Miller's Musings Parshas Vayechi: Prepare for the Battle!

בס''ד

As Yaakov’s life slips away and he realises he is on his final journey back to his Creator, he calls his children to deliver his parting messages to them.  At a moment such as this, with a person such as Yaakov Ovinu, every word must have been crucial, every nuance deliberate and vital.  So when he informs Yosef that he will be leaving him the city of Shechem, we may well wonder why Yaakov also feels the need to inform him about precisely how the city came into his hands, “which I took…with my sword and with my bow.”  Was this such an important detail to include at this time?  You will not be surprised to hear that the answer is a resounding yes!

If we were to encapsulate what the overarching theme of Yaakov’s final communication to his family would be, it would not come as a shock to see a focus on their spiritual goals, that which was at the centre of his life and the purpose of our creation.  Everything that Yaakov said was chosen to enhance their ability to achieve their potential and this was no exception.  You see, says the Lakewood Mashgiach, a person can be the wisest of individuals, and can have a natural leaning towards righteousness, but if they are not prepared to fight and battle and go to war with their own inclinations, they will never become what they are meant to be.  Yaakov wanted to pass this idea on to Yosef, to let him know that everything that he had achieved in his life, despite perhaps what it may have looked like from the outside, was attained only through a willingness to confront, grapple and ultimately defeat his evil inclination.  This was how he captured Shechem, but it was also the story of his greatest victory, against himself. 

Everyone wants an easy life these days.  No one is prepared to struggle unless they are left with no other option.  But if we look at those who have achieved the most in any walk of life, it is those who have battled for what they believe in and those who have fought to achieve their goals whose accomplishments have stood the test of time.  We must of course never look for a fight, but we must be cognizant of the fact that conflict is inbuilt into our composition, a divine soul at odds with an animalistic body.  And should the need arise we must be primed to engage in warfare with ourselves and on the side of that which is right in order to vanquish the enemy within and without.

*May Shabbos fortify us for the battles ahead*

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם 

לעילוי נשמת שרה יעל בת גרשון

Miller's Musings Parshas Vayigash: What is there to fear?

בס''ד

Everyone is scared of something, so what was Yaakov scared of? From the manner in which Hashem tells Yaakov “Do not be afraid to descend to Egypt”, it would appear that this is what Yaakov dreaded.  Yaakov we know was not one to be fearful in the face of danger.  He had tangled with the master of deception Lovon, he had fought and vanquished an Angel, he had faced the might and fury of his warrior brother Eisov, so what was it that he so feared about Egypt?  And what was it about the nature of Egypt, that despite a surely rational reason for anxiety, meant their sojourn there was still an absolute necessity?

It is an obvious truth that if Yaakov was afraid of an aspect of Egypt, it was in regard to the spiritual challenges it held.  To think that Yaakov would simply be distressed about some material danger would not make sense since he was a man of such extreme trust in Hashem’s infinite good.  The fear Yaakov had must have been due to the tremendously depraved nature of the country he was heading towards and in the moral corruption of its people.  He was not worried for his life but for the impact such a place would have on his family.  The Seforno provides Hashem’s response to his unease, that the risks of staying in Canaan were in fact greater.  It is true that the Egyptians were a decadent people, but the fact that they despised the Jews meant that there would be much less threat of assimilation.  This is in contrast to the nation of Canaan, who may have been less of a danger in terms of their spiritual negativity, but were more of danger because of the heightened risk of his family being absorbed by the surrounding peoples, who did not possess the hatred the Egyptians had for them.

Trying to get the root of antisemitism is seemingly an exercise in futility.  Each hypothesis suggested can be quickly dismissed once it becomes clear that antisemitism existed even when this proposed cause was clearly lacking.  To take one example, if antisemitism was due to the differences in our way of life, why did it still rear its ugly head even when Jews strove to become a homogeneous part of society? Perhaps the message here goes some way to explaining this phenomena, that the hatred some have for us is Hashem’s way of ensuring our survival as a people.  It is this irrational hatred that to some degree keeps us a distinct nation, maintaining our core values, beliefs and proud identity, in spite of the influence of the outside world. It may in fact be what has kept us, us. 

