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08 November 2024

Shalom Pollack: never again

 We all are familiar with the  famous scene:


People fled in panic from a "civilized" European country after a night of well-planned, coordinated, and targeted attacks against those identified as Jews.
It was called "Kristallnacht", in the heart of enlightened Europe.
After the ashes of six million Jews were scattered, we were assured that it was a one-time mutation of the moral compass of a normally civilized world.

It would never happen again. Ever.

For Jews it turns out, never again is ever.

Once again, on the streets of a major European capital Jews were hunted in a night pogrom.

After ascertaining that their victims were indeed Jewish, they were attacked and humiliated.
In earlier periods, Jews were forced to repeat words of faith to one god or prophet or another. Last night they were forced to repeat the words " free Palestinian" as their victims groveled on the streets of Amsterdam begging their tormentors to take their money and please stop beating them. But as in the past, it was not the Jews' money that they came for.

Money wasn't enough. It never was. The humiliation of the Jews was the aim, their lust.
As it was in 1938 so it is today.
Some may be surprised that in 2024, Europe and elsewhere are spirling, and open Jew hatred is the norm
We thought that disappeared after the Holocaust as we "have learned' that first they came for the Jews then the rest.

I  get it. That is why I moved to Israel.
In the exile, Jews were held hostage by their hosts. That is true as we now increasingly learn even in the great USA that has been  the 'best  Exile' one could ever want. It will never be the same.

What hurts most is that in our own Jewish country, we often feel that same insecurity.
Most frustrating is that insecurity is of our own making. There is no Goy to blame here.

The only country that places big red signs warning that " Israelis are prohibited from entering. It is a danger to your life"
Yes. Jews are in danger in their land and their Jewish government deals with the problem by putting up signs keeping Jews out.

Only in the Jewish land are there concrete barriers at Jewish bus stops to prevent Arabs (Israelis) from ramming them as they wait for a bus.
Arab bus stops don't have them. They enjoy the security of the Jewish state

Arabs use the post office in my neighborhood. I don't dare enter their post office in their neighborhood.
The list is long and embarrassing.

In the Jewish country, Jews are the hostages to their guests.

This can and must change quickly.
The inability of a society to defend itself is the second stage of its demise.
The first stage is its unwillingness to do so.

This is happening in many parts of the "enlightened", self-destructing world.
It doesn't have to happen in the Jewish country.
It must not.

Events are moving quickly in Israel.
Change is in the air.
May God open our eyes

shalompollack613@gmail.com

tour guide and author
"Jews, Israelis and Arabs"

The first Brit Milah — Why didn't Abraham perform the brit milah before G-d told him to?

 Danny Ginsbourg:  Lech Letha

Parashat Lech Lecha concludes with Hashem’s command to the ninety-nine year old Avram - as he was then called :(17:9-14)’You shall keep My covenant - you and your offspring after you throughout the generations. This is My covenant which you shall keep between Me and your offspring after you. Every male among you shall be circumcised..and that shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you. At the age of eight days every male among you shall be circumcised throughout your generations..An uncircumcised male ..shall be cut off from its people; he has invalidated My covenant.’

Comments Rav Eliyahu Shlezinger:’Many commentators have stood on this command: after our Sages ( Yoma 28: ) said that the Avot all observed the Torah even before it was given, why then, did Avram not circumcise himself before he was commanded to do so by Hashem?’

Answers the Rav:’The starting point is the query raised by the Chatam Sofer: how is it permitted to perform this Mitzvah, when there is a danger that it may cause death to the infant?

‘If you should answer that in the overwhelming majority of cases this does not occur, it is a settled halakha that in cases of pikuach nefesh - when there is a chance of danger to life - we do not go by the usual rule of determining by the majority of instances - in which the circumcised infant is not harmed - the risk is still there!

‘The answer is, that we trust that, in the merit if it being a Mitzvah, our Sages promise:’Performers of a Mitzvah will not be harmed thereby’.

Based on this understanding, the Yalkut Gershoni answes our query, as to why Avram did not perform this Mitzvah - as he had performed all the other Mitzvot before being commanded to do so - because there was a risk to life in performing it, which was not permitted to Bnei Noach.

‘Only when he was specifically commanded to do so by Hashem, he fid so, as those assured ‘that no harm would come when observing a Mitzvah’.’

The Shelah Hakadosh proffers the following answer to our query:’Just as Avram ‘perceived’ the whole of the Torah before it was given, so too, in his ruach hakodesh, he perceived that he was destined in the future to be commanded to perform the mitzvah of circumcision.

Since our Sages teach ( Kid’ 41. ): ‘greater is one who is commanded and does, than one who is not comanded and does’, he chose to wait until he was commanded to perform this mitzvah.’

Adds Rav Pinchas Friedman :’In all of the mitzvot of the Torah a person can perform them on several occasions, and Avram therefore performed them before being commanded by Hashem to do so, at the level of ‘not being commanded and doing’, having in mind that, should he later be commanded with that mitzvah, he could then perform it in the higher level of ‘being commanded and doing’.

‘This was not the case with circumcision, as it can only be performed once.

‘Avram therefore decided not to perform this mitzvah before he was commanded, so as to be able, when commanded, to perform it at the higher level of ‘being commanded and doing’.’

The Shelah Hakadosh also proffers another answer- which we also find in the Panim Yafot : ‘Bnei Noach were specifically forbidden to חובל : to ‘ damage’ their body ( Breishit 9:5).

Avram therefore did not feel that he was permitted to circumcise himself, unless specifically commanded to do so by Hashem, as this would then supercede the prohibition.

Rav Yaakov Orenstein,in his sefer ‘Yeshuot Yaakov’, brings an intriguing answer to our query.

The Rambam, in ‘Moreh Nevuchim’, writes that the reason for the mitzvah of circumcision, is that the foreskin increases the power of desire, and that by its removal, the power of desire is weakened.

Expounds Rav Friedman:’We learn, therefore, that before Avram circumcised himself, he had to constantly contend with, and overcome, the wiles of his yetser ha’ra.

‘He perceived that this was the Will of his Creator, who created the yetser ha’ra for that very purpose: that man would have to contend with - and overcome it.

‘Avram therefore did not feel permitted to circumcise himself, unless commanded to do so by Hashem, as this would weaken his yetser ha’ra, which had been instilled in him by his Creator.

‘Only when Hashem commanded him to be circumcised, did he feel that he could do so.’

The Kli Yakar brings an intriguing exposition on our subject: ‘The Torah, in using the word הנה, in the passuk ( 17:4): ‘As for Me, הנה: behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall become the father of a multitude of nations’, indicated that it was referring to something already in existence, meaning: My covenant with you already exists.

‘This is clearly true, as while the circumcision serves an exalted purpose, it alludes to a different, prior circumcision: that of the heart and its purification.

‘Without doubt, even before the physical circumcision Avram already had a pure and circumcised heart.

Therefore Hashem now said to him: הנה: ‘behold, My covenant is already with you’, because you are pure of heart.

‘However, as now I wish to make you ‘the father of a multitude of nations’, I have to let the nations know why I chose you to be the father of a multitude of nations, and that is evidenced by the physical circumcision, which is testimony to the purity of your heart, so that all your generations shall know that by right I made you the father of the multitude of nations.

‘This is why Hashem now said:’And I have established the covenant between Me and you’, meaning: that inner covenant of the heart which already existed but was concealed from the world, I have now established as a sign of that covenant, so that all should know of the ברית עולם: the eternal covenant, that same covenant which till now was between Me and you, will now be a covenant for the whole wotld, as all will know of it and observe it.

A parting gem from Rav Friedman:’The purpose of the mitzvah of circumcision is to instill in a Jew the wish to sanctify the Name of Heaven with mesirut nefesh, should he be called upon to do so.

‘Avram, however, had already offered up his soul, as it were, for the sake of Heaven when cast into the furnace at Ur Kasdim, and therefore there was no need, in his case, for this mitzvah to that end.

‘He therefore did not feel permitted to ‘damage’ his body through circumcision, unless commanded to do so specifically by Hashem.

‘Only when Hashem told him that this was a covenant between Himself - Hashem - and Avram ‘and his generations’, Avram understood that, whilst this trait of mesirut nefesh was already in him, Hashem wanted to instill it so that it would be transmitted to all future generations, as an inheritance, and that was why Hashem commanded Avram to circumcise himself at this point, just before the birth of Yitzchak, so that this mesirut nefesh is instilled in all future generations of our people.’




Mamash! Pogrom in Amsterdam….…… This Might Not Be The First!

 An Israeli who identified himself as Dan said that as Israelis walked from the central train station on the main street, they were attacked by groups of 10 to 15 Arabs waiting on every block, who beat them with sticks. The situation continued for over an hour before the police arrived.

“They were waiting on every street corner, some on motorbikes, and after asking us where we were from, tried to block our way or run us over,” another Israeli said. “If you didn’t answer them, they started beating you up. Within seconds more people join in. Me and my friend were captured a number of times, I can barely walk.”

“No one offered to help us but we will not go to hospital. I don’t trust anyone here,” he said. “The police beat us with their batons because they were afraid of the pro-Palestinians. We are now in the hotel and outside, cars and motorbikes drive by taking pictures.”

Israel’s Channel 12 News reported that a Telegram group for cab drivers in the Netherlands [many Muslims in European cities are cab drivers] was used to coordinate the lynchings of Israeli soccer fans, with group members sharing locations of Israelis and videos of violent attacks. One group member wrote: “Hang Palestinian flags around the city, they will come there like rats.”

Group members justified the rioters: “Baby killers. Jews are cancer, baby killers have no rights.”

Israel’s Diaspora Affairs Ministry revealed on Friday morning that Dutch security officials had received three separate warnings about the possibility of attacks against Israelis, including a warning about violent protests, harming an individual fan who is an Israeli Border Police officer, and a warning that Arabs were planning to raid the Leonardo Hotel where Israelis were staying.

The ministry said that the warnings were sent to Dutch security forces who were responsible for the security of the fans by the Shin Bet and the Prime Minister’s Office. The Border Police officer was also informed of the threat by Israeli security officials.

“Unfortunately, the local forces failed in their mission of protecting Israeli soccer fans,” the Diaspora Affairs Ministry stated:  “As of 3:30 a.m., we have transferred additional information from the networks which are assisting the security forces.”

Ynet quoted an Israeli as saying:  “I finished a four-month reserve in Gaza, and what I experienced here is no less scary. There is a war out here. They ran over me and pulled a knife on me. I am slightly injured, but I am not ready to receive treatment here, only in Israel. We were ambushed. I saw with my own eyes children who were caught in explosions. They are everywhere. No police, complete chaos. Everything was pre-planned. The police here abandoned us. Every fourth person walking the street is a Muslim who came to attack Jews. I’m with hundreds of other Jews in a hotel, the police don’t allow us to leave.”

Israel’s newly appointed Chief Rabbanim, HaRav Dovid Yosef and HaRav Kalman Bar paskened that El Al can fly to Amsterdam on Shabbos to rescue the Israelis. The heter will be re-evaluated based on hourly situational assessments.

Israel’s Transportation Ministry instructed El Al and Israir to add three flights to Amsterdam to rescue Israelis in addition to the three regularly scheduled flights. Israelis whose passports were stolen or lost will be allowed to board the flights without passports.

The IDF’s Home Front Command prepared to launch a rescue mission, “with the cooperation of various IDF directorates, branches, and Israeli security authorities,” the IDF said in a statement. It was later determined that IDF rescue flights were not needed, with civilian flights sufficing to handle the situation.

As of noon on Friday (Israeli time), Dutch police had arrested 62 Muslim perpetrators.

Army Radio reported that the first Israeli rescue plane took off in the early morning hours, with a small and initial rescue team from the Home Front Command, which will arrive first in Amsterdam to assess the situation.

In the next two hours, if necessary, another rescue team will take off with an additional Air Force plane – which includes dozens of people – most of them medical personnel and some security personnel.

The Home Front Command stated that it is prepared to receive up to dozens of injured victims. The national rescue unit of the Home Front Command is also preparing for a scenario in which there is no clear situation and forces will need to locate injured individuals whose whereabouts and condition are unknown.

Forces are also preparing to go to the hospitals in the Netherlands and to accompany injured individuals on air travel.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s office reported on Friday morning that he spoke with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof and emphasized the utmost importance of the Dutch government ensuring the safety of all Israelis in the Netherlands, including those injured and affected by the events.

Netanyahu noted that he views the planned antisemitic attack against Israeli citizens with great seriousness and requested to enhance security for the Jewish community in the Netherlands.

Schoof later condemned the attack. “I followed the news from Amsterdam with disgust,” he wrote on X.

Dutch right-wing leader Geert Wilders condemned the attack more forcefully: “Looks like a Jew hunt in the streets of Amsterdam. Arrest and deport the multicultural scum that attacked Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters in our streets. Ashamed that this can happen in The Netherlands. Totally unacceptable.”


https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/israel-news/2330946/pogrom-in-amsterdam-jews-run-over-stabbed-thrown-in-canal-several-missing-at-least-12-hospitalized.html


Rav Kook on The Message of the Scholars of Yavneh



The Message of the Scholars of Yavneh


The town of Yavneh marks a critical juncture in Jewish history. In the aftermath of Jerusalem’s destruction and the crushing defeat of the Jewish revolt in 70 CE, the Sanhedrin relocated to Yavneh. It was there that Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai and his disciples began the task of rebuilding the Jewish people.



The Sages in Yoma 9b observed that the root cause of the Second Temple’s destruction lay in the nation’s descent into senseless hatred between sectors of society. Typical of the feelings of resentment and animosity that many simple folk harbored toward the scholars of that era is Rabbi Akiva’s recollection: “When I was an ignoramus, I would say, ‘Who will give me a Torah scholar so that I can bite him like a donkey?'” (Pesahim 49b).



Hatred and intolerance festered into civil strife that tore apart the fabric of the nation. The infighting between the various factions in Jerusalem — the clashes between moderates and Zealots, the bitter rivalries between Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes — weakened Jerusalem from within, leaving it vulnerable to the armies of Vespasian and Titus.



The Motto of Yavneh

The Sages understood that, after the fall of Jerusalem, the survival of the Jewish people depended on mutual respect and unity. And so, in Yavne, they set their sights on healing rifts and bringing together the different segments of society in a spirit of reconciliation.


The Talmud in Berakhot 17 records the saying of the scholars of Yavneh


“I am a creature and my counterpart [the unlettered farmer] is a creature. My work is in the city and his work is in the field. I rise early for my work, and he rises early for his. Just as he does not presume to do my work, I do not presume to do his.

And should you say: I engage in much [Torah study and good deeds] while he does less, so I am worthier, it has been taught: One who brings a substantial offering and one who brings a modest offering stand equal, as long as they direct their hearts to Heaven”


Overcoming Divisiveness and Intolerance

In his commentary on this Talmudic passage, Rav Kook examines the underlying reasons for national disunity and how we may overcome them.



While many factors can give rise to infighting and discord, he identifies a root cause: an excessive self-regard and an inflated sense of one’s own importance. This self-centeredness blinds us to the fundamental truth that we are, at our core, not so different from one another, as we all share the same basic needs and conditions of life


Rav Kook then proceeds to analyze each section of this saying of the Yavneh scholars:



1. In terms of the basic aspects of life — our physical, psychological, and social needs — there is no difference between one person and the next. People may differ in their occupations and lifestyles, but this bears no relevance to their innate desire to live and fundamental right to life. On that basic level, the differences between us are incidental and do not justify dissociation and alienation. In the simple yet powerful statement of the Yavneh sages: “I am a creature and my counterpart is a creature.


2. The differences between us are superficial and lack true significance. We all labor and contribute, albeit in different spheres: “My work is in the city, and his work is in the field.



3. While we are keenly aware of our strengths and contributions to society, we must recognize that others have their own contributions. Some labor in agriculture and industry, others in commerce, healthcare, security, and education. Each plays an essential role in advancing our collective life. All are eager and committed to their occupations: “I rise early for my work, and he rises early for his


4. While I may possess strengths and advantages not found in other sectors of society, I must acknowledge that other sectors may possess virtues that I lack. For example, while scholars excel in their Torah knowledge, others may surpass them in generosity and acts of service to society. “Just as he does not presume to do my work” — he does not lay claim to my talents and accomplishments — “so I do not presume to do his.



5. Finally, one might argue that those most devoted to Torah and mitzvot are the ones most favored in God’s eyes. Even this argument, however, is mistaken. God’s approval rests not on the level of one’s scholarship or the perfection of one’s deeds, but rather on the sincerity and purity of one’s heart. And we cannot know what lies in the inner chambers of another’s heart. There are some whose circumstances and natural abilities limit what they can achieve, yet their heart and efforts, judged by God, attain the highest standard. By contrast, there may be Torah scholars, blessed with intellectual gifts and resources, who fall short of their true potential.


Thus, the Sages of Yavneh would say, “And should you say: I engage in much [Torah study and good deeds] while he does less, so I am worthier, it has been taught: One who brings a substantial offering and one who brings a modest offering stand equal, as long as they direct their hearts to Heaven


This was the message of unity and mutual respect in Yavneh, at that dark hour of national crisis. Each of us, even those graced with the greatest wisdom and social standing, should regard all others as our equals, extending to them genuine respect and honor


(Adapted from Ein Aya vol. 1 on Berakhot 2:59)

Mishlei 21:1 ….The Heart of a King in the Hand of Hashem……

Some Jews are going a bit overboard about the reelection of DJT, Rabbis, politicians, and Frum Jews. We are reading things like, "apocalypse", "messianic",  and predictions of things to come. If any of the election promises made (and most if not all were about Making America Great Again, not Eretz Yisrael) come about, is it going to be "Good for the Jews"?  We don't know that yet. He's not even in Office.

Did we forget?? We just crowned HKB"H our KING on Rosh Hashana, and Rejoiced with the Torah on Simchat Torah.  Replace the premature euphoria with Bitachon and Emunah in Hashem, our Only King. Teshuva and Achdus of Yidden is still a prerequisite to Anything.


