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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 18:33
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Portion TeTzaVeh
Before we get too far let me remind us all that the Lubavitcher Rebbe said we should all have festive meals on Purim like before Yom Kipur including candles on the table.
But on Chanuka and Shabbat we make blessings on the candles so why not Purim too!
And basically why did last week's portion Teruma describe the making of the Menora yet the Torah separated the commandment to make the oil into TeTzaVeh - this weeks portion?
And what is the difference betwen the Medrashic discussion of the Almighty showing the design of he Menorah in a real pillar of fire ( and making the Temple menora for Moses) versus the view of Kabbalist RAMChaL Rabbi Luzatto that he design was shown in Moshe's Mind but not actually?
And how is it the symbol of Israel and Israel's Knesset Today
A Menora even though so many Israelis are not observant?
So just a few short ideas while I am freezing here outside in New York while trying to prepare for Shabbat and the upcoming Purim
We know the Temple Menora of the second temple is depicted on he destroyer Titus's Arch in Rome
We dont know where the First Temple's menora is
At the beginning of Megila Esther we know that Ahashveyrosh the wicked showed off the utenils stolen from the First Temple ...but it says nothing about the .Menorah or the ARK of he Torah
I believe the Ramcha"l and theKabala wanted us to always have the VISION OF the menora before us
Today in Israel it is EveryWhere!
And just one idea ... that the Almighy in the Torah maybe separated the oil prep from the menora building design
Because
We can ( should ) Always have the menora visual in iur mind...
But how and why visualize OIL? So no...
Some mitzvas are closer to us at some times and not at others
So the Menora is a Specialty of Chanuka
But should always light up our prayers
And Purim Joy should light up every day
...but especially NOW when we read the portions of Temple Design we should rememeber that
Purim Paved the way for Building the Next Temple
And Purim is coming
And may the Third Temple be built soon in our days
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 18:32
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Portion Teruma ... Cherubs or Devils
In the portion the Mishkan ... The Temple in the desert
is planned by G-d and Moses
The cover of the Ark of the Tablets is built of beaten gold with TWO cherubs on top
Facing each other ... Not Next to Each Other
Opposite each other ... And the Medrash tells us that when the Israelites messed up in their relationship with the Almighty they turned away from each other
At all times they had
Wings spread and facing UP
We learn from Reb Kook that everything in the world is in pairs .... Even Torah portions
But this was not a pair
Pairs are together
Or Opposing
The Kabbalah teaches that everything in the world has opposite so
I believe one set of wings pointed up to the source of holiness
And I think the other guy pointed up to what Hassidim call the Bal Davar
who tries to lure us to sin...
Not really angels...
Reb Elimelech was sweeping the beit medrash ... Study Hall once
Late at night and In the middle he started beating two students!
Until they yelled ... And he
Swept out that couple of guys!
And he turned to the other students and said "
You gotta know who is an angel and who is not... "
Building a temple in a desert aint easy
( And not anywhere. )...but they did it
Angels are with us every Friday night ...
But when we ... Or they...stop talking to each other all our
Temples get destroyed
Lets Build ours on dialogue and love
And trying to fly higher
Gutt shabbos from Jerusalem
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 18:32
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Portion.Yitro : Who needs all that Thunder and Lightning?
What was really going on at Mount Sinai?
It's hot in the desert - so why did the Almighty send "Thunder and Lightning" but no RAIN?
That would have been an EASY miracle!
But people don't remember miracles ... most of us are just "into ourselves".
Some of us are altruistic - but people forget MOST of who and what they see or hear!
AND TWO PEOPLE IN THE SAME ROOM WILL REMEMBER DIFFERENT PARTS OF WHAT'S HAPPENING!
So - the L-rd sends
Thunder
Smoke
Noises
Shofar Blowings
Burning Mountain
Fog and Clouds
to announce the entrance of the Torah -
the most read (maybe also the most ignored?) book in history!
But:
How do they go together with Giving the Torah at Mount Sinai
Who was that supposed to impress?
