Parshat Balak - The Link Between Failure and Success

"Balak said to him: Come with me to another place..." (Bamidbar 23:13)

Thomas Edison, one of the greatest inventive minds in American history is famously quoted as saying, "I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that won't work." Edison understood that an integral component of success is failure. The two seeming opposites go hand in hand and function in a complimentary manner. The key to achieving success is an attitudinal one: how does one view failure? 

Balak was on a quest to uproot the Jewish mission. We of course find his objective deeply troubling but nonetheless he had a specific task and his reaction to the various setbacks in that task imparts a powerful lesson for us. Balak understood that at the root of it all the Jewish people were in the midst of a spiritual journey and thus the way to subvert them was through a spiritual means. He therefore commissions the prophet Balaam to level a curse upon the people.

As we progress through the narrative we find that Balaam far from cursing the Jewish people ends up blessing them each time he attempts to do so. One can imagine how infuriated this must have made Balak who entrusted the success of his mission to the potency of Balaam's mystical incantations. 

His response to each failure though was not to re-evaluate the objective or at the very least to think critically about the methods employed. Rather, he decides to move to another place and try again. Instead of turning inwards, he looks outwards and finds the fault within the environment itself. It is much easier to place the blame on circumstances that cannot be controlled, however by doing so one forfeits their ability to grow from the failure and come one step closer to success.

We are grateful Balak did not self-reflect and use his failures as opportunities for growth. Nonetheless, we can learn the lesson taught to us by both the Parshaand by Thomas Edison and shift our attitude and by doing so begin to truly reach for success.

Parshat Hukat - The Invisible Amongst Us

"Miriam died there and was buried there... the congregation had no water..." (Bamidbar 20:1-2)

The juxtaposition of two events next to each other in classical Biblical exegesis can oftentimes have deep significance. In this week's Parsha we are informed of two occurrences, one right after the other: the death of Miriam the Prophetess and the lack of water. The Gemara in Taanit 9a learns that in the merit of Miriam the people had water throughout their sojourning through the desert and upon her passing they lost that water.

Water in the environment of the desert is perhaps the most crucial ingredient to survival next to food and occasional shelter. A person will not survive very long in the harsh conditions of the desert without water. The Gemara explicitly teaches us that it was because of the righteousness and sanctity of Miriam that the nation of Israel merited to have such a precious resource wherever they journeyed. This is no small feat and attests to the greatness of Miriam.

However, of the three siblings; Moshe, Aharon and Miriam, she is probably the least acknowledged within both the narrative and our subsequent tradition. There is so much to be said for those who work behind the scenes, quietly and modestly doing their life saving work. There is also much to be said about recognizing and appreciating the contributions of those in the community. A balance must be maintained between recognition and the sanctity of anonymity. There is no answer to this question but how many thought about the gift of water that Miriam daily bestowed upon them? The text itself does not make even an allusion to her contribution until after her passing.

Let us strive to demonstrate our appreciation and acknowledge those who work tirelessly behind the scenes so that our personal lives and indeed our very society may function. There are so many "invisible" people in our midst: from toll booth collectors to hotel cleaning staff and so many other professions, too numerous to mention. May we learn the lesson of this Parsha, to express our gratitude to them once they have passed on but also not forget to do so while they are still living.

Mission Driven Peoplehood

When I was a yeshiva student at The Lander College for Men I remember a moment during my learning that later became transformative in defining the ways that I try to teach Torah to individuals and communities. I was sitting across from my hevruta and we were grappling with a particular piece of Talmud in Tractate Bava Kamma. In the midst of discussing a particular Tosafot I looked up from the page and asked my hevruta, "Why is this relevant?"

I did not ask that question because I was having a crisis in my learning. The contrary was true, I was immensely enjoying the study for the sake of the study itself but I nonetheless felt that something was missing. In that one moment a light shone in my mind that the job of the rabbinic community today is to reinvigorate Jewish life and learning with a mission and a vision. If we can connect the dots from Tanakh to Talmud to Halakhah and frame a picture of a Jewish purpose driven life then we can create a renaissance of Judaism in the modern age.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks in his newest work, Future Tense, sheds even more light on this initial aha moment I experienced years ago:

"... They mean that Jews must go back to the beginning and to the Hebrew Bible and ask again what it is to be Jewish, part of a singular people in a plural world, conscious at one and the same time of the uniqueness of identity and the universality of the human condition. What is it to be true to your faith and a blessing to others regardless of their faith? That is the Jewish question...

