Breaking Ground

“Ma Tovu Ohalecha Yaakov…” – How goodly are your tents, Jacob, your dwelling places, Israel.  These famous words are the evil prophet Bilaam’s reluctant blessing to the Jewish people.  There are several ways to explain his blessing.  He saw how the opening of the tents were placed so as to ensure privacy, and he was moved by the modesty that is one of the hallmarks of the Jewish people.  Another explanation is that he was foreseeing the synagogues and Torah study halls of the future.  

I want to venture a guess that he would also be impressed by the way we open our homes to guests.  Hachnasat Orchim – bringing guests into the home –  is a value that we have going back to our forefather Avraham.  It is one of the pillars of the great Mitzvah of Gemilut Chasadim, acts of kindness.  Another crucial part of that Mitzvah is Bikur Cholim – visiting (or caring for) the sick.  How great is it then when both of these Mitzvot are bundled together!

I am therefore gratified that this week, the week of “Ma Tovu,” our community has taken the first step in building a home that will provide for these needs.  Of the many guests who travel to Palo Alto for medical treatment that is not available anywhere else in the world, the basic necessities of Jewish life are extremely difficult to come by.  A kosher kitchen, proximity to a Synagogue, Torah books, assistance with language barriers and so much more are great challenges for these families.  They come to have ears reconstructed, to have infant hearts rebuilt and other extreme medical challenges.  They are out of their element and often have no idea how to navigate this unfamiliar, foreign environment.

It is providential that we broke ground this week, as we prepare to celebrate the 12th of Tammuz. See more here.  This is the day that the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Y. Schneerson, was miraculously released from the clutches of the Soviet butchers who had imprisoned him and sentenced him to death for the underground movement he created to keep Jewish tradition alive.

The new Bikur Cholim house will be steps away from our home, so guests can feel at ease with a private place to live in relative comfort while they are here, and the Chabad community to help care for all their needs.  The previous Rebbe placed tremendous emphasis on the Mitzvah to love our fellow unconditionally.  It is a fitting way to celebrate this great victory of Judaism over tyranny by creating a space that will perpetuate those very values.