DVAR TORAH FOR PURIM

Dvar Torah for Purim (Rabbi Joshua Strulowitz)
It wouldn't be Purim without "Purim Torah", an offbeat look at our weekly Dvar Torah. This one is courtesy of Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetsky

Whoever misses the Divine hand that touched the Purim story is not looking. And if he claims that he heard the Megilah, he probably was not listening. Imagine, the Prime Minister draws lots and decides to annihilate the entire Jewish nation. Within 24 hours he has approval from the ruler of the not-so-free-world, King Achashveirosh.

Within days, the plot is foiled, the Prime Minister is hanged and his prime target is promoted to replace him! Pretty political. Pretty miraculous. And definitely divine. Yet Hashem's name is not mentioned once in the Megilah. Why? Of course, the Megilah is replete with allusions. There are acronyms that spell the name of Hashem, and our sages explain that every time the word "King" is mentioned in the Megilah, it has a divine reference. But, still, why does the last book of the Prophets, a Divinely inspired Megilah, have only veiled references to Heavenly intervention?

It was a sweltering August day when the Greenberg brothers entered the posh Dearborn, Michigan offices of the notoriously anti-Semitic car-maker, Henry Ford.

"Mr. Ford," announced Hyman Greenberg, the eldest of the three, "we have a remarkable invention that will revolutionize the automobile industry. " Ford looked skeptical, but their threats to offer it to the competition kept his interest piqued. "We would like to demonstrate it to you in person." After a little cajoling, they brought Mr. Ford outside and asked him to enter a black Edsel that was parked in front of the building.

Norman Greenberg, the middle brother, opened the door of the car. "Please step inside Mr. Ford."

"What!" shouted the tycoon, "are you crazy? It must be two hundred degrees in that car!"

"It is," smiled the youngest brother, Max, "but sit down, Mr. Ford, and push the white button."

Intrigued, Ford pushed the button. All of a sudden a whoosh of freezing air started blowing from vents all around the car, and within seconds the automobile was not only comfortable, it was quite cool! "This is amazing!" exclaimed Ford. "How much do you want for the patent?"

Norman spoke up. "The price is one million dollars." Then he paused, "And there is something else. We want the name 'Greenberg Brothers Air Conditioning' to be stamped right next to the Ford logo."

"Money is no problem," retorted Ford, "but no way will I have a 'Jew-name' next to my logo on my cars!"

They haggled back and forth for a while and finally they settled. One and one half million dollars, and the name Greenberg would be left off. However, the first names of the Greenberg brothers would be forever emblazoned upon the console of every Ford air conditioning system.

And that is why today, whenever you enter a Ford vehicle you will see those three names clearly defined on the air-conditioning control panel: HI -- NORM -- MAX.

The writers of the Megilah left us with a message that would accompany us throughout our long exile. You will not always see G-d's signature openly emblazoned upon every circumstance. However, throughout persecution and deliverance, He is always there. And just like on Purim His obvious interference is undocumented; but we know and feel it -- and we search for it, and we find it! So, too, in every instance we must seek His name, find it, and recognize it. It may not be emblazoned on the bumper; it may be hidden on the console -- but it is there. For Hashem is always speaking. All we have to do is listen. Joyous Purim!

THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION

Dvar Torah for Parshas Shekalim/Rosh Chodesh Adar II
Reprinted from Rabbi Benjamin Yudin, Fairlawn, New Jersey courtesy of Rabbi Joshua Strulowitz

The Mishna at the beginning of Shekalim teaches: on the first of Adar it was announced that the people should prepare their shekalim and check their fields for kilayim - forbidden mixtures; that the Megillah is read on the fifteenth of Adar, and that other services were provided for the community. We are then taught in the same mishna that in Adar the beis din attended to all the public needs. Why does the month of Adar warrant greater attention to servicing the public needs?

The Binyan Shlomo (responsa 55) enlightens us with a novel approach. The Gemorah Shabbos (33b) relates how R' Shimon Bar Yochai and his son miraculously hid from the Romans for twelve years. When he finally emerged, R' Shimon said, "since a miracle was performed on my behalf, I shall go and contribute something to benefit the community." This, we are taught, he learned from Yaakov. When Yaakov arrived (Beraishis 33:18) "shaleim - intact" in terms of his body, wealth, and his Torah, "vayichan es pnai ha'ir - and he encamped before the city". The rabbis understood that he either contributed chain - charm, or changed the face of the city. He either established their own currency, or marketplaces, or bathhouses. In gratitude for Hashem's protection and salvation he showed his appreciation by assisting the community.

Yaakov Avinu and R' Shimon show how it behooves an individual to "pay back" the community upon their personal deliverance. Certainly in the month of Adar when we commemorate our "deliverance from death to life" (Megillah 14a) we should annually direct this thanksgiving and gratitude to some form of communal service and enhancement.

The Gemorah Taanis (22a) teaches us that Eliyahu Hanavi proclaimed that two comedians who cheered up the depressed were destined to go to olam ha-bah. This is further explained by the Maharsha that just as the mishna Sanhedrin (46a) relates that Hashem feels the pain and suffering of the individual that is executed, as one of His children is suffering, how much more so is He pleased when His children are made happy. It is thus understandable that enhancing the welfare of the community brings greater pleasure to Hashem, as "G-d, His Torah, and the people of Israel are inseparable" (Zohar Acharei Mos 23).

Moreover, the entire miracle of Purim evolves around the t'zibur, the community of Israel. Haman charges (Esther 3:8) that the Jewish nation is "mefuzar u'mefurad - scattered and dispersed", lacking unity and concern for one another, and full of strife. To demonstrate the falsity of his charge, "nikhalu ha-Yehudim - the Jews organized themselves in their cities" (Esther 9:2). Again in verses 15 and 18 the theme of the kahal forming one unit is stressed. The very acceptance of Purim by the Jewish nation is expressed by "v'kibail ha-Yehudim - the Jews undertook" (Esther 9:23), written in the singular, explains the Gr"a, to portray their unity.

In addition, the Gemorah Shabbos (88a) teaches the significance of Purim as a time of reacceptance of the Torah. In contrast to the coercion present at Sinai, understood by our rabbis - "vayisyatzvu b'sachtis ha-har - they stood under the mountain" each witnessing gilui Shechinah, (making it almost impossible to refuse Hashem), here at Purim they experienced hester panim - concealment of His presence, reflected by the fact that Hashem's name is not found in the Megillah. As the first acceptance of Torah at Sinai was accomplished in the spirit of "vayichan - they encamped" (Shemos 19:2) at Sinai "as one man, with one mission", similarly at Purim the acceptance was "v'kibail" - as one.

In addition, the mitzvah of mishloach manos is explained by R' Shlomo Alkabetz zt"l (author of l'cha dodi) in his Manos Halevi, that this mitzvah demonstrates the love and brotherhood present in the Jewish nation. It therefore follows that we focus on the needs of the community in this month of national unity.

Perhaps one can further suggest that the response to a miracle is to benefit the community as taught in Shabbos, as an individual should ideally attribute the miracle not to his worthiness, but to the merit of the community. To demonstrate this true humility, he shows his appreciation to the community by his reciprocation on its behalf.

In light of this new dimension and obligation inherent in the month of Adar, might I suggest that each individual, in keeping with "b'chal m'odecha" - serving Hashem with your unique talents and resources, introspect on how you can best serve the needs of, and help fill the voids in, your community. Not only the obvious needs, such as bikur cholim and greater attention to the shut-ins, but also to those needs that might go unnoticed, such as calling the local Yeshiva and offering to tutor a child for free.

Finally, Rav Ephraim Wachsman shlit"a delivered the following inspiring message at the recent siyum hashas in the name of the Tomer D'vorah: all Israel is one collective soul. Your personal learning of Torah is not only a personal fulfillment if talmud Torah, but it elevates the entire community of Israel.

THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION

Dvar Torah for Parshas Shekalim/Rosh Chodesh Adar II
Reprinted from Rabbi Benjamin Yudin, Fairlawn, New Jersey courtesy of Rabbi Joshua Strulowitz

The Mishna at the beginning of Shekalim teaches: on the first of Adar it was announced that the people should prepare their shekalim and check their fields for kilayim - forbidden mixtures; that the Megillah is read on the fifteenth of Adar, and that other services were provided for the community. We are then taught in the same mishna that in Adar the beis din attended to all the public needs. Why does the month of Adar warrant greater attention to servicing the public needs?

The Binyan Shlomo (responsa 55) enlightens us with a novel approach. The Gemorah Shabbos (33b) relates how R' Shimon Bar Yochai and his son miraculously hid from the Romans for twelve years. When he finally emerged, R' Shimon said, "since a miracle was performed on my behalf, I shall go and contribute something to benefit the community." This, we are taught, he learned from Yaakov. When Yaakov arrived (Beraishis 33:18) "shaleim - intact" in terms of his body, wealth, and his Torah, "vayichan es pnai ha'ir - and he encamped before the city". The rabbis understood that he either contributed chain - charm, or changed the face of the city. He either established their own currency, or marketplaces, or bathhouses. In gratitude for Hashem's protection and salvation he showed his appreciation by assisting the community.

Yaakov Avinu and R' Shimon show how it behooves an individual to "pay back" the community upon their personal deliverance. Certainly in the month of Adar when we commemorate our "deliverance from death to life" (Megillah 14a) we should annually direct this thanksgiving and gratitude to some form of communal service and enhancement.

The Gemorah Taanis (22a) teaches us that Eliyahu Hanavi proclaimed that two comedians who cheered up the depressed were destined to go to olam ha-bah. This is further explained by the Maharsha that just as the mishna Sanhedrin (46a) relates that Hashem feels the pain and suffering of the individual that is executed, as one of His children is suffering, how much more so is He pleased when His children are made happy. It is thus understandable that enhancing the welfare of the community brings greater pleasure to Hashem, as "G-d, His Torah, and the people of Israel are inseparable" (Zohar Acharei Mos 23).

Moreover, the entire miracle of Purim evolves around the t'zibur, the community of Israel. Haman charges (Esther 3:8) that the Jewish nation is "mefuzar u'mefurad - scattered and dispersed", lacking unity and concern for one another, and full of strife. To demonstrate the falsity of his charge, "nikhalu ha-Yehudim - the Jews organized themselves in their cities" (Esther 9:2). Again in verses 15 and 18 the theme of the kahal forming one unit is stressed. The very acceptance of Purim by the Jewish nation is expressed by "v'kibail ha-Yehudim - the Jews undertook" (Esther 9:23), written in the singular, explains the Gr"a, to portray their unity.

In addition, the Gemorah Shabbos (88a) teaches the significance of Purim as a time of reacceptance of the Torah. In contrast to the coercion present at Sinai, understood by our rabbis - "vayisyatzvu b'sachtis ha-har - they stood under the mountain" each witnessing gilui Shechinah, (making it almost impossible to refuse Hashem), here at Purim they experienced hester panim - concealment of His presence, reflected by the fact that Hashem's name is not found in the Megillah. As the first acceptance of Torah at Sinai was accomplished in the spirit of "vayichan - they encamped" (Shemos 19:2) at Sinai "as one man, with one mission", similarly at Purim the acceptance was "v'kibail" - as one.

In addition, the mitzvah of mishloach manos is explained by R' Shlomo Alkabetz zt"l (author of l'cha dodi) in his Manos Halevi, that this mitzvah demonstrates the love and brotherhood present in the Jewish nation. It therefore follows that we focus on the needs of the community in this month of national unity.

Perhaps one can further suggest that the response to a miracle is to benefit the community as taught in Shabbos, as an individual should ideally attribute the miracle not to his worthiness, but to the merit of the community. To demonstrate this true humility, he shows his appreciation to the community by his reciprocation on its behalf.

In light of this new dimension and obligation inherent in the month of Adar, might I suggest that each individual, in keeping with "b'chal m'odecha" - serving Hashem with your unique talents and resources, introspect on how you can best serve the needs of, and help fill the voids in, your community. Not only the obvious needs, such as bikur cholim and greater attention to the shut-ins, but also to those needs that might go unnoticed, such as calling the local Yeshiva and offering to tutor a child for free.

Finally, Rav Ephraim Wachsman shlit"a delivered the following inspiring message at the recent siyum hashas in the name of the Tomer D'vorah: all Israel is one collective soul. Your personal learning of Torah is not only a personal fulfillment if talmud Torah, but it elevates the entire community of Israel.

