Rabbi's Blog

An essential trait for any ‘living’ language is that expressions, usage of terminology, and definitions of words evolve over time. Dictionaries and thesauruses give multiple explanations and substitutions for words, phrases, idioms and jargons that are used to express context and situations. Sometimes the use of words acquires different meanings as we progress through our lives. For example, when, as a teenager I heard or shouted word ‘homerun’, for me it literally meant just that - someone had rounded all four bases during a game. But in the colloquial sense of the word, when someone says ‘he or she hit a homerun’ it might mean he did a great, fantastic job that just cleaned up the entire situation..

I recently encountered one of those words that I enjoyed when I was in grade school and have come to despise that very same word in my adult life. I recently purchased a new piece of exercise equipment through Amazon, complete with free delivery. Not fully appreciating the value of it coming assembled, I thought that I would be able to easily put it together. Unfortunately, my memory did not serve me well. The last time I bought a new barbecue grill, I bought the floor model that was ready to go because at that time I did remember the previous experience of buying a grill out of the box – which required assembly. I was too cheap at the time of ordering this piece of equipment to spend the extra twenty-five dollars for assembly, and besides the advertisement on the box stated, ‘assembles in minutes’. Little did I know that it took me two hundred forty minutes to get the thing assembled. Therefore, when I had the opportunity to buy it pre-assembled, I grabbed it. Now let’s fast-forward to the new machine. Thanks to my memory lapse and my enthusiastically naive attitude that I could put together the elliptical, I never thought of paying extra to have it assembled. After one week of having a huge box in our kitchen, I gave up on the thought of assembling it myself and called Amazon to take it back. The company offered to send someone to assemble it at about half the cost of the machine itself. Amazon itself offers a home service that will come to assemble your purchase through them at about a fifth of the purchase price. Ultimately, I hired a local person for the same Amazon price to assemble it for me.

I now cringe when I hear the word ‘assemble’, but this was not always the case. In my youth I got all excited when I heard the word ‘assembly’ because that meant more time outside the classroom. I’m not sure if the word ‘assembly’ is used today in elementary or high school, but back in the day I looked forward to any time there would be an assembly, preferably during a secular class. As a little boy I didn’t fully appreciate the experience of the ‘assembly’, only that we got out of class and attended a gathering where we could sit back, and didn’t have to take notes. Naturally, we also didn’t really need to pay attention, and ultimately were not held responsible or accountable for the purpose of the gathering. My euphoria of having an assembly was the typical reaction – and immaturity - of a little kid.

Neither my peers nor I appreciated the purpose and benefit to the statement of ‘assembly’ and its implications. The fact that the entire school, from the youngest kindergarteners to the really big eighth graders all attended the same event was a statement all to its own. The unity and purpose as a solid body coming together was the unsung victory of the cause under which we came to unify. The rows of students our age and reality of being part of a greater whole was an incredible silent message felt by the participants of the assembly. Unfortunately, in our society, including our Jewish society and community, is, in my opinion lacking of this powerful message. I don’t believe people understand or even minutely appreciate the value of an assembly. The secret of the Jewish people’s success was the ‘assembly’ – the meeting of the whole - which we read in the story of leaving Mitzrayim.

In this week’s parshas Bo the Torah states in Shmos 10:9 “Vayomer Moshe Binareinu Uvizkeineinu Neilech, B’Vaneinu U’Vivnoseinu B’Tzoneinu U’Vivkareinu Neilech I Chag Hashem Lanu”. “Young and old alike will go”, replied Moses. “We will go with our sons and our daughters, with our sheep and our cattle. It is a festival to God for ALL of us.” In the previous verse Pharoah, after being menaced by the plagues and second-guessed by his advisors, gives in slightly by almost allowing the Jews to leave Egypt, but catches himself. Instead of allowing the Jews to completely leave he asks Moshe and Aharon “Mi VaMi HaHolchim” “But exactly who will be going?” Pharoah is reluctant to send ALL the Jews away while Moshe and Aharon recognize the importance of EVERYONE leaving together!

Reb Moshe Elyokim Hopsztajn (1757 – 1828) the second Kozhnitzer Rebbe, the son of the Avodas Yisroel explains the concept of the young and old in the passuk. He learns the word not ‘with our young’ but rather ‘like in our youth’ ‘in our old age we will go’. The measure a person reaches in behavior and activity during youth will determine and be a foreteller for the same enthusiasm in later years. The Jewish people will always “go” with zest and zeal, always climbing higher and higher. There is a great advantage that old age brings a step up to society; they carry within them the blessings from life’s experiences. Keep in mind that the later years are connected and pull from the younger years - like the flame of a candle. Life is compared to wine; wine will be better with age only if the wine in its youth was good. If the wine was bad to begin with, as it ages it will turn into bitter vinegar.

A community that abandons its young is compared to an old age home, and a community that forces its seniors into the corners of the room turns those corners, those rooms, into an orphanage! Fortunate are the young whose wisdom of its elders are like a candle at their feet, and fortunate are the elders that the flame of the young strengthens them.

I see and witness a great deal of enthusiasm amongst the children of our Shul and community. Unfortunately, at times the parents of those children (who themselves were once enthusiastic about Judaism) feel a sense of slavery to the rigors of a religious Orthodox lifestyle. Their wine was at one point very fine which, if not properly stored and guarded, will quickly sour. We, the older generation, parents and, yes, even grandparents, must remain vigilant in our attitude towards an exciting feel of Torah and Yiddishkeit. Devoid of this vigilance there will no longer be our younger generation from whom our future will thrive and grow. .

I typically don’t quote non-Jewish sources, but I feel the words of Harry Chapin’s “And the cat's in the cradle” speak mightily to this issue. If I can take the liberty to modify the refrain to be "When are you going to do the things you sent me to school for dad?" "I don't know when, But I'll get together then, You know we'll do it then.” But as we all should know that “then” will never come back again, Dad. You know it will never come back then. We need everyone on this journey of life to live and flourish through the day-to-day, week-to-week challenges of a full, rigorous, religious, observant Jewish life. We need the commitment of both the young and the older in order for us, the Jewish people, to go forward just as we did when we left Mitzrayim. If you don’t want to listen to me at least listen to Moshe Rabbeinu in his response to Pharaoh,”Let My People (with the young and the old) Go!”

Ah Gut Shabbos Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

Rabbi Bogopulsky’s new book “Developing A Torah Personality” is available for purchase directly from him or Amazon