Parashat Hashavua
PORTION VAyAY TZAY - part A -literally " time to get out" - DECEPTION AND PAIN
Lavan Tricks Jacob – who learns how to Deal with Crooks
In this Portion of Deceptions - so
The Jacob Israel Nation has survived over 3000 years.
As the Jimmy Daurante song went – ya gotta know and decide when to leave
So Jacob pulls up stakes and takes the family home to Israel
.And G-d protects us - and warns Lavan his father in law to not attack
It's my (wonderful) father-in-law's Yahrzeit today.
He was a total straight shooter.
(Good thing for a paratrooper in those days- 1967)
May his family be blessed - and all of us.
But the Jacob story continues the next few weeks -
with other deceptions and survival strategies.
Some story from the Talmud -
Brachot 18B
In a talmud class last night (Wednesday)
about hearing voices from departed souls in heaven
One major point of that teaching was
In Heaven the Departed Souls are PAINED
by the Disagreements here on Earth -
Resolution of these disagreements that hurt our souls
and souls of the departed is
Aided by heavenly Inspiration
And
By our Acting to resolve the Issues
One disagreement in Israel is the number of ultra-orthodox new soldiers
so I tried to send a picture
-
Fri, Nov 28 at 1:07 PMIsraeli ThanksgivingWhere ultra orthodox prison wardens share a meal with not religious wardens -Reminds me of the US Thanksgiving
I tried to send the picture from my Whattsapp but it didn't transfer - as the
text got sent to Gmail Drafts
Such is Life
Happy Thanksgiving Weekend Shabbos from Israel
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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Portion Toledot - Overcoming ALL AntiSemitism and Hatred
What must we learn from those freed hostages?
Is Anti Semitism just hatred ? Or are the two things Basic Human Flaws?
In our portion Esau- Esav - wants to kill Jacob
(and for the next couple of Portions).
Did Jacob really "steal" the birthright –firstborn rights or privilege - from Esav? And
Can you steal a BLESSING? And
Why couldn’t Rebecca and Isaac spend more time talking about training their twin boys to cooperate better?
So
Did G-d create Anti-Semitism from the time of Abraham?
Didn't the Dialogue later in the Torah between Moses and G-d create the healing process of
Mercy "RachumVchaNun" …
in this Portion we can learn
That Abraham has passed on
Isaac's Twins are growing up - and apart
And they are marrying or setting off to find a worthy or proper spouse for the next generation
So-
Is there a G-dly Gift called Parenting versus Grand-Parenting?
See today
So who is bankrolling anti-Jewish campus unrest and threatening demonstrations outside Synagogues? Is it Qatar? Bernie Sanders? Soros? Crypto accounts of Iran??
Latest Statistics show that in Israel a third of the population is youngsters. Do they relate to their grandparents?
Most of the last surviving hostages were young too.
One recent video shows a released hostage saying:
"I started to pray in my captivity. And I nudged my captors to get me a prayerbook.
Eventually they gave me one.
And I prayed. And after some time I said to myself
It seems odd to say Shabbat Prayers and not keep Shabbat. So
I started to keep Shabbat – there in the tunnel?"Yes!
Our portions teach us that
To End the Jewish holocaust- it will require multiple generations
MAYBE BRINGING GRANDCHILDREN TO ISRAELhelps!
MAYBE even sometimes stopping shopping SOME Saturdays
Why should so many people say they are concerned with anti-semitism.
And do nothing but contribute to museums - mausoleums of the once VIBRANT Jewish Spirit?
Last week's portion ends with Rebecca falling off her camel while her
Future husband Isaac was praying "in the field"
(a metaphor maybe for the whole of history?)"
In Hebrew the sages taught
Ma a saysay Avot Siman l Banim –and OUR PORTIONS PROVE THE
GENERATIONAL MODEL OF SAVING OUR GRANDCHILDREN FOR G-D'S TRUTH
As for evil and hatred
While German auctioneers tried to sell
Letters and. Index cards from Concentration Camp Inmates but
Were stopped
BUT
Who are the
Collectors they sell to?
And who will stop them the next time if we don't teach our grandchildren
AND ALL THOSE GREEDY FOOLISH PEOPLE DEMONSTRATING AGAINST ISREAL
About the gifts of
Shabbat and Israel and October 7th and the holocaust
?
Russia and Ukraine and Iran and Iraq will murder millions until their peoples wake up to the
Positive Contributions of the people of Israel
Not just in medicine and high-tech but in
SPIRIT AND HOLINESS
and we need to be present there with our next generations
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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So this week I am. Trying out a different Jerusalem office.
And this week I am working overtime on collecting some debts.
And getting Ora ready for her next trip to Ny
And see the picture below - from last night's
celebration of the 100 years of
Rav Kook's Yeshiva
My Rabbinic Studies Alma Mater !
So there is No Change in Jewish Tradition the last 2000 years?
The Laufers and Cohens came to Israel
And on the first day I took them to the OLD Rav Kook building!
Last night before the video presentation
both chief Rabbis spoke and the Finance Minister
And the Mayor of Jerusalem ...
About how our Yeshiva has made such a difference in Israel
In education and also the army!
This is what your grandchildren need to be a part of!
Also
See This Tosafot from 800 years ago : its
a full page commentary
In small print
Starting on page 60 of Talmud Zevachim
Discussing if "second tithes" can be eaten today
In Israel Anywhere or
outside of Jerusalem AND more important
if sacrifices can be offered
Despite the Holy Temple being destroyed about
2000 years ago.
It's all an inference from of the Boundaries of the
Lasting Holiness of Israel!
(I hope to better understand that commentary when I have some time to review it on Shabbat.)
Meanwhile in the
In the Shmuel Ressler Short Practical (Torah series) he asks
Why Avraham
(over) pays for the plot of land in which he will bury his wife!
And Remarkably, why he never questions
God’s promise that the land he is purchasing already belongs to him!
Ressler quotes
Rav Shimon Schwab
that Avraham had attained a level of
acceptance so complete that he never questioned the events in his life.
His deep understanding that everything was part of God’s plan gave him the ability to embrace any challenge or hardship without resistance.
This mindset granted Avraham an unshakable inner peace—one that
(Despite Changes in Life and the World)
can likewise bring tranquility and strength to our own lives.
And From
Reb Shlomo Carlebach On Parshat Chayei Sarah
“And Isaac went out to the field to pray toward the evening”- Bereishis 24:63
You know my darling friends, what is Yitzchak all about?
When it comes to the last few minutes of the (our) day, Yitzchak shows up (TO INSPIRE US ...WITH)
. the prayer of Mincha...
You see what it is, when I wake up in the morning like Avraham Avinu, I have so many gevalt plans for today, but when the day is over, gevalt, am I broken.
(How much can one accomplish in one day?)
It's said (the Lubavitcher ) Rebbe Rashab, asked
why is the sun red before it sets? And this is what his father told him.
Every morning when the sun begins to shine the sun is saying that today I will bring Mashiach, today I will redeem the world. But then, when the day is over and it didn’t happen, the sun is ashamed. So the sun gets red with shame.
So the prayer of Mincha is whatever you hoped for this day, God says you didn’t do it, but I give it to you as a gift. I don’t want you to walk away from this day thinking you didn’t do anything,
and Mashiach will come tomorrow
Amen!
Good Shabbos From Rav Shlomo
From AE:
I am in the process of moving my Jerusalem office
Which takes a lot of energy
And
Praying for the winter rain to finally come (it started last night)
And that the current cold in the US does not cause too much trouble...
Shaɓat Shalom and Blessings from Jerusalem
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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Portion VaYayRah and Video from Rabbi Andy
----- Forwarded
"As the sky darkens over Har Hamenuchos (cemetery in Jerusalem)
the songs of Reb Shlomo Carlebach, whose yahrzeit is tonight, fill the air"
Listen to the attached
And Wisdoms from Rabbi Shlomo himself:
Here I want to share with you an awesome Torah:
VaYera Elav Hashem, G-d gave over to Avraham the secret of the holy of holies (of the Temple)
So when the angels come to Avraham
(It says in the portion)
and ask him 'Ayeh Sarah Ishtecha’, where is your wife Sarah?
They mean
Now that G-d revealed to YOU the secret of the holy of holiest, what level is your wife Sarah on?
He answers 'Hinei Ba Ohel',
she’s always in the tent...in the holy of holies.
She was there long before me.
I bless you and me, we should see the holiness of Mother Sarah and recognize the holiness of all the mothers in the world
You know my beautiful friends. Imagine if Avraham and Sarah got married and right away, and they would have had a son, how would it sound to you?
It might be Beautiful, but something is missing
because Jewish children are not just born if man and woman get together and decide to have children.
I want you to know. The Holy Rebbeg Beis Ya’akov says that Avraham and Sarah prayed
for all the Jewish children to ever come down to the world. Sarah and Avraham already prayed for all generations to come.
I wish it would be again like it’s supposed to be.
There’s something so special about holy Jewish families. Gevalt, do they love their children.
I want you to know, parents, real holy parents would go into fire before ever saying anything bad about their children.
And you know friends, for me an assimilated Jew is not someone who eats a hamburger on Yom Kippur. I don’t say that’s the right thing to do, but I wouldn’t say that it shows his neshama (soul) is gone too far.
When I see parents who don’t care for their children, oy vey are they far from Yiddishkeit. Gevalt, are they far from Avraham and Sarah
Good Shabbos!
From Rav Shlomo
And from Rabbi A:
How far the world must be
from understanding this Rabbi's Yarzeit
And the Rabbi - called in Israel the Bal HaHilulah - Rabbi Shlomo
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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Portion LechLecha - go for YOURSELF
Go? Are we ever able so fast to leave our birthplace?
Are we
"Moving on from Noah?"
At the end of that Portion - iit teaches "Abraham has to move".
On? Up? Away? To BECOME the first truly Holy Man?
The King didn't like his monotheism.
In the world before NOAH -" anything goes."
But Now after the flood - rulers created "order" -
Like the Mafia or Nazis "order" by destroying competition!
Monotheism is competition for mind control and enslavement.
So Remember from last week's portion
(As per my friend Rabbi Yehoshua teaching of the book Seder Hadoʻrot )
Who were the wives of Noah's 3 sons?
They were
3 holy granddaughters of Metushelach - also a TZadik - a holy man
Who was the last tzadik ... Saving the world... Until he passed away...
And the animals - who were the ones who got to ride in the ark?
You know actually its likely sll thhe animals started to fight
Except for those who were selectred by Hashem
Because they were not violent!
Why does that matter for our portion?
So let's start Going!
Portion LechLecha - go for YOURSELF
Israel news:
Today Tuesday 18 new ambulances were dedicated with pictures in honor of the ambulance workers killed in their ambulances on Oct 7th 2023.
May they be ŕemembred - and revenged.
I am waiting outside the Great Synagogue in Jerusalem
to meet an old friend and grab some coffee.
Meanwhile a batallìon of new army recruits are entering for a lecture. Great kids. Protecting us ALL!
Sepharadic and Ashkenazi.
What's the difference besides the spicy food?
Very little just customs.
For instance see this about Kashrut differences.
Rabbi Shor 's Simla Chadasha
strongly criticized the Pri Chadash, a sefer written by a Sephardic gadol. He said that the Pri Chadash contained errors because the author had only spent two years writing it.
Second, the Simla Chadasha discusses the practice of rubbing (מיעוך) the sirchos (adhesions on the lungs) to allow for Kashrus. Sephardic poskim completely reject this practice
And the ARMY fired the chief prosecutor - for illegally leaking a film
(to push her leftist agenda) a couple of years ago.
AND
a Rabbi Lankry accused Rabbi Yosef of repeatedly humiliating the Religious Zionist community and belittling IDF soldiers... for
a consistent pattern of attacks against those who serve in the army and live a life of Torah
and work, "
and from Rav Shlomo:
“I had to move
Really had to move”
REB SHLOMO CARLEBACH
On Parshat Lech Lecha
Keep On Moving
It's so easy to do today what you did yesterday, and to do yesterday what you did the day before.
You know friends, as far as I'm concerned, the saddest thing in the world is when you meet people today and you had met them ten years before and they haven't moved an inch.
Basically, we are living in a society where people are standing still. ...
In fact when someone moves too fast, people think they are crazy because society expects certain things. It's as if you should maintain the same level of Jewishness, the same level of belief in G-d from after Bar Mitzvah until your dying day. ...
You know what G-d says to Avraham? "Lech Lecha."
Avraham, you want to be a servant of G-d? Move, keep on moving. ...
Let me share with you something very deep. A lot of people are moving; how do you know if they are moving in G-d's direction? I'll tell you something. If you are moving in the direction of G-d, the more you move up, the closer you move to people. ...
We all need so much to move closer to G-d, to move closer to people.
But above all, Lech Lecha, keep on moving. Don't stop ...
Get closer to yourself, to the deepest depths of you, and closer to every human being in the world.
Good Shabbos! From
Rabbi Shlomo
May the world stop moving backwards
and start teaching that we dont need another Noah flood
just more Abrahams.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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Portion Noah and the Houti Ship... And is a Tunnel like a Tayva (ark)?
- And News for us in Israel:
Many freed captives said it was belief and faith that saved them in those dank tunnels!below is a picture showing the results - withYosef Ohana and friend Daniel Sharabi friends whoHave been putting on tefilin since being freed!`And From who else?Thanks Stuart W:“Let it be know, there is a fountainThat was not made by the hands of man"Reb Shlomo Carlebach on Parshas Noach“The waters strengthened andincreased greatly upon the earth”(Genesis 7:19)Open your hearts like mad. Water does not address itself to your consciousness, water is from beyond creation.Water is basically unconscious. Water wipes out your consciousness.When I'm very sad and consciously I have no way to be happy, I put water on my face and I am suddenly happyand awake, because water mamesh reaches the unconsciousness.Friends, it's so much deeper than this and, gevalt,You have to go through so much pain until you realize that with your consciousness you don't reach anything. And then you get so crazy until you want to wipe your consciousness out.You know what the people of the flood wanted? They wanted to wipe out the consciousness, but forget it,water came and wiped them out. Let me ask you friends,on what level was Noach serving God?Noach was serving God consciously, because when I see a sinner on a conscious level, they have no way to make it in this world.Sometimes you meet people and you know that on the level of higher consciousness, you can reach them so easily, so easily.You know what the craziest thing is? People who are serving God consciously…it's so hard to get them to a higher consciousness.If consciously you are nothing then it's so easy, there is nothing in the way.On Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Succos, I am praying to God, God gives me everything and I share it with the world.Master of the World, I want you to give me something where the giving doesn’t end.I want you to give me something so deep with which I can revive the whole world.On that day I pray for rain, I pray for this one drop of water to give myself new life, to bring the whole world back to life.”U’she’avtem mayim be’sasson,” (You shall draw water with joy).You can basically give over conscious teaching, but unconscious teaching is like the Prophet says,“kamayim la’yam mechasim: (Yeshaya 11:9), (like the waters that cover the ocean).The water of the ocean is so deep. Do you know why water in Hebrew is always in plural? (Mayim)One drop is hiding the other drop, every drop is hiding behind the other drop. If all I am serving God is only what you can see, then it's meaningless.If my loving you in this world is only what you can see, that my love is not worthy of you, it has to be so deep and so hidden.Good Shabbos! (From Rav Shlomo)Shabbat ShalomRabbi Andy Eichenholz
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As I write this message, so much is unknown.
Will the hostages be released? Will there be a cessation of the war in Gaza? Is it really up to Hamas?
What is really the best thing for Israel? Israel itself is very divided about the best way to proceed at this time.
America is also increasingly polarized.There is a government shutdown, there is escalating crime and it almost looks like civil war in several cites.
Anti semitism is increasing all over the world. On this past Yom Kippur a terrorist murdered innocent Jews attending synagogue in Manchester England.
His first name given to him by his parents was Jihad!
Sitting in a succah reminds us that we are also on a journey reminiscent of the journey of the Jewish people who left Egypt.
Life in this physical world (has always been) a journey with many unknowns.
Sitting in a succah is a time to learn what is really important in life.
During Sukkot, we let go of what is not true, to let go of what is not connected to our heart and to who we really are.
We learn to be with ourselves, with others, with our ancestors, with our Jewish history, and with God.
May we all taste eternity in moments with love and joy that is not dependent on anything physical during this holiday...
...
The Lubavticher Rebbe reminds us " Let us trust in God with the confidence that everything will turn our for the best for that very trust brings about a positive outcome.
" Trusting that God is in charge and everything is happening for the higher good brings joy, even when things may still feel challenging. .
...
And from AE
Blessings from Paradise await us in the Sukkah of Peace!
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Portion VaYeLech - Momentum and Moving
The "weekly short dvar" guy focused on HAKHEL
The mitzva where once in 7 years the King reads Torah
In Jerusalem
For the masses of Israelites- including children.
He quotes
why would children be required to attend? If anything, their presence would likely distract from the experience
as parents struggle to control their young children.
Surprisingly, the Lekach Tov suggests that the children’s attendance is ...in fact, essential
for creating a positive experience for the entire family unit, especially the younger members.
(Because the best instruction is BEING THERE!)
Chief Rabbi David Lau mentions that this week is Shabbos Shuva! Meaning Returning!
He cites Kli Yakar (I was at the grave in Prague ) on the beginning of the portion
"Vayelech Moshe" who went from tent to tent to teach - the only way to make PEACE -shalom -
which is INCUMBENT ON US ALL.- a MusT HaLACHA!
"Shalom you must pursue"!
AFTER STUDYING THIS WEEK ABOUT KORBANOT - SACRIFICES IN THE TEMPLE
I say Shalom is a korban - a sacrifice we must make sometimes -
if we want to make peace - we have to go to people who may hold a grudge -
and hold dialogue - to the point of peace (if not agreement).
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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Portion Nitzavim - UNBROKEN KID (MOVIE) OR Wheelchair WINNER (real life)?
Portion Nitzavim - UNBROKEN KID (MOVIE) OR Wheelchair WINNER? (real life)?
WHAT A FLIGHT! (coming in on El Al)
Inspiration at last!
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE - AND THE KARATE KID - AND THE UNBROKEN KID!
IS THERE maybe STILL HOPE FOR AMERICA? AND For ALL of us? (see below)
My friend - the Unbroken (former Chicago) YID
(despite the wheelchair) - was at another grandchild's wedding last week!
Also a miracle!
Even if we ALL have issues - don't lose sight of the GOOD.
Very abridged this week -Reb Shlomo Carlebach
on Parshat Nitzavim - "The All of Me"
This Shabbos we read ... " you are ALL standing before G-d, (Kulchem} meaning ALL of you.
(But)
Everybody knows that on Rosh HaShana you are standing before G-d,
but the question is on what level? ...
We are being counted on the level of Kulchem, of all
being positive and do this and do that; it’s all very beautiful. But it’s all details.
Then that one thing which is just 'I' is the all.
There is one thing which touches the all of me,
which is the deepest depths of my existence.
Good Shabbos!
Shana Tova!
From Rabbi Shlomo
And SPEAKING OF GOOD
from Rabbi David Aron - also abridged:
"
the choices for goodness in real life are often much more subtle than most people recognize.
There is a subtle but real difference between “looking good” and “being good.”
Torah and Kabbalah teach that God created the world in order to facilitate the possibility for ultimate goodness,
which means goodness that has been chosen.
Our service to God is to choose goodness.
Life is all about choices. There are always choices to be made.
Every day we are all handed choices. Every day we all get different challenges.
No one can expect life to be a piece of cake in a world of choices.
But don’t worry. Try your best, and if you make a mistake, you can do teshuvah. (Repentance.)
You can be forgiven.
Remember, God knew the stakes were high,
and God is with you in your pain and struggle.
In fact, the Talmud tells us that before God created the world,
He created the power of teshuvah (repentance), because
the likelihood of our making mistakes was so great
that we couldn’t even last a moment without the possibility of teshuvah already available "
So NOW
we are close to Rosh Hashonno-
a time for a New Beginning and Focus for us ALL
My neighbor who lost his hand on October 7 - saving his family -
always says
"The Almighty gives us all challenges -
EVEN
Abraham and Sara had theirs
Joseph in slavery
Moses who had to run away from the lap of luxury of Pharoah's House
etc etc - through all history -
but for hundreds of years of intervals - we were free in our Homeland
and now again! despite all the challenges!
It says in the portion "Come Back" and
"redeem the
Land of your Forefathers"
"The task is not beyond you in the heavens
or across the seas."
That's what is going on this generation!
Challenges - but also solutions! Bridging the GAPS.
Blessings for
a Shabbat Shalom
and for
being written into the Book of Life
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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Portion keyTahVoe - After the Tribes Entered Israel - 14 years with No Fruit?
I hope we are all
Getting ready for the High Holidays
Reminder please:
About 35 minutes after the Yom Kippur Shofar
Rabbi A needs a ride to Newark Airport
(Would love to stay but Sukkos is right behind)
Speaking About Shofars :
Michi Yosefi - a well known influencr -
reminds us how the
Daily Shofar this month of Elul-
after each Elul morning prayer
Is like the Yom Kippur " End the Fast " shofar blast
(With lots of meanings).
So HAVE a daily thought
For the survival and success
Of all Jewish people
And peace for the world via UNDERSTANDING
Good to Share with our Neighbors!
The 14 years idea from above?
During the conquest of Canaan by Joshua
The Mitzva of bringing
First fruits to the Temple
HAD NOT YET BEGUN
The picture below is from this week's
Seudas Mitzva -
Siyum masechet babaKama
Finishing a Talmud Tractate.
During which
The local Town Rabbi
Rav Grossman
In speaking of the first Aliya of the Portion
Connected offerings of
The First Fruits from the season at
The Temple in Jerusalem
(A Great Mitzva)
Where the donor states Jewish History
From
Abraham down to now
To show that all our HISTORY is connected
Even to little Mitzvas
Like farmers bringing their first fruits to the
Jerusalem Temple.
Who knows - maybe next year we
Can all meet in Jerusalem?
(Rabbi A is in a blue shirt on left)
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy
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