The single most important challenge facing the Jewish people, in Israel and the Diaspora, is to recover the Jewish story. It inspired George Eliot. It inspired Dr. King. The time has come for it to inspire Jews."

It is not always easy to derive meaning from every text that we delve into. Nonetheless, I am in complete agreement with Rabbi Sacks that recovering the Jewish story is the single most important challenge for the Jewish community. In what ways do you connect what you learn to the richness of the Jewish story, to the mission and vision of the Jewish people? How do you reignite your own Jewish imagination towards the great narrative of Am Yisrael?

Sacred Disagreement - Parshat Korah

"They assembled against Moshe and Aharon, and said to them..." (Bamidbar 16:3)

Judaism is a tradition of canonized and sanctified argumentation. Some of our most central texts of the tradition are recorded disputes. It is through the mechanism of disagreement that we are able to uncover the multiple layers of meaning and profundity from different texts and practices. In the words of the Sages we thrive on "disagreement for the sake of Heaven."

What though defines a disagreement for the sake of Heaven? One way to understand what a disagreement for the sake of Heaven is, is to understand what it is not. The events surrounding the great dispute between Korah and Moshe as exhibited in this week's Parsha exemplifies a very mundane dispute.

Korah presents a challenge to the very legitimacy of Moshe's authority over the Nation of Israel. This act is a very severe one and must not be discounted fully and disregarded. After all, murmurings of discontent left alone will eventually morph into an all-out rebellion. While the content of Korah's complaint is important and deserves close attention, for our purposes we will focus in on the manner in which it was delivered and its structure.

The challengers to the status quo show no facade of politeness or assuming positive intentions. They do not ask clarifying questions or provide space for Moshe to explain from his perspective and offer an alternative view of the events they are disgruntled about. Korah and his followers immediately and without delay jump into a tirade assuming the worst intentions of Moshe.

One does not begin a "disagreement for the sake of Heaven" by assuming the worst in the other. In fact, one tries to assume as little as possible about the intentions of the other and rather lets the other explain their actions and decisions. Sacred disagreement, the kind that has sustained the Jewish imagination for centuries, is not about proving the other wrong. Sacred and holy disagreement is about uncovering the complex layers of truth and drawing out distinctions in the service of the discovery of that truth.

Moshe's response to their tirade then is a demonstration of an extreme reaction to an extreme situation. Since Korah and his constituents were not utilizing the methods of sacred disagreement, the only reaction Moshe could exhibit was one of extreme deference: "Moshe heard and fell on his face." Rashi based on the Midrash Tanhuma understands Moshe's action as one of prayer on behalf of the people. However, we can see Moshe's actions in another light. They showed no signs of respect at all towards Moshe thus Moshe as the great pedagogue of the people uses his moment to respond to demonstrate utter respect by bowing low to the ground.

The Parsha of Korah teaches us the pivotal and defining concept of "disagreement for the sake of heaven." It reinforces for us that all disagreements must be in the search of truth and not based on assumptions of the character or integrity of the other person. May we heed the challenge of sacred disagreement.

Let's Not (Continue to) Institutionalize Mediocrity

Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein is a Haredi blogger on the blog Cross-Currents. I do not typically read the blog posts on Cross-Currents as they generally revolve around issues that are outside of the Modern Orthodox community. However in his most recent blog post he directly addresses the perceived growing mediocrity in the Modern Orthodox rabbinate. He attributes the rising state of mediocre rabbis on the fact that both YCT and RIETS have taken away educational time from pure study of Torah to pastoral counseling and professional development. The more time a rabbinical student spends delving into Torah for its own sake the better a congregational rabbi he will make, argues Adlerstein. He continues and asserts that the more time a rabbinical student spends learning the methodologies and practices in counseling a person through death and mourning, divorce, alcohol and substance addiction, etc the more mediocre the rabbi will be.

Rabbi Adlerstein is not the first Haredi blogger to pontificate on the downfall of the rabbinate based on this argument. One needs only to think seriously about this argument to realize its intrinsic flaws and shortcomings. There are people who have devoted their lives to talmud Torah and the institutional framework of kollel. Then there are people who have devoted their lives to the institutional framework of the congregation and serving the community. Both are pursuing paths of avodat kodesh. To argue that a rabbinical school that devotes time to training their future communal rabbis in how to be compassionate counselors, effective communicators and trained administrators is in someway forming a mediocre rabbi is ludicrous. That is not to say that many rabbis who did not receive this training do not function as wonderful congregational rabbis - it only means that their rabbinical school essentially hopes they are natural prodigies in counseling, communication and administration (among many other areas) instead of providing the actual education. We do not place our bet on the prodigy factor in any other profession and we should not make that bet on a profession that serves for many people as the front line responders to a whole array of life challenges and difficulties.

