Bamidbar - Identity

The Israelites shall camp each with his standard, under the banners of their ancestral house; they shall camp around the Tent of Meeting at a distance. (Bamidbar 2:2) 

In today’s society prevalence of succumbing to indulgence has become an epidemic. Objective speculation from an observational standpoint would conclude that this practice is due to a fallacious belief that one can eschew any pernicious affect upon their stellar character even if they periodically dabble in a some minuscule deviance. 

Imagination may conjure some rosy portrait of one’s impeccable moral standard declaring, I’m good person. But Elijah the prophet’s cry reverberates throughout the generations, “How long will you keep hopping between two opinions? (Kings 1 18:21)

The colloquialism mimicking this query is true. One cannot straddle the fence. A side has to be chosen. This is the lesson of the novel, A Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. In my review of the book I commented the following. 

“This is a fantasy about a researcher that has developed a drug that can catalyze a transformation in people such that their evil part becomes the dominant character to the point where even the physical features are reflective of that persona. 

He then switches to that character to facilitate his own unbridled indulgence in every desire. 

What he fails to realize is that one can’t compartmentalize evil and, at will, retract to his sensible self. 

Eventually, the drug fails to be efficacious and he rebounds to his evil self without conscious purpose or the drug. His evil self emerges to the fore and submerges his sensible side. 

He doubles the dose of the drug and forcibly conquers his evil self. 

But, eventually his resolve falters. Then he is forced to take extreme measures which spiral his doom…

If one permits dominance of one’s inclinations it will not be a momentary indulgence. But, rather his entire being will become subsumed in it’s parasitic consumption.”

That is to say that if one straddles the fence, the evil side will eventually ravage all opposition. As the indulgence compounds less space is left for the sensible side until there’s no room at all. This is the meaning of the Talmud’s statement, “Rav Asi said: Initially, when it begins to entice someone, the evil inclination is like a strand of a spider’s and ultimately it is like the thick ropes of a wagon.” (Succah 52A)

We humans possess the capacity to identify this issue, diagnose its exact catalyst and employ our faculties to overcome these formidable invasions of our psyche. 

That’s why identity is paramount. When one is able to isolate the framework of their identity they become cognizant that urges, desires, impulses, and lusts are tertiary to who they are. 

This is why the Torah, in this week’s portion, according to the Haamek Davar, stresses that identify is essential. The Haamek Davar states that each Tribe, in their encampment, had a flag that was specific to their identity. The Tribe of Reuven had mandrakes, the tribe of Yehuda had a lion, etc. (Bamidbar 2:2) 

Presumably the standard’s purpose was to emblazon one’s identity upon the mind. That there was an Avraham, Yitchak, Yaakov, and the Tribes. That there was a historical development of mind, spirituality, and monotheistic belief that eventually set the groundwork for the development of a people that would be ready, deserving, and qualified to receive the Torah on Mount Sinai from God Himself. 

It gave license for one to say as a famous singer once sang, “It’s all a part of me. That’s who I am”. 

Vayetzei- The seat of power is with the people

PARSHAH VAYETZEI | GENESIS 28:10-32:3

Continents have been ravaged by tyrants. Countries have been decimated by despots. People have been led like sheep to slaughter. They have been tortured, maimed, executed and controlled in a cruel, phlegmatic manner — all so that someone could garner power.

One can be born in a country that’s free with equal rights or in a dictatorship where all do as they are told. It seems that for the 7.5 billion people on this planet it’s a

matter of chance, a roll of the dice. And there’s nothing that they can do about it. One can be born in North Korea or in the United States. The choice isn’t theirs.

But the Torah teaches us differently.

Pharaoh was the absolute ruler of ancient Egypt. He made himself into a god-like figure (Rashi, Shemos 7:15). The Egyptian empire was the most powerful at the time.

He was a true king in every sense of the word. Whatever he said was law — period. Dissent was impracticable.

Egypt owed a prodigious debt of gratitude to Yosef. As the viceroy he single-handedly saved the kingdom. As we know, at that time the planet was stricken by an excru-

ciating famine. Mass starvation and economic calamity was the unavoidable fate.

Yosef devised a plan putting together an operation that was executed smoothly with precise logistics and organization. As a result of his efforts not only did the Egyptians

survive but they also thrived in the face of this famine. They became the provider of all necessities in that difficult time.

So, many years later, when the Egyptian people approached him requesting that he subjugate the Jews, because of his gratitude, he emphatically refused. In his blood and

bones Pharaoh internalized that Egypt as they knew it would be — a collapsed heap of rubble without Yosef. Therefore, he wasn’t willing to be an ingrate and subjugate his people. And when Pharaoh, the king of the entire civilized world, refuses, that is the end of the conversation.

Not so, in this case, because the people weren’t interested in that gratitude and etiquette. Au contraire, the Jews had to be corralled, the danger that they presented, eradicated. He refused so they deposed him from his reign for three months until he reneged. Only when he agreed was he reinstalled. “A new King arose that didn’t know Yosef” (Shemos Rabbah 1:8).

In other words, it was it was the same king, the same Pharaoh. But, Pharaoh acted as if he didn’t know Yosef. As if he felt no gratitude for what he did.

No matter who is in charge. No matter what type of government it is — a dictatorship, autocracy, democracy, or a republic — the governing class can’t do anything without the people’s consent. John Lennon once remarked: “People have power. They don’t even know it.” This is why in this week’s portion Yaakov consults his family before leaving Lavan. He presents an entire campaign outlining his reasoning (Bereishis 31:4-13). One would think that their departure was a fait accompli. Lavan was manipulative, ghoulish, intrusive and duplicitous. Separation from this abusive relationship was a no-brainer. Nevertheless, Yaakov understood that without the acquiescence of his family it wasn’t going to happen.

One should always make sure that the people are on their side because that is where the true power lies.

What does it mean to be alive? Version 2

“See that I have placed in front of you today life and good ... ” (Deuteronomy 30:15)

What constitutes being alive? This matter is crystallized from an incidental Halachic perspective describing the dismantling of the appropriate metaphysical and universal confluence of elements in terms of end of life. As the Code of Law (YD 339) articulates, it is the moment the soul exits the body. A priori, the soul’s presence in the body is life.

Of course, technical mechanics for the aforementioned reality is not the exclusive prerequisite for being alive.

The Midrash (Tanchuma, V’zos Habracha) unveils the secret to being alive. “An evil person during their lifetime is like he is dead because he sees the sun shine and doesn’t bless … eats and drinks and doesn’t bless. However, the righteous recite a blessing on everything that they eat, drink, see and hear.” (Also see Brachos 18a) Hence, the difference between being alive and dead is the recitation of blessings.

Rabbi Meir Reiss (Ohr Lenisivasi, introduction) enlightens the deeper meaning of this Midrash. Life is awareness. When one’s senses are awake to the radiance of the shining sun, the blossoming of beautiful flowers, the scent of stirring aroma of a myriad of spices, the taste of succulent foods, the enrapturing panoramic views of the planet’s wonders, and fantastic intricacies of the inner contrivances of organisms, he is alive. Drifting through life without attentiveness to one’s surroundings is to be as lifeless as a rock. Constant recitation of blessings connected to the vicissitudes of life is emblematic of one’s lifeforce’s vibrancy.

For example, veterans of war remember every detail of their exploits while they might not recall their experiences a few years past. The reason for this is elementary. In midst of the battlefield every move can be the difference between life and death. They were forced to be aware of every decision. They were alive. Now in mundane existence each decision is not as weighty. Therefore, they don’t feel as alive.

This is true in an intellectual sense as well. Awareness of all legitimate ideas engender vibrancy. Ensconcing oneself in an echo chamber of like-minded perspectives eradicates proportionality deadening awareness. This is because opposing view points help to concretize our opinions. If we don’t clarify our positions they can become extreme. This is why R’ Yochanan didn’t want to live without Reish Lakish as a colleague. He said, “whenever I said something he would ask me twenty-four questions ...” ( Bava Metzia 84a).

Therefore, it’s important to embrace debate. Instead of blocking folks on social media or refusing to debate them, it would be constructive to consider their opinions and deal with the issues honestly.

