Rosh HaShana 5785: A Year in Perspective

Rosh HaShana by Nina Ginsburg.

(October 2, 2024, Rosh HaShana Eve) It'd be an understatement to say that the last one year, encompassing 5784 in the Hebrew calendar, has been an eventful one. Israel faced a treacherous attack by Hamas beginning 7th Oct '24 while on the other side of the world, the B'nei Menashe were a default victims of an ethnic cleansing by the fascist Meitei majority in state of Manipur in India's north east. Needless to say, both were as despicable as it gets and are existential threats to people that have been provoked and forced to stand to defend themselves. In Israel, in the past year Hezbollah has fired several rockets in solidarity with Hamas forcing over 60,000 people living in the north to evacuate and similarly, over 60,000 people have been displaced on the other side. The world opinion is overwhelmingly against Israel for successfully being able to defend itself from Hamas and Hezbollah. It is a question in itself that how many Jews will have to die till it gains world sympathy.

A B'nei Menashe soldier in Gaza.

The B'nei Menashe stands proudly with Israel and we have sent our boys and girls to serve in the IDF. A few have been injured in combat and that there had been one fatality. Meanwhile in Manipur, the state machinery is openly siding with the perpetrators by supplying weaponry to radical Meitei groups like the Arambai Tenggol. It is no secret that Manipur state police joins these radicals in their raids on Kuki villages on the foothills. The conflict began a year and a half ago by branding Kukis as illegal immigrants, poppy cultivators and narco-terrorists. The chief minister of Manipur N. Biren Singh has openly expedited it and is the architect of this carnage that has engulfed the state. But the irony is that the biggest drug cartel, the Itoucha Drug Syndicate is Meitei and former police officer, Brinda Thounoujam, an ethnic Meitei herself, has accused Biren as the biggest drug-lord in Manipur along with his second wife, Olish. A simple Google or YouTube search will yield several articles and videos. All these things boils down to one thing only: the Meiteis covet the lands Kukis live in. They have failed miserably in their

Manipur on fire since the last one and a half year. File photo

quest to rid the Kukis from their lands. The false narratives by the Meiteis keep changing to fuel their despicable ambitions. They have, recently, blamed a 'foreign hand' (when all previous narratives gained no traction) for their dismal failures including the false story about '900 Kuki militants' entering Manipur and an imminent attack on the Meiteis. They even gave a date, 28th September 2024 which turned out to be false. They are right, there is a foreign hand; it is the Meitei secessionist groups like UNLF, PLA, KYKL, PREPAK who have entered India to assist the Arambai Tenggol and the Manipur Police to attack the Kukis. Degel Menashe came into existence when covid arose, depriving

B'nei Menashe receives aid at Maoz Tzur.

several of their livelihood during early 2020s. Over 70 tons of food were distributed in the erstwhile state of Manipur over a period of a year and a half. The Rabbi Eliyahu Hebrew came into existence till it was turned into a home for displaced when the ethnic cleansing of the Kukis began on the aftermath of violence that followed 3rd May. Ever since the conflict began, Degel Menashe has consistently provided food assistance to the displaced that continues to this day. Not only food but clothing,  hygiene products and just about anything a person needs. This was necessary since most fled their homes with just the 'shirt on their back'. Such was the speed and ferocity of the attacks by the Meiteis no one had the time to collect anything they might need. Several spent many days in the jungle being hunted by Meiteis till they found shelters in military camps and eventually making their way to safer places in Kuki inhabited areas in the hills. Scholarships have been distributed to young B'nei Menashe seeking higher education since early 2020. The fifth one for 2024-25 is on the spanner. Forms will be made available very soon and the distribution is planned for December 2024. The exact date will be determined when all applications have been received. So far, close to a hundred students have benefitted from this program with close to half having completed their course or graduated. Degel Menashe even sponsored trips for volunteers to provide a helping hands to Israeli farms whose foreign workers had fled since Hamas's attack.

But the icing on the Degel Menashe cake has been the establishment of Kibbutz Maoz Tzur in Lamka. A 200

A farm at Maoz Tzur.

acre land has been made available by the chairman of BMC(I) Lalam Hangshing on a land owned by him. It houses mainly the displaced who fled the war since last May. Work began last Succot with 4 families, which now has almost 20 families and a headcount of almost a hundred. Degel Menashe still provides for food grains but in terms of vegetables and similar things, they are quite self sufficient. The residents have begun small scale farming for their needs. It is hoped that this will turn into a self sufficient cooperative agricultural community in the near future. Funds are being raised for it. A synagogue was erected and completed a few months ago, despite its modest size, the little community has a full fledged minyan. The community is led by elders Reuven Haokip and Yitzhak Touthang along with a young religious leader, Shimon Thomsong. There are ambitions of reviving the Rabbi Eliyahu Avichayil Hebrew School at Maoz Tzur but it will depend on how much funds that can be raised. Along with it, improving the road and water supply is on the cards. 

In the end, we'd like to thank our donors and long time supporters in enabling us to continue on this noble yet challenging mission. Degel Menashe would like to thank Sabra Minkus, Mimi Efroymson, Meghna Godbole, Operation Exodus and countless many others. 

Last night, as this article was going to be published, Iran unleashed a barrage of 181 ballistic missiles. It was an attack with serious intent but did not cause any significant damage or loss thanks to the IDF's well executed defense as well as its preparedness.

Shana Tova, with hope that 5785 will be a better year for all Israel!

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Parashat Nitzavim-Vayeilech

By Dan Cohen

This parsha concludes our second trip through the Torah with you. Only a few Parshiot are left in the Torah, but we’ve completed the cycle again.  

Each week, I’ve sat with the Torah Portion and tried to identify what was personally meaningful and what might make a good “takeaway” for each of you. In doing so, I found a way to voice many parenting and life lessons I could not share verbally.

This may be the last drash for a while. 

I plan to use the rest of Elul and the few weeks until we start the Torah all over again to chat with you. Together, we can think about the past two years, what we’ve learned, and whether there may be new ways to grow together in Torah that resonate. At the same time, I’ve enjoyed the writing part so much that I might pursue some new writing challenges—Torah or otherwise.

Learning the Torah with you in mind gave me a powerful and fresh lens. Writing to you each week has been a joy. The goal has always been to find unique ways to teach and share. I hope I’ve hit the mark.

In reviewing this week’s reading, I wanted to write about endings. After all, Moshe woke up on the day the parsha describes, knowing it was his last day on earth. I tried to dig into what this sense of finality might mean and discuss the importance of recognizing the passage of time across generations. 

The only problem is that I wrote that already in 2012.

At the end of this piece is a drash I wrote for an OHDS Board Meeting. Rather than recreate the wheel, I’ll leave you to read it and maybe learn from the lessons I drew then. In re-reading that piece from so long ago, I noticed it contained song lyrics and a loving reference to Rabbi Dardik’s teachings. Some things never change. So, back to the drawing board. 

Looking at the Parshiot anew this week, I learned from many sages that these are also parshiot of transition. The Rebbe’s Chumash cites the R. Sa’adia Ga’on. He says that these could be one parsha. Most years, we read them together; in some, we split them up.  This is relevant because of the essence of each and how they sit together. In a way, they are in dialogue with each other.

Nitzavim, the first of the two Parshiot opens by saying, “You are standing today, all of you, before Gd, your Gd -your heads, your tribes and your officers, all the men of Israel.” (Chapter 29, Verse 9).  

Most commentators translate the word choice “Nitzavim” to mean “standing firmly.” Rav Hirsch and others said that if the word was defined as standing, the Torah might have used “omdim.” The choice of the world nitzavim indicates that today, we as a nation stand together resolutely, just as we will in the future. 

Rashi writes that perhaps we “stand firmly” because we just read 98 curses in last week’s parsha, yet we remain standing together as a nation - a tribute to our commitment. Rashi also says Moshe may have brought the nation together to mark the national leadership transition to Joshua, sending him off with our blessing. 

Even though the previous parsha called out all the reasons we were to be rebuked in the future, Moshe tells us we will live on. Hirsch adds that even if our leaders may depart from the stage, our people are “immortal, eternal, and everlasting. The word choice implies the nation will continue standing powerfully and with energetic perseverance.

The Rebbe builds on this idea, saying that we don’t just stand as a nation but as individuals. He references the words elders, leaders, and men in the verse. In doing so, he calls us to individual action. Each of us, he says, has a particular assignment according to our status and skills. When we all do our jobs, the nation will thrive. 

You and I sit here in Israel today as a testament to that lasting journey of unified and individual action preceding us by thousands of years. We live in the same place settled by the same people Moshe spoke to as he departed. We stand on the shoulders of these giants. 

Moshe gathered everyone purposefully, Hirsch said. Moshe urged them to focus on the fact that nothing would be the same once they entered the Covenant and the Land. Their exclusive relationship with Hashem meant their future would be fundamentally different from their past and every other nation. Today, we live that truth.

However, if Nitzavim means to stand firmly in our place, Vayeilech, the second of the two parshiot, is a call to action and growth.  

Chapter 31, Verse 1 begins the second parsha.  It says, “Moshe went, and he spoke the following words to all Israel.”  Unlike Netzvaim, where Moshe stood and spoke to the nation, Moshe heads out to talk to the people on his final day on earth. 

The Ibn Ezra said he went tent-by-tent through the camp. Rambam says Moshe walked through the camp as one who asks permission to depart upon leaving a friend. The Kli Yakar adds that he walked through the camp to show his vigor and demonstrate that Gd determined this was his time to go.  The emphasis was on a man in motion.

R. Gaon combines two ideas—standing firmly and a man in motion (growth)—Nitzavim and Vayeilech. The Rebbe’s Chumash comments on this, saying we must be able to grow without compromising our prior position of strength.

Mom and I have tried to model this balance of firm footing and personal growth in our actions. We chose to stand firmly in Israel, exercising our simple faith in Hashem (Nitzvaim). Yet, our life and Torah learning journey, along with the lessons from these past two years, were intended to show you that growth, expansion of knowledge, and self-connection are daily choices with lasting impact—your personal Vayeilech.

With Gd’s help, Mom and I have given you the world. You carry passports and citizenship in the two most consequential nations on earth. You live a thoroughly modern life infused with the blueprint of the Torah. You have incandescently bright futures ahead of you.    

Rav Hirsch teaches Moshe’s choice to walk among the people to connect and bid farewell in the most straightforward manner possible, which reflects his humility. For two years, with these words, I have tried to humbly find a place in your conscious and unconscious minds where ideas and beliefs take root.

The Torah is there for you when times are great and challenging. In these weekly teachings, I’ve tried to disclose my errors, journey, and the opportunities I’ve received by standing firmly with Hashem while growing through the Torah. I pray this helps inform your choices. That’s the same lesson I drew 12 years ago, and it feels even more powerful now.

OHDS Board – Vayeilech Sept 2012

We are going to be surrounded by words over the next few weeks.  We will hear drashot from Rabbis on the high holidays.  We’ll be power schmoozing (and fundraising) while everyone is in shul.  We’ll be processing the meaning of the holidays with our friends and family over long holiday meals at our tables and in our sukkah.

With that in mind, I wanted to reflect on just a few things in this week’s parsha . 

Given the abundance of words, I chose to focus on the images, not the words that the parsha evokes.

The Parsha is short – really short.  Like 3-4 pages in the chumash short.  I think even scholars realized as they mapped out the year that we wouldn’t have much bandwidth during the Shabbos between RH and YK (often called Shabbat Tshuvah / Shabbat Shuvah – repentance and return)

Despite its brevity, it’s nearly cinematic in the climatic moments it presents here at the end of Moshe’s life.

I ask you to close your eyes and visualize these three powerful images.  As laid out in the Stone Chumash citing Rambam, Sforno & Or HaChaim

First - “After Moshe sealed the new covenant with all members of the nation (last week), they left him and returned to their homes in the Israelite camp.  Then Moses went from his own dwelling near the tent of meeting and walked through the camps of the all twelve tribes to bid farewell to his beloved people and to console them over his impending death – so that their sadness over his departure would not cloud their joy in having sealed the covenant”

Second - “Moshe knew this was the last day of his life, because as the Zohar teaches, the most holy and righteous people are sensitive to spirituality and are able to tell when the soul begins to ebb away from the body.” (Especially after 120 years!)

Third – from Ch 31 v 14 “So moses and Joshua went and stood in the tent of meeting.  Hashem appeared in the tent, in a pillar of cloud stood by the entrance of the tent…”

On the first image, it’s the scene we know and love from every epic battle movie ever.  The knowing and aging general walks through his troupes.  Hugging some, making knowing eye contact and nodding to others. 

I was reminded of what R. Dardik said in his RH drash – that knowledge doesn’t come easy.  It’s the summation of Information Plus Time. 

No one knew the Jewish people like Moshe.  He’d seen them over 40 years in the desert evolve.  He’d faced down revolutions.  He’d pleaded with G-d on their behalf.  No one knew them better.  Thus, as he walked thru the camps, he could urge them to trust in G-d, and share one last blast of trust, in a way no other could.

On the second image, it’s the tight shot in many movies where a sleeping person wakes with a start and a gasp.  Here, I can certainly see Moshe waking up on that day – a day that Rashi says was his birthday day and the day he would die and setting out to make the most of it.   This would be a day in which he walked through the camps, wrote an entire version of the Torah, and had an historic meeting with Hashem and Joshua.

But that exact moment of realizing “today it ends” or could end is striking. 

In popular culture, this notion was captured in a country music mega-hit called “Live Like you were dyin” as a man grapples with an untimely cancer diagnosis. 

My favorite lyric – “I went skydiving, I went rocky mountain climbing, I went 2.7 seconds on a bull named fu-manchu.  I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter, and I gave forgiveness I’d been denyin.”

It was the last line that struck me.  Here in the Shabbos of repentance, if we truly stare down at our own mortality, we’re shown that the biggest gift we can offer to ourselves, hashem and each other is forgiveness. 

Finally, the third image.  There was a magic moment as Joshua and Moshe stood in the Tent of Meeting as Hashem appeared.  Its pillar of fire stuff.  Hashem shares lots of good stuff, and lots of bad stuff that‘s about to happen (and presages the “Song” that Moshe will offer next week).

Early on in our tenure in Oakland, R. Dardik shared a metaphor to understand the passage of knowledge from Moshe to Joshua.  He described it as Moshe pouring what was basically an endless amount of knowledge (water) into Joshua’s smaller vessel – and Joshua only being able to retain what little he could in comparison – with water spilling over and overflowing the vessel of Joshua.  So much greatness and knowledge lost in the transfer.  What a powerful image.

So here we are.  The direct hotline to Hashem just about to be severed.  A last attempt to transmit the knowledge base to and through Joshua, and a frightened people.  People who have seriously messed up and are about to enter a new land.

Where does that leave us?  In the parsha during the tent scene, Hashem says to Moshe, “For I know that after your death, they will surely act corruptly, and you will stray…”

Rabbil Label Lam cites a Kli Yakar commentary, saying there is an even deeper issue involved.

When a person commits himself to embarking on a new spiritual path, he is often plagued by fears that, given how far he has strayed from the proper path, his plan to change will meet with failure.

The lesson from this final image for me was the power of study.  No one, even Joshua was expected to know the entire torah and the entirety of G-ds wisdom.  But we were left a torah, written by Moshe on his  last day on earth, as a starting point.