*May Shabbos instil us with pride in who we are and what we believe*

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם 

לעילוי נשמת שרה יעל בת גרשון

Miller's Musings Parshas Mikeitz: No Pain, No Grain

בס''ד

It all seemed to be going perfectly to plan.  Yosef’s brothers had no idea who he was, he had managed to bring his brothers back down to Egypt for more grain just as he had requested and now he had surreptitiously placed his goblet in the sack of Binyomin.   It was almost time for the final act to play out.  But first the accusations.  First the servant of Yosef reproaches them for taking the goblet that “my master drinks from.  And he surely divines with it!” and Yosef himself points to the fact that this chalice was a special one. “Don’t you know that a man like me practices divination!”.  It seems to be a rather intriguing detail that Yosef feels is vital to convey, that he performed divination. But why?

All of Yosef’s plans hinged on one thing; the ability to conceal his identity from his brothers.  Anything that would aid this deception would have been utilised to ensure everything would occur as he hoped.  The concept of divination is something that is the antithesis of Jewish belief.  As Reb Shimshon Rephoel Hirsch explains, the root of the Hebrew word for divination is identical to that of a snake, because just as a snake does not move directly forward, but rather from side to side, the practice of divination is one in which you try to circumvent the normal direct cause and effect and move towards a goal without having to work in a straight line towards it.  Yosef wanted to convince them that he was who he claimed to be, and therefore identified himself with a system that was anathema to his true principles of faith, in which our purpose is only achieved through working purposefully and tenaciously towards it, with no shortcuts and no alternative routes.

Although this might not be what we all want to hear, the fact is that Judaism believes that nothing of true value is ever attained without effort.  Any method that purports to provide instant eternal reward or a means that bypasses the usual work required, is nothing but a fraudulent imitation of the true realities of the role Hashem has given us.  We believe that the next world is a consequence of our actions in this world and that part of the ultimate good that we receive is due to the fact that we ourselves have created that good and deserve it due to the struggles we have overcome and the tests that we have succeeded in.  We only reap that which we have sown.  Anything less is not only a fallacy but lessens the worth of the infinite pleasure we can obtain.

*May the purity of Shabbos motivate us onwards and upwards*

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם 

לעילוי נשמת שרה יעל בת גרשון

Miller's Musings Parshas Vayeshev: Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail

בס''ד

With seemingly superhuman willpower and fortitude, Yosef time after time was able to rebuff the repeated and intensely enticing advances of the wife of his master Potiphar.  The Gemoro tells us that this monumental feat acts as a counter to those who claim that they were simply unable to overcome their desires in this area.  If Yosef was able to resist in the most trying of circumstances, there is no one that can claim they were powerless to refrain.  Yet another Gemoro tells us that Yosef was given divine assistance, when an image of his father’s face appeared to him just as the temptation was greatest.  This was what gave him the resolve he needed at this time. That being the case, surely the claim of others, who lacked this motivation and were thereby unable to overcome their test, would still be valid!  Yosef had help. They did not!

As Yosef underwent trial after trial, he knew that there would come a point when he would be defeated and would finally succumb to his desires.  The vision of his father’s saintly appearance was not something that just happened to materialise when he needed it most, but was a tactic that Yosef had devised previously which he could employ in the most extreme moments.  It was Yosef, says the Birchas Mordechai, who conjured up this last resort path to salvation. It was not a matter of luck but a matter of planning, and if Yosef could conceive of a means of protection even when the compulsion was so strong, then we too are expected to create our own approach to defeating our negative desires. 

Deny it, avoid it, resist it, no matter what we do, we will be met in our life with situations that are sent to test our willpower and examine our true level. It is what we are here for and what gives life its ultimate meaning. Acceptance of this as a fact is the first stage towards success, but the next stage must be one of preparation. We may not know exactly what form our challenge will take, but we often know where our weaknesses lie and what the triggers are for our failings to come to the fore. This is where we must visualise those occurrences and the methods we will use to overcome them. We must confront our own flaws and begin rectifying them where we can and fortifying those elements of our character that will help us triumph in the most trying of times. Developing our faith in G-d, acceptance of His plan and tolerance towards others are fundamental tools in our life’s work, but whatever we deem crucial to achieving our purpose, we must acquire them now before we need them the most.

