This year's ICJA Takes the Stage is focused on the theme of Israel. During a time of so much darkness and upheaval, we have also witnessed immense spiritual strength and acts of service. ICJA students have deepened their connection to the land in a variety of ways. Students take pride in their Judaism and Zionism, openly wearing their Magen David. They represent their views at City Hall. They raise money through bake sales and fundraisers. They participate in hands-on volunteering opportunities in the land itself.
Additionally, this April marks Batsheva Stadlan z"l's 7th yahrtzeit. As you will learn, seven is a significant number in Jewish thought. It signals completion, the end of a cycle. Completion, shleimut (שלמות), is considered a Divine aspect, linking the number 7 with holiness, and with God.
Batsheva was named after Dr. Noam Stadlan's paternal grandmother, whose name was Batya. Batya literally means "Daughter of God." Given the significance of the number 7, and its connection to the Divine, the Stadlans felt that the name Batsheva shared that meaning. To be "the daughter of seven" is to be the daughter of completion, and a number linked to God's sanctity.
What happens during a cycle is significant and can never be changed. If the cycle went well, we are pleased. What, however, if all did not go well? After the cycle completes, we are left with new hope. Perhaps the next set of seven will be different. Perhaps we, ourselves, through the strength of our own actions, will make it so. As people created b'tzelem Elokim/ בצלם אלקים, our ultimate mission is to partner with God to heal our fractured world. Each cycle is another opportunity for us to accomplish this. Each action, no matter how small, matters.
This, too, was something Batsheva understood. Batsheva was a passionate Zionist. During the summer of 2015, Batsheva z"l volunteered for Bet Elazraki in Netanya, Israel. Bet Elazraki is a home for 250 at-risk children ages 6-18. They were removed from their homes due to alcohol and/or drug abuse, severe neglect, physical and verbal abuse or their parents' inability to care for them due to severe mental illness. The dedicated staff at Bet Elazraki in addition to student volunteers help heal these children. This year, many of our seniors who went on the "Israel with ICJA" trip volunteered with children in similar circumstances.
On this anniversary of Batsheva's 7th yahrtzeit, honor her memory through following in her footsteps. Connect to the land of Israel. Perform chesed there, as she did. And recognize that even where there is darkness, there is opportunity for new hope.
כָּל הַשְּׁבִיעִין חֲבִיבִין לְעוֹלָם, לְמַעְלָן הַשְּׁבִיעִי חָבִיב, שָׁמַיִם וּשְׁמֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם וְרָקִיעַ וּשְׁחָקִים, זְבוּל וּמָעוֹן וַעֲרָבוֹת, וּכְתִיב (תהלים סח, ה): סֹלוּ לָרֹכֵב בָּעֲרָבוֹת בְּיָהּ שְׁמוֹ. בָּאֲרָצוֹת, שְׁבִיעִית חֲבִיבָה: אֶרֶץ, אֲדָמָה, אַרְקָא, גַּיְא, צִיָה, נְשִׁיָּה, תֵּבֵל. וּכְתִיב (תהלים ט, ט): וְהוּא יִשְׁפֹּט תֵּבֵל בְּצֶדֶק יָדִין לְאֻמִּים בְּמֵישָׁרִים. בַּדּוֹרוֹת שְׁבִיעִי חָבִיב: אָדָם, שֵׁת, אֱנוֹשׁ, קֵינָן, מַהַלַּלְאֵל, יֶרֶד, חֲנוֹךְ. וּכְתִיב (בראשית ה, כד): וַיִּתְהַלֵּךְ חֲנוֹךְ אֶת הָאֱלֹקִים. בָּאָבוֹת שְׁבִיעִי חָבִיב: אַבְרָהָם, יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב, לֵוִי, קְהָת, עַמְרָם, משֶׁה. וּכְתִיב (שמות יט, ג): וּמשֶׁה עָלָה אֶל הָאֱלֹקִים. בְּבָנִים הַשְּׁבִיעִי חָבִיב, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברי הימים א ב, טו): דָּוִיד [הוא] הַשְּׁבִעִי. בַּמְּלָכִים הַשְּׁבִיעִי חָבִיב: שָׁאוּל, אִישׁ בּשֶׁת, דָּוִד, שְׁלֹמֹה, רְחַבְעָם, אֲבִיָה, אָסָא. וּכְתִיב (דברי הימים ב יד, י): וַיִּקְרָא אָסָא אֶל ה'. בַּשָּׁנִים שְׁבִיעִי חָבִיב, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כג, יא): וְהַשְּׁבִיעִית תִּשְׁמְטֶנָּה וּנְטַשְׁתָּהּ. בַּשְּׁמִטִּין שְׁבִיעִי חָבִיב, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כה, י): וְקִדַּשְׁתֶּם אֵת שְׁנַת הַחֲמִשִּׁים. בַּיָּמִים שְׁבִיעִי חָבִיב, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית ב, ג): וַיְבָרֶךְ אֱלֹקִים אֶת יוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי. בֶּחֳדָשִׁים שְׁבִיעִי חָבִיב, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כג, כד): בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ.
11 All the sevenths are always beloved. When it comes to heavens, the seventh is beloved: Chaviv, Shamayim, Shemei Shaamayim, Rakia, Shechakim, Zevul, Maon and Aravos. And it is written (Psalms 68:5), "extol Him who rides the clouds; the Lord is His name." In the lands, the seventh is beloved: Earth, ground, globe, valley, wilderness, oblivion and world. And it is written (Psalms 9:9), "And He judges the world with righteousness, judges the peoples with equity." In the generations, the seventh is beloved: Adam, Shet, Enosh, Keinan, Mahalalel, Yered and Chanoch. And it is written (Genesis 5:25), "And Chanoch walked with God." In the forefathers, the seventh is beloved: Avraham, Yitschak, Yaakov, Levi, Kehat, Amram and Moshe. And it is written (Exodus 19:3), "And Moshe ascended to God." In sons, the seventh is beloved, as it is stated (I Chronicles 2:15), "David was the seventh." In kings, the seventh is beloved: Shaul, Ish-boshet, David, Shlomo, Rechavam, Aviyah and Asa. And it is written (II Chronicles 14:10), "And Asa called out to the Lord." In years, the seventh is beloved, as it is stated (Exodus 23.11), "But in the seventh you shall let it rest and lie fallow." In sabbatical years, the seventh is beloved, as it is stated (Leviticus 25:10), "And you shall sanctify the fiftieth year." In days, the seventh is beloved, as it is stated (Genesis 2:3), "And God blessed the seventh day." In months, the seventh is beloved, as it is stated (Leviticus 23:24), "In the seventh month on the first day."
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
1. Were any of the examples of "beloved sevens" new to you? Which ones?
2. Can you think of additional examples of the number 7 in Judaism (where it is significant)?
- Number of days in the weekly cycle including counting of the Sabbath - שיבעה ימי שבתא
- According to a midrash, "All sevens are beloved": There are seven terms for the heavens and seven terms for the earth; Enoch was the seventh generation from Adam; Moses was the seventh generation from Abraham; David was the seventh son in his family; Asa (who called out to God) was the seventh generation of Israelite kings; the seventh day (Shabbat), month (Tishrei), year (shmita) and shmita (jubilee) all have special religious status.[7]
- The Seven Laws of Noah
- The Seven Species of the Land of Israel
- The counting of the Omer consists of seven weeks, each of seven days
- Number of blessings in the Sheva Brachot[8]
- The red heifer passage discusses seven items of purification, each mentioned seven times.[9]
- A woman in niddah following menstruation must count seven "clean days" prior to immersion in the mikvah
- Acts of atonement and purification were accompanied by a sevenfold sprinkling
- The menorah in the Temple had seven lamps
- The shiva mourning period is seven days
- Number of days of Sukkot[8] and Pesach (Israel)[8]
- Number of blessings in the Amidah of Shabbat, Yom Tov, and all Musaf prayers (except Rosh Hashanah)
- Number of aliyot on Shabbat[8]
- There were seven of every pure animal in Noah's Ark
- The number seven is said to symbolize completion, association with God, or the covenant of holiness and sanctification
- Moses died on the seventh of Adar
“Time contains many different entities. Nearly all of them are related to natural phenomena. Days, nights, months, seasons and years are all directly determined, in some way, by the constellations. There is one exception – the week. The formulation of a week seems to be totally arbitrary. Who needs it? Let one day just follow the previous one. And why seven days?
“The concept of a week and its constitution of 7 days is one that is strictly God-invented and human-adopted. While we may quibble about creation -- how, when, by whom, why – the world has consensually agreed to the concept of a week. And whenever a week is completed it is yet another reminder to mankind (or should be) that God created the world in seven days. (Only six days were required to manufacture the physical structures, but the process was not complete until the spiritual realm, Shabbat, was added.)
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
1. Have you ever thought about why we have a seven-day week as opposed to a three day week? Or nine day week?
2. What does the very fact that the entire world follows a seven-day week testify to?
3. When do we as Jews explicitly give testimony in which we declare we believe God created the world in seven days?
(א) וַיְכֻלּ֛וּ הַשָּׁמַ֥יִם וְהָאָ֖רֶץ וְכׇל־צְבָאָֽם׃ (ב) וַיְכַ֤ל אֱלֹקִים֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י מְלַאכְתּ֖וֹ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֑ה וַיִּשְׁבֹּת֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י מִכׇּל־מְלַאכְתּ֖וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשָֽׂה׃ (ג) וַיְבָ֤רֶךְ אֱלֹקִים֙ אֶת־י֣וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֔י וַיְקַדֵּ֖שׁ אֹת֑וֹ כִּ֣י ב֤וֹ שָׁבַת֙ מִכׇּל־מְלַאכְתּ֔וֹ אֲשֶׁר־בָּרָ֥א אֱלֹקִ֖ים לַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃ {פ}
(1) The heaven and the earth were finished, and all their array. (2) On the seventh day God finished the work that had been undertaken: [God] rested on the seventh day from doing any of the work. (3) And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy—having ceased on it from all the work of creation that God had done.
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
1. Make sure to read the Hebrew above. Where else have you heard it?
2. Did you know that Friday night kiddush can be understood to be a form of עדות (testimony)?
3. Based on this, what is one reason we stand for kiddush on Friday night?
We know that God's creation of the world is linked to and sealed with the number seven. But was this the first world God had ever created?
Related by the Rav in his annual yahrzeit shiur in memory of his father Rabbi Moshe Soloveitchik zt”l, Yeshiva University, January 6, 1957 (Yiddish)
The Midrash relates that God created and destroyed many worlds before he allowed this world to remain in existence (Midrash Rabbah Genesis 3:9). Some of the earlier worlds were even more beautiful than the present one, but the Creator eliminated them. He then went ahead and created this world, which has endured.
What are the rabbis teaching us? What does it mean that God created and destroyed worlds? After all, He could have made this world to begin with, so why did G-d experiment with the earlier creations? The Midrash conveys a very important concept to us. A person must know how to continue building and creating in life, even if his previous efforts are demolished. He can not lose hope and must not give up. He must go ahead and build again. Perhaps the new world created will not be as beautiful as the earlier one; nevertheless, he must continue to rebuild. God was able to say about His final world: “Behold it was very good” [Genesis 1:31]. That is, that the final, permanent world is very good, even though some of the earlier ones may have been even more beautiful. They are gone, and we must maximize what we have now.
Today, we must judge the Torah world we are reconstructing after the Holocaust as "very good" even though earlier ones may have been more beautiful. I am very proud of the Maimonides Day School in Boston. Many times I test the students on the Humash and Rashi that they are studying. I am impressed by their knowledge and inspired by their achievements. Then I ask myself why I am so excited by such small accomplishments. After all, I saw the giants of European Torah Jewry before the Holocaust. I discussed talmudic topics with my grandfather, Reb Chaim Soloveitchik of Brisk. I visited with Reb Chaim Ozer Grodzinski (1863-1940) in Vilna [Rabbi Grodzinski was the author of three volumes of responsa literature entitled Ahiezer.] I debated with Reb Shimon Shkop (1860-1940; Rabbi Shkop was the leading Lithuanian rosh ha-yeshiva in that period) concerning the explanation of certain talmudic passages. I spent entire nights with Reb Baruch Ber Lebowitz of Kaminetz (1866-1939; Rabbi Leibowitz was the closest student of Reb Chaim Soloveitchik) attempting to comprehend difficult rulings in the Code of Maimonides. Why am I so impressed that American youngsters can master a little Humash with Rashi, the rudiments of Torah study?
This is the message of the re-creation of destroyed worlds. A Jew has to know how to emulate God, and, like God, to continue to create even after his former world has been eradicated. True, what I have in Boston may not be as beautiful as the European Torah world before the Holocaust. Nevertheless, it is the world we now have. We have to continue to build it and not look back. We must not be cynical, and we should direct our attention and efforts to the future. We must look ahead!
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
1. What is the Midrash teaching when it states God created and destroyed worlds before the one we currently inhabit?
2. In the wake of the Holocaust, what could Rabbi Soloveitchik's reaction have been- seeing how the giants of Torah scholarship and Torah Jewry had perished/ been wiped out?
3. What was Rabbi Soloveitchik's reaction?
4. What can we learn from this when we personally experience national tragedy, such as the events of October 7?
At first, the significance of the number seven seemed clear. God created the world in seven days. Seven became the number that symbolized completion and divinity. But the Midrash reveals a deeper truth. The world we are living in was not the first world God ever made. There were other worlds before this one. But *this* one, which was completed in seven days, is the one that has remained. Thus, the number seven, which is linked to cycles, is also linked to hope. After cycles of seven, there is opportunity to hope again, and to build again.
Let's explore another figure who chose to build despite living in a time of destruction.
(טו) וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם לַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֖ת הָֽעִבְרִיֹּ֑ת אֲשֶׁ֨ר שֵׁ֤ם הָֽאַחַת֙ שִׁפְרָ֔ה וְשֵׁ֥ם הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית פּוּעָֽה׃ (טז) וַיֹּ֗אמֶר בְּיַלֶּדְכֶן֙ אֶת־הָֽעִבְרִיּ֔וֹת וּרְאִיתֶ֖ן עַל־הָאׇבְנָ֑יִם אִם־בֵּ֥ן הוּא֙ וַהֲמִתֶּ֣ן אֹת֔וֹ וְאִם־בַּ֥ת הִ֖וא וָחָֽיָה׃ (יז) וַתִּירֶ֤אןָ הַֽמְיַלְּדֹת֙ אֶת־הָ֣אֱלֹקִ֔ים וְלֹ֣א עָשׂ֔וּ כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר דִּבֶּ֥ר אֲלֵיהֶ֖ן מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרָ֑יִם וַתְּחַיֶּ֖יןָ אֶת־הַיְלָדִֽים׃ (יח) וַיִּקְרָ֤א מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ לַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֔ת וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָהֶ֔ן מַדּ֥וּעַ עֲשִׂיתֶ֖ן הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֑ה וַתְּחַיֶּ֖יןָ אֶת־הַיְלָדִֽים׃ (יט) וַתֹּאמַ֤רְןָ הַֽמְיַלְּדֹת֙ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֔ה כִּ֣י לֹ֧א כַנָּשִׁ֛ים הַמִּצְרִיֹּ֖ת הָֽעִבְרִיֹּ֑ת כִּֽי־חָי֣וֹת הֵ֔נָּה בְּטֶ֨רֶם תָּב֧וֹא אֲלֵהֶ֛ן הַמְיַלֶּ֖דֶת וְיָלָֽדוּ׃ (כ) וַיֵּ֥יטֶב אֱלֹקִ֖ים לַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֑ת וַיִּ֧רֶב הָעָ֛ם וַיַּֽעַצְמ֖וּ מְאֹֽד׃ (כא) וַיְהִ֕י כִּֽי־יָרְא֥וּ הַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֖ת אֶת־הָאֱלֹקִ֑ים וַיַּ֥עַשׂ לָהֶ֖ם בָּתִּֽים׃ (כב) וַיְצַ֣ו פַּרְעֹ֔ה לְכׇל־עַמּ֖וֹ לֵאמֹ֑ר כׇּל־הַבֵּ֣ן הַיִּלּ֗וֹד הַיְאֹ֙רָה֙ תַּשְׁלִיכֻ֔הוּ וְכׇל־הַבַּ֖ת תְּחַיּֽוּן׃ {פ}
(15) The king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, (16) saying, “When you deliver the Hebrew women, look at the birthstool: if it is a boy, kill him; if it is a girl, let her live.” (17) The midwives, fearing God, did not do as the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live. (18) So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, letting the boys live?” (19) The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women: they are vigorous. Before the midwife can come to them, they have given birth.” (20) And God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and increased greatly. (21) And [God] established households for the midwives, because they feared God. (22) Then Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, “Every boy that is born you shall throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.”
1. In שמות, what does Pharaoh command the midwives?
2. Do they listen to Pharaoh? Why or why not? (Read the text carefully!)
3. What parallels do you see between the leadership in Egypt at this time (and Pharoah's policies) and Hamas?
4. Who is the command addressed to in פרק כב? What does Pharaoh assume the average citizen will be willing to do?
(ה) וַתֵּ֤רֶד בַּת־פַּרְעֹה֙ לִרְחֹ֣ץ עַל־הַיְאֹ֔ר וְנַעֲרֹתֶ֥יהָ הֹלְכֹ֖ת עַל־יַ֣ד הַיְאֹ֑ר וַתֵּ֤רֶא אֶת־הַתֵּבָה֙ בְּת֣וֹךְ הַסּ֔וּף וַתִּשְׁלַ֥ח אֶת־אֲמָתָ֖הּ וַתִּקָּחֶֽהָ׃ (ו) וַתִּפְתַּח֙ וַתִּרְאֵ֣הוּ אֶת־הַיֶּ֔לֶד וְהִנֵּה־נַ֖עַר בֹּכֶ֑ה וַתַּחְמֹ֣ל עָלָ֔יו וַתֹּ֕אמֶר מִיַּלְדֵ֥י הָֽעִבְרִ֖ים זֶֽה׃ (ז) וַתֹּ֣אמֶר אֲחֹתוֹ֮ אֶל־בַּת־פַּרְעֹה֒ הַאֵלֵ֗ךְ וְקָרָ֤אתִי לָךְ֙ אִשָּׁ֣ה מֵינֶ֔קֶת מִ֖ן הָעִבְרִיֹּ֑ת וְתֵינִ֥ק לָ֖ךְ אֶת־הַיָּֽלֶד׃ (ח) וַתֹּֽאמֶר־לָ֥הּ בַּת־פַּרְעֹ֖ה לֵ֑כִי וַתֵּ֙לֶךְ֙ הָֽעַלְמָ֔ה וַתִּקְרָ֖א אֶת־אֵ֥ם הַיָּֽלֶד׃ (ט) וַתֹּ֧אמֶר לָ֣הּ בַּת־פַּרְעֹ֗ה הֵילִ֜יכִי אֶת־הַיֶּ֤לֶד הַזֶּה֙ וְהֵינִקִ֣הוּ לִ֔י וַאֲנִ֖י אֶתֵּ֣ן אֶת־שְׂכָרֵ֑ךְ וַתִּקַּ֧ח הָאִשָּׁ֛ה הַיֶּ֖לֶד וַתְּנִיקֵֽהוּ׃ (י) וַיִּגְדַּ֣ל הַיֶּ֗לֶד וַתְּבִאֵ֙הוּ֙ לְבַת־פַּרְעֹ֔ה וַֽיְהִי־לָ֖הּ לְבֵ֑ן וַתִּקְרָ֤א שְׁמוֹ֙ מֹשֶׁ֔ה וַתֹּ֕אמֶר כִּ֥י מִן־הַמַּ֖יִם מְשִׁיתִֽהוּ׃
(5) The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe in the Nile, while her maidens walked along the Nile. She spied the basket among the reeds and stretched out her amah and/or sent her slave girl to fetch it. (6) When she opened it, she saw that it was a child, a boy crying. She took pity on it and said, “This must be a Hebrew child.” (7) Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get you a Hebrew nurse to suckle the child for you?” (8) And Pharaoh’s daughter answered, “Yes.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. (9) And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will pay your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed it. (10) When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, who made him her son. She named him Moses, explaining, “I drew him out of the water.”
