Ha'Iggeret ~ The Message

We are closing up the starring role of Yaakov Avinu (Jacob), and now shifting to his second youngest son — Yosef (Joseph, of Technicolor Dreamcoat fame of course!!!)

When Yosef is introduced, he is the youngest brother of all of Yaakov’s wives’ children. Yosef is said to have spent his time with the children of Bilhah and Zilpah (Yaakov’s 2 handmaidens, not quite at the level of full wives like Rachel and Leah). Why mention who he hangs out with? Wouldn’t a “Yosef was friends with his brothers” do the trick?

There are 3 most common explanations that greatly differ, but the one I like best is from Rashi. Rashi, Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, explains that Yosef spent more time with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah because the sons of Leah (again, Yaakov’s other “main wife” besides Rachel) spurned these sons of “lesser” wives, and so Yosef went out of his way to befriend them. Ugh this interpretation warms my soul.

Have you ever watched a show or movie where a pariah-type, outcast character is introduced? Someone who is clearly being put up to provide some sort of foil for the beautiful, charming main character? Most of the time, the beautiful and charming main character doesn’t do what I want them to when they see the outcast being bullied or mistreated. I want them to stand up for the outcast!! Use their high status to raise the lower. It so rarely happens, but when the beautiful and charming main character DOES treat the outcast well at their own risk, firstly I am so happy, but secondly, their beauty and charm is multiplied by tons. At least to me!

Yosef is SUCH a beautiful and charming main character and I really love this mental image of him being friends with Bilhah and Zilpah’s sons.

Yaakov really loves Yosef, like almost too much. Yaakov likes Yosef best for a number of reasons — Yosef is a child in Yaakov’s old age, and Yosef is his only son so far from his favorite wife Rachel. So Yaakov makes Yosef a fine tunic (כתונת פסים / ketonet passim). This is of course is the Technicolor Dreamcoat from the musical retelling of Yosef’s story (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber).

Yosef’s brothers aren’t too crazy about him, though. He tells on them when they’re acting up, he gets a fancy coat, a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and on top of all that, he also shares his prophetic dreams. These dreams, though eventually proven, aren’t very complimentary for the future of his siblings. One day, when Yosef is sent to check on his brothers, they decide to do away with him once and for all. They throw him in a pit but then change their minds when they see a caravan of Yishmaelim (Ishmaelites), tradesmen heading toward Egypt (Mitzrayim) and decide to sell him as a slave. The Torah specifically mentions that the tradesmen were carrying spices, balms, and lotus. Why? Doesn’t seem like the most relevant usage of words, and as we discuss, the Torah never uses even an extraneous letter. Rashi comments this is the reward of the righteous. Usually tradesmen in these areas would only carry tar or bad-smelling oils, but because Yosef was a tzadik, it was arranged that the caravan taking Yosef would have only beautiful smells.

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And to watch Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat :)

Idea 1

This week’s parsha continues the story of Yaakov Avinu, Jacob. After spending 20 years out of Israel in Charan (modern day Turkey) Yaakov decides it’s time to return home. He still hasn’t seen his older brother Esav (Esau) since Yaakov stole Esav’s birthright so many years ago. So Yaakov sends malachim (messengers / angels) ahead of him, they tell him that Esav is coming toward him with 400 men. Yaakov freaks out (rightfully so) and does 3 things in this order:

This is what I will call a “work-pray-work” sandwich. First Yaakov separates his people into two camps so that if one should be captured, the other can go free), prays to G-d (deliver me plz!!! הַצִּילֵ֥נִי נָ֛א!), and finally he sends a grand gift of goats, camels, cows, and donkeys.

Ok defining 2 terms for us —

So while I’m calling it a work-pray-work sandwich, we can also call this an effort-trust-effort sandwich (hishtadlus-bitachon-hishtadlus). Yaakov puts in his hishtadlus, his effort, by separating his camps, t  hen prays, exhibiting bitachon or trusting in G-d to do what is meant to be done, and then does some more hishtadlus with the gifts he sends.