*May the power of Shabbos provide inspiration for the coming week*

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם 

לעילוי נשמת שרה יעל בת גרשון

Miller's Musings Parshas Vayishlach: Accepting the Change

בס''ד

After years apart caused by Yaakov’s righteous deception and Eisov’s thirst for revenge, the estranged brothers finally come face to face in our Parsha.  The lead up to this epic meeting involved Yaakov sending tributes and messages to Eisov by means of which he hoped to broker a peace deal with his brother.  His opening gambit involved him informing Eisov that “I lived with Lovon”.  The word for “I lived” in Hebrew has the numerical value of six hundred and thirteen, the total number of Torah commandments.  He was thereby informing Eisov that despite having lived with a person of tremendous wickedness, he had maintained his own spiritually high level.  But why did Yaakov tell Eisov this?  What difference would it have made to him that Yaakov still kept all the Torah?

Yaakov’s initial intent when sending these gifts and communications was, as we stated, in order to bring about peace and harmony. However contained within such a plan was a danger of a misunderstanding on Eisov’s part as to exactly what form this peace would take.  Reb Moshe Feinstein zt’l therefore explains that Yaakov’s proclamation was there to make it clear that although he was happy to negotiate a peace, Yaakov’s spiritual status was non-negotiable, and there was to be no merging of their camps in terms of the standards that they each kept to.  This was something that Eisov had to accept.  Just as Yaakov preserved his level during his sojourn with Lovon, so too he was resolute in his intention to retain this level after any agreement would be reached.

Growth is an absolute imperative for successful living.  Staying at one’s previous level is simply not an option for one seeking to achieve all that one is able to.  The changes that are necessary for one’s development can be hard for you yourself to accept and perhaps even more difficult for those around you.  Those who are close to you can experience a feeling of rejection and condescension perhaps as a result of someone, previously at their level, deciding that they want to aim higher.  The key here is in the idea of acceptance, acceptance of who you are and who you choose to be.  If someone is unwilling to live with your choices then they are perhaps not people you need in your life.  And if you cannot accept the adjustments that others are making, then perhaps you are not the friend or support you may have thought you were.  Acceptance of the other’s choices is fundamental to any relationship, as long as it neither harms you nor them.  Anything else belies true love for the other.

*May this Shabbos inspire us towards the movement we all must make

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם 

uלעילוי נשמת שרה יעל בת גרשון

Miller's Musings Parshas Vayeitzei: Dont Look....Up!

בס''ד

Perhaps the most well-known dream in history, the vision Yaakov had of the Angels ascending and descending the celestial ladder is one that equally inspires and perplexes.  The meaning behind what Yaakov witnessed is the topic of much discussion and conjecture, but I would like to focus here in particular on why a ladder was chosen as the means by which these divine beings rose heavenwards.

The genetic makeup and unique attributes of our nation, each find their genesis in those acts and qualities that our forefathers exhibited, which established them as the foundation of all their future generations.  Whether it be Avrohom’s self-sacrifice for G-d, or Yitzchok’s total submission to Hashem’s will, these became part of our nation’s DNA.  Yaakov is described as the Pillar of Torah, imbuing us with an innate bond with the Torah and connection to its ultimate truth.  It is difficult though to grasp how someone who worked for twenty years with Lovon and who, according to the Medrash, was only able to say Tehillim in that time, could still be accorded the moniker of the Pillar of Torah.  Surely this is not a befitting title for someone who had time only to say a few Tehillim each day!  The answer, explains Reb Elyashiv zt’l, is that Yaakov’s distinction in this area was not judged by the hours that he spent learning, but by whether he used that time that was available for Torah.  He could well have said “What worth is there to such a miniscule amount of learning!”, just as one may look up a ladder and say “There is no point in climbing the first rung when there is such a distance to the summit!”  This was the message the ladder conveyed.  Our job is not to concern ourselves with reaching the top, our job is to take one rung at a time and appreciate the value of every single step upwards that we take.

Aspiring to greatness is the first component needed to achieve it.  But along the way there is a great danger of becoming daunted and overwhelmed by the magnitude of the job that lies ahead.  It is at those moments that we must remind ourselves where are focus must be; on the next rung above us, and no higher than that.  Instead of trying to instantaneously achieve impossible levels, far above our current status, we must look for where our next small, manageable step could be taken and then fix ourselves solely on its attainment.  Accomplishing it may not be as glamorous as an overnight transformation, but it is the only way to ensure that the peak of our potential will ultimately be reached.