1. What would it have taken for Bat Pharaoh to go against her father's command?
2. Why do you think Bat Pharaoh did it?
(ג) את אמתה. אֶת שִׁפְחָתָהּ. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ דָּרְשׁוּ (סוטה שם), לְשׁוֹן יָד, אֲבָל לְפִי דִּקְדּוּק לְשׁוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ הָיָה לוֹ לְהִנָּקֵד אַמָּתָהּ, דְּגוּשָׁה, וְהֵם דָּרְשׁוּ אֶת אֲמָתָהּ – אֶת יָדָהּ, וְנִשְׁתַּרְבְּבָה אַמָּתָהּ אַמּוֹת הַרְבֵּה:
(3) את אמתה means her handmaid. Our Rabbis, however, explained it in the sense of hand (cf. Sotah 12b) — but according to the grammar of the Holy Language it should then have been written אַמָּתָה , dageshed in the מ. — And the reason why they explained את אמתה to mean את ידה “she stretched forth her hand” is because they hold that Scripture intentionally uses this term to indicate that her hand increased in length several cubits (אמה, a cubit) in order that she might more easily reach the cradle.
1. What can we learn from the Midrashic approach that all Bat Pharaoh did was stretch out her hand? Was that a difficult or simple action?
2. What is the significance of Bat Pharoh's arm extending as it did? What can we learn from this about how God will assist when someone wants to do good?
רַבִּי יַסָּא אָמַר, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, בָּנַי, פִּתְחוּ לִי פֶּתַח אֶחָד שֶׁל תְּשׁוּבָה כְּחֻדָּהּ שֶׁל מַחַט, וַאֲנִי פּוֹתֵחַ לָכֶם פְּתָחִים שֶׁיִּהְיוּ עֲגָלוֹת וּקְרוֹנִיּוֹת נִכְנָסוֹת בּוֹ.
“Open for me” – Rabbi Yasa said: The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: My children, open for Me one opening of repentance like the eye of the needle, and I will open for you openings that wagons and carriages enter through it.
1. Is the eye of a needle small or large?
2. What does it mean that when trying to connect with God, we only need to open an opening the size of an eye of a needle?
3. What will God do for us if we do this for Him?
4. Let's connect this back to Bat Pharaoh. All she did was stretch out her hand towards the basket. What did God do for her? What does this show?
Who then was Pharoah's daughter? Nowhere is she explicitly named. However the First Book of Chronicles (4:18) mentions a daughter of Pharaoh, named Bitya, and it was she the sages identified as the woman who saved Moses. The name Bitya (sometimes rendered as Batya) means "the daughter of God." From this, the sages drew one of their most striking lessons: "The Holy One, blessed be He, said to her: 'Moses was not your son, yet you called him your son. You are not My daughter, but I shall call you My daughter.'" They added that she was one of the few people (tradition enumerates nine) who were so righteous that they entered paradise in their lifetime.
Instead of "Pharaoh's daughter" read "Hitler's daughter" or "Stalin's daughter" and we see what is at stake. Tyranny cannot destroy humanity. Moral courage can sometimes be found in the heart of darkness. That the Torah itself tells the story the way it does has enormous implications. It means that when it comes to people, we must never generalize, never stereotype. The Egyptians were not all evil: even from Pharaoh himself a heroine was born. Nothing could signal more powerfully that the Torah is not an ethnocentric text; that we must recognize virtue wherever we find it, even among our enemies; and that the basic core of human values- humanity, compassion, courage- is truly universal. Holiness may not be; goodness is.
In a time of destruction and darkness, Bat Pharoah, renamed Batya, chose to buck the trend. She had compassion on a Hebrew child, a baby- compassion that we see nowadays Hamas did *not* have.
Despite being the daughter of Pharaoh, the very man perpetrating this genocide, Bat Pharaoh chose to act. Her initial action was quite small- stretching out a hand. But it led to the eventual adoption of a child. And look who her child grew up to be! Bat Pharaoh's simple act of stretching out her hand had enormous positive repercussions. She ended up raising and creating the individual who would ultimately redeem the Israelite nation!
You never know how a small act of kindness can reverberate. Choosing kindness, including through seemingly small acts, is something that Batsheva, who was named for a Batya, embodied as well. She lent out her clothing to friends so they could feel more put together and well dressed. She bought candy with her own money for the children she was volunteering with at Beit Elazraki.
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
1. Reading this section of Tanakh now, does it feel different? Can you imagine the daughter of a Hamas leader having compassion towards, let alone adopting, a Jewish baby?
2. Can you think of some examples where you have done a small positive action, and it evolved into something bigger?
3. Have you ever been the recipient of a small kindness, where the impact was greater than the person performing it could have guessed?
4. In an earlier source, we learned that Rabbi Soloveitchik chose to build even after seeing the destruction of European Torah Jewry and their scholarship. How is Batya's act courageous during a time where her father is trying to destroy a nation? How is it similar to Rabbi Soloveitchik's belief?
So far, we have seen the hope for a new chapter occur when Rabbi Soloveitchik focused on rebuilding institutions of Torah learning in America in the wake of the Holocaust. We have also seen Batya choose, when her father was focused on destroying a nation, to do what she believed was morally right. We now connect back to the number 7 and look at how an entire system of completing a cycle, Shemitah, and completing seven cycles, Yovel, gives rise to new hope.
