Rabbi's Blog

There are two components to man’s development: education and practice. There are some who learn about doing something but never end up doing it, and then there are those who do something without really learning how to do it. One of the failings of Jewish life and education is giving emphasis to study/learning while giving too little emphasis to practical and personally meaningful applications. The Baalei Mussar, the Rabbis who write and speak about self-development, practiced what they preached. For me and many others it’s easier to learn Mussar- self-improvement - but  find it difficult to put these lessons addressing self-improvement into practice.  The following two analogies are poignant examples of how we need to transform the learning into practice and the theoretical into the practical.

We all live within a certain type of ‘box’ which has little to do with how we grew up or even how outgoing or overtly friendly we may tend to be by nature. Going outside that box is challenging for each and every one of us. If I were to ask anyone in the Shul if we are welcoming and open to newcomers, I believe everyone would say, of course we are. Yet, recently during Kiddush on a Shabbos morning, a gentleman whose wife was not at that time with him but who, with his wife would be moving to San Diego within the next two months, stood by himself looking much like a man on a deserted island for most of the time we were all schmoozing. It behooves everyone, myself included, to go over to any person who is visiting or actually moving to our community and make sure he or she is not left alone even for one minute. I know some people went over to him and I understand others feel uncomfortable  approaching a total stranger. We should all feel the need and importance of the situation and personally consider how this newcomer may feel and what his impressions he may be forming about the community.  In life every person needs to give an extra push to overcome a difficult situation. The extra effort in staying with a newcomer/stranger in Shul and forcing yourself to initiate the welcome is paramount for us as a community.

 A second situation occurred recently with a tourist who had an obligation to lead the services. We maintain a certain pace for our davening,  and this man davened extremely fast – a pace much faster than what we are accustomed to maintaining. As much as I explained, begged, and pleaded with him to slow his pace, my requests apparently fell on deaf ears; he barely slowed down. After a while I realized that he really wasn’t doing it on purpose or intentionally to get under my skin; this was simply the way he is accustomed to davening in his New York shul. After a few days of being here – and continuing to daven -  and his hearing my constant effort to slow him down, it actually made a difference. By the time he left he was saying words out loud and his davening was taking a little longer. I know this was a great challenge for him but over time and with extra effort he was able to alter his pace and slow down.

Both examples require a personality change and a little effort. The first stage is knowing that change is required, and second is understanding that effort is necessary, requiring a willingness to extend that effort.. This notion can be found in this week’s Haftorah for Parshas Ki Saytzey.

The Navi Yeshayahu in 54:2 states: “Harchivi M’Kom Ahaleich Viy’rios Mishkenosayich Yatu Al Tachsochi Ha’Arichi Meisarayich Vi’Seydosayich Chazeiki”: “Widen the place of your tent and let them stretch forth the curtains of your habitations. Do not spare; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes”. Rav Moshe Sofer writes that a Talmid Chacham - a Torah scholar - in this world is referred to as a Mishkan, a Tabernacle. The letters of the word Mishkan in Hebrew are the beginning letters of Mitah- a bed, Shulchan, a Table, Kisey- a Chair, and Neiros  Candles. These four items were provided by the Shunamite woman for Elisha HaNavi when he came to revive her child. The items mentioned in the house represent the bare essentials a person needs in this world, illustrating what little importance it is to worry and work for things in this world, the world of earthly pleasures. Man’s achievements are measured by his devotion to learning in the tent of Torah, not to the quantity of material possessions.

In this week’s Haftorah the Navi alludes to the need to expanding his tent in order to encompass more of the Jewish people who otherwise might find themselves excluded, therefore feeling abandoned from or left out of the beauty of a Jewish life. This expansion is twofold: (a)expanding  the tent to include more people and (b)expanding the learning of Torah and the fulfillment of Mitzvos by the owners of the tent so that they will have the resources to give and teach the outsiders who are being brought in. Having one kind of growth or expansion without the other defeats the purpose.

During the month of Elul and continuing to the end of the holiday season concluding with Shmini Atzeres, we add Psalm 27 L’Dovid at the end of the davening. In passuk Daled (4) Dovid HaMelech says: Achas Shaalti May’eis Hashem Osa Avakeish, Shivti B’Beis Hashem Kol Yemei Chayay…..” “Only one thing I request from God, only that I shall seek: that I may dwell in the House of Adonoy all the days of my life…” The House of Hashem is the tent that we are building for ourselves in this world. It is the tent that allows us to learn and develop the tools necessary to go out and achieve the expanding of the tent to cover, protect, and bring in those less fortunate Jews not exposed to true Torah values and the grand beauty of Judaism.

We are about half way into Elul, the month of introspection and preparation for the coming year. The personal box that every person is in should be viewed by each of us as our own tent. We should use the words of the Navi to expand our horizons and consciously make the effort to step out of our comfort zone, even if just a little bit. We all need to give a ten percent push in the remaining weeks of the year and then work to maintain that ten percent push in the future. The two areas we all need to push a little harder to attain are all about our tent. Push yourself a little more in your own devotion to God. The areas of Torah learning, Mitzva observance, and Chessed activity must be increased, pushed, out of our comfort zone. In tandem with our personal growth, we all need to step up and use this new growth to reach out and affect another Jew’s life by becoming an outreach ambassador to Klal Yisrael.

               Ah Gut Shabbos                  Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky

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