Parashat Hashavua

Portion Teruma - . Pray for ... Purim?

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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
פורסם ברביעי, 02 דצמבר 2020 17:24
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Portion Teruma - . Pray for ... Purim?
 
Purim ... and viruses?
 
A number of top Rabbis were at the Westrrn Wall this week praying for corona-victims and for a remedy.
 
Israel has a new diagnostic method and is working on a cure.
 
If we come up with something - will the world care?
 
Is it possible the Corona Virus is here to wake up the whole world to .... stop antisemitism?
 
Knock some sense into Iran?
 
Remind world leaders that we all live on the same planet?
 
Teruma -   this week's portion  - means " Raise up  " ... could it mean Wake Up?
 
Pablo Neruda wrote his poem Levantete (Get Up ) in Chile. Did he like Jews? Did he blame the Jews for his being exiled? Ever read the poem?
 
Terumah.  It talks about building a Holy Sanctuary in the Sinai Desert!
 
Get the point?
 
What really do we need from This World and what from The Next or Other - Spiritual World?
 
Such a long portion and also the next few ... All Dealing with Building a Temple
A Sanctuary ... something that starts in our hearts...not quick but important
 
Our world is a desert with lots of issues...
 
The Torah teaches us to build Holy Sanctuaries.
Noah failed.
Moses succeeded.
 
Got the picture?
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
 

Portion Mishpatim : A Clash of Ancient Rules and Modern (70's?) Feelings - or Not?

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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
פורסם ברביעי, 02 דצמבר 2020 17:24
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Portion Mishpatim : A Clash of Ancient Rules and Modern (70's?) Feelings - or Not?
 
 
Do we evolve? Does Judaism Evolve? Is Israel as United about our Legal System as we Once Were?
 
And very important:
 
Has "the world" learned ANYTHING from SINAI and from the TORAH of MOSES -?
 
So what if I try to help my neighbours carry groceries up the steps - and their kids are always smiling to me?
 
WHO CARES?
 
Today on Yahoo News the latest medical discovery from Israel was :
 
Bar Ilan University researchers found a way to Test for the CoronaVirus in 15 seconds with lasers - 
instead of the current one hour blood test!!!!!
 
Who else in the world is trying to put the world in perspective?  Every one else is watching the stock market and virus statistics!
 
And Who Cares?  The Torah says WE SHOULD CARE - AND IT WILL GIVE US A SATISFIED FEELING!
 
Mishpatim relates to the rules Moses probably learned on his Sinai trips. 
Do we need to Meditate like Moses to understand what he envisioned?
 
Do we realise that Moses made Israel from a bunch of wild tribes - 
INTO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE THE CONSCIENCE OF THE WORLD (and the greatest healers and scientists of the world).
 
What do SINAI rules have to do with our feelings?  
Maybe most people today make up their own rules and don't think in terms of Biblical Rules? 
 
So how often do you return lost items to people?
 
How often do you try not to damage others - at work, while driving, 
or at parties where you offer drinks to people who need someone to tell them to stop?
 
What about making your workers wait for their pay or reimbursement?
 
The point is - we do not often think of "what is the moral" way in a situation.
 
And most people NEVER think "what would the Torah" way be in a certain situation.
 
Truth is, THINKING is NOT what usually guides our actions-
 
 - AND THAT IS THE POINT! We Act by Gut and Not by GOTT (G-d)!
 
So the Portion gives us direction - AND GIVES US A WAY TO BE HAPPY about our ACTIONS.
 
MAKE YOUR DAY SPECIAL - THINK A LITTLE ABOUT MORAL AND TORAH WAYS TO ACT
 
And it will add value and meaning to your life!
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion Yitro: Jethro Jews and Justice

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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
פורסם ברביעי, 02 דצמבר 2020 17:24
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Portion Yitro: Jethro Jews and Justice
 
In a nutshell - this week's portion is jam packed with great ideas - and BIG questions!

Jethro the Gentile comes to Moses (at the beginning of the portion)
and the Israelites in the desert - and sets up the Jewish Court System!
(Yesterday in my Maimonides class the lecturer taught about the process of:
SELECTING QUALIFIED JUDGES - a BIG problem here in Israel-
and an interesting concept was Maimonides' "Three Year Probationary Period"!)
 
The Big Jewish Question Is of course : "Is Justice objective or subjective?"
Depends - sadly - on the judge; we all have a LOT to learn from Maimonides,
not just medicine!
 
So the portion ends with "Build me an ALTAR of EARTH (not stones! not cement!). (in the Temple)

Down to Earth - not egocentric! And So:

For one thing the Mizbayach ... the altar   ....  symbolizes PEACE on High and on EARTH.
Elsewhere the Torah relates the altar to JUDGMENT -
and the High Court sat in a chamber  near the Altar!
 
SO - Which is the Basic Functionality?  Peace here on earth - or Almighty (strict) Justice?


The First Rule in Jewish Law - which Jethro the Judge (in Midian) did NOT get into

is Arbitration to Make Peace after listening to both sides.  You need to be a wise and a fair judge to do that!

Let's Pray on that this Shabbat - and may we see that more often than not!
 
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion B Shalach : Where the Women Dance the Enemy Drowns but the Wicked Leader Lives?

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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
פורסם ברביעי, 02 דצמבר 2020 17:23
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Portion B Shalach : Where the Women Dance the Enemy Drowns but the Wicked Leader Lives?
on the Portion where Miriam led the Ladies in Song and Dance
 
In Victory? But it ain't over until ...
Mount Sinai?
 
So
At the Red Sea our Israelites START to recover from slavery
 
 
The frightful sight of enemies advancing
 
Turns into a G-dly Victory and Nature's revenge on a wicked empire
 
But the people still dont get it
 
And complain
 
Until the Almighty shows them
 
G-dly Mercy with Manna from Heaven
 
And then the Story Continues ( next week's porton  )
 
 
 
From Israel way before dawn .. 
 
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
 

Portion Bo - Come on Now - Reality Here?

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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
פורסם ברביעי, 02 דצמבר 2020 17:22
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Portion Bo - Come on Now - Reality Here?
 

Were there really plagues in Egypt?

Were the Israelites ever in Exile?

Why am I asking these questions? Are they relevant?
 
Imagine a communist Chinese boss - who worked his whole life for the communist party...

and now he gets hit with the coronavirus!

What does he think ...feel   ...say to his children?

Now omagine the average slave (yes there  are even today in someplaces, sad to say).

Same questions!

Now read the end of the First Book of the 5 Books of Moses and
imagine Jacob the father of 12 the tribes  - about to leave the world

what does he do?  He LEAVES THEM A SPIRITUAL LEGACY THAT LASTS 3000 YEARS (so far).

The Seder night is not just a time to see our relatives (like them or not)!

And this week's portion BO is not just a lead-in to the Passover story (which we will read about for the next bunch of weeks in the Torah).

Quoting from Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach (in his story of Moishele the Drunk Watercarrier)

"...Then came Avraham. He began fixing the world ... Yaakov and his twelve holy sons... (BUT) Then Pharaoh made slaves out of us, and tonight, G-d took us out from Egypt....

 children, I want you to swear to me right now, that you’ll always know that the same G-d
who took us out from Egypt is still alive. It’s the same G-d.
Whenever a Jew cries to G-d, G-d always hears our prayers and takes us out from all our troubles.'...

He told his Rabbi - ” “Rebbe, I’m so sorry. I couldn’t say anything more (to my children) because I was still drunk. I turned over and I fell asleep again.”
"So the heilege (holy) Reb Tzvi Elimelech was crying bitter tears. He said to his Chassidim, “Did you hear that? Did you hear that? I wish that one time in my life, I should be privileged to give over Yiddishkeit to my children, the way Moishele the water carrier gave it over to his children Seder night.” Gevalt."

So READ THESE PORTIONS

AND READ THEM OVER AT SEDER NIGHT!

And remember:

YOU should be privileged to give over Yiddishkeit to ... (YOUR) children, the way Moishele the water carrier gave it over to his children Seder night.” Gevalt."


Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz (expecting some more blessed rain here in Israel tomorrow -

the place our forfathers came to in order to bring HOLY memory
and HOLY spirit into the world!

Portion Shimote : Ghosts of Cain and Able?

