"ירידה למען עליה"

May the following words of Torah be l'ilui nishmatam of the 8 boys murdered in the Merkaz Harav Yeshiva massacre. hy"d. May their names and memory be a blessing.




We are bein hametzarim - between the calamities of our enemies breaching the walls of our eternal and holy city to the time when they set our holy Temple aflame and burned it down. We find ourselves in a period of mourning, increased tshuva, rectifying our deeds and engaging in actions to commemorate our destroyed Temples. In less than three weeks time we will read the Scroll of Aicha, Lamentations, and in unison utter the following words: השיבנו יהוה אליך ונשוב (ונשובה), חדש ימינו כקדם. “chadesh yameinu k’kedem” - “Turn Thou us unto Thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.”

In these weeks in the calendar when, historically our personal and national troubles increase we work fervently to restoring and renewing the world as it was in “kedem.” We are on the path towards Redemption. This path is not straight. It is not on an incline that ascends and ascends until it reaches its summit, rather, the path towards Redemption winds around hills. There are deep valleys and staggering peaks. Standing on one peak the next one seems so close and yet to move further along the path, in order to ascend the next peak, one must first descend to the valley. Like a hiker on a mountain path so to the process of Tshuva - of returning to G-d: “yeridah l’ma’an aliya” - descension for the sake of ascension. Sometimes, in order to reach spiritual heights one must first plummet to spiritual lows.

The Torah describes Avraham Avinu when he first sees Mount Moriah: ויישא אברהם את-עיניו וירא את-המקום--מרחוק - “And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.” As Abraham would have been walking towards Jerusalem from the south, historians and archeologists locate “afar off” as what we today call “the tayelet,” Armon Hanatziv, the scenic promenade in southern Jerusalem overlooking the City of David and the Old City. Coming from Armon Hanatziv, the approach to Mount Moriah necessitated descending towards the valley that would be home to King David’s Jerusalem before climbing up towards Mount Moriah. “yeridah l’ma’an aliyah” - descending for the sake of ascending. This remained the path by which the people of Israel would approach Mount Moriah for centuries to come. The Jewish People walked in the ways of G-d and from the depths of the valley in the city of David, worshipers ascended to Mount Moriah. With modern archeological findings at the southern wall of Mount Moriah one can still hear echoes of our ancestors climbing the steps towards the Temple Mount with Psalms “A song of Ascents.” Mount Moriah - crowned with the Temple and bejeweled with G-d’s Presence.

Then, we veered off the path, we turned away from G-d and our sins became numerous. Our Temple was destroyed and with Its dwelling place gone, G-d’s Presence, the shechinah, was removed from our midst. G-d’s people were taken to captivity, exiled to foreign lands to serve foreign rulers. G-d’s Land lay barren. The exile was bitter and calamity after calamity lashed out at our broken people - crusades, the inquisition, pogroms, the holocaust. Miraculously the decree of exile began to lift the children of Israel were returned to their borders and with wars our borders grew. Regathered in our Land, we rejoiced on the peak of the hill and Redemption was just within reach… and then like a limb torn from its body Gaza, Gush Katif and the northern Shomron fell to the hands of our enemies and we saw the embers of destruction smolder on. We fell lower still and felt the smoldering embers grow flames that licked out and lashed claiming the lives of our soldiers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, young and old, pure and innocent. We build the third Temple while the embers of the second refuse to die. We seem to go lower and while the next peak is in our line of vision we can’t seem to build a bridge towards it or stop from tumbling towards the valley floor. We tumble and fall and spinning around we struggle to remember “yeridah l’ama’n aliya,” each fall will ultimately lead us to arise.

We no longer approach Mount Moriah from the south. We no longer ascend towards the Temple Mount. Today, our physical approach to the Temple Mount is symbolic of our historical moment. Coming from the west we can see the Temple Mount directly across from us, the dome of the rock towering over the western wall it is just within reach! We go down the steps towards Mount Moriah, pass through security and then we never rise up. We walk straight towards the Western Wall but do not ascend to the peak of the Mount. It is a “yeridah” yet, for all but a chosen few, there is no “aliyah.”