*May this Shabbos lift us one step closer towards our goals*

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם 

לעילוי נשמת שרה יעל בת גרשון

Miller's Musings Parshas Toldos: Food, G-dliness, Food

בס''ד

We all know that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, but we will still be surprised to see how much of an integral role food plays in our Parsha.  Yitzchok, poised to give Eisav a blessing that will decide his and his descendants future, requests that his son bring him some food.  But not just any food; it must be tasty food!  Are we to believe that a man so entirely detached from physical desires, as Yitzchok undoubtedly was, would deem it necessary to make the blessings contingent on there being some sumptuous meal as a prelude? 

One of the facets of Judaism that sets it apart from many other religions, is its belief that the highest level of spirituality is not through total abstinence.  Whereas other faiths may see those who deny themselves of worldly pleasures as being the greatest among them, Judaism views all physicality as a means to achieving our purpose, by infusing them with holiness through appropriate and prescribed usage.  In fact those who are on the loftiest spiritual level can feel within any mundane article how much sanctity has been imbued within it.  Eisav who was known to excel in honouring his father, brought him food that in that very act of pleasing his father, permeated the dish with the holiness of this Mitzva.  This, says Reb Shimon Schwab zt’l, is the taste that Yitzchok wanted to savour and what Yitzchok wanted to experience before bestowing the blessing on his son.  He wanted to feel the worthiness of Eisav, at least in this act, that emanated from the food that he would bring him.

The message that we are here to bring holiness to all that is around us, is something many of us may have heard before.  It will hopefully have helped us to appreciate the beauty of the world Hashem has given us and the unique path he has set for us.  However we may not have taken the next step of thinking practically about what this means for our day to day living.  Yet if we consider the implications of this philosophy we must necessarily start to consider how we are bringing G-dliness to all we possess.  Are we trying to bring sanctity into all our possessions and are we looking for means by which we can do this?  We are fortunate to have so many blessings from G-d, but we must start to think of ways that we can take all that we have and use them for the betterment of others, for the betterment of our own spiritual lives and thereby bring the betterment of all existence.  What else would we be doing with them!

*May the holiness of Shabbos imbue all we have with its sanctity*

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם 

לעילוי נשמת שרה יעל בת גרשון

Miller's Musings Parshas Chayei Soroh: Absolutely Everything

בס''ד

It may be said that old age is a blessing in and of itself.  The other option is surely an avoidable one wherever possible.  Our Parsha includes the curious sentence that Avrohom “was old, advanced in days, and Hashem blessed Avrohom with everything”.  There are a plethora of questions that could be asked on this statement but we will restrict ourselves to two.  Firstly we may wonder what is meant by Avrohom being blessed with “everything”?  Are we to believe that he truly had everything!  The second question is as to why there is a juxtaposition of Avrohom being aged and the fact that he received such blessings?

The Talmud tells us that the word “old” “זָקֵן” means one who has acquired wisdom.  Wisdom however is a word that is very much a matter of personal perspective. For one the term may have entirely different connotations to that of another.  The Torah definition of wisdom must of course be an absolute one and it is that of superior knowledge and internalisation of the Torah and its worldview.  Being blessed with everything is in fact also something that is subjective, dependent entirely on a person’s attitude.  With this in mind we can begin to understand the verse above.  Were a person sagacious enough to know, as Avrohom in his wisdom did, that whatever they have been given is all they need to be able to fulfil their role and purpose, then one would live with an acceptance that they do indeed have everything; everything they need.

A challenge that everyone faces, no matter who the person is and their situation in life, is the challenge to not look at others.  There is a natural tendency to see how others live and feel that if only I could have their life and their set of circumstances I would be able to achieve so much more and be so much better.  In truth however this is a complete fallacy and often a justification for our own failings.  G-d has given us absolutely everything that we need and if there is anything that we do not have it is simply because with the task that has been set out for us, there is no necessity for it.  By switching our mind set to the correct attitude, our lives are instantaneously changed from being just okay to being entirely perfect.  That’s quite a difference!