"Like streams of water is the heart of a king in the hand of Hashem, wherever He wishes, so He directs it." 

21:1 The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.

21:2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.

21:3 To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.

21:4 An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.

21:5 The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.

21:6 The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death.

21:7 The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them; because they refuse to do judgment.

21:8 The way of man is froward and strange: but as for the pure, his work is right.

21:9 It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house.

21:10 The soul of the wicked desireth evil: his neighbour findeth no favour in his eyes.

21:11 When the scorner is punished, the simple is made wise: and when the wise is instructed, he receiveth knowledge.

21:12 The righteous man wisely considereth the house of the wicked: but God overthroweth the wicked for their wickedness.

21:13 Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.

21:14 A gift in secret pacifieth anger: and a reward in the bosom strong wrath.

21:15 It is joy to the just to do judgment: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.

21:16 The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead.

21:17 He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.

21:18 The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, and the transgressor for the upright.

21:19 It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman.

21:20 There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.

21:21 He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour.

21:22 A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, and casteth down the strength of the confidence thereof.

21:23 Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.

21:24 Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath.

21:25 The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.

21:26 He coveteth greedily all the day long: but the righteous giveth and spareth not.

21:27 The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination: how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind? 21:28 A false witness shall perish: but the man that heareth speaketh constantly.

21:29 A wicked man hardeneth his face: but as for the upright, he directeth his way.

21:30 There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD.

21:31 The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD.

07 November 2024

Eliezer Meir Saidel: Thinking Outside the Box – Lech Lecha


 


Thinking Outside the Box – Lech Lecha


וַיּוֹצֵא אֹתוֹ הַחוּצָה וַיֹּאמֶר הַבֶּט נָא הַשָּׁמַיְמָה וּסְפֹר הַכּוֹכָבִים אִם תּוּכַל לִסְפֹּר אֹתָם וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ כֹּה יִהְיֶה זַרְעֶךָ.  (בראשית טו, ה).

 

Avraham had just completed a successful military campaign, miraculously vanquishing the 4 kings and rescuing Lot. I say miraculously, because with a small force of only 318 men (some say, just Avraham and Eliezer alone), they managed to defeat the armies of all four kings, numbering in the hundreds of thousands (or more).

 

The perek begins אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה... (בראשית טו, א). When the Torah uses this phrase, it indicates some kind of קִטְרוּג in Heaven, for example, just before the Akeida (בראשית כב, א), or with Yosef and Potiphar's wife (בראשית לט, ז). Rashi, on the first passuk in our perek, says that Avraham was afraid that the miracle that HKB"H performed for him in defeating the 4 kings, would detract from his reward in olam habah. This sparks a conversation between Avraham and HKB"H.

 

HKB"H reassures him אַל תִּירָא אַבְרָם אָנֹכִי מָגֵן לָךְ שְׂכָרְךָ הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד, "Do not fear, none of your שָׂכָר in olam habah will be diminished". Avraham asks מַה תִּתֶּן לִי וְאָנֹכִי הוֹלֵךְ עֲרִירִי, "All the wealth you have given to me is meaningless. I am barren and cannot have children". 


Meir Panim (פרק יג, קלו) explores the true meaning of wealth, what it means to be עָשִׁיר and comes to the conclusion that it is – children. Children are our true wealth. Although Avraham returned from Egypt laden with untold material riches, all of it was meaningless, without the true wealth.

 

The Gemara (Yevamot 64a) says that both Avraham and Sarah were born with a congenital defect that prevented them from having children אָמַר רַבִּי אָמִי, אַבְרָהָם וְשָׂרָה טֻמְטֻמִין הָיוּ. Avraham asks HKB"H הֵן לִי לֹא נָתַתָּה זָרַע וְהִנֵּה בֶן בֵּיתִי יוֹרֵשׁ אֹתִי, "You have not given me the ability to have children (not to me, nor to Sarah). 

The conclusion of this is that Eliezer, my servant, will be the one to inherit from me". HKB"H replies לֹא יִירָשְׁךָ זֶה כִּי אִם אֲשֶׁר יֵצֵא מִמֵּעֶיךָ הוּא יִירָשֶׁךָ, "Eliezer will not inherit you, but rather - your own biological son".

 

Then we get to our passuk from the beginning of the shiur. HKB"H takes Avraham "outside" and says to him "Look up to the heavens and count the stars if you can, so multitudinous will be your natural offspring". Rashi on that passuk says there are two ways to understand it. The first is according to פְּשָׁט, that HKB"H literally told him to walk outside his tent and look up at the sky. 