RESEARCHER: MOSES WAS HIGH AT SINAI

Was Moses high on Sinai? (JTA)
The biblical Moses may have been "high" at Mount Sinai, an Israeli researcher posited.

Benny Shanon, a professor of cognitive psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has argued that the miraculous sights and sounds in the Exodus account of God's giving of the Torah to Moses may have been drug induced.

Shanon, who published his theory in the scholarly journal Time and Mind, said the Mount Sinai spectacle recalled a "trip" he experienced after drinking psychotropic drugs of a kind that can be found in some desert plants.

"I experienced visions that had spiritual-religious connotations," Ha'aretz quoted Shanon as saying. "It seems logical that something was altered in people's consciousness. There are other stories in the Bible that mention the use of plants: for example, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden."

But he added, "I have no direct proof of this interpretation."

According to Shanon, the drug theory is more feasible than other explanations for the Mount Sinai story -- that indeed the Israelites communicated with God -- or that it is all just a fairy tale.

THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION

Dvar Torah for Parshas Titzaveh
We often ask G-d for help when we need help or clarity, but we see from this week's Parsha it's not that simple. The Kohen Gadol (High Priest) wore a breastplate called the Urim V'Tumim which was used as a conduit between Hashem and the Kohen Gadol. So, when the Jewish people needed advice on how to handle a certain situation, they would ask the question and certain letters would light up with G-d's answer. However, even though the letters lit up the Kohen Gadol needed to figure out how to arrange the letters. The Vilna Gaon points out that a perfect example of this is Chana. When she came to the Tabernacle to pray to have a child the Kohen Gadol, Eli, asked Hashem if her prayers were sincere. The letters that lit up could either be construed to say "drunkard" or "Kosher". Eli rebuked Chana thinking her supreme intensity came from her drunkenness and not her righteousness.

We see that even when Hashem sends us the message, it still requires some interpretation. So too, in our life, if we ask Hashem for help or guidance, we still need to see the messages and interpret them correctly. We are always partners with Hashem, and it is our responsibility to always do our part to try and understand G-d's ways.

Rabbi Joshua Strulowitz
Congregation Adath Israel
"Bringing Tradition to Life"
1851 Noriega St
San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 564-5665
www.adathisraelsf.org

THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION

Dvar Torah for Adar

Today we celebrate the beginning of the month of Adar. Besides Rosh Hashanah, there isn't a month which we celebrate it's arrival with as much fanfare as Adar. The Talmud says, "MiShenichnas Adar, MArbim BiSimcha", when the month of Adar arrives we should increase our joy. This year, since it's a leap year, we celebrate two Adars! However, how does this work? How do we increase our joy just because the calendar has turned to a new month? Besides, doesn't the Torah tell us the "worship G-d with happiness"? We should have joy all year long, not just in one month?

Rabbi Noah Weinberg explains that even the things that give us the most joy in our life can seem like a burden. When a person has a child their is the most profound joy a person can feel. But we can lose that feeling if we don't REMIND ourselves how much joy they give us. Be it our spouse, family, friends, community, we can lose that loving feeling. Adar is a time for renewal. The story of Purim is about the Jewish people rededicating themselves to the Torah. As the Gemara expalins, the Jewish people solidified their love and commitment to the Torah. Even though they received the Torah centuries before, it took the story of Purim to remind them that Hashem was always with them and that their true calling was to follow the Torah. So too, Adar is a time to to remind ourselves of the joy we have in our life.
--
Rabbi Joshua Strulowitz
Congregation Adath Israel
"Bringing Tradition to Life"
www.adathisraelsf.org
1851 Noriega St.
San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 564-5665

ISRAELIS CREATE WORLD'S SMALLEST BIBLE

Israeli Scientists Create Nano-Sized Bible (FoxNews)
JERUSALEM — Israeli scientists have inscribed the entire Hebrew text of the Jewish Bible onto a space less than half the size of grain of sugar.

The nanotechnology experts at the Technion institute in Haifa say the text measures less than 0.5 square millimeter (0.01 square inch) surface. They chose the Jewish Bible to highlight how vast quantities of information can be stored in minimum amounts of space.

"It took us about an hour to etch the 300,000 words of the Bible onto a tiny silicon surface," Ohad Zohar, the university's scientific adviser for educational programs, told the Associated Press.

