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Sometimes we may underestimate how much impact we as individuals can have on others and the world. We may think, who will listen to us or can we really make a difference. As we approach Purim I think this concept is very relevant. As we know, the miracle of Purim is that the Jews were saved from the evil decree of Haman who wished to destroy them. If we look at the main players in this story Esther and Mordechai, who were the Jewish leaders who helped annul the decree, we notice something interesting. When they learned about Haman’s evil decree they realized that they needed to quickly act before it was too late. It is then that we see Esther going through the same dilemma I initially mentioned. As we are told, she second guesses herself and if she will really be able to make a difference and help the jewish people. It is then that Mordechai explains to her that it was not just by coincidence that she became queen at this time, but it is so she can take action to help the jewish people. As we know Esther understands that this is not a time to second guess herself, but to step up and put in her effort. She then risks her life and with G-d’s help the Jewish people are saved.

Still some may say, ok so Esther was the queen and she was in a powerful position to impact events but how does that work in my own life? To answer this I want to tell you about Avi Schaefer zl’ who was 21 and was killed by a drunk driver. Though his life was cut short at an early age, I believe that he was able to impact the jewish nation and those around him. He made aliyah straight after high school and joined the army. After his army service he returned to the U.S. to get his degree. Though he was not in Israel, he was still concerned for the future of the jewish people and tried to come up with different ways to help out. I recently met him three weeks ago at an Israel conference and though I only knew him for a short while he made an impression on me. We both were at the conference because we were aliyah representatives on our college campuses. Our mission is to help those who love Israel and want to make aliyah fulfill their dreams. As I think back to the conference I remember how passionate and dedicated he was to the future of the Jewish people and how he believed that he could make a difference. I think that we can all be inspired by his belief that he could make a difference though he was just one individual. We should also realize that we also have that same power to stand up and make a difference and we are the ones that underestimate our own abilities. This Purim may we all realize our strengths that can be used to help the jewish people and be able to make Avi’s dream a reality.

As we know the two reasons we celebrate Chanukah are to commemorate how the Jews won the war against the Greeks and how the oil that was found in the Beit Hamikdash lasted for 8 days. I was always wondering if there was a deeper connection between these two events and I heard an interesting explanation of how they are connected. If we look deeper into what the cause of war between the Greeks and the Jews was about, we can understand that the war was not just to eradicate the Jews physically, but to extinguish the jewish soul. They wanted Judaism to just be cultural and not spiritual which is why they banned the jewish people from keeping Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh and Brit Mila. These three mitzvot symbolize our connection with Hashem and show that Judaism is not just another culture that is void of spirituality. In addition, the Greeks didn’t believe that Hashem is always involved in the world and controls nature. The connection between these two seemingly separate events is that when Hashem performed the miracle that the Jews were able to win over the Greeks who greatly outnumbered them, it showed that Hashem is involved in our everyday activities and is in charge of nature even though it seemed like a natural occurrence. The open miracle with the oil lasting for 8 days also clearly showed how Hashem is openly involved in our lives and how against all odds they were able to find oil that was not defiled and could be used to light the menorah. These two miracles showed the Greeks that contrary to their belief, Hashem is constantly involved in world events and in our own personal lives.

Another question that comes up is, when do we commemorate the victory over the Greeks? It seems that we are only commemorating the miracle of the oil when we light the menorah. I heard an interesting answer, that explains that in the Beit Hamikdash the menorah only had seven branches and on our menorah we have eight. Why is there this difference? Also if there was enough oil for the first night of Chanukah then why was that such a miracle? The reason for the difference is that we have the extra branch/candle to symbolize the victory over the Greeks. On the first night we light the menorah to commemorate the victory and the other seven nights we are commemorating the miracle of how the oil lasted for all the rest of the days. The lesson we can take from Chanukah is that Hashem is constantly watching over us and helping us even at times when it seems as if events are progressing naturally. May we all have a bright and uplifting Chanukah!

In this week’s parsha, Parshat Lech Lecha we read about how Avraham was commanded by Hashem to leave his birthplace and to go where Hashem commanded him. As we know where Avraham would be going was not revealed to him at first which made this commandment even more difficult. As always I like to connect events in the Torah to our lives, because I think in this way we can continue to bring the Torah back to life and it becomes more meaningful to us. So how does Avraham’s commandment have relevance for us today and what can we learn from his experience?

Hashem’s commandment to Avraham was, Lech Lecha which means go for yourself. I think that by following Hashem’s commandment Avraham was fulfilling his personal destiny that only he could accomplish. He understood Hashem’s message to him and he didn’t delay and push it aside. Instead he not only went himself but he brought many other people with him. Also in addition to this test that Hashem tested Avraham we are told that in total he was tested 10 times. Though he passed all the tests, we can imagine that despite his perseverance and success he still felt some fear.

I think that like Avraham, we each have our own personal missions in life that we need to accomplish. We are also given our share of challenges that are uniquely designed for us to help us become stronger and be able to carry out our life’s mission properly and effectively. Though at times it is unclear what we need to accomplish and what is expected from us, we like Avraham need to hear Hashem’s calling to us and take the strength from Avraham to approach life’s challenges and opportunities in a whole new way.

This week, we start reading the Torah from its beginning, and the parshah of the week discusses how the world was formulated at its beginning. On the first day of the world’s creation, the Torah states:

“God said ‘Let there be light’ and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and God separated between the light and the darkness” [Genesis: 1: 3-4]

It’s very interesting to note that although the Torah speaks of the manner in which God created light, it does not recount how God created darkness! Why is this so?

One may suggest that God did not create darkness because darkness is merely a “lack of light” and was always there. Therefore there is no reason that God needed to create darkness. However, this is false. Just as God made light, so too did he make darkness; this concept is highlighted in our prayers everyday, in which we say:

“Blessed are You, Hashem, our God, King of the Universe, Who forms light and creates darkness, makes peace and creates all” [Morning service: In the blessings of the Shema]

So what was the Torah hinting at by omitting God’s creation of darkness? (*See footnote)

Our Rabbis tell us, that on a conceptual level “light” always refers to goodness, while “darkness” always refers to evil. By leaving out the creation of darkness, the Torah is perhaps telling us an extremely profound idea, relating to “light” and “darkness” on this conceptual level. Everything in this world of course originates from God; everything. And being that God is perfect in every which way, it is impossible that anything that emanates from His presence can be defected or “evil” in any fashion. Therefore, the Torah only describes how God fashioned “light” because only goodness (light) can come from Him.

However, the concept of evil in this world is not something created by God, but by man.

On a simple level: God created a world for us containing only good. He has bestowed this good upon us and has made it our responsibility to preserve it. Therefore, it is only through man’s actions that the world can remain good or become evil.

On a deeper level, this idea can be understood by the recognition that no matter what happens in this world is done for the good. Even when the world has been steeped in corruption and has reached a damaged state, we have to understand that it is only damaged in our eyes. No matter how horrible a situation may be, we must understand that it is really for our benefit, and the only reason it may seem “evil” is because that is how we categorize it. According to this explanation, “evil” is created in this world only through man’s thoughts and perceptions.

This concept is so vital for our relationship with God and our (limited) understanding of His ways, that it is conveyed to us on the very first day of creation. May we merit to “see the light” in every corner of our lives, and be able to abolish the darkness that may have been created through our own doings.

Good Shabbos,

NZL

*According to the scope of this essay, the omission of God’s creation of darkness is only in order to relate the idea which we will further develop. However, as indicated by the verse, God indeed “creates darkness”. The actual meaning of this is rather complex and steps way beyond the scope of this essay. If anyone is interested in understanding the meaning behind how “God creates evil” please contact me and I will do my best to explain it according to my limited level of understanding.

The main topic of this week’s parshah is the blessings that Moshe bestows upon each tribe just before his impending death. Before actually blessing the tribes, Moshe starts off by recalling the merit that makes the nation worthy of receiving a blessing:

“Hashem came from Sinai — having shone forth to them from Seir, having appeared from Mount Paran…” [Deuteronomy: 33: 2]

What exactly does the verse mean when it says that God came forth from the locations of “Seir” and “Paran” and what does it have to do with receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai?

Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhaqi, 1040-1105, famed as the author of the first comprehensive commentaries on the Torah) explains that before approaching the Jewish people with the Torah, God first offered it to the descendants of Eisav, who dwelled in Seir, and to the descendants of Ishmael, who dwelled in Paran. After both of these nations refused to accept the Torah, God offered it to the Jewish nation who accepted it with open arms. It was this merit that Moshe recalls in order to show God that the Jewish people were fit for a blessing.

Although the nations of the world declined God’s offer, we are taught in the Talmud (a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history) that in the end of days they seek forgiveness before God and ask for another chance; to accept the Torah anew. God accedes to their request, but not by offering the Torah. Rather God says “I have an easy commandment and its name is Succah. Go and perform it”. The Talmud then describes how the nations were not able to perform this commandment properly and it therefore demonstrated that they were undeserving of a second chance from God.

One may ask: If the nations were attempting to show their loyalty and commitment to the entire Torah, why did God offer them only one commandment? And why was it that God chose the commandment of Succah in particular?

Seemingly, we may suggest that by observing the commandment of Succah one is, in some fashion, committing himself to the entire Torah. How is that?

For seven days we leave the comfort of our homes and we dwell (eat, drink, sleep etc.) in the Succah. On a deeper level, we are meant to leave more than just our homes. The holiday of Succos requires us to leave our fixed mindset and routine that we have accustomed ourselves to throughout the entire year. In order to be enveloped by God’s loving embrace, which is represented by the Succah, we must force ourselves to go against our natural tendencies. Yes, it is uncomfortable and yes, it is difficult. But this is what is expected of us.

Accepting upon ourselves the yoke of Torah is seen in the same vein. As a Jew, committing ourselves to the Torah is meant to be an uncomfortable and difficult lifestyle. God doesn’t want us to live our lives as we see fit and only afterwards somehow squeeze in the Torah and its commandments. Accepting the Torah means accepting the whole Torah; we can’t pick and choose the commandments we wish to keep. Therefore, bringing Torah into our lives consequentially breaches the walls of our daily schedule and natural tendencies.

Only after sitting in a Succah for seven days and committing ourselves to internalizing this idea can we truly rejoice and find happiness (Simcha) within God’s Torah on the upcoming holiday of Simchas Torah.

Good Shabbos,

Chag Samayach,

NZL