Rabbanit Shani Taragin

“Shlichut” and “Shmi’ah” in the Torah Readings of Rosh Hashanah

Rabbanit Shani Taragin

n the first day of Rosh

OHashanah, we read the story of Bereishit 21, which describes how Hashem blessed Sarah with a child. According to the rabbis, Sarah conceived on Rosh Hashanah (Rosh Hashanah 10b–11a), making this story particularly appropriate for the Day of Judgment. Surprisingly, however, the Torah reading does not end with the birth of Yitzchak. We not only read the beginning of the chapter, of the miraculous birth of Yitzchak to Avraham and Sarah, but continue the narrative with the expulsion of Hagar and Yishmael from Avraham’s home. Why include the story of Hagar and Yishmael which appears to have no connection to Rosh Hashanah? It may be that the second half of the story is meant to serve as a prelude for the Torah reading of akeidat Yitzchak on the second day, which begins with the next chapter – “And it was, after these things…” – suggesting the story of akeidat Yitzchak is connected to the preceding story of the banishment of Yishmael. Reading these stories on consecutive days highlights how painful it was for Avraham to fulfill Hashem’s command and offer Yitzchak as a sacrifice immediately after Hashem commanded him to banish (i.e. a form of ‘sacrificing’) Yishmael – for “through Yitzchak your offspring shall be continued”! A close examination of the text underscores the connection between the stories: In each case, Avraham is required to part from a son, and in both instances, he fulfills G-d’s command early in the morning. In each story, the son, referred to as na’ar (lad), faces mortal danger and is ultimately saved. Furthermore, these are the only two stories in which we find an angel calling “from the heavens” and which reveal a new phenomenon (a well of water and a ram caught in the thicket). Finally, both stories conclude with Divine promises that the na’ar will become “a great nation” or have a “multitude of descendants”. The parallels also highlight the sharp contrast between Avraham and Hagar – a difference expressed through the words עמש (heeding) and חלש (sending). Hashem commands Avraham: “Do not be distressed over the boy (Yishmael) or your slave (Hagar); whatever Sarah tells you, heed what she says…” Avraham then “sends” them away. Hagar, though receiving the angel’s explicit promise that “I will multiply your seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude”, and that Yishmael would “dwell in the presence of all his brethren” (16:10–12), nevertheless falls into complete despair when Yishmael dehydrates and “casts” – as opposed to “sends” – “the child” under a bush. Even when lifting up the knife to slay Yitzchak, Avraham still sees him as his “son” and maintains his faith and readiness to fulfill Hashem’s command. “And Avraham sent forth his hand.” The angel therefore cried out: “All the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your descendants, because you have heeded My command.” Hagar could not “see” the well of water and salvation before her eyes, let alone “heed” the promises hinted to in her son’s name, and so she cast her son to die in despair. By contrast, Avraham “sees” his sacrifice, and knows when to “send away” one son and “send forth his hand” to kill the other son as he “heeds” Divine commands.

Shlichut is an expression of shmi’ah – of listening, internalizing and heeding commandments of Hashem that often demand sacrifice. Sometimes we are meant to “send forth” others as an expression of Divine mission, while other times we must “send forth” our own hands (cf. Rashi, Shemot 2:5). The two juxtaposed Torah readings of Rosh Hashanah remind us that shlichut requires of us to see beyond the challenges of the moment, and to maintain our faith in the promises of Hashem: “All the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your descendants, because you have heeded My command.”

Rabbanit Shani Taragin is Educational Director of Mizrachi and the Director of the Mizrachi-TVA Lapidot Educators’ Program.

A member of the Mizrachi Speakers Bureau mizrachi.org/ speakers

JEWS VIEWS with

We asked leaders of shlichut organizations: What were some of your most meaningful shlichut moments?

Zeev Schwartz

Thinking about Torah MiTzion over the years, a key word comes to mind: dedication. When tanks patrolled the streets of Moscow in 1999, we had a crucial decision to make. Should we send shlichim to establish the first Zionist kollel in Moscow, a city in turmoil? How could we balance the risk to our shlichim with the incredible potential for change in post-Soviet Russia?

Our dedication to our vision guided us as we decided to move forward, coped with financial instability and navigated the challenges of an old Russia transitioning into a different reality. Since then, the dedication of our shlichim to the Jews of Russia has enabled our kollel to flourish, despite instability and ongoing challenges. This vibrant learning center has directly impacted thousands of lives, teaching Torah and strengthening Jewish identity through its many Shabbatonim and other events.

On my desk in Jerusalem, I keep a collage of pictures of the young couples that met, married and have built a life of yiddishkeit in Moscow under the guidance of Rabbi David Ushuvayev, our legendary Rosh Kollel of 24 years. Some have even made Aliyah, and are happily raising Jewish families here in Israel. All of this is only possible due to the extraordinary dedication of our shlichim.

As we cope with ongoing uncertainty, whether it be the COVID pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine or other challenges all over the globe, it is the dedication of our shlichim – to the people, values and mission of Religious Zionism – that gives us the strength to move forward.

