He paused outside the door to hear if she would express her satisfaction and thank God. As soon as his shadow was invisible, she cried out, “Why didn’t I say ten?”

Rabbinic wisdom teaches us that he who has $100, wants $200. It is the nature to want more than what we have. When I think of this story, the wisdom of Eric Fromm comes to mind. Fromm survived the camps and published a fascinating book, “To Be or to Have?”  In his study, he raises one of the most important questions of our age: How do we find contentment in our modern contemporary society?

Fromm insists that there are two modes of existence struggling fiercely for the soul of humankind: the “Having mode” vs. the “Being mode.” The Having mode is dedicated to the accumulation of wealth, material possessions, and property. People dedicated to the acquisition of gelt generally tend to be aggressive. Indeed, the reality of war is a grim reminder that people who define their existence by materialistic values will stop at nothing to achieve their values—the recent BP oil disaster is an excellent case in point. Driven by the love of money, principles, ethics often get sacrificed for the bottom line—but always at a cost.

The Being mode represents more of a spiritual attitude. It is not the man who has much who is much; rather, it is the man who is much who has much. Such an attitude focuses one inward development, love, compassion, a kinship with nature, and spiritual evolution as the only values worth perpetuating.

In a prosperous society such as ours, it is not hard to see why there is so much crime and violence. Too often we teach our children that money is the only value that counts. In God we trust, all others pay cash! The advertising industry spends billions to enslave our souls and minds.

Sex is frequently used in commercials to make a product tantalizing; yet, despite the prosperity of our society, record numbers of people committing suicide are on the rise. The wealthy and the powerful are not immune to the same problems we all face.

Without a spiritual orientation, we are indeed, a generation that is lost in space.

What wisdom can we draw from the wellspring of our tradition and parsha? Consider the following thought—consider the lesson of the manna.

Remarkably, rabbinic tradition attributes many wonderful qualities to the manna, which was purported to taste like anything you wanted it to taste like. Hamburger, cheeseburger, you name it—it could taste like your favorite food. Yet, no one person could hoard it all. Each family had exactly what it needed—not more, not less.

The sacred biblical author attributes the following wisdom to Moses:

What  was the purpose of the manna ?  Here the Torah conveys a timeless truth: “Man  does not live on bread alone, but on the emanations that proceed from the mouth of God” ( Deut. 8:3 ).

The  important  lesson  of  the manna was  to  realize  that all sustenance we receive comes from a Higher Source. It makes little difference whether you’re eating a crust of bread, or for that matter expensive caviar. It is all the same. Rav Nachman in own of his famous stories, deals with the  motif of contentment in a story called ” The Simple Man And the Sage.” In Nachman’s writings, the Sage is the sophisticate who is never content with what he has; but the Tam (“simpleton”) recognizes that all of life is a gift from God. To him, a stale crust of bread taste like the manna from Heaven.  As you can see, it is all a matter of perspective. Nachman extols the virtues of the Tam—and for good reason.

Some Jewish mystics, like R. Isaac Luria (16th century)  explains in his commentary that a human being does not live solely on the vitamins and nutrients of bread alone, but on the spiritual energy that gives bread its existence. Man is not just a material   being living in a material world;  we are spiritual beings having a physical experience. Even Madonna, the “material girl” studies and teaches Kabbalah!

Learning to recognize that life is a true gift is the key to finding the peace of mind that will enable us as families to make it through these difficult times. Would it be nice to win the lottery? Of course, but the parsha reminds us that our true sense of wealth and wellbeing must come from our inner attitude that recognizes the miracle of blessedness that saturates and fills our lives.

The connection between Obama and his administration with Hamas is very disturbing. Frankly–it is downright amazing in light of the 9/11 attack on our country, yet Obama continues to court the very terrorists organizations that carried out this devastating attack upon our country.

Enabling evil is a serious and moral crime. Churchill said it best, “Appeasement is throwing someone else to the crocodiles in the hopes of being eaten last.” Our spineless presidential adminstration embodies this sick pathological attitude Churchill warned the future generations about.

Recently, we discovered that about 50% of the American Jewish community supports Obama–a far cry from the 80% who supported him during the last election. Now, let’s see if we can cut his support to 5% of  the Jewish community. Unfortunately, many Jews love the Democratic Party more than they do the State of Israel. While it is true, Israel’s flirtation with Haredi Jewish leaders certainly does not engender warm and fuzzy feelings toward Israel, nevertheless, I believe this moment of history is a very special one. Our ancestors prayed for our eventual return to our homeland, are we going to trade our spiritual home for a pot of political-flavored lentils? 

Remember: Supporting Hamas is like supporting the KKK.

