1.
If the Prime Minister were to consult with me, I would tell him that now is not a bad time for military action in Iran or any other move that requires special divine assistance. These are unprecedentedly privileged days.
[vimeo url="https://vimeo.com/383596619" width="600" height="400" responsive="yes" autoplay="no"]
Want more news, videos and stories? Join the Haredim 10 WhatsApp channel >>
I don't know if there has ever been another time in the history of Israel when so many Jews, all over the world, devoted so much time to studying Torah.
The great buzz surrounding the end of the 13th cycle of the Daf Yomi, and especially the beginning of its 14th cycle, swept away masses of new learners who had not previously set times for Torah. True, not everyone will finish the Shas. You know what? One could even estimate that most of them will not finish. They will drop out in the middle. Most of them in the complicated Tractate Eruvin, maybe first, maybe later, but so many learned the first daf this week, and that's a lot.
As my brother Israel told me on Sunday this week: "Every Jew who opened the Gemara today and studied just one page, the first page of Tractate Berakhot, even if he doesn't last until tomorrow, is essentially saying to the Holy One, blessed be He: I want to finish the Shas!""
2.
In recent days, I had the great privilege of being present at two groundbreaking ceremonies held within a single day, thousands of miles apart. The first took place last Wednesday at the Matt-Life football stadium in New Jersey. Nearly a hundred thousand Jews - men, women, and children - gathered together to celebrate the end of the Shas. There were Hasids from all courts, Lithuanians, Modern Orthodox, and traditional.
Not everyone studies the Daf Yomi, but everyone sees Torah study as a central value in their lives. Otherwise, they wouldn't stand for over five hours in an open-air stadium, in the almost zero-degree cold, listening to overly long sermons. It's hard for me to think of another ethos that could unite all the streams together for such a status as setting times for Torah. And that's really not obvious when we're talking about the country of Amazon and Netflix.
From there we rushed to the nearby Newark Airport in time to arrive in Israel, for the conclusion of the Shas of Religious Zionism, which was held 24 hours later at the United Nations Buildings in Jerusalem.
True, there weren't a hundred thousand people there, but there were enough people who declared by their very arrival: setting times for Torah study is a central value in our lives. And that is really not taken for granted in today's religious Zionism.
Rabbi Israel Meir Lau, who opened the event in Jerusalem, recounted how Rabbi Meir Shapira sent a telegram to his father, Rabbi Moshe Chaim Lau, who was his cousin, after Rosh Hashanah 1944, the day the first Machzor set off, and wrote to him in Yiddish: "Moshe Chaim, we deserve Mazal Tov. We have divine help. The Daf Yomi was a success.".
But Rabbi Lau didn't just talk about history, but also about the future. He announced the next target date: 2nd Sivan 5777, the end of the Shas of the cycle that began this week.
Really? It's exciting to imagine the coming conclusion now. One can guess how the preachers will connect the conclusion holiday to the Torah Giving Holiday that will take place four days later and how much they will talk about the establishment of the name of Israel, as one man with one heart, against the mountain, or against the leaf, but again: the issue is not Sivan 5777 but Tevet 5700.
And not the end of the Shas, but the end of the page. A little every day.
3.
And back to the United States, to the huge event that took place there. Someone drew my attention to a text written on the eve of the grand finale. Rabbi Yitzhak Eisenman, of the Ahavat Yisrael synagogue in New Jersey, published "a list of things everyone should bring to the conclusion of the Shas.".
Immediately after I saw the title of this intriguing guide, I made sure someone translated it into Hebrew. First of all, so that I, with my terrible English, would be able to understand. And secondly - for the benefit of the public. This guide is relevant not only to those who attended that finale in the stadium. There is a neat minhag here on the behavior of observant Jews towards those who are not. And besides, there is a fascinating anthropology lesson here on the so-so American character.
""About 100,000 people will come to the MetLife Stadium and another 20,000 to downtown Berkeley," he begins, "so that in the New York area there will be more than 100,000 religious and clearly identifiable Jews, of all colors and styles, men, women and children, who will appear in arenas and places that, to put it mildly, are not usually used for religious and spiritual events. Law enforcement officers will provide security, with God's help. They also know that they will not meet the average population with whom they usually work. Therefore, we, as Jews about whom the Mishnah of the Fathers says, 'Beloved of Israel, who were called sons of the place, you are sons of the Lord your God,' must undergo last-minute training in order to fully utilize this unique event. I have compiled a list of items to bring, for an event that is very significant for the honor of the Torah and the honor of Heaven. So here are the items you must not forget.".
4.
