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THE COLLECTED WRITINGS OF RABBI PINKY SCHMECKELSTEIN
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/Rabbi_Pinky
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On The Essence of Leadership
Rabboisai,
I am writing this Drasha in my Shul. No, not my big Shul
and Yeshiva on Thirteenth Avenue. That building was closed under the orders of
the anti-Semites in the Board of Health and their allies in the Democratic Party.
But in my new Shul, located in the basement of my apartment building where we
hold Minyan three times a day… unless someone sees a cop. It gets a little crowded
at times, especially around Layning. But it is a real time saver; if I get to Shacharis
early I can pop a load in the wash and have it ready by Aleinu.
Shoyn.
I would like to begin our Chol HaMoed Drasha with a very
basic question, one which you have undoubtedly heard before: Why is it that the
Hagaddah is silent about the role of Moishe Rabbeinu in Yetzias Mitzrayim? How come during the Seder we speak about
Yankif Avinu and Lavan HaRasha, we speak in great detail about the oppression
of Klal Yisroel in Mitzrayim, including the Egyptian enforced impact on Derech
Eretz – a euphemism for sexuality between husband and wife, and we speak in a
granular fashion about the Exodus itself – the plagues, the expulsion, the
splitting of the sea, etc. – DAYENU! – but we have no mention of Moishe
Rabbeinu’s role in the Exodus, and only passing mention of his name in quoted
Pesukim? What’s Pshat you Mechutziff?
The typical response is posed in many places. The RADAK, Reb
Dovid Kimche, for example, suggests that CHAZAL were concerned that if the
Haggadah emphasized the role of Moishe Rabbeinu, Klal Yisroel might be seduced
into believing in a personality cult, attributing Yetzias Mitzrayim and the
working of miracles to a man, a human being, flesh and blood, and might be
tempted to deify Moishe, Chass V’Sholom, making him the subject of worship and,
essentially, a form of Avoidah Zarah.
But that is not the only response provided by CHAZAL. Many
other responses are offered. The RADAT SHLITA has his own suggestion. He
suggests that the Hagaddah is meant to present the story of Yetzias Mitzrayim in
the most incredibly authentic fashion EVER, without distortions coming from Fake
News or political conspiracies: The Reboinoisheloilum is the greatest, He was
responsible for Yetzias Mitzrayim, and His performance of Nissim, miracles, was
the greatest EVER, and were seen by more Egyptian households than the annual
SuperUrn and the 100,000 Shekel Pyramid combined! Moreover, the only reason why
Klal Yisroel was in Egypt was because of the lack of foresight by Yankif Avinu
(“Lock Him Up!”), the poor economic policies put in place by Yoishaph HaTzadick
(“I would have grabbed Eishess Potiphar by the Erva”, wrote the RADAT), and the
“loser attitude” of Klal Yisroel. According to the RADAT, Moishe Rabbeinu deserves
no credit as he should have gotten Klal Yisroel out of Mitzrayim through better
negotiation skills. Says the RADAT, “’Mild Manned Moishe’ could not lead a Girl
Scout Troop to sell cookies to a group of hungry old ladies who just smoked
Besamim and have the munchies”.
I personally find these Terutzim and many others to be unsatisfying.
After all, the Hagaddah may not speak of the role of Moishe Rabbeinu, but the
Toirah does – Yetzias Mitzrayim and the role of Moishe are the subject of half
of Sefer Shmois and are referenced throughout TANACH many times. Moishe’s
involvement in the Exodus is no secret: We read of it every year, and read more
about Moishe through the rest of Sefer Shmois and in Sifrei Vayikra, Bamidbar
and Devarim. Four fifths of the Chamishei Chumshei Toirah focus on Moishe Rabbeinu,
so if any people were looking for deify Moishe they could find many reasons. As
well, the Toirah portrays Klal Yisroel as “victims”, not “losers”, and
repeatedly reminds Klal Yisroel to be tolerant of strangers “Kee Gerim Hayinu
Ba’Eretz Mitrayim”, we were strangers in the Land Of Egypt. There is no
suggestion in the Toirah that Mitzrayim was the wrong place to go during the famine.
Farkhert - it was our home. Until it was not.
Before suggesting an answer to this Shailah, I would like
to pose a separate but related question: Six months from now we will celebrate
Roish Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. As is well known, the Toirah does not speak
of the New Year at all – It only speaks of a Yoim Teruah, a day of horn blows, at
the beginning of the seventh month. And what is the focus of Kriyas HaToirah on
Roish Hashanah? Do we read extensively about Karbanois, animal sacrifices? Do
we read about Moishe Rabbeinu setting up a justice system? Do we read rules and
regulations about property or morality or religious worship? No, you Mechutziff,
do not even bother looking it up! We read about Avraham Avinu. One might think
that we should read about Avraham at the Bris Bain HaBesarim, the Covenant he
makes with Hakadoshboruchhu regarding the future of Klal Yisroel. Or we should
read about the Aimishteh’s commandment to Avraham that he trim 20% off of his “package”,
if you know what I mean.