EVERYONE actually - and Yitro - Jethro - heard about it in Midian (Jordan today) -
AND CAME AND CONVERTED TO JUDAISM - ALONG WITH HIS KIDS! (and maybe others too)
Some people are fire people
and some people are smoke.
Some people talk - but very few listen (Simon and Garfunkle got it right in the Sounds of Silence).
Some people walk around in a perpetual fog -
(and ALL of us are a LITTLE foggy on some issues... :)
ALL OF THESE STIMULI AT SINAI WERE FOR ONE REASON -
so WE WOULD NEVER FORGET THE TORAH!
The greatest sociological truth in the world is
IF WE HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN IT (for thousands of years)
IF A MILLION PEOPLE WERE THERE AND HEARD AND SAW IT -
- THEN IT WAS AND IS TRUE!
And it is our heritage,..
and needs to be polished (STUDIED) once in a while like silver or a diamond.
A deep meaning in the happening there is from my teacher
Rabbi Carlebach who said:
we saw the voices on mount Sinai, we saw the fire ,(...)
we saw every fire we (the Jewish people) have gone through
(AND) "Ve'es kol hashofar,"
and we saw the blowing of the trumpet on the great day -
(The day the Moshiach will TEACH PEACE TO THE WORLD)
...
you have to see the whole picture.
The moment you want to be a Jew, you have to connect yourself to the past, present and future picture.
You have to hear G-d's voice(from Simai)...
But ultimately, you also have to hear the blowing of the trumpet,
otherwise you don't quite understand what's going on.
The world is burning - it is foggy is smoky - AND CONFUSED
But Sinai and the commandments and the Torah are the guide to what's really going on in the world.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 18:31
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Portion Beshalach Shabbat of Song
This week the Torah teaches us about:
Manna from Heaven
Escaping the Egyptians because the Red Sea split for us
Lots of complaints of "no water" "no food"
Fears of enemies fears of the unknown desert
and fears of being trapped between armies and the ocean
All of These are seen TODAY or recently
AND THE ALMIGHTY TEACHES US in this portion ABOUT MIRACLES AND NOT TO DESPAIR
But first a few questions - and hopefully some people will read the whole portion to gain personal understanding and satisfaction and to oversome some personal limitations - or just because it's there!
Why didn't the people give themselers strength by singing at the Red Sea BeFore walking into the water - or While they were crossing
How many complaints did the Israelites have in the desert and why?
How many Jews from Eastern Europe survived in Russia as opposed to the six million?
Why do Jews complain about the Israel that protects seven million Jews (and more) today?
When do individuals learn to appreciate the bounty given by G-d?
When does a tribe learn that?
When does a whole people learn to stop kvetching and start saying THANK YOU for the world?
When will the world stop listening to divisive politicians and start being good neighbors?
IN RECENT HISTORY
Manna from Heaven ? Israel has become a successful developed country exporting hi tech
Escaping the Egyptians because the Red Sea split for us? The Israelite nation survived -
in Ethiopia India Europe - and in Israel which was a DESERT for 2000 years until Israel Independence
and has survived 70 years of open or covert war against the Jews!
Lots of complaints of "no water" - Israel now exports water technology around the world
Fears of enemies fears of the unknown desert and fears of being trapped between armies and the ocean
TODAY MANY PEOPLE SUFFER TRAUMAS - EVEN IN ISRAEL - BUT WE ARE WORKING ON THAT TOO
SO SING AND DANCE A LITTLE - IN HONOR OF SHABBAT - THANKING THE ALMIGHTY
AND TO BRING A LITTLE BIT OF HOPE AND OF EDEN INTO THE WORLD
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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Parsha, Beshalach, is filled with miracles, transitions and complaints. The inaugural complaint by the Jewish people involves their fear of being overrun by the pursuing Egyptian army, to which Moshe responds “stand firm and watch…” how G-d will save us (14:13). The word used to instruct the Jews to stand firm is “hit-yatzvu”, a word seldom used by the Torah. Why would it be important for us to stand firm while G-d fights our battle, and what’s the significance of that special word?
Rabbi Fohrman (www.alephbeta.org) explains that the word hit-yatzvu was used when Miriam stood to see what would happen to Moshe when watching him by the river. Her actions demonstrated her belief that things will work out, despite the perilous risk to Moshe’s life.