==========================

How Hamas rises in the West

By Caroline B. Glick

It is not surprising that Obama is siding with Hamas. Here’s why

http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | Since the navy’s May 31 takeover of the Turkish-Hamas flotilla, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his advisers have deliberated around the clock about how to contend with the US-led international stampede against Israel. But their ultimate decision to form an investigatory committee led by a retired Supreme Court justice and overseen by foreign observers indicates that they failed to recognize the nature of the international campaign facing us today.Led by US President Barack Obama, the West has cast its lot with Hamas. It is not surprising that Obama is siding with Hamas. His close associates are leading members of the pro-Hamas Free Gaza outfit. Obama’s friends, former Weather Underground terrorists Bernadine Dohrn and William Ayres participated in a Free Gaza trip to Egypt in January. Their aim was to force the Egyptians to allow them into Gaza with 1,300 fellow Hamas supporters. Their mission was led by Code Pink leader and Obama fund-raiser Jodie Evans. Another leading member of Free Gaza is James Abourezk, a former US senator from South Dakota.

All of these people have open lines of communication not only to the Obama White House, but to Obama himself.

Obama has made his sympathy for the Muslim Brotherhood clear several times since entering office. The Muslim Brotherhood’s progeny include Hamas, al-Qaida and the Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Last June, Obama infuriated the Egyptian government when he insisted on inviting leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood to attend his speech at Al Azhar University in Cairo. His administration’s decision to deport Hamas deserter and Israeli counterterror operative Mosab Hassan Yousef to the Palestinian Authority where he will be killed is the latest sign of its support for radical Islam.

Given Obama’s attitude toward jihadists and the radical leftists who support them, his decision to support Hamas against Israel makes sense. What is alarming however is how leaders of the free world are now all siding with Hamas. That support has become ever more apparent since the Mossad’s alleged killing of Hamas terror master Mahmoud al-Mabhouh at his hotel in Dubai in January.In the aftermath of Mabhouh’s death, both Britain and Australia joined the Dubai-initiated bandwagon in striking out against Israel. Israel considers both countries allies, or at least friendly and has close intelligence ties with both. Yet despite their close ties, Australia and Britain expelled Israeli diplomats who supposedly had either a hand in the alleged operation or who work for the Mossad.It should be noted that neither country takes steps against outspoken terror supporters who call for Israel to be destroyed and call for the murder of individual Israelis.For instance, in an interview last month with The Australian, Ali Kazak, the former PLO ambassador to Australia, effectively solicited the murder of The Jerusalem Post’s Palestinian affairs correspondent Khaled Abu Toameh. Kazak told the newspaper, “Khaled Abu Toameh is a traitor.”Allowing that many Palestinians have been murdered for such accusations, Kazak excused those extrajudicial murders saying, “Traitors were also murdered by the French Resistance, in Europe; this happens everywhere.”Not only did Australia not expel Kazak or open a criminal investigation against him, as a consequence of his smear campaign against Abu Toameh, several Australian government officials cancelled their scheduled meetings with him.

AND OF course, this week we have the actions of Germany and Poland. They are considered Israel’s best friends in Europe, and yet acting on a German arrest warrant, Poland has arrested a suspected Mossad officer named Uri Brodsky for his alleged involvement in the alleged Mossad operation against Mabhouh. Israel is now caught in a diplomatic disaster zone where its two closest allies — who again are only too happy to receive regular intelligence updates from the Mossad — are siding with Hamas against it.And then of course we have the EU’s call for Israel to cancel its lawful blockade of the Gaza coast. That is, the official position of the EU is that an Iranian proxy terrorist organization should be allowed to gain control over a Mediterranean port and through it, provide Iran with yet another venue from which it can launch attacks against Europe.For their part, the Sunni Arabs are forced to go along with this. The Egyptian regime considers the fact that the Muslim Brotherhood took over Gaza a threat to its very survival and has been assiduously sealing its border with Gaza for some time. And yet, unable to be more anti-Hamas than the US, Australia and Europe, Mubarak is opening the border. Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa’s unprecedented visit to Gaza this week should be seen as a last ditch attempt by Egypt to convince Hamas to unify its ranks with Fatah. Predictably, the ascendant Hamas refused his entreaties.As for Fatah, it is hard not to feel sorry for its leader Mahmoud Abbas these days. In what was supposed to be a triumphant visit to the White House, Abbas was forced to smile last week as Obama announced the US will provide $450 million in aid to his sworn enemies who three years ago ran him and his Fatah henchmen out of Gaza.So too, Abbas is forced to cheer as Obama pressures Israel to give Hamas an outlet to the sea. This will render it impossible for Fatah to ever unseat Hamas either by force or at the ballot box. Hamas’s international clout demonstrates to the Palestinians that jihad pays.

THERE ARE three plausible explanations for the West’s decision to back Hamas. All of them say something deeply disturbing about the state of the world. The first plausible explanation is that the Americans and the rest of the West are simply naive. They believe that by backing Hamas, they are advancing the cause of Middle East peace.If this is in fact what the likes of Obama and his European and Australian counterparts think, apparently no one in the West is thinking very hard. The fact is that by backing Hamas against Israel, they are backing Hamas against Fatah and they are backing Iran, Syria, Turkey, Hamas and Hizbullah against Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. They are backing the most radical actors in the region — and arguably in the world — against states and regimes they have a shared strategic interest in strengthening.There is absolutely no way this behavior advances the cause of peace.The second plausible explanation is that the West’s support for Hamas is motivated by hatred of Israel. As Helen Thomas’s recent remarks demonstrated, there is certainly a lot of that going around.The final plausible explanation for the West’s support for Hamas is that it has been led to believe that by acting as it is, it will buy itself immunity from attack by Hamas and its fellow members of the Iranian axis. As former Italian president Francesco Cossiga first exposed in a letter to Corriere della Serra in August 2008, in the early 1970s Italian prime minister Aldo Moro signed a deal with Yasser Arafat that gave the PLO and its affiliated organizations the freedom to operate terror bases in Italy. In exchange the Palestinians agreed to limit their attacks to Jewish and Israeli targets. Italy maintained its allegiance to the deal — and to the PLO against Israel — even when Italian targets were hit.Cossiga told the newspaper that the August 2, 1980 bombing at the Bologna train station — which Italy blamed on Italian fascists — was actually the work of George Habash’s Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Eighty-five people were murdered in the attack, and still Italy maintained its agreement with the PLO to the point where it prosecuted and imprisoned the wrong people for the worst terrorist attack in its history.Cossiga alleged that the deal is still in place today and that Italian forces in UNIFIL have expanded the deal to include Hamas’s fellow Iranian proxy Hizbullah. It isn’t much of a stretch to consider the possibility that Italy and the rest of the Western powers have made a similar deal with Hamas. And it is no stretch at all to believe that they will benefit from it as greatly as the Italian railroad passengers in Bologna did.True, no one has come out and admitted to supporting Hamas. So too, no one has expressed anything by love for Israel and the Jewish people. But the actions of the governments of the West tell a different tale. Without one or more of the explanations above, it is hard to understand their current policies.Since the flotilla incident, Netanyahu and his ministers have held marathon deliberations on how to respond to US pressure to accept an international inquisition into the IDF’s lawful enforcement of the legal blockade of the Gaza coast. Their deliberations went on at the same time as Netanyahu and his envoys attempted to convince Obama to stop his mad rush to give Hamas an outlet to the sea and deny Israel even the most passive right of self-defense.It remains to be seen if their decision to form an investigative panel with international “observers” was a wise move or yet another ill-advised concession to an unappeasable administration. What is certain, however, is that it will not end the West’s budding romance with Hamas.The West’s decision to side with Hamas is devastating. But whatever the reasons for it, it is a fact of life. It is Netanyahu’s duty to swallow this bitter pill and devise a strategy to protect the country from their madness. 

One of the great Italian mystics of the 18th century was Rabbi Moshe Chayim Luzzato, who is widely regarded as one of Judaism’s greatest moralists and mystics. In his famous moral tract, “Path of the Just,” Rabbi Moshe delineates the purpose of his book. The modern reader cannot help but notice the humility and purity of spirit this man exuded.

The writer says: I have written this work not to teach people what they do not know, but to remind them of what they already know and is very evident to them, for you will find in most of my words only things which most people know, and concerning which they entertain no doubts. However, to the extent that they are well known and their truths revealed to all, so is forgetfulness in relation to them extremely prevalent. It follows, then, that the benefit to be obtained from this work is not derived from a single reading; for it is possible that the reader will find that he has learned little after having read it that he did not know before. Its benefit is to be derived, rather, through review and persistent study, by which one is reminded of those things which, by nature, he is prone to forget and through which he is caused to take to heart the duty that he tends to overlook. A consideration of the general state of affairs will reveal that the majority of men of quick intelligence and keen mentality devote most of their thought and speculation to the subtleties of wisdom and the profundities of analysis, each according to the inclination of his intelligence and his natural bent.

There are some who expend a great deal of effort in studying the creation and nature. Others devote all of their thought to astronomy and mathematics, and others to the arts. By the same token there are those who go more deeply into sacred studies, into the study of the holy Torah, some occupying themselves with Halachic discussions, others with Midrash and others with legal decisions. There are few, however, who devote thought and study to perfection of Divine o love, fear, communion and all of the other aspects of saintliness. It iservice – ts not that they consider this knowledge unessential; if questioned each one will maintain that it is of paramount importance and that one who is not clearly versed in it cannot be deemed truly wise.

Their failure to devote more attention to it stems rather from its being so manifest and so obvious to them that they see no need for spending much time upon it. Consequently, this study and the reading of works of this kind have been left to those of a not too sensitive, almost dull intelligence. These you will see immersed in the study of saintliness, not stirring from it. It has reached the stage that when one sees another engaging in saintly conduct, he cannot help but suspect him of dull-wittedness. This state of affairs results in evil consequences both for those who possess wisdom and for those who do not, causing both classes to lack true saintliness, and rendering it extremely rare.

The wise lack it because of their limited consideration of it and the unwise because of their limited grasp. The result is that saintliness is construed by most to consist in the recitation of many Psalms, very long confessions, difficult fasts, and ablutions in ice and snow – all of which are incompatible with intellect and which reason refuses to accept.”

