Coming together as a mahaneh is our way of saving our lives. Coming together as an edah is our way of saving our way of life. Even when we are seemingly at peace, we must see the angels of Mahanaim and be prepared to defend our lives from enemies. Even when we are in the midst of battle, we must never lose sight of the angels connecting heaven and earth.
Wickedness doesn’t only come from wicked people. It also comes from weak people, frightened people, people more concerned with their own immediate gains than with the long-term needs of society. The Torah’s account of the wickedness of Sodom stands as an eternal warning about what can happen to a society if good people are intimidated into passivity and silence. The story about Sodom is not only about Sodom.
The first chapter of Bereishith presents a lofty, beautiful and poetic account of creation. It does not present a scientific account of creation. It does not describe how God created things, only that He did indeed create the world.
As we approach Simhat Torah, we have some heaviness of heart this year. We read of high levels of covid 19 infections among Hareidi communities in Israel, New York, Lakewood and elsewhere. Even though many Hareidim follow the rules, many apparently do not. Disregard for covid 19 rules not only spreads illness, but gives Torah Judaism a very bad name. Torah Judaism should be characterized by ideal behavior and clear thinking.
The story of the Akedah, the binding of Isaac, is one of the most powerful and enigmatic passages in the Torah. Why did God need to test Abraham’s faith in such a dramatic fashion? Why did Abraham heed God’s instruction to sacrifice Isaac without offering any resistance? Why did the angel of the Lord wait until the very last moment—when Abraham had a knife at Isaac’s throat—to intervene?
I have often told mourners: You never get over the death of a loved one; but you learn to get through it. We find consolation not by forgetting them, but by bringing them along with us every day of our lives. We find consolation through the power of love, the blessing of loving and being loved.
Forecasters and marketers have come up with a word to describe a current trend: cocooning. This term refers to a growing phenomenon in which people increasingly strive for a sense of personal space by cutting themselves off from the “outside world.” They avoid social interactions by enclosing themselves in their own private world to the extent possible.
Healthy societies and communities depend on their members’ loyalty and sense of responsibility. They thrive when people work for the general good and not just for their own self-interest. People realize that if they are to enjoy the benefits of a society/community, they should rightfully share in the responsibilities of its maintenance.
Judaism that is based primarily on the “conservative” tendency becomes dry and over-ritualized. Judaism that is based primarily on the “restorative” element becomes quixotic and irrelevant. Judaism that is based primarily on the “utopian” element becomes deracinated, flailing out in various directions while disconnecting itself from the wellsprings of Jewish tradition.
The story of Cain and Abel is deeply troubling. For some unstated reason, God accepts the offering of Abel and rejects the offering of Cain. In his bitterness and jealousy, Cain murders Abel, the first homicide.