Gratitude for an Interdependent World:

This mailing is dedicated to my beloved teacher, Mrs. Evelyn Grossman, who lived in Far Rockaway, New York. When I attended H.I.L.I. – the Hebrew Institute of Long Island –she was my sixth-grade teacher in the English Department, and when I attended the junior high school, she was my science teacher. There was a spiritual quality to her approach to science, and she instilled in her students a sense of wonder and appreciation for all aspects of creation.

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"One immense bond of love - of receiving and giving - unites all beings. None exists by itself and for itself; there is a constant striving of each creature through and for the others, on behalf of the whole, and of the whole on behalf of every creature." (Nineteen Letters, Letter 3, by Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch)

Dear Friends,

We have a tradition to say a blessing of thanksgiving to Hashem – the Compassionate One - both before and after eating or drinking. In this letter, we shall refer to blessings that we say "after" eating and drinking. There are some food items which are considered to be very special; thus, each of these items has its own unique blessing which is said after consumption.  Examples of such items are bread, wine, certain grains, and certain fruits from the seven species for which the Land of Israel is praised. (The seven species are listed in Deuteronomy 8:8.) All other forms of food and drink have a general blessing. For example, after eating or drinking any of the other items, we say the following blessing which expresses our gratitude to the Compassionate One, the Life of all the worlds:  

"Blessed are You, Hashem, our God, Sovereign of the universe, Who creates many beings with their deficiencies; for all that You have created with which to maintain the life of every being. Blessed is the Life of the worlds."

In the above blessing to Hashem, we express our gratitude for "all that You created with which to maintain the life of every being." Why, however, do we thank Hashem for creating many beings "with their deficiencies"? In what way do these deficiencies benefit the world? A number of years ago, I discovered the following answer which was cited in the name of the Chofetz Chaim, a leading sage of the late 19^th and 29^th centuries:

Since each being is deficient in some ways, it needs other beings to give it what it is missing. The awareness that all beings in the world need each other can lead to world shalom – harmony, wholeness, and peace. We therefore express our thanks to the Compassionate One for creating an interdependent world. 

Have a Good and Sweet Shabbos,

Yosef Ben Shlomo Hakohen  (See Below)

A Related Teaching:

In the Torah portion which we chant this Shabbos, we find the following instructions on how to take a census of the Children of Israel: "This they shall give - everyone who passes through the census - a half shekel of the sacred shekel" (Exodus 30:13). Why is each person to give a "half" of a shekel?  Rabbi Elie Munk, author of "The Call of the Torah," writes:

"The most common explanation for the fact that the Torah demands one-half of the unit of currency from rich and poor alike is that this is a hint to every individual, rich or poor, that he continually depends on others to accomplish the  task expected of him on earth. He is but a part of a whole, and his contribution represents only a fraction of the total picture. Each person needs others to achieve his spiritual goals." 

Hazon - Our Universal Vision: www.shemayisrael.co.il/publicat/hazon/ 

Did You Know That You’re A Kohen?

Dear Friends,

There are twelve tribes of Israel, and the members of the tribe of Levi were appointed to serve as teachers and spiritual guides to the entire nation. They did not receive a portion in the Land of Israel; instead, they dwelt in separate cities that were to serve as centers of Torah. A reference to their special role is found in the following blessing that Moses gave to the tribe of Levi before the nation entered the Promised Land:
“They shall teach Your ordinances to Jacob and Your Torah to Israel; they shall place incense before Your presence, and burnt offerings on Your Altar” (Deut. 33:10.)

A family within the tribe of Levi -the descendants of Aaron -were appointed for a special, priestly role. They are known as “kohanim” -priests or ministers, and they too were assigned special cities that were to serve as centers of Torah. In addition to teaching Torah to the people, they were responsible for the Temple service and its offerings. According to tradition, Aaron merited that he and his descendants would serve as ministers to the people of Israel, since Aaron exemplified the quality that all kohanim should have: a love of shalom -peace and harmony. In this spirit, Hillel, a leading sage of the Second Temple period, taught:
“Be among the disciples of Aaron, loving shalom and pursuing shalom, loving human beings, and bringing them closer to the Torah” (Pirkei Avos 1:12.)

There is a verse in the Torah that reveals that each Jewish man and woman is also a “kohen.” The source of this startling revelation is the verse where Moses proclaims the following Divine message to the men and women of Israel just before the giving of the Torah:
“You shall be to Me a kingdom of kohanim and a holy nation”  (19:6).

Each and every member of the nation of Israel is to be a “kohen.” How are we to understand this role? The root meaning of the word “kohen” is “to serve.” For example, this word appears as a verb in a Divine command that was conveyed to Moses:
“They shall make vestments of sanctity for Aaron your brother and his sons, le-kahan li -to serve Me” (Exodus 28:4).

A kohen is therefore a person who dedicates every aspect of life to the service of Hashem -the Compassionate One.

It was through the giving of the Torah that the people of Israel became a “kingdom of kohanim,” and through fulfilling the mitzvos - the mandates -of the Torah, we dedicate every aspect of our existence -individual and collective -to this Divine service. (For further study, I recommend the classic “Horeb” by Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, which explores how each mitzva of the Torah helps us to serve the Creator and all creation. )

As mentioned earlier, the descendants of Aaron are to serve as ministers to their “congregation” -the people of Israel. Who, however, is to be the “congregation” of the people of Israel -an entire nation of kohanim? In his commentary on the words, “You shall be to Me a kingdom of kohanim,” the classical biblical commentator, Sforno, explains that the people of Israel are “to understand and to teach humankind that all shall proclaim the Name of Hashem and serve Him with a united resolve.” Sforno adds that this will be the recognized role of Israel in the future, as it says: “And you will be called the kohanim of Hashem, ‘ministers of our God’ will be said of you” (Isaiah .)61:6Ibn Ezra, another classical commentator, interprets this prophecy of Isaiah to mean that the relationship of Israel to the peoples of the earth will parallel the relationship of the descendants of Aaron to the tribes of Israel.
In our role as ministers to humanity, are we to go out to all the nations and preach to them? Did not Hillel teach that we are to be the disciples of Aaron, “loving human beings and bringing them closer to the Torah”? 

The beginning of an answer can be found in the following words of the Prophet Malachi: “For the lips of the kohen should safeguard knowledge, and people should seek teaching from his mouth; for he is a messenger of Hashem” (Malachi .)2:7A kohen does not need to seek followers, as people will “seek teaching from his mouth.” They will recognize through his words and deeds that he is a true messenger of Hashem. In this spirit, the Prophet Isaiah tells the people of Israel, “Nations will perceive your tzedek -justice” ,(62:2) and “Nations will go to your light” (60:3); as the primary role of a nation of kohanim is not to serve as a “social critic,” but to serve as a “social model.” The way to bring people closer to Torah is through the spiritual power of our own example.

There is “kohen” potential within each of us, and in a future letter, I hope to explore with you Torah teachings regarding the kohen potential within all human beings. We need to remember that each human being on this earth has the potential to serve, and that one day:
“They will all proclaim the Name of Hashem, to serve Him with a united resolve” (Zephaniah 3:9).


Shalom,
Yosef Ben Shlomo Hakohen