SAINTLY INSIGHT

Tevet 7, 5786 / December 26-27

Parashat Vayiggash
Torah: Genesis 44:18 - 47:27
Haftarah: Ezekiel 37:15-28

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This d'var torah is offered in honor of my wonderful life partner Lynn Kronzek, on the occasion of our 45th wedding anniversary on Sunday, December 28. It seems like only yesterday! And like Joseph, she has saintly insight that inspires us all. I love you always and always, my dear!

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Lunch and Learn meets Mondays at 12:30 PM on Zoom and Facebook Live. We're off until January 5, 2026. On January 5, we'll return to Ein Ya'akov, at BT Yevamot 65b.

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SAINTLY INSIGHT

"(Joseph said,) 'Now, do not be distressed or reproach yourselves because you sold me here; it was to save life that God sent me ahead of you.'" Gen. 45:5

"As he sent his brothers off on their way, he told them, 'Do not be quarrelsome on the way.'" Gen. 45:24

Immediately upon disclosing himself to his flabbergasted brothers, Joseph tells them not to worry - their selling him into Egyptian slavery was all part of God's plan to save the family of Jacob, and thus the Jewish people. Since God has been seemingly absent, or at least silent, from the Joseph cycle of stories, one must ask how Joseph knows that this is God's plan. Clearly, Joseph is a man of profound faith and saintliness. For all of those years in prison, there is nothing in the Torah to indicate that he plotted revenge against his brothers, complained about his situation or questioned God. The first opportunity he has to build himself up, in interpreting dreams, he says that interpretations come from God, not from himself. Now that he is regent over all Egypt , he makes it clear that not only is he not angry at his brothers, but that they have all been cogs in God's cosmic machine.

Joseph Recognized by His Brothers (Léon Pierre Urbain Bourgeois - 1863)

Such a high level of acceptance and forgiveness is something we should all strive for. But another, equally lofty goal is set for us in how he continues the conversation. "Do not reproach yourselves." "Do not be quarrelsome on the way." Joseph knows the ways of man, as well as the ways of God. He has the insight to realize that his brothers might now argue over who was responsible for selling Joseph into slavery, and causing years of grief for Jacob and guilt for themselves. Joseph tells them that they need not concern themselves with this sort of behavior. It is irrelevant in the face of the matter at hand - their survival as a family and our survival as a people.

Joseph teaches us three profound lessons in these two verses. One is that we have to trust and believe that our lives will work out - there are reasons for whatever our situation may be, even though we do not understand them at the time of events, even though we may never understand them – even though there may be no reasons at all. The second is that we ourselves have to do the physical, emotional, and spiritual work necessary to make things happen as we hope. The third is that finger pointing and recriminations serve no useful purpose - they prevent us from getting on with the business of living our lives to the best of our abilities.

Each of us has a Joseph within. But we have to believe it in order to make it real in our lives.

Shabbat Shalom.

Rabbi Richard A. Flom, DD (HC)

Rabbi Emeritus, Temple B'nai Hayim
הַלּוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם ?אֵיזֶהוּ חָכָם
Who is wise? The one who learns from every person.
Ben Zoma - Pirkei Avot 4:1
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THE SECRET?

Kislev 23, 5786 / December 12-13, 2025

Parashat Vayeishev

Torah: Genesis 37:1 – 40:23

Haftarah: Amos 2:6 - 3:8

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Lunch and Learn meets Mondays at 12:30 PM on Zoom and Facebook Live. 

On December 15, we'll we'll continue learning about Hanukkah in the Talmud and Midrash.

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THE SECRET?

"And Judah said to his brothers, "What advantage is there if we slay our brother and conceal his blood?" Genesis 37:26

A traditional understanding of this verse is that Judah sees an opportunity to get rid of Joseph and profit at the same time (while saving his life). That is why the brothers ultimately decide to sell Joseph into slavery. But Rebbe Menachem Mendel of Kotzk has a very different take on the verse.

The Kotzker focuses not on the profit motive, but on the idea of hiding the deed. He says, "If we are forced to conceal a matter and to keep it secret, that is a sign that it is wrong. Every secret is like a type of theft."

