All said and done, a trip to Israel is something that everyone I know would look forward to with relish, although recent current events sometimes leave one with a less-than-sanguine feeling.

I am fortunate to have visited Israel a few times, and have toured most of the famous sites, as well as many of the lesser-known locations.

One thing that most people comment about Israel is its remarkable beauty.  Such a tiny country contains an extremely diverse geography, from the Negev desert in the south, to the Galil and Golan mountain ranges in the North.

The Torah portion for this week, Eikev, contains a description of the qualities of the Land of Israel.  The accolades include:

“The Land… is a land of (arable) mountains and plains, and it is watered by rains from the skies, a land which G-d, your G-d, cares about.  The eyes of G-d Almighty are continually upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year” (Deut. 11:11-12).

It is common for us to point out the striking beauty of the Holy Land.  Everyone seems to have a favorite city or place, and the common denominator seems to be, “Israel is so beautiful!”

A person could spend days, even weeks, walking the streets in awe, snapping photos at every turn, admiring the fig trees and grape vines, and gazing at the Mediterranean Sea.

Yet all of this could distract one from Israel’s true beauty: the physical beauty of the Land is merely reflective of its spiritual beauty.

Off all the lands and countries on this planet, only regarding Israel does the Torah testify, “The eyes of G-d Almighty are continually upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.”

One who is fortunate enough to live in Israel should certainly strive to live their life in accordance with the inner spiritual beauty of the Land.

And what of us, Americans, who from time-to-time are fortunate enough to visit, bringing back memories and a digital memory card of photos?

When visiting the Holy Land, we should recall that it is the “land which G-d cares about,” and we should not treat it as just another tourist attraction.  Our visit should be imbued with consciousness and awareness of what constitutes the essential beauty of Israel.

A mere visit should impact who we are, as the Talmud (Bava Batra 158b) states, “the air of the Land of Israel makes on wiser.”

If Israel is merely a tourist attraction – one of many in the world – this does not contribute to the future of our Land.  A higher consciousness when visiting will imbue our day-to-day activities when we return from a visit with greater meaning, purpose, and a greater commitment to Jewish values.

With our greater commitment and dedication, we will merit the coming of Mashiach, when we will all return to the Holy Land, and be able to appreciate its physical and spiritual beauty.

Yet how many Jews have ever even heard of Tu B’Av, let alone consider it (one of) the greatest days of the year?  Seemingly, many holidays can be ranked “higher” than Tu B’Av, amongst them Passover, Rosh Hashana, Sukkot, Chanukah, Purim and more.

In fact, although I have written in the past that the most enigmatic of all Jewish holidays is Lag BaOmer, perhaps this statement would be more accurately attributed to Tu B’Av!  The Code of Jewish Law makes reference to the holiday by instructing us to omit the Penitential Prayer (tachanun) from the day’s prayers, and to increase our Torah study beginning from this day.  The Talmud (ibid.) tells us that many years ago the “daughters of Jerusalem would go dance in the vineyards” on the 15th of Av, and “whoever did not have a wife would go there” to find himself a bride.

The greatness of the day is expressed in the fact that it follows the ominous day of destruction and mourning, Tisha B’Av.  Even after destruction so powerful that one may wonder how the Jewish people could continue, we find renewal.

This renewal is expressed in three ways: 1. The fifteenth day of the Jewish month always coincides with a full moon, alluding to the comparison of the Jewish people to the moon.  Just as the moon waxes and wanes, so too, the Jewish people may experience travail and difficulty while in exile, but we will be renewed just like the moon; 2. The fact that Tu B’Av was a day when young Jewish men and women would meet, also teaches us that even after the destruction of the Temples and upheaval of our People, we will still continue to grow and flourish; 3. The Talmud (ibid.) recounts another event which occurred on Tu B’Av.  On the day of Tisha B’Av, it was decreed that the Jewish people who left Egypt and were wandering in the desert, would not enter the land of Israel.  Each year, on Tisha B’Av, the Jews of the desert would dig graves, assuming that since the day was so terrible, there would once again be tragedy.  And indeed, so it was each year.  Until the last year of their wandering in the desert, when although they dug graves for themselves, no one died.  When they reached the 15^th of Av, and still no one had passed away, they realized that this was the end of the decree.

So how do we tap into this power of renewal contained within the holy day of Tu B’Av?

The answer may be contained in this first Shabbat after Tisha B’Av, Shabbat Nachamu.  The unique name of this Shabbat (“Shabbat of Consolation”) is taken from the opening verse of the reading of the Prophets (Haftarah), from Isaiah chapter 40.  The verse states, “Comfort, oh comfort My people!”  What is the reason for the repetition of the word “comfort”?  Wouldn’t the point have been conveyed even if the word comfort was only mentioned once?

Yet the explanation is that in order to be comforted after the destruction of the Temples, one must exert a double effort.  It is never enough what one is currently doing, but one must always strive to double and re-double one’s efforts in all areas of holiness, Torah study, prayer and mitzvot.

We all yearn for renewal.  We all dream of a time when there will be no war, famine or jealousy.  This is what Judaism speaks of when it refers to the Messianic Era.  The instruction is contained in the book of Isaiah, Hebrew for “salvation.”  In order to experience the renewal of the Messianic Era which Tu B’Av refers to, we must double our previous efforts.  Don’t sit by thinking that you are doing enough.  Certainly you can find more ways to help other people.

As Maimonides writes, one should always view the world as in an equal balance between good and evil, requiring only one deed to tip the scale for the good.  That next deed could be yours.  Make it a good one!

Send me your question via Twitter (or txt 347-688-4770 if private), and I will respond in bite-size fashion!

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An opportunity to chill with some good friends during the summer time.

Events include BBQs, boating, classes and more.

All events take place in the Chabad House unless otherwise noted.

Special Class commemorating the 16th Yahrtzeit of the Lubavitcher Rebbe

Tuesday, June 22 – Motzei Gimmel Tammuz

Topic: BODY, SOUL AND A NEEDLE

Tuesday, July 6th – 8:30pm

Euthanasia according to Jewish Law & Kabbalah

Tuesday, July 13th – 8:30pm

Who Will Build the Holy Temple?

Monday, July 19th – Tisha B’Av – 10:15pm

Class discussion on the Talmudic passage about the destruction of the Temple (Gittin 55b).

Drugs & Judaism: A Perspective.

Tuesday, August 10th – 8:30pm

Resurrection of the Dead: Who will come back? If my soul lived more than one life, which body will it be resurrected in?

Tuesday, August 17th – 8:30pm

Practical Laws of Mezuzah

Other CHILL Events

Trip to the resting place of the Lubavitcher Rebbe – date/time TBA

Hike – date & location TBA

Boating – Flushing Meadows Park, date/time TBA

1. They are abundant, simply waiting to be appreciated;
2. Kids are naturally drawn towards them;
3. Beneficial to their surrounding — yet considered unattractive by the pretentious;
4. Considered weeds by the “sophisticated”;
5. Considered to be a plant from the old world;
6. Have more uses than almost any other flower: edible, medicinal, good for the garden, beautiful;
7. In touch with the world around them, open during the day, closed at night;
8. Clearly connected to the source of life — they wilt just minutes after being picked;
9. They can be found almost worldwide — a universal flower;
10. It has been described as “a plant for which we once knew the use but we’ve forgotten it”;
11. They have the ability to nourish surrounding plants & grains (by breaking up hard earth and bringing up nutrients from below).

Of all these pleasing scents, the most satisfying of all is that of the challah.  The wafting aroma of the traditionally braided egg bread is nearly enough to satiate on its own!

The name challah is actually something of a misnomer, for it doesn’t refer to the bread itself, but to a portion that is removed from the bread, as per the verse in the Torah portion this week, Shelach:

“The first thing you should do with your dough is donate challah [to a Kohen] as an offering” (Numbers 15:20).

So, in fact, challah is not the bread that we eat, but is the portion of bread that was set aside for the Kohen (priest).  This mitzvah (commandment) is fairly straightforward: A part of the dough is set aside to be holy and is given to the priests; the remainder of the dough is eaten by anyone.

Since we no longer have the Temple in Jerusalem, we no longer give challah to a Kohen; instead, when baking bread, a small portion is separated and then burned (the laws of this mitzvah are not within the framework of this particular article; for more info click here).

In this column, I would like to share with you a Chassidic teaching on this verse, taught by the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Y. Schneersohn, while visiting the town of Rokiškis, Lithuania, in 1931.

But first, some interesting historical context:

Located in Northeastern Lithuania, Rokiškis had a vibrant Jewish community for hundreds of years.  In 1923, the Jewish community numbered 2013; by 1939, it had reached 3500 (40% of the population), most of whom were Chabad Chassidim.  Interestingly, before World War I, only three stored were owned by gentiles.  After the War, various factors led to a serious economic decline for the Jews, and many Jewish businesses went bankrupt in 1925.  In the latter half of the 1920s, many Jewish families emigrated to South Africa, the United States, and Israel.

The Soviets annexed Lithuania in 1940, and when Germany attacked Russia in June of 1941, Lithuania was overtaken.  The official German Army report states that on August 15-16, 1941, a total of 3,207 Jews were killed.

It was in the midst of this, that Rabbi Schneersohn visited Rokiškis for a week and a half, in order to strengthen and encourage the Jewish community.

While there, he gave numerous talks on various Jewish topics (Sefer Hama’amorim Kuntreisim, vol. 1, pp.154-168).

On the last day of his visit, February 26^th, 1931 (9 Adar 5691), he addressed the townspeople and the locals who had come to greet him, from the inn in which he was staying.

In the course of that talk, Rabbi Schneersohn quoted the above-mentioned verse from our Torah portion (even though it was a different Torah portion that week), and offered an alternative explanation, based on an etymological similarity between the Hebrew word for dough, and that for crib, or bed, עריסה.

The plain meaning of the verse is that we must donate from the “first of our dough.”  On that day in Rokiškis, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, who had been invited by the local Jewish community, explained that this verse can be read, “The first of your bed shall be devoted to G-d.”

In other words, it is incumbent upon us, Rabbi Schneersohn explained, that immediately upon awakening in our bed we are to devote ourselves to Judaism.  Some examples of how to do this, opined the Rebbe, include: One should study Torah, each according to our abilities; pray with a minyan (quoram); be particularly cautious in business dealings according to the laws of the Torah; and lend money.

Sometimes, upon awakening, one is distracted by other needs, and either skips over some of one’s Jewish obligations, or performs them perfunctorily.  This negatively influences one’s day, by making much of the day self-directed.  When, however, one begins the day by helping another person, or by being involved in spiritual betterment instead of focusing on one’s own materialistic needs, one is able to sleep sweetly at night.

It is, in fact, a cycle: When one begins the day with a spiritual act – be it prayer, Torah study, or helping another person – the entire day is better, one has a refreshing sleep, and one is in turn strengthened to wake up again the next day and do the same.

A large crowd had gathered to hear the address, including the visitors from other villages and towns in Lithuania.  At one in the afternoon, the Rebbe offered his parting blessings, and everyone escorted the Rebbe to the train station, singing all the way, thankful for the merit of seeing the Rebbe face-to-face, and for hearing this encouraging Torah teaching direct from the Rebbe himself.

It’s a lost art but not forgotten. One can still benefit from that method
of communication by turning to written letters of the masters. Among Jewish
figures, the late Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson certainly
stands out.

During his long life and years of leadership, people from all over
the world would address their questions and concerns to him at 770 Eastern
Parkway in Brooklyn, the famous headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch
movement.

They wrote to the Rebbe in many different languages about all sorts
of issues: personal (even marital), business, spiritual and, of course,
questions relating to Torah matters.

The Rebbe would respond to each individual, often in the language in
which he was addressed.

Sometimes, in preparation for an upcoming holiday, he would write a
“general letter,” headed: “To All Jewish people, wherever they may be.”

I would like to share (in my own words) part of the contents of one such
letter, penned by the Rebbe just three days before the holiday of Shavuot
(this year, May 19 and 20) in 1975.

I hope that it will inspire you, as it inspired me.

After an introductory greeting, the Rebbe states that he is writing during a
time when it is, traditionally, appropriate to encourage an increase in the
study of Torah.

He writes that this can be done in three ways, which can be
discerned from an allusion in a verse immediately preceding the statement of
the Ten Commandments. It is a section which is read in synagogues across
the world on Shavuot.

The verse states:

“The whole of Mount Sinai smoked because G-d had descended upon it
in fire” (Exodus xix:18).

The Hebrew word for smoked is ashan, which is comprised of the three
letters ayin, shin, and nun.

Ashan, the Rebbe notes, can be read as an acrostic for the three
aforementioned ways that one can increase one’s Torah study: geographically;
temporally; and spiritually.

AYIN: This letter is the first letter of the Heb-rew word olam, or
“world”.
Thus this letter teaches us that we can increase our Torah study
geographically, i.e., we can – and ought to – multiply the number of
locations where we en-gage in Torah study.
This, of course, does not have to be limited to private study, but
can also include studying with others.

SHIN: This letter is the first letter of the word shana, or “year”.
This re-fers to an in-crease in the amount of time that we spend
im-mersed in Torah study during an annual period.

NUN: Nun stands for nefesh, or “soul”.
How does one increase the “soul” of one’s Torah study?
Answers the Rebbe: Our soul is our life force; to increase the soul
of Torah study means to increase the energy with which we go about the
serious business of acquiring knowledge.
It is not sufficient to study out of obligation, or even out of
intellectual curiosity.
The last letter of this word suggests to us that we are to add to
the quality of our Torah study, investing it with more excitement and more
vitality. This, in turn, will lead us to understand more of what we study,
and in a more profound way than before.

Guided by this interpretation, the three-fold increase in our Torah study
can yield immediate and long-term benefits.
We may even anticipate that it will bring us the three-fold Priestly
Bless-ing which we read in the Torah portion of next week, Naso:

“May G-d bless you and protect you; May G-d cause His face to shine
to you and favor you; May G-d raise His face towards you and grant you
peace” (Numbers vi:24-26).

Wishing you Chag Sameach, a happy and “smokey” Shavuot.