Parashat Hashavua

Portion Nitzavim Turn Turn Turn

Portion Nitzavim Turn Turn Turn
 
 
So the portion  starts by Moses saying`Zu
 
 
 
 
   Everyone  is right here...  Give  No Excuses  that you didnt  hear...
 
 
Why are those guys there? For  Blessings  and Warnings? What's  the problem? 
 
Yesterday  I got a lift to afternoon  prayers but  was locked  out of the Shul. 
 
Between  Morning and  afternoon  services  the locks were  changed but no one was told.
 
Everyone was in Shul but no one knew about the changes!
 
 
Rabbi  Kook  the  1920-1935 first Chief Rabbi of Israel sent out a guy on Rosh Hashono
 
To blow shot at for Some guys -
 
workers in the early 1930's who were fed up with religion interfering in their work.
 
When they saw the emissary and heard the shofar it
Turned the whole day Around because then 
 
they Knew G-d cared and the Rabbi cared.
 
Have a Great Shabbat and Rosh Hashono - because G-d cares!
 
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Rabbi Andy EICHENHOLZ

Portion Key Tavo: What - More Blessings and Curses?

Portion Key Tavo: What - More Blessings and Curses?
 
 
This time the Israelites are asked to STAND FAST AT THE MOUNTAINS to hear
the Almighty's Promises!
 
And it was to be when Joshua brought the people into the LAND of ISRAEL 
 
(within a year of the commandment told by Moses)
 
Right in the MIDDLE of the country - and before 7 years of wars to conquer Canaan
 
iIt was n the mountains of Sh chem-Nablus
 
Where Jacob bought his fields! (Like Abraham bought Hebron!)
 
And where Dina was assaulted and kidnapped despite Jacob
 
 coming in peace and PURCHASING fields for his animals to graze!
 
The Blessings are ALWAYS within our Reach -
if we each sincerely TRY a little HARDER to do the MITZVOT -
 
ESPECIALLY to THANK the ALMIGHTY for all the GOOD we have - EVERY DAY
 
And say SHMA YISRAEL
 
and read EVEN ONE PASSAGE FROM THE TORAH each day!\
(and of course celebrate Rosh Hashono and the whole year with Rabbi Andy!!!!)
 
 
 
Shabbat Shalom  Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
 
 

Portion Key Taytzay LaMil Chama - it's WAR today- and the Spanish Armada?

Portion  Key Taytzay LaMil Chama -  it's WAR today-  and the Spanish Armada?
 
"When you go out to war …"
 
Some of us are fighting for our lives
 
Whether in hospitals or on battlefields
 
May the Almighty protect us from all ills and evils!
 
Remember that the Torah is meant to Protect Us!
 
 
This Torah portion says to Us All - WHEN you go out to war  against our enemies...
 
 
Does  everyone. Have Enemies?
 
 
Youknow, your Enemies , ALL my people and friends 
 
Are
1
Ignorance
2
Hatred
3
Meanness of Spirit
4
Greed
 
Not everyone needs be a genius
 
But to love  ignorance  is Evil used by Some
Leaders who like ignorant followers because it lets them control
 
 
And not everyone can love everyone
 
but hatred can be and IS often Roiled Up and used against humanity
 
 
So - if
some people can be a little crotchety - 
 
Really- it's understandable and True that
everyone deserves a little from the Bounty and even  PLENTY
 that we ALL see in this generation!  - 
 
But be fair - Hashem
blessed us and Commanded Us - with all these good things -
 and with the capacity for Goodness and understanding
 
To remind the world:
 
Where is all the gold the Spanish stole from South America?
Half of it is still in sunken vessels at the bottom of the ocean
 
The rest financed the wars of the Spanish people - those who Expelled the Jews
 
Until the powerful Spanish Armada was defeated by the Hand of G-d
 
Why did they go out to
purposely hurt?   It was And Is GREED!
 
So the portion teaches us ways we can and
 
must teach  the World to
avoid and War Against greed and meanness of spirit
and to look for and support
The Heavenly Purposes at all times.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion Key Taytzay LaMil Chama - it's WAR today- and the Spanish Armada?

Portion  Key Taytzay LaMil Chama -  it's WAR today-  and the Spanish Armada?
 
"When you go out to war …"
 
Some of us are fighting for our lives
 
Whether in hospitals or on battlefields
 
May the Almighty protect us from all ills and evils!
 
Remember that the Torah is meant to Protect Us!
 
 
This Torah portion says to Us All - WHEN you go out to war  against our enemies...
 
 
Does  everyone. Have Enemies?
 
