BH

WhileeveryRabbiwithsomesensewasbusypreparingthisweeksDrashawithsome
referenceto#TheDress(blue&black,bytheway),planschangedafterTuesday.Nomatter
whatonesperspectiveorqualmsregardingtheleaduptothevisit:wasitjustified?wasita
politicalmove?,attheendoftheday,onceNetanyahuenteredthechamberandspoke,all
hadtoagreethatsomethingmonumentalhadoccurred,thenatureofwhichmaystillbenot
quiteclear.Withyourpermission,IwanttotakealookatthisweeksParshatoperhapsgain
alittleperspectiveandunderstandingintothespeech.Ialsowanttoprovidethedisclaimer
thatitisalwaystouchytodiscussstilldevelopingpoliticalandcurrenteventsinShulbutthat
Imeanmywordsinthewayofahopeforthefuture,asrefractedthroughtheprismofour
Parsha.{TheShlahhaKadosh}

Thisweek,weseeanotherleaderwhoisactuallyenduringoftimeofdecreased
popularity,infact,inmodernterms,wecansaythatMosheRabbeinusapprovalratingsinthe
pollsareslippingeverydaythathespendsonthatmountain,awayfromthepeople.Onecan
evenimaginevoicesinthe
machane
,intheencampment,beginningtocarpandcomplain.
WhereisMoshe?HisgoalsseemdifferentthanoursMosheisnotintunewiththe
peopleHestooelitistInfact,allofthesecomplaintsareactuallyreflectedindifferent
Midrashimthatattempttoconstructthebackgroundtotheterribleeventsthatareaboutto
transpire.Uncannily,thelanguageofChazalandtheTorahresonatedeeplywiththeopeds,
articlecomments,andpoliticalanalysesofourdayandage.

Thepeoplebecomerestless,impatient,andfinally,petulant.Theversesindicatetous
thatMoshehearsa
Kolmilchamabmachane
,thesoundsofwaremanatingfromthecamp.
Thewarbeingreferredtohereis,astheHasidicmastersexplain,awaragainstGodasthe
peoplesuccumbtotheirbaserinstinctsandfashionthe
Egel
,theGoldenCalfinaparoxysm
ofidolatryatthefootof
HarSinai
.Moshesfamousresponsetothisistheshockingmoveof
takingthosenewlymintedTablets,the
LuchoshaBris
,andhurlingthemtotheground,
shatteringthemintoamillionlittlepieces.

ManycommentatorsaskhowexactlyitispossiblethatMoshecanmakethiskindof
incrediblyboldmove.TheLuchosaresoholy,theyhaveliterallyjustbeengivenoverfromthe
hand,asif,ofGodhimselftoMoshe.Theyrepresenteverythingthatbeganwiththe
enslavementinEgypt,andthewholepurposeofMosheslifemission.Andheshattersthem!?
Throwsthemtothegroundinrage!?OfalltheresponsesIsaw,thatofR.MeirSimchaof
Dvinsk,inhisgreatwork,the
MeshechChochma
,ismostresonant.Hewritesthatthe
smashingoftheLuchosshouldreallynotstrikeusassuchasurprisingact.Objects,
things

havenoinherent,intrinsicsanctityorholiness,novalue,especiallywhenthatwhichtheyare
meanttorepresentisnolongerthere.Forexample,foracouplethatisdeeplycommittedto
eachother,andprofoundlyinlove,theweddingringandbandaredeeplymeaningful
representationsofthat.If,however,thatrelationshiphascrumbledanddeterioratedinto

contemptanddistance,thoseringsaremeaninglessjewelry,perhaps,Godforbid,tobe
removedinthepresenceofothers.