There’s a difference between observing something and having conviction of a certain outcome. Moshe’s message was not only to have faith in Hashem but to teach them to have steadfast conviction in the result.
When we encounter struggles in life, through one word G-d reminds us to not only have faith but conviction that G-d will also help us through them. Just watch.
_______________________________________
Quotation of the week:
“When you learn, teach. When you get, give."
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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 18:31
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Portion Bo - How to Paint Yourself Out of a Box
So what is your favorite part of the story we tell about leaving Egypt (as slaves)
and entering Israel (Canaan) as a free and ENLIGHTENED (mostly) people?
This week's portion tells of the last few plagues (of the 10) in Egypt.
It Gives us the Mitzva of BLESSING (sanctifying) the New Moon (why?)
AND suggests PREPARATIONS
(bbq AND FAMILY GET TOGETHER) FOR THE exodus FROM EGYPT
I love the Seders - but lets go back 3000 years - and think what it must have felt like
You're all nervous because you are not sure what the Egyptians are planning
(they were pretty nasty before Moses came back from Midian)
And Moses says
"The Almighty wants you to PAINT the DOORPOSTS with the blood from the BBQ animal"
Huh?
And then after midnight you will hear a lot of screaming - so go to your neighbors and borrow a lot of jewelry
Huh? The neighbors who kept us as slaves? And beat us?
So the Almighty says - get into the mood - paint the town RED (literally)
but as a SYMBOL of GETTING OUT OF THERE
(because after tomorrow YOU WON'T LIVE THERE ANY MORE!)
and LOOK TO THE MOON as it RENEWS ITSELF!
That's who you can BE if you
remember how happy - even if a little worried -
everyone was when we left Egypt (even the Egyptians - who said Good Riddance)
So - that's the renewed Jewish people leaving Egypt?
Leaving our self-imposed restrictions?
That's how we should all feel reading this portion.
And at the seders - in a ferw months.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 18:28
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Portion Va yigash : Brothers or Not (same for sisters?)
The Mesrash on this portion states that Judah threatened to kill Joseph (before he knew it was Joseph) if Benjamin was not returned to the clan.
Joseph was not afraid – and he merely took this as a sign that the brother who sold him into slavery had repented.
What kind of brothers are we talking about?
Sometimes I share in my Shabat Sermons a few words that I get from an American guy who prays with me in Jerusalem's Great Synagogue.
After Great Synagogue services he has a cup of coffee and then goes out on the street with a mike and amp to sing for donations.
He;s there on the street all day and he pays his bills from that – and even makes some donations to the elders with whom I study.
There is some respect in both directions.
However – out on the street – there are some others who prey on him - but he won't fight back.
Why do some people innately have to attack others?
WHY was it so hard for Joseph's brothers to just leave Joseph and his dreams alone?
And WHY?
this week why did a particular street person smash the guys amplifier to smithereens (as the guy told me)?
Joseph caused them – his brothers - no harm – but they couldn't get beyond PETTINESS .
Confronting Violence – in a week of sadness in Israel over tragedy of terror attacks…it's so hard…
So the guy I know had to sing without an amp in the cold Jerusalem winter
He told me this on Wednesday.
I put my hand in my pocket to pull out 100 shekels - but then he got excited saying
Three cops on motorcycles came over to me later and said "You are coming with us""
"And you know I have a thing for cops, so I asked them "Why – what did I do?
Did Benjamin even know that the 10 other brothers conspired against Joseph?
Did he ever find out? There was NO FACEBOOK in those days!
"We'll tell you why, they said. We're going to buy you a new amp."
He told me "I said, I just wanted to fix my old amp".
One of the cops said "We saw it all on FACEBOOK, someone took a video – so come with us now…" and they drove him to a store.
Others also came over after seeing it on FACEBOOK
How can we Fix ourselves and our brothers?
Joseph cried – and revealed himself to his shocked brothers.
But to the day Jacob died they still did not understand fully that Joseph FULLY believed the hand of the Almighty was in it all, just like he said.