"Joseph Reveals His Dream to His Brethren" (James Tissot, c. 1896-1902)

In the Kotzker's view, Judah is saying there is no benefit whatsoever in eliminating Joseph, since it will be a guilty secret among the brothers forever. Indeed, we see later in the Torah that the brothers become wracked with guilt and recrimination when they are confronted by the vizier of Egypt (the disguised Joseph), who seems omniscient in his penetrating questions and demands of them.

My father, z’tz'l, whose name also was Menachem Mendel, taught me a very simple lesson on the issue. "Don't ever say or do anything that you would not want on the front page of the newspaper."

There's no such thing as a secret.

Shabbat Shalom! Chag Urim Sameach!

Rabbi Richard A. Flom, DD (HC)

Rabbi Emeritus, Temple B’nai Hayim

הַלּוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם ?אֵיזֶהוּ חָכָם

Who is wise? The one who learns from every person.

Ben Zoma - Pirkei Avot 4:1

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NAME CHANGE

Parashat Vayishlach

Torah: Genesis 32:4 - 36:43

Haftarah: Obadiah 1:1-21 

Kislev 16, 5786 / December 5-6, 2025

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This d’var torah is offered in memory of my uncle, Daniel Flom, whose yahrzeit fell on Thursday, Kislev 14 (December 4). Y'hi zikhro liv'rakhah - may his memory be a blessing.

This d’var torah is offered in memory of my uncle, David Flom, whose yahrzeit falls this coming Thursday, Kislev 21 (December 11). Y'hi zikhro liv'rakhah - may his memory be a blessing.

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Lunch and Learn meets Mondays at 12:30 PM on Zoom and Facebook Live. 

On December 8, and for the following week, we'll be learning about Hanukkah in the Talmud and Midrash.

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NAME CHANGE

'And he (the angel) said to him, "What is your name?" And he replied, "Jacob." And he (the angel) said, "No longer will it be said that your name is Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with man and have prevailed."' (Genesis 32:28-29)

When a person converts to Judaism, the final step is immersion in a mikvah. When the convert emerges, s/he is given a new name. It is a symbol of rebirth, by prevailing in a trial by water, if you will; or perhaps by symbolically emerging from the waters of the womb. The change of identity coincides with the change in status. But it occurs only after a lengthy period of study, practice and reflection, confronting the past and facing the future, a struggle with the self, with humans, and with the Divine.

Jacob Wrestling with the Angel (Gustave Doré - 1855)

How, then, was Jacob reborn? Other than the change of name, how did he become different? The answer, I think, lies not in the final struggle with the angel, a symbolic trial by combat, but rather in the vast change Jacob had undergone since he left his parents' house 22 years previously. He confronted himself, and no longer feared for his own safety, but for that of his wives and children. He faced down Laban and finally escaped from his clutches. He looked at God face to face, and asked for confirmation of the covenant with Abraham and Isaac. The wrestling match and the name change were the culmination of years of personal development, of discerning the ways of God and humanity.

Each of us is a Jacob. Each of us also has the potential to change, to grow, to become Israel, the one who wrestles with God and with humans and with the self. But we earn the change of name, the rebirth, only if we are prepared to engage in the necessary struggles to change ourselves and our world. It is not about resistance, but rather gaining knowledge and wisdom, acting in a purposeful way, and living a life of meaning.

Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi Richard A. Flom, DD (HC)

Rabbi Emeritus, Temple B'nai Hayim

"שתיקה כהודאה דמיא"

Silence in the face of wrongdoing is consent.”

BT Yevamot 88a

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YOU GET WHAT YOU DESERVE

Kislev 2, 5786 / November 21-22, 2025

Parashat Tol’dot
Torah - Genesis 25:19 – 28:9
Haftarah – Malakhi 1:1 – 2:7

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Lunch and Learn meets Mondays at 12:30 PM on Zoom and Facebook Live. 

NO MEETING NOVEMBER 24. 

On December 1, and for the next following week or two, we'll be learning about Hanukkah. 

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YOU GET WHAT YOU DESERVE

“May God (Elohim) give you of the dew of heaven, and the fat of the land, and plenty of wheat and wine.” Genesis 27:28 (Isaac blessing Jacob)

Rashi: Why is the name of God that is used here the one that refers to His attribute of justice? To teach that He will treat you with justice. If you deserve it (the blessing), He will give it to you, and if not, He will not give it to you.

Isaac Blessing Jacob - Giuseppe Ribera, 1637

Pirkei Avot 5:10

There are four character types among people:

One who says, "What is mine is mine and what is yours is yours" – this is the common (average) type, though some say that this is the type of Sodom (selfish and uncharitable).

One who says, "What is mine is yours and what is yours is mine" – this is an ignoramus (unstable, anarchical).

One who says, "What is mine is yours and what is yours is yours” – this is a saintly person (chasid – boundlessly charitable).

And one who says, "What is yours is mine, and what is mine is mine" – this is an evil person.

Oznayim Latorah: Wheat, i.e., bread, is one of the necessities of life, but wine is a luxury, which only those who can afford to will use. Isaac in this blessing hints that those who can afford it may drink wine only if there is plenty of wheat (emphasis mine), for both the poor and the rich, and if there are no hungry people in the land. But, if there is not “plenty of wheat” in the land, if there is a shortage of bread, then even those who can afford to may not drink wine; instead, they should use that money to buy bread for the poor.

This idea of foregoing luxuries, even when we can afford them, in order to provide others with necessities, goes against much if not all that our increasingly consumerist, selfish, and libertarian-leaning society teaches us. As is so often the case, Torah can be truly counter-cultural, if not revolutionary in its teachings.

As we read in the haftarah for Yom Kippur:

"No, this is the fast I desire: To unlock fetters of wickedness, And untie the cords of the yoke; To let the oppressed go free; To break off every yoke. It is to share your bread with the hungry, And to take the wretched poor into your home; When you see the naked, to clothe him, And not to ignore your own kin. Then shall your light burst through like the dawn; And your healing spring up quickly." Isaiah 57:6-8

There are significant numbers of hungry people in the land. You can help with donations of food, and/or money, and/or time to a shelter or food bank near you.

Here's my new favorite:

North Hollywood Interfaith Food Pantry (currently providing 400 bags of groceries to those in need twice a week!):

https://nhifp.org/ 

That's an awfully large number of people in need, whom we can help if we forgo a luxury or two. And you need not fast to do this.

What kind of justice do YOU deserve?

Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi Richard A. Flom, DD (HC)

Rabbi Emeritus, Temple B'nai Hayim

"שתיקה כהודאה דמיא"

Silence in the face of wrongdoing is consent.”

BT Yevamot 88a

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HOSPITALITY

Parashat Vayera

Cheshvan 17, 5786 / November 7-8. 2025
Torah: Genesis 18:1 - 22:24
Haftarah: 2 Kings 4:1-37 (Ashkenazim; Sephardim read 4:1-23)

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This d'var torah is offered in remembrance of Kristallnacht, which occurred November 9-10, 1938. The first large scale pogrom by the Nazis, who ultimately killed 6 million Jews, one-third of world Jewry. Never forget. Never again. For any people.

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Lunch and Learn meets Mondays at 12:30 PM on Zoom and Facebook Live. 

On November 10, we'll be at Ein Ya'akov Yevamot, p. 48 (BT Yevamot 64b) - 

'... אמר רב נחמן אמר רבה בר אבוה' - 'R. Nachman, in the name of Rabba b. Abahu..."'

Ein Ya'akov (Glick edition) is available for on-line reading or as a downloadable PDF at:

https://hebrewbooks.org/9630 
A pointed Hebrew text version with different pagination is available at Sefaria: 
https://www.sefaria.org/Ein_Yaakov?tab=contents  

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HOSPITALITY

“And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and here three men were standing before him; he saw and ran to them from the tent opening, and he bowed toward the ground.” Genesis 18:2

"(Lot) prepared a feast for them and baked matza, and they ate." Genesis 19:3

 According to the Rabbis, Abraham was the paradigm of hospitality. One midrash has him being famous throughout the land for his treatment of guests. There is a Chasidic teaching which asks, why only Abraham, and not also his nephew Lot? After all, our parashah recounts that Lot also greeted and fed, and even protected, the same angels that first appeared to Abraham. The difference is in the details.

Abraham and the Three Angels - Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (c. 1670-1674)

Abraham “ran” to greet them.  Lot “stood up” to meet them (19:1). Abraham offered them “a morsel”, but gave them a veritable feast of butter, milk, bread and meat (we’ll discuss the kashruth another time!) Lot “made a feast and baked matza” (the bread of poverty), implying that he promised a feast but gave them only crackers. These differences between Abraham and Lot are relatively unimportant when compared with this - Abraham saw “three men”; but “two angels” came to Lot.

Had he not known they were angels, Lot might have treated God’s messengers in the same way that everybody else in Sodom treated each other - with disrespect, if not downright contempt. Abraham, on the other hand, treated the messengers in a highly respectful if not downright holy way, even when he thought they were “merely” human beings. Now that’s the way to treat guests. There’s hospitality, and THERE’S HOSPITALITY!

Have a wonderful Shabbat!

Rabbi Richard A. Flom

Rabbi Emeritus -TBH/CBM

".איזה הוא חכם? הלומד מכל אדם"

Who is wise? The one who learns from every person.

Ben Zoma - Pirkei Avot 4:1

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AN UNBURDENED SOUL, A DEBT-FREE LIFE

Cheshvan 10, 5786 / October 31 – November 1, 2025

Parashat Lekh L'kha

Torah: Genesis 12:1 - 17:27

Haftarah: Isaiah 40:27 - 41:16

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Lunch and Learn meets Mondays at 12:30 PM on Zoom and Facebook Live. 

On November 3, we'll be at Ein Ya'akov Yevamot, p. 47 (BT Yevamot 63b) - 

'... אל תצר צרת מחר' - 'Do not worry about tomorrow's trouble..."'

Ein Ya'akov (Glick edition) is available for on-line reading or as a downloadable PDF at:

https://hebrewbooks.org/9630 
A pointed Hebrew text version with different pagination is available at Sefaria: 
https://www.sefaria.org/Ein_Yaakov?tab=contents  

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Check out our wonderful community, and get lots of info about our various programs and becoming a Member at: https://bnaihayim.org/ 
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AN UNBURDENED SOUL, A DEBT-FREE LIFE

"Then the king of Sodom said to Avram, "Give me the persons (nefesh), and take the possessions for yourself." But Avram said to the king of Sodom, "I swear to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth: I will not take so much as a thread or a sandal strap of what is yours; you shall not say, 'It is I who made Avram rich.'"' Genesis 14:21-3. 

Our father Avram, soon to become Avraham, demonstrates here a characteristic which we will see again in two weeks, when he negotiates the purchase of a burial plot for Sarah. He does not want to be beholden to any person. He accepts no gifts, he demands no favors, he pays retail. No human being can say to Avram/Avraham, "You owe me because of what I gave to you, because of the favors I did for you."

There seems to be a deeper meaning here. Rabbi Harold Kushner points out that the Hebrew word used for "persons" is "nefesh", which literally means "soul". Perhaps Avram was being asked by the king of Sodom to sell his soul for material riches. Compare Avram with his nephew Lot, who moved to Sodom ostensibly because it had good pasturage. Indeed, Avram's interaction with the king of Sodom comes immediately Avram rescued Lot, who had been kidnapped by Sodom's enemies.

Lot and His Family Recalled Home by Abraham (Antonio Tempesta, 1613)

On the other hand, no human being or human desire can exercise control over Avram, so he never has to compromise his principles. Avram, whom the Torah regards as a sort of king, is debt-free. He is quite different from politicians who compromise their principles (to the extent they might have them) and sell their souls to the highest bidding donors, PACs, and special interest groups. Nor does Avram ever demand blackmail or require anyone to sell their soul in exchange for their avoiding some form of punishment. The only one to whom Avram owes his allegiance is God. Avram recognizes that, whatever spiritual and material wealth he has, it has come from God, not from another human being. Would that we all could be as astute as he.

Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi Richard A. Flom
Rabbi Emeritus
Temple B’nai Hayim
"שתיקה כהודאה דמיא"
"Silence in the face of wrongdoing is consent.”
BT Yevamot 87b
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A CORRIDOR THROUGH THE RUBBLE?

Parashat Noach

Cheshvan 3, 5786 / October 24-25, 2025
Torah: Genesis 6:9-11:32
Haftarah: Isaiah 54:1-55:5
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This d'var torah is offered in honor of our son, Robert Flom, and his bride to be, Meredith McEachern, who are marrying this Sunday in Detroit. We're keeping a son and gaining a daughter! Mazal tov and much love always!

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Lunch and Learn meets Mondays at 12:30 PM on Zoom and Facebook Live. 

On November 3, we'll be at Ein Ya'akov Yevamot, p. 47 (BT Yevamot 63b) - 

'... אל תצר צרת מחר' - 'Do not worry about tomorrow's trouble..."'

Ein Ya'akov (Glick edition) is available for on-line reading or as a downloadable PDF at:

https://hebrewbooks.org/9630 
A pointed Hebrew text version with different pagination is available at Sefaria: 
https://www.sefaria.org/Ein_Yaakov?tab=contents  

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Check out our wonderful community, and get lots of info about our various programs and becoming a Member at: https://bnaihayim.org/ 
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A CORRIDOR THROUGH THE RUBBLE?

Chaverim yekarim / Dear friends:

This d'var torah is a very lightly edited version of a letter I sent to the editor of the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles. I think it's self-explanatory. I doubt it will be accepted for publication, as it greatly exceeds the Journal's word count limitations.

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Dear Mr. Suissa:

I apologize for the length, but I feel I must speak on this.

 

As I was reading Tanvi Ratna’s piece, “A Corridor Through the Rubble: What Gaza’s Peace Really Enables”, (https://jewishjournal.com/commentary/384369/a-corridor-through-the-rubble-what-gazas-peace-really-enables/) originally a Substack post (https://tanviratna.substack.com/p/a-corridor-through-the-rubble-what), which was published in the October 15, 2025 Jewish Journal, a classic midrash about Migdal Bavel, the Tower of Babel, came to mind. We’re reading about Migdal Bavel in this week’s Parashat Noach.

 

"And they said, 'Come, let us build us a city, and a tower with its top in the sky, to make a name for ourselves; else we shall be scattered all over the world."' Genesis 11:4

 

The Midrash, Pirkei d'Rabbi Eliezer comments, "The tower had seven ramps from the east and seven from the west. The bricks were hauled up from one side, and the descent was on the other. If a man fell down and died, no attention was paid to him. But if one brick fell down, they would sit and weep, saying, 'Woe is us. When will another be brought up in its place?'" In short, human life meant nothing to the builders – the construction of the building was all that mattered.

"Turris Babel" by Athanasius Kircher

 

Ratna’s piece discusses plans for a “GREAT Trust” that will turn Gaza into an international business and investment playground – shipping hubs, railways, ports, fiber lines – all managed by sovereign wealth funds and international corporations under rules the trust would establish for itself. One might expect manufacturing, as well. But there’s no mention of housing, schools, hospitals, or any other things that might benefit the residents of Gaza. (Nor for that matter, Trump or Kushner hotels and casinos, but that might be another story.) This omission seems intentional.

 

Ratna writes:

 

          “…it’s a hybrid model: an international trusteeship that pools land parcels, securitizes infrastructure corridors, and allocates revenue streams from energy and logistics assets.

“This model allows for risk to be sliced, priced, and reallocated. It gives Gulf EPCs like ACWA Power and Qatari Diar a clear procurement pathway. It offers Western sovereign wealth funds arbitration cover. And it offers Israel a chance to outsource Gaza’s future while reducing day-to-day control.”