Truthfully, the Torah is the ultimate source of awareness, of life as it states in Proverbs (3:18), “It is a tree of life.” It is taught in the Ethics of Our Fathers (6:7) and we declare it in the morning and Torah reading blessings. (Siddur)

It’s study facilitates awareness with presentation of all possible perspectives in a Socratic dialogue.

Understanding this helps us to cope with the dramatic declaration of Rabbi Dostai bar Yannai in the name of Rabbi Meir in the Ethics of Our Fathers (3:10). “Whoever forgets anything of his Torah learning, Scripture considers it as if he is liable for the death penalty.”

Rabbi Meir’s declaration is not a matter of penalty rather of consequence. Certainly, one who forgets his Torah study is not going to be executed by a tribunal but he has severed his connection with the Living God (Tiferes Yisrael, ad loc) which is life itself. 

http://m.jewishaz.com/religiouslife/what-does-it-mean-to-be-alive/article_499af544-b119-11e8-bb02-8bbf4ba1836d.html?mode=jqm

Ki Sovo-Suffering Contributes To Our Spiritual Growth

Chief Justice John Roberts, in a commencement speech at Cardigan Mountain School on June 3, said:

“From time to time in the years to come, I hope you will be treated unfairly so that you will come to know the value of justice. I hope that you will suffer betrayal because that will teach you the importance of loyalty. Sorry to say, but I hope you will be lonely from time to time so that you don’t take friends for granted … ”

Overcome with challenge, we ask, “Why are there righteous people and life’s bad for them? Why are there evil people and life’s good for them?” (Berachot 7a). Faced with a quagmire irresolvable in our minds, we write books like “When Bad Things Happen to Good People” (Harold S. Kushner) that postulate unsubstantiated hypotheses.

Then we hear a simple speech from a complex individual, the 17th chief justice of the United States Supreme Court, positing that bad things bear the fruit of life lessons. From that perspective, they are kind of good. It’s an irrefutable truth. The only comment news outlets can muster regarding his speech is “it’s unconventional” to propagate such a view at a commencement gathering.

Yes, we don’t have the right to put our fellow humans through travail for the sake of their success. It’s unethical (Bava Batra 16a).

But God is, so to speak, obliged to do so. He knows everyone’s limits, strengths and weaknesses. To use an idiom, He knows how much weight to put on the bar. If He didn’t, how would we learn?

Therefore, if the challenge is in front of us, we can overcome it because God put it there. If it could be better, it would be better. Our situation is the best it could be. But it’s for us to figure out the approach, the solution.

It could be like in “Tuesdays With Morrie” (Mitch Albom) when professor Morrie Schwartz used his dying moments to fashion the most impactful period of his life. Or it could be like in “Man’s Search for Meaning” (Viktor E. Frankl), when the author conjured an innovative way to repel the Nazis controlling him.

Today, society faces deep fissures in politics. Children’s self-image and relationship capacities are being decimated by the social media epidemic. Schools, public spaces, entertainment venues and arenas are devolving into mistreating females. They are failing to recognize what Ashley Montagu called “The Natural Superiority of Women.”

Instead, focus has shifted to emphasizing external superficiality. Internal life force, spiritual spark, emotional capacity, character and intelligent consciousness have been buried in the abyss of colorful displays and under flamboyant facades.

Faced with this onslaught of issues, there is an inclination to be overcome; to be a victim; to blame others, including God, for our misfortunes. People declare, “I’m embarrassed to be an Orthodox Jew,” “it’s the president’s fault,” “this group is the source of our troubles” or “if only this person wouldn’t be in my way.”

The excuses, justifications and explanations serve to deflect responsibility. Did Candace Lightner self-destruct or lash out when her 13-year-old daughter Cari was killed by a drunk driver? No. Instead, she started Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), an organization that offers education to stop drunk driving. MADD has an office in every state in the United States.

These musings may provide insight into this week’s portion. It’s true that we can’t grasp why the Jewish people have suffered throughout history and that it would be predicted in advance in this week’s portion. But one thing we do understand is that God’s actions have a constructive purpose: to contribute to our growth.

“This ain’t about giving up or giving in. We weren’t born to follow. Come on and get up off your knees. When life is a bitter pill to swallow, you gotta stand up for what you believe. Believe that the sun will shine tomorrow ... ” (Bon Jovi).