Gilad
Last week we all witnessed a piece of history. After more than five years Gilad Shalit returned home. If you are a parent you can imagine the joy that his parents felt but if you watch the videos you know it was a moment of joy and relief for the entire country. Israel is such a small country that your neighbors really do know you and your family. That feeling of “family” was felt on a national level as Shalit embraced his father on camera. While all of us share in that joy we also know the heavy price that was paid to make it happen. Over one thousand terrorist murderers were freed to ransom Gilad Shalit. That is a simple fact- don’t try to second guess the decision. I have already heard the arm-chair soldiers who feel that the trade was wrong. I don’t know the answer but I do know if it was my son there would be no price too high to gain his freedom. The trade is done so the best thing we can do is to understand what we can learn from it.
The most important lesson is not new but one that is worth repeating. For the Palestinian prisoners the “home-coming” was a chance to make one clear statement: the crowds called for more “Gilads,” a call for more kidnappings to facilitate more prisoner trades, to gain the freedom of more terrorists. While Israel made a trade that cost dearly to save one life the Palestinians negotiated a trade to take more lives. That is the moral difference between the Israelis and the Palestinians. It is a simple question: what do you value more, life or death. The Arab celebrations made it clear what they value and yet these voices of hate and terror fall on the ears of a world that chooses not to hear.
I can only hope that the world was watching TV last week. I hope that if there was ever any doubt about the intention of Hamas and the PA then these events showed the truth. While the Palestinians continue to pressure for statehood and claim that Israel will not negotiate, the truth is that reality is very different than the political rhetoric. For the Palestinians the priority remains the same- to destroy Israel one Jew at a time. More freed prisoners mean more soldiers in that war.
Let us breathe a sigh of relief for the return of Gilad Shalit. Let us hold our collective breath as one thousand terrorists can now return to murdering Israelis. This drama has shown the role that the two stars will play. Israel will continue to choose life and seek peace. The Palestinians will continue to choose murder and terror.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Remember to tune in to The LChaim Show
Join me on Tuesday evenings at 8:00pm or 11:00pm for "To Life: LChaim" on JLTV. The show airs in South Florida on Comcast 239 and Direct TV on 366. For other parts of the country and Canada check the directory at JLTV.tv. Thanks for your support and keep watching!Here is the show list (subject to change) for the rest of the year.
11/1 #147 Holocaust survivor Jaques Wiesel (cousin of Elie Wiesel) talks
about his experiences in The Holocaust and how they led him to become "Mr.
Motivator", and Michael Andron discusses the controversial topic of
circumcision
11/8 #148 Rabbi Sheldon Harr talks about the current state of Judiasm in
the United States and Peter Wein discusses internet radio in our "Eye on
Jewish Business" segment
11/15 #150 Rabbi Michael Gold discusses his temple's open door policy and
talks about marriage and family relations and the future of Judiasm
11/22 #151 In the kosher kitchen cooking a meatless bolonese sauce, Rabbi
Yaakov Thompson discusses his discovery of Judiasm and his journey as a
congregational rabbi
11/29 #152 Jewish and Israeli artists and their artwork, and Michael Andron
from Kodesh.org
12/6 #153 Jewish Home Magazine, PJ Library
12/13 #154 PAC, CD Heaven
12/20 #155 Nancy Lublin from DoSomething.org, Synagogue Solutions with
Harry Silverman
12/27 #156 Senior Speed Dating, Scott Bachman from Hillel
11/1 #147 Holocaust survivor Jaques Wiesel (cousin of Elie Wiesel) talks
about his experiences in The Holocaust and how they led him to become "Mr.
Motivator", and Michael Andron discusses the controversial topic of
circumcision
11/8 #148 Rabbi Sheldon Harr talks about the current state of Judiasm in
the United States and Peter Wein discusses internet radio in our "Eye on
Jewish Business" segment
11/15 #150 Rabbi Michael Gold discusses his temple's open door policy and
talks about marriage and family relations and the future of Judiasm
11/22 #151 In the kosher kitchen cooking a meatless bolonese sauce, Rabbi
Yaakov Thompson discusses his discovery of Judiasm and his journey as a
congregational rabbi
11/29 #152 Jewish and Israeli artists and their artwork, and Michael Andron
from Kodesh.org
12/6 #153 Jewish Home Magazine, PJ Library
12/13 #154 PAC, CD Heaven
12/20 #155 Nancy Lublin from DoSomething.org, Synagogue Solutions with
Harry Silverman
12/27 #156 Senior Speed Dating, Scott Bachman from Hillel
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
The Stolen Lulav
This week as we celebrate Sukkot we come face to face with the rich symbolism of the holiday. The Lulav and Etrog remind us of the Land of Israel and the fall harvest. In ancient Israel Sukkot was a harvest holiday. The Sukkah reminds us of the wandering of our ancestors- seeking temporary shelter on the long trek from Egypt to Israel. The Sukkah also recalls the frailty of human endeavor- no matter how great our achievements; we are also subject to forces greater than ourselves. Inviting honored ancestors into the Sukkah, Ushpizin, gives voice to the connections that we have to the great luminaries of our faith. Sukkot is probably the one holiday that is richest in symbols and spiritual metaphors. It is, therefore, very puzzling when we study what our sages wrote in the Mishnah, the first code of Jewish law, about Sukkot.
