Torat Moishe - Moishe's Torah

Parshat Sh'mot
18 Tevet 5771 / Dec. 24-25, 2010
Shmot 1:1 – 6:1

Confessions of a Young Prophet
by Zvi Bellin, MHHQ

I am so furious at G-d! I am talking fed up, volcanic, hella A-N-G-R-Y with the Lord of Hosts! Oh, You have a new name now, “I will be what I will be.” Well, I will tell You what I won’t be – the Savior of Israel. That is what I won’t be. I am a man of action. When I saw that Egyptian pig whipping my own flesh and blood, I did not hesitate to turn the suffering around. I am not proud that I killed him, but I couldn’t just stand by. Not anymore. And when those beastly shepherds were giving my lovely Tzipporah and her sisters trouble in Midian, I took action. I shut them up good and drew water for the ladies’ plump sheep. (Don’t think I don’t know about my family’s history when it comes to women, wells, and love.) But G-d, you are asking too much now.

I am good with my fists, but not with my words. And now I’ve pulled my brother Aaron into this mess. I just don’t know how to stand up to Pharoah. How can I gain the nation’s trust? Thank you G-d for the signs and all. The staff to snake trick, and the hand of leprosy healing act. And of course, turning Nile river water to blood. That helped get some of Israel to believe that You sent me to save them. But, look what happened. I talked to Pharoah and he increased their labor beyond any person’s physical capabilities. It is just not fair. Why did you send me to fail?

I get that I have no choice in the matter. You’ve already told me to suck up my complaints and accept my responsibility. I am not sure if I can trust You, not sure how to trust you. But I want to. I know that my people can live freely. We can go back to our homeland and live as our own masters again. I have nothing to offer except for passion, a faulty tongue, and shaky faith. If that works with You, then I guess it will have to work for me. Alright, it’s time to go see Pharoah again. Please G-d, don’t desert me.

Parashat Vayechi
11 Tevet 5771 / Dec. 17-18, 2010
Bereshit 47:28 - 50:26

Milk and Honey
by Joshua Avraham Einstein, MH Hoboken

In Parshat Veyechi, the last parsha in Genesis, there are two things of note. One is the passing of two of our forefathers, Jacob and Joseph, and Jacob’s corresponding pre-death arrangements. Jacob blesses his children and grand children, doing so in the manner he wants too and against prevailing custom. Jacob designates Joseph as the first born and makes Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Menassah, his own children, incorporating them each into the 12 tribes by his blessing.

Jacob states that he is to be buried in the land of Canaan, on the plot of land known today as the Cave of the Patriarchs, where Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, and Jacobs’s wife Leah are buried. He does this because he sees the Jewish people already comfortable outside of the Promised Land. In the area of Egypt known as Goshen the Jewish nation had grown both in number and in influence. By insisting that his burial take place in Canaan, Jacob is attempting to remind the Jewish people that they are but strangers in a strange land and that their birth right lies in Canaan.

When Joseph dies the parsha does not dwell on whom he blessed or what he blessed them with. Compared to Jacob he gets the short end of the stick. That said it’s important to note that both state to the masses that Canaan is their land and that G-d will bring them there. While Joseph is to be buried in Egypt he states that his bones be taken “up out of here.” Presumably, he is referring Canaan.

The parsha is an interesting one because it addresses the dualistic nature of Jewish people hood. We are an exilic people and yet all of our tradition is permeated by the notion of a return to our much vaunted and ballyhooed homeland. The Jewish people began in exile with Abraham who journeyed to the Promised Land, then went back to exile in Egypt with Joseph and Jacob, and then back to Israel with Moses, etc. Clearly times have not always been good for the Jewish people, whether in exile or the Promised Land our history, Biblical and factual, has been replete with migrations. Yet focusing our community on a spiritual notion of Israel as the “Land of Milk and Honey” has focused and kept us together as a coherent group distinct from the larger culture around us, this was true in Jacob and Joseph’s last statements and it remains true today.

Parshat Miketz
27 Kislev 5771 / November 27, 2010
Bereshit 41:1 – 44:17

Should we open our mind to the World around us or continue living in the Ghetto?
by Taras (Easy) Prokopenko, Moishe House Gomel, Belarus

Parshat Miketz tells us about the dramatic episode of Josef’s meeting with his brothers. The young man, who was sold into slavery, has reached prosperity and moreover - became the governor of Egypt. When his brothers went down to Egypt for food during the famine, they did not recognize the Governor of Egypt as their lost brother Josef.

On one hand, 22 years passed since their last meeting, and this 17-year-old boy turned into a gentle respectable man with a big beard. Therefore, it was easier for Josef to recognize them.

On the other hand, giving a deeper interpretation, the brothers haven't recognized Josef, not so much by sight, but at spiritual level. The brothers were shepherds. It suited their spiritual lifestyle to be alone in the meadows, surrounded by nature and unchallenged by a society that might be hostile to their beliefs. Sheep whom they grazed, didn't deliver them troubles on religious questions. And it was out of their understanding that Josef could remain a devoted son of Yakov, faithful to his father’s way of life while living in the hub of Egypt, the mightiest superpower on earth! They couldn't even imagine that such a thing could happen! Later we will read that Yakov has been strongly pleased and shaken by news that his ostensibly dead son was not only alive, but also remained his son, i.e. remained faithful to Yakov’s traditions.

It is obviously easier to be a Jew amongst Jewish surrounding. Undoubtedly, it is much more difficult to practice the faith, being in minority. Nobody likes to be isolated, as an abscess on a finger. Therefore the desire to be isolated in the small cozy zone of comfort is very much reasonable. Unless, of course, you believe that you have a responsibility to the world around you. When you believe that G-d expects nothing less from you than to change the world, simply treading water is not enough. Then you have no option but to go out and take on the world, engage it and make it a more G-dly place.

All of Yakov’s sons were righteous people, and Josef was the greatest. Because it is one thing to be righteous in the fields and woods, and absolutely another to be righteous among people. Especially among such morally corrupted, as ancient Egyptians were.

The governor of Egypt of that time had the same status as today's U.S. president, or at least a member of the Senate. Imagine that the person holding so high a post is a Jew believing and observing a Torah. He successfully carries out the governmental duties, occupies a prestigious position, and at the same time leads life of a devout Jew. It seems impossible, but Josef has managed to achieve it. And in the same spirit he has brought up his sons, Efraim and Menashe.

Therefore Josef is an important example to emulate for our generation. The majority of us are strongly integrated into a society. We mix in different circles. We live in a society without walls, even wireless society. Would we be able to keep Jewish culture despite the challenges that are thrust upon us directly by a wide open society? This is a question which Josef answers: it isn't simple, but it is possible.

Therefore, be we heads of corporations or high-ranking diplomats, let the governor of Egypt, Josef a Jew, Yacov’s beloved son, inspires us as an example!

Shavua tov, best wishes from Belarus!

Parshat VaYeshev
20 Kislev 5771 / November 27, 2010
Bereshit 37:1 – 40:23

Facing the Pain
by Zvi Bellin, MHHQ

We experience times when it is hard to face the truth. When life deals us a hand that is painful, our first reaction can be, “No! It’s impossible.” We’ve all been there personally and part of the global community. 9/11. The Tsunami. A death of a loved one. Sometimes it is a natural disaster and other times a travesty conducted by the hands of people. What shatters the bubble of our disbelief is referred to in this week’s portion as HaKer Nah (הכר נא) – Please recognize.

This phrase appears twice in this week’s portion. The first, when Joseph’s brothers show Jacob the torn and bloodied coat that is submitted as proof that Joseph is dead. The second, when Tamar reveals the ring, cloak and staff of Judah covertly proving that Judah had impregnated Tamar, saving her reputation and her life.

This phrase Haker Nah and its use in Parshat Vayeshev is baffling to me. On the one hand, the phrase is used to rip apart someone’s reality. It is used to make a person face a truth that alters a fundamental part of how their world operats. For Jacob, he becomes a depressed father in mourning, and for Judah, he realizes the error of his ways and the pain he had caused to another person. On the other hand, we have the word Nah (please), which attempts to soften the brutal shattering.

I think that there is a crucial lesson for Kislev, the month where we sift through our darkness to find the light. In order for healing to occur acceptance is the first barrier. And it can be extremely difficult and painful to achieve. We have to be gentle with ourselves and others, softly stroking the awareness to see what we refuse to see. Push ourselves to glimpse quickly and then turn away, again and again until we are ready to face some real terror.

And what is waiting on the other side of acceptance? In Judaism we are not left alone to suffer. This is where the power of ritual in community becomes crucial. For Jacob, slow healing ensues with the process of sitting Shiva (mourning rituals). For Judah, it is the practice of confession and Teshuvah.

May we all grow from our pains softly, gently, and in the right time.

Parashat Vayishlach
13 Kiselv 5771 / November 19-20, 2010
Bereshit 32:4 – 36:43

A Fresh Start
by Jordan Mandel, MH St. Louis
Parashat Vayishlach is filled with a great "prepare for the worst, receive the best" example. Jacob is hesitant to return home, for he fears the inevitable confrontation with and possible death from his brother Esau. But G-d promises that if he returns to his home, Jacob will be kept safe from the hand of Esau and be blessed with as many children as there are grains of sand of the sea. In preparation for a battle, Jacob splits his fellow travelers into two camps so at least one camp will survive.

During the night, an Angel wrestles with Jacob, but no winner can be declared during the struggle. The Angel renames Jacob "Israel" as a result of this confrontation.

When the two brothers reunite, Esau kisses his brother's neck and welcomes him with no intention of a fight. This reunion embodies the thought that it is never too late to start a better relationship. Whether it is between friends who have differences between them, co-workers who do not see eye-to-eye on policies or work habits, or family who have not been on speaking terms for some time, the strength of a renewed relationship can overpower the previous obstacles that lay between the parties.

Shabbat VaYetzeh
Bereishit 28:10 – 32:3
6 Kislev 5771 / Nov. 12 – 13, 2010

Digging for Love
by Zvi Bellin, MHHQ

Welcome back to the well. Two weeks ago, Rebecca, Yitzhak’s wife, is discovered by the well in Avraham’s old home town. This time, it is Yitzhak’s son, Yaacov that will meet his future beloved, Rachel by the well, it seems in the very same town. The Torah loves to pair the hanging out by the well with finding one’s soul mate. A well is a place where one must dig deep in order to discover and draw forth water – the life blood of the Earth. As we enter into the month of Kislev, the month of sleep, we focus internally – a hibernation process – to discover our own life blood. This can be a process to prepare for bringing love into our life.

Water is often seen as a symbol for Torah. Just as water sustains life, so too Torah sustains life by creating a path and practice for how one might live his or her life. Just as water can be found by digging deep into the Earth, Torah, the authentic path of how we should live our lives, can be found by digging deep inside ourselves. We move past self-doubts that hold us back, and limiting thoughts that degrade us. We let go of false restrictions that we place upon ourselves, and refine our beliefs and attitudes. And awaiting us, in these depths is the pintaleh yid, the Divine spark, that reminds us how holy and beloved each person is.

It might be so that our soul mate is the person who recognizes the inner Divine spark and helps us to live up to our highest potential. This can work in the normative models of one-to-one partnership, and it also is relevant between close friends, family relationships, and even chance and limited encounters.

May we all be blessed with many people in our lives who can easily see how unique and holy we are.