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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 13:24
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Portion of Pinchas : Same old same old, or Totally Renewing?
What a busy week - 2 nights ago a new Sefer Torah (based on our 3000 year best seller)
was dedicated and there was dancing in the street
Yesterday after prayers and learning I attended a bar mitzvah for 30 so so Ehiopian kids
(I didn't understand a word of the main speech, given in Amharic - more for the families than for the now-Israeli kids)
Then back to a celebraton of a bris where both grandfathers srudy with me (at the Great Synagogue - see RabbiAndy.com for pictures) - and they dedicated a kiddush (real Jews are a very GIVING group)
What's that got to do with the portion?
The portion is packed too - starts with Pinchas (in a later guise Elijah the Prophet)
being ordained a Priest,
and ends with 70 sacrifices Israel must bring in the Temple for the "70 nations" (the rest of the world) -
and in there somewhere we are instructed to bring the daily sacrifice and that it MUST be from COMMUNAL funds
Just a quick word from the Holy Ohr Hachayim (passed on about 220 yeaRS AGO -who's Yahrzeit was this Thursday too):
hE SAID: We believe there is Holiness of the individual - and also holiness of the WHOLE PEOPLE
The DAILY offering must be from THE WHOLE COMMUNITY -
to remind us that the Almighty looks at us not only as individuals -
but also as the Whole Jewish People
MAY WE ALL BE BLESSED WITH A GREAT SHABBAT
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 13:24
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Portion of Balak (in Israel) - STORY TIME
Someone remarked this week that this portion is ALL STORY!
No laws no commandments - just a couple of stories.
A couple of wizzards and a couple of wars, a talking donkey and the richest miser in the world!
A wicked king sends his emissaries to the miser to bribe him -and he tells them to sleep over -
and they are OUT OF THERE before breakfast! So he doesn't have to feed them!
The Opposite of Abraham who FEEDS EVERYONE
The Opposite of Joseph who FEEDS THE WHOLE WORLD!
The wizzards try to CURSE the Israelites who are camped PEACEFULLY and
TRYING to make connections and treaties with the WORLD who rejects every entreaty -
SOUND FAMILIAR to TODAY?
THE NATIONS ARE NOT understanding that
The Almighty wants Israel to lead the world to PeacefulPlenty -
all the wizzards can do is try to trick the Israelites by offering them indulgences in the hope that they will SIN-
and 24000 do sin
and also one leader - who is slain by Pinchas - the forebear of Elijah the Prophet.
Getting everone back to reality - and getting Israel ready to conquer the wicked -
and create a peace loving kingdom for almost 800 years -
worshipping one-ness and togetherness.
(Next Week's portion culminates in the laws of
sacrificing for the peace of all nations-
a whole different "story" - so tune in!)
Shabbat Shalom and Love from Jerusalem
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
Sent from my ASUS Mobile
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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 13:24
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Portion of Chukat - The Torah of one who Passes AWAY in the Ohel (Tent)
Ritual impurity - staying away from the Holy Temple for a week - in respect to the Almighty who lost one of His Children
So This portion starts with laws of ritual impurity when someone passes away
and how with red heiffers and a week of purification you can restore the connection to the Almighty.
In the portion the siblings of Moshe (Moses' brother and sister) pass away - Miriam and Aron
Did Adon and Miriam give advice to their little brother Moshe?
Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach used to say
I try never to give advice
People have to ask me maybe a hundred times before I tell someone to do something
Really I believe that deep down inside everyone knows what they have to do
I just try to give them a little vitamin S -
That's vitamin Shabbos
And it is such a sweet vitamin pill it gives you strength for the whole week to do what you know is right.
Who is really close to you? Those who came before you; those you love and who love you
and - Holy open people?
Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach asked "Who is a Holy Person?" and answered himself:
"Someone who is always open to you and you can talk to - they are Holy!"
You can always talk to G-d and to holy people and those who love you - they are
"IN THE ALMIGHTY'S TENT AND TABERNACLE OF PEACE"
And if you can't - try sharing a little Vitamin S - the peace and love of a SHABBOS BREAK
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 13:23
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Portion of Korach the Ad Man – Who was he and Who are We?
Rabbi Michoel Lasry has a radio program in Israel and to paraphrase him – "When you want to buy something, why don't you just buy it? Often you are not sure of things so you ask the salesperson. But some sales people can convince you to buy what you don't want!
You are not totally sure – and they KNOW because you ASKED them - so they confuse you with so many "facts " until you just give up and buy!"
An older fellow I know was contacted by his credit card company and they said he had so many "points" he could get a new TV – so he agreed. Six weeks later though the credit card bill was over $1000!!!! When he called they said over and over again "but you ordered it!"
Luckily his wife and his daughter yelled at him too, and he may get them to take it back next week.
Korach was a pretty holy guy – but "the Satan" got the better of him and he complained to people about Aron – and many Israelites wanted to "vote" him into the High Priesthood". Like Rabbi Lasry also said – elections are the extreme sales jobs – with everyone pitching their lines. Here – 250 "leaders" decided Korach was THEIR GUY – and picked a fight with Moses and Aron.
Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach said the problem was these "leaders" (and Rabbi Shlomo always warned us to "beware of LEADERS") did NOT see that Aron was always out there TO HELP SOMEONE ELSE – and even got into trouble (like at the Golden Calf) – but it was ALWAYS FOR THE PURPOSE OF HELPING OTHERS. That's a REAL HOLY PERSON.
My friend Rabbi Josh Hoffman wrote this week (quoting a couple of Torah Giants) that the Torah teaches us in the last few sections that we need to be strong about who we are. We were created A NATION OF PRIESTS ordered by the Almighty to teach HOLINESS to a world that is often full of people warring on others, stealing from others, politicians at the "United-hating- Israel- Nations" creating anti-semitism, etc.
We need to know who we are in order to not be swept into electing ourselves "priests of false priorities".
As one of Rabbi Carlebach's songs goes (and I think a guy named Lenny? helped him with the song in 1975 and performed it with him)
"Return to who you are
Return to what you are
Return to where you were born and reborn again …"
We are forever the Israelite Nation and our FOCUS should be fulfilling the reason the Almighty took us out of Egypt and has kept us alive – to make the world a holier place.
Shabbat Shalom and Love and wishes for a great summer
Sent from Israel (come visit and be comforted and excited about WHO YOU ARE and where you came from)
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 05:16
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Portion of Shelach-Cast your .?.upon the water ... and Was the Water from the Rock Sweet or Polluted?
Eureka ! (it's actually a town in northern California
Where I went to check out "sustainable technology - solar wind and water ....)
Yesterday I finally met someone who heard about it - and had been there!
His business is water purification using ponds and fish and certain vegetaion
and he works a lot in India and South America -but only a bit in the US
- and speaking about Moses and Aron - the rock-to-water-providing-duo (from a different portion)
In this week's portion Moses tells the spies to check out Israel -
but Moses says NOTHING about looking for WATER SOURCES!
He has to purify water, he has to provide water (with G-d's miracles) -so it's
Strange for a guy leading millions of complainers hanging out in a desert waiting for another miracle ...
NOT to say "look for water sources"!
Later in the Torah the Almighty says I give you "a land of rivers and waters ..."
- even the Almighty mentions its importance
Actually - the Spies went right to the River Eshkol
and cut a GIANT bunch of grapes-
and then came back to Moses and complained "the people were giants like the grapes"
and "we can't beat them"!
Maybe t's why Moses didn't want to mention the rivers -
knowing the spies would complain EVEN ABOUT THAT!
So me and Eli the water purification man discussed TRUTH (Emet) versus perfection (SHLAYMUT)
and how the pupose of man is to get closer to G-dliness and how
His company is cleaning water for Palestinians as well as Indians
and maybe for agriculture for some of my friends ...
And in this week's portionthe Almighty teaches us that
IF YOU'RE NOT SENT THERE TO LOOK FOR IT
THEN MOSES KNOWS IT's THERE -
AND STICK TO YOUR JOB-
Checking out Israel for the Israelites
and GETTING CLOSER TO G-DLINESS
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
(it's hot here in Israel today - I think I'll have a drink of spring water ...)
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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 05:15
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The first 2 portions of the Fourth Book of the Torah Five discuss a lot about the leadership of the Israelites - as we wrote last week.
In Naso there are sections dealing with the Priests Levites and the Presidents of the Tribes.
Rebetzin Jungreis (may she be blessed for long and healthy life) wrote recently reminding us that the Last letter of the Torah is Lamed and the First is Bet - spelling Lev - HEART!
We read the Torah in a cycle - starting afresh right away on Simchat Torah right after finishing the 5 books each year.
So the Rebetzin reminds us (my understanding) that the Torah IMPLIES - LEV - HEART -
good heart, big heart, sensitive heart - it's what makes the Torah go round - and the Yiddishkeit eternal.
All the commentaries point to the leaders of the tribes donating to the Mishkan - the Tabernacle in the desert -
with a FULL HEART.
May we all have a heart this Shabbat and this Yom Tov of Shavuot which starts right after shabbat
Love and Shabbos and all the best from Israel
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 05:15
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Portion of Behar (read this week in the Diaspora) and Bechukotai (reading that THIS WEEK in Israel) – Couples Everywhere!
Rabbi Tzvi Y. Kook (zatza"l) my Rebbe often said "The Portions in the Torah have themes that come in pairs." He meant that EVEN the Torah was meant to be like life – best experienced in pairs, in harmony of couples.
Actually the Portions Behar (read last Shabbat in Israel but this wek in the Diaspora) and Bechukotai (reading that THIS WEEK in Israel – but next week in our Exile outside of Israel) are often read together.
In the Soncino Chumash – translation in English – footnote to Chapter 26 sentence 46 –tells us that Most of Bechukotai is the "subscription" (summation) of most of Leviticus – the whole Third book of the Torah-Five.
In a way the first Two Books of the Torah are a pair – the Story of Creation and the experience of Israelites from Abraham thru Exodus from Egypt.
It seems to be that the NEXT two BOOKS – Vayikra and Bamidbar – are BEYOND the story of "begetting a world of miracles" and are ACTUALLY "LIVING a WORLD of MIRACLES".
You could say this week we read the midpoint of the "HOW TO be close to the Almighty with soon to start the FOURTH BOOK of the Torah-Five
which is the Story of the Israelites WORKING OUT the DETAILS of becoming CLOSE to the Almighty.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 05:14
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Portions Emor and Behar – Go Tell it on the Mountain – Shabbos is Forever
(The Torah we have and the Traditions we have (evolving even to this day
can bring a person and a community and a people and THE WORLD
to Spiritual Heights and greatness that can fix all the pettiness and foolishness – and even the anger in the world
if we only look into the portion each week to see how
So last Shabbat I was home in Israel - and now I'm this Shabbat in the exile
where we read the same portion (Emor) that I heard last week in Shul!
(But I still study the portion for ISRAEL (Behar
- and we find a PARALEL wording in the two portions!
Like a parallel universe –
Like a parallel teaching -
Leviticus (Vayikra) Chapter 23 (read in Israel LAST week –and this week in the Diaspora
is similar in some wording to Chapter 25 -this week's reading in Israel -when COUNTING up to 49 DAYS OR YEARS
to reach a holy purpose -
"seven days to the Sabbath-
Seven times seven days to the Sefirat HaOmer - and in years to the Yovel of freedom!
Just ONE DAY a week up to the Sabbath and PEACE - and it raises your spirit up
Also – EACH GOOD YEAR of a lifetime can add up to the Peace of Freedom of the Yovel 50th year
so
Lift your life up one day
One week
A year and a life of years - and your whole life can be
Like the Rabbi Shlomo song
L-rtd bring me higher – just with one song"
Just one prayer
"Just one word
Just one line" or a mitzvah
adding up seven days seven weeks seven years times seven years
A Yovel of freedom from a little Shabbos –
Sabbath peace –
to last a day – or a week or a lifetime
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