*May the perfection of Shabbos help us realise the perfection of our lives*

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם 

לעילוי נשמת שרה יעל בת גרשון

Miller's Musings Parshas Vayero: Homeward Bound

בס''ד

Tests come in all shapes and sizes, but the one that Avrohom faced in this week’s Parsha, to sacrifice his own child, was surely one of the greatest ever faced.  This almost unsurmountable mission, to take the child that he had been promised and who he had longed for, the child that he was told would be the progenitor of a great nation, and offer him as a sacrifice to G-d, was a test that defied reason, feelings and everything he had stood for.  The question that is to be addressed is why it is referred to as Akeidas Yitzchok, the binding of Yitzchok?  What is it about the tying of Yitzchok down that is so fundamental to the essence of what took place?

Avrohom was a man that stood for compassion, empathy and benevolence.  To murder his own child went directly against everything he believed in and everything he had preached for so long.  He had taught that human sacrifice was morally reprehensible and incompatible with an ethical life and here he was ostensibly acting in the most hypocritical manner possible.  And then we have Yitzchok, a man that represented absolute strength and power, to persevere with life no matter what is thrown at you, allowing himself to become a sacrificial gift.  To truly grasp the crux of what took place, the word that is perhaps most appropriate is submission.  Submission to the will of G-d no matter how hard the task, submission to His will no matter what consequences there may be and submission to His will no matter what personal sacrifice it entailed.  Perhaps the binding is both literal and metaphorical, in that the nature of the impossible act they performed was one in which they bound themselves to G-d’s plan, willingly foregoing their own personal needs for the highest purpose of submission to His.

There is no end to the trials that we face along our mortal journey.  Many require overcoming our desires and defects and some require us to see G-d’s plan when it is so desperately obscured from view.  But if we are to try and somehow encapsulate all of these, submission may be the best place to start.  It is something that goes against a person’s innate desire for autonomy and the ego that tells us we are the ones who decide our fate.  Yet if we truly seek the ultimate good of closeness to  G-d, we must be willing to submit ourselves to the fact that only He knows what is truly best for us, both in what we should do and what should happen to us.  This is no easy task, but by binding ourselves to His will, we are simultaneously binding ourselves to the infinite pleasure of being in His presence, back home where our soul belongs.

*May the sanctity of Shabbos help us bend our will towards His*

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם 

לעילוי נשמת שרה יעל בת גרשון

Miller's Musings Parshas Lech Lecho: You Can't Have One Without The Other

בס''ד

Possibly the greatest proponent of outreach that ever lived, was none other than Avrohom, our Patriarch.  Standing alone in his ideals and philosophies, he fought against the great tide of polytheism and emerged unscathed with great numbers persuaded by his truths and converted by his strength of belief.  When we are told that Avrohom brought with him the “souls that he made in Choron”, Rashi informs us that this refers to those he had brought under the wings of the Al-mighty.  So what happened to them? What happened to all these people who had been persuaded by Avrohom to follow the creed of ethical monotheism? It seems that no mention of them is ever made again.

Whenever the mantle of leadership is passed from one to another, there is almost always a certain amount of adjustment that must take place on account of the differences between the two leaders.  They will have different styles of leadership and different attitudes towards the priorities of their role.  Avrohom was known to exemplify the attribute of Chesed, kindness.  It may well have been his warmth and concern for others that led to his ability to bring in the masses to his way of thinking.  Yitzchok on the other hand, was a man who epitomised Gevurah, the trait of strength and discipline.  The characteristic of loving kindness was one which was easy to attract people towards, but when Yitzchok became the leader of Avrohom’s flock, they were unwilling to follow a path that demanded of them might and determination.  This unwillingness led to them falling by the wayside and in the end rejecting their newfound lives.

The journey for those who have made the decision to embark upon a religious Jewish life can sometimes be characterised by initial feelings of tremendous enthusiasm and excitement at the beauty and inherent goodness of an orthodox lifestyle.  This is then followed somewhere down the line by disappointment and inner turmoil when they see that the life that is required of them also involves grit, toil and fortitude.  Both these elements are equally true and both these elements are equally necessary.  The truth is that for all of us this is an equally important message.  Of course the way of the Torah is one of pleasantness and joy, but we should not be ignorant to the fact that there are times where resilience and strength is required to do that which is required of us, despite that which would get in our way. This is part and parcel of a Torah life and ultimately therein may lie our greatest achievements.  

*May the power of Shabbos endow us with the power to succeed*

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם 

לעילוי נשמת שרה יעל בת ברכה אסתר

Miller's Musings Parshas Noach: No Job Too Small

בס''ד

A metaphor is a powerful tool used in all forms of literature and communication to express descriptions that may otherwise allude us.  Within the Torah, however, if one thing is portrayed as being akin to something else, the comparison is beyond the superficial, but rather reveals essential characteristics of that which it is compared to.  Rashi on the words “these are the offspring of Noach”, makes the comment that the main offspring of the righteous are their good deeds.  If it is as we have stated, then there must be far more to this association than a mere figure of speech.  In which case we must determine how exactly one’s mitzvos are fundamentally like one’s children.

The relationship that a parent shares with a child is entirely unique on any number of levels.  The love that a mother or father has for their child is something that transcends any obstacles or impediments to its existence.  No matter what a child does and no matter how much they may disappoint those who raised them, this deep sense of love remains intact, well beyond when it would have dissipated if challenged in this manner with any other relationship.  To relate this to mitzvos, Reb Moshe Feinstein zt’l informs us that this should also be our attitude towards them.  There will be times when our performance of mitzvos will not be to the standard that we would like or they may not be of as great consequence as we would like.  The truth is that every mitzvah is of infinite value, no matter to what degree of perfection it is done and no matter how insignificant it might seem.  Just as we never lose that love for our children, irrespective of their choices, so too we must always cherish every good deed that we do, irrespective of its impact and perceived worth.

One of the greatest challenges we face is the challenge to truly appreciate ourselves.  We may look around and see others who have achieved great things and garnered praise and admiration, and consequently look upon our own accomplishments as feeble in comparison.  This is a grave error in both its accuracy and in the effect that such thinking will create.  The truth is that each of us are given a role to accomplish and our task is not to look for the most prestigious acts to fulfil, but to take each moment and ask what it is we should be doing now.  Every time we choose to act according to the will of Hashem, we are realising the wishes of the Creator.  We must cherish each one of these choices and appreciate just how great they truly are.

*May each moment of Shabbos bring us appreciation of its true worth*

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם 

לעילוי נשמת שרה יעל בת ברכה אסתר

Miller's Musings for Shemini Atzeres: Gather Your Thoughts

בס''ד

                            

*Miller’s Musings for Shemini Atzeres*

*Gathering Your Thoughts*

What's in a name? Well in Judaism the answer is everything! Far from being a simple label to enable us to refer to things, a name in Hebrew expresses the very nature of that which it is used for. Not knowing why a particular day has a particular name is not something that can be simply glossed over, but rather needs careful thought to ensure we are able to understand the essence of the day and therefore the specific work that is required in it. A case in point is the Yom Tov of Shemini Atzeres which provides much discussion as to what exactly the name means and how we are to connect with it?      

From the moment Elul rears its head and all through the month of Tishrei, there is a system of progression, renewal and rebirth. Our task during this time is to attain fear of G-d, return to Him through repentance, imbue ourselves with a love for Him and feel His incredible love for us.  Done correctly these weeks should have been one in which we have made tremendous strides and internalised ideas and beliefs that are pivotal to our success as individuals and as part of a wider community. The danger is that all this amazing work can be lost if we do not do something to retain it. And that 'something' is Shemini Atzeres. The word Atzeres, says the Kerem Hatzvi, can mean to gather and our role and purpose on this day is to gather together everything we have accomplished over the past weeks and endeavour to assure that they stay with us long after the shofar's echo has faded and the Succah has been put away for another year. 

After such intense days in the presence of Hashem and the most profound reconnection with your Creator it is all too easy to sink back into the way things were and leave all that you have gained behind.  Shemini Atzeres is a chance to stop and gather all that we have worked towards so that it is not a fleeting moment of inspiration, but rather something that lasts with us and is the impetus for a new beginning. It is a day to find some time to think back over all the decisions that we made and all the resolutions that we resolved to implement in the future.  It is a chance to fortify our determinations and evaluate whether we are already moving in the direction that we set for ourselves.  Shemini Atzeres is the confirmation of all we have worked towards and the completion of the first step of our journey towards the new us.

