Words From Rabbi White

Dear Chevra Shaas/Sheerith Israel

A TALE OF TWO CITIES: MONTREAL/TEANECK continued from last week.

As I wrote last week, Teaneck is a wonderful place for a Jewish family. Yet, Montreal has a unique flavour (and I don’t mean poutine!) It is an amazingly compact city. Just about all of our basic needs are within a short distance of our homes: From wedding halls to, HaShem yerahem, funeral parlors and cemeteries, and the JGH, just about everything Jewish is close by; whereas in Teaneck, attending events often requires long, tiring travel. Despite occasional glitches, Montreal is blessed with a most efficient public transit system. The Jewish Public Library is a great jewel in the midst of the community. And if your eyes need a rest from reading, you can walk across the street to the Segal Centre and the Y. And then, of course, there is the Cummings Centre for Seniors, and all of the Jewish schools in the general vicinity. All of the above create a unique quality of Jewish life in Montreal.

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As important as Teaneck and Montreal are, the cities that are on our minds now are the cities of the Land of Israel. As US ambassador Huckabee said the other day, quoting Psalms 122: “pray for the welfare of Jerusalem” [and of course all the cities of Israel.]

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Rabbeinu Bahya introduces his commentary on this week’s parasha with a verse from Mishlei 21:31: “a horse is prepared for the day of war, but salvation is from HaShem.” That is, a country must be prepared for military emergencies, and yet be aware that the victory ultimately belongs to Hashem. Nevertheless, we have to do our part.

And so, Moshe is told to send people to spy out the land. Not to see if the land is good or not: HaShem had already promised that. But to see the best way militarily to enter the land.

THE FIRST SPY FOR THE MOSAD: PINCHAS BEN ELAZAR

Later on, as they approach the Promised Land, as we read in this week’s haftarah, Joshua sent out two spies on a secret mission to spy out the land, and in particular to check out Jericho. According to tradition, the spies were Caleb and Pinchas. They hid out in the house of Rahab. She kindly hid them from the king’s scouts, who (like the Iranian regime) had heard that there were infiltrators in town. But the Hebrew text reads “she hid him,” in the singular. So Rashi quotes a midrash that she didn’t hide Pinchas, because he had made himself invisible. He must have worked for the Mosad!! [A note to the old-timers: remember the radio show “The Shadow?” The “shadow” was able to make himself invisible to criminals.]

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My granddaughter Leah (daughter of my son Yehoshua and Racheli White) is to be married this coming Wednesday in NJ, “be-sha`ah tovah.’)  One little problem. The Chatan is stuck in Israel!   As of this writing, he is on his way to Egypt, and from there to Milan, and from there to JFK. Shall keep you informed! This will be a real “sha`ah tovah!    We bentch the month of Tammuz: Thursday and Friday. Molad: Wednesday night, 9:58 and 4 chalakim.

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Sunday 26 Sivan, Henry Zingerman observes yahrzeit for his mother Chaya Surah.

Next shabbat, 2 Tammuz, Prof. Ron Gehr observes for his father Werner Ze’ev ben Avraham.

May their memories be for a blessing.

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Shabbat shalom, Rabbi Menahem White, Chevra Shaas