Of course some say that prayer IS hishtadlus (effort), but for the sake of this comparison, we won’t go there. (In Pirkey Avot we actually learn that the world stands on 3 things — Torah, avodah [literally “work” or “service” but understood to mean prayer] and gemilut chasadim [acts of kindness] עַל שְׁלֹשָׁה דְּבָרִים הָעוֹלָם עוֹמֶד: עַל הַתּוֹרָה, וְעַל הַעֲבוֹדָה וְעַל גְּמִילוּת חֲסָדִים)

So take that for what you will — but the main point is: we can believe in the effectiveness of prayer at the same time we believe in the effectiveness of human effort. You need both, and Yaakov teaches us this here.

Idea 2

On the way to meet Esav, Yaakov and his family cross a river. After they all cross, Yaakov goes back to retrieve some items they left, and therefore ends up spending the night across the river alone. We are then told that Yaakov wrestled with a man / ish (איש) until dawn. Though Yaakov “wins” this struggle, he still ends up injured by the ish. Yaakov doesn’t let the ish go without giving him a blessing though. The Ish renames Yaakov, “Yisrael” because he struggled with G-d — כִּֽי־שָׂרִ֧יתָ עִם־אֱלֹקים and prevailed (Sar)iti El(okim) — Yisrael? You hear it?

Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki) comments that this name change represents a change in Yaakov. Yaakov can be connected etymologically to a few words, some meaning follower, deceiver, trickery etc. — all names that imply secrets, lack of openness. While previously Yaakov got his blessings through deceit, now he will receive them through openness, as Yisrael. This name reflects facing struggles head-on, being noble and worthy.

Yaakov / Yisrael then asks the ish for his name, to which the ish responds: “Why do you want to know my name?” Rashi comments that the angel / ish meant that angels have no fixed name, shem kavua (שם קבוע) — their names change according to the service they are commanded.

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This week's parsha picks back up with Yaakov (Jacob) who has fled Beer Sheva after tricking his father Yitzchak (Isaac) into giving him the first-born blessing instead of his brother Esav (Esau). Yaakov is going to Charan, where his mother Rivkah's (Rebecca) brother Lavan (Laban) lives. On the way to Charan, Yaakov stops to sleep for the night and has his famous "Jacob's Ladder" dream.

In this dream, Yaakov sees angels of G-d (malachei Elokim) ascending and descending on a ladder to heaven. G-d comes to him and promises Yaakov that the land he sleeps on will be given to his descendants who will be "as the dust of the earth" - כעפר הארץ.

Jacob's Ladder was always a mystery to me. There wasn't enough context for me to see it as anything beyond inspiration for the Jewish art hanging in your Bubbie's living room. Like everything in Torah, the most interesting ideas are a little deeper than surface-level content. I will be sharing an idea by Rabbi YY Jacobson.

The Midrash teaches that the ladder in Yaakov's dream was a ladder with four steps, which embody the 4 worlds of Kabbalah.

The Zohar, the foundational text of Kabbalah, or mystical Judaism, teaches that Jacob's Ladder was a metaphor for the experience of prayer. Prayer is the ladder through which we as humans climb from our earth-bound existence to the higher, more G-dly plane of our souls.

In Kabbalah, there are 4 levels to the world -- the first level is the World of Asiya (Action), the second is the World of Yetzirah (Formation), the third is the World of Beriyah (Creation), and the final highest world is the World of Atzilut (Divine Emanation).

How is this related to the dream? Well, the ladder is rooted in the ground (World of Asiya - Action), and climbing it are 2 types of angels: descending angels (World of Yetzirah - Formation) and ascending angels (World of Beriyah - Creation). When G-d comes to Yaakov, G-d is representing the highest world (World of Atzilut - Divine Emanation)

So how is this metaphysical, complex idea related to anything in our lives? It's not a one-and-done kind of thing, it takes a lifetime to apply this teaching to ourselves. But what better moment to begin than this one?

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This week’s parsha opens with the marriage of Yitzchak (Isaac) and Rivka (Rebekah). When she is re-introduced, Rivkah is specifically noted as “Rivkah the daughter of Betuel the Aramean of Padan Aram, the sister of Lavan the Aramean.” Why is this complicated intro needed? We already know who Rivkah’s family members are! And if she’s being introduced like this, why not Yitzchak too? Rashi, Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, comments that this seemingly superfluous addition is to specifically emphasize Rivkah’s merit. She was born to an idolatrous, immoral man (Betuel / Bethuel) and is the sister of another idolatrous, immoral man (Lavan / Laban) and yet still turned out a righteous, kind woman. Later, Rashi comments, though, that while Rivkah is to be lauded, Yitzchak’s righteousness is even more impressive. Why? He was the son of Avraham and Sarah! Our absolute models of righteous couple! Rashi explains that because he had to forge his own path of goodness instead of just being like his father and mother, Yitzchak had an even harder task.

There are lots of studies over many years about parenting’s effect on adult functioning. And an endless research question — is it nature or nurture that determines our lives? Our upbringing or our biology?

Both nature and nurture give so little agency to children, though. And it feels like a rather fatalistic thought — that what really matters in our development happens before we are legal adults.

In reading about this parsha, it’s the root question -- do we have control over who we end up being?

We learn, as mentioned before, that Rivkah was righteous in spite of her upbringing. And then we meet Yitzchak and Rivkah’s twin sons, Yaakov and Esav (Jacob and Esau), born after many years of barrenness.

Our sages explain that while she was pregnant with them, Yaakov and Esav fought within her. When she would walk past a place of holiness, Yaakov would move around, and then when she would walk past a place of idolatry, then Esav would move.

If Yaakov and Esav were created by two holy, righteous people (Yitzchak and Rivkah), why should they both not be equally holy and righteous?

How can we fathom that Esav was drawn to wickedness? The Rambam (Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, Maimonides) explains that there are 2 forms of spiritual service: the individual who desires to do only good, and the one who desires to do evil, but conquers his evil inclination. Yaakov was wholly righteous while Esav was tasked with overcoming evil.

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As you may have heard, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks zt"l passed away this past Shabbat.

In addition to being the Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom for over 20 years, Rabbi Sacks was an incredibly prolific writer and gifted teacher of the entire Jewish community, if not the world.

If someone knew of one great rabbi of this generation, they knew of Rabbi Sacks. He had an incredible ability to communicate Jewish ideas in a way that could reach every human, regardless of their religious affiliation. Rabbi Sacks was knighted by Queen Elizabeth, had a close relationship with former Prime Minister of the UK Tony Blair, and was probably the most often-cited rabbi in any dvar Torah (sermon) ever given anywhere. In addition to being a Jewish scholar, Rabbi Sacks possessed immense secular academic knowledge. He managed to weave this knowledge effortlessly into his works. Rabbi Sacks was an absolute giant and his passing is a devastation for us all.

Rabbi Sacks is famous for saying, “A good leader makes followers. A great leader makes leaders.” Through his teaching, he absolutely made leaders. Rabbi Sacks empowered a whole generation of people to share Torah with their families, schools, and communities. And personally, he empowered me! I learned that a dvar Torah could be engaging and relevant from Rabbi Sacks. I learned that adding secular context to Jewish learning doesn't diminish the Torah being taught -- instead Torah will always elevate anything it is connected to.

Every person who has been (and still is!) a student of Rabbi Sacks can tell a story about how he has impacted their Judaism, their learning, and their lives. It’s an incredible feat that he has been able to reach such a span of people. I recently learned that Rabbi Sacks managed to prepared a full year of divrei Torah recordings and material in advance of his passing. This really moved me. Rabbi Sacks' awe-inspiring canon of work will continue to inspire and motivate people far beyond his passing.

Last year, Rabbi Sacks wrote a stunning commentary on this week's parsha, Chayei Sarah. I will speak about some of the ideas he mentioned, but I am also attaching this link here and encourage you to listen to these ideas straight from him!— https://rabbisacks.org/to-have-a-why-chayei-sarah-5780/

In this week's parsha, Sarah Imeinu (Sarah our Mother) passes away. The parsha opens with this:

“And the life of Sarah was one hundred years and twenty years and seven years; [these were] the years of the life of Sarah.”

וַיִּֽהְיוּ֙ חַיֵּ֣י שָׂרָ֔ה מֵאָ֥ה שָׁנָ֛ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה וְשֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֑ים שְׁנֵ֖י חַיֵּ֥י שָׂרָֽה:

In a famous comment, Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki) notes the repetition of the word “years,” saying that this redundancy indicates that every single year of Sarah’s life was equally good. How can that be possible? Sarah had a trying life, full of uncertainty and volatility.

In his commentary, Rabbi Sacks explained that Avraham and Sarah encapsulate the famous remark by Friedrich Nietzsche: “He who has a why in life can bear almost any how.”

Every year of Sarah’s life was good because every year was a step in the direction of her Divine calling, of her Divine mission.

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Listen to Rabbi Sacks' commentary for last year's Chayei Sarah.

We continue with the story of Avraham Avinu this week in Parshat Vayera. Three days after his brit milah (circumcision), Avraham is visited by 3 men who are actually angels.

One of these angels tells Avraham that he and his wife Sarah will finally have a child of their own — in a year, when they are at the ages of 90 (Sarah) and 100 (Avraham).

When Sarah hears this news, she laughs —

וַתִּצְחַ֥ק שָׂרָ֖ה, surprised that a pregnancy is possible even when Avraham is so old, “וַֽאדֹנִ֖י זָקֵֽן”​ ~ but my husband is old.​

When Hashem retells this situation to Avraham, notice the difference. Hashem says that Sarah laughed, saying that SHE is old, “and *I* am old” ~ וַֽאֲנִ֥י זָקַֽנְתִּי, not what she originally said “וַֽאדֹנִ֖י זָקֵֽן”, referring to Avraham’s old age.

Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki) points this out, explaining that G-d rephrased Sarah’s concerns to preserve the harmony between Avraham and Sarah. G-d didn’t want Avraham to feel like their barrenness was his fault. What do we learn from this? To lie? No, not really. We learn that 100% authenticity isn’t 100% the right choice 100% of the time.

On his podcast WorkLife, psychologist Adam Grant tackles a lot of subjects. In April, he made an episode on a topic I ​like a l​ot — authenticity.

He explains that our culture used to be all about only bringing your best self to work, but now, with the trend of Silicon Valley companies encouraging self-expression, we’re changing. Studies show that feeling like you can be your​ true self​ at work increases productivity and leads to less frequent burn-out. But there’s also evidence that the more you focus on yourself at work, the less effective you are. ​So where are we going wrong with our authenticity? Adam Grant gives 3 tips.

The first level of authenticity is emotional vulnerability. People like to see this, it humanizes you, but not always. Emotional vulnerability only works if you’ve already “proven your competence.” If you haven’t impressed your audience yet, vulnerability can only hinder you. In a study of lawyers interviewing for jobs, only those who were already in the top 10% of candidates did better when they showed their “true selves.”

On this topic, Adam gives tip 1: Authenticity without bounds is careless.

He discusses another case​ where ​a gossip website writer had to learn how to curb her bluntness​, selectively choosing when to be 100% herself. This​ leads us to tip 2: Authenticity without empathy is selfish.

And then,​ using​ the case of a CIA employee whose “heretical” ​but forward-thinking ​views​ weren't being ​taken seriously, leads to tip 3: Authenticity without status and trust is risky.

By editing what Sarah said about her pregnancy, G-d was modeling authenticity with bounds AND authenticity with empathy. More on tip 3 later.

Next, the malachim who had been at Avraham’s tent rose to go to the cities of Sodom v’Amorah (Sodom and Gomorrah). G-d tells Avraham that the cities have sinned greatly and that G-d will destroy them. These cities were known as places devoid of kindness, hospitality, and goodness — filled with every kind of corruption known to us.

And yet Avraham says to G-d, “And you’d even destroy righteous of this city with the wicked? What if there are 50 righteous people in the city? You wouldn’t save the city on their merit?

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Our first parsha, Bereshit (Genesis) was introducing Adam and Chava (Adam and Eve), our second parsha Noach was about Noach (Noah), and now Lech Lecha is the story of Avraham (Abraham, Abram) and Sarah (Sarai). As Noach was 10 generations after Adam and Chava, Avraham is also 10 generations after Noach. At the end of last week’s parsha, Noach, we are introduced to Terach (Terah), the father of Avram (Abraham). Terach is listed in the descendents of Shem, Noach’s righteous son (the other sons were Ham and Yafet/Japeth).  At the beginning of this parsha, G-d comes to Avraham (at this point named Abram) and says “Go forth from your land and from your birthplace and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you” ~ לֶךְ־לְךָ֛ מֵֽאַרְצְךָ֥ וּמִמּֽוֹלַדְתְּךָ֖ וּמִבֵּ֣ית אָבִ֑יךָ אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַרְאֶֽךָּThe word lech ~ לֶךְ, means the command “go.” So why the repetition of lech lecha ~ לֶךְ־לְךָ֛? This second word, (oft-discussed and very commonly referred to) lecha literally means “to yourself” or “for yourself.” Our rabbis comment that G-d is telling Avram to go for himself, as in it is for your own good that you should leave the place you are most comfortable, in order to be the great leader I know you will be. The translation of “to yourself” reveals another inspirational idea: when we are in discomfort or in a challenging situation, we learn more about ourselves. (I also giggle at the idea that G-d is like, "Avraham, you're 75 years old. You gotta move out of your dad's basement.") Then G-d says, “…and I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing” ~ וַֽאֲבָ֣רֶכְךָ֔ וַֽאֲגַדְּלָ֖ה שְׁמֶ֑ךָ וֶֽהְיֵ֖ה בְּרָכָֽהThis idea of a blessing is so vague, though, and what does it mean to *be* a blessing? Italian rabbi, Rav Ovadiah Sforno, or the Sforno, comments that a true blessing by G-d is when G-d rejoices in our deeds and actions. The idea of being blessed by G-d gives me the warm fuzzies.

But how do we know what is a rejoice-able action or deed? It's hard to extricate deeds / actions from their motivations. I always talk about investigating our beliefs, but we can also investigate our actions. I ask myself a lot "Why are you doing _____?" or "Why are you saying _____?" And sometimes (most of the time) I can't make myself know or I truly don't know. But investigation of action is a muscle... just gotta keep pumping. Have you heard of the book Maybe You Should Talk to Someone? It's written by Lori Gottlieb, a psychotherapist. She talks about her clients and their issues, but also goes through her own struggles and her decision to find her own psychotherapist to see. This book honestly gave me so many tools to investigate the root of everything I do, think, and feel. So I can't give you tips on how to lech lecha (go to yourself) to find the roots of any hang-ups you may have, but this book might be able to!

Haran (where Avraham comes from when first pilgrimaging to Israel) is on the other side of the Euphrates River to Israel, and so this is one of the reasons that Avraham is referred to as Avram haIvri, or Abram the Hebrew. Ivri (עברי) coming from ever (עבר) meaning "the other side." But Avraham-the-guy-from-the-other-side-of-the-river isn't a great name. The deeper idea is that Avraham was on the other side of the moral divide of the world. Our sages teach that righteous people must be ready for isolation. No one likes the "moral police," and not agreeing with people is hard. It's natural to want to be liked, but it's a slippery slope to bending our moral values to what is popular.

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The Torah doesn’t tarry ... second parsha (portion) of the year and we jump right into what I think is the most recall-able Biblical “story” – the story of Noach (Noah) and the teiva (the ark). Run up to anyone on the street and ask them how many days it rained on Noah’s Ark. Ask them what kind of olive-branch-carrying bird is important in the story, or what multicolored weather phenomenon has a starring moment at the end. I think a lot of people could answer all those questions! Noah’s Ark might just be the most accurately recalled event in regard to Torah / Bible readers.

When we first meet Noach in this parsha, he is introduced as a righteous man, perfect within his generation -- נֹ֗חַ אִ֥ישׁ צַדִּ֛יק תָּמִ֥ים הָיָ֖ה בְּדֹֽרֹתָ֑יו, and we are told that Noach walked with G-d ~ אֶת־הָֽאֱלֹהִ֖ים הִתְהַלֶּךְ־נֹֽחַ. What is an Ish Tzadik (אִ֥ישׁ צַדִּ֛יק, righteous man)? And also, why add the qualifier "in his generation ~ בְּדֹֽרֹתָ֑יו"?

Just like a parent loves their children without end, a righteous person loves good deeds without end. A parent doesn't love their children out of duty, they love them, because they love them. And like a parent doesn’t dismiss an unremarkable child as unimportant, a righteous person doesn’t dismiss a small mitzvah (commandment / deed) as insignificant. Rav Moshe Feinstein (20th century rabbi known as the Gadol HaDor, the greatest in his generation) taught that a person should work hard to perfect their deeds, just as they spare no effort to help their children.

And why was the qualifier "in his generation ~ בְּדֹֽרֹתָ֑יו" added to Noach's descriptor? Famously there are different interpretations. The first interpretation is that the people in the time of Noach were so awful that for him to still be righteous was a great feat. Another is that he was only good in comparison to those same awful people. Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, essential 12th century Torah commentator) taught that if Noach were to exist in the generation of Avraham (Abraham), he would be insignificant. On Rashi's train of thought, I have to ask a question -- why did no one else join Noach and his family? Noach builds his Ark, but isn't able to bring anyone to make teshuva, or to repent. He's building this Costco warehouse-sized boat over 120 years, and we have to assume that none of his neighbors ever stopped and asked him what he was doing? And if someone did stop and ask Noach why he was building this huge boat, did Noach not explain that the world had deteriorated so terribly that G-d was planning to destroy it? I don't know that anyone of Noach's time would necessarily even believe that explanation. But if we think of Noach in this not-so-perfect way, we see that he's a great example of a perfectly good man who is just not a leader. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks has put Noach in context -- Adam and Chava (Eve) failed the test of personal responsibility, Cain failed the test of moral responsibility ("Am I my brother's keeper? ~ הֲשֹׁמֵ֥ר אָחִ֖י אָנֹֽכִי?"), and Noach fails the test of collective responsibility.

Chasidic thought teaches that Noach was a "tzaddik im/in peltz" -- a righteous man in a fur coat. Meaning, there are 2 ways to be warm: wear a coat or make a fire. Which one do you think Noach was picking by getting on the teiva, the ark with just his family? It's nice and well to be snug and warm in your own goodness, but a fire can be enjoyed by everyone around you. Think about this -- which choice do you make in your own life? Is collective responsibility something you value?

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Music: reCreation by airtone (c) copyright 2019 Licensed

What is the Torah? Is the Torah a history book? Is it a book of laws? It is a book of ethics? The Torah is the manifesto (if you will) of humankind’s mission in the universe.

According to the Ramban, if the Torah was a book of laws, it would have begun in Shemot (Exodus) with the first mitzvah that the Jewish people as a whole were given: thecommandment to recognize the new moon of the month.

But we know the Torah doesn’t begin in Shemot (Exodus), it begins with Bereshit (Genesis), with the pasuk (line): “In the beginning of G-d’s creating of the heavens and the earth…” ~ “בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בָּרָ֣א אֱלֹקים אֵ֥ת הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְאֵ֥ת הָאָֽרֶץ׃”

We read about the creation of light, of land and heaven, of land and sea, of vegetation and animals, and finally of humankind.

We read that Adam was created to work the soil of Gan Eden (the Garden of Eden). G-d told Adam: “You can eat everything except the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (עץ הדעת טוב ורע).” Then G-d saw that Adam needed a friend — “it is not good for man to be alone” ~ “לֹא־ט֛וֹב הֱי֥וֹת הָֽאָדָ֖ם לְבַדּ֑וֹ”, and so Chava (Eve) was formed. (She technically already existed, as Adam was really HaAdam, a two-sided human of both sexes. So Chava was just one side of HaAdam that was made separate. Also, voila — the concept of soul mates / other halves / partners being really one flesh (בשר אחד)! All humans are simply searching for the other half of our HaAdam as we did in Creation!)

Then the serpent (nachash, נחש) tempts Chava into eating from the Etz HaDaat (the Tree of Knowledge), which she does, and then shares the fruit with Adam. This is the “Original Sin” that we are forever attempting to rectify.

If we are now rectifying the “Original Sin” of eating of Etz HaDaat, what was humankind’s mission before that sin? The mission was (and is) to bring G-dliness into the world. To elevate the physical with the spiritual. This is a mission only humans can fulfill. Unlike angels (malachim) which are strictly spiritual beings, and unlike animals which are strictly physical beings, humankind is unique. We are physical beings with G-dly souls. The Midrash says that Adam was created from both the upper realms and the lower realms, just like us.

Creation isn’t just a story about light and darkness, of oceans and deserts, and it’s not about the creation of humankind either. Creation is the birth of Am Yisrael, the people that inherited the commandment of Creation that Adam and Chava (Adam and Eve) were given. The commandment to elevate the physical, to bring G-dliness into the world.

(I learned this next idea over a year ago from Mrs. Raquel Kirszenbaum of Neve Yerushalayim, but it has really stuck with me)

But what’s the big deal about the Etz HaDaat? What knowledge did Adam and Chava suddenly have? Their eyes were opened to make them realize they were naked. Ok fine, but weren’t their eyes already open? Yes, but now Adam and Chava had a more basic level of sight: sight of the physical form. Before eating from the Etz HaDaat, when they would look at each other, or at any other living thing, instead of seeing their physical outside, Adam and Chava saw their souls, their true essences. The curse of the Tree of Knowledge was the knowledge of physicality. They weren’t embarrassed about being naked because the last thing on their minds was their physical body. What truly mattered was a being’s essence.

And crazily enough, blindness to anything but the surface is an affliction we suffer from now. So think about what would be different in our world if we still had the ability to transcend the physical. And on a lower level, how do you rectify the Original Sin in your daily life? Do you try to look beyond the surface of others? Do you struggle to understand peoples’ true intentions? Reflect! (for full text contact me-- [email protected])

Nearly 35 years ago, my grandfather Dr. Bernard Kaplan, of blessed memory, started a weekly Torah newsletter - a “unique journal of original and plagiarized Jewish thought,” is what he called it.

When I started my weekly Torah email in October 2019, I had no idea about this.

A few months into writing my own weekly Torah emails, some family members mentioned his newsletters, called Ha'Iggeret, or the Message. It struck me as incredibly Divine that the grandfather I never got to meet, one who had been turned into somewhat of a mythical hero-tzadik by family legend, suddenly felt so near to me.

I decided that if I could complete my year-long round of my original email Emunah until the Sunset, then I would re-name my email HaIggeret in his memory, moving forward

Thank G-d both sets of my grandparents passed down intense love of Judaism to their children, including my mother and father. I am very grateful that my parents, Meyer and Shelley Kaplan instilled that same love and pride and sense of responsibility for the Jewish people in my siblings and me.

In this podcast I will share Torah ideas on the weekly parsha (portion) as well as the chagim (holidays), and other Jewish concepts. I hope to relate the timelessness of Torah with real life as well as our current world moment. This podcast will be in my grandfather’s merit ~ Benyamin Aryeh ben Meir.

Thank you so much for listening!

I hope you will join me on my continued Jewish journey!

Music: reCreation by airtone (c) copyright 2019 Licensed