NOW YOU ARE TO TAKE EXCEEDING CARE FOR YOUR SELVES- FOR YOU DID NOT SEE ANY FORM ON THE DAY THAT GOD SPOKE TO YOU AT HOREV FROM THE MIDST OF THE FIRE - LEST YOU WREAK RUIN BY MAKING YOURSELVES A CARVED FORM OF ANY FIGURE IN THE PATTERN OF MALE OR FEMALE. (Devarim 4:15-16)

NOW YOU ARE TO TAKE EXCEEDING CARE FOR YOUR SELVES - TO LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD. (Joshua 23:11)

 

"Only take you care" - this refers to the body; "Take exceeding care for your selves" - this refers to the soul.

(Haamek Davar, Devarim 4:9)

 

Because a sound and healthy body is the work of God, one cannot understand or know anything of the Creator if he is ill, therefore man must distance himself from those things which affect the body adversely, and do those things which make the body healthy and whole, and thus it is written: "Now you are to take exceeding care for your selves...

A person must always try to dwell in a place where the air is clear and fresh, in a high place, in a spacious building. If possible, he should not dwell in the summer in a place which is open to the north or the east, and there should not be present anything moldy. It is beneficial to clear the air of the house frequently, with good fragrances and with beneficial vapors...

Air which is beneficial for bodily health is that which is temperate, neither cold nor hot. Therefore every person should take care not to overheat his home in winter, as do ignorant people, for many illnesses are the result of excess heat. One should heat his home only enough to take away the chill, but not to overheat.

 (Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, Chap. 32:1,25,26)

 

 

 

COPING WITH PAINFUL MEMORIES

Devorah Waysman

 

Egyptologists discovered a harpist's song in the tomb of King Anthep in which is written: "Forgetfulness brings a blessing." (Dr. Nili Shopak of the Faculty for Bible in the University of Haifa, in a lecture which took place in Yerushalayim on 17.6.02.) In contrast, our parasha stresses the value of memory. For example, Chap. 4, verse 9: "Only: take you care, take exceeding care for your self, lest you forget the things that your eyes saw..." In order to keep the memory alive, the Torah charges us a number of times: "Make them known to your children...Take you care, lest you forget... You are to bear in mind that you were a serf... You are to inculcate them in your children" plus many other reminders in this and in other parshiot. The Baal Shem Tov said that that memory is the secret of redemption, and even modern historians and thinkers stress the importance of the collective memory in Jewish identity. (I refer the reader to the volume "Zachor" by Prof. Yosef Yerushalmi.)

In contrast to this, we find in Tractate Berachot (32b) a somewhat different approach to memory and forgetfulness.

"Can a woman forget her baby" (Isaiah 49:15) - Said The Holy One, Blessed Be He: "Can I forget the offerings of rams and the firstborn which you offered before me in the desert." (This drasha is based upon the similarity between "oola" (baby) and "olah" (offering)) Knesset Yisrael (The Congregation of Israel) replied: "Master of the Universe, since there is no forgetfulness before Your throne, perhaps You will not forget on our behalf the sin of the calf?" He answered: "These, too, will not be forgotten." (Cf. Shemot 32:4) Said she to Him: "Master of the Universe, since there is forgetfulness before Your throne, perhaps You will forget that which happened at Sinai?" He replied: I shall not forget you" (Cf. Shemot 20:2) This conforms to that which Rabbi El'azar said in the name of Rabbi Oshaya, "Where is this referred to in the Bible? "Even if this be forgotten" - this is the sin of the calf; "I shall not forget you" - that which happened at Sinai".

In this selection we find - in addition to the wordplay and the sharp literary homiletic, a powerful and important psychological and conceptual statement: Not every memory is positive or blessed. Psychologically, there are many memories which preserve traumatic experiences and which cause mental illness. The Argentinean author, Borghas, once wrote a story about a man named Fuentes, who, as a result of an accident, was doomed to remember every sight, every sound, every smell and every taste he had ever experienced. He was unable to function normally because of the impossible mass of memories. He pleaded for forgetfulness.

Just as is the case with individuals, so with nations. There are memories which build a positive identity, which nourish the soul. And just as the individual sometimes is stuck with a traumatic memory which prevents him from moving ahead in life, so with nations; there are memories which may hamper any progress. The solution lies not in forgetting, but in the processing and integration of the difficult memory into a more complex fabric of life.

