CAN YOU BE YOU?

Four Europeans go hiking together and get frightfully lost. First, they run out of food, and then they run out of water.

"I’m so thirsty," says the Englishman, "I must have tea." "I’m so thirsty, says the Frenchman, "I must have wine." "I’m so thirsty," says the German, "I must have beer."

"I’m so thirsty," says the Jew, "I must have diabetes."

Israel today is facing a complex reality, with more varied and serious threats than we've seen before. There is a threat from Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, the PA, and the other enemies of Israel waiting for their moment. 

During such times, it is vital that we, the Jewish people, stand firm and united. First and foremost, we must articulate to ourselves—and the world—the truth about Israel.

The early founding fathers of modern Israel, even if they were not religious, were deeply steeped in the realization of the Jewish Biblical connection to the land. David Ben Gurion, for example, had an appreciation of the necessity of anchoring a modern, even secular, Israeli state in biblical and Jewish tradition.

Yet, tragically, this has changed dramatically in recent years. You will rarely, if ever, hear an Israeli leader state the truest and most moral justification for a Jewish presence in the Holy Land: G-d’s gift to the Jewish people. I am sure our leaders are trying to do the best for their country, but the practical consequences of this policy are counterproductive.

The Arabs are protesting against Israel, saying, "You have annexed our land; you are building settlements on our soil; you are intruding into our territories." And Israel routinely responds: "Yes, you have the right to create on these territories a Palestinian state, but we have a right for self-defense." The world, we know, has embraced the Arab point of view. Condemnation of Israel as an apartheid state has become the norm.

The world is sympathetic to the Arab propaganda against Israel because Israel itself has embraced the Arab version of "truth." Israel never refuted the core Arab claim that the territories captured in the 1967 war constitute ancient Palestinian land. Israel only states, that notwithstanding the validity of the Arab claim, she has a right for self-defense. So, the world says: "OK, so defend yourself in your territories, not in theirs."

This remains Israel's most profound diplomatic and strategic error. In many of its actions, it treats the 1967 territories as though they belonged to Israel; yet in its words, Israel agrees to the Arab claim that this is Palestinian land. So, the world is confused: The Arab position is clear to all; the Israeli position is shrouded in mystery. Do they believe this land belongs to them or not? If yes, let them stop saying that they consent to create a Palestinian State there. If not, why do they still maintain a presence there? The Arabs are not confused. Israel is.

And when Jews are confused about who they are and what they believe in, the world resents them. "You are the nation who heard G-d speak at Sinai; if you guys can't speak moral truth, you must be up to something devilish." As long as the status of the entire country remains ambiguous, the terror campaign against Israel will, Heaven forbid, continue. The Arabs will view Israel's moral and political ambiguity as a green light to proceed with their aspiration to "liberate all of Palestine from the Zionist entity." And the world will sympathize with this craving for statehood and freedom. Israel must stand up and put an end to the

The Rebbe’s opposition to ceding land for peace was not based on his belief that the sanctity of the land is more important than life. To the contrary, he often said—quoting Jewish law (Orach Chaim 329)—that this is exactly what will distance peace. The more Israel gives up land, the more bloodshed and loss of life on both sides. The enemy uses all autonomy to increase terror against Israel and simply brings the enemy closer to Israel. If anyone ever doubted the accuracy of the Rebbe’s predictions, just study the case of Gaza or ANY other period when Israel gave up sovereignty over any piece of land, i.e. the Oslo Accords.

At the beginning of this week’s portion Vaetchanan, Moses beseeches G-d to allow him entry into the Holy Land. “Please let me cross and see the good land that is on the other side of the Jordan, the Good Mountain, and Lebanon.”  But G-d refuses.

G-d tells Moses: “Ascend to the top of the cliff and raise your eyes westward, northward, southward, and eastward, and see with your eyes, for you shall not cross this, Jordan.”

The Talmud, sensitive to the nuances of biblical verbiage, picks up on G-d’s expression to Moses, “This is too much for you,” or in the original Hebrew, “rav lach.” What is the message behind these words? And why were they spoken?

The Midrash focuses our attention on the intriguing fact that none other than Moses himself used these exact words — “This is too much for you” — some four decades earlier, during the mutiny of Korach against Moses and Aaron.

As we recall from Korach, together with 250 leaders of the community, staged a rebellion against Moses and Aaron. These men protested the hierarchy in the Israelite community. “The entire congregation is holy,” they said, “why do you exalt yourself over the congregation of G-d?!”

Aaron served as the high priest of Israel, the holiest position within the Jewish people. Korach and his colleagues were Levites or Israelites, who did not possess the same level of sanctity as Aaron and thus could not perform the same services in the Tabernacle. In effect, Korach and his 250 partners demanded that they, too, be granted the status of spiritual princes, performing the holiest divine service in the Holy Temple.

Moses responded that it was not he who chose his brother Aaron as the high priest of Israel; it was G-d who conferred upon Aaron these responsibilities.

And then Moses continued with the fateful words: “Too much for you, sons of Levi!”

What Moses was saying was that the Levites were asking for too much; they ought to be satisfied with what they had and not ask for more.

