Rabbi Kahane, of blessed memory, was so talented in expressing the true Jewish voice. When I read what he wrote I am inspired to be the full Jew I can be.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/9197PS: I highlighted the bold section to underscore a point I made yesterday.
Vayeshev: Forgetting, Remember
Kislev 22, 5770, 09 December 09 11:56
by Rabbi Meir Kahane(Israelnationalnews.com) The following commentary was excerpted and compiled by Tzipora Liron-Pinner from Rabbi Meir Kahane's Peirush HaMaccabee on Shemot (Chapters 2 and 3) and The Jewish Idea ("Faith and Trust").
When a Jew is away from Israel, he must constantly acknowledge that he is a stranger in a foreign land, living among a foreign nation, like one who is with a woman whom he does not know. As Solomon expressed it: "And why should you stray, my son, with an alien woman, and hug the bosom of a foreign woman?" (Proverbs 5:20)
...Human nature is to forget suffering after some time has passed and one finds refuge and starts to live in peace; then the nekhar ("unknown") and the nokhri ("foreigner", "stranger") become Joseph approached the steward with a demand, because the steward owed him a favor, that would not have been considered a sin. Yet, by petitioning him with a request, indicating that we need a favor from a non-Jew, he profaned G-d's name, showing that he did not trust in G-d but only in flesh and blood. From here we derive a major principle regarding aid from a non-Jew: if the non-Jew gives it as part of mutual aid or payment for what he owes the Jew, then that is allowed. If, however, we approach a non-Jew or a country with a request, like a pauper standing at the door, then there is no more severe Chilul HaShem and lack of trust in G-d than this.
It is an un-atoneable sin for a Jew to despair. It constitutes national denial of G-d for Israel to turn to human strength, to non-Jewish allies, and to lean on them while scorning G-d's ability to help. On the national level, this means... whoever relies on the non-Jew and his aid, and fears that without such aid the Jews and their land will be unable to survive, has been caught by lack of complete trust in G-d, bordering on denial of His existence. The individual Jew and the Jewish people as a whole will not be forgiven if they abandon their faith in G-d, the Supreme, Omnipotent King who rules over the world and over the nations. He alone is our salvation.Even totally righteous, G-d-fearing people fall prey to the terrible sin of lack of trust in G-d. As our sages said (Sotah 48b), "What is meant by, 'Who has despised [baz] the day of small things' (Zechariah 4:10)? What causes the future heavenly reward of the righteous to be squandered [yitbazbez]? Their smallness in not believing in G-d."
Had our sages not said this, we would not dare to put this thought to words. Yet, our sages established a great and frightening principle: that it is possible to be a righteous person - i.e., one who observes Torah and mitzvot, who keeps all of Torah ritual - and still be small of faith.
It is appropriate to cry over this, for the signs of this terrible sin can be seen openly in this orphan generation. King David said, "He will bless them that fear the L-rd, both children and adults [lit., 'great and small']." (Psalms 115:14) This hints that some among the G-d fearing have little fear of G-d and little faith. King Solomon warned against the terrible sin of fearing mortal man when he said, "The fear of man brings a snare; but whoever puts his trust in the L-rd shall be set up on high. Many seek the ruler's favor, but a man's judgment comes from the L-rd." (Proverbs 29:25-26)
This week's parasha ends accordingly with, "Yet the [non-Jewish] chief steward [whom Joseph had asked to remember him] did not remember Joseph, but he forgot him." (Genesis 40:32)
Interestingly, at the beginning of the redemption from Egypt G-d told Moses to address the Jewish people with a reference to remembrance (although a different word for remembering is used): "I have assuredly remembered you" - pakod pakad'ti. G-d commanded Moses to use specifically these words because the elders had a tradition that the redeemer would use these words when he would come, and they would thereby know that this was no false messiah: "He [G-d] said to him [Moses]: 'They have a tradition from Joseph that I will redeem them with this word [pakod]. Go, address them with this sign.'" (Exodus Rabbah 3:18)
This also applies to the future redemption of Israel: Pakod pakad'ti - "I have remembered you, and not forgotten you. I have remembered My promise and not forgotten it; I have not redeemed you until now - not because I have forgotten, but because the appointed time has not yet come, the number of years needed to redeem you has not yet passed."
Topic: Rabbi Kahanes Words On The Torah Parasha (Read 421 times)