Rabbi's Blog

We make many stops along the journey of life, some longer than others. The trip of life, spanning all our school experiences, encompassing all who teach and nurture us – family, rabbis, and friends – continues to shape who we are. I was fortunate to grow up within close proximity of my first cousins and looked forward to frequent visits from other cousins, particularly for Yom Tov and the American holidays. The advent of jet travel and job opportunities caused members of families to move further away; the traditional geographically-close, expanded-family environment became less typical. This was true for my family, and I’m sure it’s true for you, the reader, as well.

I recently had a few interactions with people from different places and stages in life, some in person and others either by phone or by correspondence. One of these recent occurrences stemmed from an e-mail I received from a former roommate of mine who was in ninth grade while I was in the Beis Medrash (post high school). This wide age difference was due to a system of having two older boys room with some of the younger boys in order to keep an eye on them - or perhaps on each other. This particular boy was excruciatingly annoying, to say the least, but was also a cute kid, despite himself. He was only in the Yeshiva for one year, and now, almost thirty years later, sent me this e-mail. Subsequently, we spoke at length, reminiscing about the past and filling each other in about our current lives. Today he, Baruch Hashem, has a large family. He works in a large family business and studies and teaches Torah diligently in his community. My vision of him throughout the entire conversation was of a little fourteen year-old pipsqueak, while simultaneously transforming the conversation, fast-forwarding it to the present day.

A second poignant situation took place during my recent trip to Israel. I visited my revered Rosh Yeshiva, HaRav Berel Wein Y”BL, in his Jerusalem home. Even though we ‘speak’ from time to time, sitting in his office threw me back to the Yeshiva days where I saw myself once again as a young yeshiva Bochur. I quipped with Rabbi Wein that I today am at the same age that he was when we first met. I was sitting with him feeling as if it were that long ago. I didn’t feel fifty and he eighty; rather I was twenty and he fifty. It was almost as if neither of us had aged a day. Despite my age and place in life, I felt the awe of that original Rebbi/Talmid relationship fixed in time.

Although I have many illustrations, I will share only one more and let you the reader recognize your own. I spent a Shabbos alone with my parents Y’BL, in their home in Israel. It was only my parents and me for Shabbos, and I had the warm feelings of a little boy, not a fifty year-old grown man with his own family B’AH. No matter how old my parents or I are, we get locked-in emotionally to other times in life and the many stages we’ve shared together. A great amount of time has physically passed, yet somehow I feel emotionally stunted in growth, thanks to being the baby in the family. The sense of transcending time is a window of life that at times is open and at other times is closed. Sometimes we are able to see through time in some mysterious, transparent way, and other times we are not able to do so.

The subject of time and the span of life are highlighted in this week’s Parsha Balak. In Bamidbar 22:4 the Torah states: “Vayomer Moav El Ziknei Midyan, Ata Y’Lachachu HaKahal Es Kal Siveevosein, Kilchoch HaShor Es Yerek HaSadeh, U’Balak Ben Tzipor Melech L’Moav Ba’Eis HaHee”. “And Moav said to the elders of Midyan, now the Jews are licking up everything around us like the lick of an ox. And Balak, the son of Tzipor, was the king of Moav at that time”. Rashi explains the words ‘at that time’ teaches us that Balak was not worthy of being a king at that time. In fact, he was one of the generals or leaders of Sichon, and when Sichon died he was appointed to be the king just for the moment. They needed to fill the position quickly, so he was an obvious fill-in but did not have the qualities to be a true king. Throughout history we find leaders and kings who are either capable or not, but nevertheless we believe Hashem set them up in those positions of power. Balak, was next in the long line of history to attack the Jewish people. In this case in the desert Balak knew the power of Moshe and the Jews and figured out the only way to defeat Am Yisrael was to hire Bilaam HaRasha to curse the Jewish people.

We have been a target as a nation since we stepped foot out of Egypt. In fact, going back further, Avraham Avinu, the first Jew, was a frequent object of attack. In the most recent tragedy to befall Klal Yisrael, the cold-blooded murder of three innocent teenage boys, we all experienced, felt, and reacted to. The reaction of some world leaders calling for restraint. Should this be cause for surprise? Are we going to be surprised when public opinion will sway back towards our enemies, declaring that we are the aggressors? Are we going to be surprised thinking that the world considers Jewish blood cheap? We are only surprised because WE don’t think or act the same way THEY do. Yes, it is true that from time to time the civilized world will react and sympathize with Israel and the Jews. As we know, time does not stop; it only takes a little time for them to forget.

Balak commands Bilaam to curse the Jews, but Bilaam’s instructions from God are only to say that which He allows Bilaam to say. Despite Bilaam’s agreement with Hashem, he tries to curse the Jewish people three times. Instead of a curse emanating from his mouth, he utters a Bracha, a blessing blessing. I always wondered about this episode of Bilaam defying God’s word and trying to curse. The answer and lesson is clear. We should not be surprised that our enemies will continue to try to hurt, curse, injure and even kill us. Nonetheless, we consider the attacks in any form from which they come and transform it to something good.

We as a people should never ask why or how come. I think we really do know. Our challenge is to take the Klallos/curses and make sure that Hashem Yisborach converts them into Brachos/Blessings. May the Neshamos of Eyal Ben Uriel z”l, Gilad Michoel Ben Ophir z”l, and Yaakov Naftali Ben Avraham z”l rest in peace and their families know of no more sorrow.

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky