Spark of Jewish Experience

When my father’s last chemotherapy / hormone contraption did not work, I turned to the doctors and asked “What’s next?”. They answered me: ” It’s time to pray; there’s nothing more we can do”. In other words the doctors are saying “we are not in control anymore; now, its up to G-d”. Well, I got news for you, they were never in control. G-d pulls the strings. Although, we have to do our effort, that’s important. However, at the end of the day, all matters are in G-d’s hands, from the inception of life to the very last breath.

 There was an interesting story I heard from my wife I would like to share:

 Three Israeli friends went to visit someone. The host places in front of his guests watermelon, as a CHIBUD KAL-light refreshments and informs them “I have to attend, briefly, to something important, in the next room. Please make a bracha and help yourselves”. One should always show hospitality by presenting chibud kal-light refreshments when guests enter your house. The three guests, who were not very knowledgeable in Jewish religious matters, were puzzled on what to say. “What bracha do we recite for watermelon?” one asked the other. “I think its BOREH PRI HA’ETZ” one said. “No, I think its “BOREH PRI HA’ADAMA” said the other.  The third person said confidently “Oh, I know, it’s SHAHAKOL NIYA B’DVARO and I’ll tell you why”. He eagerly wanted to tell his story. “When I was in the war in Gaza in 2008, I was operating a tank in combat with a team of two others.  We were firing at the enemy however missing our targets. As a result they were making advances on us. It was getting quite scary. “Why are we missing our targets”, we asked each other, alarmingly?! One of us desperately said” I think we have to make a bracha before we fire”; anxiously, we allagreed, “Yes, but what bracha? Oh, I know, when I was a little boy, my grandfather used to give me candy and say “Here, get the candy, make a bracha SHEHAKOL NIYA B’DVARO! Yeah, yeah lets try it!! So when we spotted our target we started to shout BARUCH ATA HASHEM ELOKANU MELECH HAOLAM SHEHAKOL NIYA BIDVARO!!!!————–BOOOOM!!!. What do you know, it hit the target!!  Lets try it again…. BARUCH ATA HASHEM ELOKANU MELECH HAOLAM……..BOOOM!!!!… Once again, It hit the target  Again!!!…and again.  We, then, were able to successfully reach home and accomplish our mission.

  So you see, if the bracha works on destroying our enemy surely it will work on the watermelon.”

  There are two very important insights one can derive from the incidences above. The first, we see many times, whether in our history or from our own personal experiences, our Jewish nature is such that we tend to gravitate to G-d at certain times. Extreme positive or negative occurrences, in these cases, the moment of gloom and despair, automatically,  is set to autopilot. The soldiers at their time of desperation reached out to their Creator.

 I’m not sure if its medical protocol where the doctor addresses the patient’s family by saying “now it’s in G-d’s hands” when he doesn’t have the answers. Perhaps doctors are reaching out to G-d, out of frustration, proclaiming “You run the show…tell me what to do!!”

   Secondly, curiously,if by any chance, the blast would not have hit the target, would the soldier have maintained their faith in G-d?  Well, I’m not sure. Perhaps, seeking G-d at those intense moments is just a temporary first reaction.   Who knows, perhaps the next step, if they have continued to miss their target, would have been to scream out “Simon says” before firing and, maybe then, if successful, the soldier/guest, would have suggested to recite that instead of shahakol for the watermelon.

 So in other words, perhaps, it’s a temporary leap of faith where if it doesn’t go your way they tend to go to a different direction.

Interestingly, whenever a Jew experiences danger or triumph, he turns to G-d and the one phrase that personifies the connection,  is the SHEMA. In this week’s parsha we read the famous powerful catch phrase that all Jews know SHEMA YISRAEL HASHEM ELOKANU HASHEM ECHAD. This phrase is the embodiment of faith.   Despite the plurality of our universe, the Shema stresses that all the forces in nature (denoted by the name Elokim or Elokeinu) emanate from a single, Source (Hashem) – “Hashem Elokeinu Hashem echad”. He is the Indivisible One. And accordingly, the Jewish people seek to become one with Him.

  Shema is essential to Jewish belief because this is the basis for Acceptance of G-d’s Absolute Sovereignty that forms the foundation for all divine service by the Children of Israel. The universe was fashioned solely for kavod Hashem, the glorification of G-d (Avot 6:11). It acts as a constant reminder for the Jew to always involve G-d in all his endeavors. The Children of Israel are dedicated to spreading the Name of G-d in the world – even at pain of death such as Rabbi Akiva’s heroic Shema just before the Romans murdered him (See Talmud, Brochos 61b), as well as the example we used in our previous newsletters of Rabbi Fiefer. Rabbi Fiefer was a high school Rabbi in my Yeshiva, YHSQ. His wife and daughter were taken away before his eyes and later killed by the Nazis. He also, said the Shema when presumably was about to die.

  Intriguingly, one has to wonder why we cover our eyes when saying this important prayer. There are many beautiful explanations which, some, we actually mentioned.  Recently, though, I heard something riveting by Rabbi Yissachar Frand which is worth sharing.

  When Yaakov, our forefather, met his beloved son, Yosef, after 22 years, when he thought he was dead, Yosef emotionally embraced him while Yaacov was so grateful to G-d that he covered his hand on his eyes and recited the Shema.