There was a nugget of Rashi where he comments on another verse – but it applicable here – that despite the prophecy that Israel will slide into sin and provocation of G-d, there is a comforting promise that Torah will never completely be forgotten (Because we will continue to learn it). Rashi on 31:21.  

Parsha Ki Tavo

Parsha Ki Tavo - Today’s the Day

By Dan Cohen

So many times, as my in-laws carved the chicken for dinner, their dogs sat next to the counter. Looking up at the cutting board, our family imagined the dogs saying, “Today’s the day,” hoping the chicken would magically fall to the ground. The possibility was in the air. They never lost hope.

A sense of possibility was also present in the Jewish nation in this Parsha. They’d been wandering for 40 years. They were encamped adjacent to the Jordan River, ready to cross. It’s easy to imagine them thinking, “Today’s the day,” we cross into Israel.

By this time, Moshe has offered his wisdom and his reflection of Gd's word. He described to the people what would happen when they crossed the Jordan. He explained that among our first tasks, we would gather upon two mountains while the Kohanim read us rebukes in the valley below. We would also collect huge stones from the Jordan River, cover them with lime, and write the Torah upon them.

Here are two distinct ideas about this moment in the Parsha that can help identify our personal and national purposes.

In Chapter 27, Verse 8, we read, “And you shall write upon the stones all the words of this teaching so they will be adequately understood.”

Rav Hirsch teaches that there is something universal in Moshe's command. In the Gemara in Sotah 32a, Hirsch identifies that the goal of writing and sharing the word of Hashem on the rocks was to expound on the Torah so all other nations would understand. 

He continues that our job as a nation has always been to help bring about ALL humanity's spiritual and moral salvation.  Now that the Torah has entered the land, that process began in earnest (and continues today).

Rashi adds that in the Gemara in Sotah 32, we learn that the Torah was written in the world’s 70 languages on the stones. That’s a lot of stones and a lot of languages. Ibn Ezra teaches that it was clear and legible to all. A miracle.

Hirsch also looks to Sotah 35b, which explains the expulsion of the Canaanite nation from the land. As if to preempt any territorial criticisms, Gd is making it clear that they need to go. However, Hirsch adds that there would be no reason to expel them if they pivoted to universal human laws like a singular Gd.

Perhaps what Gd is telling us is that while we may be the people of the Torah, our first actual step as a nation into our land is to commit to be a light unto all other nations.

The second big idea follows one verse later.  We read in Chapter 27, Verse 9, Moshe says, “…Pay attention and hear, O Israel: On this day you have become a nation to Gd, your Gd.”

Hirsch identifies a few key ideas. Upon our entry into the land, he says we formally adopted the mitzvot and served as keepers of the Torah.

But he points out that it’s not the entry and possession of the land that is paramount; instead, it’s our fidelity to the Torah.  Saying “on this day” illuminates a shared responsibility to the Torah and is a lifetime assignment for all of us - one day and then the next. 

This service to Hashem is the task that makes us a nation. Hirsch adds that the Torah remains our inalienable bond with Hashem wherever we are. This is the secret to our immortality as a people.

Taking these two ideas together, what can we draw? First, as a nation, we are called to show the world the light of Hashem. Second, the Torah, not the land, bonds us to Hashem.

The Stone Chumash says it plainly. When they entered the land, Moses wanted people to know that their past success and hope for the future depended on their loyalty to the Torah.  Inscribing the Torah on stones in many languages was a miracle and would spead our light. Accepting and living according to the Torah and mitzvot bound us to Him. The Alshich says these were to show us that obedience to the Torah was the only thing to preserve us in our new land.

We all know that chicken falling from the counter isn’t a miracle. But we also know the old adage that goes, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.”

Miracles were ever present during our 40 years in the desert and were set to continue in the land. All it took was for us to bind ourselves daily as individuals and as a nation to Hashem. 

I think that’s what Hashem wants from us. We live this miracle in real time today by living here in Israel and by our choices to cling Hashem. Now we need to continue to serve as a light to the world.