 

The whole thing reads like a prospectus. What’s not discussed at all is what happens to people – because people are not mentioned. Not Gazans, not Palestinians, not Israelis. On her Substack page, Ratna has this note: “The rights accorded to Palestinians in this plan remain shrouded in some mystery and were the source of much debate around the leak.” (Note: The “GREAT Trust” documents were apparently leaked)

 

This is Migdal Bavel on a scale not previously seen, all for the benefit of uber-capitalists who care nothing for anyone other than themselves, and possibly their major shareholders. We can be certain that the muscle for this endeavor, the ones who will be called upon to ensure that the project goes forward when the people of Gaza resist, which they surely will, will be US and Israeli military personnel – or hired mercenaries answerable only to their financier masters.

Enormous investment in a business venture devoid of any assistance or hope for the residents promises profits for a few – but not peace for the region.

 

Sincerely,

 

Rabbi Richard A. Flom

Rabbi Emeritus

Temple B’nai Hayim

 

Affiliation for identification purposes only

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Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi Richard A. Flom
Rabbi Emeritus
Temple B’nai Hayim
.אֵיזֶהוּ חָכָם? הַלוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם
Who is wise? The one who learns from every person.
Ben Zoma - Pirkei Avot 4:1
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Send requests for dedications of Cyber Torah in honor of a simchah, in memory of a loved one or for a refuah shleimah to: ravflom@sbcglobal.net   

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EARNING “GOOD” BY DOING GOOD

Tishrei 26, 5786 / October 17-18, 2025

Parashat Bereishit

Torah: Genesis 1:1 – 6:8

Haftarah: Isaiah 42:5 - 43:10 (Ashkenazim); Isaiah 42:5-21 (Sephardim)

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Lunch and Learn meets Mondays at 12:30 PM on Zoom and Facebook Live. 

On October 20, we'll be at Ein Ya'akov Yevamot, p. 44 (BT Yevamot 63b) - 

'...אמר רבא אשה רעה מצוה לגרשה'   - 'Raba said: "It is meritorious to divorce a bad wife ..."'

Ein Ya'akov (Glick edition) is available for on-line reading or as a downloadable PDF at:

https://hebrewbooks.org/9630 
A pointed Hebrew text version with different pagination is available at Sefaria: 
https://www.sefaria.org/Ein_Yaakov?tab=contents  

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EARNING “GOOD” BY DOING GOOD

'And God said, "Let us make humanity in our image, after our likeness." ..... And God created humanity in God's own image; in the image of God did God create it; male and female, God created them.' Genesis 1:26-7

After creating plants, "God saw that it was good." (Gen. 1:12) After creating the fish and birds, "God saw that it was good." (1:21) After creating crawling things and land animals, "God saw that it was good." (1:25) At the end of all of this creating, "God saw everything that God had made, and behold, it was very good." (1:31)

In the context of all that had been created, humanity was part of all that was very good. However, even though God created humanity in the image and likeness of God, God did not see that humanity was itself good. How could it be that humanity, which the Torah regards as the acme of creation, with dominion over all the earth, could not be seen by God as good?

"The Sixth Day of Creation" - Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, 1860

It is exactly because humanity differs from all other creation. We alone are created in the image and likeness of God. There is an interesting little comment on this verse offered by "Haderush V'ha'iyun". He says, "Of all God's creatures, only humanity has the ability to do what they consider to be correct, in accordance with their will. In that, humans resemble their Creator. 'And the advantage of humans over the beast is not' (Ecclesiastes 3:19). The advantage that humans have over the beast is 'not' - that they have the ability to say 'no'. That is 'in His image, in the image of God.'"

So, only we have freewill. But let's not fool ourselves. We are not God; we are _only_ an image, _only_ a likeness - not exact duplicates. Our tradition teaches that everything that God wills is good. But as for us, "if one desires to conduct himself along the path of good and to be righteous, he is free to do so; and if one desires the path of wickedness and to be evil, he is free to do so.... The Creator does not decree humanity to be good or bad" (Maimonides) We are not seen by God, or by ourselves, as good unless we choose to be good, unless we choose to say “no” to wrongdoing. Unlike insects and vegetables, we have to _earn_ the title "good".

Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi Richard A. Flom
Rabbi Emeritus
Temple B’nai Hayim
.אֵיזֶהוּ חָכָם? הַלוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם
Who is wise? The one who learns from every person.
Ben Zoma - Pirkei Avot 4:1
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IT SHOULD ONLY COME TO PASS

Tishrei 19, 5786 / October 10-11, 2025

Shabbat Chol Hamo'ed Sukkot 

Torah: Exodus 33:12 - 34:26 

Maftir: Numbers 29:23-28

Haftarah: Ezekiel 38:18 - 39:16

Book of Ecclesiastes 

Tishrei 22 / October 13-14
Sh’mini Atzeret
Torah: Deuteronomy 14:22 – 16:17
Maftir: Numbers 29:35 – 30:1
Haftarah: 1 Kings 8:54-66
 
Tishrei 23 / October 14-15
Simchat Torah
Torah:  23 Deuteronomy 33:1 – 26; Genesis 1:1 – 2:3
Maftir: Numbers 29:35 – 30:1
Haftarah: Joshua 1:1-18

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This d'var torah is offered in memory of my aunt, Helen Schugar, whose yahrzeit was yesterday, the second day of Sukkot. Y'hi zikhronah liv'rakhah - her memory is a blessing.

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Some excellent on-line resources are available for Sukkot/Sh’mini Atzeret/Simchat Torah at:
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/ 

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Lunch and Learn meets Mondays at 12:30 PM on Zoom and Facebook Live. 

On October 13, we'll be at Ein Ya'akov Yevamot, p. 44 (BT Yevamot 63b) - 

'...אמר רבא אשה רעה מצוה לגרשה'   - 'Raba said: "It is meritorious to divorce a bad wife ..."'

Ein Ya'akov (Glick edition) is available for on-line reading or as a downloadable PDF at:

https://hebrewbooks.org/9630 
A pointed Hebrew text version with different pagination is available at Sefaria: 
https://www.sefaria.org/Ein_Yaakov?tab=contents  

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Check out our wonderful community, and get lots of info about our various programs and becoming a Member at: https://bnaihayim.org/ 
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IT SHOULD ONLY COME TO PASS
 
“V'zot Hab'rakhah” is the concluding parashah of the Torah, and it is not read on a Shabbat, but only on the holiday of Simchat Torah. It is also notable for being chanted on the night of Simchat Torah (the only nighttime Torah reading of the year). The opening words are, "And this is the blessing by which Moses, the man of God, blessed the Israelites before his death." Deuteronomy 33:1

"The Death of Moses" - Providence Lithograph Company, 1907

Near the conclusion of his blessing, Moses says the following: "And Israel shall dwell in safety, the fountain of Jacob alone; in a land of corn and wine, yea, his heavens shall drop down dew." Deuteronomy 33:28

Some of the classic commentaries on the above verse suggest that the Jewish people were to dwell solitarily, as punishment for their sins. According to them, this was fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple as described in the Book of Lamentations, and the subsequent Babylonian Exile. 

However, Rashi (who was also a vintner) rejects such a reading, and has a very different understanding of the verse. He comments: "Each individual will be dispersed under his own vine and fig tree, without any need of coming together out of fear of the enemy."

This seems much more in keeping with the idea of a blessing. What a blessing it would be if everyone, Jew, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, any religion, no religion, not to mention various political positions, could reside in peace and tranquility under the Biblical symbols of plenty, the vine and the fig tree. We should also note the conjunction of this parashah and the Festival of Sukkot, which concludes on Monday. We will have spent a week praying that God would shelter us within God’s Sukkat Shalom, the Tent of Peace.

And now, after two years of horror for the people of Israel and the people of Gaza, we might, B'H, be on the verge of a lasting peace. 
 
So, in the spirit of Rashi, I offer this simple prayer: Harachaman hu yivarekh otanu kulanu yachad b'virkat shalom - May the Merciful One bless us, all of us together as one, with the blessing of peace.

It should only come to pass.
 
Mo’adim L’Simchah! Chagim Uz’manim L’sason! Shabbat Shalom! Chag Shemini Atzeret Sameach! Chag Simchat Torah Sameach!
 
Rabbi Richard A. Flom
Rabbi Emeritus
Temple B’nai Hayim
.אֵיזֶהוּ חָכָם? הַלוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם
Who is wise? The one who learns from every person.
Ben Zoma - Pirkei Avot 4:1
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