In a deeply perplexing interpretation, the Talmud comments that since Moses employed this expression when speaking to his adversaries, G-d, too, employed these identical words toward him when denying him the merit to enter the Holy Land. In the words of the Talmud: “With the stick that Moses struck them, he too was struck.”

This is difficult to understand. It would seem from this Talmudic commentary that Moses committed an offense when he used these words against Korach and his colleagues, and, as a result, G-d reciprocated this firm expression to Moses when he was pleading to enter the Land of Israel. Yet the Torah’s account makes it clear that Moses’ rebuke of his adversaries was just. G-d Himself punished them severely. Yet the Talmud intimates that Moses’ dialogue with Korach was flawed and as a result, G-d reciprocated and used the same words against him.

In truth, this Talmudic teaching ought to be understood, perhaps, in a completely different way. Moses was communicating a positive message to Korach—a good tidbit; and in return, G-d was communicating a deeply positive message to Moses as well. The “Rav Lach” in this week’s portion was not a punishment; it was a beautiful and uplifting statement, reciprocating the beautiful and inspiring message Moses communicated four decades earlier to Korach.

One of the profound causes of human agony stems from people trying to be what they are not, and who they are not, and then becoming disappointed and frustrated at their lack of success to be untrue to themselves.

Every person is unique; every soul is unique; every person’s mission is unique. Reb Zusha of Anipoli said, “I am not fearful of Heaven asking me one day, why were you not like Moses or Abraham? Because for such a question, I have a good answer: I am no Moses; I am no Abraham. I fear a different question coming from Heaven’s gate after I die: why were you not Zusha? For that, I won’t have a satisfactory answer.”

When I strive to be beyond my reality, there are three problems:

1) If I am trying to be you, who will be me? By trying to be someone else, my unique contribution is lost to the world.

2) How can I succeed and feel good by being who I am not? I will forever be a failure and miserable.

3) I become a dishonest person. I am trying to live a life that is not me.

This is what Moses was telling Korach and his fellow Levites, “Rav Lachem,” it is enough for you to be who you are. This was not rebuke. It was good news, inspiring news, empowering news. You need not be someone else to be good, to be worthy, to fulfill your mission in life and your Divine mandate. You are allowed to be yourself. You need not be anyone or anything else. If this is who you are today, if this is where you are today, this is how you are supposed to serve G-d, this is how you connect to the truth, this is where YOU find G-d.

How many people suffer anxiety because they hate themselves, or despise their “space,” inner or outer space? Embrace yourself. Give yourself some slack. Relax. Hug your soul. Nurture your heart’s journeys. Remain loyal to your path, your destiny, your struggles, and your unique personality. You will find your ultimate perfection in connecting to truth via your reality, not by mimicking another person’s reality.

It was one of the key teachings of the Tanya. the Alter Rebbe, the author of the Tanya, often complained to him, that they felt their service of G-d was blemished, they felt unsaintly, un-Godly, some of them struggling with ugly cravings. His message in the Tanya was this: G-d wants you to serve him according to your capacity and character. “Be you,” said the Alter Rebbe, “and do not get frustrated that you are not someone else.” Service of G-d means serving Him with your disposition, with your state of mind, with your cravings and addictions.

Forty years later, Moses craves to enter the Holy Land. He feels that this is the culmination of his entire life mission. Without it, it was all a waste.

Moses, the leader, and the liberator, craves to complete his mission by entering the Holy Land.

But G-d refuses to “budge.”

It was Moses who mediated with G-d, performed signs and wonders, gave the people its laws, and fought with them when they sinned. Now he asks G-d, “Please, allow me to avoid the ultimate failure of my life. Allow me to enter the Holy Land.”

So, G-d tells Moses, “Rav Lach.” He is sharing with him good news, deeply inspiring news. You had enough. Do not denigrate yourself and your life’s work. Do not view your life as a failure, just because you did not make it into the Promised Land. You have brought your people to the border of the Promised Land, you managed to see the Promised Land. It is enough. Not everyone is destined to enter the Promised Land. Some people fulfill their mission by bringing the people to the land, by seeing the Promised Land and pointing their people to it.

There is a lovely Chassidic story that makes the point.

A dispute existed between the Alter Rebbe, and one of his closest friends, Rabbi Levi Yitzchok of Berdichev. The dispute was regarding the prayer "V'Shamru" which is said on Friday night. For various reasons, the Alter Rebbe did not include the recitation of that prayer in the Friday night service.

Rabbi Levi Yitzchok once told the Alter Rebbe: “When Jews say V'shamru on Friday night it causes a big lively fair, in heaven above.'"

The Alter Rebbe responded:

“I need not be at every fair!”

There is a deep message here. Yes, there is a great commotion in heaven. It is an awesome thing to be part of. But it is not for me. I do not belong there. Just because it is “lively” and wonderful, it does not mean I belong there. You need to know your soul and you need to know your mission.

It is not easy to overcome the desire to be someone else. Most of us have such feelings from time to time. It can take a lifetime of wrestling before we know who we are and relinquish the desire to be who we aren’t.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Yoseph Geisinsky