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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
פורסם ברביעי, 02 דצמבר 2020 17:22
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 Portion Shimote : Ghosts  of Cain and Able?
 
 
How did those guy s from 20 generations before get into our story here?
 
 
In our portion  the Family of Israel  is Forged  from the Tribes. What tribes? They just got to Egypt!
 
Who invented Family, anyway? Not the Egyptians, for sure, despite their "advanced culture"!
 
Early on - in the beginning - Eve and Adam have their woes !
 
Soon after, Cain kills Able, and then Cain's grandson kills him !
 
So, Is the Torah a murder mystery?  It's supposed to be a Handbook for  Fixing the World! 
 
Our teachers say the saga of Moses and Aron which begins here is to fix the problem of brotherly  strife 
and
The dedication of Shifra and Puah who stood up to Pharaoh -
is to teach the power of good women to save the  future (and allow the tribes of Israel to develop).
 
And the tribes... Well...  We have a Nation here in Formation -
Room for every type of personality - AND FAMILIES!
 
Room to study and learn about how to build a 
"Nation under G-d" - in the  coming portions 
 
And may we all be blessed with a great Shabbos!
 
 
Shabbat shalom 
 
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz 
 

Portion Va Yeh Chee - Blessings to the UPS man last night - The end of the First Book of the Five of Moses

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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
פורסם ברביעי, 02 דצמבר 2020 17:21
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 Portion Va Yeh Chee - Blessings to the UPS man last night  - The end of the First Book of the Five of Moses
 
 
UPS man? No he did not bring things for ME but I accepted for others …HOWEVER we TALKED A BIT
 
and I told him what Max and I learned in Talmud Brachot just a minute before he came
 
(and Max who will celebrate his bar mitzva next week got the message) - about Blessing each other - AND
 
About even saying Hello  back when somebody says Hello (if not you are almost "stealing" from them - the grace we are here to share! )
 
And... What has that to do with Portion Va Yeh Chee? 
 
Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach says - `be a Yakov person and NOT a Lavan person`? So what does that mean? And all of this?
 
One idea from AISH.com this week (by Yoram and Meira Raanan) explains the portion as such:
 
Jacob called for his sons and said, " Gather and hear, sons of Jacob, and listen to your father Israel ... 
All these are the twelve tribes of Israel... He gave each one his own special blessing. (Genesis: 49:1-2, 28) ...

Jacob is on his deathbed, and his children gather around for his final words. 

That;: Light seeps out of the darkness (my note: the despair of death of Jacob - and) Jacob lifts his hands to bless his sons, the twelve tribes of Israel. 

He bestows upon them blessings which foretell the destiny of the Jewish People.   The light of these blessings illuminates the darkness ...

SO Back to the portion: these AISH words on Aish.com are poetic and beautiful … but - Huh?

So It's like  we (me and Max and Mr UPS)  learned - The end of the First Book of the Five of Moses shows us :

It's all about blessing each other - that's why the Almighty created us and the world!

Blessings - Be a Yakov-man and learn to give blessings - even with your last breaths - 

and it will open hearts and open the path to - THE SECOND BOOK of the Five-

The Book of Redemption of Israel - and thereby the world - from the "Oppression (and constriction) that is Egypt" 

(Egypt - Mitzrayim - means "constriction")

Portion Shabbat Va Yee Gosh - the wars continue

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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 18:57
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 Portion Shabbat Va Yee Gosh - the wars continue
 
 
Do they really?
 
Well - in this portion Judah is ABOUT TO strike Joseph - who he thinks is an Egyptian
 
Anyone remember the Moses incident? Another fight - with the Pharaohs … until WE GOT OUT.
 
In today's TALMUD CYCLE COMPLETION celebration 
 
in my Kolel of Retired Geniuses - and policemen and bureaucrats ...
 
One of our teachers at the Great Synagogue of Jerusalem reminded us that
 
Joseph was a King
 
And Judah's descendants were kings (from David on down …)
 
so there were ALWAYS some differences .. over who rules (EVEN CONFLICTS)
 
OIY - and then Chanuka came in - where the priests of the Tribe of Levi took over!
 
They ticked off the Davidic dynasty - BUT EVENTUALLY
 
Because they had wisdom and dedication -
 
 THE TALMUD (MISHNA parts) - 
 
 WAS STARTED UNDER THEIR RULE
 
and was COMPLETED - 300 ears later - By Rabbi Judah the Prince
 
who was descended from DAVID - and a TRUE PRINCE (and genius).
 
So remember the rule -
 
Joseph and Judah and Levi may have their quarrels -
 
but in the end 
 
they ALL BRING HOLY WISDOM TO THE TABLE - for ALL OF US TO LEARN
 
 
 
ShabbatShalom
 
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion VaYayShev - Dreams and Dislocation

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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 18:56
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Portion VaYayShev - Dreams and Dislocation
 
 
So whose dreams are discussed intros portion?
 
Joseph and the Butler and the Baker - but 
 
Why was Joseph dreaming about wheat and about stars?
That's easy - he FED the world, and he became a superstar!
Butler - okay wine, Baker - okay bread.
But what's the connection between the three mean for us?
 
So think about this: Joseph gets stuck still - in jail - after he interprets the dreams of the other guys.
 
The commentators say it was because he asked the butler for help and didn't trust the Almightyenough.
 
I say - from a perspective of today 3000 years later - maybe it was PARTLY because -
(not a criticism - but a learning for today)
 
WE needed to learn from JOSEPH some more tricks for TODAY!
 
He didn't SAVE the Baker?
 
He didn't stay FRIENDS with the butler?
 
He didn't involve the Prison Warden who trusted him implicitly?
 
WE CAN LEARN SO SO MUCH from JOSEPH's story.
 
But after the years of holocaust and the new threats against Israel - 
 
WE NEED TO LEARN THE JOSEPH STORY IN A WAY TO BRING US TO WHAT RABBI CARLEBACH SANG
 
Peace in every home
Peace in Yerushalayim
Peace in the Holy Land
Peace - TRUE PEACE- among the peoples who
 
like the BDS-liars the terrorists'-apologists - and the anti-semites who allow others to hurt our people
 
like we read in a few weeks - of those "who don't remember Joseph"-
 
Who forget all the GREAT things the Jewish People do for the world!
 
Let's wake up the world with stories of Joseph and getting the brothers to a higher spiritual place!
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion Vayishlach : Nothing to fear? But fear itself?

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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 18:56
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Portion Vayishlach : Nothing to fear? But fear itself?
 
That was the line touted by president Roosevelt in WW II. Wasn't he off a little bit?
 
The Torah states clearly that one should " Fear your Almighty  - Yareita may Elokecha ".
 
In last week's portion Jacob said "Pachad Yitzchak" - saved him from Lavan's treachery-
the " L-rd who 
Is the Awe who protected Isaac" his father
 
And thus protected Jacob from Lavan!
 
So in this portion...
It sounds like Jacob was SO so afraid of Esau?  And
did  he not Trust in the Almighty?
 
What in Torah does Awe mean?
Why did Jacob need it?
What does it mean for US?
What is fear? Yirah it says in these portion so...
Is it fear of esau?
 
Awe of the Power of Hashem ....
Awe of the Miracles wrought by Hashem
Fear of losing our Connection to Hashem
Fear of not doing "  the Right Thing  " that 
 
Hashem is directing Each of Us to grapple with
 
The Breslav songs say  Low Lu Fached Klal
- be Fearless - 
 
After learning to appreciate all those 
"  trials by fire of our forefathers and mothers" that the Torah teaches us in Every Portion
 
But use everthing in those portions
To increase Yirah and Pachad of Hashem in the world.
 
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
 

מאמרים נוספים...

  1. Portion Va Yay Tzay - Oiy what a Wedding!
  2. Portion Toldot - Did the Ancient Kings - or our Forefathers and Mothers celebrate Thanklsgiving?
  3. Portion Chayei Sarah about the Rabbi and the 4.AM Skunk
  4. Portion Lech Lecha
  5. Portion Noah - How Many Names can You Remember?
  6. Portion Buh rayShis - Bottle Beginnings?
  7. Portions - Sukkote - and Simchat Torah
  8. Portion HaAHZEENU AND SUKKOT
  9. Portion Va Yay Lech: How did Moses Prepare for Shabbat?
  10. Portion Nitzavim Turn Turn Turn