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RCA Updates
- We are excited to present our first Continuing Rabbinic Education program of the year: AI and the Rabbi, taught by Shlomo Einhorn of Los Angeles (11 AM EST on Wed., erev US Thanksgiving). He will explain countless ways to use Artificial Intelligence in our work as Torah presenters and CEOs of our institutions. (This particular presentation is not focused on classroom teaching. Please let me know if you would welcome a separate CRE event on that topic.) See below for more information. Shlomo is known as one of the most creative rabbis in our field and has poured his energy into this emerging technology. The event is free for RCA members and $40 for non-members. Please feel free to forward this information to colleagues (see flyer below). The webinar will be recorded.
- I am off to Boston today to meet with many of our colleagues in Brookline, Sharon and beyond. Thanks to David Hellman and Noah Cheses for helping organize this trip. I’m happy to travel to wherever our members – and future members – may be found. Please be in touch if you would like me to prioritize a visit to your community, shul, base or institution.
- Our convention is set for Mon-Wed, May 19-21 in Suffern, NY. We will combine powerful presentations with a relaxed atmosphere for chaverschaft. The program will essentially run from Monday afternoon through Tuesday night (with minyan and to-go breakfast for those who wish to stay over). Please block off the time to join your chaveirim!
In Our RCA Family
- Mazal Tov to Rav Hershel and Rebbetzin Shoshana Schachter on the birth of great granddaughter in Eretz Yisroel, born to parents Yechiel and Hadas Van Tijn.
- Mazal Tov to R. Aryeh and Elana Lebowitz on the engagement of their son Zecharia to Gabriella Bak.
- We regret to announce the passing of Rochel Gold, זצ"ל (Rachelle), mother of our chaver Rav Shaul Gold, wife of our chaver Rav Joseph Gold, זצ"ל. Rabbi Gold is sitting shiva through Shabbos at 861 East 27th Street - Apartment 2G - Brooklyn. Davening: Shacharis 8:00AM Mincha 3:00PM Maariv 7:00PM Phone numbers: 646-220-1506 or 718-541-6185
Chomer Ledrush
Three ideas to turn your gears heading into the parsha
1) Come with Your Days
“וְאַבְרָהָם זָקֵן בָּא בַּיָּמִים וַה׳ בֵּרַךְ אֶת־אַבְרָהָם בַּכֹּל – Abraham was now old, advanced in years, and Hashem had blessed Abraham in all things.” Both Avraham and Sarah (as well as some other figures in Tanach) are described as “advancing in their days.” Based on the Zohar, the Lubavitcher Rebbe zt”l explained the phraseology as describing how Avraham and Sara lived every day of their lives; they “came into them,” they immersed themselves completely into their days.
This idea teaches quite a bit on its own – but Rabbi Dr. Nathan Lopes Cardozo brings it to wonderful different dimension. The “older generation”, he argues, has ceased to be the model of maturity. "The most prominent manifestation of this”, he writes, “is in how older people use their free time. While in the past, people dedicated their spare time to creative, communal or family projects, most of today's 'mature' people spend their freedom in complete passivity." When the Torah describes the golden years of Avraham and Sarah, it relates their lives filled with maximized time; in the generation we live in, says Lopes Cardozo, those golden years are often devoid of substance. "The end result is that the immature child considers him or herself to be mature, while the 'mature' adult fails to recognize his or her immaturity. The son recognizes that he does the same as his father: nothing!"
2) The Whole Story
The Rishonim take note of the Torah’s detailed depiction of Maaras HaMachpelah – the entire account is told over, from the negotiation to the closing. Why? Was every detail really necessary? Some explain that the comprehensive retelling illustrates the importance of kavod for our kadmonim – we need to know about Sarah’s burial because kavod must be shown to her makom kevurah.
On the other hand, though, Ramban (see there) suggests that this account illustrates two other crucial components: (1) the chessed of Hashem, who fulfilled His promise to Avraham and make him a nassi, as Avraham is seen in this episode, and (2) the nisayon aspect: Avraham had to purchase the land – he didn’t own it – even though he was promised it.
Something can be, all at once, both a chessed and a nisayon; on one level, every nisayon is a chessed as it allows us to overcome, to prove who we are. In a deeper sense, the challenge is to perceive the chessed of Hashem even as we are faced with challenges and nisyonos. Part of Avraham’s test was to notice that God was fulfilling His promise of “va’agadla shemecha,” even amidst the tragedy of Sarah’s petirah and the pain of negotiating for her burial plot
The Mashgiach, Rav Matisyahu Solomon zt”l, understood Yosef’s being sent to Mitzrayim in a spice seller’s caravan in a similar way. The average person wouldn’t have noticed the good in such devastating circumstances like being sold into slavery, but Yosef saw the hand of God even in the hardest times. We must search for those little hints of God’s presence, especially during our darkest moments, even if they seem rare and difficult to recognize.
3) “Creation is an Act of Hachnasas Orchim”
Why did Avraham insist on finding a shidduch for Yitzchak from Avraham’s own family? In Abraham’s Journey, Rav Soloveitchik zt”l explains: “What key virtue did the members of this household possess that made them fit for and worthy of joining the covenant? The answer is chesed, kindness, expressed through hachnasas orchim, hospitality. Avraham distinguished himself in this mitzvah. Hachnasas orchim is unique in embodying not only chesed but patience, too.”
The Rav enumerated three aspects of hachnasas orchim that warrant it being singled out: (1) it is a difficult mitzvah. It’s unnatural and uncomfortable to allow a stranger into our home. Yet Avraham “invited everyone to his tent, no matter how … difficult to tolerate; (2) the “central experience” of Avraham’s life was galus, homelessness – says the Rav, “his intense experience taught Abraham and his descendants the art of involvement, of sharing in distress, of feeling for the stranger and compassion for the other. It trained Abraham … No matter who the stranger was, what he stood for, or how primitive he was, the stranger had suffered, and suffering purges a person and redeems him”; finally, (3) because the Torah rejects the notion thay one’s home “gives us ample protection and shields us in times of crisis [or] that it is our property and no one else can claim a share in it. Both assertions are false. One is never fully protected; there is no total security. Man is exposed to all kinds of evil and disaster. He has neither a home nor a castle. He is not the lord; he is just a tenant.”
Rabbi Soloveitchik concludes, “The Almighty, like Abraham, invites people to partake of His boundless existence. Creation is an act of hachnasas orchim.”
Did our chomer help you over Shabbos? Want to see more of less of an idea? Let us know!
Manning the Media
This week, we’re including three thought provoking pieces that stood out to us – maybe they’ll inspire a drasha or a conversation this Shabbos, or maybe they’ll make it to your back-pocket, drasha drawer. Enjoy!
1) Running with the Pack – New York
Two weeks ago, saw one of the most popular yearly footraces in the world: the New York City Marathon. If you’re a bit unlike the 55,646 people who finished the race, you might find yourself asking why anyone would voluntarily subject themselves to the largest marathon in the world. Writer Will Leitch decided to find out for himself, and walked away with not only a lesson in endurance, but with a profound awareness of and appreciation for the (many thousands of) people he was around: “I lived in New York City for 14 years. On marathon days, I would … cheer incoherently for people I did not know to run faster. I did this mostly to make myself feel useful, to feel like I was part of something that I would never have considered participating in myself. Now that I’m a runner … I sort of want to hug old me for his support.” Read on – if it won’t motivate you to run next time, maybe it’ll at least get you to cheer.
(What I Learned from Destroying Myself at the NYC Marathon, by Will Leitch at New York magazine.)
2) On Loving America – The Free Press
Do you love America? Lately it feels like that word is used to describe our feelings towards our country less and less – on both sides of the political aisle. Well, the Free Press published an excerpt from Peggy Noonan’s forthcoming column-collection, and she really makes the case for loving America. (A favorite snippet: “The great movie about America’s pastime isn’t called Field of Ideas, it’s called Field of Dreams. And the scene that makes every grown-up weep is when the dark-haired young catcher steps out of the cornfield and walks toward Kevin Costner, who suddenly realizes, That’s my father. The great question comes from the father: “Is this Heaven?” The great answer: “It’s Iowa.”) It behooves all of us to feel the love for this great place we call home a bit more often – Noonan’s reading list to help you get there included.
(Peggy Noonan: On Loving America, by Peggy Noonan, The Free Press.)
3) Pope Francis and the Israel-Hamas War - Tablet Magazine
Pope Francis has sparked controversy with statements and actions regarding the Israel-Hamas war, including citing a verse historically used to justify antisemitism and calling for an investigation into whether Israel's actions in Gaza constitute genocide. Critics argue that his comments undermine his commitment to combating antisemitism and fail to address the genocidal intent of Israel's enemies, such as Hamas. The pope’s sweeping denunciations of war, rooted in his evolving "just peace" theology, often overlook the complexities of self-defense and the unique threats faced by Israel. While Francis has emphasized improving Jewish-Catholic relations and acknowledged the historical wrongs of the Church, his remarks on this conflict raise concerns about a lack of balance and sensitivity. His failure to distinguish between aggressors and defenders in the conflict diminishes the moral authority he aims to project.
(Unfulfilled Promise: Pope Francis and the Israel-Hamas War, by Adam Gregerman, Tablet Magazine.)
Read something that made you think? We’d love to read it, too – and then feature it! Let us know!
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