLD

On Friday evening, January 27, each JRCC branch hosted a community Shabbat dinner as part of the “One Shabbat One World” initiative. The several hundred who participated in the GTA were part of a global even in which tens of thousands of people joined Shabbat dinners in dozens of communities around the world. The initiative is designed to bring the light of Moshiach and redemption into the world through the peace of Shabbat and the power of unity.

TU BSHVAT

In honor of Tu Bishvat, the new year for trees, JRCC branches hosted a variety of events for children and social evenings for adults. Children’s events included Tu Bishvat Adventures in an Israeli Supermarket at JRCC East Thornhill and JRCC S Richmond Hill & Maple, a Holiday Kiddie Chefs Tu Bishvat edition, at JRCC Woodbridge an adult event included Online interactive game and Whiskey & Wisdom at JRCC Woodbridge. Tu Bishvat events provide an opportune time to reflect about our connection to the earth, to the Land of Israel, and to the concept of growth in general.

A MAGICAL MUSICAL EVENT

On Wednesday, February 9, the JRCC hosted a magical evening at Leah Posluns Theatre in honor of Yud Shevat, celebrating the anniversary of the Rebbe’s leadership. The event, titled “Return to Yiddishkeit Through a Journey of Niggunim,” featured Maestro Israel Edelson’s personal story weaved through compositions and performance. As Edelson says, ““There is no blueprint for this journey, just a feeling, my music, and a question that beckons from the deep.” The evening was beyond inspiring for all those in attendance, a fitting tribute to the Rebbe and an uplifting way to celebrate his life and teachings.

JEWQ CHAMPIONSHIP

The JRCC Hebrew School, together with other Hebrew Schools from across the GTA, participated in the local JewQ gameshow-stye trivia competition, joining thousands of contestants from over 175 cities and 22 countries around the world. The students showcased their Torah knowledge, having become experts in several subjects, and the champions were each given awards. Three students from the JRCC Hebrew School won trophies, and they will represent our community in the international championship on March 26: Ariella Rebellow from JRCC Bat Mitzvah cCub, Aaron Cohen from JRCC S Richmond Hill & Maple Maple Hebrew School, and Sophie Hadas Roginsky from JRCC East Thornhill Hebrew School. Congratulations to the winners and to all the participants. Thank you for making your community and your parents proud!

East Thornhill Richmond Hill

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MEGILLA

Monday

Tu B'shvat Celebration

FOR MORE INFORMATION 416-222-7105 #291 Packing

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• Production; Scalers, Oven Operators, Line Operators, General Production, Forklift Operators, Shippers

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Our commitment to quality and product excellence are exceeded only by our commitment to Safety. Superior communication, teamwork and attention to detail are core skills to be on our team!

Please submit your resume and your compensation expectations to; jobs@fierafoods.com or call (416) 746-1010 (ext. 357)

JRCC Woodbridge

JRCC S Richmond Hill & Maple

JRCC East Thornhill

Pre-Pesach Workshops

Faces of the Community

ELI

SCHWARZ

Please tell us about your family background.

I was named after my great-grandfather, who fought at the front, was a captain, took Berlin and liberated Prague. My Hebrew name is Eli.

My great-grandmother from my mother's side, Tova Elevna Tartakovskaya-Pukh, comes from the famous Jewish city of Berdichev. My grandfather from my father's side, Yakov Davidovich Schwartz, is from the city of Khmelnitsky. His parents lived in Israel at a time when Israel was called Palestine. And the family, of course, was religious. Then they returned to Russia. Do you have any hobby?

I have a lot of them. I like to watch movies, especially those about the war. I read a lot. I am interested in politics, history, and religion. I am engaged in photography, as an amateur. But perhaps my main interest is collecting special coins and commemorative medals.

Please tell us more about this hobby of yours. Where did it start?

I have always liked history. I came to the conclusion that the knowledge we get at school leaves much to be desired. Collecting commemorative coins and medals, I learned much more than I did at school. My first coins were dedicated to the actions of the anti-Hitler alliance during the Second World War, the achievements and losses of the American army. Many of my exhibits are connected with the history of the Jewish people and modern Israel.

Tell us about your favorite medals.

Let's start with a medal commemorating the 60th anniversary of the kidnapping of Nazi criminal Adolf Eichmann from Argentina. In 1960, Mossad agents abducted Adolf Eichmann in Argentina and secretly took him to Israel. He was one of the most wanted Nazi criminals, the direct organizer of the Holocaust. On December 15, 1961, the trial of Eichmann ended in Jerusalem. He was found guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced to death by hanging. By the way, he was the only person in Israel ever sentenced to death.

Another medal is dedicated to the famous operation of the Israeli army called “Operation Entebbe". On July 4, 1976, special units of the Israel Defense Forces carried out an amazing raid into Uganda to free the passengers of an Air France Airbus A300 aircraft hijacked by PFLP and German Revolutionary Cells terrorists. Later, the operation received the unofficial name "Yonatan" in honor of the deceased commander of the group, Yonatan Netanyahu.

Another favorite medal is dedicated to a 1966 Mossad operation called “Operation Diamond.” Its goal was to seize the Soviet MiG-21 aircraft, the most advanced fighter of that time, which was the latest top-secret model. Iraqi Assyrian pilot Munir Redfa, an Iraqi Air Force but former undercover Mossad agent, piloted a MiG-21 and landed at an air base in Israel. Israel and the United States were able to study the design of the aircraft. This operation (also known as"Blue Bird") to hijack a Soviet fighter is considered a major success and an important event in the history of the Mossad. If you had the opportunity to meet anyone in history, who would you choose, and why?

I would really like to meet the legendary Biblical Jewish hero Shimshon (Samson). He was respected by all, but his enemies were afraid of his strength. Even before his birth, Samson had the status of a Nazirite; having dedicated his son to the Almighty, his mother forbade him to touch wine and cut his hair. It was his beautiful long hair, braided into seven braids, that became the accumulator of his extraordinary strength. The primary enemies of the Israelites at that time were the Philistines, and Shimshon fought many battles against them. The Philistines, no matter how hard they tried, could not defeat him, and decided to take him by cunning. They sent a beautiful Philistine woman, Delilah, whom Shimshon, contrary to the exhortations of his parents, nevertheless married. The Philistines instructed Delilah to learn the secret of his strength, and he could not resist. While Shimshon was sleeping, the treacherous Delilah cut off her husband's hair, he lost his miraculous power, and the Philistines were able to seize him. They put him in chains, mocked him, blinded him, and forced him to turn a massive millstone that grinds grain into flour. This went on for quite a long time, and during this time Shimshon's hair had grown, and his strength began to return.

One day the Philistines held a feast. For fun, Shimshon was taken to a large hall where festive events were held, and tied with chains to the columns supporting the roof of the building. At that moment, Shimshon called on the Lord to strengthen his strength for one final feat. After that, the hero tensed up and tore down the columns. The roof collapsed and killed all the Philistines present. Our hero died with them. We take several lessons from this story. First of all, we, as a people, need to be strong so that our enemies fear us as much as the Philistines feared Shimshon. And second, to avoid betrayal in the family, you need to marry a Jewess.

Which JRCC programs do you participate in?

I really like the JRCC programs, both holiday programs and educational lectures and classes.

What are your plans for the future?

I would like to meet a Jewish girl with whom we would have common interests, so that she would also be interested in the history of our people and strive to create a Jewish family.

Журнал Эксодус, путеводитель по праздникам

March 6-7, 2023

All times displayed in this guide are for the Greater Toronto Area.

How to Purim

Pre-Holiday to-do list

• Plan to hear the Megillah twice –on Purim night and on Purim day

• Prepare for the festival meal – or sign up for the JRCC Community Purim Banquet at jrcc.org/PurimFeast.

• Prepare food items for Mishloach Manot gift packages

• Plan to make charitable contributions to the poor

Primary Observances:

1. Megillah – listen to the Megillah (twice)

2. Mishloach Manot – send food gift packages

3. Charity – give financial gifts to the needy

4. Festive Meal

Purim is...

Purim is a joyous holiday that commemorates the miraculous salvation of the Jews in the times of the Persian empire (356 BCE). King Ahasuerus’s prime minister, Haman, plotted “to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews… in a single day.” Haman cast lots (“purim” in Persian) to determine the date of his scheme, which is what gives the festival its name.

The Purim Story

Monday, March 6 | 13 Adar | Fast of Esther (5:16am to 6:41pm)

A fast is observed from daybreak to nightfall in commemoration of the threeday fast called at Esther’s request before she risked her life to appeal to King Achashveirosh to save the Jewish people. The fast also commemorates Esther’s fasting on the 13th of Adar, as the Jews fought their enemies. Pregnant or nursing women and people in ill health are exempt from fasting.