Yes, there is the mention of the prayers to be recited and the timing of the Holiday and the rituals to be observed, but then the rabbis take an unexpected turn. They begin to discuss the status of a stolen Lulav! What! A Jew would steal a Lulav? Well, yes, I don’t think the Rabbis are discussing a wanton act of robbery but, rather, an accident that might happen. Picture this: a pious Jew is walking among beautiful palm trees and spies just the perfect branch. He feels the tree is in the middle of nowhere and cuts off this beautiful Lulav to celebrate the holiday. Little did he know that he was walking through someone else’s property and the tree has an owner. He now has a “stolen” Lulav even though that was not his intention. Wow, you say! Those Rabbis sure thought up crazy situations! I remind you that in an agricultural society this situation is not crazy at all! Well, even if that’s true, what’s the point?
The Rabbis were not just making a crazy scenario for the fun of it. They were teaching an important lesson that we should ponder. It is a very good thing to want to do a Mitzvah. It is a very good thing to achieve a lofty goal. Nonetheless, one should never try to achieve such a goal in the wrong way. The Rabbis wanted every Jew to have a beautiful Lulav and Etrog to mark Sukkot but not at the price of “stealing” it. The case of the “stolen” Lulav is a simple but profound statement- even when it comes to serving God the ends never justify the means. Even the best intention must be achieved with the best of means. If you lose sight of that your achievement is not noble, it is not a Mitzvah.
This is an important message for us right now- our country, our entire world, calls us to action. So many things to fix, so many things to make right, so many competing visions of the future! I would ask you to always remember the lesson of the stolen Lulav. The end result never justifies the means that are unjust or wrong. We are judged not only by what we achieve but also by the means we use to get there.
This week as we celebrate Sukkot we come face to face with the rich symbolism of the holiday. The Lulav and Etrog remind us of the Land of Israel and the fall harvest. In ancient Israel Sukkot was a harvest holiday. The Sukkah reminds us of the wandering of our ancestors- seeking temporary shelter on the long trek from Egypt to Israel. The Sukkah also recalls the frailty of human endeavor- no matter how great our achievements; we are also subject to forces greater than ourselves. Inviting honored ancestors into the Sukkah, Ushpizin, gives voice to the connections that we have to the great luminaries of our faith. Sukkot is probably the one holiday that is richest in symbols and spiritual metaphors. It is, therefore, very puzzling when we study what our sages wrote in the Mishnah, the first code of Jewish law, about Sukkot.
Yes, there is the mention of the prayers to be recited and the timing of the Holiday and the rituals to be observed, but then the rabbis take an unexpected turn. They begin to discuss the status of a stolen Lulav! What! A Jew would steal a Lulav? Well, yes, I don’t think the Rabbis are discussing a wanton act of robbery but, rather, an accident that might happen. Picture this: a pious Jew is walking among beautiful palm trees and spies just the perfect branch. He feels the tree is in the middle of nowhere and cuts off this beautiful Lulav to celebrate the holiday. Little did he know that he was walking through someone else’s property and the tree has an owner. He now has a “stolen” Lulav even though that was not his intention. Wow, you say! Those Rabbis sure thought up crazy situations! I remind you that in an agricultural society this situation is not crazy at all! Well, even if that’s true, what’s the point?
The Rabbis were not just making a crazy scenario for the fun of it. They were teaching an important lesson that we should ponder. It is a very good thing to want to do a Mitzvah. It is a very good thing to achieve a lofty goal. Nonetheless, one should never try to achieve such a goal in the wrong way. The Rabbis wanted every Jew to have a beautiful Lulav and Etrog to mark Sukkot but not at the price of “stealing” it. The case of the “stolen” Lulav is a simple but profound statement- even when it comes to serving God the ends never justify the means. Even the best intention must be achieved with the best of means. If you lose sight of that your achievement is not noble, it is not a Mitzvah.
This is an important message for us right now- our country, our entire world, calls us to action. So many things to fix, so many things to make right, so many competing visions of the future! I would ask you to always remember the lesson of the stolen Lulav. The end result never justifies the means that are unjust or wrong. We are judged not only by what we achieve but also by the means we use to get there.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Who is to Blame?
