Dear B’nai Shalom members, friends, and families:
I write you from the “Dvorin home clinic of recuperating patients” where I happily report that both Robin and I are “on the mend.” We both see considerable progress in our respective recoveries and thank Hashem for His kindness in permitting us to improve and feel the progress daily.
We thank YOU, the kindhearted and caring members of the B’nai Shalom family for your support, thoughtfulness, and generosity – both of spirit and pocketbook. We are touched and honored to be part of such a warm and loving community as our B’nai Shalom family. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
When Robin and I return to B’nai Shalom and its wonderful members, we will (if our projections go according to plan…), we will have just concluded reading the parsha of Vaetchanan, the parsha always read after the fast day of Tisha B’av.
In the parsha, we are told in Chapter 4, verse 6: “You shall guard and perform them (the mitzvot) for IT is your wisdom and your discernment (understanding).
It is the moral/ethical blueprint, all-encompassing foundation for Jews in all places in all generations (in the past, and to come…)
The most central verse in all of Torah for Jews and all right-loving people is in the episode of Cain & Abel when Hashem “turned” to Abel’s offering and NOT to Cain’s:
In Bereisheet – Chapter 3, verse 7: We learn that Cain’s face “fell”. G-d then said to Cain: “…why is your face fallen?”
If you’re good, your face will be “lifted.” This is instructive for ALL people. “And if you’re NOT Good, your sin will follow you to the grave (Rashi).” “And you have the capacity to overcome the yetzer hara. (the evil inclination).”
This is toch’cha, constructive criticism — done w/ love. Constructive criticism must be done with love and a constructive component. Upon review and analysis, ALL of the Book of Devarim is a form of Toch’cha.
Much of Devarim is written in the 1st person as we can learn from Moshe’s struggles and challenges to inspire us.
Rav Zusha tells us “when we get to heaven, Hashem won’t ask us why we weren’t Moshe Rabbeinu, but why we weren’t the best “We,” can be.
We are loved by Hashem because of our persistence and love of Hashem, not because of our greatness or robustness; but because we are willing to humble ourselves and recognize our place in the world.
One is humble when he recognizes the source of one’s gifts – not one who denies his gifts, but one who knows where and from whom the gifts come. Moshe told B’nai Yisrael that they would enter Eretz Yisrael and the Torah would be the text and source of knowledge and goodness.
In Kiddush, we often sing the verse: “…Kee vanu va-charta, v’osani keedashta, me-call ha-amim.”
This is declaring that Hashem “chose us from all other nations and made us holy.”
This is the same theme as the opening bracha for an aliyah: “asher bachar banu me-call ha-amim, v’natan lanu et To-rato…” “…who chose us from all other nations and gave us His Torah.”
In the end of Psalm 147, we learn that.…
“He (Hashem) has revealed his word to Jacob,
His laws and decrees to Israel.
He has done this for no other nation;
they do not know his laws.”
We were chosen for a “special mission,” that is, to accept and follow Hashem’s Torah, NOT because we are better in herently than any other nation, which we are not.
This also applies to “right thinking people,” those who live their lives with a higher sense of values and a personal constitution that directs their lives to consistently do the right, proper, compassionate, decent thing.
There is a well-known concept in Judaism of “Tzadikei Umot Ha-Olam” the Righteous Gentiles in the World. Without too much hesitation, we can think of Biblical personalities such as: Yitro, Noach, and Ruth; and in our own generations, people such as: Mother Theresa, Abraham Lincoln, Albert Schweitzer, Brian Piccolo, and the many Germans who hid Jews during WWII.
(Interesting to note, whether truly deserved or not, at Congregation K.I.N.S. in West Rogers Park, there is a yahrtzeit plaque dedicated to the late 35th, President John F. Kennedy, which states in the Hebrew that he was one of the “Tzadikei Umot Ha-Olam”.)
We accept our mission and hope to do the best job at it.
In these summer months following Tisha B’av, the 9 Days, the 3 weeks, and before we enter Chodesh Elul, the month that precedes and introduces Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we have the opportunity to contemplate our place in the world, our obligations to Hashem, and our commitment to preserving and fulfilling the commandments and values of Hashem’s Torah.
May we all be worthy of Hashem’s assistance and guidance in working hard to fulfill these lofty goals and lifelong objectives.
With Torah blessings always,
Rabbi Dr. Yaacov Dvorin