In this time of bein hametzarim when we focus all our energies towards mourning the destruction of the Temple, may G-d remember our merits and find our tshuva sincere and stop our fall. May the yeridah be for the sake of an aliyah, so we can build the Temple and hurry the coming of Mashiach speedily in our days so that these days are turned from times of mourning to times of joy. Amen, kein yehi ratzon.

והביאותים אל-הר קודשי, ושימחתים בבית תפילתי--עולותיהם וזבחיהם לרצון, על-מזבחי: כי ביתי, בית-תפילה ייקרא לכל-העמים.

Even them will I bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer; their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices shall be acceptable upon Mine altar; for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. (Isaiah 56:7)



View On White
viewing Mount Moriah from the south, Armon Hanatziv. taken on Yom Ha'atzmaut 5768.

"Imagine there's no countries..."

Imagine
John Lennon, 1971
Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one


If one were to sum up the 60’s and 70’s in a single word “chutzpah” would most appropriately describe these decades. Complete upheaval - socially, politically, religiously - the drug culture and shaking off of societal norms these were nothing if not audacious. With its dream for the abolition of religion and borders and “living as one,” “Imagine” certainly became the anthem of a generation. It is in this culture that my parents generation came of age. My generation, born after the height of the “hippie era” did not experience this phenomenon in “real time” and by the time we hit adolescence the ideals of “free love,” “a world without borders” had become accepted norm themselves. We grew up in the post-hippie era, yet it’s ideals and values branded an implicit mark on our upbringing. In the “modern orthodox” world this influence is so profound that despite our study of classic Jewish texts we are more familiar with the prevailing pop-culture than with authentic Jewish sources. It is no wonder that when we encounter true Jewish values we often run the risk of having them misrepresented or misunderstanding them entirely. One of the greatest problems facing our generation is that Lennon’s ideals have supplanted authentic Jewish ideals.

The question begs to be asked: Are the ideas expressed in “Imagine” incompatible with Judaism and if so what is so wrong about a world without “heaven,” or “religion,” or “countries?” Lennon’s dream of a world without countries and people “sharing all the world...living as one” seem revolutionary and very much in tune with the times. However, a look into classic Jewish sources reveals that this dream of a border-less world really is nothing new. One need look no further than the chapter of the Tower of Babel to find our first encounter with this ideology.

After the flood the Torah recounts how Noah’s descendants are divided and alloted portions of the earth by nation: “Of these were the isles of the nations divided in their lands, every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.” “ מֵאֵלֶּה נִפְרְדוּ אִיֵּי הַגּוֹיִם, בְּאַרְצֹתָם, אִישׁ, לִלְשֹׁנוֹ--לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם, בְּגוֹיֵהֶם.” (Genesis 10:5) One should note the interrelationship between nationality, language, land and borders. In essence there is a direct correlation between a land and the unique cultural identity of its inhabitants. In the post-modern age of globalization this is a lofty concept to grasp but a Torah tenet nonetheless. Even without understanding what the sin of the builders of the tower was, the world being “of one language and of one speech,” is not viewed favorably. Chazal deem the building of the tower as outright rebellion against G-d and as punishment for this G-d mixes up their languages and scatters the people across the face of the Earth. The post-modern, globalized world may advocate creating a global culture, dismantling cultural barriers and becoming “one” but this is antithetical to the Torah. Unity may be a Jewish value but sameness is not.

We often speak about the value of Jewish identity, about the connection between the people of Israel and the land of Israel. However, the building of the tower occurred before the Jewish people entered the stage of human history, even before Abraham and certainly before any discussion on the Jewish peoples chosen-ness. The land of Israel is indeed granted a measure of holiness (kedusha) rendering it distinct from all other countries. However, even before we can accept this principle we must first admit that a country-less world is incongruous with the Torah.