Monday evening, March 6 | 14 Adar | Purim Night

Megillah Reading #1

We relive the miraculous events of Purim by listening to a public reading of the Megillah. Whenever Haman’s name is mentioned, we use noise-makers and stamp our feet to “drown out” his evil name.

→ Attend a public reading of the Megillah

It is also customary to be festive and have a small “unofficial” feast this evening.

THE MITZVAH OF HEARING THE MEGILLAH can only be fulfilled by attending a live reading of the Megillah from an original scroll written by an expert scribe on parchment (similar to a Torah scroll).

→ For a list of Megillah reading times and locations visit jrcc.org/megilla

Jewish morale was at an all-time low, the Temple was destroyed, the nation conquered and dispersed in foreign lands, and the blight of assimilation had set in. Just then, and enemy arose to carry out his evil plans. Haman, descended from the Jew-hating tribe of Amalek, devised a scheme to solve “the Jewish problem” once and for all by annihilating every Jewish man, woman and child throughout the world, in a single day. It almost worked. Were it not for Mordechai, Esther, the other heroes involved (including Jewish children) – and, of course, the hidden hand of Divine providence...

For assistance in making your Purim plans and for updates about community Purim observances and events for families, kids and adults, visit jrcc.org/Purim or contact the JRCC.

Russian Community Centre of Ontario

Tuesday, March 7 | 14 Adar | Purim Day

The following Purim customs are observed during the day of Purim.

1. Megillah Reading #2

We relive the miraculous events of Purim by listening to a public reading of the Megillah. Whenever Haman’s name is mentioned, we use noise-makers and stamp our feet to “drown out” his evil name.

→ Attend a Megillah reading – for times and locations visit jrcc.org/megilla

2. Gifts of Food

On Purim, we emphasize the importance of Jewish unity and friendship by sending gifts of food to friends. It is proper that men send to men and women to women. Sending these gifts should be done through a third party. Children, in addition to sending their own gifts of food, make enthusiastic messengers.

→ Send at least one gift package containing at least two kinds of ready-toeat foods (for example, pastry, fruit, beverage), to at least one friend on Purim day.

To make things easier, feel free to “re-gift” the Mishloach Manot package you receive from the JRCC, and receive one back from your friend as well.

3. Charitable Gifts to the Needy

Concern for the needy is a year-round Jewish responsibility. On Purim, particularly, it is a special mitzvah to remember the poor. The mitzvah is best fulfilled by giving directly to the needy. Even small children should fulfill this mitzvah.

→ Give gifts of money to at least two (preferably more) needy people. You can give the money directly (preferably discreetly), or through a community representative who collects and distributes the funds to the needy. The JRCC can fulfill this mitzvah on your behalf – visit jrcc.org/matanot or call 416.222.7105.

4. The Festive Meal

As on all festivals, Purim is celebrated with a special festive meal during the day, when family and friends gather together to rejoice in the Purim spirit.

→ Join the JRCC Community Purim Banquet – RSVP at jrcc.org/PurimFeast

The Moshiach Connection: Feast, Not Fast

Mystical texts note the analogy between the terms “Purim” and “Yom Kippurim.” Moreover, they state that the holiest day of the year is called “Yom Ki-purim,” which could be translated “A Day like Purim.” This suggests that Purim has an advantage over Yom Kippur.

The advantage of Purim is seen in the most obvious difference between these two days: Yom Kippur is a fast-day on which we must afflict ourselves by refraining from basic human needs such as eating, drinking, bathing, etc. Purim, on the other hand, is a feastday celebrated with festive eating, drinking and merriment.

Purim thus celebrates man’s involvement with the physical reality of G-d’s creation. The use of material substances in context of man’s service of-and relationship with-G-d, imbues these substances with spirituality. It sublimates them to their Divinely intended purpose. Purim manifests the intrinsic oneness of the universe which is rooted in the Oneness of its Creator.

This, indeed, is the ultimate purpose of creation: to manifest its Divine origin by converting this world into a fitting abode for G-dliness. This is man’s mission for which he was created, and especially in the time of the galut, the time of our dispersion throughout the world. The achievement of this goal is the ultimate bliss of the Messianic era when “the earth shall be full with the knowledge of G-d as the waters cover the sea... and the glory of G-d shall be revealed and all flesh shall see together...” (Isaiah 11:9 and 40:5). Our efforts towards that end will hasten this goal and bliss, to happen very speedily in our days.