The Technion's microscopic bible was created by blasting tiny particles called gallium ions at an object that then rebounded, causing an etching affect.

"When a particle beam is directed toward a point on the surface, the gold atoms bounce off and expose the silicon layer underneath just like a hammer and chisel," Zohar said.

Zohar said the technology will in the future be used as a way to store vast amounts of data on bio-molecules and DNA.

The tiny Bible appears to be the world's smallest.

THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION

Dvar Torah for Parshat Vayeira

"Hashem appeared to him in the plains of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance of the tent in the heat of the day"

This week's Parsha, Parshat Vayeira, begins with Hashem visiting Mamrei in the plains of Mamrei. Who is Mamrei? Rashi points out that he was one of Avraham's three best friends. Here's where the story gets interesting. The Midrash says that when Avraham was told by God to get a Brit Milah (circumcision), he asked his three friends if he should go ahead and do it. Two of his friends told him not to do the Bris, while his third friend, Mamrei, told him he should get the Bris done. Since Mamrei gave him the advice to do the Bris, the Torah records his name for posterity in a positive light.

However, the bigger question is why in the world would Avraham feel compelled to ask his friends if he should listen to God's command? If they all said not to have the Bris, would he really have the Chutzpah to say to Hashem, "Sorry, I can't do it because my friends have advised against it"?

I think that by asking his friends, he was trying to look into his own motivations and insecurities. While he was more than ready to have the Bris Milah, he needed to check his motivations. What would happen if after having the Bris everyone he knew told him he was crazy. Would he regret it on some level? Would he be embarrassed? He ran it by his friends before he got the Bris to test how he felt after their reactions, to make sure he internally felt comfortable with getting a Bris.

I think in our lives it's something we can consider as well. How proud are we to be Jewish? When someone asks us about it, are we proud and confident or do we try to skirt the issue? Just as Avraham used his friends as a benchmark to see how he really felt internally about getting a Bris, we can do the same.

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Joshua Strulowitz
Congregation Adath Israel
http://www.adathisraelsf.org/

JONAH'S DILEMMA

Jonah's Dilemma by MICHAEL B. OREN and MARK GERSON
(WSJ)
This year, as on every Yom Kippur, Jews throughout the world will recite the Book of Jonah, one of the Hebrew Bible's shortest and most enigmatic texts. Jonah is the only Israelite prophet to preach to Gentiles, and the only prophet who clearly hates his job. And yet Jews read the book on their holiest day of the year because of its message of atonement and forgiveness. But Jonah also conveys crucial lessons for all Americans as they grapple with crises in Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East and yearn for far-sighted leadership.

DVAR TORAH FOR ROSH HASHANAH

Dvar Torah for Rosh Hashanah
Early in September, 1977, a drama began that added much kavod, much dignity, to the wisdom of Torah and to those who spend their lives applying Torah knowledge to the complex problems encountered daily in the modern world. In Lakewood, New Jersey, Siamese twins were born to a prestigious family of Torah educators. The twins were taken by helicopter, on September 15, to the Children's Hospital in Philadelphia, where Dr. C. Everett Koop, who subsequently became the Surgeon General of the United States, was then the hospital's Chief of Surgery. Immediately after the initial evaluation, it was obvious to all the physicians called in to evaluate the twins that both would die unless they were separated. However, the only way one child would be viable was if the other child was killed during surgery. The question was referred to Rav Moshe Feinstein for his evaluation and decision.

The children, designated Baby A and Baby B, were fused in the ventral area all the way from the shoulder down to the pelvic region. The twins shared one six-chambered heart. The wall separating the essentially normal four chambers from the other two, most likely the stunted heart of Baby A, was too thin to be divided. It was not possible to give the two chambered heart to Baby A, so that she would survive for as long as a two-chambered heart could carry her physiological needs. There was only one solution. The entire six-chambered heart had to be given to Baby B, and the life of Baby A would have to be sacrificed.

It was clear to all concerned that this was a major ethical issue that had ramifications for the abortion debate, and for the ethics of neonate salvage. The Chief Surgeon, a deeply religious man, was fully aware of the ethical import of any decision in this case. Dr. Koop referred the case to the courts so as not to have any accusation of premeditated murder leveled against him. In addition, nurses and doctors at Children's Hospital consulted with their religious guides, and many reported back that they would not be able to participate in the surgery.