And here Rabbi Eisenman moves on to three things that everyone who reaches the finish line at the stadium, young or old, should take in their backpack:
""First thing: a smile. Remember to bring your best smile with you. Even if you haven't used it in a while, make sure you take it with you before you go to the stadium and that it's shining and looking like new. Make sure your smile is in great condition and ready to go. Remember to use it regularly from the moment you arrive in the area.
Keep in mind that all the employees, security personnel, police, maintenance, cleaning and parking, and everyone who works there - are human beings. These are the same people about whom the Sages said, 'Beloved is man who was created in the image of God, as it is said that in the image of God He made man.'.
""Can you think of a greater irony than a hundred thousand people, children of God, coming together to honor God, and not recognizing others who were created in His image? Smile, smile, and smile even more at every person you meet.".
In the next section, the rabbi refers to New Year's Eve. Yes, Rosh Hashanah, according to their mistaken minyan. The end of the Shas is held on Wednesday, the 4th of Tevet, but the Hebrew date is January 1st.
""The second thing you should bring with you is: Happy New Year! These people all work on a day that is one of the most important holidays for them. A day that begins the new year for them. It is completely irrelevant that they receive pay for their work. Even if they receive a high salary, we must understand that despite everything, this day is usually a day off and a 'New Year's Day' for them. And if you are uncomfortable referring to their year, think of it as giving them a belated Rosh Hashana blessing. You can also think of 'New Year' as meaning a new cycle of the Daf Yomi...
""Third thing: gratitude. This is the most important item that should not be forgotten at home. Chazal have already emphasized the importance of gratitude and expressing this gratitude to others. There are countless stories about our great men, for example Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, who made sure to thank the cook at the yeshiva, which leave us with the impression of the importance of gratitude.
""Remember - and you can start practicing this even before you leave the house - to say thank you to everyone. Of course, this will only be perfect if accompanied by a big smile on your face. Make sure to say thank you to everyone. From the man in the parking lot to the security guard with the electronic metal detector to the man with the dog sniffing for bombs. An event like this, which only happens once every seven and a half years, is not just the end of the Shas.".
This is a Jewish gathering to sanctify the name of the Lord. Especially in our time, when Esau raised his hand, it is obligatory for Jacob to make his voice, the voice of Jacob, a clear and distinct voice. The voice of Jacob's descendants who say 'Thank you' along with about a hundred thousand smiles. As in the mitzvah of the story of the Exodus, in which one must find renewal, so too here in the mitzvah of expressing gratitude with a smile. One could literally say: whoever says 'Thank you' and 'Happy New Year' with a smile on their face – that is excellent.".
And the rabbi concludes the guide: "This list of items does not take up any extra space, and there is no need to pack it in a plastic bag. Let's not miss the opportunity. If more than a hundred thousand children of God smile and say thank you and Happy New Year on Wednesday - we will be able to say thank you very much soon in Jerusalem, God willing.".
5.
You can chuckle at this text. There's something very American about it. That kind of by-the-book politeness, smiles on invitations and half-fake wishes for a happy new year.
But I'm bringing it here in full because I think it wouldn't hurt for us, the Israelis, to read it. I mean, the Americans can really calm down with all their fake politeness. They've already crossed every line.
""I'm so sorry!" they tell me when they simply ask me to move the cart in the supermarket to make way for the endless ketchup shelf. I somehow understand the use of the word "sorry." It's better than "move" or pushing. But what is this "so"? Are you really that sorry for asking me to move a little?
And after all this, we Israelis have, as mentioned, something to learn from American politeness. First of all, because feigned politeness can ultimately lead to a real smile, a smile that comes from the heart, a genuine compliment.
""Know that a person acts according to his actions, and his heart and all his thoughts always follow the actions he engages in, whether good or bad," writes the Book of Education. "And even if a person is completely wicked in his heart and every inclination of his heart's thoughts is only evil all day long, if he awakens his spirit and puts forth effort and persistently engages in the Torah and the mitzvot, even if it is not for the sake of heaven, he will immediately incline toward the good, and from the not for the sake of heaven comes for the sake of heaven, and by the power of his actions the evil inclination dies, because the hearts are drawn after the actions.".
If a person persists in a polite smile, eventually it will become natural to him. After smiles, hearts are drawn. But beyond that, there is a thought-provoking lesson here about our relationship with strangers, with those who are not like us. True, they are Gentiles. True, we do not celebrate Yom Idum with them, God forbid. There is no room for compromise. But that does not mean that we will not be most polite and grateful to every person as a person. As an image of God.
I just have a small comment about the closing of this beautiful guide, but I don't exactly know how to say it politely enough: You don't have to wait for the complete redemption to come to Israel. We hope to see you all here soon. Then it will truly be sooo happy.
Just imagine what the State of Israel would look like with a hundred thousand new and overly polite Jews.
• The column is published in the newspaper 'Bisheva''
