Rabbi's Blog

'Hakol Holeich Achar HaChisum', loosely translated as 'everything follows the conclusion'. In life we grow up with many ideas about how our life is going to turn out. Some individuals live a dreary life with a dreary end while others make a great life with a fantastic ending. The Chazal referenced to above teaches us that where and what the person is at the very end of his life reflects upon his entire life. If a person was righteous his entire life but at the end abandoned his religious beliefs, his entire life was a waste. Yet we read about great Talmudic Rabbis who did not lead very upstanding lives but at the very last moments repented, regretting their earlier way of life. They are welcomed into paradise of Olam Habah.

Alternative endings [Actually, it's American as well! "Alternate" has a different connotation are commonly used in movies to describe the ending of a story that was planned or debated but ultimately discarded in favor of the chosen ending. These endings are often filmed before being scrapped, and may be subsequently included as a special feature in the film's DVD release. These alternative endings now become a special type of deleted scene. In other cases, ideas that were presented but discarded early on are alluded to by the production team in commentaries or interviews. Generally, alternative endings are considered to have no bearing on the canonical narrative. Another fascinating conclusion to a film involves using the same ending or occurrence but with two completely different messages. There are two approaches to why this is done. First, how a given scene is viewed and interpreted is determined by the viewer. Second, a different message is sent using two different entities, even though it appears that the events taking place are identical. This can be illustrated in this week's parsha B'Shalach.

In Shemos 15:26 the Torah states: "Vayomer Im Shamoa Tishma L'Kol Hashem Elokecha V'Hayashar B'Einav Taaseh, V'Haazanta L'Mitzvosav V'Shamarta Kal Chukav, Kal Hamachala Asher Samti B'Mitzrayim Lo Asim Alecha Ki Ani Hashem Rof'Echa". "He said, "If you will listen diligently to the voice of Hashem, your God, and you will do what is just in His eyes, and you will give ear to His commandments, and observe all His statutes, then any of these diseases that I placed upon Egypt, I will not place upon you, for I am Hashem, your Healer". This passuk is a bit confusing; if Hashem is not going to place any of these diseases upon the Jewish people then why do we need a healer? The Malbim explains that the punishment God wrought upon the Egyptians was revenge for what the Egyptians had done to the Jews. Because the Egyptians tortured and enslaved the Jews, Hashem paid the Egyptians back with physical retaliation. But when Hashem punishes his children, the Jewish people, it's only to remind them/us that they have gone astray and must repent and come back. Hashem is promising not to afflict the Jews with the same type of punishment as He afflicted upon the Egyptians because the Jews did not sin in those ways. Rather, when Hashem punishes His people it is to rehabilitate them because He is the Healer.

Another shift can be recognized as a physical and spiritual punishment. On the surface these appear to be the same, but to the Egyptians it is a physical punishment while the Bnei Yisrael would be receiving a spiritual punishment. Hashem is our Healer is through the giving of the Mitzvos. The Mitzvos that Hashem puts in front of a Jew are unlike a master who commands his servant to do something for the master. Rather, Hashem is like a doctor who tells the patient what to do because it will benefit that sick person. If a person listens to and follows the doctor's orders then he will be healed. Unfortunately, if a person makes the Mitzvos bitter in his mouth, he is preparing a pill of poison that will ultimately kill him.

Lastly, the diseases that God brought upon the Egyptians were not natural; they were super natural not caused by anything physical. God paid the Egyptians back measure for measure, since they attacked and punished the Jews far more than was naturally necessary, Hashem punished them above the natural course; these were spiritual diseases which did not have a cure. But Hashem would heal Klal Yisrael above the natural means of the world. Hashem instructed Moshe to take a piece of wood and throw it into bitter waters and the waters would turn sweet. When it comes to spirituality, Hashem is able to take the bitter and make it sweet. This is all due to the fact that God is not a physical healer; he is a spiritual healer In a similar vein, during the High Holiday season after doing Teshuva and repenting, Hashem turns our sins into Mitzvas.

Throughout our history the world has viewed the Jews as a punished nation. We have been attacked through pogroms, threatened by annihilation, forced to flee our homes, living an existence in foreign lands in fear and exile. Even today the State of Israel faces an existential threat from its neighbors. It appears that we are being punished, and that is true. But it's not the same punishment that other nations go through. All other nations in the world are punished for the wrongs they perpetrated. The Jews are mended from their sins through the love of Hashem, our Healer.

Ah Gut Shabbos Rabbi Avram Bogopulsky