SHABBAT SHALOM FROM CYBERSPACE
EKEB
JULY 31, 2010 20 AB 5770

At 6AM this morning, I spoke to my daughter Mikhayla who was in Bejing and was preparing to light candles. She asked, “Dad, where’s the newsletter”? I apologized that I had nothing yet and was possibly going to miss the week. She told me better a late newsletter than no newsletter. So we’ll give a shot thinking, better late than never” and to all of you across the pond, sorry that your only getting this Saturday night.

This week I was speaking with a client’s client in my office. He asked me where I was coming from and I told him from minha. He heard a certain Rabbi was in town and asked if I saw him where I prayed. He wanted to go to this “mekubal” for a blessing.

“A blessing is always great”, I told him. But he detected my lack of enthusiasm and pressed me telling me that so many people swear by the guy and made so much money from the guy. So I again repeated that it’s great to get a blessing from anybody.

I admitted that I didn’t understand how some of these mekubals blessings appeared to be so valuable and shyed away from speculation. I started quoting Rav Yaakob Hillel from Tamim Tihiyeh and Rabbi Abittan from personal experience.

Many times Kabalists came to town and Rabbi Abittan who said a blessing is great from everyone always told us, “If you really want a blessing, go to a Talmid Chacham who is anav – humble and a person of midot – of character. Go to a rosh yeshivah for a blessing for it is that person who bends his will to the will of Hashem, who dedicates his life to Hashem and Torah. And for that Hashem will bend His will for the Talmid Chacham whose Torah and Zechut of teaching will support his request.”

I then told my visitor a seemingly too-incredible-to-be-true story actually took place which was posted by Emunah magazine this past spring. It was during WW2 where twenty-four rabbis were being held in Italy and faced being returned to Nazi- occupied Europe and certain death. Rabbi Aharon Kotler, founder and head of Lakewood Yeshiva and a leader of Ashkenazi non-chasidic Judaism in America, turned to the well-known Orthodox Jewish activist and subsequent author of Ethics From Sinai, Irving Bunim, and asked him who could intercede on behalf of these 24 rabbis. Irving Bunim suggested the Italian Mafia! Rabbi Kotler urged Mr. Bunim to contact them immediately.

After contacting them he asked Rabbi Kotler, "Who are we sending to the meeting?"
Rabbi Kotler replied, "You and I are going."
Off they went to meet the godfather of the Mafia, Joe Bonnano. Rabbi Kotler did not speak English, so it was Mr. Bunim who explained the problem of the 24 Rabbis trapped in Italy.

The Mafia chief asked Mr. Bunim, "Who is the elderly man sitting next to you?"
He told him, "He is the godfather of the Jewish people."
"Really?" asked the Mafia chief.
"Yes!" replied Mr.Bunim emphatically.
"Tell him I want a blessing."

So Mr. Irving Bunim turned to Rabbi Aharon Kotler and in Yiddish told him, "Ehr vill a Brocha fun de Rav. (He wants a blessing from the Rabbi)."
"Zog eim ehr zol leiben lang un shtarben in bet."
Irving Bunim turned back to the Mafia chief Joe Bonnano and told him, "The Rabbi blesses you with long life and you should die in bed."

Upon hearing this, the Mafia chief replied, "I like that," [both parts!-ed.] and promised within 2 weeks to arrange the freedom of the 24 Rabbis stuck in Italy. Which he did indeed accomplish.

Twenty-something years later, in 1964, a shiny black stretch limo pulls up in front of Lakewood Yeshiva in Lakewood New Jersey. Two fancy-dressed guys get out and walk up to the office. They say are looking for Rabbi Kotler. Out comes Rabbi Kotler and introduces himself.
"No, not you," say the two Italian guys. "We are looking for an older man."
"That was my father, but he passed away a number of years ago," states Rabbi Kotler.

The Italian guys explain that they are the Bonnano brothers, and that their father always "attributed his long life to your saintly father's blessing. Now that he has just retired, we are taking over the business and we came here for the same blessing."

"I'm sorry," says Rabbi Kotler, "my father could do that, but I am not on that high level."

Disappointed, but clearly understanding the concept of "yeridat hadorot" – "the descent of the generations," the new Mafia chiefs bid farewell to the [then] current Rabbi Kotler.

For saving 24 Rabbis from the Nazis, and with Rabbi Aharon Kotler's blessing, Joe Bonnano – the Mafia godfather – lived to 97 years old.

I can hear all the comments about a blessing for a Mafia boss and they are all valid. But the merit of saving those rabbis, of the Torah they would continue to teach, of the Torah their thousands of students would teach and the torah that the students of those students would teach must be huge. Some receive their blessing in this world … who knows?

And Rabbi Abittan would tell that there is even a greater blessing than that which comes from a rosh yeshiva. It is the blessing that comes directly from Hashem. And those fortunate enough to attend minyan each day where the Kohanim bless the people have direct access to that blessing. A blessing of Parnasah, a blessing of understanding and Torah and a blessing of being bound to Hashem is available directly from Hashem. Amazingly this is a free beracha from the Almighty Himself. What more could we ask for than the words Yevarechecha and Yisah Hashem Panav? Rashi explains this to mean that Hashem suppresses His anger even if we are sinful, and shows us special consideration

A question arises from this weeks portion where we read somewhat the opposite – “Asher lo yisa panim velo yikach shochad - Who does not show favor ( give undeserved consideration) and Who does not accept a bribe" And this is the question the angels bring Hashem when the priestly blessing is said. “How can you bless those people who don’t deserve it?”

The Midrash records Hashem's answer : "I have written in the Torah 'When you eat and are filled, you are to recite Grace After Meals.' Although they are only required to bless Me after they are satiated, Bnei Yisrael place a stringency upon themselves and bless Me even after eating the volume of an olive ( 27g) or egg. How can I not show them special consideration?"

The Rabbis ask: How does Bnei Yisrael's behavior justify Hashem violating His own edict concerning not showing special consideration when judging a sinner? What is so special about a person who eats little but with the little says he is satisfied and blesses Hashem?

This week we also read about the incident of the golden calf. Tradition teaches us that this occurred on the 17th day of Tamuz. According to the great Rabbi Hezekiah ben Manoah who wrote more than 750 years ago and who we know as the Hizkuni, and according to the Megaleh Amukot, Rabbi Natan Nata Shpira who wrote almost 400 years ago, it was a Friday. On that Friday instead of receiving the tablets Moses received after 40 days in heaven as the verse says, “and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and they got up to make merry – see Rashi - connotation of sexual immorality - .”

When we received the Torah, we returned to the level of Adam before he sinned. When we sinned with the calf we committed the same sin as Adam.

And what day did Adam sin? It was on Friday and what was the sin? Eating, drinking, making merry? Kabalah teaches that the real sin was that Adam was unable to control himself, not his physical desire for his wife which should have waited for Shabbat, nor his physical desire for food.

And when confronted the Midrash says Adam replied that he ate and will eat more.

Adam was unable to control himself. He was not satisfied and for that he brought a curse to the world. The Bnai Yisrael in the desert committed the same sin. They couldn’t control themselves and the curse that was lifted on the Friday they said Naaseh VeNishmah, returned.

The curse affected our sustenance and our lives. We ask for blessing to reverse those curses. This is the blessing Hashem gives for free with Birkat Kohanim. How do we activate it? The answer lies in self control. When we show Hashem we can eat and be satisfied with little and still bless, we reverse the sin of eating from the tree as well as the sin of eating and drinking which resulted in sexual immorality around the golden calf.

We can activate this blessing. Its in our hands!

And there’s one more thing. In recent years as I understand it, Friday afternoons in the community have become pre-shabbat maza parties, with plenty of food, drink and merriment under the guise of greeting the Shabbat. These parties are just the opposite. From Chasot – mid day we minimize eating and minimize work, not to party but to prepare for Shabbat. This is our job at that hour. Prepare for Shabbat whether food, the house, the table, learning. This is our job.