Maybe some who saw it all on FACEBOOK believe it …
May we remember EVEN AFTER SHABBAT to try to be there for ALL our brothers and sisters.
Shabbat Shalom
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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 18:28
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Portion Vaeshev - What came first - Shabbos or Chanuka?
The Holy Masters teach us that certain things were created before the world as we know it was created by the Almighty (see Pirkei Avot).
In reading this portion on might think that foolish dreams and jealousy and anger - and guilt? Came first...
Or maybe a LITTLE LOVE of some brothers ...? Who tried to save Joseph from the above ...
Anyone who reads the Torah must see that certain energies existed before the Torah was given
See how Cain was able to ask a little forgiveness (but not to completely do TESHUVA - repent ) from his heinous crime – who taught him that? Where did that COME FROM?
And Noah was a Tzadik it says – truly righteous – amidst a degenerate generation – WHERE DID THAT SPIRITUAL STRENGTH COME FROM?
And we see from the recent portions the POWER OF ABRAHAM – to see through the idol worship around him – and strongly believe in G-d until G-D appeared and started to BELIEVE in ABRAHAM and in his childrens' power –to until today preach and teach the way of righteousness and holiness and morality and fealty to the Almighty and the holy teachings …
We are taught that Moses received all the Laws of Shabbos before Mount Sinai and the Torah.Was that
So was that from the time of Abraham? from Noah?
Or from Adam and Eve and Cain Abel and … from before the creation of the world?
Is Shabbos and Peace and Holiness in our DNA – but just ignored by the world?
And where did the Maccabee power to resist the perversion of Greece (and Rome) come from?
Was it not in our DNA and part of the power of Abraham – and Noah – and in the creation of Adam and Eve when the Almighty decided there must be humanity in the universe?
What else is there that is so engrained in the human soul – that fights greed and meanness of spirit and evil – than the Power of Chanukah and the dedication of the Maccabees?
So where in the scriptures do we see that?
And where in this portion do we see the ENERGY of Joseph – despised by his brothers – become King in Egypt because of his humanity (saving the known world- see next 2 portions)
Well – we really have no source to rely on that Chanuka dedication came before Shabbos Peace – but the Rule of the Torah is :
that we LIGHT the (extra long) CHANUKA CANDLES NEXT WEEK before the Shabbat Candles (which we should do always).!!!So for
This coming week we should read the Torah and light the candles and sing (and dance?) the songs (read the Book of Maccabees?) and TRY TO ADD A LITTLE LIGHT IN THE WORLD AROUND US
And thank the Almighty for a few minutes a day for the Power of Shabbos and the Power of Chanuka and the History of Israelite Holy Wisdom and Faithfulness and Sharing and…
Gutt Shabbos and
Freilichen (joyous) Chanukah to the world
Shabba Shalom from Israel
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 18:27
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Portion VaYishLach - and a little struggle never hurts...
Jacob struggled with the angel in this portion.
My Favorite Elad Rabbi (Rabbi Yaskil) spoke about this yesterday (I got a Wattsapp recording) and said:
the struggle of Jacob is also for EACH of us (not only father Jacob) : to STRUGGLE WITH EVIL-
not always accomplishing the defeat of evil (Jacob got away in the portion but a little wounded)
but the portion teaches that Hashem wants us to Never Give Up the Struggle against evil.
So I was in Miami this week - and found my way to the Chabad of South Beach to pray-
(where I was once caught in a hurricane).
Praying peacefully seems not to be my forte -
and this time I was sitting between three Israeli guys who were having problems -
and I got pulled into their stories -
and naturally I had to help them out with a few things I am pretty good at.
So let's all remember the teaching of the Rebbe of the Warsaw Ghetto
that "the greatest mitzvah is to do a favor for another Yid"
and that Rabbi Yaskil repeats the teaching of Rebbe Nachman -
that it is OKAY to struggle - and realize that we don't have to always win for the Almighty to be proud of us!
The Thanksgiving weekend ALSO teaches us - not to give up the struggle
Like the history of our people shows us that we CAN OVERCOME all the struggles
so
let's get ready for shabbat
and may we be blessed with peace and joy this shabbat
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