 
Youknow, your Enemies , ALL my people and friends 
 
Are
1
Ignorance
2
Hatred
3
Meanness of Spirit
4
Greed
 
Not everyone needs be a genius
 
But to love  ignorance  is Evil used by Some
Leaders who like ignorant followers because it lets them control
 
 
And not everyone can love everyone
 
but hatred can be and IS often Roiled Up and used against humanity
 
 
So - if
some people can be a little crotchety - 
 
Really- it's understandable and True that
everyone deserves a little from the Bounty and even  PLENTY
 that we ALL see in this generation!  - 
 
But be fair - Hashem
blessed us and Commanded Us - with all these good things -
 and with the capacity for Goodness and understanding
 
To remind the world:
 
Where is all the gold the Spanish stole from South America?
Half of it is still in sunken vessels at the bottom of the ocean
 
The rest financed the wars of the Spanish people - those who Expelled the Jews
 
Until the powerful Spanish Armada was defeated by the Hand of G-d
 
Why did they go out to
purposely hurt?   It was And Is GREED!
 
So the portion teaches us ways we can and
 
must teach  the World to
avoid and War Against greed and meanness of spirit
and to look for and support
The Heavenly Purposes at all times.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion Shoftim Be like the Children of Kings

Portion Shoftim Be like the Children of Kings

 
 
This portion. Talks about appointment of Jewish Kings
 
A Jewish King needs to own two Seder Torahs including one copy he writes for himself
 
In the second book of the Torah we are commanded to be a holy Kingdom
 
Abraham is promised that Kings will be descended from him and Sarah
 
So where are we today?
 
Rebbe Nachman has a number of stories about kings ... Why?I
 
One very Timely story is on the surface is about a long who tells at his daughter .... And she Runs Away
 
The chief advisories chases after her .... And eventually works out a reconciliation
 
There is allegory to our generation after the holocaust AND maybe Post Woodstock
 
Jewish royalty is Not Not like British Royalty!I
 
How do we Become Jewish Royalty before Rosh Hashono?
 
We have to work on our Magnanimosity and
On ALL our great spirituality
 
And come together in Rosh Hashono to connect ourselves
 
To the King of Kings Melech Malchei Ha Melachim
 
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion Ruh Aiy - a month before Rosh Hashono

Portion Ruh Aiy - a month before Rosh Hashono

 

The portion brings us the word of G-d saying

  "    I set before you ... The Blessing ... and the Curse "

"!  and as Rebbe NACHMAN says " the Blessings ALL come from Israel

 

And according to one Rabbi (  and  thank you Sam for sending me his blog)

The blessing and the curse are Both – you guessed it – Israel!  

 

Blessings for us because it was only OURS for three thousand years so far

And the Curse - that the nations of the world spend so much time and energy - and cash - trying to destroy us -

because we are the proof that they do NOT follow the ways of G –dliness (My interpretation)

 

They say we are a curse

Because they do Not Know How to create a world of peace and harmony

While the Torah does and says so in THIS PORTION:

  "seek its Spirit  " (  L shichno Tid re Shu) - and Rashi says it means the

Spirit of SHILOH-  (where our Tabernacle stood 369 years!)

   the Shiloh Civil War Battle  certainly NOT

May we all learn to SEEK ITS WAYS of PEACE – starting this New Elul Month!

And prepare for a great new Jewish New Year in a month!

 

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion Eiy kev : How long can I LISTEN to this?

Portion Eiy kev : How long can I LISTEN to this?
 
 
Here we are again in Arad for a few days - one of the strongholds of Judea's monarchy -
 
and one of the ancient sites excavated by my Professor Yochanan Aharoni 
(I also worked at his excavation of Be air Sheva not far away)
 
Lots of complaints in the car - until we got to the wonderful Lookout over the Dead Sea at the end of town
 
(Arad has a healthful climate like Arizona - but it's DESERT - rock and sand)
 
Why didnt they just listen when I said "  follow the sign pointing to Masada by the Back Route "?
 
The portion this week starts out
 
"If you will just (eiyKev tish me oon) Listen"
 
What is the word EiyKev doing in the middle?
 
I believe one translation is  " listen to the SIGNs  Attentively "
 
(Rashi and the Bal Haturim have differing explanations - but the WORD caught their attention too!)
 
What can you learn from this word in this place?
 
What happens at the end of town 
 
when you see the Dead Sea and the Hills of Moav (Jordan) before you
and nighty Masada is there off to the left?
 
You know, you can complain all your life,
 
or you can use All Your Prowess to Pick a few good stocks and get out quickly
 
OR 
 
You can listen to Moses in the portion-
 
You can Follow the Signs to the beautiful Land and Life of Milk and Honey
 
( end of sixth Aliya?  )
 
 
Shabat Shalom
 
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
 

Portion VaEtCHaNan:What, the 10 Co mmandments again ? (and Tu B'Av)

Portion VaEtCHaNan:What, the 10 Co mmandments again ? (and Tu B'Av)
 
 
What? You say you know all that stuff from before?
and WHY does the Torah repeat these commandments here?
 
I don't know how many readers can recite the Ten Commanments by heart,
AND
I don't know how many can recite the SCRIPT of the MOVIE (10 Commandments) either
BUT
I bet you never heard THIS teaching before
 
(From Rav Neria) that when it talks about NOT Murdering - What About Accidental Homicide?
 
