Friday, August 31, 2012

The Temple Institute: Out Here in the Field

Can we do תפילות prayers for:

The Temple Institute?

So that through them The האור Light, The רפואה Healing and The אהבה Love of ישועת יהוה Yeshuath YHWH may come back to הארץ The Land of Israel?

Out Here in the Field
(Parashat Ki Teitzei, Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19)
Elul 13, 5772/August 31, 2012

We are here in the midst of the month of Elul, just weeks away from the Days of Awe - Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. We are also in the midst of the "field"," the great metaphor symbolizing the spiritual opportunity afforded by the month of Elul: "The King is in the field!" That is, the King - G-d, Sovereign over our souls, our beings and our destinies has emerged, as it were, from the remote unapproachable recesses of omnipotence, and has made Himself irresistibly accessible in the field - in our domain. Our domain, if we recall, is the domain of decision making, the domain of discerning between good and bad, right and wrong, that Adam chose for his progeny. In other words, as we approach the new year and the days of accounting and judgment that open the new year, we are being told in no uncertain terms: Although we have chosen for ourselves and have assumed upon ourselves the great responsibility of making our own choices and forging our own paths in life, G-d, the One source of the truth that we seek in order to inform our decisions, is right here with us. He is by our side and we are not alone.

This same metaphor of the field appears two times in our current Torah reading of Ki Teitzei, and each instance resonates fully with the message of Elul. "If you go out to war against your enemies, and HaShem, your G-d, will deliver him into your hands, and you take his captives, and you see among the captives a beautiful woman and you desire her, you may take her for yourself as a wife." (Deuteronomy 21:10-11) The verses which follow place certain conditions upon the victorious warrior, designed to encourage a decision and a course of action based on contemplation and consideration, not on passion or base instinct. The field being described here is the battlefield. Of course the commandment is intended to be taken literally, (and should be, amidst the atrocities of modern times), but it can also be understood to be the battlefield of our daily struggle to choose good over evil, to base our personal choices on contemplation and consideration, not on passion or base instinct. Torah does not judge our warrior or question his character. Perhaps he is in danger of succumbing to his baser instincts, as the commentator Rashi suggests, Or perhaps he is truly being led by a Divine inspiration as the Ohr HaChaim suggests. But by providing a guide to help get him through the minefield of conflicting choices, Torah is extending a helping hand. The King is in the field - the battlefield - and His truth is there for the warrior to reflect!

Later in our reading, Torah deals with the case of the betrothed maiden. (ibid 21:23-27) The question of her culpability is contingent upon the location of the crime. Was it committed in the city or was it committed in the field? On the literal level, the question is whether it can be presumed that the maiden cried out for help. In the city her cries would be heard, but in the field they would go unheard and her innocence can be presumed. On the metaphorical level the city is a place of isolation where man is so caught in the mundane details of daily existence that G-d, for him or her, is a million miles away. Out of earshot. In the field, however, the level playing field, G-d is always nigh, ready to lend His mighty hand to guide us through life. Of course the verdict for our maiden in the field is innocent - for in the field her cry is heard by G-d and her actions are informed by His truth.

In the original field, the one known as the Garden of Eden, Adam also required a guiding hand, and yes, G-d was exceedingly close by: "And they heard the voice of HaShem G-d going in the garden." (Genesis 3:8) How tragic that when G-d asked, "Where are you?" (ibid 3:9) Adam did not say, "Out here in the field, G-d, where You are so close!" Instead he replied, "I was afraid[...] so I hid." (ibid 3:10)

Which brings us back, of course, to the ultimate field metaphor - the Holy Temple itself. When we understand the Holy Temple in this context, its significance and centrality is self evident. The Holy Temple is the place where man and G-d are always in close proximity. It's the place where G-d is there always and we are always welcome. It is home in the most profound sense of the word: Home for man. A field of dreams and limitless possibilities for mankind.

Tune in to this week's Temple Talk, as Rabbi Chaim Rabbi Richman and Yitzchak Reuven take a not-at-all wistful look at Ramadan Woodstock and the week-after refuse on the Temple Mount. What is the difference between the longing of ahava - love - and the yearning of devekut - clinging? Joni said it so well: "I Remember the Time You Told Me, 'Love is Touching Souls.'" How is it that after two thousand years of exile we can say with complete sincerity that when it come to us Jews and the Temple Mount: We've never been apart! Yes, ma'am, they can thrash it and trash it, but the Mount remains a part of us - and that they cannot take away!

Elul: The King is in The Field: A Guide to the month Of Elul: The month of Elul, last month of the Hebrew calendar year, is an auspicious time for repentance, prayer and introspection. These are special days of Divine good will and mercy, and the very essence of these days bespeak the basic human need for closeness with the Holy One, blessed be He... and His immediate and unequivocal response. To see the complete article, please click here.

We will begin posting new Return of Prophecy teachings by Rabbi Avraham Sutton in the upcoming weeks. Meanwhile, we invite you take the time to catch up on earlier teachings that you might have missed. Click here to see the entire archived collection of Return of Prophecy teachings.

The Torah readings of the book of Deuteronomy which are read in the current month of Elul as we approach Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur, are perfectly timed and exquisitely choreographed to encourage us and strengthen us as we take stock of our selves and strive to better our selves for the upcoming year. Click here to view Rabbi Richman's teaching on parashat Ki Teitzei (Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19).