Postscript:

R. Moshe Hayim reminds us that personal piety should not be a pursuit limited to the “pious,” but every person needs to work on the improvement of one’s character and behavior. Unfortunately, many folks still think that saintliness is for the exceptional person. In Biblical Hebrew, the term צַדִּיק means more than “righteous,” it derives from the root word צֶדֶק “just,” or, “honest,” i.e., someone who acts with complete equity. The BDB Lexicon adds:

adj. just, righteous — 1. just, righteous, in government: a. of Davidic king. b. of judges. c. of law. d. of God, opp. Pharaoh; in discrimination; condemnation; redemption; keeping promises; in all his ways. 2. just in one’s cause, right; right in law, not under penalty; innocent of specif. offence; c. מִן comp. 3. just, righteous, in conduct and character: a. towards God. b. in gen., ethically. 4. righteous, as justified and vindicated by ˊי‍, esp. servant of ˊי‍, so his people. 5. right, correct; lawful. [1]

To live the spiritually excellent life, there can be no room for mediocrity or lack of personal integrity. Recognizing this obvious truth will hopefully propel us–as both individuals and as a society–toward realizing our life purpose in this temporal world of existence. Real piety should not be limited or grounded in the performance of rote mechanical rituals; it is bound up in illuminating the dark corners of our soul–especially when nobody else is looking.

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Notes:

1: BDB 843:1

Norman Lamm, the Chancellor of Yeshiva University, expresses an interesting but mystical thought that resonates with Heschel’s insight regarding the nature of Divine love, which Christians commonly refer to as “agape.”

Lamm explains this concept in light of the Shema prayer:

“The LORD is one” implies that God is, as it were, a lonely God. This loneliness and sadness are reflected in the divine image, humans, of whom He said, “It is not good that man should be alone” (Gen. 2:18). Both God and human beings deserve rachmones, pity—we, for our failure and pain and suffering, and God, for being abandoned by this creature created in God’s very own image and endowed with the gift of free will that we misuse and abuse. And so each waits and longs for the other. The way to bridge the brooding cosmic loneliness, to find our way to each other, is through love.

It is this sense of mutual sympathy that gives rise to love. God reaches out for us with love—as affirmed in the blessing immediately preceding the Shema: “Blessed are You, O LORD, who chooses His people Israel in love”—and we, recognizing that “the LORD is One,” [Deut. 6:4] that the Creator is lonely, yearning for our companionship, respond with love immediately after proclaiming God’s utter oneness: “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart . . .” [Deut. 6:5]. Those thinkers whose interpretations of the Love of God we discussed in chapters 10 to 14 all worked on the premise that God is transcendent and perfect: we need God, but God does not need anyone or anything. He is utterly self-sufficient. But here we are speaking of God in a different way. Conceived of in poetic and psychologically human terms, the divine-human relationship takes on a different dimension, best understood through distinction between two types of love usually referred to in theological writings by their Greek names, eros and agape. Agape is the love that a protective parent feels for his or her child. It is a selfless love: the parent asks nothing in return, not even to be loved by the child. Eros, in contrast, is romantic love, such as that felt by husband and wife for each other. Such love is expected to be not only reciprocal, but also mutually pleasurable. The love we feel for and from God is agape, not eros.[1]

I would just like to add a few contemplative thoughts on this subject because I think it is a good example of how Jewish scholars can and ought to learn new theological ideas from their Christian neighbors. In an open society, nobody corners the market on spiritual truth. We can all learn from one another.

The term agape indicates a love that is unconquerable and determined to outlast any opposition; it always seeks the occasion to express the highest goodness and benevolence whenever the opportunity presents itself. This love remains steadfast even in the face of ill-treatment and insults; it seeks nothing but the highest good and welfare in others at all times—even in the face of rejection and humiliation.

Talmudic wisdom bears this out. R. Yochanan states: “Wherever you find mentioned in the Scriptures the power of the Blessed Holy One, you will also find His humility.”[2]

By God limiting His power, humanity has the ability to do what angelic beings would find impossible—the denial of their Creator’s existence. This becomes possible because God’s Divine Love allows for the Other to exist with a sense of total freedom.

An important distinction between eros and agape is missing in Lamm’s otherwise fine exposition. No romantic theology concerning God’s love for Creation can be based on anything other than agape love. Analogically speaking, most human beings spend a lifetime searching for the perfect Other to possess and experience personal fulfillment and satisfaction.

However, true agape love—whether it flows from a human or divine source—transcends the boundaries of eros because it risks complete vulnerability and faces the possibility of rejection. In contrast, eros seeks in others the realization of its own desire, but agape love does not focus solely upon the beloved for its own personal enrichment or fulfillment.[3]

Agape love is concerned with the good and welfare of the Other, while revealing a different kind of love that is oppositional to any kind of self-love. For these reasons, agape is the apt metaphor when expressing Divine Love. In the prophetic literature of the seventh century, the prophets invariably express God’s love for Israel in terms of agape and not eros.

Granted, this theological exposition certainly runs contrary to the stoic and rational thought expressed by Maimonides, but in today’s world of faith, it is vital we see faith in more experiential terms that speak to the yearnings of the human heart.

[1] Norman Lamm, The Shema: Spirituality and Law in Judaism (Philadelphia, PA: JPS, 1998), 122.

[2] BT Megillah 31a.

[3] There is a well-known and oft quoted NT passage that captures this concept well, “Love (ἀγάπη) is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends . . .” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

He lived in a world where God is everywhere; every incident or happening contains a spiritual lesson that can infuse the soul with a message that is eternally relevant.

According to him, “You can learn three things from a child and seven from a thief. ‘From a child you can learn (1) always to be happy; (2) never to sit idle; and (3) to cry for everything one wants.

He argued that even a thief can serve as a spiritual guide–despite himself.  Zusya explains:

From a thief you should learn:

(1) to work at night;

(2) if he cannot gain what he wants in one night, he will try again the next night;

(3) to love one’s coworkers just as thieves love each other;

(4) to be willing to risk one’s life even for a little thing;

(5) not to attach too much value to things even though one has risked one’s life for them — just as a thief will resell a stolen article for a fraction of its real value

(6) to withstand all kinds of beatings and tortures but to remain what you are; and

(7) to believe that your work is worthwhile and not be willing to change it.

If we wish to embrace a God-filled life, learning to see the world as a spiritual metaphor may help lead us to discovering higher truths that often escape notice because we tend to live in a mindlessly driven world.

Another famous Hassidic rabbi observes:

You can learn something from everything. Even from a train, a telephone and a telegram. From a train, he said, you can learn that in one second one can miss everything. From a telephone you can learn that what you say over here can be heard over there. And from a telegram that all words are counted and charged.”

It is a pity this genre of Hassidic teacher has pretty much vanished from modern Jewish history. Today’s Hassidic rabbis, by and large, lack the piety their ancestors once possessed. Still and all, the great teachers of the past continue to inspire us–provided we take to heart their simple lessons of faith.

An anonymous poet and vet wrote about his experience in the famous battle of Okinawa.

Okinawa was to be our last stop
Before we invaded Japan.
The largest landing of the Pacific war
As our soldiers ran across the sand.

At first our marines were scarcely opposed
But on the fifth day hell they found.
A solid wall of human resistance
Firing their weapons from caves in the ground.

Air power and big guns had little affect
On their cliff forts carved deep in the limestone.
It took man against man to root them out
As flying bullets pierced flesh and bone.

Kamikaze pilots crashed their planes
Knocking out transports and war ships.
As the Imperial air force struck our fleet
Cries of fear and hate spewed from lips.

One hundred, ten thousand Japanese
By the end of the battle were killed.
Over twelve thousand Americans died,
Before, just our flag flew over the field.

Let me tell you about Bill’s remarkable life.

What I would like to do now is tell you about Bill. I want you to walk away from here with a better understanding and appreciation of his life and who he was. And I am going to acquaint you with some aspects of his life with which you may not be familiar –a father, a son, a brother, a husband, friend and soldier,  a gardener, and car aficionado.

Bill Sax was born on December 7, 1921 in Moline, the son of Jacob and Fannie (Cohn) Sax.  Some of you may not know that Bill was a decorated war hero, who received numerous medals for his bravery and valor during WWII.

Young Bill was drafted on Oct. 15, 1942 (before his 21st birthday) and  went from St. Louis to Camp Adair, Oregon, near Salem, OR.,  zig  zagging across the country for a week.  He was put in a heavy weapons company, Company D.  This was the first Thanksgiving and first holiday he would spend away from home.

As Dad put it:

“I don’t know how I got so lucky. Abbie was drafted  into the Air Corps, Bernie in Anti-Aircraft Artillery, and I got the  Infantry.”  Well, after training in Oregon and CA, the army sent him to Hawaii and then to several islands in the Pacific. He was on Leyte in the  Phillipines for about 10 days when General MacArthur made his famous return to the Philippines.  He ended up in Okinawa on April 1, 1945,  and  Bill was in  the last battle of WW II—although they didn’t know it at the time.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Battle of Okinawa, it was considered to be one of the bloodiest battles of WWII; the American invasion of this island made it possible for the Americans to invade the Japanese industrial heartland.

The attack on Okinawa had taken a heavy toll on both sides. The Americans lost 7,373 men killed and 32,056 wounded on land. At sea, the Americans lost 5,000 killed and 4,600 wounded. The Japanese lost 107,000 killed and 7,400 men taken prisoner. The Americans also lost 36 ships. 368 ships were also damaged. 763 aircraft were destroyed. The Japanese lost 16 ships sunk and over 4,000 aircraft were lost.

Bill’s section got hit while there, and several of them got hit by shrapnel.  Dad’s helmet saved his life! There was still a bit of shrapnel lodged in his shoulder that he never had removed. He was taken to the hospital in Guam, then to Hawaii, then back to the States. He got his discharge just before Thanksgiving 1945, almost 3 years after being drafted. He walked into the poultry business at 8am and by 9am he was dressing turkeys for Thanksgiving!

Longfellow said it best in his famous poem, “The Psalm of Life.” These poetic words capture the essence of Bill’s soul:

In the world’s broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!

AFTER THE WAR

Within three years,  he married the former Arlene Schaider in 1948. He met Arlene Arlene Schaider in 1948, the love of his life and they were married for 62 happy years. She was in every sense, the love of his life. Throughout his life, Arlene proved to be a loving and loyal spouse and together they created a lifetime of dreams and memories.

THE GOOD SON

Many years before he worked at Montgomery Wards, he worked at the family poultry business, Sax’s Poultry, and he routinely extended kindness to people who could not afford food; he provided them with a running tab, and if they could not afford to pay their debts, he forgave the debts. As a human being, Bill lived a life of tsedakah—the Hebrew  word for “charity” and “integrity.” Bill proved to be an excellent son to his parents, and took care of their every need.

BILL’S ETHICAL DEMEANOR

Bill was never one to complain; he had a sunny and upbeat disposition. Everyone who knew him, loved his attitude—whether it was the kids’ friends, or the people at Montgomery Wards where he worked as a salesman for over 25 years. Bill was beloved by everyone who knew him.

Bill never had a bad word to say about anyone.  His attitude could be summed up by the words, “If you don’t have anything to say that is good about someone, then don’t say it.” In his own way, Bill observed the highest principles of Jewish ethics—especially as it pertains to human speech and communication. Some people think Kashrut is what you put into your mouth, it is really what comes out of one’s mouth as well. Bill Sax epitomized this ancient Jewish ideal better than most people you will ever meet.

I observed Bill, the last few days of his life; last Friday, I recall observing how he maintained his quick wit until the end; he was the kind of person who embraced laughter and humor; his spirit remained buoyant until the very end. As Karen and Marty said, “If Bill wasn’t joking, you knew there was something very wrong.”

Many special memories occurred at the family kitchen; all his friends and family members have a “Bill story,” to tell.

One of his favorite pastimes was traveling in his favorite Studebaker;  he was one of the founding members of the local Studebaker  Club, and his love of cars and trains goes back to when he was a young boy. As a young man, he enjoyed schlepping his mother from place to place, always engaging the world. Even after he could no longer drive, Bill still took delight making his round of Walmart visits, where he would cruise around in the motor-operated carts.  Throughout his life, he loved visiting automobile and train museums; he could pretty much tell you almost anything about a vehicle’s design.

When Bill and Arlene traveled, they always went to see brothers Abby and Bernie, or his kids, and friends. Whether it was in Tucson, Arizona, or at San Diego, Bill loved traveling to see his children, nieces, nephews, or his grandchild Benjamin.

Some people live their lives to accumulate wealth or status, but Bill was different. For him, the greatest treasure he desired more than anything else was friendship.

Given Bill’s love for traveling, I can tell you that he looked forward to visiting the Arlington Cemetery in Washington D.C. on a special Honor Flight trip to pay respects to the countless soldiers who gave their lives and served in the army during WWII.

BILL’S HONOR FLIGHT

As the Quad-City Times records,  “For the Quad Citians who’ve stood at the World War II Memorial, an Honor Flight trip brings with it a sense that the world will never forget their accomplishments of 60 years ago. This upcoming Saturday Bill had a seat reserved on the Honor Flight. “

Marty said it best, “We have to honor him in a different way now . . . We had to change plans and honor him at The Arsenal instead of honoring him in Washington.”

I would like to conclude with one more poem written by a different veteran, which may serve as a commentary  about this quite and unassuming man:

BRAVERY

Many brave souls lived before now
Unwept and unknown by their face.
Lost somewhere in the distant night
Till a poet chronicles their grace.

True bravery is shown by performing
Without witness, what one might be
Capable of before the world
Without any or all to see.

How great the brave who rest in peace
All blessings from heaven to earth.
They gave our country but their best
Those destined to be brave from birth.

.

One of the most succinct descriptions of the purpose of the Satan that reflects the Jewish attitude is  found in the writings of Goethe, who wrote in his classic “Faust”

Of all the spirits of negation
The rogue is least of burdens to be borne.
Man’s efforts sink below his proper level,
And since he seeks for unconditioned ease,
I send this fellow, who must goad and tease And to serve creation, through a devil.[1]

Similar to our citation of Goethe is a passage from the Zohar, which speaks of a parable concerning the role of Satan that should  clarify the purpose and role of Satan in Jewish tradition–as understood by the rabbis of antiquity.

Let us assume for a moment that the rabbis and the allegorical school are correct in identifying the serpent as a metaphor for the evil inclination. But why did God create the impulse for evil? Would humankind have been better off not having to deal with such an urge? The Zohar raises this question, and offers the reader a most intriguing thought-provoking response with respect to the phenomena of moral evil.

Should it be asked, “How can a man love Him with the evil inclination? Is not the evil inclination the seducer, preventing man from approaching the Blessed Holy One to serve him? How, then, can man use the evil inclination as an instrument of love for God?” The answer lies in this, that there can be no greater service done to the Holy One than to bring into subjection the “evil inclination” by the power of love to the Holy One, blessed be He. For, when it is subdued and its power broken by man in this way, then he becomes a true lover of the Holy One, since he has learned how to make the “evil inclination” itself serve the Holy One. Here is a mystery entrusted to the masters of esoteric lore. All that the Holy One has made, both above and below, is for the purpose of manifesting His Glory and to make all things serve Him. Now, would a master permit his servant to work against him, and to continually lay plans to counteract his will? It is the will of the Holy One that men should worship Him and walk in the way of truth that they may be rewarded with many benefits. How, then, can an evil servant come and counteract the will of his Master by tempting man to walk in an evil way, seducing him from the good way and causing him to disobey the will of his Lord? But, indeed, the “evil inclination” also does through this the will of its Lord.

It is as if a king had an only son whom he dearly loved, and just for that cause he warned him not to be enticed by bad women, saying that anyone defiled might not enter his palace. The son promised his father to do his will in love. Outside the palace, however, there lived a beautiful harlot. After a while the King thought: “I will see how far my son is devoted to me.” So he sent to the woman and commanded her, saying: “Entice my son, for I wish to test his obedience to my will.” So she used every trick in her book to lure him into her embraces. But the son, being good, obeyed the commandment of his father. He refused her allurements and thrust her from him. Then did the father rejoice exceedingly, and, bringing him in to the innermost chamber of the palace, bestowed upon him gifts from his best treasures, and showed him every honor. And who was the cause of all this joy? The harlot! Is she to be praised or blamed for it? To be praised, surely, on all accounts, for on the one hand she fulfilled the king’s command and carried out his plans for him, and on the other hand she caused the son to receive all the good gifts and deepened the king’s love to his son. [2]

The Zoharic passage illustrates a remarkable concept that exists in many of the primal religions of the world, the notion of the coincidentia oppositorum, also known as “the reunion of opposites.” As Eliade has already noted, the lost memory of this unitive existence with reality emanates from a part of humanity that yearns to overcome the duality and opposites we now experience in a post-Fallen world. He adds that “on the level of presystematic thought, the mystery of totality embodies man’s endeavor to reach a perspective in which the contraries are abolished, the Spirit of Evil reveals itself as a stimulant for the Good . . .” [3]

Sheneir Zalman of Liadi writes in his Tanya, “The answer lies in this, that there can be no greater service done to the Blessed Holy One than to bring into subjection the “evil inclination by the power of love to the Holy One, blessed be He. For, when it is subdued and its power broken by man in this way, then he becomes a true lover of the Holy One, since he has learns how to make the “evil inclination” itself serve the Blessed Holy One.[4]

Hassidic tradition looks at Satan as a force of good. Indeed, to some, Satan even provides lessons in piety. According to Hassidic tradition, Satan is never lazy in carrying out his responsibilities; the Satan is always out there testing our moral resolve — even when we are performing good deeds! Here is a Hassidic anecdote to illustrate:

Once Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev (18th century) was once asked to lead the congregation in prayer on Simchat Torah. As he ascended the pulpit, he stood in silence for a moment, and then he returned to his seat without reciting a word. His father-in-law wanted to know the reason for such a peculiar action. Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev explained:

When I was ready to begin my prayers, I suddenly felt the Evil Impulse, the Satan, wished to recite them with me. Therefore I asked him: ‘Who are you to dare recite these important prayers before the whole congregation?” ‘And who are you?” was his reply. ‘I am a man learned in the Torah, I answered. So am I, and when you studied, I kept you company,’ answered Satan. But I am also a Hasid of the Mezeritzcher Maggid,’ I rejoined. ‘So am I; I kept you company then as well,’ he said. ‘Since this is so,’ I replied, ‘if you are both a ‘scholar’ and a ‘Hasid,’ go and say the prayers yourself.’ And I descended from the Bimah.”

Maimonides in his Guide to the Perplexed argued that Satan is only a metaphor for the evil inclination (yetzser hara) and is not a supernatural being. This has some basis in the Talmud (cf. BT Bava Batra 16a) but many of the Talmudic rabbis did regard Satan as a supernatural being who serves God by testing humanity’s moral character. If nothing else, the Satanic archetype is a grim reminder that we are not necessarily as righteous as we would like to imagine ourselves to be; beneath the exterior of our conscious minds is the awareness that we are indeed, petty little beings–hardly even worthy of a Creator’s attention. Satan, thus serves to purge us of our hubris and sense of accomplishment. The simple truth is, we have a long way yet to go in matters of spiritual growth and honesty.

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Notes:

[1] Faust, Part 1‎ – page 42.

[2] Zohar 2:162b–163a (Soncino translation)

[3] Mircea Eliade, The Two and the One (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1965), 123.

[4] Tanya, chapter 27; cf. Zohar 2:128.

It is interesting to contrast the word inspiration with the word “revelation,” which comes from the Latin revelation, signifying “to removing the veil.” The experience of revelation heightens our capacity to embrace life with greater self-awareness, passion, freedom and integration. Yet as Heschel notes in his writings, revelation is never merely a personal affair of a mystical kind; it aims to transform the societal world into an ethical domain where the rights of all are respected.

When defined from this perspective, revelation and inspiration are two sides of the same coin. In the classic biblical sense of the word, revelation opens our imagination to endless new possibilities of meaning. Indicative of this is the blessing we recite every day: “Blessed are You Adonoy, the Giver of the Torah.” Rabbinic wisdom conveys a timeless truth about revelation—Sinai wasn’t a onetime event; the spirit of Sinai continues to unfold newer meanings and insights that expands and transforms human consciousness even in our present era.