I recall how impressed I was with a statement Dr. Koop made, a statement that in my opinion revealed the man's personality and also incurred a special merit. When the team of twenty or so professionals were awaiting Rav Feinstein's decision, and, indeed, were expressing impatience at the lapse of time, which interfered with their private, professional lives significantly, Dr. Koop quieted the group with the following statement:

"The ethics and morals involved in this decision are too complex for me. I believe they are too complex for you as well. Therefore I referred it to an old rabbi on the Lower East Side of New York. He is a great scholar, a saintly individual. He knows how to answer such questions. When he tells me, I too will know."

You would think that someone with such respect from the Jewish community as well as the secular community would have a tremendous amount of confidence in his ability to make such difficult ethical decisions. In fact it was the exact opposite.

In his introduction to his Responsa Rav Moshe asks a simple question: how could he, or anyone for that matter, have the audacity to make a decision in Jewish law? How could anyone claim to possess the divine truth when it comes to deciding a matter of Halacha?

The answer, he says, is that we can't. We can't pretend that we know the truth. And if it wasn't for this week's Parsha, we'd be stuck. But in Parshas Nitzavim it says "Lo Bashamayim Hiy", G-d gave us the Torah and it is our responsibility to apply it, to clarify it, to make halachic decisions. Are we always going to be correct? No. But we try our best, allow the most qualified individuals to make these decisions and pray to G-d that we make the correct decisions. That's all we can do.
The humility it takes for the Gadol Hador (great Torah scholar) to write this is unfathomable, and yet it's at the bedrock of Judaism. We can never be %100 sure that our position is correct, we always have to honest enough to say, "I was incorrect". That humility is such a special Jewish trait, and the lack of it causes the world so much pain.

People love to blame religion for the world's biggest problems, such as Fundamental Islam. And Torah Judaism tends to get lumped together with Fundamental Christians and Fundamental Islam, but nothing could be farther from the truth.

In the September 29, 2005 edition of the NY Times it quotes Rafat Moqadi, a potential suicide bomber who walked into a Tel Aviv restaurant with the intent of blowing it up. However, after seeing 2 little girls in the restaurant he changed his mind: ''Seeing that, I decided not to carry out the operation. I couldn't do it,'' he said.

Why did he want to be a suicide bomber? "Yet, Moqadi said he longed for what he believes awaits a suicide bomber in the hereafter -- God's reward and a special place in heaven for martyrs. ''He has a life in paradise,'' he told The Associated Press on Thursday. ''He doesn't die.''"

It's that attitude, to be so certain that this is what G-d wants, that you're even willing to kill innocent people in order to carry it out. That's the problem. Rav Moshe had trepidation saying that a lulav was kosher, because he might be incorrectly interpreting G-d's will, and suicide bombers are 100% confident that this is what G-d wants? I'm sorry, but I think Rav Moshe had a better sense of what G-d wants from us, I'll take his approach, thank you.

As we approach Rosh Hashanah we have to take Rav Moshe's lesson to heart. We have to be willing to question our assumptions. Our assumptions of who we are, who we should be and who we can be. We have to be willing to admit that we don't know everything, and that new approaches may have more validity than we originally thought.

We must admit that we don't always know exactly what G-d wants, but we'll do our best to figure it out. The Torah is Lo Beshamim hiy, and we must use it to the best of our abilities to guide our lives.

Rabbi Joshua Strulowitz
http://www.blogger.com/adathisraelrabbi@gmail.com

THIS WEEK'S TORAH COMMENTARY

Dvar Torah for Parshat Netzavim-VaYeilech

"At the end of seven years, at the time of the Sabbatical year, on the festival of Succot…Gather together the people-the men, the women, and the small children…so that they will hear and so that they will learn, and they shall awe of Hashem."

-Deuternomy, 31:10,12

These verses describe the mitzvah of hakel, in which the entire Jewish people gather together by the Beit Hamikdash (the Temple) and listen to the King read the Torah. In modern times we have re instituted this mitzvah, and seven years ago I was personally at the Kotel as the then President of Israel read this section of the Torah.