“Imagine” may only be a dream but it cannot be claimed as the dream of the Jew.

Why I'm here.

What drew me to Israel? I was not escaping some sort of difficult life in America or fear of anti-semitism. I was running towards something. I was sixteen when I first stood on this Land and from those early moments was filled with a sense of belonging and purposefulness. It felt like even the most mundane of activities were imbued with meaning and purpose. Going to the market to grab some milk had a greater “feel-good” quotient than heading out to volunteer at the old age home back in the old country. When I returned to life in America I felt like a fish out of water suffering from reverse culture shock. While many of my friends were able to stifle that feeling or drown it out and carry on I lived with a weight in my heart and a quiet but persistent voice in my head “go home!”


If there was a quiet voice telling me that I didn’t belong there was an even louder voice in the soundtrack of my mind saying “Israel is awesome!” At the height of the intifada I waltzed onto my university campus wanting to shout from the rooftops “I love Israel!” You can imagine my disappointment when I got involved with Israel activities on campus. The general rule with these groups was that we had to combat anti-israel sentiment and prove that we weren’t like the arabs. This meant that "Israel Week" display tables were filled with fascinating facts like “we let women drive,” or “x% of Israelis are literate and y% of surrounding Arab countries aren’t” “Israel provides all religions freedom to practice.” Well fantastic for us! Who cares?? It reminded me of the Chris Rock routine with the punch-line “he want credit for things he supposed to do!” Something never sat right with me when I saw that display and no matter how hard I fought to get them to change it fellow committee members and Hillel staff especially, insisted that this was the way to go. Why should we constantly be comparing Israel to the countries around us especially when there’s nothing to compare? All the facts they cited were things we were supposed to be doing regardless of how other countries behaved. Besides that, how often did any of us walk around Israel and think “My! What a fantastic country, the people here are literate!” No, when we were in Israel we were in awe of its beauty, the tranquility of the desserts, the soft glow of setting sun on Jerusalem stone, the community of a beach party in Tel Aviv, the sense of family. We conveyed none of this in our displays with facts printed in large block-like black letters on stark white poster board. Why couldn’t we present the side of Israel that we loved? Why was Israel advocacy only playing “defense”? The Israel I remembered, the Israel and I knew and loved was a beautiful, positive place that filled me with tremendous pride.


I look around at the anglo-oleh community filled with the infectious sense of purposefulness. There are those who are not working in their field and struggle to get by but many others are not only working in their chosen career paths but using their skills to change the world. There is an entrepreneurial spirit that is alive and kicking strong. From venture capitalists providing funds to startups to startups shaking up the marketing industry, to filmmakers, musicians, architects, designers, lawyers. They are not merely filmmakers or artists. At the core they are truth seekers and possess an inner sensitivity to produce honest and poignant films and images that no other person could capture. At the core we are movers and shakers and we use our skills as tools to reach our goals. It is not only the drive for our own self fulfillment or advancement in a career path that pulls us forward but the desire to contribute to the greater good to build a stronger community and a greater Israel. There is a passion that I see here that I don’t see anywhere else. That passion first pulled me in and it is what keeps me here. I can’t compare life in Israel to life in America because they are incomparable. Life in Israel can be judged only on its own merits. With each year seeing an influx of similarly impassioned, like-minded olim I am convinced that many more will catch on and be filled with the pride that comes so naturally to those who truly love Israel.

Shabbos is Coming!

Shabbat is in an hour but you’re taking a nap, maybe watching TV, checking facebook. The chicken needs to be cooked, shabbos clocks set, toilet paper ripped but you’re chilling out and it’s ok, you’re friend said he’d take care of it. Cut to an hour later when you wake up groggy in a dark house, street lights illuminating a raw chicken that never quite made it to the oven. How upset would you be? Who would you blame for a miserable shabbat? Your friend who promised to take care of it? Yourself?...


The argument against making aliya because the government is corrupt does no hold water as far the “eim habanim smeicha” is concerned and in fact serves his argument! While Rav Kook sees it as something positive that secular Jews were awakened to return to Zion the “eim habanim smeicha” sees the building up of the State of Israel by secular and socialist Jews as a punishment. It is the torah-observant Jews who should have been at the forefront of the Zionist movement! But, while torah-true Jewry stood by the sidelines, unobservant, secular Jews struggled to build up the Land. Rav Teichtal who penned “eim habanim smeicha” invokes the words of the talmud: “one who prepares for shabbat will eat on shabbat.” In essence the gemarah tells us that one who puts in the effort will benefit from the labor. Just as one who does not prepare for shabbat will not eat on shabbat, so to in building up the land of Israel. Since the orthodox world as a whole did not participate in the groundwork and did not prepare the State we are not “eating of its fruits” and have little say in forming the its character. Secularists built the country and infused it with secular values. The “eim hanbanim smeicha” argues that had Orthodox Jews taken a greater role, the State would have been granted a more sanctified character. The Rav writes: “Now that they kept themselves at a distance, they should not wonder or question the situation, for they are at fault.” In his generation the Rav placed the blame on Orthodox Jewry. The trend of Orthodox Jews ignoring the calls to make aliya continued and even after the holocaust the majority of world Jewry remained dispersed across all corners of the exile. Chazal tell us that each generation that does not see the building of the Temple it is as though that generation destroyed the Temple. Each generation that does not rebuild the temple perpetuates that broken world we live in today. (more than that, they re-create that imperfect world over and over again). If the Rav puts the blame of a secular state on the Orthodox Jews who refused to make aliya 50 year prior to his writing, I would further the argument of the Rav and say that our grandparents and parents generations, by not making aliya and losing the opportunity to elect a better government, may be responsible for the political mess we’re in today. The actions of our parents shaped the world we know it follows that our choices will impact the world our children grow up in. If you don’t like this reality what are you doing to ensure that the political landscape is different for our children?


I think there is a second layer to the words of the gemarah. It's not only that “One who prepares for shabbat will eat on shabbat." Regardless of whether or not you prepare shabbat, shabbat is coming. Shabbats arrival is not dependent on your preparation but your enjoyment of the day is based solely on the effort you put into it. Whether you bake your challah or not the sun will set and shabbat will come. “or chadash al tziyon ta’ir, ve’niskeh kulanu mehaira l’oro.” Even if you're uncertain where we are in the process of redemption be it the "night" or "dawn", one day the sun will rise and a "new light will illuminate zion." Geulah is on the way. What are you doing to prepare?



“Eim Habanim Smeicha” is the seminal work by Rav Yisachar Shlomo Teichtal which he wrote during the Holocaust. The book was first published in 1943 and while the work along with many others the Rav wrote during his lifetime miraculously survived the Holocaust, Rav Teichtal himself did not and died in a train headed to Mauthausen concentration camp in 1945.

Do we really get the message of the Megilah?

this note (as many of them are) is inspired by a good friend of mine in the exile who seems to disregard my impassioned notes as "brainwashing." to him and others who share his views I pose this question: "do you really get the message of the megilah and if you do, what are you going to do about it?"


יג וַיֹּאמֶר מָרְדֳּכַי, לְהָשִׁיב אֶל-אֶסְתֵּר: אַל-תְּדַמִּי בְנַפְשֵׁךְ, לְהִמָּלֵט בֵּית-הַמֶּלֶךְ מִכָּל-הַיְּהוּדִים.יד כִּי אִם-הַחֲרֵשׁ תַּחֲרִישִׁי, בָּעֵת הַזֹּאת--רֶוַח וְהַצָּלָה יַעֲמוֹד לַיְּהוּדִים מִמָּקוֹם אַחֵר, וְאַתְּ וּבֵית-אָבִיךְ תֹּאבֵדוּ; וּמִי יוֹדֵעַ--אִם-לְעֵת כָּזֹאת, הִגַּעַתְּ לַמַּלְכוּת.


Chazal provide us with insight into the reason for the feast in the third year of Achashveroshes reign - the first mishteh in the megilah. The gemarah in mesechet megilah explains that Achashverosh, noting the prophesy that the first exile would last for 70 years did the calculations. He discovered that 70 years had passed and the Jewish people were not yet redeemed, therefor he threw a big party to celebrate what he assumed to be G-ds abandonment of His people. He, melech Achashverosh was one-up'ing hkb"h, Melech Malchai HaMelachim. Achashverosh threw the feast to beat all feasts. He invited everyone and feigning benevolence wanted to please everyone "k'ratzon ish v'ish." We learn that the Jews being upstanding citizens attended the party and in the spirit of the king wishing to please everyone, not only were provided with kosher food but each had his own hechsher, each had his own wine with his own hechsher. The Jews of shushan, like Jews throughout our long history in exile were connected to Torah and Mitzvot, they were committed to being good citizens of their adopted land. And yet while being so connected to halacha they were utterly disconnected from the true meaning of that celebration. While eating their "badatz" food and drinking their kosher wine they were participating in one of the gravest chillul hashem! They were in essence confirming Achashveroshes assumption that yes, G-d had forgotten them and that the promise of a return to Eretz Yisrael was false.

What makes Megilat Esther unique from all other books in Tanach? Hashem's name is not mentioned once. This is the obvious answer that any three year old can tell you but a careful reading shows that the whole sefer is written in veiled terms, woven with uncertainties. The p'shat never tells us what the true relationship is between esther and mordechai, esther has two names, we don't know why the king can't sleep at night. In order to understand the megilah at all we have to look beneath the surface and we rely on midrashim and chazal to reveal the details of what transpired in Persia at that time. The Megilah is not just a metaphor for how Hashem works in the world and the idea that Hashem is "hidden," rather this is the very heart of the story. The megilah is written in this "hidden" fashion not only to show us that our salvation from total annihilation was not obvious at that time but to instill this message in the Jewish people for rest of history. Hashem will not reveal himself openly. We, as His people must make the choice to recognize Hashem's hand in the world. What is the miracle of Purim, is it merely that we were saved? Certainly Hashem has saved us many times from the hand of our enemies but we don't mark every single salvation with a holiday. The true miracle is that the Jewish people made the choice to recognize Hashem. We made that choice to accept that Hashem has a plan in history and that the Jewish people are to fulfill a certain destiny that has been in motion since the creation of the world itself! The Megilah tells us "kimu v'kiblu" the Jewish people recommitted themselves to a life of Torah and a mutual relationship with Hashem. At har sinai Hashem chose us and with Hashem holding the mountain over our heads we said "na'aseh v'nishmah" and now at purim of our own volition we did - "kimu v'kiblu" - we upheld and accepted the Torah. At matam torah Hashem chose us and at purim we chose Hashem.

In the fourth chapter of the megilah there is a remarkable dialogue between Mordechai and Esther albeit through Hatach. Esther is hesitant (and understandbly so!) to go before achashverosh to plead on behalf of the Jewish people. First Mordechai tells Esther that she shoudln't think that just because she is the queen she personally will escape the decree of Haman against the Jews but then he says something amazing: רֶוַח וְהַצָּלָה יַעֲמוֹד לַיְּהוּדִים מִמָּקוֹם אַחֵר, וְאַתְּ וּבֵית-אָבִיךְ תֹּאבֵדוּ - "relief and deliverance will arise to the Jews from another place, but you and your fathers house will perish." Hashem will save the Jewish people from utter destruction, He will find a way to do it but you, Esther, for not taking this opportunity to recognize that you are the vessel by which Hashem will save us, you from the house of shaul hamelech, will be lost to the Jewish people and your descents will be lost to Jewish history. Today, as in the time of Purim 2,200 years ago Hashem is providing us ways to be vessels and be part of the geulah - the redemption - of the Jewish people.

