Weekly Story: Rabbi Donald Trump – We Are One Family

by Rabbi Sholom DovBer Avtzon 

Last year I attended Renewal’s Shabbaton, and the keynote speaker was Rabbi Donald Trump, a Rov in the Five Towns.

I am sharing a poignant thought he delivered, not only in speech but in action by donating one of his kidneys, to another Jew, whom he had never met or spoken to before. 

As always, your feedback and comments are greatly appreciated and most welcomed. 

Before one is accepted or allowed to donate a kidney (or another organ), their doctor has to verify that they are in good health, and the operation would not cause a negative impact on them. This is of course after they medically verified that they are a good or even excellent match for the recipient.

He related, when I had that appointment with my nephrologist (kidney specialist), I said, “Doctor can I ask you something?”

“’Yes, you can and should ask whatever is concerning you,’ my doctor replied.

“Doctor, you are signing a paper affirming that I am healthy and able to donate one of my kidneys. You mentioned how altruistic and remarkable it is to donate an organ to someone who I have never met. My question is, would you yourself consider donating one of your kidneys?

“’If it is a family member, [such as] my parents, siblings, children and my spouse, I wouldn’t hesitate a moment. But if it is not a family member, rather a stranger, then I would do so only after I am sixty, after I achieved whatever I was able to.’

“I replied, doctor we basically agree on everything yoi just said. [So the question is, why at my relative young age, I am going ahead and will shortly be donating one of my two kidneys? The answer is that] we just define family differently. To you family means your immediate relatives, your parents, siblings, children and spouse. To me it means the Jewish community at large.”

I chose to post this story for two reasons: A. We are in midst of the month of Elul, when we are trying to come closer to Hashem, and a father desires to see his children getting along with each other and when the children give him this happiness, he in turn blesses them and fulfills all of their hearts desires.

Additionally, just as I and an additional fifteen hundred individuals were assisted through Renewals auspices, so too there are hundreds more of our brothers and sisters who are hoping and praying for a kidney match.

My benefit is unmeasurable,  (and indirectly everyone who enjoys this weekly story or my books are benefitting to a much lesser degree) from Renewal facilitating my transplant, So I turn to each one of you with the request to please join me in assisting Renewal help others as well. Sadly to say there are hundreds of our brothers and sisters, including members of Anash and those who are members in Chabad shuls and schools that are on the waiting list to receive a transplant.

To participate, in whatever amount you can, and help another Jew gain a new lease on life, please click on this link https://www.dryveup.com/renewal/2640

This Yud Aleph Elul, is a major milestone for me, as it is three years since with Hashem’s miraculous ways, Renewal was able to find me an almost perfect match. 

The first Hakaras Hatov goes to the Eibishter, who created such a possibility and created another Jew, who was a better match than one of my own nephews. Before, while and after the operation, I promised to add something in my avodah, and that is the reason I began adding A Taste of Chassidus three years ago. 

Additionally, just as my donor, gave a kidney without knowing who it was for and without any renumeration, I learned that I too should be willing to help others without expecting anything in return, and therefore as you remember I requested that you please participate in helping Chasdei Avrohom Eliezer, enable parents to send their children to camp. Boruch Hashem, due to your and others generosity we were able to raise over 130.000 dollars and help over 230 families.

I am eternally indebted to my donor Reb Aryeh Kolton, who with the encouragement of his wife Mrs. Aliza and their children granted me one of his kidneys, which allows me to live a regular and hopefully a productive life.

So please participate in this life saving and changing request at  https://www.dryveup.com/renewal/2640

This was supposed to be posted last week. But due to technical difficulties I didn’t send it out, so I am posting it this week.

We all know the parable of The King Is In the Field, however, generally speaking, most of us don’t know the background on how this Moshol (parable) formed. Two weeks ago, I mentioned in a footnote that the Moshol was already said by the Baal Shem Tov, and after studying it, the following is my understanding about the background to the Moshol.

The Baal Shem Tov explained, the Talmud’s reconciliation between the following two pesukim. 

In one possuk it is stated Hashem is close to all who call out to Him in truth, this means that He always hears our prayers. While another possuk states, Seek Hashem when He is accessible and call out to Him when He is close, which is clearly stating that there are only specific times that our prayers will be accepted.