  A little time before their famous emotional reunion as Yaakov was about to make his journey to Egypt, G-d appeared to him and told him: “I am the G-d – G-d of your father. Have no fear of descending to Egypt, for I shall establish you as a great nation there. I shall descend with you to Egypt, and I shall also surely bring you up; and Yoseph shall place his hand on your eyes.” [Bereshis 46:3-4]. Regarding the words “and Yosef shall place his hand on your eyes” the Zohar comments: “This is what the secret of Krias Shma is all about.”

 In order to fully understand the Zohar, Rabbi Frand brings a vital but mystifying passage in the Torah.

The Kol Aryeh cites his great teacher the Chasam Sofer (who lived 1762- 1839 in Hungary), who explains the Almighty’s answer to Moshe’s request “Show me, please, your glory” [Shmos 33:18]. This incident occurred when Moshe was on Mount Sinai meeting with G-d to receive the Torah on behalf of the Jewish people. Based on the Gemara [Brachos 7a], Moshe was thereby asking the profound and age-old question: “Why are there righteous people who suffer and wicked people who prosper?” The Almighty retorts back: ” You will see My back, but My face may not be seen.” [Shmot 33:21-23]. The Chasam Sofer explains the idea of seeing G-d from the back but not from the front allegorically. “My face may not be seen” means “understanding things while they are happening”. Man is incapable – from his perspective – of understanding the idea of the righteous suffering and the wicked prospering.Only if man “stands with G-d” and can see all of history from beginning to end will he have the ability to understand things in context and appreciate that everything is in fact for the best. “My back” means in retrospect – from the rear. The belief that G-d always does what is good, is essentially what we say when we recite the Shma Yisrael. Hear O Israel, the L-rd (Hashem) our G-d (Elo- keinu), the L-rd (Hashem) is One. We are familiar with the idea that the word Elokeinu (our Elo-kim) is the Name of G-d that represents His attribute of Judgment. The name Hashem  (Yud-Kay-Vov-Kay) is the Name that represents His attribute of Mercy. The interpretation of the declaration of Shma Yisrael is the following: “Understand O Israel the Name Hashem (Yud-Kay-Vov-Kay) representing mercy and compassion is identical with the Name – Elokeinu – our G-d of Justice; it is all One. He sometimes appears Merciful and sometimes as a Strict Judge, but we must believe that ultimately it all emerges from the name Hashem – the Name associated with Mercy. The Talmud states [Berachos 13b] that when Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi recited  the  Shma Yisrael, he would cover his eyes. Based on this passage, the Tur in Shulchan Aruch rules – and this is the universal practice – that every Jew should cover his eyes when reciting Krias Shma. Why do we do this? Because sometimes, when we try to say Hashem Elokeinu Hashem Echad [the L-rd our G- d the L-rd is One], attesting to our belief that the attribute of Mercy and the attribute of Justice are all the same, there are too many troubles right before our eyes to allow us to truly believe this testimony. It becomes difficult for us to say that everything is for the good. Therefore, we cover our eyes so that, symbolically at least, we do not see all the troubles.

The Kol Aryeh states if we want an example of this concept – that everything that the Almighty does – regardless of appearances – is truly all for the good, we can find it in the life of the righteous Yosef. His life personifies this belief. He was hated by his brothers, thrown into a pit, sold as a slave, defamed and framed by his master’s wife, and put into a dungeon where he languished for 12 years. What was he thinking through all of this?

However, eventually, because he was in this dungeon in Egypt, he became known to Pharaoh, he became the second in command in Egypt, he sustained all of Egypt, and eventually saved his brothers and family from starvatio n. In the end, Yosef saw how all that happened to him indeed was for the best.

Therefore, G-d told Yaakov not to fear as you downgrade to Egypt. Although Yaakov perceived prophetically that this would be the beginning of a long and bitter exile, G-d reassured him by saying, “Yosef will place his hands over your eyes.” In other words, G-d was reminding Yaakov of all that happened to Yosef and that despite the trauma and troubles, all had worked out for the best in the end. Yosef personified the idea that apparent troubles can foreshadow great and positive outcomes.

“Yosef will cover your eyes.” The Zohar states – “this is the secret of Shma Yisrael.”

Now we understand the Zohar. The secret of Krias Shma is the unification of Hashem [G-d of Mercy] with Elokeinu [our G-d of Judgment]. This is sometimes hard to perceive unless we cover our eyes. Yosef (and all that happened to him in his life) should be our metaphorical model for covering our eyes and allowing ourselves to be convinced of the truth of this declaration of unification of G-d’s attributes.

  The soldier/guest reached out to G-d in a moment of despair, like we all do, because that is what the pure soul of a Jew gravitates to. However the next step is most critical in reaching true and powerful faith. This is personified by the Shema Yisrael, where we learn everything we experience is for the good. However, we’re human and at times it’s hard to comprehend the negative. The soldiers in the tank reciting the bracha of shahakol are alive, however, there have been soldiers that have perished in this year’s war in Gaza. How painful it is for their families. Let us cover our eyes and say Shma and perhaps G-d will answer our prayers. Perhaps the attribute of mercy will stand out and Jews around the world will not see more anguish, Amein!