*May the joy of the coming days inspire us to new beginnings*

                                                                                                                            

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם

לעילוי נשמת שרה יעל בת ברכה אסתר

Miller's Musings Parshas Netzovim-Vayelech: A Better Perspective

בס''ד

                            

*Miller’s Musings וַיֵּלֶך & נִצָּבִים פרשת*

*A Better Perspective*

Birthdays are generally considered happy occasions and in some cases important milestones in our lives.  Nevertheless it seems rather intriguing that we are told by Rashi that when Moshe announced that he was “one hundred and twenty years old today” he was actually conveying the message that this day, of his death, was actually also the date of his birth.  An interesting fact no doubt, but why did Moshe think it was necessary to pass on this particular piece of information to the Jewish people at this time?

Many centuries later, during the time of the story of Megillas Esther, Chazal tell us that Homon had to decide which date to choose for the destruction of the Jewish people.  After considering the matter he fell upon the idea to make it occur during the month of Adar, as this was the month in which Moshe Rabbeinu passed away, seemingly a sign that this month was one in which bad things could happen to the Jews.  What he failed to realise, however, was that this was also the month of Moshe’s birth and therefore had potential for tremendous good, as was eventually the case with the redemption that came about.  If we now rewind to the moment before Moshe’s demise, we can understand that the Jewish people would have also seen this as a sign of it being a time of negativity and it may have filled them with some trepidation before the impending wars in Canaan. Therefore, so as to revive their spirits, Moshe pointed out that there was no need for fear, as his birthday also fell within this time, nullifying the cause of their dread.

Life events are by their very nature open to interpretation.  How we choose to view them is entirely up to us.  Whilst one may perceive them as entirely negative another may choose to see the positives within them, however challenging that may sometimes be.  If we consider the case above, the fact of Moshe dying was something that was a foregone conclusion, so if it were to take place in any month then occurring on the day of his birth would be the best possible option, perhaps hinting at a life that has been lived with absolute perfection, coming full circle to its conclusion.  It may be that the very thing we see as bad is in fact quite the opposite or that hidden within are positive points that we could focus on if we make the choice to do so.  What happens to us is often beyond our control, but the impact it has is often within our own hands.

*May Shabbos reflect light on all that we see*

                                                                                                                            

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם

לרפואה שלימה:  שרה יעל בת ברכה אסתר

Miller's Musings Parshas Shoftim: Selection of Protection

בס''ד

For anyone with a discerning eye and an interest in the truth, apparent questions on the Torah are generally very easy to come by.  This week’s Parsha begins with something of a bonanza of difficulties that require resolving.  The Torah tells us “Judges and officers you shall give for you in all your gates” which leads to the following questions, just to name a few. Firstly what is the meaning of giving the Judges for you? Secondly, why is the word “for you” in the singular, when surely it is intended for the general populace? And thirdly why is the word “gates” used, a word apparently meant to imply cities, rather than simply the word cities?

There are many that explain that parallel to the simple understanding of the Posuk being a commandment to ensure a functioning legal system, there is also a deeper connotation being insinuated here of a need for us to make sure that we all individually establish a personal system of judgement for what we allow ourselves to experience.  This is what we give singularly to ourselves, a means by which we carefully discriminate between what is beneficial to us and what will have a damaging effect.  The word “gate” is utilised here perhaps because this is where this safeguard must come into effect, at the entrance to all that we potentially would come in contact with.  It is not best employed to drive away those dangers we are already involved in, but to ward off the risks to our spirituality before they can do us any harm and should be used as such.

There are multiple lessons to be gleaned from this idea, such as to understand the importance of pre-empting ruinous influences by setting up defences to block detrimental things from coming into our life before they have a chance to cause damage.   Yet if we look even more carefully, we might notice that we are asked to set up judges, plural, which may be to teach us another most important idea.  Shielding ourselves is essential to our growth, but every circumstance and context must be judged individually.  What must be opposed at one time, may in fact be necessary at another.  What would be injurious to one person, may be entirely vital for another and harmful for it to be suppressed.  To know where and when to apply restraint requires a deep understanding of the Torah and its ideals, which may necessitate the counsel of those who live constantly according to its guidance.  Our guard must be up throughout our lives, but the key to its success lies in multiple judgements of its application according to each particular context.    