What is curious about the Torah's statement is that we are instructed to bring infants to the proceedings. The word the Torah uses, Taf, is used specifically for infants. Why would there be a mitzvah to bring infants to hear a Torah reading, they couldn't possibly understand what was going on?

Rashi says that the reason that the parents are supposed to bring the child is so that the people who bring the child will be rewarded in heaven for their act. However, that doesn't really answer the question, why should someone be rewarded for an act that will not have any purpose?

I think that Rashi might be teaching us an important lesson. The point of bringing infants to hear the Torah reading is so that you realize it is your Mitzvah too. Very often, when we educate our children we feel that we are giving to them. While that is certainly true, it is so much more. When we teach Torah children, be it our children or other children, it is our Mitzvah as well. We all have an obligation to teach Torah to the next generation and work towards insuring the future of the Jewish people. By bringing the infant to the Hakel service the Torah sends a message that even if the child doesn't understand what is being said, WE understand the importance of including Jewish children and promoting their growth.

Have a good Shabbos and a sweet new year.

Rabbi Joshua Strulowitz
Rabbi@AdathIsraelsf.org

THIS WEEK'S TORAH COMMENTARY

Dvar Torah for Parshat Ki Tavoh

"Cursed (be he) that upholds not the words of this Torah to do them" (Deuteronomy 27:26)

What does it mean to "uphold" the Torah? Does it mean to keep the Torah? Does it mean to stand up for the Torah?

The Ramban (Nachmonides) quotes the Jerusalem Talmud (Sotah 7:4) that this curse applies to anyone who has the ability to help bring other Jews closer to Torah but refrain from doing so. People in authority and those who have the resources to help spread Torah and do not do so fall under this curse as well.

I think in our times this message is very relevant. We live in a time of unparalleled resources in the Jewish community. And yet, it has never been more expensive to educate a Jewish child. It pains me to speak to families who really want to send their child to a Jewish day school, and can't because of the exorbitant costs involved. With all the money being spent on building expensive buildings, why are Jewish kids still not getting a Jewish education because it is too expensive. Why are families forced to put themselves in debt in order to give their children a Jewish education? In is the responsibility of the entire Jewish community, especially those who have resources, or who have a position of authority where they have access to resources, to insure that every Jewish child can get a Jewish education. We all have been given the job of spreading the Torah and making sure that it is accessible for all who desire it, especially Jewish children.

Have a good Shabbos,

Rabbi Joshua Strulowitz
www.adathisraelsf.org

THIS WEEK'S TORAH COMMENTARY

Dvar Torah for Parshat Ki Tetzei
The Michael Vick dog fighting case has brought to light a repulsive subculture that I am sure is disturbing to us all. Yet, it has sparked a very interesting debate. Where is the line that makes something "animal cruelty"? A 2003 Harris poll determined that less than 3% of Americans consider themselves vegetarians. That means over 290 million Americans eat meat. Isn't that cruel to animals? What about hunting and fishing, isn't that cruel to animals? What would Judaism deem "animal cruelty"?

In this week's Parsha we learn a valuable lesson in treating animals with respect. The Torah states (Deuternomy 22:6-7):

If a bird's nest happens to be before you on the road, on any tree or on the ground-young birds or eggs-and the mother is roosting on the young bird or eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young. You shall surely send away the mother and take the young for yourself, so that it will be good for you and you will prolong your days.

The Torah forbids you from taking the eggs or chicks while the mother is still in your presence, so you must shoo her away before taking them. Not only that, but this is one of only two Mitzvot that the Torah promises a long life as a reward (the other: honoring your parents)!

Clearly the Torah allows you to use animals for productive human purpose, eating meat is allowed in the Torah, but it also stipulates that you must have sensitivity to the animal. What's amazing is that the Torah is not only talking about physical pain, but even psychological or emotional pain. We are sensitive to the mother bird's plight of witnessing her eggs being taken away.

This concept is extended to all animals. It is forbidden to cause any unnecessary physical or psychological pain to an animal ( Tza'ar Baalei Chaim). The Sefer HaChinuch (in Mitzvah #350), a thirteenth century collection of the 613 Mitzvot, extends this concept to mistreating animals when working them. He states that one is not allowed to force an animal to do work that it is not capable of doing. One of the reasons one is not allowed to crossbreed animals, he adds, because it is cruel to the animals involved.

