Torah from Rabbi Shlomo and from Rav Kook‏

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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua

פורסם בשבת, 21 נובמבר 2020 17:16

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This week commemorates the passing of Rav Kook  over 70 years ago-   - who saw the Holy Lights in ALL ISRAEL as they were starting to Build the Land

Rav Shlomo used to teach Rav Kook's Prot Hateshuva to his shul when he could - and though Rav Kook's Hebrew is a bit difficult - Rav Shlomo brought all the concepts to us -

such as the idea that TESHUVA is NATURAL -
it returns us to a MORE HUMAN STATE without all the "baggage" that we pick up as we try to find our place in the world.

Here is a quote from Rav Shlomo that I think would fit into his interpretation of Rav Kook's works (I actually have 2 copies of the Rav Shlomo work but not in front of me)

Rav Shlomo Carlebach speaking:
You know there is such a thing as loving Hashem,and there is such a thing as fearing Hashem. ...

Loving Hashem is not simple, but everybody understands it. When it comes to fearing Hashem we have a little trouble.

What does it mean to fear Hashem? The Baal Shem Tov says that fearing Hashem means that I'm afraid that I will lose His light,
 I'm afraid that I will dosomething wrong and I'll be far away from Him. 
...
 In Chassiduswe learn... you can love Hashem with closed eyes or you can love Hashem and see Him.

When you see Him, you know you mamash see Hashem, you just tremble.

That's also a way of loving Hashem, but in a trembling way.   
...
 I'll tell you something very deep

When those great lights (of the time of the Mashiach coming - my note) are coming down to the world, they are ready to grab someone to make them ready for this great light.

 The thing is you have to really know that there is one Hashem and that He is as near to you as you will let Him be.

The great lights are here right now... you just have to believe it.
 If we can't believe, we are still in exile.

So by our believing (in Hashem) we mamesh are creating vessels for this great heavenly lights.

Maimonides and the King’s Book Shelves

פרטים

קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua

פורסם בשבת, 21 נובמבר 2020 17:15

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Maimonides and the King’s Book Shelves
‏

Friday 6:30 AM and I enter the closest Synagogue and –

The painters are already working! The tables are in disarray,

The regular Minyan-aires are finding corners to put on their Talis and Tefilin-

But me – I’m always looking for a Torah Book to study a few minutes before

And a few minutes after prayers – but the book shelves are empty and moved to the center of the Shul so the painters can work.

What would Maimonides do in this situation?

Luckily I was studying Maimonides’ “Laws of Kings” a few days ago.

Law 1 – the Torah says a King should WRITE a TORAH

Law 2 – the King should always Carry the Torah With Him!

Question 1 – What if the King’s Father Left him a Torah?

Maimonides – Answer – Keep one on his HOME SHELF to study at Home

Write another one – and Carry it with him!

As Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach used to say based on many great Hassidic Rabbis-

YOU NEED to ALWAYS have a TORAH THOUGHT to SHARE

(he’d say “keep a CASH Torah in your POCKET – readily available!)

and Maimonides would say –

IF THEY’re PAINTING THE BOOK SHELVES-

CARRY YOUR OWN HOLY BOOK WITH YOU

And grab those few HOLY MOMENTS of study-learning NO MATTER WHAT!

Shabbat Shalom from holy Tel Aviv

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Moses in the Mist? (even though Arafel is more like FOG?)

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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua

פורסם בשבת, 21 נובמבר 2020 17:15

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Moses in the Mist? (even though Arafel is more like FOG?)

What a Portion this week! So much of Moses’ 40-year- review –

 but

Where are the easy parts? Is Israel’s task in this world easy?

So when Moses climbs the Mount Sinai trail to prepare to chisel in stone the 10 Commandments- he doesn’t even see the trail!

He has to

“walk into the misty fog – " the Torah says

because his job-

the 10 Commandments’ job-

the TORAH’s job-

is to lead the way in this foggy world – towards our DEVELOPMENT

as G-d-close people

 and ENLIGHTENED people

so the world can know how to fix itself.

Love and Shabos from Tel Aviv

 Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

9 av - a happy shabbat or not? 9AV - but a happier and holier one?

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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua

פורסם בשבת, 21 נובמבר 2020 17:15

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9 av - a happy shabbat or not? 9AV - but a happier and holier one?

why did the rabbis ordain that 9 AV on Shabbat be observed the "next day" (called nidcheh or pushed off)?

Since the temple was burning for 2 days they COULD EASILY have said
observe the fast day on "9 or 10 of the month of AV" - rather than 
"observe it on the 9th of Av -
"but if" it's a shabbos ... on the 10th...

So - Here we can see the GREATNESS of our sages -

who were DEVASTATED when the temples were destroyed -
BUT NOT DESTROYED by the devastation!

( the destruction of the temple on 9 AV -

first by the babylonians 586 bce

then by the romans about 70 CE!)

And why not?

Because our Temple stood for both great holiness - and great wisdom - so I'm sharing 2 thoughts from 2 sources.

From my friend Rabbi Brodt who reminds us -
this shabbat is called
Shabbat Chazon -
the shabbat of VISION -
not just prophecy - 
but depth of VISION so we can ALL see G-d's 
HOLY long-term plan for our world.

to make us all HOLIER people

And from the weeklydvar website

he quotes King Solomon
"A conceited fool has no desire
for understanding, but only wants to express his own views (18:2)."

What's the point of a past if we don't learn from it? Let's integrate what we learned from the past
into our future!

So - let's FAST this Tisha Bav -
do deepen our understanding and widen our vision
of what's happening in the world-
and learn from the Sages to
make the world both wiser and holier.

Shabat Shalom from Jerusalem

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

PURPOSE?

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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua

פורסם בשבת, 21 נובמבר 2020 17:14

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PURPOSE?

The beginning of the month of Av (today) we are taught to mourn destruction of our Great Temples

In 2 weeks' time we are taught that 15th of Av was one of the Happiest Days of Ancient Israel

Why and how are we directed by 3000 years of Jewish Scholarship to adapt our FEELINGS to EVENTS ?

And what good is it to do so?

As Rabbi Carlebach used to say - (my paraphrase)

it isn't so important how much you love someone when you love them-
as how much you can love someone when you're angry at them!

FEELINGS are GREAT - but 
FEELINGS without DIRECTION and/or PURPOSE -

can be MISLEADING.

So Jewish WISDOM teaches us to LEARN TO CHANNEL feelings-

to EMPOWER US -

and to PRACTICE implementing FEELINGS within the needs of TIME - so that

we can ADD to the dimension of our HUMANITY at those critical times

when we will need to direct our feelings towards the PURPOSE in our lives.

Love and Shabbos from Jerusalem,

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz