Vaetchanan: Does G-d like the “Nudge”?

Jack finds himself in dire trouble. His business is in ruins and he is on the brink of declaring bankruptcy. He's so desperate that he decides to ask G-d for help. "G-d, please help me. I've lost my store and if ah ain't gonna get some money, I'm going to lose my house too. Please let me win the lottery!"

Lottery night! Someone else wins... Jack prays again. "G-d please let me win the lottery! I've lost my store, my house and I'm going to lose my car as well!"

Lottery night again! Still no luck.

Jack prays again: "I've lost my business, my house and my car. My kids are starving. I didn't often ask You for help and I have always been a good servant to You. PLEASE just let me win the lottery this one time so I can get back on my feet!"

Suddenly there is a blinding flash as the heavens open and the voice of God Himself thunders: "Jack, at least meet Me half way and buy a ticket!"

***

There are certain words that receive their justice only in certain languages. Most notable are many such Yiddish and Hebrew words which sneakily manage to enter into the vernacular of people the world over: Chutzpa, yokel to name a few. With no alternative in "American" these Jewish words have become household talk the world over. One such popular adoption is the derogatory term "nudge."

The best English interpretation of nudge is "pesterer," the one who never leaves you alone. The proverbial nudge is the one who interrupts you in the middle of an important conversation with, "So why did you not come two weeks ago to the lemonade festival?" or asks for the umpteenth time, "Do you promise you'll come to my wedding?" (Footnote: the nudge has just celebrated his tenth birthday.) You get the picture.

The truth is that "nudge" is not only a title reserved for a select few; each and every one of us holds a bit of that trait, albeit on a smaller scale than the bearer of the official title. When we need something from our parents, spouse, boss, friend etc. we all tend to portray "nudgy" qualities at one time or another.

But let me introduce you to another version of The Nudge, all the way back from ancient history. He's the first known nudge in the Torah, and a rather unlikely one: Moshe, the first Jewish leader; his "victim" – G-d.

As you may recall, a few short weeks ago we read about how G-d punished Moshe. Due to his desecration of G-d's Name when he had hit the rock instead of talking to it, he forfeited his entrance to the Land of Israel.

515 times Moshe stood and begged to be allowed to join his brethren in the Promised Land; 515 times his petitions were denied. 515 times! Relentlessly, over and over, until G-d commanded him to stop begging, and, as the faithful servant he was, he complied.

We may understandably be surprised at Moshe's behavior. Moshe arguing with G-d! How dare he? One should put his personal feelings aside and listen to the Almighty! Where does Moshe get the nerve to question G-d's decision?

Yet that's precisely what G-d wanted, and it is what he wants from each of us as well. He has commanded us to pray each day and ask for health, money and all good things. He is the True Judge and will do what is ultimately good. Yet He wants us to ask. He wants to hear us, over and over.

Moshe cried about Israel. We must cry about Israel. Almost two millennia have passed since the destruction of our Holy Temple, and we can not wait any longer. It is high time that we plead – nay, demand, with all the stubbornness we can muster – a new future.

And G-d will hear.

Do something about it:

Cry with all your heart, "We want Moshiach now!"

Moshiach now! Shabbat Shalom!

(Rabbi) Levi Avtzon

A project of Beit Chabad F. Bronzetti, Milan Italy

Special thanks to Ms. C. Avtzon for her editorial assistance.

A World of Dreamers

Joey woke his father up. "I just dreamed that you gave me a 2000 laptop for my birthday. What do you think it means?"

"You'll know tonight," he said.

That evening, the man came home with a box and gave it to his Joey.

Delighted, he opened it - to find a book entitled "The Meaning of Dreams."

***

Here is a secret from the professional world, be it in athletics, academia or show business: the secret of those who manage to perform the unfathomable is using the power of imagination. Right before the race, the racer will concentrate in his mind, picturing the entire race, from warm up to finish line: the twists and turns, the heart pump and adrenalin. Everything.