The Noda Bi-Yehuda, the Chief Rabbi of Prague for most of the eighteenth century, writes that hunting for sport is forbidden. While God has allowed to use the animal world for human benefit, he did not permit us to use them as sport. To simply kill animals for the fun of it is cruel, and a waste of God's creations. Killing rodents in your home is one thing, but shooting deer and hanging them on your wall is not what God intended for the animal world. It makes sense, how many Jewish hunters do you know?

So when analyzing the Michael Vick case, the most disturbing aspect was their cruelty. To treat animals as their playthings; to torture them, and force them to torture each other is clearly against the Torah. And we see from this week's Parsha just how seriously the Torah takes this offense.

May we use this as an opportunity to value all of God's creations. Have a great Shabbos.

Rabbi Josh Stulowitz
Rabbi@AdathIsraelsf.org

THIS WEEK'S PARSHA

Here's something new: commentary on the weekly Torah portion. Rabbi Joshua Strulowitz has been generous enough to share his erudition with the readers of this blog. A short bio follows below and precedes his commentary. I'm sorry this week's commentary is a little late, but I'm blogging from vacation with limited internet access.

Rabbi Joshua Strulowitz (YC '01, RIETS '05) was raised in North Miami Beach, FL and graduated from Hillel Community Day School. He attended Yeshivat Reishit Yerushalayim in Jerusalem , and continued on to Yeshiva University where he graduated cum laude with a BA in Economics and an award for excellence in Talmudic studies.

While at YU he was program director and co-founder of Panim, a college outreach program. He then spent two years at YU's Gruss Institute in Jerusalem. He continued on to TORCH, a community kollel in Houston, TX where he taught numerous classes throughout the community. In September 2005 he began his post as Rabbi of Congregation Adath Israel in San Francisco. Rabbi Strulowitz and his wife Bethany have two daughters. He can be reached at Rabbi@AdathIsraelsf.org

Dvar Torah for Parshat Shoftim

This week's Parsha discusses the Jewish legal system, and towards the end of this week's Parsha the Torah specifically deals with the process when Israel goes to war. In Chapter 20:5-7 the Torah states:

Then the officers shall speak to the people, saying, "Who is the man who has built a new house and has not inaugurated it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the war and another man will inaugurate it. And who is the man who has planted a vineyard and not redeemed it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the war and another man will redeem it. And who is the man who has betrothed a woman and not married her? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the war and another man will marry her."

Any soldier who in the past year has gotten married, planted a vineyard or built a house, he is sent home by the officers. There are a variety of reasons given as to why they are sent home. One reason given is that they will have difficulty giving their all while fighting because they will constantly be thinking about what they have to lose. They might not take the risks that a soldier in battle needs to take in order to defeat the enemy and protect their comrades.

Another reason seems to be a sense of divine justice. This individual put all of their time and effort into building the house or planting vineyard, or has just begun their relationship with their beloved, and it simply wouldn't be fair for another man to reap the benefits or enjoy a life together with his wife before he has at least a year to reap the benefits.

However, why did the officers wait until all of the potential soldiers congregated together before sending home those that were exempted? They simply could have announced the exemptions when they were drafting the soldiers! Why wait until the last minute to make these announcements?

I was thinking that maybe their was an important message being sent to the soldiers who would be going out to war. Just as they were about to go out and fight to protect the people and the land of Israel, the Jewish soldiers were reminded what they were fighting for. As they saw the young newlywed men returning to their wives, it reminded them that they were fighting so that Jewish families can grow and prosper in their homeland. When they saw men returning to their vineyards and new homes, it reminded them that they were fighting so that the Jewish people can continue to grow and prosper in the land of Israel. When they went to war, they knew what they were fighting for.

I think at times, it can be difficult for us to remember what we are fighting for. Why should we continue to send Jewish young men and women in harm's way? Why should we continue to devote so much time, effort and money for the land of Israel?

The answer is the same as is was in the times of Joshua, David or Solomon. So Jewish families can prosper in the land of Israel. So Jewish children can run and play in the streets of Jerusalem. So that the land that God has promised us can grow and prosper under our watch.

May we continue to remember what we are fighting for, and may we only see peace in Israel.