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SHELACH LECHA 5784
The Kids are alright?
Rabbi Andrew Shaw
Chief Executive,
Mizrachi UK
In memory of my father Reuvain Mattityahu ben Elyakim Getzel, whose 4th Yahrzeit is this upcoming Wednesday.
My google timeline has been working overtime recently.
New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Jerusalem, Lod, Netanya, Berlin– all in the last few weeks. Mostly for the Simchat Torah Project.
This week I will add Antwerp and Amsterdam to that list, but for a different reason
On Sunday I am off to join the rst Yehudi Europe trip, where 40 year 7 children with their madrichim will be exploring the Jewish and cultural sights of both cities, as well as a theme park!
This Shabbat I am in Borehamwood and I will be speaking eight different times. The talk I am giving at Seudah is ‘The ve mistakes of UK Jewry and how we x them’ I may see some of you at the talk, but ‘spoilers’ - the way ‘ we x them’ is what is taking place from Sunday to Tuesday in Amsterdam and Antwerp – i.e Yehudi!
Let me explain why and reference the parsha and my wonderful Dad!
Recently I read a fascinating piece by Rabbi Norman Lamm zt’l - his drasha on Shelach Lecha from June 1971
“But it would be a mistake to speak of the younger generation as if it was cut out of whole cloth, as if that term described all young people. That would be no more accurate than assuming that all mature people share the same point of view. With regard to Jewish life, there is a large group of the indifferent in the middle, ranging from those to whom Judaism means absolutely nothing to those for whom it has a marginal meaning, and includes the extreme left of those young Jews who are actively anti-Israel and perhaps anti-Semitic But it includes, as a counter measure, a far more signi cant and probably more numerous group of those who have brought their particular and peculiar youthful zeal to bear on a refreshingly new commitment to Judaism.”
Over fty years later we face almost exactly the same situation!
The question then and now is the same How can there be such a difference both here and in the USA within our youth? Jewish children of the mainstream community are raised in the same society, with the same in uences and challenges - so what makes the difference?
For that, you will not be surprised that we need look to the Parsha.
The obvious question in Shelach Lecha, is how could ten leaders and princes of the Jewish people bring back such a negative report of the land? Is it not strange that they had so lost courage that they seemingly no longer trusted Hashems promise that they would be able to conquer the land of Canaan?
That question is my drasha on Shabbat in Borehamwood! So that answer will have to wait till Shabbat!
However, there is another major question. How did Yehoshua and Calev not follow the vast majority? What allowed them to stand out alone from the crowd?
Rashi, based on the Gemara in Sotah 34b, explains that Yehoshua had received a bracha from Moshe, while Calev broke from the group to pray in Hevron at the graves of the Avot and Imahot
In essence Yehoshua and Calev acquired spiritual strength – connecting themselves to giants of the present and the past That allowed them to be stronger than their fellow spies and to come back with a positive report of the Land of Israel.
It is the same here and in America, whether now or fty years ago, and my parents knew this well. Children brought up in strong Jewish homes, with a connection to an Orthodox shul, that have Shabbat and Chagim as a vital part of their childhood They will inevitably grow up much prouder and resolute in their Judaism and Zionism with an ability to resist the negative culture around them.
These are the madrichim we have for Yehudi.
I visit the schools, shuls and chedarim where they work with the year 6 and year 7 children and I am so heartened by their passion, their commitment and their ability to relate to the children. I look forward to spending a few days in Europe with nine of them.
Yehudi, as well as the general work Mizrachi does, has allowed me to interact with youth from Bnei Akiva, Sinai and Ezra. The vast majority of them will spend a year or two in Israel in Sem, Yeshiva or Hachshara and will return to lead our community.
These are our Yehoshuas and Calevs. They, like their illustrious ancestors make up maybe 10% of the youth community but like in the past, are able to stand out from the crowd and lead us into the future.
If we are looking for inspiration in these dif cult times –it is from these young people whom we need to harness to lead the youngsters in our community. To give Jewish children role models who can teach and inspire them with Judaism and Zionism in these confusing times and give them a foundation to grow from.
That is the whole idea of Yehudi.
My parents, back in the 70’s and 80’s, made sure that my brother and I had that foundation, by giving us a strong Jewish home, connecting us to Kingsbury Shul and to Bnei Akiva These were the three pillars of my Jewish identity which I acquired at a young age and still thankfully possess and am hopefully passing on to my children.
My Dad was a regular at the shul and instilled in both my brother and I the importance of community and taking responsibility for that community. His years of service as a warden at the shul taught us both volumes.
Wherever I travel in the world, it has always been the same Connection to Torah, to shul, to Israel, to Hashem – that is the only way we can build the future of our community.
We must all strive to be Yehoshua and Calev, standing up for what is right and ghting against the forces that drive us away from the moral truth that we should be following.
As the world continues to be confused and divided, we must unite around our eternal values and make sure that we and our families understand the direction to go.
Shabbat Shalom
Watch: DvarTorah from Rabbi Benjy Rickman >
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