From the Rabbi’s Desk
Rabbi Manes Kogan
Lech Lecha
If you remember my Devar Torah on last Yom Kippur it was about Lieberman. But, was it really about Lieberman? Most people like the idea that I decided to include something related to the life of the United States, a sort of current events in my Devar Torah. Others thought that my words could have been interpreted as a political endorsement. However, although I spoke about Lieberman and the presidential race, politics were my excuse to talk about Judaism. Most people who approached me after services got the point and understood that I was not really interested in making a political appeal, but a Jewish one.
Usually I don’t like to talk about what everybody can watch in the news. As one of my friends told me once: "I don’t like to go to the Synagogue to hear what Larry King said last night". I know that many of my colleagues enjoy political talks during their sermons regardless if they are related to Israel, to the USA or to the former Soviet Union. Most members in their congregations believe that the fact that the Rabbi is familiar with the details expressed through the newspapers and the TV, makes them more modern, more attractive.
In this sense, I am not very modern, and maybe not very attractive as a Rabbi. I enjoy more reading the Torah with Rashi, or listening to an educational tape or video, or going through the beautiful pictures in the National Geographic Magazine, than reading the newspaper or watching TV.
However, one of the early Hassidic masters taught that we can use every single opportunity that life presents us, to learn something new, something that can certainly enrich our lives.
I need to confess to you that I am learning a lot from this last presidential election. I was watching fascinated –and I still watch fascinated- the counting and the recounting of the votes in the state of Florida. Numbers going up and down, changing the fate of thousands of people from one hour to the other, are certainly an interesting phenomena.
And over all, I believe that there is a great lesson this election can teach each of us:
One person can make the difference!
I was amazed to receive by e-mail the flyer that Chabbad in California put together. They understood the message and shared it with the Jewish world. (See attachment)
One person can make the difference!
The Torah tells us:
"Hashem said to Abram, "Go for yourself from your land, from your relatives, and from your father's house to the land that I will show you: And I will make of you a great nation; I will bless you, and make your name great, and you shall be a blessing: I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse; and all the families of the earth shall bless themselves by you.": So Abram went as Hashem had spoken to him, and Lot went with him; Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran: Abram took his wife Sarai and Lot, his brother's son, and all their wealth that they had amassed, and the souls they made in Haran; and they left to go to the land of Canaan, and they came to the land of Canaan" (Genesis 12:1-5)
As the editor of the Stone Chumash tells us:
"God's command that Abraham and Sarah sever all ties with their past and loved ones -- when they were 75 and 65 years old -- was one of the ten trials, for it is never easy for a person to start life over again, especially when he has achieved status and prosperity"
One person can make the difference!
Abraham was ready to make the difference without knowing that he was making the difference. He was able to bring himself closer to God and he brought with him his 65 year-old wife and his nephew. Maybe he was not 100% confident in himself, but he was confident enough to lead by example. He made the difference, for him, for his family and for all of us.
He was a hero who withstood ten trials. Not like Hercules’ trials, not like the semi-gods from the Greek mythology. His trials where closer to the ones we need to withstand every day:
To choose the right path
To have the courage to walk through it
To fight for others
To hope in time of despair
To believe in miracles
To be able to hear God’s voice
To deal with conflictive relatives
To obey God’s commandments, even if we feel uncomfortable with them
To be able to make sacrifices
Abraham and each of us have something in common: we were not born "Frum", observant. Abraham’s son, Isaac, had a zeide who was an idol manufacturer, but he had a father who was not afraid of making the difference!
This is the lesson we learn from these last elections: each of us can make the difference, and each action counts! We have learned that each of us is so important that we can not delegate power or rely that others will do our job, fight our battles, express our opinions. No one will be a Jew for us or for our children.
We have the ability to make our actions count, we can make the difference; and we should!
Studying Torah, Giving Tzedakah, Lighting Shabbat Candles and Keeping a Kosher home are not the kind of sacrifices we can’t endure!
We know already that we can make the difference. Now let’s go and make it!
Shabbat Shalom!