The RZA-Aryeh Fellowship is a new initiative of the RZA-Mizrachi to strengthen the mission of Religious Zionism. Fifty college and graduate school students from around the country have been invited to spend their winter-break in Israel where they will be studying Torah and attending intensive seminars devoted to Religious Zionism education. Upon their return the Aryeh Fellows will focus on their year-long Manhigut (leadership) projects designed to bring the message of Religious Zionism back to communities across America. We are excited to profile a different “Aryeh Fellow” each week. 

Hannah Kark hails all the way from the great state of Colorado where she attended Denver Academy of Torah High School. She spent the past year at Midreshet Torah V'Avodah (TVA), and chose TVA because she wanted to really take her year to experience and explore Israel. TVA gave her the opportunity to explore Israel and Judaism in multiple ways, through discovering Israel in terms of politics, culture, and torah. This past year helped her discover so much about herself and her Jewish identity, and she is so excited to continue that growth during her time as an RZA fellow.

She is currently a Government and Politics major at the University of Maryland and hopes to continue to grow in her Judaism and Zionism through Jewish learning and Israel Advocacy on campus. When she isn't talking about the (growing) Denver Jewish community, you can find her in the beit midrash, kitchen, or spin class. She is so excited to go back to Israel to learn at TVA, enjoy some great food, and continue to strengthen her Jewish and Zionist identity.

Nearly two weeks ago, Adina Cohen, Adi Ciner, and Brandon Lurie came together to arrange a University Aliyah Meet-Up in Bryant Park. Inspired by the notion that aliyah students should meet each other before their flight, these three students organized a meet-and-greet in Bryant Park with donuts and hot chocolate. The event was a wonderful opportunity to meet fellow students and similar aged young people in advance of their aliyah.

“And these are the laws which you should put before them” [Shemot 21:1].

“ ‘Before them’ and not before idol worshippers... and not before laymen” [Gittin 88b]. 

Kippa Judgement 

Shouts of joy can be heard in the national-religious community. Recently five new judges were chosen in Israel – four in the Supreme Court and one to serve as a regional judge. Three of them are religious (two men and one woman), and they can be recognized by their head covering. And according to reports, they all (?) lean more to the conservative side than to the liberal one. And in this way the Minister of Justice has fulfilled her promise to shake up the courts (and especially the Supreme Court) and make their leftist-liberal tendency more moderate. Our compliments go to the Minister for her energetic labors and her tenacity. And even if the new judges might not always provide “the goods” for the rightist nationalists, it is enough just to see how she was able to “twist the arm” of the existing President of the Supreme Court. 

In our columns, we have commented regularly about the “leftist tendencies” of the Supreme Court of Israel. They have consistently turned their backs on nationalistic viewpoints, they made a religion out of the concept of equal rights, and they have maintained a close relationship with the ideas of post-Zionism. Today we will turn our gaze in a different direction: The challenge of “conquering” the Israeli justice system by judges (men and women) who are Torah observant. The ultimate vision of religious Zionism is for meaningful integration in all walks of life in the country. In Zomet Institute, we labor long and hard on the subject of fruitful halachic discussions which combine real-life situations and halacha. In thousands (!) of articles that have been published in the 36 volumes of “Techumin” (so far), we have set out a broad collection of essays encompassing such subjects as farming and economics, laws and government, medicine and science, family relationships, government and security, Shabbat and holidays, conversion, and the Temple. (See books.zomet.org.il.) 

In order to move from the realm of “writing” to practical action, the vision requires “live troops” – people in the field who will be absorbed in all walks of life and who will manage their lives according to the light of the Torah. We can thank G-d that our religious youths are taking on such a role, even if they are not always aware of its significance. In the pre-state era, religious Zionism made demands and succeeded in actively participating in such realms as settlement, security, absorption, and public administration. Today you can find hordes of people with head coverings and wearing skirts in medicine, academia, economics, the military, government, politics, the justice system – and in fact all over. I feel that in the legal system, and specifically among judges, there is a “goal of conquest” similar to the target of “military command posts” which has already been partially completed. The excitement of the media around the appointment of the newest judges strengthens my feelings about this “conquest,” even though this has never been declared as a formal target. 

The Court System – Is this a Legitimate Target? 

And this is the right time to point out a dramatic paradox. Anybody who has even a cursory knowledge of halachic literature is fully aware that the entire court system is given a derogatory name – “archa’ot” (non-Jewish courts). See the quote at the beginning of this article. Many essays have appeared in Techumin in this context, starting with Volume 1 (Rabbi Yaacov Ariel, “Justice in the State of Israel and the Prohibition of Archa’ot”) and on through Volume 36 (Prof. Ron Kleinman, “The Attitude of Dayanim towards Civil Law and Court Rulings”). In the Chareidi and “Chardal” sectors, the civil courts are subjected to “shame by their enemies” [Shemot 32:25, referring to the sin of the Golden Calf]. Turning to the civil courts can be compared to “raising a hand against the Torah of Moshe” [Rambam, Hilchot Sanhedrin 26:7; Choshen Mishpat 26:3]. But now, wonder of wonders, the religious and Chareidi sectors are flocking to take on such roles as lawyers and are sitting on the benches in the courts, cheered on by their own colleagues. 

Many years ago, Supreme Court justice Tzvi Tal (who was religious) reported that he had been given the blessing of the Rebbe of Chabad. Judge Kistner, who was close to the Chazon Ish, also reported that the rabbi encouraged him in his endeavor. Other judges who rose in the ranks also received the blessing of their rabbis and Chassidic Rebbes, from all the sectors. (Note that in the Torah anthology Emunat-Etyacha (published by Machon HaTorah V’Haaretz), an article by Rabbi Ariel Bareli was published recently - issue number 114 - which is quite stringent in this matter.) 

Is this the Epitome of Hypocrisy? Absolutely Not! 

I will dare to express an opinion here that has been bubbling up within me for many years, even though it may bring strong criticism. Without any doubt we can recommend that people involved in disputes should turn to the monetary courts based on halacha which have been established (Eretz Chemdah, for example, and many other similar courts). In spite of this, I cannot accept a declaration that a Jewish judge who rules according to Israeli civil law (either as accepted by the plaintiffs or if they were forced to go to court by law) can be considered as sitting “in a Gentile court.” I will give my details reasons for this at a later time... After all, this is not really “laws and behavior of the Gentiles,” but rather laws that were established by Jews living in Zion and as agreed to by the religious representatives. (See Rabbi Avraham Shapiro, “A Torah View of the Civil Laws of Israel,” Techumin volume 3.) 

That is all I will say for today!

“Let them take for me a donation, from everybody whose heart moves him, take My donation” [Shemot 25:2]. That is how the Torah begins its discussion of the Tabernacle. It is followed by, “Let them make a Tabernacle for me, and I will dwell among them” [25:8]. 

The appearance of the holy Shechina is the objective, but it is no less important than the way the goal will be achieved, “from everybody whose heart moves him.” The Tabernacle is based on the donations of Bnei Yisrael and on the full participation of their hearts and their desires. This is in contrast to the passive way that the nation experienced the Exodus from Egypt. For the Tabernacle, it was necessary for the people to act and to take on responsibility. The heart and the good will lie at the center of the link which is being formed between the Creator and His creatures. 

Yisrael responded expansively to the call for contributions, as we see in the Torah portion of Vayakhel. “The nation is bringing more than enough” [36:5]. And Moshe is forced to put a limit on the outburst of enthusiasm and the many donations. “They sent a message through the camp... Do not work any more... And the work was sufficient... and even more.” [36:6-7]. The community of Yisrael responded to the knock of the Lover and opened their hearts generously and gave of its money. 

A Tabernacle built from contributions allows the people to become involved, full of enthusiasm and joy, acting as partners and participants in the Divine covenant. This is indeed the goal at the start of the project. But what is missing in this great enterprise of construction which was based on volunteer contributions is continuity during routine operations. Many people are ready to donate funds to establish a new institution, but it can be much harder to gather money for day-to-day existence. After the Tabernacle has been built, who will operate it in the times of wearying routine? 

The answer to this dilemma is found in the beginning of the Torah portion of Ki Tissa. “Half a shekel as a contribution to G-d... The rich man should not increase the donation, and the poor man should not give less than half a shekel, to give the donation for G-d.” [30:15]. The half-shekel donation was not based on internal desire by every person but is rather a well-organized contribution which obligates every person. Each one is required to give half a shekel. There is no longer a talk of enthusiasm and good will but rather responsibility and an obligation. The rich cannot stand out with respect to the paupers, everybody brings the same amount. The annual collection of half a shekel is the source for routine operation and defines the partnership of all the people in the general enterprise. 

There are clear benefits from the burst of emotions at the peak moments of the construction of the Tabernacle, but it should also be just as clear that the people must take on a steady responsibility to maintain the Tabernacle for a long time. This is just as true for the construction of the Tabernacle as it is for all service of G-d in general. There is great value in showing enthusiasm and a volunteer spirit from the depths of everyone’s heart, but constant service for a long time must also be based on a volunteering spirit, order, and organization. This is expressed as a lower level of action – a lower flame but one that remains stable through time. 

In the month of Adar, when the flame bursts out and the enthusiasm for the worship of G-d is at its peak, we look ahead to the days of Nissan, and we also remember the service of G-d that is expressed by the command, “The rich man should not increase the donation... and the poor man should not give less...” Both types of contribution are absolutely necessary.

The starting point from which we must view the next few Torah portions, which involve the detailed description of the structure of the Tabernacle and its vessels, is to understand that this is not simply an architectural-engineering description. The purpose of the detailed description in the Torah is not to tell us exactly how the Tabernacle looked or to be used in the future as instructions for building the next Temple and its vessels. Rather, the great importance of the picture of the Tabernacle and the vessels lies first and foremost in our ability to understand the essence of every vessel within the combination of them all. 

“And you shall make an Ark” 

For example, the Ark of the Covenant is a symbol of the “crown” of the Torah where the Tablets were stored. The way the Ark was formed and designed can teach us important and essential aspects of the Torah. 

The first and most surprising aspect of the Ark is the fact that it was constructed from two materials that are totally different from each other. The Ark was made of wood, but it was coated inside and outside with pure gold. The contrast between these two materials – wood and gold – is sharp and absolute. 

Gold is an expensive metal as compared to wood, which is very cheap. Gold is a hard mineral, as opposed to wood, which is alive and constantly growing, and gold is beautiful and shiny as compared to the drab color of the wood. The command to build the Ark from a combination of these two opposite materials becomes even more important when we look at the way it was formed. The Ark was a wooden box which was completely covered, inside and outside, by gold. Anybody who looked at the Ark did not see the wood at all, so we might well ask why there was a need for the wood at all. 

The Words of the Torah as Planted Nails 

The unique combination of wood and gold can teach us two important properties of the Torah. 

The first lesson to be learned is that the Torah carries within it every conceivable type of contrast. Wood and gold, which as noted above are symbolic of exact opposites, join together in order to preserve and to contain the Torah. The unique trait of the Torah is that it belongs to every person and touches on everybody’s life. The Torah includes within it even the most opposite things, and it serves as a symbol of the unity that exists within Creation. 

The second lesson is that on one hand the Torah is static and will never change, while on the other hand it is a living thing which grows from one generation to the next. Gold is a metal which symbolizes stability, but gold by itself is a mineral which cannot provide life. And that is why on the inside the Ark is made of wood, as an expression of the fact that the Torah leads to innovation and flowering every single day, it is not a historical monument which was given in the past and remains in a frozen state. 

The Rods 

The rods, which were used to carry the vessels of the Tabernacle from place to place, can also teach us an important and vital lesson about the Torah. Here again we go beyond the simple technical fact that the purpose of the rods was to help lighten the burden of the Levites who carried the utensils and we will try to go into greater depth to understand the essence of this mitzva. 

As opposed to the rods which were in the Table and the Altar, there was a special command for the rods of the Ark which prohibited ever removing them (Shemot 28:15). This is such a serious prohibition that one who removes the rods from the Ark is punished by lashes. 

The significance of the prohibition of removing the rods from the Ark and the Divine insistence that the Ark related to the Torah must always be ready to be moved on short notice teaches us that our Torah is a living Torah which is not kept in a closed area, to be used only by special individuals. An important facet of the Torah is its ability to be lifted up and carried from place to place, from one man to another, and from one era to another. 

Reading the coming Torah portions, which involve the construction of the Tabernacle and its utensils, can be difficult labor, bogged down as it is with many details. However, if we are wise enough to study the matter in depth and to expose the meaning of every single detail – the reading of this material can truly become a wondrous experience!

My Savta brought me a present for my birthday. It was a large cage with a very cute and colorful parrot. It even knew how to talk. It only knew two words, “Shalom” and “todah” – thank you. But it was really cool. When Savta gave it to me, nobody in the whole world was any happier than I was. I gave my Savta as strong a hug as I could, and I imitated the voice of the parrot: “Shalom, Todah!” 

Savta laughed and took out a thin pamphlet from her pocket. “This is a guide on how to take care of a parrot,” she said. “Read it very carefully.” 