(א) וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר ה' אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה בְּהַ֥ר סִינַ֖י לֵאמֹֽר׃ (ב) דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם כִּ֤י תָבֹ֙אוּ֙ אֶל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲנִ֖י נֹתֵ֣ן לָכֶ֑ם וְשָׁבְתָ֣ה הָאָ֔רֶץ שַׁבָּ֖ת לַה'׃ (ג) שֵׁ֤שׁ שָׁנִים֙ תִּזְרַ֣ע שָׂדֶ֔ךָ וְשֵׁ֥שׁ שָׁנִ֖ים תִּזְמֹ֣ר כַּרְמֶ֑ךָ וְאָסַפְתָּ֖ אֶת־תְּבוּאָתָֽהּ׃ (ד) וּבַשָּׁנָ֣ה הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗ת שַׁבַּ֤ת שַׁבָּתוֹן֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה לָאָ֔רֶץ שַׁבָּ֖ת לַה' שָֽׂדְךָ֙ לֹ֣א תִזְרָ֔ע וְכַרְמְךָ֖ לֹ֥א תִזְמֹֽר׃ (ה) אֵ֣ת סְפִ֤יחַ קְצִֽירְךָ֙ לֹ֣א תִקְצ֔וֹר וְאֶת־עִנְּבֵ֥י נְזִירֶ֖ךָ לֹ֣א תִבְצֹ֑ר שְׁנַ֥ת שַׁבָּת֖וֹן יִהְיֶ֥ה לָאָֽרֶץ׃ (ו) וְ֠הָיְתָ֠ה שַׁבַּ֨ת הָאָ֤רֶץ לָכֶם֙ לְאׇכְלָ֔ה לְךָ֖ וּלְעַבְדְּךָ֣ וְלַאֲמָתֶ֑ךָ וְלִשְׂכִֽירְךָ֙ וּלְתוֹשָׁ֣בְךָ֔ הַגָּרִ֖ים עִמָּֽךְ׃ (ז) וְלִ֨בְהֶמְתְּךָ֔ וְלַֽחַיָּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּאַרְצֶ֑ךָ תִּהְיֶ֥ה כׇל־תְּבוּאָתָ֖הּ לֶאֱכֹֽל׃ {ס} (ח) וְסָפַרְתָּ֣ לְךָ֗ שֶׁ֚בַע שַׁבְּתֹ֣ת שָׁנִ֔ים שֶׁ֥בַע שָׁנִ֖ים שֶׁ֣בַע פְּעָמִ֑ים וְהָי֣וּ לְךָ֗ יְמֵי֙ שֶׁ֚בַע שַׁבְּתֹ֣ת הַשָּׁנִ֔ים תֵּ֥שַׁע וְאַרְבָּעִ֖ים שָׁנָֽה׃ (ט) וְהַֽעֲבַרְתָּ֞ שׁוֹפַ֤ר תְּרוּעָה֙ בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִעִ֔י בֶּעָשׂ֖וֹר לַחֹ֑דֶשׁ בְּיוֹם֙ הַכִּפֻּרִ֔ים תַּעֲבִ֥ירוּ שׁוֹפָ֖ר בְּכׇל־אַרְצְכֶֽם׃ (י) וְקִדַּשְׁתֶּ֗ם אֵ֣ת שְׁנַ֤ת הַחֲמִשִּׁים֙ שָׁנָ֔ה וּקְרָאתֶ֥ם דְּר֛וֹר בָּאָ֖רֶץ לְכׇל־יֹשְׁבֶ֑יהָ יוֹבֵ֥ל הִוא֙ תִּהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֔ם וְשַׁבְתֶּ֗ם אִ֚ישׁ אֶל־אֲחֻזָּת֔וֹ וְאִ֥ישׁ אֶל־מִשְׁפַּחְתּ֖וֹ תָּשֻֽׁבוּ׃ (יא) יוֹבֵ֣ל הִ֗וא שְׁנַ֛ת הַחֲמִשִּׁ֥ים שָׁנָ֖ה תִּהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֑ם לֹ֣א תִזְרָ֔עוּ וְלֹ֤א תִקְצְרוּ֙ אֶת־סְפִיחֶ֔יהָ וְלֹ֥א תִבְצְר֖וּ אֶת־נְזִרֶֽיהָ׃ (יב) כִּ֚י יוֹבֵ֣ל הִ֔וא קֹ֖דֶשׁ תִּהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֑ם מִ֨ן־הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה תֹּאכְל֖וּ אֶת־תְּבוּאָתָֽהּ׃ (יג) בִּשְׁנַ֥ת הַיּוֹבֵ֖ל הַזֹּ֑את תָּשֻׁ֕בוּ אִ֖ישׁ אֶל־אֲחֻזָּתֽוֹ׃ (יד) וְכִֽי־תִמְכְּר֤וּ מִמְכָּר֙ לַעֲמִיתֶ֔ךָ א֥וֹ קָנֹ֖ה מִיַּ֣ד עֲמִיתֶ֑ךָ אַל־תּוֹנ֖וּ אִ֥ישׁ אֶת־אָחִֽיו׃ (טו) בְּמִסְפַּ֤ר שָׁנִים֙ אַחַ֣ר הַיּוֹבֵ֔ל תִּקְנֶ֖ה מֵאֵ֣ת עֲמִיתֶ֑ךָ בְּמִסְפַּ֥ר שְׁנֵֽי־תְבוּאֹ֖ת יִמְכׇּר־לָֽךְ׃ (טז) לְפִ֣י ׀ רֹ֣ב הַשָּׁנִ֗ים תַּרְבֶּה֙ מִקְנָת֔וֹ וּלְפִי֙ מְעֹ֣ט הַשָּׁנִ֔ים תַּמְעִ֖יט מִקְנָת֑וֹ כִּ֚י מִסְפַּ֣ר תְּבוּאֹ֔ת ה֥וּא מֹכֵ֖ר לָֽךְ׃ (יז) וְלֹ֤א תוֹנוּ֙ אִ֣ישׁ אֶת־עֲמִית֔וֹ וְיָרֵ֖אתָ מֵֽאֱלֹקֶ֑יךָ כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י ה' אֱלֹקֵיכֶֽם׃
(1) ה' spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai: (2) Speak to the Israelite people and say to them: When you enter the land that I assign to you, the land shall observe a sabbath of ה'. (3) Six years you may sow your field and six years you may prune your vineyard and gather in the yield. (4) But in the seventh year the land shall have a sabbath of complete rest, a sabbath of ה': you shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard. (5) You shall not reap the aftergrowth of your harvest or gather the grapes of your untrimmed vines; it shall be a year of complete rest for the land. (6) But you may eat whatever the land during its sabbath will produce—you, your male and female slaves, the hired and bound laborers who live with you, (7) and your cattle and the beasts in your land may eat all its yield. (8) You shall count off seven weeks of years—seven times seven years—so that the period of seven weeks of years gives you a total of forty-nine years. (9) Then you shall sound the horn loud; in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month—the Day of Atonement—you shall have the horn sounded throughout your land (10) and you shall hallow the fiftieth year. You shall proclaim release“liberty.” throughout the land for all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you: each of you shall return to your holding and each of you shall return to your family. (11) That fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you: you shall not sow, neither shall you reap the aftergrowth or harvest the untrimmed vines, (12) for it is a jubilee. It shall be holy to you: you may only eat the growth direct from the field. (13) In this year of jubilee, each of you shall return to your holding. (14) When you sell property to your neighbor, or buy any from your neighbor, you shall not wrong one another. (15) In buying from your neighbor, you shall deduct only for the number of years since the jubilee; and in selling to you, that person shall charge you only for the remaining crop years: (16) the more such years, the higher the price you pay; the fewer such years, the lower the price; for what is being sold to you is a number of harvests. (17) Do not wrong one another, but fear your God; for I ה' am your God.