Efrat Metzler

Ifeel blessed to have been on shlichut three times! The first time was in Stockholm, as a young bat sherut leumi traveling with some trepidation to a new community about which I knew so little. My second shlichut was again to Stockholm, but this time as a married couple, serving the community there for three years. We arrived there in 1999 before Chabad had even set up there, and served as a central hub of the community. Then, as a family with four kids, we packed our bags again and headed to Melbourne,

Australia to lead the largest Bnei Akiva snif in the world, with a team of 68 madrichim.

The moment that brought all these experiences took place last year in Israel, on Yom

HaAtzmaut morning, when we hosted an event for over 300 Bnei Akiva bogrim who had made

Aliyah. As I took the microphone to speak, I was overcome by tears of emotion. Years of shlichut, of building relationships with young Jews, of speaking about Torah, avodah and Aliyah, were transformed into a living reality in front of my eyes!

“Who are these… who fly like doves to their dovecote?” (Yishayahu 60:8). Rav Kook explains that Aliyah is like a dove returning to its home.

Seeing hundreds of Jews return to Israel, to their homeland – this is what redemption looks like!

Zeev Schwartz is the CEO and Founding Chairman of Torah MiTzion. Efrat Metzler became the first female Deputy Director of World Bnei Akiva in 2021. She previously served as Director of World Bnei Akiva’s Bogrim Department and as Head of its European Desk.

Rabbi Eliahu Birnbaum

Why did I serve as a shaliach? I want to share a personal story from 40 years ago, which determined the course of my life.

In the First Lebanon War I fought in the famous Battle of Sultan Yacoub, in which 20 soldiers fell, 30 were injured and 3 were taken captive and remain missing in action. For an entire night, we were under fire from Syrian tanks, commando battalions and Sager anti-tank missiles fired by Palestinian terrorists. Few tanks emerged whole from that inferno, the most difficult battle of the war and a painful chapter in the military history of the IDF.

Immediately after the battle, I had a strange feeling, despite the deep pain, that G-d had touched me. I felt in my heart a powerful drive to go out and engage with the Jewish people, to help preserve its existence and its spiritual future. My conclusion was simple and logical. If G-d kept me alive I must be His shaliach to protect the lives of other Jews. “Everywhere I go, I go to Eretz Yisrael,” said Rabbi Nachman of Breslov. I chose a way of life of: “Everywhere I go, I go to Am Yisrael.” It has been a magical and challenging journey of many years.

During my visits to Jewish communities around the world, I tried to understand their situation and needs with empathy and respect. I went, not as a researcher coming to study an anthropological phenomenon nor as a tourist taking pictures, but out of a sense of partnership and love. We are family, one united people, no matter where we live.

Rotem Aharoni Yehoshua

When I was in the army, I joined a program that sent soldiers on shlichut to summer camps in the USA. I was sent to Camp Moshava IO in Pennsylvania. On the first Shabbat, we led the campers in singing Hatikvah, but most of the kids were talking and not treating the song respectfully. I asked the Rosh Edah if I could say something, and then I shared with the campers experience as an Israeli and as a soldier, and what Hatikvah means to me. Afterwards, a number of campers came over to tell me that my words were very meaningful and had made a great impact on them.

That was the moment that I realized that simply sharing my experience as an Israeli could have a significant impact on Jews around the world. And this is exactly what I tell our shlichim. The power of shlichut is in forming meaningful relationships and then sharing your Israeli identity and experience. This is the simple formula for making a tremendous impact on Jewish lives all over the world! I have been privileged to serve as a shlicha in North America, Sweden and South Africa, and I’ve learned that no matter where in the world you are, the formula for a successful shlichut is the same!

Rabbi Yechiel Wasserman

From 1989–1992, I served as the shaliach for the World Zionist Organization’s Department of Education in Los Angeles, where I was responsible for seven western states, prepared educational programming, and oversaw and trained fifty teachers from Israel.

Most importantly, it was my job to help Jewish students develop a love for Israel and learn to appreciate its centrality in Jewish life.

Every year, we brought groups of students on a meaningful ten-day tour in Israel. We always ended the trip with a powerful and joyous ceremony at the Kotel, just before bringing the students to the airport for their flights back to

America. In 1992, we brought a group of students from the Hillel school in Los Angeles to Israel, and ended the trip, as always, with a ceremony at the Kotel. On the way to the airport, the bus was at the scene of a terror attack in Jerusalem in which several people were seriously injured.

Thank G-d, none of the students were hurt. In those days, there was no internet or cell phones, and the only way to communicate with their families in Los Angeles was by a landline phone.

It was morning in Los Angeles and a number of parents heard about the attack in the media, so

I quickly called the principal of the school, Rabbi

Menachem Gottesman z”l to tell him everyone was ok.

When we arrived back in Los Angeles, we gathered the parents and told them what had happened. At school the next day, we all recited the Birkat Hagomel together, with great emotion.

The story of the students’ frightening experience received a lot of attention in the community, but instead of deterring future trips, it had the opposite effect – the number of school trips to Israel increased!

Rabbi Eliahu Birnbaum is the founding director of Ohr Torah Stone’s Beren-Amiel and Straus-Amiel Emissary Training Programs. Rotem Aharoni Yehoshua serves as the Director of the Morim Shlichim unit of the World Zionist Organization. Rabbi Yechiel Wasserman is Co-President of World Mizrachi.