Dr.

Karen Shawn Teaching the Holocaust: Final Project ' ' '

Nosson Schuman August 9, 2012

Holding a glass, half full with water, in front of the congregation Is the glass half full or half empty? It depends upon ones perspective. Some like to emphasize what they have, others what they lack. Both opinions have validity. Perspective, in fact, may be the only truth in the world! This past week I had a disparate opinion from my Teaching the Holocaust professor, Dr. Karen Shawn. The argument was regarding how to interpret the actions of the protagonists in the story, A Cupboard in the Ghetto, by Rachmil Bryks (Holocaust Anthology) A newlywed couple, named Zeif, had the unfortunate timing of getting married right before being corralled into the Lodz ghetto. They brought all their spanking new clothes with them into their decrepit ghetto apartment, hoping to be able to start their lives richly once the war was over. The problem was, the war was not ending so quickly and their poverty and famine was increasing daily. No matter what the severity, the Zeifs refused to sell their new garments. A friend suggested to the husband (page 118), Listen to me, Mr. Zeif, sell some of your wedding clothes and buy yourself some bread and a bit of meat. When you go back to the city youll get new clothes, maybe even better ones. Mr. Zeifs reaction is, Well never sell anything from our wedding outfit. I just told you, we didnt even replace any of it. To spite the Germans well go home in those clothes! As I became more immersed in the story, I became incensed by the fact that Zeif wouldnt sell his wedding clothes for food. Hes clearly going against the biblical directive of loving G-d with all your possessions. We infer from there, not to love our possessions over our own lives. Dr. Shawn had a completely opposite take on Zeifs stubborness. She saw how romantic and idealistic their gesture was. For them, the goal of emerging from the ghetto with their wedding clothes, was their raison d'tre. Their dream of foiling the Nazis plans was actually giving them life! Two correct but oppositional perspectives! Similarly in our Parsha, Bilaam seems to have opposite views of Divine behavior than Moshe. Bilaam says, 23:8 What can I curse that G-d does not curse? 23:21 He sees no evil in Jacob, no perversion in Israel
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Dr. Karen Shawn Teaching the Holocaust: Final Project ' ' '

Nosson Schuman August 9, 2012

In contrast, by the episode of the Spies, Moshe says, You sinned a great sin. G-d, says, Let me be and Ill destroy them. In parshas Korach, Hashem says, How much longer will these people anger me? So, does G-d see the sin of the Jewish people or not? Does he become infuriated with them or not? The problem is that all of these statements are from the Torah, and therefore they all have to be true. Bilaam only sees the water in the cup, the love of G-d for his people. For Bilaam, the love is so great, His anger is inconsequential. Moshe, on the other hand, is concentrating on the empty part of the cup, the work to be done. Therefore, he has rhyme and reason to criticize us.
(It being the 17th of Tammuz today, the sin of the golden calf, we saw how Rav Chaim Vital, lessens the erev ravs sin by saying they didnt hear...)

The great Chassidic leader, Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, once witnessed a seemingly boorish sight. A simple wagon-driver, in the midst of his prayers, began greasing the axle of his wagon. Other shocked bystanders couldn't help but comment on the crudeness they had witnessed. "Imagine a person greasing an axle while praying!" they cried out in dismay. Rav Levi Yitzchak, whose love for Israel seeped out of his every pore, had a totally different slant on the situation. "Imagine such a Jew!" he excitedly exclaimed. "He even prays when he greases his axle! The lesson is: life is all perspective. We can choose our perspective, for our benefit, and Klal Yisraels. Good Shabbos!