What makes Judaism distinctive is its commitment to both freedom and equality, while at the same time recognising the tension between them. The opening chapters of Genesis describe the consequences of God’s gift to humans of individual freedom. But since we are social animals, we need also collective freedom. Hence the significance of the opening chapters of Shemot, with their characterisation of Egypt as an example of a society that deprives people of liberty, enslaving populations and making the many subject to the will of the few. Time and again the Torah explains its laws as ways of preserving freedom, remembering what it was like, in Egypt, to be deprived of liberty.
[...]
The fundamental insight of parshat Behar is precisely that restated by Piketty, namely that economic inequalities have a tendency to increase over time, and the result may be a loss of freedom as well. People can become enslaved by a burden of debt. In biblical times this might involve selling yourself literally into slavery as the only way of guaranteeing food and shelter. Families might be forced into selling their land: their ancestral inheritance from the days of Moses. The result would be a society in which, in the course of time, a few would become substantial landowners while many became landless and impoverished.
The Torah’s solution, set out in Behar, is a periodic restoration of people’s fundamental liberties. Every seventh year, debts were to be released and Israelite slaves set free. After seven sabbatical cycles, the Jubilee year was to be a time when, with few exceptions, ancestral land returned to its original owners. The Liberty Bell in Philadelphia is engraved with the famous words of the Jubilee command, in the King James translation:
“Proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants.”
Lev. 25:10
So relevant does this vision remain that the international movement for debt relief for developing countries by the year 2000 was called Jubilee 2000, an explicit reference to the principles set out in our parsha.
Three things are worth noting about the Torah’s social and economic programme. First, it is more concerned with human freedom than with a narrow focus on economic equality. Losing your land or becoming trapped by debt are a real constraint on freedom.[5] Fundamental to a Jewish understanding of the moral dimension of economics is the idea of independence, “each person under his own vine and fig tree” as the prophet Micah puts it. (Mic. 4:4) We pray in the Grace After Meals, “Do not make us dependent on the gifts or loans of other people … so that we may suffer neither shame nor humiliation.” There is something profoundly degrading in losing your independence and being forced to depend on the goodwill of others. Hence the provisions of Behar are directed not at equality but at restoring people’s capacity to earn their own livelihood as free and independent agents.
Next, it takes this entire system out of the hands of human legislators. It rests on two fundamental ideas about capital and labour. First, the land belongs to God:
“And the land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is Mine. You are foreigners and visitors as far as I am concerned.”
Lev. 25:23
Second, the same applies to people:
“For they [the Israelites] are My servants, whom I brought out from Egypt, they cannot be sold as slaves.”
Lev. 25:42
This means that personal and economic liberty are not open to political negotiation. They are inalienable, God-given rights. This is what lay behind John F. Kennedy’s reference in his 1961 Presidential Inaugural, to the “revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought,” namely “the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God.”
Third, it tells us that economics is, and must remain, a discipline that rests on moral foundations. What matters to the Torah is not simply technical indices, such as the rate of growth or absolute standards of wealth, but the quality and texture of relationships: people’s independence and sense of dignity, the ways in which the system allows people to recover from misfortune, and the extent to which it allows the members of a society to live the truth that “when you eat from the labour of your hands you will be happy and it will be well with you.” (Ps. 128:2)
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
1. Shemitah is a reset button for the entire Jewish people. Why is that reset button necessary?
2. Who does the land of Israel ultimately belong to?
3. Who do people ultimately belong to?
4. Based on this, at the end of a cycle of seven, we are once again seeing an opportunity for new hope. What is the new hope in this context?
In the Tanakh, Batsheva was originally the wife of Uriah the Hittite. She and King David were intimate while her husband was away at war (there are multiple ways to understand the exact backstory) and she conceived a child. David recalled Uriah from war in an attempt to have him be intimate with his wife but Uriah did not do so. Ultimately, David arranged for Uriah's death, wedding Batsheva afterwards. God was angry and sent the prophet Natan to rebuke David. Here is what happened to David & Batsheva's child.
