DEAR TORAH TIDBITS FAMILY

from OU Israel Center Torah Tidbits - Parshat Bamidbar 5783

Real Life Rescues

RABBI AVI BERMAN Executive Director, OU Israel

When you ask the average visitor what sites they’ve seen in Israel, they’ll likely reference a list that includes the Kotel, Masada, Ir David, Kever Rachel and perhaps even Mearat HaMachpela. Local Israelis will likely echo these sites and add their hometowns, areas they were stationed during their national service, and national hiking trails. Although these sites tell a story of our national history, I find there is something lacking in the breadth of experiences people have in Israel.

Simply walking through the streets of Eretz Yisrael can provide us with unique experiences. Whether it be experiencing the culture of the area, noticing the religious practices of the community, or the spices which hint to the origins of the residents. While many of us might feel acquainted with neighborhoods Yerushalayim, Bnei Brak, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Be’er Sheva, Netanya and Rishon LeZion, there is so much more we can uncoverespecially from areas that serve as home to low-income families.

I have been zoche to spend time in neighborhoods like Dimona’s Yosef Tal, Sderot’s Nir Am, Ofakim’s Mishor Hagefen, and Kiryat Gat’s Shechunat HaTmarim. Many of these areas are home to families who originate from countries in the Middle East and made aliyah over 60 years ago. These neighborhoods, which are off the beaten track, are often associated with low socioeconomic populations that typically suffer from a cycle of poverty.

It is in these very areas that I encounter people who embody what hakarat hatov means. Despite hardships, families in these areas raise their children with tremendous gratitude for what they have - from the clothing they are given, to the education they are provided, to the privilege to call this Holy Land home.

I look for opportunities to bring visitors to these cities for two reasons - first they see a side of Israel that is most likely unfamiliar to them. They also are given the opportunity to see OU Israel’s Jack E. Gindi Oraita Youth Centers in action.

The Jack E. Gindi Oraita Program inspires youth in Israel’s periphery to become the next generation of young leaders. With programs geared toward Israeli pre-teens and teens from 6th grade through high school and beyond. The club supports youth who are exposed to street culture. It provides them with a safe place and a stepping stone towards independent living. Oraita clubs are run by counselors who are mentors and role models. For many participants, Oraita is the only place they can turn to for emotional support and guidance through the transition into adulthood. They help youth construct a positive self-identity, create and improve various life-skills, enabling their participation in Israeli society and ensuring their upward socio-economic mobility.

Teens who have experienced this program are given the tools to break the cycles of poverty in their communities, hone skill sets that can help them gain financial stability, regain their footing in school and embark on healthier journeys that position them to contribute to the needs of their families and broader citizens of the State of Israel.

The past few weeks have been fraught with worry for the welfare of Am Yisrael living in Eretz Yisrael. By the time you read this week’s Torah Tidbits I hope our beautiful Homeland is at peace. It was during the last few weeks that I was reminded how impactful encounters with these communities can be. As missiles fell around the country, I was bombarded with messages from people who joined me on visits to these neighborhoods, asking about the welfare of the families they met.

“Avi, how is Moshe and his family doing?”

“Avi, I’m calling to find out how Ma’ayan is doing with the rockets… Please tell me she’s okay and send her our love.”

“Avi, my Tzeva Adom app keeps alerting me to rockets in Sderot. Is the Cohen family doing alright? Anything we can do to help?”

One person texted me saying that with the rockets hitting the South of Israel, they changed their phone’s background to a photo they took in Dimona during one of our visits, as a reminder of who it is he must daven for. He told me he would only change his background once the war ceases.

Times of tragedy and fear unify Am Yisrael regardless of political, religious or socioeconomic differences. I have no doubt that the tefillot of Klal Yisrael from around the world have protected us from the thousands of missiles that have been aimed at our brethren. We must not forget to show hakarat hatov to HaKadosh Baruch Hu for our safety, the Kipat Barzel (Iron Dome) for its protection and to our brave soldiers for remaining vigilant in safeguarding our home.

On the theme of HaKarat HaTov, I know I will have a lot to say in next week’s Torah Tidbits following our Yom Yerushalayim Tefila Chagigit taking place on the Tayelet on erev Shabbat. In advance, I thank all those who plan to join the event, lending your voices to making our tefila complete. May we continue to unite with one another and feel the presence of HaShem.

If you would like to join OU Israel on one of our trips to see communities around the country and find ways to support the needs of those in need, please be in touch. You can also find a schedule of OU Israel’s upcoming tiyulim on our website www.ouisrael.org.

Wishing you all an uplifting and inspiring Shabbat, Rabbi Avi Berman Executive Director, OU Israel aberman@ouisrael.org but you could possibly do them. For when it comes to communications from G-d, you are unique, irreplaceable, sui generis, one of a kind.

This exchange presents a fundamental principle of the Torah: that G-d speaks to Moshe in a way that He does not, nor will He in the future ever do again with anyone else. When Moshe says that people come to him seeking G-d, what he means is: I have access to G-d. He speaks to me. (Speaking to G-d isn’t the trick; the trick is when He answers back.) Similarly, when Moshe says that he teaches G-d’s law, what he means is that G-d communicates those laws to him and to no one else.

This could very well be the prime purpose of this Yitro story. For, in the very next story, the giving of the Torah, the very same theme of Moshe’s uniqueness as the one to whom G-d speaks is central.

3 aliya (18:24-27) Moshe heard. He chose judges, with only the most difficult cases brought to him. Moshe sent Yitro home.

It takes an honest leader to accept suggestions to improve. Moshe displays his honesty and humility – if the suggestion is good, embrace it. Just as Yitro accepted the news of the Exodus and affirmed One G-d, kerenmalki.org