Shabbat

Portion Key TayTzay - Oh what a war!

Portion Key TayTzay - Oh what a war!
 
Yesterday at the Jerusalem Talmud class I attend
 
one of the Sephardic students (we are all retirement age)
 
 questioned a measurement the Talmud talks about in dealing with Meal Offerings in the Temple
(May it be rebuilt soon).
 
He quoted the great Ben Ish Chai who lived in Iraq in the last Century.
 
The Rabbi-teacher said "you don't think I study the works of the Ben Ish Chai? My Friday Torah study
on my computer
is ALWAYS SET TO START WITH THE BEN ISH CHAI
 
(so we discussed the importance of HONESTY IN BUSINESS
which the Ben Ish Chai starts off with...
 
Honesty is Holiness!

I wanted to write this week about the importance of
 Internalizing Holiness as the focal point of Israel's purpose in this world.

 

I mention here an idea from the Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo in Jerusalem which 
continues the work of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach 
 
The portion starts off with the realities of war and captives.
Then it ends with the need to destroy Amalek (Haman and Evil) in the world
 
 Rabbi Carlebach said there are two levels of struggle -
 
there is the struggle withing us
 
and the struggle without
 
We need to come to grips within us that there is a G-d that G-d is the Almighty
 
and there is a plan the Almighty has put in place in this world.
 
Only then can we struggle successfully with the outside issues
 
and may we all be successful in achieving the ends of both kids of stuggle - and
 
get ready for a Great and Holy High Holiday Season
 
 
Shabbat Shalom from Israel
 
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz