Category Archives: Wisdom, Poetry and Musings

By Tzvi Freeman

At the outset of Creation, He removed all light. And that is the source of all that ever goes wrong.

MISCONCEPTION:1 In 1925, in Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook’s invocation for the inauguration of the Hebrew University, he applied the Biblical verse “Ki miTzion tetzei Torah, u’devar Hashem meYerushalayim, For out of Zion shall go forth Torah, and the word of God from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:3; Michah 4:2).2 This is an oft-used criticism cited by denigrators of Rav Kook who claim that by quoting the verse, he proved that he viewed the scholarship that was to come from the Hebrew University as the fulfillment of the Prophet Isaiah’s vision of Torah “going forth from Zion.”

FACT: The invocation by Rav Kook, the first Ashkenazic chief rabbi of Eretz Yisrael, was a brave exposition of Biblical verses and Jewish history designed to sound a cautionary note regarding potential dangers inherent in the founding of a Jewish university. His paraphrase of the verse about Torah emanating from Jerusalem did not refer to the Hebrew University but rather was part of his concluding prayer in which he pined for the Messianic era

To find out more, see: What’s the Truth about… Rav Kook’s Hebrew University Invocation By Ari Z. Zivotofsky

"The history of Halacha is not only created by the great Halachic authorities who issue rulings.  It is also created by alert lay individuals who pose the questions to Poskim.  The Halacha continues to be enriched by people who earnestly seek to abide by Halacha in all circumstances and Poskim who grapple with the challenging issues that continually arise." ~ Rabbi Chaim Jachter

Comment:

This quote, although simple is actually quite mind blowing. We always place our focus on the great poskim, the talmidai chachamim who write the teshuvot, what about a bit of recognition to the simple man who cares enough to ask the question in the first place? Something to reflect and ponder on….

Interesting article:

http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2008/11/17/are-we-jewish-rednecks/

One of the most prominent and prolific bloggers over the last couple of years was "Not the Gadol Hador". With a rare sense of scholarship, wit and somewhat obsessive fixation for theological issues, his blog made for interesting reading and spirited debate.

 But at the end of the day, with all his questioning, was he truly happy?  His last post reflects his feelings on the matter:

We apologize for the inconvenience

As I said a few days ago, this blog has gotten depressing. I rue the day I got skeptical. Maybe I can turn back the clock, maybe not. But anyway, it was fun at the time, but now I regret it all! And just to prove that this time I'm serious, I am disabling all comments and deleting all posts. So long.

So there you have it, an end of era so to speak. So what did I learn from all this. I think the key take out is that "faith" in some shape of form is crucial, an imperative rather than a choice. You need to believe something, something true, something that trancends your own feable existance. In the words of Victor Frankl "“Those who have a 'why' to live, can bear with almost any 'how".

I hope the Gadol finds that something to believe in.

There is song by the Australian band “Youth Group” entitled “Forever Young”. You can see the Youtube video below:

You can find the lyrics here

The song is a moving, yet depressing expression of existentialistic angst over our  temporal existence:

Songs like this make you reflect on your own life and contemplate where is it all going…. You wonder whether anything you experience truly lasts, is not everything ultimately futile and fleeting?

In mid thought over this issue, I went to go read my email and the first email that came up was the following:

Without End
By Tzvi Freeman

Ask the wise men of many cultures, and they will tell you that all is temporal, all will pass, there is nothing in this world to cling to, only to transcend.

Ask a sage of the Torah and he will tell you it is not true. The vanities of time, the failures of life, they all pass as clouds on a windy day, but truth lives forever.

This is the meaning of the thirteenth of the thirteen principles of our faith, the belief that those who lived true lives will live again, in a real and corporeal way. It is a rejection of temporalism, a confirmation that there are things in the world that really matter, that have endless meaning and absolute purpose.

Whenever a G-dly act is performed, all involved are elevated beyond time. Save a life–you are Noah saving the entire world. Feed weary travelers–they are the angels coming to visit Abraham and Sarah. And Abraham and Sarah are hosting them with you.

In fact, all those who had truth in their lives are here with us today. It is only that we are so much a part of this river of time, we cannot lift our heads to see above it.

That my friends is a religious experience….

I found this quote online, unfortunately in many cases it sums up the attitude of some individuals in the Orthodox community. Looking forward to comments.

"There is a story related from Rav Yitzchak Elchonon Spektor of Kovno. He had an assistant who was a kannoi and hounded the more modern people and those who were not frum. Rav Yitzchak Elchonon said, "The
difference between me and my assistant is like the difference beween a cat and the homeowner. Both the cat and the homeowner hate the mouse. The cat wants there to be a lot of mice for him to catch and eat. the homeowner, on the other hand, wants their to be no mice at all."

Rav Yitzchak Elchonon said, "I daven that there should be no sinners. My assistant prefers that there should be sinners so that he can chase after them and attack them."

I am posting a copy of a speach that was given recently  

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The Art of Giving – Kevin Bermeister
 By Rabbi Benzion Milecki – Shabbat Ki Tisa, 5768
This past week, Mr Kevin Bermeister was honoured by Sydney’s Yeshiva Centre for his wide-ranging charitable work. As Kevin is a major supporter of South Head’s extensive programmes and activities, the Rabbonim, Board and Executive, as well as many members, joined in paying tribute to him.

After commending Rabbi Pinchus Feldman OAM and Rebbetzen Feldman for their substantial personal and financial contributions towards the Yeshiva Centre, Kevin spoke movingly on the Jewish concept of Tzeddakah.

Kevin’s words struck a deep chord in those who attended the dinner. I present a précis of his speech here in the hope that our readers too will be inspired

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Thank G-d I am standing here tonight, but the truth is I don’t feel particularly worthy. I know that there are multitudes that devote their time and money without being recognized. Whether or not they believe in G-d, they go on tirelessly expanding their efforts towards the many positive causes that make our world a better place.

We see around us in this room people from all walks of life, but essentially this is about partnership. Partnership between those who are fortunate enough to be stable and secure in their lives and those that are not.

In the ancient Hebrew language, the word for charity is better defined in English as Justice. The Dictionary defines Justice as – the quality of being just; righteousness, equitableness, or moral rightness.

One of the greatest miracles we witness through the advent of modern media is the increasing amount of charitable time and money dedicated by caring people from all walks of life. Although we are often too busy to notice the broader societal benefits, we are a better world because of it.

As science delves into the sub-atomic world that blends into and passes through our world, abstract theories of energies beyond the physical demonstrate that we are not independent of that which surrounds and encompasses us.

Our developing perspective provides insight to the era in front of us – an era in which deeper understanding leads us to practice even more kindness, more compassion, more tolerance and consideration. Justice – because we are one people, on one planet with nowhere else to go.

By now most of us realize man is powerless to achieve anything lasting and so we humans march on toward our collective state of being through which our global societies practice the art of selflessness, because we know no wiser alternative.

This is the greater Justice about which I speak tonight, but thoughts and words do not suffice. Actions are required by each and every one of us to increase the pace of change in our hearts and minds for better.

It is for that reason I raise before you tonight a simple ‘vessel’ – a Tzeddakah Box – a gift through which each day you can enact the giving that invokes Justice. Each gift will refine you – making you a better person and the world, a better place.

Put it somewhere you’ll notice – your home, your kitchen, your workplace or your board room – and make it your practice to start your day by donating any amount of money into it. And don’t forget to teach your kids to give too. There will be days when you look at it and choose to ignore it then there will be days you look at the money in your hand and think it is too much.

Challenge your actions in relation to this vessel every day and when it is full, give the money to a carefully considered worthy cause that will bring more Justice to the world. Your sensitive side already understands that each act of giving is vital!

However, when someone in need knocks on your door and asks, give, anything, never say no! It is unknown to any of us which act of giving will be the one that brings you and others in your life that which you hope and pray. And for those skeptics out there, it’s a punt worth taking because there is no downside risk to doing so.

Remember: the amount is not important; it’s the act of giving that is.

I want to thank, Beverley, the backbone of my life, for putting up with me for the past 30 years and my wonderful children Lisa, Adam and Nikki, my parents and parents-in-law, brothers, sisters, my greater family, business partners and partners in charity to all of you, thank you for being here and celebrating with us.

G-d bless you all.

I am a big fan of the works of R’Mayer Schiller. He is a thoughtful, insightful and intriguing individual with an “unorthodox” world view. I want to quote again from his essay “Torah Umadda and The Jewish Observer Critique’ Towards a Clarification of the Issues".

The issue being dealt with is one of immense complexity and really in my opinion, is at the forefront of the “ideological debates” in the world of Orthodoxy. In short, the question is, what does G-d have to say about our mundane, human existence outside the world of Mitzvot?

In this excerpt, Rabbi Schiller accuses the critics of Rabbi Lamm essentially of Cognitive dissonance, for on the one hand they perpetuate an ideology that exclusively values Talmud Torah as the “be all and end all”, yet simultaneously, although guiltily, see value in other dimensions of human existence whether it be art, wisdom, poetry, beauty, sport, culture, etc. To paraphrase R’David Berger in one of his shiurim, these are the Jews who are “proud of their secular education, but against it” or as R’Schiller would say Jews who “resolutely refuse to draw any theoretical conclusions from their musings”.

I highly recommend that people read the whole article, however the following I think poignantly gets straight to the point:

In a highly thoughtful article entitled “Torah Umadda and the Jewish Observer Critique: Towards a clarification of the Issues”, Rabbi Mayer Schiller has a fascinating observation regarding the perverse aspects of contemporary media and culture. His sentiments are often articulated most vocally on R’Harry Maryles blog, with the point being that basically not every activity that is pursued by the “Modern Orthodox” can be considered within the rubric of the Torah Umadda philosophy. Blatant attempts to include the hedonistic aspects of culture into a Torah way of life are inexcusable and furthermore, tarnish the true objectives of the Torah U Madda endeavor. I’ll let Rabbi Shiller’s comments speak from themselves;