(טו) וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ נָתָ֖ן אֶל־בֵּית֑וֹ וַיִּגֹּ֣ף ה' אֶת־הַיֶּ֜לֶד אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָלְדָ֧ה אֵשֶׁת־אוּרִיָּ֛ה לְדָוִ֖ד וַיֵּאָנַֽשׁ׃ (טז) וַיְבַקֵּ֥שׁ דָּוִ֛ד אֶת־הָאֱלֹקִ֖ים בְּעַ֣ד הַנָּ֑עַר וַיָּ֤צׇם דָּוִד֙ צ֔וֹם וּבָ֥א וְלָ֖ן וְשָׁכַ֥ב אָֽרְצָה׃ (יז) וַיָּקֻ֜מוּ זִקְנֵ֤י בֵיתוֹ֙ עָלָ֔יו לַהֲקִימ֖וֹ מִן־הָאָ֑רֶץ וְלֹ֣א אָבָ֔ה וְלֹא־בָרָ֥א אִתָּ֖ם לָֽחֶם׃ (יח) וַיְהִ֛י בַּיּ֥וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֖י וַיָּ֣מׇת הַיָּ֑לֶד וַיִּֽרְאוּ֩ עַבְדֵ֨י דָוִ֜ד לְהַגִּ֥יד ל֣וֹ ׀ כִּי־מֵ֣ת הַיֶּ֗לֶד כִּ֤י אָֽמְרוּ֙ הִנֵּה֩ בִֽהְי֨וֹת הַיֶּ֜לֶד חַ֗י דִּבַּ֤רְנוּ אֵלָיו֙ וְלֹא־שָׁמַ֣ע בְּקוֹלֵ֔נוּ וְאֵ֨יךְ נֹאמַ֥ר אֵלָ֛יו מֵ֥ת הַיֶּ֖לֶד וְעָשָׂ֥ה רָעָֽה׃ (יט) וַיַּ֣רְא דָּוִ֗ד כִּ֤י עֲבָדָיו֙ מִֽתְלַחֲשִׁ֔ים וַיָּ֥בֶן דָּוִ֖ד כִּ֣י מֵ֣ת הַיָּ֑לֶד וַיֹּ֨אמֶר דָּוִ֧ד אֶל־עֲבָדָ֛יו הֲמֵ֥ת הַיֶּ֖לֶד וַיֹּ֥אמְרוּ מֵֽת׃ (כ) וַיָּ֩קׇם֩ דָּוִ֨ד מֵהָאָ֜רֶץ וַיִּרְחַ֣ץ וַיָּ֗סֶךְ וַיְחַלֵּף֙ שִׂמְלֹתָ֔ו וַיָּבֹ֥א בֵית־ה' וַיִּשְׁתָּ֑חוּ וַיָּבֹא֙ אֶל־בֵּית֔וֹ וַיִּשְׁאַ֕ל וַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּ ל֛וֹ לֶ֖חֶם וַיֹּאכַֽל׃ (כא) וַיֹּאמְר֤וּ עֲבָדָיו֙ אֵלָ֔יו מָה־הַדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשִׂ֑יתָה בַּעֲב֞וּר הַיֶּ֤לֶד חַי֙ צַ֣מְתָּ וַתֵּ֔בְךְּ וְכַֽאֲשֶׁר֙ מֵ֣ת הַיֶּ֔לֶד קַ֖מְתָּ וַתֹּ֥אכַל לָֽחֶם׃ (כב) וַיֹּ֕אמֶר בְּעוֹד֙ הַיֶּ֣לֶד חַ֔י צַ֖מְתִּי וָאֶבְכֶּ֑ה כִּ֤י אָמַ֙רְתִּי֙ מִ֣י יוֹדֵ֔עַ (יחנני) [וְחַנַּ֥נִי] ה' וְחַ֥י הַיָּֽלֶד׃ (כג) וְעַתָּ֣ה ׀ מֵ֗ת לָ֤מָּה זֶּה֙ אֲנִ֣י צָ֔ם הַאוּכַ֥ל לַהֲשִׁיב֖וֹ ע֑וֹד אֲנִי֙ הֹלֵ֣ךְ אֵלָ֔יו וְה֖וּא לֹא־יָשׁ֥וּב אֵלָֽי׃
(15) Nathan went home, and the LORD afflicted the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and it became critically ill. (16) David entreated God for the boy; David fasted, and he went in and spent the night lying on the ground. (17) The senior servants of his household tried to induce him to get up from the ground; but he refused, nor would he partake of food with them. (18) On the seventh day the child died. David’s servants were afraid to tell David that the child was dead; for they said, “We spoke to him when the child was alive and he wouldn’t listen to us; how can we tell him that the child is dead? He might do something terrible.” (19) When David saw his servants talking in whispers, David understood that the child was dead; David asked his servants, “Is the child dead?” “Yes,” they replied. (20) Thereupon David rose from the ground; he bathed and anointed himself, and he changed his clothes. He went into the House of the LORD and prostrated himself. Then he went home and asked for food, which they set before him, and he ate. (21) His courtiers asked him, “Why have you acted in this manner? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept; but now that the child is dead, you rise and take food!” (22) He replied, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept because I thought: ‘Who knows? The LORD may have pity on me, and the child may live.’ (23) But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will never come back to me.”
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
1. Batsheva and David's child dies after seven days. Based on what we have learned about cycles of seven, what might the significance be?
2. This narrative shows the reader David's point of view but does not include Batsheva's. How do you think Batsheva felt while all of this was happening?
3. Imagine yourself in Batsheva's shoes. Would you be willing to try again with David/ attempt to have another child? Why yes or no?
(Note the context for this Radak- Batsheva is stating to David that he swore he would make Solomon king.)
You swore to your maidservant. Natan knew that David had sworn to her that he would make Shlomo king. Why did he swear it? When their first child died, Batsheva said, "The child died because of our sin. Even if I have a child who lives, his brothers will despise him/ disgrace him because I originally was intimate with you through sin." Batsheva did not want to return to being intimate with David until he swore to her that the first son he would bear with her (after the tragic loss of their child) would rule after him.
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
1. Was Batsheva originally interested in continuing to have children with King David? Why or why not?
2. What helped Batsheva to choose to rebuild/ try to have another child after the loss of her first child?
After a cycle of seven, and the death of a child, Batsheva ultimately gave birth to another child who was incredible. King Shlomo transformed the Jewish community. He was the wisest man who ever lived, turned his kingdom into a cultural metropolis, and brought prosperity and peace to Bnei Yisrael. He built the Beit Hamikdash. Imagine if Batsheva had chosen to never again try to have children with David- what a loss for the Jewish people!
We see here that perseverance in the face of tragedy can lead to immense blessing, not only on a personal level, but for the Jewish people as a whole.
October 7 was a day filled with unimaginable evil, but it has created the opportunity for individuals to respond with chesed, with achdut, and with a focus on rebuilding. This can enable us to bring the shleimut symbolized by the #7 in Judaism that we so desperately need.
There are so many initiatives. There are fundraisers. In-person volunteering. Tehillim groups so we can pray for the release of the hostages. A global initiative called 'Acheinu' (see more below). Whether it's prayer, Torah learning, activism, donations or hands-on volunteering, the important thing is to make sure we work to rebuild at this pivotal moment.
Over the past week, we have seen an unprecedented expression of care and unity amongst our people.
Just days ago, our nation was fractured and divided, but that feels like a distant memory. Because, today, we have come together like brothers, once again, to defend our people.
This is the beautiful power of Am Yisrael. This is what makes us proud to be Jewish.
Now, we are faced with an opportunity. We can enjoy this unity as a fleeting experience, or we can capitalize on these moments of achdut and use them as an impetus to create positive change in our lives. This is the time for each of us to do our utmost to foster unity- within our families, our neighborhoods, and our people at large. We have a unique opportunity to repair old relationships and forge new ones, a chance to close the damaging gaps within the Jewish people. Our enemies took advantage of our disunity, so the way to win this war is to reunite once again.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
(1) This is the time to resolve whatever issues you have with other people – families, neighbors, associates, or (past) friends. Appreciate the importance of our people’s unity and be the one to reach out to “bury the hatchet.”
(2) Think of ways you can strengthen your relationship with other Jews. Think both about those you know, are loosely acquainted with, or do not (yet) know at all. Are there Jews who live nearby that you do not know personally? This is the time to reach out and connect. (Consider Jews in your workplace, whom you interact with online.) Consider praying and studying together with other Jews. This is a great way to strengthen your relationship with one another and our people as a whole.
(3) Focus on and display the topic of Jewish unity. Wear it on your sleeve. We are encouraging the use of the Acheinu logo so that it is a common display around the world. Print it on shirts, bumper stickers, magnets, and banners outside your home and business.
This moment has also led to many rethinking their priorities and their relationship to Judaism. People who were not observant before have been choosing to become observant (look at Roi Assaraf.) People who did not publicly identify as Jewish are now doing so. And who knows? Perhaps new great leaders in the Jewish community- including you- are being forged as we speak.
Below is the story of how Rabbi Jonathan Sacks *became* Rabbi Jonathan Sacks. He was influenced by a moment similar to this one.
There is a story I have told elsewhere, but it is worth retelling in the present context. It happened in the summer of 1968, when I was an undergraduate student at Cambridge. Like most of the Jews of my generation I was deeply affected by the anxious weeks leading up to the Six Day War in June 1967, when it seemed as if Israel was facing a massive onslaught by its neighbors. We, the generation born after the Holocaust, felt as if we were about to witness, God forbid, a second Holocaust.
The little synagogue in Thompsons Lane was thronged with students, many of whom had shown little engagement with Jewish life until then. The sudden, extraordinary victory of Israel released a wave of relief and exhiration. Unbeknown to us, something similar was happening throughout the Jewish world, and it led to some dramatic consequences: the awakening of Soviet Jewry, the birth of a new type of yeshiva for baalei teshuva, people returning to their tradition, and a new sense of confidence in Jewish identity. It was, for instance, the first time Jewish students felt able, or moved, to wear a yarmulke in public.
I decided to spend the next summer traveling around the United States and Canada, meeting as many rabbis and Jewish thinkers as possible, to get some sense of where they were spiritually and intellectually. [...]
I met many impressive thinkers, but two names kept coming up in conversation: Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik at Yeshiva University and the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn.
[...]
I was determined to meet them both. [...]
To my surprise, four weeks later, on a Sunday night, the phone rang. The Rebbe, I was told, could see me for a few minutes on Thursday evening. I packed my case, said goodbye to my aunt, and travelled by Greyhound bus from Los Angeles to New York, not a journey I would necessarily recommend to anyone wanting to travel coast to coast. That Thursday night I met the Rebbe. It was a meeting that changed my life.
He was quite unlike what I expected. There was no charisma, no overflowing personality. To the contrary, he was so self-effacing that there seemed to be only one person in the room: the person to whom he was speaking. This in itself was surprising. I later discovered that this was one of the fundamental principles of Jewish mysticism, bittul hayesh, the nullification of the self, the better to be open to the Divine, and also the human, Other.
More surprising still was whaat happened halfway into our conversation. Having patiently answered my questions, he performed a role reversal and started asking questions of his own. How many Jewish students were there at Cambridge University? How many of them were engaged with Jewish life? How many came to the synagogue? And when he heard the answers- at the time, only about ten per cent of the Jewish students were in any way actively engaged with Jewish life- he asked me what I was personally doing about this.
This was not what I was expecting. I had not the slightest intention of taking on any leadership role. I began a torturous statement explaining why this had nothing to do with me: "In the situation in which I find myself...," I began. The Rebbe let the sentence go no further. "You do not find yourself in a situation," he said. "You put yourself in one. And if you put yourself in one situation, you can put yourself in another." Quite soon it became clear what he was doing. He was challenging me to act. Something was evidently wrong with Jewish student life in Cambridge, and he was encouraging me to get involved, to do something to change the situation.
What happened over the next few decades is a story for another time and place. Suffice it to say that this encounter was the beginning of a long journey that led, in time, to a young man who had plans of becoming a lawyer, an economist, or an academic, becoming instead a rabbi, a teacher of rabbis, and eventually a chief rabbi. In retrospect I said that people misjudged the Rebbe. They saw him as a man with thousands of followers. It was true, but it was the least interesting thing about him. Whaat I learned from him was that a good leader creates followers. A greta leader creates leaders. That is what the Rebbe did.
[...]
We each have a role to play in strengthening Jewish life, and the scale in which we do so does not matter. If we make a positive difference to one other person, that is enough. One life, said the sages, is like a universe. Therefore, if you change a life you begin to change the universe in the only way we can: one person at a time, one day at a time, one act at a time.
-pages xxiv-xxvii
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
1. What led to Rabbi Sacks meeting with the Lubavitcher Rebbe?
2. Why was the meeting different from what he had expected?
3. What was the Rebbe's belief regarding the young Jonathan Sacks' role at Cambridge?
4. None of us would have chosen to witness or experience a tragedy such as October 7. But since we have witnessed it, and we are living during this time, how can we take the lessons of the sources we have studied today and focus on rebuilding?
5. What is one thing you can personally do to strengthen Jewish life?
- The number seven is special within Judaism. It symbolizes completion.
- It is important to have hope and to continue to build again, even after experiencing tragedy or destruction.
- Sometimes the smallest gesture- like reaching out a hand- can have unimaginable results- like the redemption of a nation.
- On a personal level, we can all do things to strengthen Jewish life. Even the smallest act of kindness can have immense returns. Our actions to perform chesed here in Chicago really do matter, do make a difference, and can be devoted to the hope that our soldiers stay safe and our hostages are freed. Hopefully through these actions we can strive for the shleimut symbolized by the number seven.