Parashat Hashavua

Portion Noach - Facebook and the Flood (not IDA)

פרטים: קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם בשישי, 08 אוקטובר 2021 11:43; נכתב על ידי Super User; כניסות: 1682

Portion Noach - Facebook and the Flood (not IDA)

Actually I had a good friend named Ida, a neighbor-friend -

and Armenian whose family escaped the Turkish murders in the 1900's.

Bless her soul - from her and her family and Armenian friends,

I learned one part of the Noah's Ark story:

that even if you are living simply or creating beauty -

cruel hating people are creating horrific violence - anywhere allowed!

Another part of the story:

Mount Ararat is where the Ark landed ,

and there are those that believe they found some of the beamsof that SHIP high up in the Mountains!

So too ALL the Torah stories are not really removed from reality -

they just depict a PART of the STORY - and LESSONS for ALL to learn.

And what about the COLLAPSE of the FACEBOOK and its "story "?

This week we learned how a single company can MANIPULATE -

AND FAIL US ALL!

(And we don't even know,

what part of those billion users' lives it controls!)

Need a ferry ? An Ark? Umbrellas dont work in hurricanes.

MAYBE WE ALL NEED TO SPEND MORE TIME LOOKING AT

THE GOOD BOOK!

Reading between the Armenia story, the Canaanite story,

the AFGHANISTAN story -

and BUILDING AGAIN the MIRACLE of all the JEWISH STORIES

that so many ignore or take for granted?

This is a GOOD WEEK TO START

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion BuraySheet - Starting the Torah Year Differently

פרטים: קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם בשישי, 01 אוקטובר 2021 09:10; נכתב על ידי Super User; כניסות: 2050

Portion BuraySheet - Starting the Torah Year Differently

The Creation Stories in this week's portion (Garden of Eden, Cain and Abel, etc.)

begs a response:

How do we Examine the beginnings of Human History from a Spiritual Analysis in 2021

The Yalkut May Am LoAyz brings Midrashic and other explanations of:

Heaven, Earth, Angels, and G-d's Creations - which may be a bit much to modern people.

So then it says:

Dont waste more time than these statements-

because you will never know what's really in Heaven, etc.

But then it explains some of the history of the world -

starting with Adam and the fig leaves!

After eating from the tree of knowledge the Almighty gives Adam and Eve some CLOTHES.

The Yalkut May Am LoAyz brings an explanation:

It connects all the names presented ... from Adam thru Abraham...

and I give just a taste of it here.

The clothes from G-d aren't like our regular clothes - they are IMMORTAL G-dly clothes!

Adam passed them down to be used for a good purpose -

but they were stolen by Cham son of Noah

who passed them down to Nimrod - the bad king who used them for War

When Abraham started to teach about G-d - Nimrod got worried - and tossed

Abraham into a fire - but Abraham escaped,

and he and Terach his father had to leave town -

AND MOVE TO ISRAEL - AND KEEP TEACHING ABOUT G-D!

So it's not the CLOTHES that make you IMMORTAL -

because Nimrod and his cronies aren't here -

It's the

TEACHING ABOUT G-D!

Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion Haazinu - Moses' Great Song Tops the Charts

פרטים: קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם בשבת, 18 ספטמבר 2021 22:19; נכתב על ידי Super User; כניסות: 1483

Portion Haazinu - Moses' Great Song Tops the Charts

Moses is the greatest example of Rebbe Nachman's Rule Number 1!: don't be old!

How did he actively stay young? By EXAMPLE he taught :

Sing and heal thyself (as I have heard many have done) and

Dance and heal thyself - as Rabbi Carlebach taught!

So here a a portion - Haazinu Hashamayim - singing - but also WARNING - You Gotta Watch out too!

Play by the Almighty's Rules - and the Teachings of Moshe Rabaynu - our teachert - and

Contribute to G-d's plan!

I hope everyone had a meaningful Yom kippur, and are feeling well - and

a little lighter (unburdened by extra spiritual worries and maybe a pound or two :) ?

Shabbat Shalom - Getting Busy for Shabbat and the upcoming holiday

(and my flight home, please G-d)

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion VaYay Lech - Joshua takes over ... and With Yizkor coming up ...

פרטים: קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם בשבת, 11 ספטמבר 2021 19:41; נכתב על ידי Super User; כניסות: 1506

Portion VaYay Lech - Joshua takes over ... and With Yizkor coming up ...

Changes in life - and the antidote-

In the portion Moses blesses JOSHUA in passing him the baton ...before leaving this world.

SO - Did Moses' kids say Yizkor for their Dad? And for all those that died in the 40 years in the desert?

But here the portion takes on another direction -

Getting the people together - as a jump start to "moving on"- and Moving into Israel

it's the Mitzvah called Hakhel (the King would read the Torah in the Temple every 7 years)-

where for TODAY the Lubavitcher said - we must set up groups to study together - read Torah - and call it HAKHEL -

It's a MITZVA for US - and it KEEPS THE JEWISH PEOPLE MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER

(because the desert years are NOT a paradigm for the Jews

(as it IS for the children

of Ishmael who to this day are a desert people -BUT they received a gift of OIL... -

so was that to reward Abraham their forbear?)

SO WHAT IS THE PARADIGM FOR NOW?

HAKHEL - COME TOGETHER-

MOVE AHEAD - AND AS Reb Shlomo CARLEBACH SAID FOR this next holiday

Yom Kippur we ask G-d to forgive us for not going "through the (spiritual) gates".

(At the time of) Neila, G-d tells us, “Nvo’a sharekha” Come inside,

Stop standing at the gates asking for forgiveness. Come Inside” (close to the Almighty)

based on an article from AISH - in memory of Rabbi Packouz Kalman Moshe ben Reuven Avigdor

1950-2019

problematic about Yom Kippur: how can anyone honestly come back year after year and say the exact same words, asking God for forgiveness for the same sins time and time again? At what point is it no longer believable?

The problem is rooted in trying to change their behavior –

when they really should have been focused on trying to change their perception of themselves!

Our mission on Yom Kippur is to explore who we really want to be and commit to being that type of person.

That is, once we define what we want our essence to be then we can naturally align our behavior to meet that new reality.

This is exactly what repentance is supposed to accomplish.

Because Yom Kippur is the day when we search for who we are and commit to living a life that follows our self-definition,

Ultimately, when the work of Yom Kippur is done correctly, it leads one to self-fulfillment. This is why the Talmud describes it as one of the most festive days on the Jewish calendar. Reconnecting with who you truly are leads one to incredible self-satisfaction and a sublime sense of joy.

SEE AT

http://www.aish.com/sh/c/

SHABBAT SHALOM

RABBI ANDY EICHENHOLZ

Portion Nitzavim - Standing (on line?) Before the Almighty

פרטים: קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם בשבת, 04 ספטמבר 2021 17:54; נכתב על ידי Super User; כניסות: 1449

Portion Nitzavim - Standing (on line?) Before the Almighty

Questions from this week-

Are we here to teach others?

Are we here to make the world a calmer place?

Are we here to FIX the mess that is today's world?

and to all these and more questions - HOW?

In the portion Moses speaks to the people - at the time just before their entering Israel to fight the Canaanites

and settle the land of Abraham their ancestor.

So - there's a couple of million people- is Moses -who is 120 - SHOUTING to them?

He says "we are ALL here" - but Are We ALL Here? Is EVERYBODY listening? AND -

Is there a parallel for today - a warning message and a PRAYER for

a paradigm for communication as a healer - and for making Israel and the world BETTER?

So waiting on line at the airport to get my flight - with 2000 others -Wednesday night,

there was a lot of fighting and running ahead - because the security was NOT laid out properly-

and young understaffed security group kept moving groups ahead of the hundreds waiting to be checked patiently,

Until the throngs surged - and walked up to the El Al counters

It was midnight and boarding had started already on a few flights!

Security for El Al started yelling and telling the people at the counters NOT to process people THEY did not send in

I tried to talk some sense and calm into the security guys - who had messed up -

but they didn't listen - THEY COULDN'T LISTEN OR FIX THEIR MISTAKES

I went on with the surge - and was talking to

a few not-religious people who were being bullied by security

and with one Rabbi type who was telling young yeshiva guys to run ahead.

So we 4 talked a bit - calmly - about the above issues - while trying to move from line to line

UNTIL WE FOUND A FEW CALM ELAL counter people -

who assigned us seats and took our suitcases and let us go fast -

even though we couldn't all find all our approvals needed to board!