It is a story of great courage and selfsacrifice, first and foremost by Queen Esther and Mordechai and ultimately by the whole Jewish nation. For throughout the duration of the whole year, not one single Jew chose to convert, even to save his life. The nation was awakened to a wholehearted return to the Jewish path, and throughout the year strengthened their faith and observance. In the merit of this, the plans of Mordechai and Esther to overturn the evil decree were successful, and the Jews were able to rise up against their enemies. Eventually, these events led them to returning to the Land of Israel and rebuilding the Holy Temple.

Purim as Marriage

Purim is the day we became married to G-d, and to each other. Until the days of King Achashverosh, the Talmud tells us, the Jewish people had never really accepted the Torah. They were coerced. “G-d held Mount Sinai over their heads,” the Talmud tells us. The Maharal of Prague, Rabbi Yehudah Loewe, explains this as a figurative reference to the abundance of love He showed them, until they had no other choice.

The person of your dreams takes you out in a flashy Lamborghini, treats you to a lavish feast at the finest restaurant, showers you with jewelry and poetry of love, and then suggests marriage. Do you have a choice? So too, G-d swept us out of slavery on eagle’s wings, drowned our oppressors in the sea, fed us manna from heaven, and then whispered in our ears sweet words, “I want you to be mine.” We were coerced. A deal made under coercion is not a deal. At any point, the Talmud tells us, we had the right to step out of the whole thing.

Until the days of Achashverosh. Because then, there were no eagle’s wings, no bread from heaven, no signs or wonders—and nevertheless, we stood with our Beloved.

Why? There is no explanation. But we are still here. Absurdly.

Adar 5783

Rabbi Yoseph Y. Zaltzman

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

Moses chose brave, righteous and wise men for the job. Yet, out of twelve spies, ten came back thoroughly discouraged. “We can’t conquer this land,” they argued. “The people that inhabit it are stronger than us.”

Given the story background, this is a very peculiar argument. These were men who had witnessed ten plagues in Egypt and an entire cavalry of Egyptians sunk in the Sea of Reeds, and who ate manna for breakfast and dinner. Egypt was the superpower of the ancient world. The balkanized Canaanite hinterland was chopped liver in comparison. If G‑d could make miracles in Egypt and in the Sinai Peninsula, what’s stopping Him from doing the same a little further northeast?

Nothing. Problem was, the spies had written off open miracles from the get go. After all, they had been told to spy out the land. Which meant—in their minds—that the land was to be conquered by natural means. No plagues, no sea splitting, no heavenly bread. Just lots of dirty warfare, human hard work and natural consequences. And if so, there simply was no way this was going to work.

A thousand years later, a small band of Maccabees picked up their swords in revolt against the monstrous Greek war machine. They didn’t expect open miracles—and they didn’t win by open miracles. Neither did they

expect that they would turn out stronger than their enemy. They simply knew that the same G‑d who created the world was still in control of it, and that He would grant them victory in whatever way He chose.

The spies sent by Moses knew a G‑d who had created the universe and could toss all the rules aside at whim. But the Maccabees knew a G‑d for whom rules do not need to be tossed aside—because they present no obstacle to begin with. They are His rules, created by His will. And so, He can get whatever He wants out of them.

As it turns out, the best way to demonstrate what an amazing instrument G‑d has in nature, its spectacular plasticity in His hands, its versatility to perform His bidding without missing a beat—open miracles are a letdown. Hidden, intra natural miracles are the winner. (That’s one way of looking at it. As I’m sure you expect, in a later installment I’ll present how open miracles win hands down. Both are true—depends what you’re looking for.)

That’s one way of looking at miracles and nature—that miracles are there for the sake of nature, to provide nature a frame, a context. The other way is the reverse: That nature is there for the sake of miracles. It’s nothing more than a stage upon which miracles can occur.

continued from page 9

And what’s the point of the miracle? The same as any great work of art: To express the ineffable.

Think of nature—of all the universe—as a wonderful musical instrument. Why would a Master Craftsman craft such an instrument? To prove that He can make an amazing instrument? To demonstrate His mastery over it?

Or, perhaps so that He can express that which could otherwise have no expression.