It seems to me that this is the message concealed in a story which appears in the Talmud, Tractate Taanit (22a):

Rabbi Broka of Chozai once visited the market of Beth Left. Elliyahu the Prophet accompanied him. He once said to Eliyahu: Is there - in this entire marketplace with all its people - someone who is destined for the World to Come? He replied: No. In the meantime there appeared a person dressed in black shoes, not according to custom of Israel, and there was no string of t'chelet hanging from his clothing. Said Eliyahu to Rabbi Broka: This man is destined for the World to Come. Rabbi Broka ran after him, saying: What do you do? He replied: Go away today, for I have no time now - come back tomorrow and we will talk. On the morrow he said to him: What are your good deeds? He answered: I am a warden in a prison, and I declare 'men separate from women'. I place my bed between them so that they not come to sin. And when I see a Jewish woman upon whom gentiles have set their eyes, I endanger myself to save her. One day, in our jail was an betrothed woman, who was the subject of gentiles' desire. I took wine lees which are red and placed them in the lower part of her dress, and said that she is a menstruant so that they would leave her alone. Said Rabbi Broka: Why do you not wear tsitsit and why do you wear black shoes? He replied: I circulate among gentiles in such garb so that they will not identify me as a Jew, and when they issue a decree, I inform the sages and they pray for mercy and annul the decree. He asked: Why, when I asked you 'What do you do', did you tell me to leave and return on the morrow? He replied: At that moment they had just issued a decree and I thought to myself: First I will go and notify the sages, so that they plead for mercy.

In the meantime, two others came to the marketplace. Said Eliyahu to Rabbi Broka: These, too, are destined for the world to come. He approached them and said to them: What do you do? They answered: We are happy people, and we make the sad happy. And also, when we see two people having a quarrel, we strive to make peace between them.

The first person marked in the story as "destined for the world to come" belongs to the sphere of hostile relations between Jews and gentiles. The Jews are a persecuted minority, subject to abuse and violence from an anti-Semitic majority. They require mechanisms of self-defense - even unconventional ones - in order to survive. Zionism sought to change the Jews' situation vis a vis the nations, to reach equality and 'normalization'. To our great sorrow, this desired objective has not yet been reached. The current war continues our abnormal condition. In this struggle, both sides are sacrifices. A complex of traumatic memories and threats on both sides is being created. If, with the help of God, we attain calm, or perhaps even an agreement, the residual memories of both sides may be unbearable.

The Talmudic tale offers an alternative. For the two newcomers, redemption is not a matter of self-defense against the actions of the nations. The geula which they bring is one of joy, conciliation, interpersonal peace. We must educate our children to positive Jewish identification - not just as a reaction to hatred and anti-Semitism, but as a spiritual and cultural value which stands on its own. If only our enemies would also be able to internalize this message.

On Shabbat 'Nachamu', between the 9^th of Av and the 15^th of Av, we experience the dialectic movement of Jewish life. We leave mourning and destruction, memories of persecution and holocaust, and enter a period of consolation, with a festival which celebrates the joy of conciliation. Historically, the the 15^th of Av marked rapprochement between the tribes of Israel, when the tribe of Benjamin was permitted to reenter the congregation after the incident of terrible abuse and violence (Judges 18). May it be His will that in our day we also reach conciliation with our Palestinian neighbors, and that both parties be able to cope with the memory of the sacrifices, to contain the pain. And to continue onward.

Dr. Devorah Waysman is head of the Kerem Institute for Teacher Preparation and is a member of the Yedidya Congregation in Yerushalayim.

 

 

 

"That You May Live and Come and Inherit" - Inheritance of the Land Is Contingent Upon Fulfillment of the Covenant

"That you should not say "It is already written: "To these shall the land be divided" - the land is ours, whether we are deserving or guilty." Do not say so, for your entry into the land is dependent entirely on whether or not you observe the laws and regulations.

 (Hizkuni, Devarim 4:1)

 

... There are those who believe that God's love for Israel is promised unconditionally; they rely on such verses as "Because of God's love for you and because of his keeping the sworn oath that he swore to your fathers did God take you out, with a strong hand and redeem you from a house of serfs" - The Holy One, Blessed Be He, is obliged - as it were - to keep his promise and to redeem us.

But such is not the case. As long as there does not exist a generation worthy and suitable to accept the covenant and the grace, as God swore to the patriarchs, the Holy One, Blessed Be He, has patience, and a thousand years pass before his eyes as if it was but yesterday; but on the other hand, it is not at all certain that we will be able to wait a thousand generations, if we are unworthy thereof. These words must be declared against that dangerous ideology which contains a tremendous diminution of religious belief, to the effect that the Jewish people received a promise of great and glorious Messianic redemption merely by virtue of the fact that they are the Children of Israel.

Those words of blasphemy and execration heard today from the mouth of many who are assumed in their own eyes to be the loyal and faithful of Israel, saying that The Holy One, Blessed Be He is, as it were, obligated to keep his promise and redeem us; these words may turn out to be misleading and disappointing, because they are oblivious to the basic condition: "Hear, Israel, the laws and the regulations."

 (Y. Leibowitz: Seven Years of Discussion of the Weekly Parasha. pp. 776-777)

 

 

Comfort, Comfort My People - Thoughts for Shabbat Nachamu

We make abundant use of the term "nechama" [consolation]. Just two days ago, during the Mincha service on Tish'a b'Av, in one form or another "Comfort, God, the mourners for Zion and Yerushalayim"; when we visit the home of a mourner, we fulfill a good deed called "nichum aveilim" - comforting the mourners, and we depart with the phrase "May the Omnipresent comfort you..." or "Be comforted from heaven". The weeks following Tish'a b'Av are called "Seven Shabbatot of Nechama", one reason being the nature of the haftarot read during those weeks, the first of which begins with "Comfort, comfort my people."

What, then, is the meaning of that 'nechama'? Can there be "nechama" in every case? For instance, a family which has suffered bereavement - can they be consoled? As early as in Bereishit there appears the root n'ch'm' :

"The Lord saw how great was man's wickedness on earth, and how every plan devised by his mind was nothing but evil all the time. And the Lord regretted [vayinachem] that He had made man on earth, and His heart was saddened. The Lord said, "I will blot out from the earth the men whom I created - men together with beasts, creeping things, and birds of the sky for I regret [nichamti] that I made them" (Bereishit 6:5-7).

A few verses earlier we read:

"And he named him Noah, saying, "this one will provide us comfort from our work and from the toil of our hands, out of the soil which the Lord placed under a curse." (Bereishit 5:29)

In Parashat "Ki Tissa" which we recite on public fasts, following the sin of the calf and Moshe's supplication:

"And the Lord renounced [vayinachem] the punishment He had planned to bring upon His people."

Various commentators, beginning with Chazal, deal with the theological difficulty which arises primarily in the verse "and Lord regretted the He had made man"; the general tendency is to see in these words a classic example of the concept "Torah spoke in the language of men". Rashi, however, sums up the term 'nechama' in the words: "All are expressions of a second thought." This is to say that the different connotations of the root n'ch'm' share a common denominator, whether speaking of "regret" or of "renounce", and that is: second thought, reconsideration.

The concept of nechama belongs to that category of things which, in reality, we cannot change, because that which is done cannot be undone. What does take place is an internal process, sometimes difficult and long, which enables one to view reality "differently", to find new meaning. Only in the haftara of Parashat "Nitzavim", in the seventh week, can we say, along with the prophet: "I rejoice, yes, rejoice with the Lord." This teaches us that the working through and coming to terms with the grief or with a traumatic experience is a process which demands time. However, the passing time makes possible the process of the change - it does not effect the change. In "Avot d'Rabbi Natan" we read of the disciples of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai who come to comfort him upon the death of his son. All the disciples attempt to console him - unsuccessfully - by comparing his tragedy to the tragedies of others. Only Rabbi El'azar ben Azarya succeeds:

Rabbi El'azar ben Azarya entered. Upon seeing him, he told his servant: Take a vessel and follow me to the bath house, because he is a great person, and I cannot stand before him. He entered and stood before him and said to him: To what can this be compared? A king deposited an object with a person for safekeeping. Every day, the latter would cry out: Woe to me, when will I be able to return this deposit in good order! So you, Rabbi, you had a son who read the Torah, Prophets, Scriptures, Mishna, Laws and Aggadot, and departed this world clean of sin; you must accept consolation, for you returned the deposit in perfect order.