Inthesameway,theLuchosrepresentthe
Bris,
thecovenantbetweenGodandthe
nascentJewishpeople.ThefirstthingwrittenonthoseLuchosis
AnochiHashemElokecha
and
LoYiheyeLechaElokimAcheirim
ImyourGod,andthisisanexclusiverelationship
betweenus.WhenMosheseesthedebauched,idolatrousspectacleofthe
Egel
,herealizes
thattherelationshiphasbrokendown,andthereforetheLuchosrepresentingthatmustbe
brokenaswell.Theyarenowdevoidofvalue.

ImustconfessthatintheleaduptoBibisspeech,Iwassoconfusedbyallthe
differentperspectivesfor,against,ambivalentthatitwashardtoformmyownopinionof
thevisit,thespeech,andthecontroversythatensued.OnTuesday,theentireHighSchool
whereIteachcamedownforaspecialassemblytowatchit.Manyeminentobservershave
pointedoutthatdespitetheirstillcynicalviewsofBibismotivations,andthelingering
questionofwhatexactlywasaccomplished,thespeechitselfwasstillrivetinganddelivereda
powerful,clarionmessage.Whetheronethinksheshouldhavedeliveredthespeechornot,it
ishardtodisagreewiththe
content
,thedeepfeltsentimentofhismessage.Itwashardnotto
beamwithpridewhenthePurimstorywasrecountedtoastandingovationforQueenEsther
andMordechai.Unfortunately,there
was
thatawkwardmomentwhenthejointsession
neglectedtothrowsnappersandstamptheirfeetatthementionofHaman.

Intheinterestofbeing
danlkafzechus
,andhecertainlyhasmany
zechusim
,Iwant
togiveBibithebenefitofthedoubt,andIthinkthemessageoftheMeshechChochmais
particularlyinstructivehere.TheUSIsraelrelationship,whichisvaluableandmeaningfulfor
bothcountries,hasbeenseenbymanyasundergoinggreatstresses,adistancingofsorts
overthepastfewmonths.Iwanttosuggest,thatmuchlikeMoshe,PrimeMinisterNetanyahu
understoodthatthisrelationship,oftencalledsacrosanctandaneternalbond(tousejust
twotermsfromtherecentAIPACconferencespeeches),neededtoberenewedinthe
interestsofthatwhichitwasultimatelymeanttorepresentfortheJewishpeopleoursafety
andsecurityinEretzYisrael.Iftherelationshipnolongerensuredthat,inthefaceofavery
scary,existentialNuclearthreat,theninawayit
had
tobeshatteredtosomeextent.The
paramountly
chutzpadik
actofdefyingtheWhiteHousetospeakintheChamber,allthewhile
makingahuge
kiddushHashem
duringthespeech,wasexactlythat,inmyopinion.

MosheshatterstheLuchos,notoutofdespair,butoutoftheknowledgethatthebond
betweenGodandtheJewishpeoplecanwithstandthisstresstest.Mosheknowsthataless
idealistic,less
bShamayimHi
covenantneedstobe(re)formed,andthatitwillcomeinthe
wayofthesecond
Luchos
,asGodtellshim
YasherKoachachaasherShibarta
youdid
goodinbreakingthefirstones,Moshe,becausenowamorelasting,realisticrelationshipcan
berebuilt.AmYisraelwillbesaved.

Thisweekwewitnessedanotherrelationshipseeminglybroughttoabreakingpoint,
anditisour
tefillah
thatinactuality,wewillwitnessastronger,lasting,andmeaningfulbond
forgedthroughit.JustasMosheknewthattheTorahispushedtothesideforthesakeof
savinglives,
eislaasoslHashemhefeiruToratecha
perhapsthiswasanintentionofBibiin
whatseemedlikeadeleteriousmovetoultimatelysavetheStateofIsraelandJewishlives.
MayitbeHashemswillthattheprognosticationsofnegativerepercussionsforIsraelinthe
wakeofthisweekseventsbeprovendrasticallywrong,andthatafutureofsafety,security,
andhappinessfortheJewishpeopleensuesadeeper,moremeaningfulrelationship.
ShabbatShalom.