On this the Talmud responds, when a congregation is praying, their prayers are always accepted, however, if an individual prays by themself, then it has to be an auspicious time for it to be accepted.

The Talmud then inquires, “And when is this auspicious time,?” and the response is, during the ten days of repentance. 

On this the Baal Shem clarifies, why does Hashem accept an individual’s prayers during these days and not during the rest of the year?

So he says, these days are compared to when a king is traveling, while the majority days of the year are compared to when a king is in his palace. 

When a king is in his palace, he will not leave the palace to eat a meal or sleep in someone’s house or an establishment as exquisite as they may be. However, when he is traveling, he will eat and sleep in a house or establishment, as long as it is clean and decent. The same thing is concerning one’s prayers: essentially there are conditions or criteria that must be met in order that the prayers should be accepted, and one of the primary ones is that it be said with a minyan. However, during the ten days of repentance even an individual’s prayers are accepted. 

Seemingly, this explanation of the Baal Shem Tov means to say that because the king is not in his royal dwelling place, he has to lower his standards and expectations. 

This assumption becomes stronger when we continue with the Baal Shem Tov’s teaching as he states this is the reason why in the time of exile, Hashem grants proper people the power of Ruach Hakodesh even though if they were living in the time of the Beis Hamikdash they wouldn’t have been deemed worthy of being among the select few who had Ruach Hakodesh.

On this the Alter Rebbe asks, why does Hashem accept an individual’s prayers these days? [After all these days are the days of judgement and this individual is not raising his level of respect and awe to make the effort and pray with a minyan as is prescribed in the Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law).

But the Alter Rebbe explains that the answer is that during these days Hashem’s thirteen attributes of mercy (compassion) are revealed. So while during most of the year, an individual’s prayers are not accepted, but during these special and auspicious days, when His thirteen attributes of mercy are revealed and active, they are accepted.

But the Alter Rebbe explains that the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy are around and available to be activated  In the Month of Elul. How Do We Know That?

The Alter Rebbe begins the maamar with the words of אני לדודי ודודי לי, and he quotes from our sages that the opening letter of these four words spell the word Elul. Yet our sages also state that the first two words refer to the month of Elul, while the latter two refer to the Ten Days of Repentance. In other words, that means that the concept of the Thirteen attributes of mercy, which is the theme of the ten days of repentance, is an integral part of the month of Elul. The Alter Rebbe emphasizes this by pointing out that the final letter of all four words is a Yud, which has numerical equivalent value of 10, and four times ten is forty, referencing the one unit of forty days from Rosh Chodesh Elul through Yom Kippur. 

So the Alter Rebbe asks, being that the revelation of the thirteen attributes of mercy is so special that we don’t say tachnun on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, why do we say tachanun during the month of Elul?

Explaining the answer of the Baal Shem Tov the Alter Rebbe clarifies, that we don’t say tachanun on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur because then the thirteen attributes are revealed (as we clearly see the King in His glory, as he is sitting in his palace). However, during the month of Elul, they are available but not revealed. Therefore, he says the King is in the field in regular clothing; Yes he is the king and is available and accessible for all, but he is not presenting himself in the clothing and glory of a king.

According to this explanation, it is not that the king lowers his standard because he is not in the palace, but rather he is so exalted that there are no limitations of who, where and when. He can and actually conducts his royal functions in every circumstance, even when one might not recognize that he is the king. So there is no difference where he is.

In simple chassidic terminology, the lower level of Hashem’s glory is mimaleh kol almin, which means that Hashem’s presence is measured according to each world. In other words there is a higher and lower and everything has its rightful place. So in that world, prayers are accepted when they are said in a Minyan, but not when the person says it by himself. However, the higher level is Soivev kol Almin, that Hashem surrounds all worlds equally, and there is no higher and lower. In that circumstance even an individual’s prayers are accepted. 

A Taste of Chassidus 

 כי תצא למלחמה  Likkutei Torah Devorim p.34C

While the simple translation of these words is telling us how we are to conduct ourselves when we go to war [and capture enemies], that is the way it is portrayed in this physical world. However, as Chassidus teaches us, everything in the physical derives from the spiritual, and in this maamar the Alter Rebbe explains the spiritual war that we are being guided to conduct. And being that the Torah is eternal, this is a daily battle.

Yaakov Avinu said to his son Yosef, I am giving you the city of Shechem which I took [from them] with my sword and bow. In other words, Yaakov was saying I went to war [and captured it]. But Targum Onkelos translates those words to mean, which I took with my supplication and prayer. So we see that Tefillah (prayer) is a form of battle. 

Here too the Alter Rebbe explains that these words are speaking about the spiritual war that we are to wage every day against our Yetzer Hora, and that is done every day when we daven.

So we have to understand, what is the nature of this battle? And being that davening is in place of [bringing] sacrifices, it must mean that the korbonos also epitomized, the concept of this battle, so what is it?

One goes to war / battle to fulfill or accomplish their goal and mission. And the mission and reason Hashem sent our Neshoma down into this world is to elevate every spark of holiness and return it back to its source. 

The reason they have to be returned is because,  at the beginning of Creation, these sparks were so powerful that they could not be contained in the world, without being concealed. However, through our avodah of Torah and Mitzvos, their unlimited G-dly essence is revealed even in this limited physical world.

Essentially this concept of connecting the spark as it is in this world to its source, is seen and brought out when we offer a korbon (sacrifice). 

Everything is created from a combination of the basic four elements of fire, wind, water, and dirt. However, each creation is mainly aligned with one of them.

Passion, desire, and vibrancy are connected or are derivatives of the element of fire. Heat is a symbol of fire, and being that every living mammal, fowl, and fish have a body temperature, that demonstrates that their source is the fire Above. It is our mission to not only reveal this connection but to elevate it back to its source, and we accomplish this  by placing the animal (after it is slaughtered) upon the alter, and a fire, which our sages describe comes in the form of a lion and burns it.

The lion is representing the lion that is on the right side of Hashem’s throne, and that lion nullified itself to Hashem, so the concept of bringing a korbon is telling and guiding the person to also nullify their passions and desires, that instead of obtaining and receiving physical pleasures, we should strive to obtain spiritual ones by devoting ourselves to serve Hashem. 

This is also the purpose of davening; Hashem sent the Neshoma into this world to refine and elevate the Nefesh Habehamis (animal soul). The spiritual source of the animal soul is the lion which is on the right side of Hashem’s throne. As it passed through the supernal worlds, it gave life to angels (and that is why in many pesukim angels are called fiery, for as we noted animals are created from the element of fire).

So in davening (specifically in Shacharis), we describe how all creations animals and angels are humbled and nullified to Hashem. Telling our nefesh habehamis, that your source or lifeline nullified itself to Hashem. It put aside any self-interest and passion aside, with the goal to serve Hashem with passion and vitality. Therefore, here on this world, we too should put aside our personal interests and desires, just to serve Hashem.

This is the reason why we place the blood (which represents one’s passion) and burn the fats (which represents one’s enjoyment) on the mizbeiach. It demonstrates that our personal self-interest and indigence or passions and desires should be put aside to serve Hashem with a passion. In other words elevating the passion or FIRE to its source. Just as in its source it is completely and totally devoted to Hashem, so too on this materialistic world it is devoted purely for and to fulfill Hashem’s will.

This also explains two other points:

Generally speaking, we say that davening (shemoneh Esreh) is in order to request things that we are lacking or in need of from Hashem. If that is the only reason why our sages instructed us to daven, why is there a guidance to daven daily, even on a day that the one davening isn’t aware of any need?

But as noted, an important aspect of davening is to refine and elevate those sparks that came down on this world, back to their source. This is a daily objective and battle.

It also explains a second aspect. Why are we  allowed to bring a korbon only in the Mishkan or Beis HaMikdash? This question is so more relevant if as we said that this is the mission and purpose of why Hashem forced our G-dly Neshoma to descend into this world!

But the explanation is, the only way one has the ability to to refine and elevate their sparks, is by being humble and nullify yourself in front of Hashem. That was accomplished in its truest sense in the Beis Hamikdash, and therefore a korbon which symbolizing I am giving up my passions and desires just to serve Him, has to be at a moment when I am standing and humbling myself to Hashem.

Rabbi Avtzon is a veteran mechanech and the author of numerous books on the Rebbeiim and their chassidim. He is available to farbreng in your community and can be contacted at avtzonbooks@gmail.com.