The punishment ordered is the perpetrator must be exiled to one of the
Levite cities in Israel set asidefor the "Golus" (exile)
 
And Rav Neria brings down the Medrash that says
 
(Exile not being enough) the Courts MUST send this person's TEACHER/RABBI
along into EXILE WITH HIM (until the proscribed time to go home)
 
To teach what? OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING WAS LACKING before
and the Rebbe MUST TEACH the VALUE of LIFE etc
 
 
Okay - the Shma is also in this portion - Okay - it's the basic Statement of Faith
 
 
So what with all these 613 Mitzvot AND Rabbi Additions?
The Rambam  (Maimonides) cites  verses  to support his argument and says
 
“The truth is, that every one of the 613 mitzvot is meant to either teach (5 ideas) a true idea, remove a false idea, create a just society, train people in good manners (middot), or to keep people away from bad habits.” 
 
(Moreh Nevuchim Part 3, 31 - quoted from Yeshiva Simchat Shlomo))
 
So never worry about repeating a Torah Law - because 
More than the Rambam's explanation -
you can find ALL those (5) reasons in most of the Commandments
 
 
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion of Torah Masay from a Judean Mountaintop

Portion of Torah Masay from a Judean Mountaintop
 
 
So the Almighty gives Borders to Israel- to
The Land - 
And the People
 
And then the Fourth Book of Five ends with 5 weddings!
 
We don't know how old the five Very Smart sisters that got married were,
 
 but after their meeting with Moshe Rabaynu-
 
Our Master teacher-
 
They all matched up pretty quickly
And
 
We are not sure where they lived once the Israelites entered the land
 
But they probably lived on lush mountaintops like this one I'm having coffee on now!
 
It is ALWAYS a lush land when OUR people are here
and it is ALWAYS DESOLATE when others steal it from us - like for the last 2000 years -
UNTIL WE RETURNED!
 
So remember the Land - and Come
 
And remember to try to FAST tishaBav a week from Sunday,
 in Memory of the Evil Invaders who destroyed the land and exiled our people - but are GONE!
 
We must ALSO do our part in PROTECTING this Gift from the Almighty
 
which has always been a blessing to the World as well - since Abraham 3000 years ago.
 
Shabbat Shalom
Happy New Month and it should be a healthy one
 
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
 

Portion Matot in Israel - did Moses kill him?

Portion Matot in Israel - did Moses kill him?
 
 
In this portion we are coming into Israel after 40 years in the deserts "and the war games begin"?
(Sound familiar from the movie?  But it's from G-d - like everything).
 
Almighty tells Moses - knock off the Midianites -
 they recently caused you 24000 casualties - and maybe a lot of VD - 
they are always going to be a problem.
 
So was Moshe afraid? is that why he sent Joshua to fight..?
 
Is Moses just in charge of  "Getting Close to Unity of Israel with The Holy Spirit?" Or was he a warrier too?
 
Rule numbe r 1 of Israel : Torah People Land and Spirit-Holiness - it's all How to bring All Israel Together?
 
We learn it from Moses - and ALSO how to run a Holy War. 
 
 Offer peace - but when attacked - we MUST DEFEND OURSELVES.
(No matter what commie-liars and Arab Terrorists say about Israel - WE ARE THE ONLY MORAL FORCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST!)
 
What do we need today? First strengthen -  not weaken    - our people like 3000 years ago
 (  to conquer and protect the spirit and the land  ).  
Detractors and BDS and college vendettas paid for with Arab Oil Money must be stopped.
 
The best way is to VISIT ISRAEL AND SEE THE TRUTH!
 
So was Moses not trained in Pharoah's Palace to fight?
 
Did he not knock off the Egyptian who was beating up the Israelite?
 
When he ran away from Egypt - did he not save the Ethiopians in a war and be elected their king?
 
So the Medrash tells us - Moses fought Bilam-the-curser-prophet - 
 
in a Harry-Potter-Like battle - and slayed him to prevent curses 
for the rest of Israel's 14 years of battles under Joshua's leadership!
 
Recent History - The British created the country of Jordan on the Eastern Bank of the Jordan River - to keep it away from th Jews who were promised it in the Palestine Mandate after WWI.
 
Ancient History - that part of Israel was conquerred after the Midianite War - but tribes there
were exiled about 140 years before the area of Judea was emptied of Jew by the Babylonians.
 
Rabbi A Theory - the first exile happened but it also paved the way and eased 
the way of our people who were exiled to the same area - Babylon. Iraqi Jews lived there until 1950 or so!
 
Unfortunately most of the tribes from the first exile were lost for centuries -
 and only the last 50 years or so we are finding remnants!  All over the Far East!
 
With instirpretation from Rabbi Neriya and Rabbi Moshe Sofer the Chatam Sofer I infor us all:
The first exile of ten ttribes may have been because they wanted to settle the East Side of the Jordan-
and
They made a little light of the Almighty's promise to us of the Western side of the Jordan to the 
"Sea" - and the Nachal Mitzrayim".
 
SO DON"T MAKE LIGHT OF THE MODERN MIRACLES OF ISRAEL! (And read the whole portion)
 
Shabbat Shalom and Love from Israel
 
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz