Adath Israel San Francisco | Modern Orthodox Synagogue in San Francisco | A Welcoming Shul and Jewish Community

Shalom from Yerushalayim!

Shalom from Yerushalayim! Yes, you read that correctly. Johni and I left for Israel on Monday afternoon, had a stopover in Munich and arrived in Israel by 5pm Israel time on Tuesday. We went straight from the airport to the Bar Mitzvah celebration of my great nephew. The event was held in a beautiful outdoor venue, in a forest located south of Yerushalayim, in Gush Etzion.

Some people have asked me why I’m going to Israel at such a dangerous time - “Aren’t you afraid?” The truth is, if you were (somehow) totally unaware that a war was going on in Gaza, you’d never know it if you don’t go near the “Gaza envelope.” Putting that aside, in my opinion, our Jewish brothers and sisters in Israel need all the support they can get at this precarious moment in our nation’s history. And there is no better way to demonstrate that support than by physically being there with them. Are there risks involved? Yes. But I feel that the need outweighs the risks.  

The plan is to be “back in the saddle” on Tuesday, August 26th. Though I will not physically be in town, I’m available via phone (regular number), text and email. Please remember that Israel is ten hours ahead of California, 8am=6pm. 

This is the schedule for the three Shabbatot that I will be away:

For the first two Shabbatot (8/9, & 8/17), our six S.T.E.P. sons (Summer Torah Enrichment Program) will be leining, give the drashas, and lead an interactive discussion between kiddush/lunch and mincha.

On the third Shabbat (8/23), Rabbi Nosson Potash will lein, give the drasha and lead an interactive discussion between kiddush/lunch and mincha. 

Now to the Parasha. 

Naftali Lavenda, a friend of mine who lives in Israel, told me the following story. Last year he visited the Toyota dealership in Modiin to have his car serviced. As he was sitting opposite the woman doing the intake, he noticed lines of Hebrew text, a whole paragraph, tattooed the length of her forearm. 

He was having trouble reading upside down and didn’t want to stare, but was curious what was written because it looked like a prayer, perhaps even Shema. He asked her about the words on her arm and she proudly showed him that it was the entire paragraph of the prayer “Ana B’Koach” (recited every morning). She then showed him her other wrist, which had a small Magen David tattoo, held up her arms and told him, “I have these on my arms to show that wherever I go, Hashem is with me, and I am proud to be a Jew!” 

While some might have looked at the tattoos in disgust – how could she, tattooing is an explicit Torah prohibition! However, instead he was very moved by her response and thought to himself, “Hashem, it’s true that getting tattoos is prohibited, but she could have chosen anything to tattoo on herself – an animal or some idolatrous symbol or other inappropriate picture. Instead, what does she choose? Symbols showing her love for you and the Jewish people! Mi K’Amcha Yisroel! – Who are like Your people Israel!”

So, what does this have to do with the parasha? Well, in the beginning of Va’Etchanan, Moshe davens to Hashem (515 times according to the Midrash) trying to receive a pardon and be permitted to enter Eretz Yisrael, but unfortunately, does not receive a reprieve of his punishment. Why, though, is Moshe not even allowed to at least be buried in Israel?

There is an interesting Midrash describing Moshe’s argument to this effect and Hashem’s rebuttal (Devarim Rabbah 2:8): Moshe argued, if Yosef was allowed to be buried in Israel, then why couldn’t he too be buried there? Hashem responded – Yosef was proud of his land, proud to be a Jew, for he did not correct Potifar’s wife when she called him a Jew and even referred to himself as a Jew. However, Moshe heard the daughters of Yitro refer to him as an Egyptian and did not correct them (that he was a Jew), and therefore was not permitted to even be buried in Israel.

What I find most fascinating is the Midrash’s proof that Yosef was a proud Jew – that he didn’t deny Potifar’s wife when she called him a Jew. Why is that praiseworthy?! If he’s going to argue her claim of assault or worse, then he’ll focus on denying the most serious charge, that he attacked her, not get bogged down in the racial slur and name calling of him as an “Ivri,” so why should he be rewarded for that?!

The fact that she called him a Jew must mean that even in Potifar’s home, he was a proud Jew from the land of Israel and lived as such every day. He made sure everyone knew where he was from and did not hide his Judaism, even though it was clearly uncomfortable to do so. When she called him a Jew, it was not as a racial slur, but rather descriptive and as a clear identifier of the culprit’s identity.

If you think about it, every time we interact with others, it is an opportunity to make a Kiddush Hashem, a sanctification of G-d’s name and show those we interact with that we are proud Jews, and one can demonstrate as much even without a tattoo of Ana B’Koach! 

But even more than showing others, we have the opportunity at least twice daily to affirm our Jewish pride by declaring “Shema Yisrael Hashem Elokeinu Hashem Echad.” In doing so, hopefully the ultimate geulah/redemption will come, and we will all be able to return to Eretz Yisrael as proud Jews.