Was the push and the shouting a parallel to the Fire and Brimstone Messages of

Moses (who worked with no audio visuals?)

It MUST BE

Our talking calmly among our little group seemed to work be cause - well we all got here safely!

SO Are we Here to Teach the World or not?

Moses' words seemed to work

because for

14 years they all listened to Joshua!

AND NOW? HOW DO WE WORK THE PARADIGM OF CALM COMMUNICATION INTO THE WAYS OF CONFUSED 2021?

Maybe the Meditations of Rosh Hashing and Yom Kippur?

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion Key Tavo ... of Curses and Songs

פרטים: קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם בשישי, 27 אוגוסט 2021 11:57; נכתב על ידי Super User; כניסות: 1637

Portion Key Tavo ... of Curses and Songs

It's not easy to explain a torah portion filled with blessings - and also curses.

Just the historical side could take volumes.

It says ...

Blessed are you in your towns and in the country -...

Which soon leads into

Cursed are you in your towns and in the country...

And what did the Israelites understand from these words of Moses anyway,

Remanded to them again on entry to Canaan - with 14 tough years Staring at them in the face ?

As we now look to the imminent High Holy Days

Also staring at us in the ongoing pandemic

I would like to borrow a few words from my teacher Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach

Who said

For the King's birthday party the rich people brought expensive gifts

But the poor people had nothing

So they decided to sing and dance their way into the party

And the King waa happy with their song

Entering Canaan or

Entering a Synagogue

Or entering the new Jewish Year

Go with a song in your hearta and on your lips

And grab the blessings

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion Key Tay Tzay: the Warrior and the Woman

פרטים: קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם בשבת, 21 אוגוסט 2021 19:32; נכתב על ידי Super User; כניסות: 1434

Portion Key Tay Tzay: the Warrior and the Woman

Life - it mimics the Torah - or it loses!

The torah has the SPIRITUAL SIDE

And also the Rules of Engagement!

So while waiting in the sun for my bus today, after reviewing the weekly OU portion commentators,

I look up to see a young father trying to jam a

Baby carriage into a stuffed bus baggage compartment. But he didnt succeed, and sat there in the gutter , looking perplexed.

After 2 minutes of other busses honking and trying to get around that " number 402", I gave one last look at the 50 people ignoring the guy, walked over, moved a couple of bags, and helped the thankful father put in the carriage

As it says in the middle of the portion if you see the donkey of your brother not fitting into the baggage compartment ...uhhhh ... faltering under the burden ...

ITS IN THE TORAH THIS WEEK

Where was the wife n baby? Probably doing their part, keeping the driver from driving off.

What's that to do with the portion? That starts out "if you go to war and capture a woman ..."

Some Rabbi I Heard this week quoted the RamBaN (not Rambam maimonide s ) who reminded us (900 years ago) that since the portion always comes before the High Holiidays, that we should take a look at our maybe not best spiritual ways -

In preparation for the spiritual introspection part of

"getting holy for the high holy days"!

Note: the torah rule:

If a warrier decides he wants to marry a captive she has to live in a Jewish home for 30 days with no makeup and recant and renounce and mourn her parentage...

And then he can marry her or release her but Not Abuse or Enslave

Okay - in war a lot goes down,

The portion also talks about divorce rules ... and

Zohar (kabala) goes deep as always - into the supernatural forces ,

The Dark Side -and "the other" ...

And the Fixing - when possible

If a divorcee remarries....

"The Other"- is the "dark side" from him or from her...

But which is the left side amd which is the right side...?

Right there is enough To Start for all my High Holiday teachings...no?

Torah Rules

And the Spirit

And preparation for High Holiday Introsoection

Shabbat Shalom - stay healthy

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion Shoftim – Judges? Need Judges OR - ?

פרטים: קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם בשישי, 13 אוגוסט 2021 14:12; נכתב על ידי Super User; כניסות: 1423

Portion Shoftim – Judges? Need Judges OR - ?

The Portion begins with Judges and Policemen – as with the whole 5^th book of the Torah the commandments of the first 4 are repeated and enhanced the month before Moses passes.

In the middle of warning Israel not to follow the witchcraft of the Canaanites, there is ALMOST lost in the middle a POSITIVE COMMANDMENT to be TAMIM – huh? Translate:

"Be Simple- or be Perfect – IM HASHEM – with the Almighty your G-d."

