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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם בראשון, 22 נובמבר 2020 16:57
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Portion of Tetzaveh - "commanding"
Commanding - about clothes?
Why does the Almighty have to dictate to the Kohanim - the Priests - what to wear during the Temple Service?
This is very NOT "seventies"!
CERTAINLY NOT!
Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach used to often talk about growing up - and how his father - Rabbi Naftali -
would always be careful how he dressed before going outside.
Last night I gave a class - and a few people showed up despite the lack of parking.
I got good feedback - but one person looked like they were sleeping through most of the class.
At the end they asked "about that point - how did it relate to you personally?"
You see WE ALL REPRESENT G-D "TO THE WORLD"!
AND HOW WE DRESS IS PART OF THAT.
Jews in the diaspora have stopped dressing for Shabbat.
The world still sees them as Jews - for good and for the not so good.
So we might as well remember we are ALL supposed to be:
"Mamlechet Kohanim ...-
a nation opf priests to the nations of the world -
and (to remind them - and ourselves - that we must be) a Holy Nation."
Shabbat Shalom from chilly New York
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
longing for the Holy Land
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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם בראשון, 22 נובמבר 2020 16:56
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Portion of Nitzavim-Vayelech – the Torah says “it is life or death before you
Portion of Nitzavim-Vayelech –
Where the Torah says
“it is life or death before you …- choose the blessing and not the curse”
These words follow after Hashem tells us
"you are all here (note - I believe it also means you can also HEAR these words) ...
even the water-drawers and the wood-choppers ..."
and Rabbi Carlebach said
"the woodchoppers splinter things ...- and those that splinter the unity of the people are splintering the ability to come together for G-d's ultimate refemption"
The portion follows and says "Ve Ha Shev Shvut cha..." - I will return you from captivity - if you will return from waywardness ...
IF WE HEAR THE BLESSING WE MUST ALSO STOP SPLINTERING OF RESOLVE FOR GOOD IN THE WORLD
we need leaders who will UNITE us - and not follow the world's tendency to splinter,
and cut away, chop down and allow to rot...
As the Jewish New Year approaches next week-
May Hashem grant us to hear, to be here, to return in faith and love-
and to prepare for a new year and a new dawn of brotherhood and siserhood and love and redemption
LOVE and Shabbos
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
Praying for all that
In New York (to Be With The People) for Rosh Hashono
as many of my friends are in the Ukraine to pray for the same
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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם בראשון, 22 נובמבר 2020 16:56
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The portion starts out "take for me donations", (Tikchu Terumati)
and in the Kabbala work ZOHAR the portion explanation begins with the concept
"G-d has given every nation a king but
G-d has chosen to be the King of the Jewish nation (children of Jacob/Israel)".
The Hebrew "teruma" can mean "raise up for me donations" (from the root TARUM)
or as Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach said of this sentence "it means SEPARATE and MAKE SPECIAL" for me.
So that explains the ZOHAR - because (in brief) the Al-mighty takes a nation to H-imself -
gives us a task - a special task-
and as Rav Shlomo teaches us-
"therefore we learn that our task is to make those around us feel special and
to make our worship of Hashem special and
to raise up our children to know how special they are to us ... etc".
Have a special Shabbos!
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם בראשון, 22 נובמבר 2020 16:56
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Mishpatim - portion of LAWS - to teach us NOT what to do - but HOW TO BE (closer to G-d)
So the portion is called "laws".
It tells us starting in Shmos chapter 21 - how to NOT make people feel like SLAVES
and in sentence 17 there
How to NOT act towards your parents who brought LIFE to you
and later
How NOT to blame G-d for WHAT YOUR LIFE MUST ACCOMPLISH IN THIS WORLD ...
BECAUSE it teaches us HOW G-d WORKS -
not moving people out of a place where their presence is needed (see in Shmos 23:29)... and who knows what is needed and when - if not Hashem ...?
And it teaches us how to get CLOSE to G-d -
as the Almighty tells Moses in Shmos 24:16 - 18 " be here ... " and after 6 days of preparation -
"on the Shabbos" - ? the SEVENTH DAY -
after Moses is READY to be close to G-d -
it says "Moses entered the clouds..." - the Clouds of Glory ??
And WHY ALL THIS LAWS ... AND TEACHING ... we need LAWS- training us -
BECAUSE IT IS NOT SO EASY TO FULFILL THE ALMIGHTY'S MISSION-
To have us -
AS RABBI CARLEBACH SAID IN HIS WAY OF TRANSMITTING THE TORAH:
"love one another and bring the WHOLE WORLD two million miles closer to redemption."
Let's try this Shabbat
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם בראשון, 22 נובמבר 2020 16:55
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Yisro -What was Moses really? Wasn't he the King of the Israelites?
So many teachers have said:
Receiving the Torah is NOT EASY!
But Rabbi Carlebach said: Not easy – but it’s SO GOOD!
So Moses convinces the Israelites they want to hear the 10 Commandments-
What a great politician!
Nobody could be more a king than a leader who is
Chief planner
chief judge
Chief provider
Chief inspiration
AND Chief politician (but honest …) – mediating between the tribes …
So why don't we call him - Like King David? Why is Moses the TEACHER – Moshe Rabaynu?
Here Rabbi Carlebach teaches us: The trick to ENTERING HOLINESS in a confusing world
G-d the Creator comes to Man in form of Moses and says“Remember me?”
Moses says “yes – but what’s this burning bush about?”
G-d the Al-mighty says : I told you“you will be coming back here for a better of understanding – AFTER
YOUR TASK – TO GET MY CHILDREN OUT OF EGYPT”
So Moses spends the next couple of YEARS (not days)And fulfills his task ?
Water manna – the tough times are over !
UNTIL THEY ALL HEAR G-D SPEAKING THE COMMANDMENTs
And they TOGETHER get a NEW TASK -
where WE ARE ALL EQUAL -
TO teach the world HOW to - make things BETTER and HOLIER!
Moses - and US - are to be a priestly nation - TEACHING!
The whole world KNOWS of the 10 Commandments -
but how many know that is their purpose in this world?
Shabbat Shalom from Jerusalem
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz