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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 14:21
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Portion BeHaahlotcha The Journey Begins
Rebbe Nachman taught that we are all on a
Lifelong journey with ups and downs -
and that The Almighty makes us resilient -
to learn to get up from the pitfalls of life
This portion is filled with pitfalls - and PULLUPS!
Directions for Exercises for the SOUL!
There are so many but let's look at a few...
The Torah in the ark in our Synagogues
represents the ark in the Tabernacle in the desert.
When the Israelites travelled Moses sang
(like WE do when we take out the Torah to read...)
But the Portion does not say Moses prayed
"Defeat our enemies"
But he sang
" Scatter your enemies" -
Please teach us also to know how
to Make them disappear - don't make us fight them (unless we sometimes HAVE to).
Rebbe Shlomo Carlebach always taught that our lifelong journey is
both to the insides of the insides of us
and also to outside and around us - to see what we really need
Like in the Portion Moshe Rabaynu recognizes that the people need
help in the desert - which he asks from his Father-in-Law Yitro
and more spiritual prophetic leaders - like Hashem sends
in the form of 70 elders ...
Inside us - we need to cleanse and Strive for Holiness
like the pallbearers who could not enjoy the Passover Seder
'There were Tamed men ... carrying the shevatim ....brothers of Joseph"
Who were Given 30 days to get past their ritual impurity
AND Miriam who was given 7 days to get back on course to holiness
after saying uncomplimentary things ...
ALL these lessons the Almighty gives us in this portion and more
A blueprint
And we must help each other follow it to Holiness
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 14:20
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Just learn how to bring peace to to the world .....
Portion of Naso - be a President be a Priest? Hey - it's not such a tough job!
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Saks Chief Rabbi of England (and a pretty smart fellow ...)
suggested that all the topics in this portion attempt to give all persons of Israel
paths to connect with the Almighty in a non-conflicting non-competitive way
The answer lies in the last word of the priestly blessing: shalom, peace.
the 15th century Spanish Jewish commentator Rabbi Isaac Arama explains that shalom
means completeness, perfection, the harmonious working of a complex system, integrated diversity,
a state in which everything is in its proper place and all is at one with the physical and ethical laws governing the universe.
Similarly, Rabbi Isaac Abrabanel writes, "That is why God is called peace, because it is He who binds the world together and
orders all things ...
The various provisions of parshat Naso are all about bringing peace in this sense.
Between man and wife and between probable competitors
Rabban Johanan ben Zakkai after the destruction of the Second Temple, reminded us that some laws of this portion served as a
reminder as to how important domestic peace is in the Jewish scale of values.
Naso tells us that we have to go the extra mile in bringing peace between opposites
So does the Sabbath teach us a way to accomplish this.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 14:20
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Portion of Bamidbar - and Shavuote - who counts anyway?
So in the portion Moses has to count all the people - why?
The Talmud has a question if everyone who LEFT Egypt inherited - received - some land in Israel when the people got there ...
or whether only those who ENTERED received some land in Israel when the people got there ...
On Shavuote - we read the story of Ruth the convert to Israel - a story which happened at this season ...
and the prophets write
(as explained by Rabbi Lasri:
"She and Naomi went together" - the Jewish Lady - and the New Jewish Lady - as equals
and later writes about them
"They who returned from Sdey Edom" - did Ruth return to Israel? was she ever in Israel?
And the Sages explain - EVERY SOUL THAT JOINS ISRAEL WAS AT SINAI - AND CONNECTED TO ISRAEL
Moses had to count us so he would clearly have all of us in mind when preparing us for entering the Land of Israel
and Taking Part in building the land the people and the Torah that Moses inherited to us
So let's all count - not just Sefirat Haomer - today being the 45th day of counting the Omer (say it and catch some mitzva points)
but let's Count on One Another
and Count in each others' eyes
and count as People in Israel committed to the people the land and the spirit of Israel and the Torah
Shabbat Shalom and ChagSamayach
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 14:19
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Portion of Behar BechuKotai
Double Portions are always hard to grasp in a nutshell
And here we have the culmination of the whole third book of the Torah! Starting off with
The essence of Sinai and the essence of holiness - and "wholiness" - humanity - as Rabbi Neria wrote:
Here we have The laws of Release and Resting of the land on the Sabbatical year
Whose purpose is to remind everyone to restore their Souls and Spirituality - at least once in a while!
To ditch the rat race for a year was NEVER easy - and today?
And do what? Be what?
So here is the take From rabbi Aron in Israel (Oraita Organization)
from his book - Sparks - by Rabbi David Aaron
The Torah says "For unto Me the children of Israel are servants; they are My servants who
I took out of the land of Egypt; I am the Lord G- d." ~~
Leviticus 25:55
There is an Eastern teaching thatproclaims, "Be here and now."
Torah however wouldsay, "Serve G-d here and now." Indeed, this is the fullest experience
of life.
The Kabbalah teaches that G-d
wants to Be Present - in the here and now, and our job is to serve G-d in that desire.
means to infuse each moment
with the presence of G-d. In other
words,
(here I paraphrase)
I can always ask myself, "How can I serve G- d
right
now?" -and make myself more aware of the Almighty in This World
Giving myself a holy and wholly and Torah dimension and Torah light into this
Sabbatical time.
Blessing you all with a Sabbath of Joy and a Sabbatical of wholiness ...
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
- פרטים
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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 14:19
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Portion Emor on Mothers Day Mourning and FESTIVALS
In this portion we are told that theKohain Priest
Can mourn close relatives when they
pass on
And the end of the portion reviews allthe joyous festivals
Of the Israelite peoples ( us )
This Sunday the holiday of Lag B Omerfalls out on Mothers Day
On Lag B Omer we celebrate -
not mourn - the day of Going to Heaven of
The Great Spiritual Master Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai.
While my own MOM passed away many years ago
And the yahrzeit of my DAD is coming up soon
I must remember with happiness all their good and help and love.
So too did the Great Masters leave us with great love and a Power of the Torah
We are ALL tied togetber on this earth
or by the negativiy that the evil in
the world uses to
Bring our spirits low
So learn from the portion that The Almighty grants us
the Closeness of our Moms and
the Festivals to raise our spirit
And share an extra measure of these
On Shabbat
On Lag B Omer and
Mothers Day
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 13:53
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Tazria Metzora - a Portion to Fix Loneliness and Illness
How many people visit the sick? Doctors? Family and Close Friends?
The Talmud tells the story of a scholar who wanted to meet Messiah and was told
"He is at the gates of Rome with the lepers ... you will know him by ..."
The Almighty visited Abraham after the Bris as he was aching-
But most people today do not visit the ill the confined or institutionalized (of many types)
as per the song "you get pneumonia ... he'll never phone ya..."
Once someone is ill these days - they are put somewhere - and the caretakers take care
It is a rare person that has the moral and emotional stamina to visit the sick
This week's portion
orders the Kohain - the Priest - to visit someone who may be leperous!
and to declare if yes or if no -
(IF YES - the person must be OUTSIDE THE CAMP - ALONE - BODED - how do you think they FEEL?)
AND the KOHAIN must go BACK TO CHECK to see whether and when there has been a HEALING
Loneliness is not sadness - but here you have illness - and loneliness added! Oiy how sad!
BUT the Torah in its wisdom gave a JOB to the KOHAIN to check on the illness!!!!
Illness can be physical or spiritual - and the Talmud teaches us
that the Torah requires us (not just the Priest - but to be holy as well)
To visit the sick
to end the loneliness
and to bring the time of Elijah and the Messiah by doing acts of kindness
Lots of Love and Gutt Shabbos
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 13:51
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Portion Shemini: Why are Jewish Holidays SOOO Long ( 8 Days Long or 7 in Israel)
The guy on the radio said today "So everyone can take turns getting into the ZOO!"
(with their kids ... ho ho ho)
So Rabbi Lasri reminded us today that "When the Messiah comes
The Seder Night will be the beginning of 49 Days of Holiday!"
Okay - that brings us to the holiday of Shavuot - receiving the Torah.
The highlight of the Seder should be Bringing Holiness to our Table and Family - but sometimes it can be a little much ...
and the accent on food ...
Food - can be junk food - or can be Holy Kosher Food -
Making us Spiritually Strong like Lions!
So too in this portion we are taught about Moses and Aron setting up a HOLY SPACE -
the Tabernacle in the Desert - that lasted into about 400 years in Israel
And about HOLY FOOD - Kosher Laws that have lasted 3000 years - to today -
when you can even get KOSHER FISH that tastes like unkosher fish
and KOSHER BEEF FRY that tastes like (ugh - Bacon?) ...
So Rabbi Lasri taught - WE NEED TO INTERNALIZE the torah
the Seder
the Jewish Ways
- and that takes time - but can be
Very Nourishing and Very Pleasant as we are taught
"its ways are ways of PLEASANTNESS" - worth the effort ...
Love from Israel
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