A recent book caught my attention as I began to prepare for Yom Kippur. Office of Blame Accountability is a book that is the result of one giant road trip. The authors traveled the country asking people one simple but telling question: who do you blame for your problems? Some of the answers are funny, some shocking, and some simply so outrageous it’s hard to believe someone could really think their problems are caused by others. The book does illustrate one truth about people- almost everyone wants to blame someone else for their woes.
The concept of the book caught my attention as I reflected on the themes of the High Holiday season. Repentance, self-correction, forgiveness (and the ability to forgive,) are all common themes as we fast and pray that God give us another chance to get it right. The Hebrew word Teshuvah contains elements of all these words and more. Teshuvah, repentance, is a process- recognizing what you have done wrong and then creating an “action plan,” a self-imposed path to better living. This new plan is the whole purpose of the Penitential Season. We examine the ways in which we went wrong- how did we stray from our best intentions? How did we fall short of our greatest potentials? With God’s forgiveness and a new year of life ahead we still have a chance to make up for lost time. This mini-lesson in Jewish theology makes good sense- it is the core value of return and repentance. But wait- one little snag in the grand design.
Office of Blame Accountability documents one fact that makes Teshuvah very hard for most of us. When we finally get around to some Yom Kippur style self-scrutiny we cop out for the easiest excuse- “It’s not my fault, someone else is to blame.” Yes, we love those words! I did not create my problems, I did not make a mess of my life, I am not to blame for what I have done. Someone else is really to blame- not me. We fall into the trap on Yom Kippur- it is easier to pass the buck or point the finger. But if we choose that option we will never achieve Teshuvah, after all, why try to atone for something that is not your fault? If you truly expect to make things better in the year ahead don’t point the finger of blame unless you are standing in front of a mirror!
Blaming others… it is not just a religious pitfall. It is destroying our society by creating and nurturing a culture of victims- no matter what a person does, well you just have to understand, someone else is to really blame for his actions, he is just a victim. This attitude eats away at one of the noblest parts of humanity- personal responsibility.
In the year ahead we will face moments when someone else is to blame- we all have bosses, friends, and family. Sometimes they make decisions that affect what we do, that force us into situations in which we have to choose “the lesser of two evils.” The trick is to never tell yourself that they are to blame for all your choices. Our mistakes are our own- we have to accept the blame but we don’t have to live with the mistakes forever. We just need to acknowledge the things that really are our fault because those are things that we really control. That is real Teshuvah
A recent book caught my attention as I began to prepare for Yom Kippur. Office of Blame Accountability is a book that is the result of one giant road trip. The authors traveled the country asking people one simple but telling question: who do you blame for your problems? Some of the answers are funny, some shocking, and some simply so outrageous it’s hard to believe someone could really think their problems are caused by others. The book does illustrate one truth about people- almost everyone wants to blame someone else for their woes.
The concept of the book caught my attention as I reflected on the themes of the High Holiday season. Repentance, self-correction, forgiveness (and the ability to forgive,) are all common themes as we fast and pray that God give us another chance to get it right. The Hebrew word Teshuvah contains elements of all these words and more. Teshuvah, repentance, is a process- recognizing what you have done wrong and then creating an “action plan,” a self-imposed path to better living. This new plan is the whole purpose of the Penitential Season. We examine the ways in which we went wrong- how did we stray from our best intentions? How did we fall short of our greatest potentials? With God’s forgiveness and a new year of life ahead we still have a chance to make up for lost time. This mini-lesson in Jewish theology makes good sense- it is the core value of return and repentance. But wait- one little snag in the grand design.
Office of Blame Accountability documents one fact that makes Teshuvah very hard for most of us. When we finally get around to some Yom Kippur style self-scrutiny we cop out for the easiest excuse- “It’s not my fault, someone else is to blame.” Yes, we love those words! I did not create my problems, I did not make a mess of my life, I am not to blame for what I have done. Someone else is really to blame- not me. We fall into the trap on Yom Kippur- it is easier to pass the buck or point the finger. But if we choose that option we will never achieve Teshuvah, after all, why try to atone for something that is not your fault? If you truly expect to make things better in the year ahead don’t point the finger of blame unless you are standing in front of a mirror!
Blaming others… it is not just a religious pitfall. It is destroying our society by creating and nurturing a culture of victims- no matter what a person does, well you just have to understand, someone else is to really blame for his actions, he is just a victim. This attitude eats away at one of the noblest parts of humanity- personal responsibility.
In the year ahead we will face moments when someone else is to blame- we all have bosses, friends, and family. Sometimes they make decisions that affect what we do, that force us into situations in which we have to choose “the lesser of two evils.” The trick is to never tell yourself that they are to blame for all your choices. Our mistakes are our own- we have to accept the blame but we don’t have to live with the mistakes forever. We just need to acknowledge the things that really are our fault because those are things that we really control. That is real Teshuvah
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