But no. We read about the Akeidah, the “Binding of Yitzchak”,
the commandment by the Reboinoisheloilum to Avraham Avinu to sacrifice his beloved
son Yitzchak as a sign of his fealty. “VaYoimer, Kach Lecha Ess Bincha Ess
Yechidecha Asher Ahavta Ess Yitzchak VaLech Lecha El Eretz Hamoiriyah, Ve”Ha’aleihu
Shum LeOilah Al Achad HaHarim Asher Oimar Eilecha” (Beraishis, Perek Chuff Baiz,
Passuk Baiz). “And Hakadoishboruchhu said, take your son, the one son that you
love, Yitzchak, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him as a sacrifice on
one of the hills that I will direct you to.”
How does Avraham respond to this? Does he hesitate for one
second? Does he offer himself as a substitute? Does he try to bargain with the
Aimishteh the way he haggles over the fate of the city of Sodom? Does he even
ask a clarifying question, such as “Hey, Melech Malchei HaMelachim, have You
gone out of your Self-Damned mind? Or are you trying to get me committed to Arkham
Asylum?”
No, you Menuval, he has faith! The Toirah does not mention any
resistance on the part of Avraham, it simply reports that the next morning
Avraham set out with his two lads and his son Yitzchak. It does not even mention
that they ate breakfast, although a Medrish in Beraishis Rabbah notes that they
stopped for coffee at a Starbucks, which caused a delay because Yishmael refused
to order a simply drip coffee, opting for a Grande Vanilla Latte with oat milk
and three Truvia and a dash of nutmeg. My favorite!
How does Avraham Avinu’s behavior compare with that of Moishe
Rabbeinu? Well, the Toirah tells us that the Reboinoisheloilum comes to Moishe
in a burning bush and reports that He has heard the suffering of Klal Yisroel
in Mitzrayim and He plans to take them out of Egypt and deliver them to the
promised land. Hakadoshboruchhu continues, “V’Atta, Lecha V’Eshlachacha El Paroi,
V’Hoitzei Ess Ami Bnei Yisroel MeMitzrayim” (Shmois, Perek Gimmul, Passuk Yud).
“And now, go where I will send you, to Pharaoh, and take out My nation, the
Children of Israel, from Egypt.”
How does Moishe respond to the Aimishteh’s instruction? Does
he thank the Reboinoisheloilum for the confidence expressed in him? Does he
pack his bags for the road? Does he fill up his tank? Does he download the
latest podcasts to keep him busy during the ride? No, he starts to argue incessantly,
like a Mechutziff:
-
“Who am I that I should go to Pharoah and that
I shall take Klal Yisroel out of Mitzrayim (Perek Gimmul, Passuk Yud Aleph)
-
“And when I come to Klal Yisroel and say that
the Hakadoshboruchhu of your fathers sent me, and they will ask me ‘What is His
name’, what will I say to them?” (Passuk Yud Gimmul)
-
“They (Klal Yisroel) will not believe me, and not
listen to me, for the will say ‘the Aimishteh has not revealed Himself to you”.
(Perek Daled, Passuk Aleph)
-
“Reboinoisheloilum, I am not a man of words,
and never have been, for I am slow of speech and have a heavy tongue”. (Passuk
Yud)
-
“Please, my Lord, send someone else”. (Passuk
Yud Gimmul).
At that point the Reboinoisheloilum loses his temper, destroys
a few small cities in Mesopotamia, makes a few species of dinosaur go extinct,
and then orders Moishe Rabbeinu to enlist his brother, Aroin HaKoihain, the Menuval,
to serve as his spokesman.
Rabboisai – What can we learn we learn from the juxtaposition
of Avraham Avinu and the Akeida with Moishe Rabbeinu at the burning Sneh?
For one thing, we learn that humanity is fundamentally
flawed. Avraham Avinu waits nearly a hundred years for a child, and when Hakadoshboruchhu
asks him to slaughter his son, he says thank you. Perhaps he is some kind of maniac
who likes to commit acts of cruelty to children like Stephen Miller. Moishe
Rabbeinu, on the other hand, when commanded by the Aimishteh to lead his nation
to freedom, to serve as a quasi-messianic figure, argues. He complains. He
kvetches. In fact, he sounds a bit like Chuck Schumer.
It is no wonder that the Hagaddah does not talk about
Moishe Rabbeinu. Does the Reboinoisheloilum want to entrust such an existential
challenge – negotiating the exit of Klal Yisroel from the greatest power in the
world -- through appeals, threats and violence – to a human being, who -- by
definition of being a human being -- is fundamentally flawed? No – And that is
why the Hagaddah tells us,
“ V’Avarti B’Eretz Mitzrayim BaLayla Hazeh, Ani V’Loi
Malach;
V’Heekasee Kol Bechor B’Eretz Mitzrayim – Ani V’Loi Saraph;
U’VeChol Eloihei Mitzrayim Eh-Ehseh Shfatim – Ani V’Loi
HaShaliach.