My grandfather sat in a Russian prison for many years. He had no wife awaiting his return; all his friends were shot or in exile. Once outside, he would continue to defy the government, spreading the light of Torah and Judaism under the nose of the brutal regime, landing in prison all over again.

What kept him going through the drills and barricades, detention and stern faces, the beatings and interrogations? It was the shining image of a day when he would leave the darkness. It was the picture of time when he would live a life of meaning without fear, able to see his Rebbe and teacher, able to build a family.

In Russia of the thirties, this was an unrealistic dream. The borders were tight and the iron fist of Mother Russia reached into every nick and cranny. But he had a dream.

This Shabbos, we will use our imagination. On the Shabbos before the fast of Tisha B'Av, which commemorates the destruction of the two Holy Temples, our sages taught that G-d shows each and every Jew a vision of the Third Temple. You might not see it physically, but your soul will sense it with profound clarity.

Despite the exile, and the terror and fright notwithstanding, there lies within us a vision of a better world. It is a world of eternal peace and bliss, the era of Moshiach. It keeps us going and inspires us to forge ahead with our divine mission of lighting up the universe.

Dreams can become reality. My grandfather got married at age 36 and built a family of fifteen children and over 160 grandchildren and great-grandchildren, may G-d bless them. All of them, with the help of G-d, live their lives guided by the Torah. As wild as his most imaginative dream may have been, I am sure it was more believable than the reality he merited experiencing!

Moshiach will be a reality. Just learn what it is about, and get excited. And then start dreaming.

Do something about it:

Dream on! Many happy days are coming.

The czar’s lesson

One nice day, the Russian czar decided to make a surprise visit to an army base somewhere in Russia. Dressed in civilian clothing, he trudged through the snow. When he finally reached the base, he found it neglected and empty. A Russian himself, the czar knew where to find his men: in the tavern.

Indeed, the tavern was full of soldiers making merry and drinking hard. The czar stood at the side, waiting.

Finally, about two hours later, one soldier stood up and reminded his comrades of their duties and how they better go back before the general would arrive to the base.

Hanging on each other for support and balance, the drunken soldiers began the mile-long trek “home”. Foot by foot, step by step, men were falling. What had begun as a group of two hundred soon dwindled down to a mere handful. And the czar didn’t do a thing.

About five feet before the gate, a soldier collapsed. The czar walked over to him and made a red mark on his neck. Two feet ahead, another soldier collapsed. Only three soldiers made it to the base.

The next day, the whole division was informed of an imminent inspection by the czar. The soldiers quickly got into high alert, cleaning and polishing. This was no joke.

The czar walked through the rows of soldiers, oblivious to the cleanliness and effort of his men. He was looking for something; he was after the mark.

And he saw it. He ran up to the soldier, raised his hand and slapped the lad over and over, mercilessly.

With the last ounce of his strength, the beaten soldier begged for an explanation. The czar replied that this was a consequence for him going to the bar.

The beaten soldier was at loss. “But, but…. Everyone else went!” he sputtered. “Besides, I deserve credit for making it so close to base.”

This is what the czar responded: “People are human; humans make mistakes. Am I upset that my soldiers left their posts? Yes, but I understand. However, when those drunken men fell to the floor, I watched how they fell with their head towards the base, proving their commitment, declaring that this is their home, the place where they want to be.

“You made it almost all the way, yet when you fell, you fell backwards, your head away from the base. Thus, your true loyalties were revealed.”

It’s now so much where you reach in life; it is where you are headed. Life is dynamic: it is action and motion, not a perfect state of being. We fail, yet we rise again, because at the end it is about how we go, not where we are headed. Hence the name of our Parsha, “Massei” – journeys. Forward.

Do something about it:

Map out your route and begin the journey in the right direction.

Where do you draw the Line?

Last week, in New York City, a taxi clipped a red Beetle while veering across four lanes of traffic to pick up a fare. The two drivers got out to examine the damage: the cabbie, a short man of Middle Eastern origin, and the Beetle driver, a hulking giant.

