Senseless Kindness.
Jerusalem burned, the Holy Temple destroyed. Twice. 490 years apart, the Babylonians and Romans took our prized possession, our crown jewel, sending us into exile.
Tonight is Tisha B'Av - the ninth day of Av, a day notorious for calamity in the Jewish nation. From the spies in the desert to the Spanish Inquisition, to the expulsion from England, this date is always in the mix.
The Talmud relates a fascinating episode that directly led to the destruction:
An individual hosted a party, inviting all of his friends and acquaintances. The postal worker mistakenly delivered an invitation meant for a fellow named Kamtza to another gentleman namedBar Kamtza. While Kamzta was a close friend, Bar Kamtza was his despised enemy. Bar Kamtza, thinking that it was a gesture of goodwill, a truce, arrives at the celebration, looking forward to the end of the long-lasting feud.
However, Bar Kamtza soon discovers that this was never the intention, when the host insists on him leaving, ignoring his pleas to allow him to stay just this once (even offering to pay for the entire party). Shamed and publicly humiliated, Bar Kamtza vows revenge. He heads off to the Roman emperor, with a claim that the Jews h
ave rebelled. As proof, he suggests that the emperor send an offering to the Holy Temple. Along the way, Bar Kamtza surreptitiously makes a slit on the cow's lip, rendering it unfit. When the emperor's gift was rejected, this was proof positive of a rebellion, and an attack on Jerusalem ensued, culminating with the 9 Av tragedy.
And all of this began from an act of senseless hatred.
So as we mark this day on the Jewish Calendar, let us combat this with senseless acts of love and kindness. Not because the recipient earned our kindness. Not because I understand that kindness is a noble pursuit (it is). Not because it will make me a better person (it will). But simply kindness for the sake of kindness.
This year, the sadness and gloom of Tisha B'Av are mitigated, because it comes out on Shabbat. In this case, the fast day and mourning are pushed off until Saturday Night and Sunday making it that much easier to reverse the effect and transform the experience. For more on Tisha B'Av, click here.
Smile. Give. Love. It will make this world a better place.
From the Rabbi's Desk
Senseless Kindness
Miraculous Raffle
Camp Aleph was a resounding success with over 30 campers having a spectacular two weeks.
"I wish camp would never end" and "I can't wait to come back next summer" were some of the comments heard at the end of camp celebration. Thank you to our dedicated counselors Sara and Chaya Ita, and our junior counselors Rachel, Kyra, and Abby for giving the kids the time of their lives.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so definitely scroll down to check out our photo galleries and camp video below for a glimpse into the fun!
Relive the fun of an incredible 2 weeks at Camp Aleph!
🏀🚌🌴🎨🛳🎸🌊
Counting down the days until summer 2019 😃
Watch the Camp Aleph Video here (or here)
Listen to the Camp Aleph theme song here
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A fascinating and puzzling episode is recounted in this week's Torah portion. When the Jewish nation entered the Land of Israel they needed to divide the land fairly between the twelve tribes.
In order to do this, many factors had to be taken into account; the size of the tribe (Judah had 74,000 vs Benjamin's 22,500), the quality of the land (one acre of fertile land was equivalent to a much larger slice of barren land), and even the expertise of the tribe members (Zebulun were merchants and were, therefore, better suited for a coastal territory).
Naturally, in order to accomplish this, appraisers, real estate agents, job consultants, the city planning commision, and multiple other departments and professionals needed to weigh in. (Surprisingly they accomplished this significantly faster than the widening of the 101 narrows...)
However, there was another part. The congregation gathered and the tribe chieftains took part in a lottery. Twelve slips of paper with the names of the tribes were placed in a box, and twelve slips with the names of the territories were mixed into the very same box. Each leader stepped forward and drew two slips of paper. Miraculously, each prince chose precisely his own tribe's name as well as the territory that had been determined to best suit that tribe. (There is even a Midrash that the lottery papers audibly announced these results leaving absolutely no room for confusion).
The question is, why? Why the need for both methods? If there was going to be a miraculous, divinely inspired raffle, why the need for the whole appraisal process? And if it was to be split naturally and logically, why the necessity for this heavenly confirmation number?
The truth is, this is precisely what their move into the Land of Israel represented. Unlike in the desert, they would no longer be reliant completely on miracles. They would work the land, build up businesses, and face everyday challenges of providing food, shelter, and care. And yet at the same time, they were enj
oined not to lose the spark of inspiration, not to be completely consumed by material pursuits. On the contrary, now, they have the opportunity of doing Mitzvahs that they couldn't in the desert. Mitzvahs involving their produce, caring for the needy, and a multitude of other regular life scenarios. And that's where the real magic happens, when we are able to infuse the mundane with a higher purpose.
So let's navigate our lives through the grit and grind of our physical abilities, all the while doing Mitzvahs and remaining inspired to make this world a better place. And hopefully, like with the lottery, we can merit some divine confirmation, that we are doing the right thing.