Amazing Shavuos party for the 10 commandments. Over 60 adults and children enjoying the best cheesecake and ice cream spread since Sinai!
Individually unique.
One of the topics of this week's Torah portion (fun fact: the longest one in the Torah) is the dedication of theMishkan - the temporary temple that accompanied the Jews in the desert.
The leader of each tribe brought an offering. A very precise offering. As an example: "one silver bowl weighing one hundred and thirty shekels". What's interesting is that each and every leader's offering was exactly the same. The items, the amounts, the weights, everything.
If this is the case, then why does the Torah bother to repeat this paragraph of information a staggering twelve times (resulting in it being the longest portion)? It seems highly repetitive and unnecessary. Wouldn't it make much more sense to write it once and preface "each one of the leaders brought..."?
This is the mistake of generalizing and grouping. In today's day and age, we tend to put everyone into a category, filing them away into a box.
The Midrash devotes dozens of pages to explaining how this offering in all its glorious detail was perfectly suited to that particular tribe's character and personality. And it was similarly exactly appropriate for the next, but for a totally different reason. Each element was chock full of significance, and yet an altogether different experience than the next one. From the firstborn tribe of Reuven to the Torah scholars of Yisachar to the merchant of the Zevulun tribe.
We don't need to do something different to be unique. We simply are unique. And it expresses itself in everything we do, no matter how ordinary it seems. None of us are redundant and our experience matters to Hashem deserving its own mention in the Torah.
So do a Mitzvah, and make it your own.
From the Rabbi's Desk
Individually Unique
Yankel or Larry
The nation has been taken by storm.
In what seems like a random discovery, an audio clip of an enigmatic nature emerged this week. The very same recording sounds like "yanny" to some, while others distinctly hear "laurel". It's reminiscent of the blue and back dress of a few years ago that many perceived to be white and gold.
Scientists and language experts have explained that the sound waves of these two words are very similar. When the sound was uploaded to the internet and compressed with MP3 technology, certain elements of the sound were removed, leaving our brains to fill in the blanks. So while your ears and brain may process it as "yanny", your friend sitting next to you, might hear nothing but "laurel".
Rewind 3,330 years.
Some 3 million Jews are gathered at the base of Mt Sinai. After a 7-week journey through the desert, anticipation for the receiving of the Torah is at its apex. The mountain, covered in freshly grown flowers, is ablaze. Amidst lighting and thunder, the world stood still, nary a bird chirping. The newly minted nation able to see straight through the heavens.
And when that powerful voice emanated for the 10 Commandments, we find something fascinating. Commandment number four.
The 10 commandments appear twice in the Torah. In the Exodus scene #4 reads "Remember the Shabbos" while in Deuteronomy, the same commandment states
"Keep the Shabbos". Is this the original Laurel vs Yanny (or perhaps Leibel vsYankel)?
While it has been determined that the original uncompressed audio clip was definitely Laurel (a sound bite on Vocabulary.com), with the Shabbos commandment, it is much cooler.
In the traditional L'cha Dodi sung on Friday night, it enlightens us that "Shamor v'Zachor B'dibur Echad" - that Hashem spoke "Remember" and "Keep" in one word. Hashem, not constrained by human limitations, was indeed able to articulate two messages simultaneously. In fact, these two form the construct of all the commandments in the Torah. Remember is the proactive part of the relationship - just like remembering an anniversary gift. Keep is all about protecting the relationship from negative influences. Saying them together shows us that the do's and don'ts are both part and parcel of the same relationship.
Another takeaway is that there are times when our perception just doesn't cut it. And though I fall squarely on the Yanny side, I still know with absolute certainty, that it is actually Laurel. And as finite humans revisiting the Sinai experience this Sunday, we too may not always pick up the correct divine pitch. So when we're not feeling it, take it to the heavenly linguistics authority. Look inside the Torah, and though we may still hear something else, we can know with confidence what the truth is.
... This Sunday, whether you are on Team Yanny or Team Laurel, chocolate or vanilla ice cream, come hear the 10 commandments Live. You might just hear something you never heard before.
Volcanic Eruptions
Volcanic thoughts.
So Hawaii's Kīlauea volcano, which has been erupting continuously since 1983, is once again disrupting life on the Island. The bursts of lava and the unstoppable flow of molten from the fissures have destroyed some 40 homes.
We can learn something positive from everything that we see or hear. So here are some of my thoughts.
Sometimes, we can think that what you see is what you get. And if it looks like a mound of dirt, then it is most likely a simple mo
und of dirt. The volcanic eruptions remind us just how much there is beneath the surface. Incredible potent energy waiting to be unleashed; precious gems and minerals ready to mine; treasures and historic pasts waiting to be excavated.
Similarly, at times we may feel like a rock, unable to produce, just being trampled upon, cold and lifeless. Yet, if we dig beneath the surface, if we take a moment to explore, we discover, hidden treasures and unstoppable power within us. An energy we never knew we had.
Perhaps our energy may burst forth like a lava fountain, or maybe it will be a slow and steady drive cascading forward towards an as of yet unknown destination. One thing is certain, there needs to be an opening in order for the hidden powers to make a difference. How do we create these fissures or rupture through the thick crust our life has developed? There needs to be a disruption of the status quo.
So let's start bubbling, start those powerful reactions going, and let's not let a layer of rock and dirt get between us and making the world a better place.
Does it Matter?
Does it matter?
It's a question that I receive often. Why the specific laws and customs? It's all so detailed! Can't we just keep it to the main characters, to the highlights? 613 commandments, plus a whole host of customs and traditions?
As evidenced by many villages around the world, homes can be simple cement structures that provide shelter. Meals can be made of basic ingredients. But given the opportunity, one wouldn't suffice with the stripped down minimum for something that mattered to them.
When creating something, the beauty is in the details. A painting masterpiece is defined by the many hues and contrasting colors. In culinary arts, it is the delectable array of flavors
that blend harmoniously on one's palate to create a tantalizing recipe. In engineering a powerful computer, those microchip processors are not insignificant.
One may not be able to point to one shade of color on the painting and say this shadow is beautiful, and yet that same shadow helps the portrait come to life. That single rivet on the Golden Gate Bridge may not be the largest piece of metal, and yet it is equally as important to the structure. (A little metal fatigue on the Southwest engine...)
Similarly in a relationship, while the honeymoon and dream vacations might be awesome, so are the little things. In fact, washing the dishes, something that isn't as exciting or glamorous, might well prove the commitment a whole lot more.
So next time you have an opportunity to do a Mitzvah, if it's a big one, amazing. And if it's a "detail", go for it with that same dedication. Who knows just how meaningful that one act might be on a Cosmic level.
Shabbat Shalom!