Inspiration has the power to produce a revelatory experience. To a listener, or to a reader of a sacred text, inspiration can bring about a profound life change that summons the person to a embrace a radical new understanding of the Self and God,  which affects the way s/he relates to the world. The Mishnah reflects such an understanding:

“Turn it over and over because everything is in it and reflect upon it and grow old and worn in it and do not leave it, for you have no better lot than that” (Avot 5:22). Barry Levy further points out that there are other variant readings that have a direct bearing on Ben Bag-bag’s statement:הפוך בה והפוך בה דכולה בה דכולך בה  (hafok bah we-happek bah de-kola bah wekolak bah), “ . . . because everything is in it, and all of you is in it . . .” This reading suggests, every personal life experience and situation finds expression in the words of Scripture. Yes, the Tanakh has the ability to awaken the psyche and transform the soul–provided one is spiritually awake and receptive.

Sometimes revelation in the Bible occurs in an altered state of consciousness such as in a dream or a visionary experience. Maimonides felt convinced that whenever an angel appears in the Bible, it is always in the context of a dream because the human senses cannot perceive angels. [2] In contrast, inspiration usually occurs while the individual is in a wakeful state of mind.

Although the concept of inspiration is nowhere specifically addressed in the Tanakh, it is obvious  that the prophets, mystics and pious folk of our faith were profoundly inspired by the Spirit of God that engulfed them.

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Notes:

[1] Guide to the Perplexed, 2:42.

[2] See also  Ramban’s commentary  on Gen 18: 1, where he disagrees with Maimonides on this matter.

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Birth and Rebirth Through Genesis. . . adroitly moderates a virtual conversation between traditions and thinkers. This book is a wondrous springboard into a rewarding dialogue between  biblical scholarship and the philosophical perspective.

Micah D. Halpern, author of THUGS, The Micah Report, and Jewish Legal Writings by Women

“A fascinating, learned, and wide-ranging commentary that creatively blends the  insights of ancients, medievals, moderns, and post-moderns. . .Readers will enjoy this book.”

Prof. Warren Zev Harvey, [Chair, Department of Jewish Thought], The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ,

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I believe that all who carefully read this book are in for a deeply rewarding experience. A study of the text and commentary of Birth and Rebirth through Genesis: The Timeless Theological Commentary will contribute greatly to an understanding of the rich and diverse fabric of biblical narrative and provide an appreciation for its creative application to the problems of the modern world . . . Birth and Rebirth through Genesis is a book for Jews and Christians.

Prof. Marvin R. Wilson, Author of Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith

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The book is a profound exploration of the important metaphors, symbols and archetypal structures of Genesis. . . Most remarkable about this stunning array of insights is that it leaves space for personal discovery, and time to hear the beat of heart-thoughts behind the words.

Paul Pines, author of My Brother’s Madness.

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Rabbi Michael Samuel’s Birth and Rebirth through Genesis: A Timeless Theological Conversation frees the reader from the confines of the theological spin of particular interpretations . . . . this work is spiritually fresh and relevant for a new generation of readers regardless of their religious background and faith.

Rabbi Dr Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, co-author of Jewish with Feeling

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While this is a book written by a rabbi well-versed in the rabbinic tradition, one cannot read more than a few pages to discover that his research, his interests, and his appreciation of critical thought span the centuries of both Jewish thought and Christian, while encompassing the best of the non-faith-bound philosophers of these same millennia . . . Rabbi Samuel is fearless in drawing on their works and their thinking in order to provoke his reader to leap beyond the well-worn paths of the past.

Allan C. Emery III, PhD, Senior Editor of Hendrickson Publishers.

Have you ever wondered about the beginning of Genesis in the context of the three thousand years of pondering prompted by these seminal three chapters? . . .  This magnificent interdisciplinary work will prompt, will compel, its reader to consider fundamental issues of the dynamic among text, self, and others within the context of cultures and time. . . . and deals superbly with  nothing less than everyone’s journey of “Birth and Rebirth.”

Paul Borgman, Author of Genesis: The Story We Haven’t Heard

The term for offering, מִנְחָה (minhāh), denotes a tribute, gift, or cereal offering; it is the type of gift an inferior offers to a superior as a sign of homage and submission. The verse does not disclose the quality of Cain’s offering.

But based on the wording “of the fruit of the ground,” it would seem that whatever Cain brought was probably from the leftovers of his crops. In other words, Cain neither offers his first fruits (Deut. 26:2), nor is his offering made of choice flour (Lev. 2:1). Philo of Alexandria expresses a similar thought: “One of them took for himself the fruit of the first fruits and impiously thought God worthy (only) of the second fruits.”^[1]

Hizkuni (ca. 14^th century) adds a different perspective: Cain’s sacrifice was rejected because he offered a gift from the earth which was already cursed, whereas Abel did not.

^[1] Philo, Questions and Answers on Genesis 1.60.