Ani Hakadoshboruchhu – Ani Hoo. V’Loi Acher.”
“And I passed through the land of Egypt on that night – I, and
not a representative;
And I smote the first born in the land of Egypt – I, and
not an angel
And I delivered justice to all of the gods of Egypt – I, and
not a messenger.
I am the Reboinoisheloilum. I am He, and none other.”
-----
Rabboisai,
We live at a time when the folly of human leadership is on
display for all to see. We are facing a global crisis, a health scare that is a
one in a hundred-year event. Without modern science and modern medicine, the casualty
rate would be at a minimum twenty percent of the population; that is the approximate
rate at which people diagnosed with the virus require hospitalization. Let’s play
out the numbers: Out of 100 people, 20 people would die. Out of one million,
two hundred thousand. Out of ten million, two million people. And out of five
billion people, one billion.
And who are we relying upon to get us through this moment? Many
of us are relying upon scientists and doctors and mathematicians, the deepest
experts on the topics. They are not perfect, by any means. But they walk in the
footsteps of the RAMBAM, spending their entire lives in laboratories and
hospitals and universities trying to understand the very nature of the world
that Hakadoshboruchhu created. They use knowledge of the human genome, data,
unique chemical compounds, math, and statistics to identify strategies and solutions
to end the pandemic, or at least slow it down to give society more time to learn,
to treat, to heal, and to binge watch Netflix.
But others are relying on people who are unskilled and
untrained, and who wear their ignorance on their chests like a badge of honor.
They were quick to dismiss the risks of social distancing, and continued to encourage
their followers, their families, and their friends to attend Minyan en masse and
participate in weddings and Bar Mitzvahs, and to this day even participate in
packed funerals. They are the same leaders who provide cures to the Covid 19
virus including (I am not making any of this up):
-
Consuming lemon water. Seriously. How did Fauci
miss this one?
-
Consuming garlic water. I do not know if this
will prevent Covid 19, but perhaps will serve as a form of birth control, which
is not a bad thing in Chareidi communities.
-
Women should stop wearing wigs with long hair,
or wigs in general, and instead should wear Shpitzlach. A Shpitzel (singular)
is a bit of a cross between and oversized swimming cap and the emptied rind of
a cantaloupe. It is another form of birth control.
-
Placing cut up onions around one’s bed. Looks like
Fauci missed this one as well. Clearly he has a Goyyisheh Kup.
-
Pointing a blow dryer at one’s open mouth and
blasting hot air down the throat. I swear: I cannot make stuff like this up.
Honestly.
-
Consuming ginger tea. Apparently there is a
recipe for it in the Zoihar. However, I never saw it there myself; I never got
past the sports section.
Who are these people who make such pronouncements, who lead
their flocks to follow in their paths? These are the same people who have
ensured that generations of Ultra Orthodox are cheated out of receiving a basic
secular education and are condemned to a life of economic struggle and government
handouts. These are the same people who encourage children to get married as teenagers
and produce babies at an industrial rate. These are the same people who
tolerate all forms of sexual and emotional abuse of children and adults, as
long as the perpetrators keep up a semblance of religious appearances; if you
do not believe me, Google “Malka Leifer”.
These so-called leaders would have you believe that they bring
Divine Truth through Daas Toirah, when in fact they have led their followers
into an alleyway with no exit. Are they evil? That may not be their intent, but
as we now know, the outcome is evil. The high rates of illness and death in
communities such as Williamsburg, KJ, Bnei Brak, and Lakewood are the absolute
testimony to their folly.
Our leaders, all of our leaders -- religious, political,
and cultural – are all human beings. They are all flawed. We are all flawed.
However, we can change. By following these human beings who
claim Divine Insight into the abyss, we have missed the critical teachings of Pesach:
Loi Al Yadei Malach. Loi Al Yedei Seraph. Loi Al Yedei Shaliach. Such people
have failed their followers, and in fact are dangerous. They have caused people
to die, and insofar as they continue to advocate false cures, they are
dangerous. Some might even say that they are Rodphim, people who constitute a
mortal threat to others. But at a minimum, they are Avoidah Zarah, and continued
followership is nothing less than idol worship.
How difficult will it be for communities to pursue a new
path? Well, almost overnight I replaced my Yeshivah and Shul with my apartment’s
basement, and my Shtender with the building’s washing machine. And my clothing
has never been cleaner!
But – you may ask --- what of the Rabbis, the elders who
led these communities for decades: How can we replace such people? A very wise
man once told me the answer many years ago, “The cemeteries are filled with
people who were irreplaceable.”
Ah Gutten Yuntif, You Menuval.
---------
Rabbi Pinky Schmeckelstein
Rosheshiva
Yeshivas Chipass Emmess
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