Torah Thoughts Naso 5777

Fifty years ago today, two simultaneous things happened that would change the world as we know it.  First, in the US, the Beatles released their most famous and most beloved album, Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.  A concept album like none others, the preeminent rock band of the time would change music almost overnight.  One can only imagine the screaming American fans collecting at their neighborhood record stores to listen to Beatles.

At the same time, across the world, Moshe Dayan was appointed as Israel’s Defense Minister and Israeli army reservists were released for a weekend long furlough to prepare themselves for a war that would shock the world.  The year was 1967, Egypt had sent its troops to blockade the Suez Canal and Israel’s very existence as a nation was a risk.  All over the world, Jews gathered in synagogues praying for a miracle.  And, that is exactly what happened, starting on June 5th of that year, the Israeli army slammed enemy armies, not only incapacitating the entire Egyptian and Syrian air forces, but, for the first time in two thousand years gaining control of Old City of Jerusalem.

Isn’t it amazing that our Beatles Shabbat was planned on this important anniversary.  For Jewish Beatles lovers what could be better!!!  While there is not much of an actual connection between the release of Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band and the Six Day War, I cannot help but imagine the Israeli reservists on their weekend furlough listening to the Beatles on 8 track tapes.  Perhaps they would have been inspired by words from the album like, “I’ve got to admit it’s getting better, a little better all the time,” or from my favorite song on the album, “Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends, Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends, Mm, gonna try with a little help from my friends.”  Hope to see you tonight.