Then she gave me a cardboard box, and she explained that inside it was the parrot’s food. In order to know how much to feed it and what other food it could have, I would have to read the pamphlet. “No problem,” I said, and I slipped the booklet into a pocket in my pants. 

For the rest of the day, I had fun with my new wonderful gift. I said, “I’ll call you Shet – the abbreviation of your two words, Shalom and todah. And tomorrow I’ll invite all my friends to meet you. Good night, Shet!” And he replied, “Shalom. Todah!” I looked at my parrot for a while, and I started to feel that I was becoming closer to it. In the morning, I ran straight to the cage, I filled a plate with seeds for him to eat, and I checked that there was enough water for him. Shet kept looking at me, happy. And he kept saying, “Shalom... Todah... Shalom... Todah...” 

Shet was a very cute and funny pet. I took care of him with great care. I took a brush and smoothed his feathers. But it seems he wasn’t happy with what I had done, since he tried to run away from me, and landed right in the middle of his feeding plate. “You rascal,” I scolded him, and washed him off in order to get rid of the sticky seeds that were caught in his feathers. I tried using just water but the dirt didn’t come off, so I sprayed him with a little bit of dish soap, and I rubbed him off. Just to be sure, I refilled his plate with seeds, and I hurried off to school. 

When school was over, I hurried home to see my new friend. Shet tried to fly over to me, but he seemed to be clumsy and heavy. His feathers were still wet, and his food plate was empty. I said to him, “You must be very hungry,” and I filled his food plate again. I took a hair dryer and aimed it at his wet feathers, but instead of “Shalom, todah,” Shet let out some very weird sounds. Could it be that he was sick? Was he hungry? And then I had an idea. “I’ll give him some of the lunch that Imma made for us, maybe he will enjoy it and then say ‘Shalom, Todah’ again.” I gave him some peas and a small piece of fish. I added a few grains of rice, and Shet went at it all with gusto. He quickly ate up the whole plate. 

I said to Shet, “And now you can have some chocolate for desert.” I filled his plate with tiny slivers of chocolate. Shet gobbled up the chocolate, but he still didn’t say, “Shalom, Todah.” And then, after a few minutes, he dropped to the ground as if he couldn’t move at all. 

“Shet,” I shouted out. “Are you okay?” But he didn’t answer me. What had happened to him? Poor Shet... 

And then, suddenly, I remembered the guidebook that Savta had given me. I could only read what was written through the tears which filled my eyes:

(1) Never wash a parrot which is not fully covered by feathers.

(2) Never use soap to wash the parrot.

(3) Do not use a hairdryer or a fan to dry the parrot! Fumes that are released from heating Teflon can be poisonous for a parrot, and the heat can give it burns. You can help a parrot to get dry by wrapping it in a towel and by carefully drying it in the direction of growth of the feathers.

(4) Never give a parrot chocolate, avocado, or alcohol. 

When Imma came home, she found me crying my head off, with a bunch of my friends who had come to visit Shet and saw what had happened. Nobody could have been upset as I was at that moment. If only I had read the instructions Shet would have been healthy and happy. And when Imma took Shet to the veterinarian, Savta came to our house. 

I blushed from shame. But Savta patted me on the head, and she said, “What you just went through was a very powerful lesson...” 

“Sure,” I said. “Today I am an expert on how to take care of a parrot...” 

Savta said to me, “No! I am no talking about how to take care of a parrot! I am talking about something much more important than that...” 

Savta took a deep breath, and I tried to understand what she meant. What did she want to tell me? 

She went on. “Look at your own life. Are you familiar with the guidebook that teaches you how to live properly? Do you make sure to learn the rules about how to live your life? There are detailed instructions about how to care for a little creature like a parrot, about how to give it life. What about you, Ronen, do you know the instructions to follow?” 

Savta’s words pierced straight into my heart. Do you understand what she was saying? For you and me, for all of us, there is a guidebook for life. It is a book that was written by the Creator of the world. It is filled with instructions that accompany us from the moment we open our eyes in the morning until we close them at night. In this book we are taught what is good for us and what will add to the quality of our lives, and what we must avoid. I really hope that Shet will come back to us, healthy and happy. When he does, I am sure that I will know how to take care of him. 

But what about me? Do I know how to take care of myself?

The month of Adar is around the corner, and everybody is in high tension. Many children and youths anticipate this period with great enthusiasm. But in many schools the staff goes into a state of getting ready to repel an attack. Many principals have begun a countdown to the end of Purim with a silent prayer that we will come through the next two weeks with as little damage as possible. 

