Musings Of A Shliach From Montana
One look at the news and you know it’s chaotic.
Syria’s President Assad was overthrown and the rebels are now in control. Romania’s election was canceled by the EU due to claims of Russian interference and they don’t like the guy who’s ahead in the polls. South Korea imposed martial law for a day or two because the President claims North Korea had proxies operating in the south’s government. Russia and Ukraine are still at each other’s throats. Macron of France was “blessed” with a vote of no confidence. Bibi will be testifying in court three days a week in Israel and our country is still fighting over President Trump’s nominees.
Governments are crucial for stability and justice, yet they can be so dangerous. We put so much decision-making in the hands of the few and at times, it makes us forget about the One who is really All-Powerful and truly in charge. It’s easy to forget, as we naturally get caught up in the politics and news cycle, but if we pause during davening and focus on the words we are saying, it becomes clear that we must trust in Hashem and Hashem only, no backup gods, no secondary systems in which we place our faith.
On Sunday, Chavie led a beautiful women’s group where fifteen ladies gathered to make resin glass menorahs and learn about the story of Chanukah. She shared with them the story of men and women, Yehudas and Yehudises who led the Jewish people in their resistance against spiritual and religious tyranny and overcame immense challenges leading them to victory. Most Jews of the time surrendered to the Syrian Greeks, to their culture and lifestyle, and they were called “Mityavnim,” which means Hellenized because they chose the Greek lifestyle. Many of the youth underwent painful procedures to undo their bris, so that when they played sports in the nude, as was the Greek custom, they wouldn’t feel left out.
Yet, among the Jews were the Maccabees, people like you and me who believed in Hashem, recognized his Oneness, and weren’t willing to swap their faith in him for a foreign way of life. Like millions of Jews who lived in different generations under persecution, they understood that there is One Master and that master is not Antiochus or Stalin or Hitler or Haman or Napoleon. We never place our hope in humans; our hope is always in Hashem.
Humans can partner with us. Support us. Stand with us. Help us.
But Hashem is the only Master. The only Decider. The only Provider.
Today, Wednesday, is the 10th of Kislev, the day when the Mitteler Rebbe, Rav Dovber, the second Rebbe of Lubavitch, was freed from Czarist incarceration in 1826. He was arrested due to false accusations about sending money to the Turks, which was obviously false as he was sending tzedakah to his Chassidim living in Chevron, Israel. The night they came to arrest him, the 28th of Tishrei, he was at home in Lubavitch and before he left on the fifty-mile journey to the regional capital of Vitebsk for interrogation, his household was hysterical with crying, screaming, and fainting. But the Rebbe himself? He was calm and unfazed, welcoming people for private “yechidus” and writing a Chassidic discourse. Did he not realize that he was in danger? Of course he did, but that doesn’t change who we are when we have only one master: HaKadosh Baruch Hu. It is said that “one heart cannot have two masters.”
In this week’s parashah, Vayishlach, we read about Esau and Yaakov meeting each other after more than two decades of separation. After all the niceties, Esau offers to travel together with Yaakov, but Yaakov demurs. He tells Esau “Now, let my master go ahead before his servant, and I will move at my own slow pace, according to the pace of the work that is before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my master, to Seir.” The Daas Zekeinim, Baalei Tosafot explain that Hashem was upset at Yaakov for referring to Esau as “Adon” (master) eight different times, and punished him in-kind with Esau’s descendants meriting eight kingdoms before the first Jewish king—the first descendent of Yaakov—became king. The “eight king” reference is mentioned at the end of our very own parashah. The Baal HaTurim takes it even further and says that Yaakov’s punishment for fearing Esau and calling him master is that many of his descendants will end up being strangers in strange lands amongst Esau’s descendants.
Just this Monday, I laid to rest a Yid in Bozeman named Rick Klein, Reuven ben Baruch. He was a proud Jew, and although he never attended any events at our shul, he was always gracious, comfortable in his Jewish skin, and was buried like a Jew. When one attends a funeral, even if you’re a shliach and officiate more than most, it inevitably reminds us of the fragility of life, and in that process, we become more cognizant of our Master, the Aibishter, and less concerned about the silly false masters, the vanity around us, seeking to force us into submission. Stand at enough levayas and you will resolve to live life to its fullest in sync with Hashem’s plans.
The Rebbe, zt’l, often emphasized that the term “mara d’asra” is what we use when referring to a rav, meaning “Master of the City.” It’s not the businessman nor the donor; it’s not the “macher” or the loudmouth, it’s the rav, the one who has hopefully internalized the sovereignty of Hashem in their life, who can serve as a leader in a community, taking care of the physical and spiritual needs of their community members.
In his Sefer Iyyun Tefillah, Rav Shimon Schwab, z’l, explains the morning prayer of Adon Olam. He writes that he heard from Rav Yosef Breuer, who heard it from his father Rav Shlomo Zalman Breuer, who was asked by Rav Shimon Sofer of Krakow (son of the Chasam Sofer), to share something from his father-in-law, Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch, zt’l and he shared the following: “The beginning of Adon Olam is all about the greatness of Hashem, ‘Lord of the universe,’ who reigned before everything was created…the Awesome One Will reign alone. He was, He is and He shall be in glory. He is One and there is no other to compare to Him…Without beginning without end, power and dominion belong to Him…”
It’s all about the greatness of Hashem and then we say, “He is My G-d and my ever-living redeemer…” He, that same G-d that is so Awesome, He is my personal G-d that knows me, cares about me, and focuses on me. Though I may be a small creature, He still loves me and devotes Himself to me.
This is the introduction to davening.
We must always remember that Hashem is our caring Master who wants only the best for us and all the other entities that come around don’t have any power over us. So, let’s celebrate our Master, let’s recognize that truth, and as Shlomo Hamelech says in Proverbs (Mishlei) “A king’s heart is like rivulets of water in the Lord’s hand; wherever He wishes, He turns it… There is neither wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord.”
Rabbi Chaim Bruk is co-CEO of Chabad Lubavitch of Montana and spiritual leader of The Shul of Bozeman. For comments or to partner in our holy work, e-mail rabbi@jewishmontana.com or visit JewishMontana.com/Donate.