Hello from Boca Raton, Florida!
What a change of environment — from the barren mountains of the Judean desert to the flat, lush green manicured landscapes of Florida, from the sound of planes overhead being a sign of Israeli airpower on its way to one of the war fronts to “normal” air traffic taking people to various destinations. There’s some culture shock, too, especially during the December holiday season. Yet, with so much that is different, wonderful things are the same: the rhythm of Jewish life and living. When we walk into the synagogue on Shabbos, the service is the same, the Torah portion we read is the same, the prayers for Israel and our hostages are the same, and the connection to and concern for our Jewish people is the same. The rabbi of our daughter’s Chabad shul in Parkland is on his third trip to Israel since the Simchat Torah massacre. People are feeling personally connected to and involved in what’s happening in Israel, which makes it a little less strange to be outside the Land of Israel at this time.
On the first day of the war, the son of one of my friends in Israel said with great confidence, “You know how we had the Six-Day War? Well, this will probably be the Three-Day War!” Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case. Instead, we are engaged in a prolonged, cruel, and outrageous battle for our people and for our Land — in addition to the battles happening in our revered universities, businesses, and major cities. Think about this: a woman here in Boca Raton told me this past Shabbos that she feels safe being Jewish in Boca Raton, so she’s okay. I asked her, “Don’t you think that the fact that you just said that is a sign of how bad the anti-semitism has become? Is this a comfort?” I’m thinking about the Jewish people in Europe soothing themselves with this kind of thinking — that the particular town or city they lived in wasn’t ‘so’ bad. Hoping things will blow over…
So, what do we do? How do we hang in and hang on? This week’s Torah portion is Vayechi, and holds just the wisdom we need. It’s the final portion of the Book of Bereshit and culminates with Jacob’s blessings to his sons before he dies. Jacob’s original intention was to gather his children to tell them what would befall them at the End of Days. But he doesn’t tell them. We don’t get to find out what will happen at the End of Days — neither when or what. Instead, Jacob gives each of his sons a blessing, blessings that point out their strengths, their challenges, and their missions. We have so many questions — Why is this happening? When will it be over? Why are so many good and innocent people being hurt and killed? How can we go on like this? We’ve had so many questions for so many centuries, and yet we don’t have answers to these questions. What we do have, however, are blessings. These blessings strengthen us to persevere, stay true to our identity as Jewish people, and continue growing and flourishing in any circumstances and situation.
Most of the Jewish people alive today are from the tribe of Judah. Even those who are not are still called by the tribe’s name: Yehudim, Jews. The blessing that Jacob gives to Yehudah — the Jewish people — is “He crouches, lies down like a lion, and like an awesome lion, who dares rouse him?” (Bereshit 49:9) The Jewish people, like a lion, can be in a crouched, lowered, seemingly asleep position, but to anyone who dares to rouse us, an awesome response awaits. More important than knowing what is going to happen is knowing who I am, what my strengths are, and what I’m capable of doing. We need to know that we are lions and both come and draw strength from, a long and proud line of lions who have risen to occasions that are, in reality, unfathomable. When we see what the Jewish people — as a people and as individuals — are doing in this current situation, it is truly remarkable. The acts of kindness, generosity, self-sacrifice, and caring are at an unprecedented level. It is truly awesome and inspiring!
The most famous person from the tribe of Judah was King David. As a skilled warrior and the gifted writer and singer of Psalms, King David shows us how to engage in physical battles with strength and determination as well as how to reach deep into our souls to express our spiritual and emotional selves — all to connect to the Infinite Creator of the Universe. Strengthening our Jewish identity, and connecting to the path King David laid out for us — both in physical battle and spiritual growth — will help us reach the End of Days with vigor and confidence.
I’m looking forward to learning with you tomorrow (Wednesday at 11:00 Denver time) on Zoom.
May you each be blessed to tap into the blessing for Yehuda and feel the strength that is your inheritance.
Am Yisrael Chai!
Ellyn