As the cabbie approached, the Beetle driver grabbed him by the shirt and hoisted him off the ground. There, at eye level, with the cabbie's feet dangling in the air, the Beetle owner began screaming. Every third sentence was "This is your lucky day!"

Eventually, the cabbie was lowered back to terra firma. But then, the Beetle guy asked, "Don't you want to know why this is your lucky day?"

He then proceeded to answer his own question:

"Because I'm on my way to anger management class and I don't dare show-up with blood on my shirt!"

***

Do you remember the last time your blood boiled? What was it that brought your temperament to the boiling point? Your child didn’t bring you the cup of water in the thirty-second time slot you allotted him/her? Or maybe it was the cashier who mistakenly gave you too little change and didn’t apologize? (The nerve!)

You do know how to boil, as all warm-blooded humans do, so where are you when your hot blood is needed? Where were you when eight thousand of your brethren were evicted from their homes two years ago? And where do you hide as you see your homeland in a dire state of corruption and self-destruction?

And there are nuclear threats… Does Iran manage to make you boil – do you give it the same attention that you give your spouse when he or she forgot something on the shopping list?

In this week’s Torah portion, we read about someone who became furious “only” because he witnessed an open desecration of G-d’s name. He saw a Jewish leader sinning with a Midianite woman in public. And he made his move, striking both the man and woman dead. Pinchas was his name; his reward – ascension to the priesthood and eternal life as the famous Elijah the prophet.

Yes, times have changed. In today’s day and age, we treat deviant behavior with a less aggressive approach. In an era without the revealed presence of G-d in His Sanctuary, capital punishment by Jewish leaders is forbidden. Thus, murder isn’t quite the option when your blood boils, even for spiritual causes. Yet the eternal message remains: there has got to be a red line. And when it’s crossed, it must affect our very essence, to the point that we will do anything to stop the travesty.

Liberalism, ironically, has brought with it total selfishness, rather than true defense of humanity. For today, one may see a world in flames and let it be; after all, fire must also experience freedom of expression… In a world of moral relativism, nothing is objectively wrong; condemnation of various actions or ways life is considered intolerance. And thus, only “intolerance” is condemned. How confusing!

Somewhere you have to draw a line – a line that, when crossed, will call you to the stand and make you open your mouth and do something. Be it Israel or Darfur, profanation of Torah values or disregard for morality, don’t become a senseless human devoid of standards and feeling. Take a position. Believe in it. Scream about it. Act upon it!

Do something about it:

As humans, and, even more so, as Jews, we must assume responsibility for the present and the future. It is all about you and me.

Why be scared of a Gun?

They tell of a representative on the road that broke all records for sales in his company. When asked the secret of his success, he explained that the first thing he said when someone opened the door was, "Did you see what your neighbor Mrs. Jones just got?"

That trick never failed him.

***

He was not cooperating with the interrogation; they had been asking questions for hours and he was avoiding them.

He knew good and well that this was not the place for games. Here death was determined on a whim, the fate of individuals privy to the mood of the interrogator. A prisoner's life was of no value to them. Yet he didn't care.

The officer fumed and lifted his pistol: "Do you see this toy? Maybe this will open your mouth!"

The prisoner, Rabbi Joseph Schneerson, was calm as he responded, "This toy can only scare one who has one world and two deities, but for someone with One G-d and two worlds, this is truly nothing more than a toy."

With a gun swinging at his head in one of the must frightening prisons of Stalin's era, such belief and bravery is phenomenal.

This extraordinary drama of self-sacrifice and courage unfolded 80 years ago, with the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe in the confines of Shpalerka prison. And yet, its message still rings true in today's prisons of temptations and popular opinion.

The gun may not be made of steel. Rather, it might be fashioned of "what will Joe say when he sees me with my Kippa?" or "If Sarah could walk like that, why can't I?" Whatever shape, form or reality the "toy" assumes, remember the message: we have One G-d and two worlds. Life does not begin at birth and does not terminate at death.

So if Sandra thinks like this, and G-d thinks like that, or even if you are threatened with the loss of your job or your community because of your convictions, don't hesitate. You're in good company.