Happy Rosh Chodesh Elul – first day – head of the month of Elul.
What a special day it is.
A day of renewed closeness to Hashem, a ‘launch’ of the next forty days of heightened sensitivity in prayer, Torah and good deeds to evoke G-d’s bestowal of ‘compassion and forgiveness’ culminating in Yom Kippur.
Personally, I feel uplifted today as I look forward to the inner strength that this month and period provides.
Over the past few weeks there have been a flurry of articles and posts on social media portraying Israeli’s and Jews in a negative light. Our Chabad House in Phuket has received multiple visits by politicians and police brass. Ridiculous, fabricated statements have been attributed to ‘unidentified persons’ during those visits. The articles full of antisemitic tropes, spread like wildfire and evoke vilely hateful antisemitic comments.
As a Thai citizen I pray for the welfare of the Royal Thai Kingdom.
The Torah teaches (Jeremiah 29, 7) And seek the peace of the city where I have exiled you and pray for it to the Lord, for in its peace you shall have peace.
And precisely for that reason, I get aggravated when misguided malcontent people don’t see the disservice they are doing to their own country by maligning the Jewish people who live here.
Hashem promised Avraham (Genesis 12, 3) I will bless those who bless you…
One doesn’t have to be a professor in history to see that wherever the Jewish people have migrated, in whatever location the Jewish people have been welcomed, blessing and success have followed.
The sensible people in the world remember and acknowledge the lifesaving and critical contributions of Jewish sages, doctors and scientists for the benefit of society throughout history.
As the rabbi of the Jewish Community of Thailand for more than three decades I know that the average Thai person is tolerant, welcoming and very pleased to have Jewish people living and touring here.
It is a vocal miniscule minority who have taken the ugly ogres of xenophobia and sprayed them into the otherwise welcoming and amazing stratosphere of Thailand.
I pray that those winds pass and the familiar friendliness that Thailand is famous for prevails for the benefit of the country and its citizens.
Possibly I should not be looking at these negative articles whatsoever.
The Torah portions states quite unequivocally that we don’t need to be worried about the future, just try to do the next thing right now:
Rather than trying to obsessively divine the future, be wholehearted with God, your God: trust Him and accept His providence. You will therefore not fret about the future and thus not feel any need to foretell it. If you behave in this manner, God will keep you in His land…
But…. I did read some articles as I feel the need to stay somewhat informed to make appropriate leadership decisions.
Perhaps I read more than needed…. because earlier this week it got to me. I found myself pulled down into a mood that was not energetic or optimistic. And although I know that G-d’s presence requires positive and joyous energy, my heart was not feeling it.
In seeking to be released from my moody musings, I shared the challenge of the negative media with some friends.
I got three responses. Each helpful in their own way.
One friend sagely commented ‘this too will pass’. גם זה יעבור
Indeed, in Thailand as in the world in general, we see that the news moves on to the next item eventually. Hopefully we are starting to see the move in the right direction.
Another friend said with conviction (quoting the Torah verse about the enslavement in Egypt and the resulting proliferation of the Jewish people "But the more [the Egyptians] oppressed him [the Israelites], the more [they] increased and spread"
וכאשר יענו אותו כן ירבה וכן יפרוץ
You will see, this will lead to blessing of further expansion.
Indeed, we are currently involved in some exciting programs of expanded Jewish activity both for the local community as well as the traveling community. They are still in the development stages and not yet time to disclose publicly – the blessings are best developed in discreetness and modesty.
Another close friend said, ‘this too is for the good’. גם זו לטובה
The exposure and publicity about the Jewish presence in Thailand will be a conduit to having more Jewish engagement with Jews who may not have been aware of the prayer and mitzvah opportunities here.
True. Discreet is good sometimes. Publicity is critical when it comes to getting the word out.
I would like to find a way to harness this publicity to urge Jews to be more Jewishly active by doing mitzvahs and studying Torah.
And to invite local Jewish residents to come and join us for the High Holidays and Sukkot/Simchat Torah.
For Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur we have a wonderful Synagogue service and joyous communal festival meals at the Rembrandt Hotel on Soi 18. The atmosphere is inspiring and the food is delicious.
Click here for more information.
Sukkot and Simchat Torah is at our La Maison location. The joy and jubilance at those celebrations and legendary.
Please come and bring a friend or two with you.
This message of hope and optimism – that everything is for the good - is so appropriate to the time of the year we are in.
As we emerge from Tisha B’av, the days of the destruction of the Bet Hamikdash, we begin to focus on the rebuilding and rebirth.
We also totally reframe the destruction of the second temple as being a demolition to make way for the new building, the third and eternal Bet Hamikdash.
The joy that follows the sorrow is very powerful.
When I meditated and focused on this, it helped me reframe and regain my positive upbeat spirits!
Then, this morning I read an essay of the Rebbe about the next level positive energy that the month of Elul brings.
You see, the month of Menachem Av, is a month that contains mournful and sorrowful days. True, we emerge from those days to the high and powerful joyous day of 15th of Av, but it is still against a backdrop of prior suffering. There is a contrast that on one hand enhances the joy, but on the other hand still contains a starting point of pain.
The month of Elul is a month that is all about accessibility to G-d.
The ability to ‘meet the King’ without the usual requirements of intense preparation.
Hashem’s countenance shines during this month with an approachability and affability that is compared to a king going out into the field to allow his subjects easy access to establish a relationship with him.
Usually, one would need to enter the palace with intense preparation and multiple stages of scrutiny and worthiness.
During this month Hashem shines His presence in a way that all we need to do is want to receive him and we are allowed in.
This then allows us to build up our connection to Him and be worthy of entering His ‘Palace’ which allegorically refers to the Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur Days of Awe.
The sheer beauty and intensity of having this kind of revealed relationship with G-d leaves no room for any kind of pessimism or negative energy.
This buoys me and elevates me – and I hope by sharing it, you too are similarly inspired - to even greater levels of anticipation and excitement for the G-dly mission that we are to engage in. This mission requires our maximum efforts to add in light of Torah and Mitzvahs and drive away the darkness.
It’s a form of battle. To repel the forces of darkness and usher in the light. To bring Mashiach through acts of goodness and kindness.
The only way to success in battle is by marching forward with confidence, trust and faith in the Almighty.
This week’s Torah portion Shoftim sums it up.
Today you are approaching the battle against your enemies... You must not be afraid! You must not be alarmed! And you must not be terrified of them!
For you have the protection of God, your God; He is the one who accompanies you, to fight for you against your enemies, and to save you from them.’
To put it simply:
Have no fear.
Almighty G-d is with you.
My dear friend, let us strengthen Jewish togetherness.
We have enough detractors and enemies from the outside. We need to tighten our connection with each other from the inside.
Unity is the vessel for all the G-dly blessings that we pray for.
Helping others through giving Tzedakah is especially potent in ushering in the Geulah redemption from this exile. Click here to get a headstart on your New Year's Tzedakah.
It is a Jewish custom to begin to wish all one’s acquaintances blessings of Shana Tova that they be inscribed and sealed in the book of life and living.
Let me begin right here and now.
On behalf of my wife Nechama and myself
Shana Tova Umetukah – May you have a GOOD and SWEET Year.
Chodesh Tov,
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Yosef Kantor