*May the peacefulness of Shabbos grant us clarity in all we do*

                                                                                                                            

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם

 

לרפואה שלימה:  שרה יעל בת ברכה אסתר

Miller's Musings Parshas Re'eh: Live It Before You Give It

בס''ד

                            

There are occasions when one hears a seemingly satisfactory answer to a question, only to realise upon further probing that it does not in fact resolve the problem at all. One example takes place in an interesting exchange between Turnus Rufus and Rabbi Akiva, when discussing the mitzva in our Parsha of giving to the impoverished amongst us.  The infamous Roman governor posed the question that if G-d loves the poor so much, why does He not simply provide them with adequate resources so that they do not need the assistance of others? Rabbi Akiva answered that the reason for there being those who are destitute is to provide a means by which those who donate are able to be saved from the negative consequences in the Next World.  This ostensibly neat solution however still leaves us with the question as to why Hashem does not simply create another mitzva in its place, without the need for poverty, that would similarly give us such an opportunity for salvation?

Giving charity is a tremendous mitzva no matter what form it takes.  But as with all mitzvos, there are levels of performance and varying degrees of perfection with which one can engage in it.  The Saba MiKelm zt’l explains that the mitzva of Tzedoko is not merely the transferral of funds from one’s own pocket into the hands of the underprivileged, but is a process of developing one’s love for another human being.  The contemplation of that which they lack and empathy for their situation is the only way to achieving perfection in this mitzvo.  By truly considering the needs of another, perhaps beyond one’s own, one cannot help but cultivate a feeling of compassion and friendship towards the beneficiary of your kindness.  This unifying principle of the Torah and the outcome it engenders cannot be achieved without this process of Tzedoko. 

Those of us who are in the privileged situation to do so, are, I am sure, generous donators towards worthy causes.  But how much thought do we put in to the giving that we do?  When someone in need extends their hand to us, how much do we actually stop to try and feel what they may be going through?  The act of giving itself is of tremendous worth, but if we are to achieve the fulfillment of this mitzva to the highest degree, let us try to stop, just for a moment, and reflect upon the recipient’s pain and suffering of being in this position. Doing so will be conferring on ourselves even more than we have given to the other, creating deeper feelings of humanity and love within us.

*May the warmth of Shabbos spill over to each other*

                                                                                                                            

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם

לרפואה שלימה:  שרה יעל בת ברכה אסתר

Miller's Musings Parshas Ekev: All for One and One for All

בס''ד

One of the greatest facets of a Torah life is in the potential it gives us to imbue every moment of our life with meaning.  The multitude of instructions that dictate what is the right course of action at any given time, means there is never a moment that is meaningless or without worth.  Each second is an opportunity to do the right thing at that time depending solely on what it is that the Torah requires from us.  The numerous mitzvos that are written in the Torah and the many additions dictated by the Rabbis throughout the generations add up to a plethora of commandments, which makes it all the more confusing when Moshe charges the Jewish people to keep “all the commandment”, in singular.

There is no question that the Torah requires us to perform all of its tasks to the best of our abilities as much as we are able to.  Each and every mitzvo is absolutely crucial to achieving Hashem’s purpose for us in creation.  Yet if we only see them as distinct duties for us to perform we are missing the bigger picture.  The sefer Bilvovi Mishkon Evneh explains that the common denominator in every act we are enjoined to perform by the Torah, is that they are all there to complete the same ultimate objective, to bring us closer to Hashem, thereby forging a bond between us and our Creator, a connection that grants us the greatest possible pleasure. Perhaps the Posuk refers to a single “commandment” because every single mitzvo is its own unique means of accomplishing the same single process of developing a more intimate relationship with G-d. The mechanism and manner of achieving this may vary but in essence they all contain within their acts one and the same function.

With the many duties and obligations that take up so much of our daily life, it is all too easy to lose focus of what it is we are actually working towards.  Day by day performance of mitzvos without thought or consideration to what we are actually doing, can become little more than rituals without depth or significance.  Even more tragic is the fact that they will never achieve their purpose.  Each of the parts are there in order to arrive at a whole, a deep, powerful connection with Hashem. Without an appreciation of this and an intent to attain it, we will surely never arrive at our intended destination. To dismiss any of the mitzvos as redundant or minutiae is a fatal misunderstanding of this idea, as they are the only means to achieving the overarching goal. But to consider them as an endpoint in themselves is overlooking the primary purpose of our existence and diminishes the profundity of everything that we do.

*May the singular nature of Shabbos bring us ever closer to Hashem*

                                                                                                                       

לעילוי נשמת לאה בת אברהם

 

לרפואה שלימה:  שרה יעל בת ברכה אסתר