This week's Torah portion is a study of contrasts. It begins with a description of the enormous blessing to be bestowed upon us if we observe the Torah. "I shall grant rain in the proper time. You will eat and be satiated; you will dwell securely in your land." But the portion continues with one of the most difficult readings, a section called "The Rebuke". In it G-d says, "If you will not listen with devotion to My commandments, I will turn against you, and strike you down before your enemies. I will lay ruin to your cities. You will be sent into exile." While the section which speaks of blessing is heartwarming, the section which speaks of devastating punishment is a difficult read. Over the course of history the Jewish people have in fact experienced the terrible helplessness described in "The Rebuke." In the midst of punishment people wondered: Does G-d really love us? Reading this section leaves us yearning for some level of inspiration. The Talmud relates an amazing story regarding Rabbi Akivah. Rabbi Akivah lived in the time of the Romans, shortly after the second Temple was destroyed. The Talmud describes how a group of Rabbis walked passed the Temple ruins. Most of the Rabbis cried at the sight of the Temple in ruins. Rabbi Akivah laughed. The Rabbis wondered what good could be found in the Temple ruins that allowed Rabbi Akivah to rejoice. Rabbi Akivah explained that the prophecies of destruction and of ultimate redemption are linked. "When I see how G-d brought upon us the destruction in such a forceful way, I know with clarity that He will bring upon us ultimate blessing in an equally powerful way." Think of it this way. If a person has a casual acquaintance who insults him, the pain will be great but bearable. But if the insult is done by a close friend, the pain is much greater. Truly unbearable is when the insult is done by one's best friend or spouse. The pain experienced increases by the level of love that was violated. Similar to this is our relationship with G-d. If the relationship potential was small, then the violation of that relationship would also be small. But, as Rabbi Akivah saw with his great insight, our violation was considered enormous. This indicated that our potential is great, and the ultimate redemption will be truly enormous. Most people just see "The Rebuke" as a calamity. Rabbi Akivah was able to visualize insightfully beyond the destruction. He was able to see from the enormity of destruction that G-d considers us His "best friends" who violated His trust. Rabbi Akivah realized from the destruction how enormous the ultimate redemption was destined to be. Perhaps this is the meaning of the song "Kol Mikadeish" that many Jews sing on Friday night. The song reads, "Draw Your kindness to those who know You, O' G-d of vengeance." I often wondered: Why would we invoke the attribute of vengeance when we are praying for kindness. I believe the answer lies in the insight learned from Rabbi Akivah's laughter. The extent of G-d's anger when we violate His trust is an indication of how close He considers us to Him. When you see enormous anger at a violation you can be sure that a very close relationship is what was expected. So as we read "The Rebuke" let us hear the music of Rabbi Akivah's laughter. In destruction and punishment Rabbi Akivah saw rebirth. From the extent of "The Rebuke" we can gain a glimpse of how dear G-d holds us. May we live to experience G-d's great love for us. May we live to see the fulfillment of the prayer, "Draw Your kindness to those who know You." With best wishes for a wonderful Shabbos, Rabbi Mordechai Rhine We extend a heartfelt Mazal Tov to Eli and Leby Weissmann upon the birth of a son. May the entire family be blessed with joy and see much nachas from all the children. If you enjoyed this e-mail please share it with a friend. Your sponsorship builds Torah. Contact us for opportunities. A very warm thank you to all those who made the Young Israel: Passing the Torah Event an enormous success. CDs of the event will be available shortly. This week, our Sunday and Monday classes will not meet. The Mitzvah class entitled, "What is Judaism?" will meet on Tuesday at 6:30pm at the Torah Links Judaic Center. Each class is a stand-alone topic. Newcomers are welcome. Our self-study Mishnah campaign is in full swing. Please check www.teach613.org in the Community section for the units of Mishnah that are still available. We have started a new section of Online classes. Outlines and audio streaming are available at www.teach613.org . To download as MP3 please visit www.torahmedia.com The Yeshiva Experience, a new program for young men of college age, enables students to experience Torah learning in conjunction with the World famous Yeshiva in Lakewood. Program includes business seminars, socializing and networking, trips, and fun. The program will be offered this summer from May 22nd through June 2nd, and from June 15th through June 22nd. For more information please go to www.onlinelinks.org and click on The Yeshiva Experience. |
Rabbi Mordechai Rhine is the Co-Director of Torah Links of Cherry Hill, and the Rabbi of Young Israel of Cherry Hill. His book, “The Magic of Shabbos,” (The Judaica Press, 1998) is available at Judaica stores worldwide. Additional articles by this author are available at his web site www.teach613.org.
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