Everyone reads the RASHI commentary which says "be Simple" in dealing with G-d and his ways and Mitzvas. DON'T BE A WISE GUY. And Rashi speaks to ALL generations.

But in MY understanding – you need to Connect to those Simply close to G-d – so here's what I wrote(in Hebrew) to someone going for a major test this week . (In English! Now)

Years ago my friend M was doing his military service – assigned to Guarding the Western Wall – 10PM to Dawn! IMPORTANT! But pretty boring, huh?

So, like a friend, I would sometimes hang out with M for a few hours – usually the last few hours of his shift.

We are friends since 2^nd grade. But mostly we talked about "TODAY". He would tell me of the various wierdos who came out to THE WALL at midnight. I told him my experiences living in Crown Heights for a few years.

He once SIMPLY said: Wow! Living with all those (Lubavitcher) Hassidim, you (I) must have gotten very deep into PRAYER.

M is a genius and a Rabbi/Teacher – not a simple guy but a VERY perfectly close-

I am in Israel, trying to simply stay close TO those simply close to the Almighty, Blessing all.

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion Ru-aiy : Is the Torah Speaking to ME?

פרטים: קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם בשישי, 06 אוגוסט 2021 06:47; נכתב על ידי Super User; כניסות: 1631

Portion Ru-aiy : Is the Torah Speaking to ME?

Okay. RUAIY means SEE not LisTEN -

THAT WAS in LAST WEEKS PORTION

But did anyone ever say to you, SEE WHAT I MEAN?

Did you Ever feel that some portions

of the Torah ARE,

and some portions just

Aren't Speaking to YOU?

Maybe you didn't SEE the MEANING!

It's not just the 3000 years since it was given us as a present.

But isn't there a fence (not a wall)

inside of us, that makes us

sometimes jump and Connect -

to a kitten, a puppy, a child, a sunset? -

and Sometimes NOT?

So the portion SHOWS us ALL and says:

WHEN you Go Up to the Land of Israel -

and look UP at

these 2 mountains

(surrounding where you shall bury Joseph-

that Jew that Saved the World from Famine,

Something to Think About!)

You will be given the chance to become

Har Grizim people ( a hill of lush growth)!

But Then Turn around and look at non lush

Har Eyval - where to this day nothing grows!

See- you dont want to be that way!

SEE If you want to grow, says the portion,

Or Not to grow

That is the question.

But you will all be happier

As Jews and As Humans

If yes to the Blessing of Grizim

And

No to the sadness in Eyval Mountain

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion Aykev in the Park Hotel

פרטים: קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם בשישי, 30 יולי 2021 14:49; נכתב על ידי Super User; כניסות: 1683

Portion Aykev in the Park Hotel

the portion says "if It happens that you will listen. (To my commandments)

So how was it that

many years ago

One Passover night - while fulfilling the SEDER commandments

A few naval Arabs floated in to where we are praying now

and

Killed families

And children?

You shouldn't know from this here now -

let's hope for the future,

but we need to understand....

Evil ... The Kabbalists call it " the Primordial Snake "

Cursed in the Garden of Eden to be our enemy ... for "tripping us up".

The Kabalists say "the snake" (or its surrogates)

weasels into our minds that

We should demean some commandments ... And

that leads to eventually dropping them all!

Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach says,

We Jews fight the Snake - but how?

We do it with Simcha! Doing even LITTLE mitzvas with JOY!

Especially stuff that "doesn't look important" -

do it for the Almighty with JOY!

Do it for the Shabbos - with JOY!

Say gutt shabbos to 10 people this week -B Simcha - with JOY!

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

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Parashat Hashavua

Portion Noach - Facebook and the Flood (not IDA)

Portion BuraySheet - Starting the Torah Year Differently

Portion Haazinu - Moses' Great Song Tops the Charts

Portion VaYay Lech - Joshua takes over ... and With Yizkor coming up ...

Portion Nitzavim - Standing (on line?) Before the Almighty

Portion Key Tavo ... of Curses and Songs

Portion Key Tay Tzay: the Warrior and the Woman

Portion Shoftim – Judges? Need Judges OR - ?

Portion Ru-aiy : Is the Torah Speaking to ME?

Portion Aykev in the Park Hotel

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