Last Will and Testament

One of the things that makes travel such a rich experience is that it helps us see our own lives and culture in a new light. We start to question things that we took for granted and assumed were natural. We rethink the conventions of our society, sometimes recognizing their arbitrariness, and at other times, gaining a new appreciation of our own native customs.

It is with the mindset of the world traveler that I welcome you to to our upcoming JLI course, You Be The Judge II. As we enter the age of the global economy and increasingly permeable borders, we will be challenged to move beyond our local interpretations of statutes and take a panoramic view of law. By stepping outside the legal system we are most accustomed to, we can appreciate diversity of thought, and place a mirror to our own unspoken assumptions. By learning the language of legal discourse, we gain new tools for the reshaping of our world.

In our first lesson, we will examine what happens when the letter of the law and its spirit are at odds. What happens when something “feels” so right or so wrong, but the law rules otherwise? Are letter and spirit two separate entities, fated to be irreconcilably at odds?

What happens, for example, when a murderer attempts to inherit his victim? To answer this question, we’ll have to explore differences between Jewish and American conceptions of the “Last Will and Testament.” Must this document be followed as written once the testator dies? Or are there circumstances in which a court is free to reinterpret the will in light of particular circumstances, events or new information?

For the most part, courts have found it ludicrous to allow these murderers to inherit the fruits of their sin. Jewish law, however, has an unusual analysis of this situation that sheds interesting light on the nature of ownership in general and inheritance in particular.

I look forward to some lively discussion and debate as we try to make sense of this outrageous situation.

Intro Lesson One: Inheriting the fruits of sin

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Weekly E*Torah by Rabbi Avrohom Altein

How to Cut Your Losses
This Shabbat's Sidra describes how the enslavement of the Jewish Nation in Egypt began to crumble with the Ten Plagues. The first of these plagues was Blood; the waters of the Nile River changed to blood.

There most certainly was a "Plan of Action", a system and reasoning behind the order in which these ten plagues occurred. What why it that Blood was the very first plague?

Egypt was the most powerful world power at that time. Its empire and influence extended over the entire civilized world. The source of Egyptian wealth and prosperity was the Nile River. Each year the Nile overflowed into the Egyptian Delta bringing rich fertile soil. The Egyptian response to this was to treat the Nile River as a deity; they bowed to the river and worshipped it. And they imposed cruel slavery on the Jews, forcing them to become a peg in the wheel of the Egyptian economy.

The first plague was to demonstrate that the supreme power was not the economic wealth of the Nile. The supreme power is that of G-d, who gives life to all and desires what is just and kind. So the Nile River was transformed to a curse rather than a blessing, to convey this very important lesson.

Why though was the Nile changed to blood? Chassidic Philosophy explains this beautifully:

A nation in exile loses part of its identity. The spiritual meaning of Exile is assimilation and the beginning of assimilation is apathy. Jewish youth that were taught Hebrew language and culture but never experienced the excitement of learning Torah with passion and love, will be bored and apathetic about Jewish issues. And that cold indifference breeds assimilation.

Water is a coolant, so water is the symbol of being cool and indifferent. Blood is the symbol of life and warmth. That is why the first step towards leading the Jews out of exile, was to transform the cold waters of the Nile into a river of blood and to replace cold apathy with life and warmth.

A Jew that knows nothing about the beauty of Jewish life will give it all up for nothing, because he thinks that he has nothing to lose. But when Jewish life is imbued with passion, warmth and life, it grows ever stronger and stronger.

Weekly Smile
Nothing to Lose
Economic times were bad and becoming worse by the day. Two storekeepers met and shared their woes. One said that people are short on cash so they buy on credit and leave the store with no cash. He decided to offer a discount to those who pay upfront.

The other storekeeper replied, "My system is exactly the opposite. Those who buy on credit get a discount. In fact, I let them buy for free."

"Why in the world would you do that?" asked the first storekeeper. "Simple," said his friend. "Most people never pay what they owe. By discounting the price and charging them nothing, I cut my losses to nothing!"

Question of the week - Rabbi Moss

Question of the Week:

Can you tell me why G-d gave me a mental illness? Why has he made me suffer? I am not a bad person.


Answer:

Every soul journeys down into this world with two suitcases. One is full of the challenges the soul has to face during its lifetime. The other is full of the talents and strengths necessary to withstand those challenges. The first suitcase is opened for you; the second you have to open yourself.

Your soul's challenge is mental illness. Your mission is to use your talents to turn the pain and frustration into a positive force.

Because of your openness and willingness to share your experiences, you can be an inspiration to others who have mental illnesses. You can bring hope and light to those who are not as strong as you, by showing them just how much they can achieve if they focus on their abilities.

You can also bring understanding and insight to those who have not themselves experienced the pain of mental illness. I for one have learnt an invaluable lesson from speaking to you.

Do you remember our conversation, when I asked you what was the hardest thing about having a mental illness? You said it was the silence; when people discover that you suffer from mental illness, they don't know what to say, and the conversation comes to an abrupt and awkward end.

So I asked you, What would you like them to say? Your answer amazed me.

You said, "I wish they would ask me questions about my illness. I wish they would show an interest to understand what I am going through. I wish they would give me the chance to share what I am experiencing, rather than let me suffer alone."

I'm sure not everyone is as willing to talk as you are, but I suspect that for many the stigma of mental illness hurts more than anything else. Thank you for letting me see it from your perspective. I promise to pass on the lesson.

G-d has presented your soul with a challenge, but He has also given you a bright and warm personality, and a strength of character that can stand up to the challenges you face. This is a gift that I hope you will share with the world.

Good Shabbos.

Worldwide Synchronized Lecture

Since this year is a Hakhel year, a year when the Jewish people traditionally gathered to hear inspirational words of Torah from the Jewish King in the holy Temple, the Chabad Jewish Learning Institute has planned for a series of lectures presented by leading Jewish scholars throughout the course of the year. These assemblies will take place simultaneously around the world via web-casts in an unprecedented display of Global Unity.

The first web-cast will be addressed by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, on Sunday, January 25 at 1:30pm at the Fort Garry Hotel. You can register online at www.chabadwinnipeg.org or send us an email at jli@chabadwinnipeg.org.

Promo video for upcoming JLI course: You Be The Judge

Weekly E*Torah by Rabbi Avrohom Altein

It's All in the Name
This Shabbat we begin reading Exodus, the second book of the Torah. The Hebrew name of Exodus is Shemot (Names). The title "Names" is from the opening words of Exodus. It begins with the words "These were the names of the Jews that came to Egypt." The Talmudic sages point out that the Torah had already listed their names previously in Genesis, when it first described how the Jews left the Land of Israel and came to Egypt. The theme of Exodus is the redemption from Egypt, so why does the Torah repeat here the names of those that had earlier descended to Egypt?

The rabbis explain that the Torah makes a point that the Jews left Egypt with the very same type of names that they had when they had arrived in Egypt some 210 years earlier. Although Egypt was a powerful civilization with a highly developed culture, the Jews did not assimilate and lose their Jewish identity; they still referred to themselves with their Hebrew names.

What helped protect Jews from assimilating was the fact that they did not change their Hebrew names to names that would resonate better with their Egyptian neighbors. A name is a powerful statement of what a person is. When a person uses his/her Jewish name in their daily business affairs it demonstrates that the person is comfortable and proud of his or her Jewish identity.

According to Jewish tradition, the Jewish name is a channel to the soul. The parents are gifted with prophetic insight when they select a name for their child, so that the Jewish name is a perfect match for their child's soul. No one else, not even grandparents or friends, should meddle with the parent's choice of an appropriate Hebrew name for their child.

We usually select a name of either a parent or grandparent, to perpetuate their memory or the name of a righteous Jew, so that the child will be imbued with the qualities of his namesake. We are careful not to name a child after a decadent person or one who led a tragic life, because the name imparts the character of the namesake on the child.

A boy receives his Jewish name at his circumcision. A girl receives her Jewish name as soon as possible after her birth, during the reading of the Torah in synagogue on Mondays, Thursday or Shabbat.

The important lesson of Shemot is the to use our Jewish names with comfort and pride. It will keep us proud of our Jewish heritage.

Weekly Smile
Many East-European Jews shortened and modified their Jewish names when they arrived in North America. They were afraid of anti-Semitism. But it really didn't do the trick. The only name that really fits the Jew is his real Jewish name.

There is a famous story of an elderly East-European Jew named Sean Fergusson. When asked, "what kind of a Jewish name is that?" He explained the story behind the name.

When leaving the old country, people prompted him to identify himself with an English-sounding name so that he would fit into North-American life. But when he arrived at immigration and they asked him what was his name, this Yiddish-speaking Jew was unable to remember. He said "Shoyn Fargessen!" (-Already, I've forgotten! -in Yiddish). And that became his name!

Chabad JLI presents Unity Lecture

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