Many years ago, some interesting graffiti on a wall caught my attention:

“G-d is dead.” – John

Beneath that was scrawled:

“John is dead.” – G-d.

It’s getting harder and harder nowadays to find people who will openly admit to believing in G-d.  I suspect, however, that if I polled the room to determine who believes in G-d, most if not all of you would answer in the affirmative.

Yeah, but do you really believe in G-d?

My eldest son and I loved going to baseball card shops. Sometimes we would buy some cards. A local card shop would give lottery tickets in return for purchases. The number of tickets allotted would correspond to the amount spent. We usually would not attend the occasional Sunday lotteries. This particular lottery, however, was different. The grand prize winner would get a 1973 Topps Mike Schmidt rookie card. My son really wanted this card. So, he and I – the hopeful duo – attended the lottery. But so did many others. The little card shop was packed.

None of our tickets were drawn for the lesser prizes. Then the time had finally come to draw a ticket for the grand prize. My son looked at me and stated that he really hoped we would win. I asked him if he believed we would win. He assured that that he did believe. “Yeah, but do you really believe?” I asked. He told me that he REALLY believed. Sure enough, one of our tickets was drawn. As my son took possession of the coveted card, I reminded him that G-d can make anything happen if you believe He can.

Another memory of the past involved the Baptism of my friend John. I was invited to attend this special event. The Baptism took place at a nearby lake. I had never been to a Baptism. I watched John enter the lake specially garbed with the Pastor following closely behind. The Pastor asked John to bow his head. Suddenly, the Pastor shoved John’s head underwater. When my friend arose, the Pastor asked him if he believed. A noticeably shaken John stated that he did believe. Again, down into the murky water went John’s head.  “Do you believe?”, the Pastor emphatically reiterated. John assured him that he did believe. The moment of truth had finally arrived. Again, down with the head. “What do you believe?’, shouted the Pastor. “I believe you’re trying to drown me,” responded my water-logged friend.

Yes, friends. You can’t force belief. Belief must come freely from your heart and soul. So, when you are praying to G-d this year for the coming year take the time to tell Him that you do believe in Him. No, tell Him that you REALLY BELIEVE. And also thank Him for the good things that He has done for you and yours in the past. I’m sure He’ll really appreciate it.

Shana Tova

 What a wonderful parasha this week. Vaetchanan is loaded with magnificent things. The Ten Commandments, the V’ahavta and the Shema are all found in this parasha. Such a sweet week to give a d’var. Sixty-three years ago, this was my bar mitzvah parasha. My bar mitzvah brought so much joy to so many people who were special to me. I miss these beloved people.

Shabbat Nachamu. The Shabbos of comfort. We read in our haftorah, Isaiah, chapter 40, verse one: “Be comforted, be comforted, my people.” This chapter of Isaiah, written during the Babylonian exile after the destruction of the Temple, imagines a time when God will forgive the Jews for the sins that resulted in the 1st Temple’s destruction. The prophet’s words paint a picture of God’s triumphant return to a Jerusalem cleansed of sin, whose conquerors have been banished. He extols God’s power as mightier than all the nations of the world and explains in great detail why fashioning idols to worship is a useless endeavor. The haftarah calls to mind the horror of the first Temple’s destruction on Tisha B’Av even as it imagines a future time when things will be better.

Such a sad time surrounding Tisha B’Av (the 9^th of Av). So many tragedies to recall. So many tragedies. So much suffering.

The juxtaposition between the parasha and the haftarah blows my mind. How paradoxical that they should both be read on the same Shabbos. But isn’t this indicative of life which is both bitter and sweet? As I think about Parshat Va’Etchanan, I feel joy. I think back to my bar mitzvah. I enjoy the marvelous things that appear in the parasha. But I also feel sadness as I think about the tragedies that have surrounded Tisha B’Av throughout our history.

Let me recall for you some of the tragedies that our people suffered “bayamim hahem bazman hazeh” – in those days at this time of the year:

1. 1317 B.C.E. – Ten spies sent to Canaan return with a bad report.
2. 586 B.C.E. – The Babylonian army destroys the 1^st Temple on Tisha B’Av.
3.  70 C.E. – The Roman army destroys the 2^nd Temple on Tisha B’av.
4. 135 C.E – The Bar Kochba Rebellion ends after their loss at Beitar
5. 1095 – Pope Urban II declares the First Crusade. Nobles and peasants are encouraged to join in a holy military expedition, led by the knights of the realm, with the goal of ending the Muslim possession of Jerusalem. “The People’s Crusade,” made up of both peasants and commoners, is formed. Their goal: To join the expedition and to help prepare the world for the Jesus’ return by ridding the world of infidels who won’t accept Jesus as the Messiah. In the process, they kill thousands of Jews on their way to Jerusalem. The Christian knights finally wrest control of Jerusalem from the Muslims four years later on the 27^th of Tamuz, during the “3 weeks” period prior to Tisha B’Av.
6. 1290 – Edward the 1^st issues his Edict of Expulsion against the Jews on the 2^nd of Av.
7. 1492 – Ferdinand and Isabella sign the Alhambra Decree, expelling the Jews from Spain. Jews are forced to abandon their homeland or convert to Christianity by the 8^th (or some say the 9^th) of Av.
8. 1914 – WWI begins on the 5^th of Av.
9. 1942 – Deportations from Warsaw Ghetto to Treblinka begin on the 8^th of Av.
10. 1942 – Treblinka begins operations on Tisha B’av;

Shabbat Vaetchanan. Shabbat Nachamu. Indeed. How bittersweet.

Good Shabbos.

Today’s Parsha is Tetzaveh. Tetzaveh means commanded. I could talk to you about how G-d commanded Moses to have the B’nai Yisroel bring pure olive oil to keep the everlasting flame of the Menorah burning in the Mishkan. I could talk to you about the clothing that the Kohanim wore. Almost half of the Parsha is dedicated to this topic. All very interesting. But isn’t there some lesson we can learn from this Parsha?

You know I wouldn’t have raised this possibility if no lesson could be learned. Let’s work together to try to figure this out. But first a few questions for you out in audience land, or perhaps never neverland ( I hope you’re interested in my D’var and are listening).

Question #1: Who was supposed to be appointed Kohen Gadol (High Priest)? If you answered Aaron, give yourself half credit, since he is the one actually appointed. But Aaron is not the correct answer to this question.

Question #2: What is the biggest sin committed by the B’nai Yisroel in the wilderness? There are many half credit answers since many sins were committed. But only one sin gets full credit.

Question #3: What did Moses pray to G-d after the B’nai Yisroel committed the terrible sin referenced in question 2 above? If you answered that Moses asked G-d to forgive the B’nai Yisroel, give yourself half credit. But this is not the full credit answer.

When we correctly answer these three questions, we will be on the right path to solving the mystery of what lesson can be gleaned from the Parsha.  So, let’s continue by providing the fully correct answers.

Although Aaron was appointed High Priest, Moses was actually G-d’s choice for that position. Only at the urging of Moses to give Aaron this honor was Aaron appointed.

The mega sin committed by the B’nai Yisroel in the wilderness was the Golden Calf. It is believed that this sin so angered G-d that He was prepared to destroy the B’nai Yisroel.

At the pleading of Moses, G-d spared the B’nai Yisroel from total doomsday destruction. Moses begged G-d to spare them, but also stated that if G-d chose not to forgive them Moses wanted his name removed from the Five Books of Moses.

Well, how do these answers teach us an important lesson? If you carefully examine this Parsha you will find that Moses name never appears in the Parsha. Was this G-d’s way of punishing Moses for challenging G-d about forgiveness? Was the lesson to be learned: Be careful what you ask for because it may come to pass? Nope!

Moses wanted to put his brother Aaron in the limelight by handing over the High Priest position to him. What better way to follow through with Moses’ wish while following through with name eradication than to eliminate his name in this Parsha. Aaron as High Priest could now be the center of attention in the Parsha. We learn about his dress, some of his duties, etc.

What lesson is conveyed by this Parsha? Humility!  Only through the humility of Moses did the Parsha become dedicated to Aaron and the priesthood.

Good Shabbos and stay humble.

What a strange title for this week’s Parsha. Chaye Sarah means “Life of Sarah”. Doesn’t the Parsha deal, among other things with the death of Sarah? And isn’t the most time spent finding a wife for Isaac?Perhaps the Parsha should be titled “Mas Sarah”, Death of Sarah, or “Isaac Gets a Wife”?

Sarah dies at the age of 127. There is much conjecture about what caused her death. Did she die out of grief from her belief that her beloved son Isaac had been sacrificed to G-d by her husband?  For purposes of this D’var, however, the cause of her death is irrelevant. What the Parsha most notably teaches us is how to deal with death. Abraham goes through great difficulty and expense to find Sarah a proper burial place where her corpse cannot be seen. We continue to follow this practice of burying our dead. What follows the burial, however, puzzles me.

After the burial of Sarah, we meet Rebecca, wife of Isaac. We read the lovely story about Rebecca at the well and about the loyal servant of Abraham, Eliezer. Then suddenly we are told that Abraham remarries.  What? Who is this new wife of Abraham named Keturah?  We are told nothing about her. Where did she come from? Why would she be worthy of marrying Abraham? We are informed, however, that she bore him four more sons. Some speculate that Keturah is none other than Haggar. But whatever her true identity, her story with Abraham is brief as we are next told that Abraham dies at the age of 147 and is buried next to Sarah by sons Isaac and Ishmael. What about his latest four sons?  Didn’t they take part in the burial? The Parsha ends with the death of Ishmael at age 137 and some information is given about his descendants. The story of Isaac will follow in coming chapters.

Suffice it say that Chaye Sarah leaves more questions than answers. What clearly can be said is that Sarah continues to have a great influence over us during both life and death. If Abraham is the Founding Father of our religion, then Sarah is clearly our Founding Mother. Sarah, which means princess, remains the Princess of our people. She lived with dignity and died with dignity.

As we all spend this time together striving to get written and sealed into the Book of Life for a good year, let’s take a few moments to evaluate our acts over the prior year. Can we do better this year?  Did we follow the three-prong test to success? Repentance, prayer and acts of righteousness will remove the bad decree.  Today I’d like to focus on one of these three prongs; namely, prayer. Simple, yet so complex. How can we successfully pray? Will our prayers be received well by our Maker? Given the potential of not performing prayer well, shouldn’t we want to pray well?

Clearly, most people pray on occasion. Sometimes we just need to have a chat with G-d. More often, we want or need something. Sometimes we face dire times. Where else can we turn for help? Perhaps we even take the time occasionally to praise G-d and thank Him. Yes, we do pray.

So, why the reluctance to attend services throughout the year? And why the disdain for prayers laid out in the Siddur? It’s hard I know to drag yourself to the synagogue throughout the year to listen to the same stuff over and over again. Perhaps you feel that you have better things to do with your time. Also, why come to pray when you don’t feel like praying? After all, don’t you pray when you feel like it or when the need arises?

Okay, I understand that the prayers are written in Hebrew, except for the occasional prayer read in somewhat archaic English. And you don’t speak Hebrew, let alone understand it. How can one have feeling for something not understood? What is gained by saying a bunch of mumbo jumbo? How paradoxical that we are going to rely in part on this mumbo jumbo today to try to guarantee us a good year next year.

Now, back to my title.  Does G-d Hear the Prayers of a Deaf Mute?  I suspect that most, if not all, of us would agree that G-d certainly does not abandon the deaf mute. Doesn’t this suggest that successful praying may not lie in what we say? Or even in our ability to say it. Even silent prayer and prayer that is not understood, I contend, can be successful prayer.

Let’s take things a little further.  What about the prayers of the Hara Krishna or other groups that chant?Do their efforts constitute prayer? Wait a minute. Don’t we also chant? Don’t we sing prayer songs with da-da-das and ay-yai-yais in place of words?  If you have ever attended a Duchan service, you have listened to the mystical chanting of the Kohanim. Thus, chanting, words without meaning, and other forms of apparent mumbo jumbo can be justified as prayer.

Therefore, it would seem that prayer is not reliant on what you say or even on how you say it. So, what is the key to successful prayer? This key lies in Kavanah.  Kavanah is a spiritual intensity that one should try to reach when praying to raise the mundane to the elevated status of prayer.  This is most difficult to achieve and should not be taken lightly. If you can reach this level by saying words that mean little or nothing to you, then more power to you. If you can reach these heights by merely chanting, then chantaway with all your heart. Like the deaf mute who can neither hear nor speak, feel your prayers. This is how you demonstrate intensity and Kavanah. Sing your prayers loudly and proudly. Don’t be bashful. I’m not aware of any Rabbi complaining that people pray too fervently. The bounds of Kavanah are virtually endless. Have feeling. Show feeling. And it wouldn’t hurt to take some time to study the prayers being recited from the Siddur to better understand them and appreciate their essence. How nice it is that prayer mavens took the time to develop for us a system of routine prayer that allows us to pray together.

In closing, allow me to wish all of you a good year and a good decree. May your prayers in the coming  year be as intense as your zeal for life.

In Parshat Ki Tisa the Jewish nation is again faced with a test of faith. Moses leaves to receive the Ten Commandments. Rather than prepare themselves spiritually to await this sacred moment, some instead use their time to engage in another activity: the construction of a golden calf. Things get worse when it appears that Moses has not returned within the expected forty-day period. Some of the people become rebellious and immoral. In reality, some had miscounted the days by one with Moses returning on time carrying two tablets upon which were inscribed the Ten Commandments. A furious Moses flung the tablets to the ground, destroying them. G-d’s anger was kindled. The golden calf along with the rebellious throng were swallowed up by the earth. Only through the interceding of Moses was the remainder of the Jewish people spared. Moses then ascended the mountain again where a second set of tablets were inscribed.

The parsha goes on to describe the half shekel participation by all in the building of the Mishkan. By each person giving the same amount, everyone could feel equally invested in the undertaking. Regarding collection of items, jewels, gold, silver, etc. for forming of the accessories within the Mishkan, people were allowed to give as they saw fit. The response was overwhelming with more being donated than was needed.

What could account for the diametrically opposed responses of the Jewish people in regard to Moses ascent to receive the Ten Commandments and the building and stocking of the Mishkan? Perhaps the Jewish people by nature are schizophrenic. This might account for the irregular behavior of the Jewish people that often is witnessed during the journey through the wilderness. But this wouldn’t explain the extreme generosity displayed in regard to the Mishkan.

The Jewish people, after all, are human. And don’t we all have two sides to us: good and evil? These two sides are referred to as the Yetzer Tov and the Yetzer Rah: the good inclination and the bad inclination. Sometimes one Yetzer takes control over the other one. The golden calf was tempting to some who had witnessed idolatry in Egypt and who had sunk to the 49th level of immorality out of 50 (50 being lowest) in Egypt. Some commentaries argue that it is because the Jews of Egypt had sunk to such a low spiritual level, that G-d chose then to deliver them from bondage before they sunk to the unsavable 50th level.

Fortunately, the Yetzer Tov prevailed with respect to the Mishkan. The battle between Yetzer Tov and Yetzer Rah, i.e., The human dichotomy, would resurface over and over again throughout the journey of the Jewish people as they sought the promised land and their recognition as the B’nai Yisroel. And the human dichotomy continues to this day.

What can we take away from this Parsha? Recognize the internal battle between good and evil that we all must face. When we are tempted to door not to do something, there is a good chance that the Yetzer Rah is trying to prevail. Should I give to charity? Yetzer Rah. To which charity should I give? Yetzer Tov. How much should I give? Let your Yetzer Tov prevail. Hey, we’re all human. Sometimes the Yetzer Rah is going to take charge when that piece of cake looks too good to resist. But when it comes to the more significant things in life, fight the good fight, put on your combat boots, and kick that Yetzer Rah to the curb.

Good Shabbos

Have you ever found yourself caught between a rock and a hard place? Well, that’s exactly the dilemma that the fleeing Jews of Egypt found as they made their way toward the promised land. The full might of Egypt was behind them. The sea was in front of them. What to do? 

We are called up for an Aliyah. We recite the blessings. Blessed are thou Lord our G-d for giving us Toras Emes (the Torah of Truth).  Just idle chatter? We read the Parsha of the week from the Holy Torah.  Just another waste of time? We read about miracles which we sometimes mock. At other times we look  for natural causes to explain their occurrence or we inexplicably state that some of the things we  read are only stories. Isn’t the Torah real? 

Today in Beshalach we recount perhaps the greatest miracle of them all. The splitting of the sea. Miracle or fabrication? Assuming arguendo (for argument’s sake) that the sea was split and that it was a miracle, what can we learn from this Parsha? 

As the Jewish people faced a catastrophe, Egyptian onslaught or drown, they in typical Jewish style began to debate. Isn’t that what we commonly do when we face difficult issues? Some suggested returning to Egypt. But won’t this only lead to a return to slavery and harsh reprisal by the Egyptians? Others suggested  standing firm and fighting the Egyptians. But aren’t the chances of untrained and ill-equipped forces  defeating the Egyptians slim to none? The debate lingered on until Moses finally spoke up and urged them  to proceed forward into the sea. “Are you crazy Moses? We’ll all drown”, responded the masses. “Have  faith in G-d”, replied Moses. “See how He brings you salvation”.   The people proceeded forward into the  sea. The rest is history. 

The perils at the sea would not be the last test of faith that the Jewish people would have to face as they developed from a slave nation into the B’nai Yisroel. And the Jewish people throughout history have continued to face challenges to their faith. Doesn’t the pandemic test our faith? We can cower and retreat from it and allow it to make us its slaves.  We can try fighting it, perhaps with some very limited success. We can change our methods of prayer and means of worship. We can communicate with G-d in unnatural ways. We can limit or eliminate social contact. But as Beshalach clearly establishes, the path to freedom  is to proceed forward into the sea and place our faith in G-d that all will turn out well. Faith, you see, is no stroll in the park. It is a real challenge.   

Mock me for my naivete, if you wish.  Despise me for my D’var, if that pleases you. But whatever your opinion of me, please don’t allow your fear of the pandemic to turn you away from the teachings of the Torah of Truth. 

Shabbat Shalom  

Parshat Vayetze is dedicated to the early years of Jacob. It encompasses his decision to leave home and pursue a life away from his family and the trials and tribulations of so doing. We read about his dream of a ladder connecting Heaven and earth. We meet the deceptive Laban and follow Jacob’s twenty years of working for him. We enjoy the great love affair between Jacob and Rachel and his struggles to obtain her  hand in marriage. We monitor the birth of Jacob’s twelve sons and one daughter through four different women. And we get a brief glimpse into our matriarch Leah. Today Leah will get her just due as this D’var is dedicated to her.

Sarah, ah Sarah. Such beauty and grace. The first Jewish woman. Rebecca at the well. Such kindness. Rachel. Such a powerful woman. The mother of Joseph. And then there is Leah. Leah, the least known of our four matriarchs, was the first wife of Jacob. The name Leah means delicate and weary which fits her well. The marriage between Jacob and Leah took place only as a result of the deception of Laban. It is not something that Jacob desired. By now, I suspect, that you are quite familiar with Laban’s deception as he switched brides and forced Jacob to work an additional seven years to achieve his goal of marrying Rachel. If not, I encourage you to review this saga in today’s parsha.

Leah, often referred to as the unloved wife, bore Jacob six sons and his daughter, Dinah. All of this occurred while her sister, Rachel, remained barren. While Rachel despised Leah for her ability to conceive, Leah prayed for Rachel to become pregnant. While Jacob looked upon Leah only as a baby-making machine, Leah steadfastly remained loyal to him and accepted her role without complaint.

Rachel ultimately gave birth to Joseph and later to Benjamin. You are undoubtedly aware of the significant contributions of Joseph to the history of the Jewish people. But did you know that the first King of Israel, Saul, was also a descendant of Rachel? Far be it from me to downplay the significance of our beloved mother Rachel. In comparison to the descendants of Leah, however, one might conclude that our underrated matriarch Leah played an even greater role in our history. Leah, you see, was the mother of Levi. From Levi came Moses and Joshua. They were our most influential historical figures in the formation of the Jewish nation and the settling of Israel. Additionally, although the first King of Israel came from Rachel, it was the second King of Israel who would surpass Saul in all respects. King David was a descendant of Leah.  Hence, through Leah the Mashiach will eventually arise.

One last point. If you are a Cohen or Levi, you descended from Levy. If you are a Yisroel, the odds are overwhelming that you descended from Judah. And who was the mother of Levy and Judah?  None other than Leah. Yes, we are the descendants of this greatly overlooked matriarch.

So good people, when you read and think about the wonderful accomplishments of Sarah, Rebecca and Rachel please don’t overlook the most underrated and underappreciated of our matriarchs. Our delicate mother Leah deserves her special place in Jewish history.

Vayera is one of the most challenging Parshas to understand. It is filled with mysteries from start to finish. Why did Sarah laugh when told that she was about to give birth to a son at age ninety? Why did Abraham advise Avimelech that Sarah was his sister? Why did G-d spare Lot? Why did Abraham only supply Hagar and Ishmael with bread and water when he sent them off into the desert? Why did Abraham go to Beersheva and not return to Sarah in Chevron after the Akedat Yitzchak? The greatest mystery, or at least the most oft discussed one is the Akedat Yitzchak: the sacrifice of Isaac. It is this last mystery that I will explore with you today.

First, it appears to me that Abraham was willing to sacrifice not one son, but two sons. Was Ishmael really expected to survive in the desert? A good starting point would be to examine the character of Abraham. Abraham clearly was a man who was willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of G-d. Sacrifice himself, but not others. He dedicated his life to developing and spreading a new world morality, thereby becoming the founding father of Judaism. Wasn’t this a man who bargained with G-d to spare the evil cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. How could such a man agree to sacrifice his son Isaac without arguing, or at least bargaining, with G-d to spare him?

The great Jewish commentator, Ralbag, offers an explanation. Ralbag, Rabbi Levi ben Gershon, lived from 1288-1344. He is also known as Gersonides.  Ralbag lived in France under the reign of Phillip IV. On the 10^th of Av, 1306, King Phillip expelled all Jews from France and confiscated all of their possessions. Ralbag was able to escape the expulsion since he lived in a province of France that belonged to Spain and was under the control of the Spanish Pope. Ralbag, as a result of this expulsion, dedicated his life to promoting world tolerance and Jewish ethics. Among his religious accomplishments was writing commentaries on the Bible and Talmud and his popular work Toalioth (Benefits), a renowned work on Jewish ethics. Among his lay accomplishments, and as a result of his love of astronomy, he invented an instrument used to study and observe stars and planets. He is also recognized for inventing a device that became the forerunner of the modern camera.  His commentaries, rest assured, carry great weight among Jewish scholars.

Regarding the Akedat Yitzchak, Ralbag notes that this situation differed greatly from Sodom and Gomorrah. In the latter situation, Abraham was not ordered to do anything. Hence, Abraham felt comfortable bargaining with G-d to spare lives. With respect to the Akedah, Abraham was told to sacrifice his son. Although heartbroken and despite the fact that it went against his nature, Abraham obeyed. Per Ralbag, if Abraham had been ordered by G-d to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, he would have unleashed his powers to destroy them. If Abraham had only been advised that G-d was going to take Isaac’s life, Abraham would have pleaded with G-d to spare Isaac.

Although I am not in the same league with the great Ralbag, allow me offer a personal perspective. Abraham was destined to become the father of two great nations: Jews and Arabs. But was he really worthy of this great honor? G-d, I suggest, tested Abraham through both Isaac and Ishmael forcing Abraham to prove his love of G-d. When Sarah asked Abraham to send away Hagar and Ishmael, Abraham would not consent. Only after G-d instructed Abraham to listen to Sarah did he consent. G-d, please note, had previously assured Abraham that a great nation would arise through Ishmael. Hence, Abraham in good conscience could send Ishmael into the desert with only meager supplies knowing that G-d would somehow protect Ishmael. Similarly, wasn’t Abraham assured that a great nation would arise through Isaac and that his (Abraham’s) descendants would be plentiful like the sands of the earth and the stars in the heavens? Therefore, although Abraham had been ordered to sacrifice Isaac, in his heart of hearts he had faith that G-d would somehow intercede and make things turn out right.

Not yet convinced that Abraham did the right thing by the Akedat Yitzchak? My eldest son David and I recently discussed the Akedah. He brought to my attention a most interesting viewpoint regarding this matter. Dennis Prager is a Jewish American writer, speaker, radio and TV commentator. He is also an historian and Biblical scholar. Mr. Prager has often stated that to understand history, one must view things in the context of the times and not view things through modern times and standards. Thus, to those who now attack some of our Founding Fathers as being racists whose statues should be taken down since they were slave holders, Mr. Prager opines that we should instead look at their amazing accomplishments.  That we should recognize that during the founding of our country slaveholding, which we now find abhorrent, was widely accepted by many. Similarly, regarding the Akedah, we need to recognize that child sacrifice to pagan gods was a widely accepted practice. Hence, when Abraham was asked to sacrifice Isaac to G-d, it may not have struck Abraham as an unusual request. The purpose underlying the Akedah, therefore, would be to teach Abraham a new morality which he could then spread throughout the world. The Jewish G-d, the true and only G-d, abhors human sacrifice. He will not permit it to occur in His name or in His honor.

I hope that you have gained a new understanding of the Akedah and that if you previously viewed it as a disgusting and offensive event that, perhaps, you now view it differently. It has been a pleasure speaking to you today. I thank you for giving me the opportunity to explore the Akedah and provide myself with a better understanding of this historic and world-changing event.

Shabbat Shalom

Parshat Vaetchanan. What an incredible Parsha. My bar Mitzvah Parsha. Okay, that’s not what makes it so incredible. But it was incredible to me to have the opportunity to chant this entire Parsha to a congregation so many years ago.

Vaetchanan means “and I pleaded”. Moses pleaded to G-d to be able to enter the promised land. But He refused the request. G-d instead only allowed Moses to look down on the promised land from a mountain top. Look, but don’t touch. I also pleaded to G-d so many years ago to be allowed to become an integral part of my people, the Jewish people. Isn’t that what Bar and Bat Mitzvahs are all about? Unlike Moses, my request was granted.

G-d instructed Moses to select Joshua to lead the B’nai Yisroel forward and to ready him for the task. Moses was then told to make his farewell speech to the children of Israel as his time to die had come.

Moses repeated the Ten Commandments and cautioned the B’nai Yisroel to observe them carefully and faithfully in their new land. He recited to them some prayers which have become a significant part of our liturgy; namely, the Shema and the Ve’ahavta (love of G-d). He taught them the mitzvot of Tefillin and Mezuzah. He described their future and told them that they would abandon G-d, but that G-d would not abandon them. Please note how nicely this corresponds to today’s Haftorah, Nachamu, wherein Isaiah comforts the B’nai Yisroel following the destruction of Jerusalem. He similarly notes that although they had abandoned G-d, He will not abandon them. How fitting that Parsha Vaetcahanan and Haftorah Nachamu always follow immediately after Tisha B’Av.

On the other hand, how ironic that we would read about Moshe’s unsuccessful pleadings on the Sabbath of Consolation. This leads to the inevitable question: Did Moses get screwed? The man who gave so much and asked so little for himself is now denied his dream. But notice how Moses reacted. And especially in light of the fact that Moses had just learned of his imminent death. No complaint. Just got back to business. Taught the people. Blessed the people. Praised G-d. Cautioned the people to believe in G-d. Love G-d. Fear G-d. Have faith in G-d.

What an amazing man! What an amazing Parsha! And what an amazing lesson on how to conduct oneself during times of heartache and disappointment!