The second way is according to דְּרוּשׁ, based on a Gemara (Shabbat 156a), that HKB"H said to him, צֵא מֵאִצְטַגְנִינוּת שֶׁלְּךָ, "Look beyond your mazal". In other words, do not limit yourself to examining your physical reality or your "fate" (mazal).

 

According to the Torah, everyone is born with a specific "mazal", a "star sign" for want of a better word, that defines certain of their characteristics and personality traits. For example, Yosef's mazal is דָּגִים, and just like עַיִן הָרַע has no control over fish (Bava Metzia 84a), so too is Yosef unaffected by עַיִן הָרַע.

 

Basically, what HKB"H is telling Avraham is "Think outside the box. Do not limit yourself to the conventional ways of thinking".

 

The phrase "think outside the box" was coined by psychologist J. P. Guilford in the 1970's in his studies of creative thinking and has since come under criticism from academia. According to more recent consensus amongst experts, the path to true creative thinking is not to "step outside the box", it is to "imagine that there is no box at all". 

In other words, the very concept that a box exists is limiting. True creative thinking, according to modern psychologists, stems from a premise of "limitlessness".

 

In this shiur I would like to explore the technique of creative thinking from a Torah perspective (we see that it originates from the Torah - our passuk above) and how it pertains to our daily lives.

 

Another psychologist, Edward de Bono, coined a different term for the same concept, he calls it "lateral thinking". Here are a few examples of the technique, to illustrate.

 

A person wants to get from point A to point B. The person asks "How do I get from A to B?" In modern times, most people defer this task to WAZE, but as we will soon see, WAZE (which I call oy veyz) is not always the best tool to provide the answer to this question. 

WAZE is programmed in such a way that it will tell you how to get from A to B in the shortest possible time, taking into account - traffic, and other mitigating factors, such as accidents on the road, demonstrations, etc.

 

What if the question is more complex, like "How do I get from A to B using the most scenic route, or the most interesting route?" WAZE cannot answer that question (yet). Perhaps by taking a small detour, costing a few extra minutes of your time, you may discover something totally unexpected that could possibly change your life forever. 

Or "How do I get from A to B in the safest way?". WAZE cannot answer that question either (yet). We often have visitors coming to workshops in our institute and WAZE sends them on a route, that, while it may take the least time, quite frankly sends them through some problematic Arab villages that might not be the safest thing to do.

 

If we relied on WAZE exclusively to resolve all our commuting issues, we might potentially be missing out on many of life's experiences, or worse, we may be placing ourselves in possible, even life-threatening, danger. If this is the way a person lived their entire life, it is obvious how limiting such a life would be.

 

This is not to say that WAZE does not have its uses, I often use it to navigate complex areas with one-way streets, or when my criterion is simply saving time.

 

It all depends on how you define the complexity of the question and what resources you want to expend. Many of us couldn't be bothered and defer to WAZE as the default, out of pure laziness, instead of investing the time and energy to discover other, perhaps more appropriate, solutions. This is perhaps the greatest threat of AI technology - that it makes us lazy and stifles creativity and independent thought.

 

Many of us go through life in this way. We come to rely on a standard "toolbox" of definitions and solutions to steer us through life using a path of least resistance. We inherit/acquire this "toolbox" from our parents, teachers, society … and it defines for us the "realm of the possible".

 

If a person was born with a congenital defect in biblical times, like Avraham and Sarah, according to the standard toolbox of knowledge at the time, there was no possible way Avraham and Sarah could have children. If a person is physically missing a womb (אַיְלוֹנִית), they cannot give birth to a child. 

One comes to accept the "reality" and learns to live with it, however difficult it may be. HKB"H's answer to Avraham is – use lateral thinking, pretend there is no box.

 

Another example of lateral thinking is מִשְׁפַּט שְׁלֹמֹה.  Shlomo HaMelech is confronted with two diametrically opposing claims. He has no way of verifying either claim – there are no witnesses and DNA testing has not yet been invented. According to the "box", the toolbox of knowledge and solutions, Shlomo HaMelech has two choices. 

He can either cut the child in two, in which case both women (and the child) lose. Or he can randomly pick one woman, in which case the probability of justice is only 50%.

 

Any "regular" judge would probably go for the second option, at least there is a 50% possibility that justice will be served. As opposed to the first option, where 0% justice is served. If you opt for the second option the best-case scenario is that the child will be returned to the rightful mother. 

The worst-case scenario is that the child will be given to the wrong mother and the true mother will live a life of longing without her child - but at least the child will be alive.

 

Shlomo HaMelech, however, is a lateral thinker, he does limit himself to the box. He ignores the box – there is no box – and examines the case anew, from a completely different perspective, suddenly discerning nuances that would not have been visible if examined within the confines of the box.