It’s an enigma, after all—one that has perplexed the philosophers for as long as they have been philosophizing: Why would an infinite, perfect oneness care to create a tightly bounded, fractured, material world? The philosopher is confounded, but the musician understands: G‑d crafted an instrument for the music of His soul.

What drives the human soul to create music? Or any art, for that matter?

Deep beneath the bedrock of human consciousness runs an undercurrent of knowingness, a torrent of emotions, red hot magma highly pressurized by the strata that lie above. Until it finds a crack and then bursts as a geyser into our awareness, as a ceaseless stream of words, of images, of voices, colors and sounds.

Yet the origin itself remains unfathomed. As deep as we can dive into the well of our emotions and ideas, as far as we can journey back through the channel through which they emerged into our consciousness, we have no entry into their womb to see how and why these articulations of the soul were formed.

I am a musician. This is what I do: Rather than reach within, I reach outside of myself, hugging a delicate hunk of rosewood and mahogany so that I may squeeze that boundless rapture through the confines of three and a half octaves spread over six measured strings, much as a mighty river might be forced through the narrow sluices of a concrete dam, submitting to the tyranny of harmony and meter that I can only manipulate but never change, seeking every way possible for those fingers I have disciplined over many decades to break beyond the tortuous bounds of my instrument, much as a stream desperately

seeks its many paths scurrying around the rocks and trees, literally straitjacketing a raging human soul into a small wooden box—and a being previously unknown emerges. I hear my own music, and it speaks to me of that which I had never been aware of. It tells me who I am. And I say, “Where on earth did that come from?”

The same occurs to the storywriter, compressing his fantasies into ordered sentences marching by the dictates of intelligible syntax; to the poet enslaving himself to the rigid structure of a sonnet; to the artist choosing a palette by which he must transform kinetic life into static colors and shapes upon a two dimensional canvas; or with any other medium of expression. “From where do these words come?” the author so often asks himself, astonished again and again, as though some higher being had channeled itself through their art.

Who is that higher being? It is that silent origin of all thoughts and emotion, of all pleasure and pain, that which sits at the very core. In boundless emotion, it could not be known. In ordered symmetry, it would be completely lost. But in a struggle for two such opposites to harmonize as one, in that burst of creativity that ruptures the barrier between the bounded and the boundless, there that quintessence mysteriously emerges, an epiphenomenon of paradox.

This is the essence of art and beauty: Unbounded chaos is messy, even ugly. Bounded, perfect symmetry is dull. In beauty, the two combine in ways that mesmerize the human imagination, pointing higher and yet higher to that which transcends chaos and symmetry, the finite and the infinite, being and not being. To create art is to point beyond the bounds of reason at that which can neither be envisioned nor known.

Now apply that to the Maker of All Things, who plays His music upon this universe He has crafted. He Himself is beyond being, so that the highest consciousness is nothing more than an emanation of His light, without substance, incapable of penetrating the mystery of its Origin.

So this Master Musician embraces a vacuous, finite space time consciousness, establishing within it a set order, bounds,

parameters and rules. Creatures of many discrete sizes and shapes, which are assigned behaviors that cannot be crossed. This will be His instrument, His palette, the stage for His art. But it is not yet His music.

His music, His great art, occurs at that point of rupture when Creator and creation meet in utter war and love and struggle and resolution and dissonance, and all the impossibilities of an Infinite G‑d within a finite world.

That is a miracle: When He appears in your world in a mode by which He is speaking to you neither from the heavens above nor from your own soul within, in an experience which can be called neither spiritual nor truly physical, in which He is neither a presence nor an absence. Rather, at the intersection of all these opposites and more, the impossible unfolds. And G‑d is found in the impossible.

When is this symphony, this masterpiece of art, in its most exquisite form?

If an open miracle should occur, the instruments are barely extant—they are ignored as fictions, their limitations temporarily discarded. It is in the hidden

miracle, clothed within the guise of nature, that you and your Creator come into true interaction, He as the musician, you and your world as the instrument; He as the artist, the nature of your world as His palette; He as a poet, your daily life as the meter and rhyme.

Systems do not answer prayers. Systems do not care to reward good deeds or accept your remorse over the past. This is not “the universe” responding, but the unbounded Master of All Things. You have escaped the universe.

You have escaped the universe, the system, all bounds and limitations, but you are still within them all. For it is no longer a system. It is a divine song. 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.

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