I have heard stories I hope are not true of people getting so drunk Friday, of people getting so full that they sleep through Friday night, people getting carried away and doing worse, people skipping shul because the parties didn’t end.

It was on Friday that Adam and Chavah sinned through their inability to control themselves and wait fro Shabbat. It was on Friday that Bnai Yisrael sinned with a golden calf through their inability to wait for Moses and inability to control their own desires. We are that generation who lived in the desert. We are those same people, born again. We are their gilgul, their reincarnation - and in some strange way, we face their same test, the test of Adam and the test of Dor HaMidbar. The question is, “Can we control ourselves?”

We beg for blessing! How do we achieve it?

By overcoming the test that Adam and the generation of the Midbar failed, we can make the ultimate tikun – repair in history. We can lift the curse and get the blessing. And the blessing we get will not just be one that pays us everything in this world. The blessing will be one for this world and the next. Amen!

Shabbat Shalom,
David Bibi

Shabbat Shalom Vaetchanan - Stories as Bridges Through Time

It’s been a hectic week of running around. Now I find my self at home as the rest of my family is on the road. Chantelle and Mariyah accompanied Moses to Israel. Moses will be singing with Yeshiva Boys Choir. The concerts will be held at at Moafim Tzora (Kibbutz Tzora, across the road from Beit Shemesh). The dates for the concerts are Sun. Aug. 1, Thurs. Aug. 5 & Sun. Aug. 8. All shows start at 7:30.

Mikhayla is touring the Forbidden City with her friend Chantal and their Chinese tutor. Aryana is returning to Jerusalem with her group from Eilat and Jonah who was in Seattle, LA and San Francisco is off to Deal.

My friends Abie and Rachel Abittan had their first grandchild this week and last night we trekked up to Riverdale for the reading of Brit Yishak, the pages from the Zohar on the portion of Lech Lecha traditionally studied the night before the Brit Milah. There was a full house and it was very special recalling the stories Rabbi Abittan told when we studied the text. Its amazing how much information is packed into just a few pages of Zohar and using the book Sod HaBrit ( thanks Victor) we were able to take a peak into to concept of Brit Milah, bringing down the Shefa or the light from heaven, the concept of soul mates and so much more.

I felt a twinge of sadness that Rabbi Abittan wasn’t there with us, but in many ways through his teachings, stories and smiles, he is always there. Mazal Tov to the parents Baruch and Shani and to the Shani’s parents the Ben Zakens.

The night was in contrast to a few nights earlier as we sat on the carpet in the Synagogue commemorating Tisha BeAb and the destruction of both Temples and all the other catastrophes that came with the night.

Sitting there and struggling to recall the tunes, the thought occurred that the biggest problem we have with Tisha BeAb is that we really don’t know what we’re crying over. Somehow when Rabbi Abittan sat in the middle of us we felt this link to the old world. It was strange how one man could represent a bridge connecting us 2000 years into the past and without him these past few years that link felt as if it was disintegrating. We relied on stories and memories to help rebuild that bridge as best we could.

Its amazing the power that stories from the past can have on us today.

Our friend Gil who sets up the chairs each morning at the Kotel and spends his day helping visitors to the Wall put on Tefilin and say a prayer wrote about what happened last week.

Last week at the Kotel, I asked an elderly man to put on tefillin. He strongly refused. I asked him, “When was the last time you put on tefillin?”

He smiled and proudly said, “Seventy-two years ago!”, pushing aside any possibility of him putting them on again. He held out his arm to show me the fading numbers tattooed there. “1938,” he said. “It was the day of Kristallnacht. Do you know what Kristallnacht is?”

“Of course I do,” I told him.

“Two hundred and sixty seven synagogues were burned down in one night. They burned down our synagogue, too. My tefillin were burnt up, and I have never put them on again.” He said, telling me in no uncertain terms why he was not going to put them on.

“I have a friend who was in the camps, too,” I quickly said, “and he not only puts on tefillin today, but he even put them on others inside the camp!” I was trying to show him that he did not have to reject tefillin because of what those evil people did. “Do you want hear how he got the tefillin into the camp?”

“Yeah,” he said, strongly, “How did he get them in there?”

“His name is Laibel. Whenever he comes to Israel, he prays with our sunrise minyan. He also has numbers tattooed on his arm. “When we first met, he asked me, ‘What do you do around here?’

“Wanting to say something exciting, I said, ‘I put tefillin on people here at the Kotel.’

“‘Oh yeah?’ he said, ‘Well, I put tefillin on people in the death camp.’

“I stared at him; there was nothing I could say. I was him dumbfounded. I asked him, ‘How did you get the tefillin in there?’

“He looked me in the eye and said that they came to the ghetto and grabbed 137 young boys. He told me that only five of them got out of there alive, only five.

“He was thirteen-and-a half years old. When they grabbed him, he was wearing the high boots that his father had bought for him. He showed me with his hand that the boots came up almost to his knees. When he saw them coming, he stuffed his tefillin in the top of one boot and his prayer book in the other.

“They pushed the boys into a cattle car and drove them to the death camp. It was not far from the ghetto. When the train stopped, they slid open the side of the cattle car and immediately began pushing them toward the open door of the oven. The boys were frightened and crying out. They asked Laibel, ‘What should we do?’ He told them, ‘I’ll tell you what we’re going to do. We’re going to stand in rows five across and we’re going to march right into that oven singing “ani ma’amin . . . “(I believe in G-d). And they did just that. They stood in rows five across and started singing and marching right into the oven.

“The guards became so confused that they did not know what to do. They screamed, ‘You can’t do that! No one has ever done such a thing before. Stop it! Stop it at once! Here! Go over there to the showers instead.’

“They pushed them over to the showers. They made them take off all of their clothing and throw them into a pile in the middle of the floor. They made them empty out their shoes and the tefillin and prayer book fell out onto the pile.

“After the shower, when they were dressed in the camp clothes and were being pushed back past the pile of their clothes, he saw his tefillin and prayer book lying there. He wanted so badly to run over and pick them up, but there were terrifying guards standing right there so he couldn’t. He said to the boys, ‘Okay, I did something for you, so now you do something for me.’

“‘Whatever you want,’ they said. ‘You saved our lives.’

“He said, ‘When I give the signal, make a big fight with each other and start screaming out loud. Okay . . . Now!’ He whipped his arm in the air as if he was back at the camp giving them the signal. The boys started to fight and scream. The guards ran over and tried to pull them apart, but they wouldn’t stop fighting. In the confusion, he ran over and grabbed his tefillin and prayer book and hid them under his arms.

“He was in the barracks and he wanted to put on the tefillin. He was able to put the arm piece on without anyone seeing by pulling his sleeve over it, but how could he put on the head piece? There were evil guards all over the place. He opened the window and stuck his head outside so he could put on the head piece. A guard came by and screamed at him, ‘Who said you could open that window?’ He told him that he was sick and was throwing up, and if he made him close the window he would throw up inside, too. The guard left him there. And he looked me in the eye and said, ‘And I put tefillin on other men like that there, too.’ I started to cry and I kissed him on his yarmulke.

“The next day there was a soldier at the Kotel who wouldn’t put on tefillin. No matter what I said, he simply refused. Then I told him Laibel’s story, and he quickly said, ‘Okay, I’ll do it.’

“And you can do it, too” I said, as I gently slid the tefillin I was holding on his arm. He said the blessing and started to cry. We said the Shema, and he prayed for his family. He began to smile even while the tears were streaming down his face. A crowd gathered around all congratulating him on his overcoming all those years of rejection.

Gil concludes the story by saying, “You do not always succeed, but you always have to try.” And I guess that’s what Rabbi Abittan would have told us. Try to remember, try to learn, try t understand and try to do. If we give it our 100% then its up to Hashem to contribute the rest.

Shabbat Shalom

David Bibi