 

How does one engage in lateral thinking on a practical level? De Bono describes different techniques – random idea generation, provocation, movement, fractionation, etc. To explain them all are beyond the scope of this shiur, you may read about them online, or read De Bono's book.

 

What I am trying to achieve with this shiur, is not to teach how to be a lateral thinker, but rather to convince you that you should be one. The Torah is based on us being lateral thinkers, it demands it of us.

 

You might say, how can we ignore the "box"? The Torah itself is a box, a toolbox of solutions and knowledge that defines how we live our lives. It has rigid parameters and halachot for every facet of our lives. If we ignore the box, then anarchy ensues and we run the risk of straying from the path of HKB"H?  

 

The answer to that question is that the "box", the Torah itself, is telling us to think outside the box. It is a seeming paradox, but in fact is not.

 

The Torah is the absolute truth and as such, is not insecure of scrutiny - even the deepest, most "apikorsi" type of scrutiny. The Torah is so secure in its absolute truth that it knows that there is no type of scrutiny that will not eventually arrive at that same … absolute truth. On the contrary - the deeper the scrutiny, the closer one gets to that absolute truth.

 

Contrast this with other man-made "religions" that stifle independent thought. They do so because they are threatened by it, because they are not the absolute truth. When you dig deeper, sooner or later you will discover the lie.  

 

Let us illustrate with an example. There is a halacha in the Torah, to refrain from eating certain types of food that are not Kosher. It is an explicit prohibition. You can live your entire life within the "box", not deviating left or right, many of us do. 

We have complete faith that if HKB"H told us to do something, He knows what is best for us and we would not dream of transgressing such a prohibition. This is commendable, a big מַעֲלָה and we should all be zocheh to achieve it in all facets of the Torah.

 

However, what can you do, there is also something called the yetzer hara, which tries to tempt and test us by lying to us - that what is written in the Torah is not the absolute truth. The yetzer hara tempts and tests each of us differently, according to our own weaknesses, or tikkun that we need to do in this world. 

With someone it is eating Kosher, with someone else it is observing Shabbat, with someone else it is controlling their mouth, their eyes, their greed, their anger, etc.

 

The yetzer hara says to someone who is weak in the area of Kashrut – "Don't live only in the 'box', think outside the box, try something else and get a different perspective. Try this Belgian fried bacon, you have never tasted anything so delicious. You have not truly lived if you have never eaten Belgian bacon".

 

The Torah, the absolute truth, is not afraid of such a test, it is not afraid of such scrutiny. The test is for us, not the Torah, how do we respond to such a challenge?

 

If we succumb and eat the forbidden food, we fail the test. However, if we say to the yetzer hara "OK, you claim that life is incomplete without eating Belgian bacon. Let's check. Let's pretend there is no box – no halacha against eating pork. Let's compare Liam Janssen from Antwerp, a non-Jew, who eats fried bacon every morning for breakfast, with Shmuel Berkowitz from Manchester, a devout Jew who would never eat bacon in his wildest dreams. 

We will not compare their physical health – the prohibition of eating non-Kosher food is not because it diminishes your physical health – Liam Janssen is the picture of physical health and he looks like Mr. World. Let us compare their 'spiritual health', their level of morality and sensitivity. 

Shmuel Berkowitz may not be Mr. World, he has arthritis and limps on his left side, but when you compare levels of spirituality and sensitivity, Liam Janssen may be a 'strapping' guy, but he is also prone to 'strapping' his wife and beating her senseless, when he has had a pint too many. 

You know what yetzer hara, it is true! I may not have 'truly lived' if I never ate Belgian bacon, but if that is what you call living, then I'll pass".

 

Even if you do succumb and chalila eat the bacon, you will immediately regret it, because in reality it can never match up to the false hype and deception of the yetzer hara.

 

Either way, the person will arrive back at the absolute truth eventually, it is unavoidable, because there is only one absolute truth. Rachmana litzlan, sometimes it just takes some people longer to reach point B, but they eventually do. For them, the detour was a necessary element of their journey, they may have been delayed longer in reaching point B, if not for the detour. 

For this reason, it is important to maintain a close connection and a loving relationship even with those who have strayed from the Torah and let them arrive at their destination on their own, in their own good time, without coercion. This is why it is called חוֹזֵר בִּשְׁאֵלָה, because the person will eventually return and will do so, by means of asking questions and discovering the absolute truth.

 

This concept is not really so surprising, because the Torah as such is not really a "box". The Torah is infinite and limitless. When you think the "Torah way of thinking", your thinking is similarly limitless and infinite.

 

The Torah places no boundary on human possibility. There is no "box" for human possibility. A human being can transcend all conceptions of limit, both in an upward direction and also, Rachmana litzan in a downward direction (spurred on by the yetzer hara). We need to freely choose which direction we want to aspire to, upward or downward.

 

The Gemara (Shabbat 156a) above says that all the other nations are governed by "mazal", by the natural order in the world. Am Yisrael, the only nation to unceasingly aspire upwards, defies mazal. We have the true realm of infinity before us.

 

Avraham Avinu, in our conversation above, was trapped in his "box" way of thinking. HKB"H took him "outside the box" and introduced him to the infinite realm of possibility that lies within the power of the Creator, the One who created the "box" that is our world, the One who has the capability of recreating it in any way He chooses, whether it is giving a womb to a woman who is born without a womb, whether it is making the sea split, or the sun stand still in the sky.

 

At the same time HKB"H was laying the foundation principle for Avraham's descendants, Am Yisrael, to think out of the box, to be secure in the Torah to such a degree that we are not afraid to scrutinize, to ask questions – these only strengthen our bond to the Torah and bring us closer to HKB"H.

 

It is impossible to end this shiur without addressing the results of the American elections and the landslide victory for president Donald Trump, especially since it relates directly to the topic of this shiur.

 

If you remember, in my shiur for Rosh Hashana I brought some gematriyot for the letters תשפ"ה and one of them was "דוֹנַלְד טְרַאמְפּ נָשִׂיא". We do not have נְבוּאָה today, but there are hints - if you know where and how to look for them. This is what תּוֹרַת הָרֶמֶז is all about.

 

There are a number of important מוּסְרֵי הַשְׂכֵּל that we can derive from this.

 

The first is how privileged we are to be living in this generation, to be witness and participant in the process of the Geulah in real time. How HKB"H is "turning" the entire world – for Am Yisrael, to bring about the Geulah. It is at the same time exciting, terrifying and gratifying to see how much HKB"H loves us, His Chosen People. 

We all need to say an extra מִזְמוֹר לְתוֹדָה today (תהילים ק') to thank HKB"H for this result which is לְטוֹבַת עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּאָרֶץ וּבַתְּפוּצוֹת and a serious blow for our enemies worldwide.

 

The second important lesson we learn from this is how important it is to think "outside the box". A disturbing trend in the world today is how much people rely on the "box" to understand the "reality" in the world. They think that by looking at the TV screen, the computer screen and the cell phone screen, they will understand the true reality that exists in the world. 

What they don't understand is that these "boxes" are not mirrors of reality. They are vested interests of various groups with agendas. What we see in these "boxes" is not what is real, but what they want us to think is real – engineering of consciousness. This is what the Torah means when it says אֱלֹהֵי מַסֵּכָה לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה לָּךְ (שמות לד, יז).

 

If you want to understand the true reality, you need to think "outside the box" and connect with the true reality on the ground. If you want to know what the actual people, the real, living population think – you will not go to the "box" for the answer, you will connect with the real people on the street. That will give you the true picture. 

The picture on the "box" in Israel is how Bibi is a fascist, how he hates the hostages and wants them dead and how he is a threat to democracy, yada yada yada. The picture on CNN, ABC, MSNBC, etc. etc and most of the other mainstream "boxes" in the USA is how Trump is a reincarnation of Hitler and a (you guessed it) threat to democracy, yada yada yada. 

This is what the boxes are pumping out and it is all lies and manipulations. Reality check – media does not elect leaders, people do. You can try lie to people as much as you want, but deep down, most people in the world have basic common sense and can tell the difference between fantasy and reality. 

What won Trump the election was of course HKB"H causing him to win, but it happened on the ground because the person on the street hears the lies the "box" is telling them and it doesn't correlate with their bank balance and the food in their pantries. 

Deep down, their souls reject the Woke nonsense and they voted with their feet today and made that very clear for all the world to see. We are going to see similar trends continuing throughout the world, in Europe etc. as they wake up from the illusions they have been living in, with a trojan horse on their doorstep.

 

Am Yisrael are streets ahead of everybody else in this regard. Despite what the "boxes" here in Israel are telling you, we are a few years ahead of the USA and Europe, who will soon be following suit and addressing the true threat to life on earth (hint – it's not global warming).

 

For us, Am Yisrael, we need to continue to strengthen our bond with HKB"H and act as the beacon of light to the rest of the world, which is our destiny.

 

 

Shabbat Shalom

 

Eliezer Meir Saidel

Machon Lechem Hapanim

www.machonlechemhapanim.org

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