It’s been a wild week.

On Sunday I was blessed to attend the Upshernish of Shimon Spiero in Great Falls. On Monday I had the honor of placing Mezuzos on a new Jewish home in Big Sky. On Tuesday evening, after the JLI class, we escaped to Billings for 36 hours of family time that included a visit to Scheels, fun at Lava Island and dinner with our colleagues Rabbi Shaul and Mushky Shkedi and their beautiful daughters who are a beacon of Chassidic light and transforming the Jewish experience In Billings and across Eastern Montana.

We really do live differently. A boy’s third birthday is a major milestone of Upshernish. A new home can only be inaugurated with Mezuzos of blessing and protection on the doors, and we Jews don’t just live for ourselves but live to service our fellow Landsman and are there for each other through thick and thin.

In this week’s Torah portion, Vayeitzei, we read about Jacob in the distant home of his uncle Laban. He moves there to escape the rage of his wicked brother Esau. In the process he marries Leah and Rachel, along with Bilhah and Zilpah, being blessed with eleven sons and a daughter (Benjamin was born later). And he works wholeheartedly, day and night, for his cheating uncle. How did he remain spiritually intact? How come he didn’t lose his mind? The Midrash says that he would recite the fifteen Psalms that begin with “Shir Lamalos” all the time. He remembered his parents Isaac and Rebecca, never took his eye off the ball of eventually taking his family to Israel, and he prayed, prayed and prayed some more to remain wholesome, thus remaining uncharacteristically stable in an unstable world.

Modern America is full of distractions. We must shop because it’s Black Friday. We must go online because it’s Cyber Monday. We must give charity because it is Giving Tuesday. The world is vying for our attention, for our hearts, for our wallets. Yet, as Jews we don’t need to surrender. We have Mezuzos, Shabbos, Upshernish, Kosher, Yom Tov, Mikvah, Jewish calendar, holy books; we can live with stability, it’s our choice. While the chaos ensues and the noise can mess with our heads, let us remember that Yaakov didn’t lose focus and merited loads of blessings in an unholy environment. We can, and should, put on Judaism’s noise cancelling headphones and tune it out. Joe Rogan doesn’t need your attention, Israel will survive without you being a middle east expert on their behalf, and Washington DC will remain dysfunctional with, or without, you.

Don’t get sucked in; you simply don’t have to!

May G-d guard our brethren in Israel and the world over from harm and send us Mashiach speedily. May G-d protect the armed forces of Israel and the United States wherever they may be!

It’s a rarity, but this past weekend the Bobcats finally played on Saturday night, after Shabbos, so with Randy’s kindness I was able to take Menny to his, and mine, first college football game with awesome seats in row five near the forty-yard line. Menny was in heaven, it was an experience of a lifetime and putting my personal thoughts on American sports aside for a moment, I observed something inspiring. Passion. Enthusiasm. Devotion. Unity. Old and young, natives and newcomers, rich and poor, white and black, Jewish and Christian, sober and inebriated, everyone in attendance, some 20,000 people, were focused on their team, on sportsmanship, on success.

In this week’s Torah portion, Toldos, we read about the birth of twin brothers Esau and Jacob. Jacob is the good kid who isn’t attracted to “no no’s” and who finds delight in service of G-d and humanity, while Esau obsesses with physicality and materialism, is eager to fulfil all his temptations, and vanity is his way of life. Yet, despite his choices, Esau’s core was connected to worldliness not just for pleasure and instant gratification, but rather it was an inner yearning to face the temptation, recognize their fallacy, and resist. Sadly, his passion played out differently and instead of resisting, he surrendered until the desires owned him. In the process he reminded us that we mustn’t run away from passion, seeking a cold ascetic life; we just must learn the art of self-control and refinement, channeling it for the good.

As I looked around the stadium, I was happy to see the passion and excitement. On a Saturday night, instead of sitting at home watching divisive political pundits, instead of hanging out at a bar potentially behaving inappropriately, instead of scrolling on social media endlessly invoking hatred, envy and anger, these fine Americans came together with joy to support their team, root for them until midnight, and do so with a sense of community that is laudable. While I don’t get the whole four-hours on a bench with no seatback screaming at a referee who can’t hear you, it sure seems like sports brings out a positive vibe for America, and I am all for it.‍

Go Cats!‍

May G-d guard our brethren in Israel and the world over from harm and send us Mashiach speedily. May G-d protect the armed forces of Israel and the United States wherever they may be!