So yes, Rabbi Adlerstein, let us not institutionalize a mediocre congregational rabbinate. Let us continue to support institutions such as RIETS and YCT that believe a Modern Orthodox congregational rabbi today needs to be able to counsel a couple; work with a suicidal teenager; recognize eating disorders before its too late; balance budgets and understand P&L reports; communicate in a language that can reach and inspire the Jews of today and so many other dimensions that it would take pages and pages just to list them.

Sholom Rubashkin and the Human Element

I have been thinking a lot recently about the court proceedings against Sholom Rubashkin in Iowa. Let me preface by saying that I am deeply opposed to any and all unethical and illegal business practices. I believe that it is the lofty responsibility of every Jew to represent the paradigm of a person of profound faith in God and scrupulous commitment to Torah with the utmost commitment to ethics and good citizen behavior. The actions that Sholom Rubashkin did personally, and the actions for which as CEO he is ultimately responsible for, are inexcusable and represent a severe lapse in ethical reasoning. Sholom Rubashkin should and must face the punitive consequences for his actions.

My colleague Shmuly Yanklowitz in a column in The Jewish Week argued that the Jewish community in campaigning for a punishment other than life in prison, the punishment being asked for by the prosecution, is demonstrating a public display of our wrong priorities. What about the workers arrested in that now infamous raid? Why isn't the Jewish community collecting signatures on their behalf, Shmuly asks. ("One must consider priorities in these cases and the message sent by defending the owner's case...")

I agree with Shmuly that the case of the workers should be addressed and the workers dealt with compassionately. I commend organizations such as The Jewish Council on Urban Affairs for making immigration reform a central piece of their agenda. However, caring about the workers does not by necessity demand ignoring Sholom Rubashkin. In asking for a life sentence the prosecution is clearly interested in utilizing this case as an example to all would-be offenders. I am opposed on moral and religious grounds to the concept of excessively punishing one person to set an example for others. First, it turns a real human being into a means towards an end. Secondly, it ignores the fact that all matters of din (judgement) must be tempered by rahamim (mercy) and a court that exercises only pure din is an unjust court.

For these reasons I have decided to support the campaign to seek a sentence that both reflects the severity of his crimes and is tempered with mercy.

The Meaning of Remembrance

Today marks Yom HaZikaron, Israeli Memorial Day. On this day the people of Israel pause, reflect, mourn and remember the thousands of individuals; men, women and children who have lost their lives in defense of the State of Israel. Many died in the formative wars of the early days of the State. Many died in the wars with the Iranian proxy group of Hezbollah in Lebanon or with the Islamic fundamentalist group Hamas in Gaza and the West Bank. Many died sitting on a bus or having dinner at home or celebrating a Passover Seder at a hotel or reading the newspaper in a coffee shop. All of them died al-Kiddush Hashem, as martyrs and are kodesh kodeshim, the modern day human embodiment of the holy of holies.

What does it mean to remember? Every year the yahrtzeit candles are lit, memorial ceremonies are held and prayers uttered. All of these acts are rituals meant to evoke memory. The memory though can not sit idle. To remember is to be transformed. To remember is to act. During holidays we recite memorial prayers called Yizkor, literally translated as "may God remember." The Divine does not possess a human memory nor does the Divine forget. The essence of what we ask of God in that moment is that God should act on the memories of our beloved. The lives they led; their passions, convictions, hopes and faith should become the impetus for Divine action.

The same is true today on Yom HaZikaron for us. When we remember those who have perished, we should seek to turn the emotional content of those memories into concrete action. The rituals we perform to evoke the memory should be a springboard for action that authentically and genuinely reflects their memory. In that vein, I suggest that we view this day of remembrance as a moment to strengthen and rededicate ourselves to the work of peace. Ultimately, it is the dream and yearning of Israeli society at large to see the day when peace will finally be achieved. It too was the inspiration and motivation for many soldiers who gave their lives in defense of their country. May we, in their memory, continue their work.