In one month we will celebrate our redemption from Egypt. We will celebrate the open miracles that G-d displayed and were seen by even the simple servants of Egypt. Even then with open miracles chazal tell us that only one-fifth of the Jewish people left Egypt. That means that the majority of the Jewish people were not redeemed. This is a theme that continues throughout history. The destiny of the Jewish people moves on and so many of our brothers and sisters get left behind vanishing from the pages of Jewish history and yet the value of "kol yisrael areivim zeh la'zeh" - the responsibility we feel towards our fellow Jew remains strong. Time goes on, our destiny unfolds and in the face of assimilation and outright denial of the redemptive process by the most observant of Jews we continue to reach out and implore that our fellow Jews live up to the role G-d has bestowed upon us. "Revach ve'hatzalah yavo mi'makom acher" the Jewish people will live on and fulfill the destiny Hashem has in place for us. The question is will you look for the chance to be that vessel by which G-d brings redemption? Will you look for hashem's hand in history and take note of current events? Will you take up the call or will you ignore history, ignore the Torah, ignore chazal? Will you find relevance in the message of the Megilah or dismiss it and face the possibility of ultimately being lost to the Jewish people?

together4israel.org - 1 million strong in support of Israel!

As my readers know Judaism and Jewish unity are things I value very highly which is why I'm so pleased to share the following historic event with the blogging community. 2,200 years ago Esther called to gather all the Jewish people "lech k'nos et kol hayehudim" her call still echoes and this thursday on ta'anit esther we will answer that call and stand 1 million strong at the largest ever online rally in support of Israel.


check out: Together4Israel.org to see how you can participate in this event and support Israel without leaving the comfort of your home.

On Thursday, One Million People, around the world, are going to tune into Together4Israel and take part, in person, and online, in a rally to show solidarity with the people under attack. One Million People. One Voice. One Message.

The event will have life footage from Israel, South Africa, the UK, the US and Australia. Communities are coming together, and you can too.

Yes, I know what you’re thinking, Thursday night is party night… it’s Purim, and you want to make sure can’t tell the difference between Haman and Moderchai - but this is the reason Thursday was chosen. Cast your mind back 2,200 years to the fast Moderchai and Esther took to unite the Jewish nation at a time of need and threat.

Even if you’re not going to be home on Thursday night, you can take part in this event. Before you head out of the house, log on to http://www.together4israel.org and leave the computer on. You will still be part of this event, and you will still be counted. It really takes little effort, and doesn’t cost you a penny!

Please help spread the word, and please support the people of Sderot. There are many ways you can help us.

please share this with family and friends. If you would like to help out more check out this post for more ways to spread the word!


Wishing you a Happy Purim!

Embracing the Whole of Judaism, Embracing your fellow Jew.

In the early years of Zionism, those who were most active in founding the Jewish State labeled themselves as secular. They may have studied in batai midrash and been steeped in Torah knowledge but they rejected religious observance if not rejecting the Divine altogether. For the early Zionists the land of Israel and building the State replaced religion. And in a sense they were right. In no way do I wish to denigrate the Torah that was amassed in the exile. Great torah leaders arose throughout our bitter separation from our Land and their light spreads out through the generations and fills yeshivot and midrashot throughout Eretz Yisrael. But while the stature of torah giants in the exile is awe inspiring the early movers and shakers of the Zionist movement recognized a serious lack in Jewish life. For exilic Jewry religious life was “only” Shabbat a list of dos and don’ts, dietary laws. The life of a Jew in exile, his “religious existence” is all but an empty shell of the potential of a full Jewish life in Israel. Even a Jewish life unmarred by persecution and anti-semitism like the one I knew growing up in the states is but a weak shadow of the life I lead here. I can never seem to fully express what I mean by this - a full Jewish life. After five years it is only something that I am beginning to grasp and even more so in this Sabbatical year. The founders of the state shed what it deemed “religious Judaism” and embraced a national Jewish existence. For them it was one or the other. Judaism encompasses many teachings and values. Keeping shabbat, honoring parents, not speaking lashon hara, saving the whales, reciting the Shema, finding a cure for AIDS, building a State, supporting an army, combatting litter and protecting the environment - these all fall under the rubric of Torah values. There are Jews who affiliate with groups that hold “tikun olam” to be of the highest value but dismiss Shabbat as “for the religious” and vice versa so called “religious Jews” who leave the crucial task of repairing environmental damage to “the secular.” Again, it’s one or the other. One of the fundamental teachings of Rav Kook, is that there is no disparity between these endeavors and rather than treating one as “kadosh” “sanctified” and another as “chol” “secular” we recognize it all as “kadosh”. All of our actions are kadosh, everything we do is directed in service of Hashem.

The model of most yeshiva day schools is to have religious studies in the morning and secular studies in the afternoon. My high school among it’s lofty ideological goals tried to instill in us the idea that one is not a Jew only in the morning but that one is a Jew all the time and therefor spread “religious studies” courses throughout the day. The practical outcome of this was that the gemarah shiur could be couched between math and american history. While this idea is lacking in that it fails to address the concept directing all your activities towards G-d and infusing G-d consciousness into every action, teaching kids to be conscious of their Judaism at all times is praiseworthy.

Exilic Jewry compartmentalizes Judaism. In the house I wear a kippah. Outside I wear a baseball cap. In my heart I know it’s Shabbat but beyond the walls of my home it’s just a peaceful Saturday morning. On Thursday nights I wish my friends a Shabbat Shalom but bid a good evening to the cashier. Even when living in Israel the exile mentality is embedded within us so that one thinks “my unaffiliated friend will go help kids in Africa, I’ll say tehillim at the kotel.” It is time to recognize that it is not one or the other. It is both. It is all.

One of my most vivid memories from my year at Nishmat was a teaching of Rav Kook on “Tshuva” that I learned from one of my rabbis, Rav Sperling. Rav Sperling who counts some of the most influential students of Merkaz HaRav Kook as his greatest teachers. Rav Kook explains that when one embarks on the path of Return (repentance), in the process of suppressing his desire to sin he ends up stifling desire itself. Like a sick person who receives treatment to cure his illness may initially be weakened by the medication before returning to good health. Rav Sperling expounds upon Rav Kook’s idea. We often see yeshiva students, people who were once passionate and active lose that passion in the pursuit of a Torah lifestyle. “I used to save the whales but now I learn in the Beit Midrash.” According to Rav Kook this loss can only be temporary. It is crucial to the health of a Jew to expunge sin from his life. However removing of sin is not the end of the Tshuva process. One must rebuild his desire and redirect it to fulfilling Mitzvot. Tshuva is deemed complete when that desire that was once used towards sin is channeled to positive endeavors, social action, simple acts of kindness. Throughout the year Rav Sperling taught us much more about Rav Kooks philosophy but what I remember most are those shiurim infused with ideas of Jewish unity and exuding of a genuine love for each and every Jew. Students of Rav Sperling are left with a deep rooted love of halacha but more importantly an insatiable desire to promote this love and tear down the labels that create invisible but seemingly insurmountable barriers between the Jews of the world. It is too easy to compartmentalize and box each other up into little groups. It is much harder to appreciate the contribution of every Jew and to recognize that each action ensures the well-being and health of the entire nation. We can not dismiss the work of somebody working for the welfare of children in Africa just because the one doing the work does not include prayer in his daily activities. It is ridiculous to neglect one mitzvah at the expense of another. Most importantly we need to completely redefine our perception of what a mitzvah really is and the meaning of a religious life. Judaism is so much broader so much more encompassing than what our exilic day schools taught us. It is time to embrace Judaism for what it really is. It is time to start living a full Jewish life.