The sharpest comment that I heard was by a home-room teacher, who said, “the

School year is divided into two parts. In the first part we educate them, build up their character, point them in the right direction, and push them higher and higher. In the second part we gather the broken pieces and repair the damage. And what separates the two halves? It is Purim...” 

Admittedly, that is a harsh description, but there can be no doubt that many people have a strong feeling of missing the mark with respect to the holiday which the ARI described as being as great as (or possibly greater than) Yom Kippur (based on the famous play on words and the similarity of their two names). From one year to the next, we are dragged through event after event which might be more reminiscent of the Ninth of Ave than Yom Kippur. 

Blessed is He Who Releases the Prisoners 

Why does this happen? Actually, the reason is quite simple. Many of the students see this month as a wonderful opportunity to burst out of all boundaries, with permission to do all sorts of things that are forbidden during the rest of the year. And they can even happily give halachic justification for their conclusion. After all, drinking, which is forbidden all year round, is not only permitted on Purim but becomes a mitzva for one day (see Megillah 7b). This leads them to the “logical” conclusion that of course any other prohibition becomes allowed on this day. All year round you must not offend others, especially if they are older than you and you are supposed to show respect for them. But now, you are allowed to laugh, to mimic, and to poke fun, without any limits. All year round you must keep to modest limits in how you dress and in behavior – but now everything is open and becomes possible. The bottom line is that the scent of Purim reminds you more of the party hosted by Achashverosh and Haman than it makes you think of Mordechai the Jew and Esther the Queen. 

Road Markers 

So, here are some small reminders related to the wonderful month that we are about to encounter. 

(1) The True Test – It is not in vain that the sages taught us that “a person can be recognized through his drink,” and “when wine goes in, the secrets come out” [Eiruvin 65]. These days present us with a great test. What is really inside us, and what comes out when the normal boundaries are dropped? This month acts as a mirror which shows us how we really stand after all the effort we expended to build up our personalities during the year. 

(2) Not the Contents but the Form – The main guideline must be that what changes for this month is the form but not the contents. Whoever believes in an important principle can never give it up just because according to the calendar “Adar” has arrived. If modesty is a true value, it remains valid all the time, even right now. If insulting somebody is a serious sin all year round, there is no way to make an insult and to excuse ourselves just because it is Purim. Just as the law of gravity and other natural laws are not cancelled this month, so the laws and the edicts of the Torah remain one hundred percent valid. 

(3) Just the Opposite – the real challenge which we face is how to use the tool of laughter, costumes, and opposites in order to get close to reality and to the events of which it consists, and to look at them from a fresh angle. At times it is just this method – the “Purim” approach – that will allow us to bring out constructive criticism, overcoming pitfalls and obstacles that block us during the rest of the year. 

(4) The One who takes the Trouble to Prepare before Shabbat... – Getting ready properly for Adar begins the month before, in Shevat – in fact, in a broader sense it should begin in Elul. How do we go about teaching ourselves and our students what is really important to us, what message we want to convey to the world, and what we are careful to avoid? The more we implant deep inside us the values in which we truly believe, and if we manage to aim higher and higher every year – this will also be revealed in the way we celebrate Purim. This month brings up important questions that are vital for us to understand: What is true joy, and how can we achieve it? Do we have a specific subject for the “coronation” of a Purim rabbi and for the entire month, together with a message that we want to pass on? How can we manage to get the entire class to participate without leaving even one student behind? 

(5) Clear Guidelines – It is very important to establish in advance – in a calm manner, without any influence of alcohol – the rules which will be in effect at the moment of truth. No “human sacrifices,” what are our limits in terms of mixing of boys and girls, clothing, drinking, and so on. It is important to understand that these limits are not set in order to stifle joy and block it from bursting forth but rather to channel it in a healthy and proper direction and to protect us from things which we might regret at some later time. 

(6) Spiritual Preparation – Every holiday (and especially Purim) has a spiritual content and a treasury of messages that it is willing to share with anybody who will open his heart to receive them. The more spiritual preparations we make in study and introspection, the more we will manage to produce from this holiday. 

(7) The Test of the Day After – One criterion to see if we have succeeded in celebrating Purim as we should is to answer the following question: What is our appearance on the day after the holiday? Are we empty, squeezed out, and barely able to carry on until Pesach redeems us, or are we full of new energy, vitality, and freshness in anticipation of the days which are fast approaching, with love? 

We wish everybody a successful and happy month! 

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