He replied, Rabbi El'azar, my son, you have consoled me "the way men console". (Avot d'Rabbi Natan, 14:6)

Rabbi El'azar ben Azarya spoke to his mentor in the language of men, connected with him and with his distress, and shifted the focus to the living son, to the meaning of life, to memory. This relating made it possible for Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai to view the painful reality of the loss of a son differently.

Is this a universal and general prescription for consolation? It seems not. But it is possible that viewing tragic reality from varying perspectives, which take into account the past and hope for a better future, which connect to the person, to the group, and to society rather than to their anguish and their pain, offers a chance for consolation. Must we wait for Rabbi El'azar ben Azarya to help us console ourselves, or perhaps each one of us has to muster our internal Rabbi El'azar in order to console ourselves, to console others, to breath hope into a wounded society?

 Pinchas Leiser - Editor

 

 

 

 

Editorial Board: Pinchas Leiser (Editor), Miriam Fine (Coordinator), Itzhak Frankenthal and Dr. Menachem Klein

Translation: Kadish Goldberg

This weekly publication was made possible by:

The Moriah Fund, the Tisch Foundation and private donors

 

To our readers:

We will be happy to have you actively participate in "Shabbat Shalom" by:

·        Letters to the editor

·        Publication of Divrei Torah (in coordination with the editorial board)

For details, contact Miriam Fine (053-920206 or 02-6730196)

If you enjoy Shabbat Shalom, please consider contributing towards its publication and distribution.

• Hebrew edition distributed in Israel $1000
• English edition distributed via email $ 100

Issues may be dedicated in honor of an event, person, simcha, etc. Requests must be made 3-4 weeks in advance to appear in the Hebrew, 10 days in advance to appear in the English email.

US, Canadia or British tax-exempt contributions to OzveShalom may be made through the New Israel Fund or through P.E.F. Israel Endowment Funds, Inc.

Contributions should be marked as donor-advised to OzveShalom/Netivot Shalom, the Shabbat Shalom project.

New Israel Fund, POB 53410, Jerusalem 91534 (Please include Israeli address and telephone number)

New Israel Fund, POB 91588, Washington, DC 20090-1588, USA

New Israel Fund of Great Britain, 26 Enford Street, London W1H 2DD, United Kingdom (British tax exemption)

P.E.F. Israel Endowment Funds, Inc., 317 Madison Ave., Suite 607, New York, New York 10017 USA

 

About us:

Oz Veshalom-Netivot Shalom is a movement dedicated to the advancement of a civil society in Israel. It is committed to promoting the ideals of tolerance, pluralism, and justice, concepts which have always been central to Jewish tradition and law.

Oz Veshalom-Netivot Shalom shares a deep attachment to the land of Israel and it no less views peace as a central religious value. It believes that Jews have both the religious and the national obligation to support the pursuit of peace. It maintains that Jewish law clearly requires us to create a fair and just society, and that co-existence between Jews and Arabs is not an option but an imperative.

Oz Veshalom-Netivot Shalom's programs include both educational and protest activities. Seminars, lectures, workshops, conferences and weekend programs are held for students, educators and families, as well as joint seminars for Jews, Israeli Arabs and Palestinians. Protest activities focus on issues of human rights, co-existence between Jews and Arabs, and responses to issues of particular religious relevance.

9,000 copies of a 4 page peace oriented commentary on the weekly Torah reading are written and published by Oz VeShalom/Netivot Shalom and they are distributed to over 350 synagogues in Israel and are sent overseas via email. Our web site is www.netivot-shalom.org.il.

Oz Veshalom-Netivot Shalom's educational forums draw people of different backgrounds, secular and religious, who are keen to deepen their Jewish knowledge and to hear an alternative religious standpoint on the subjects of peace and social issues.

Oz Veshalom-Netivot Shalom fills an ideological vacuum in Israel's society. Committed both to Jewish tradition and observance, and to the furthering of peace and coexistence, the movement is in a unique position to engage in dialogue with the secular left and the religious right, with Israeli Arabs and with Palestinians.

Our activities are funded by donations and one part time employee.

OzveShalom/Netivot Shalom                Tel./Fax 972-2-5664218

Pob 4433                                             Email: ozshalom@netvision.net.il

Jerusalem 94310, Israel                www. netivot-shalom.org