Parashat Hashavua

So many Mitzvot in this Double Portion - and they ALL point to how to be "holy" TODAY

פרטים: קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם בשישי, 27 נובמבר 2020 11:11; נכתב על ידי Super User; כניסות: 242

So many Mitzvot in this Double Portion - and they ALL point to how to be "holy" TODAY

Rabbi Carlebach often said:

What would we give to know what G-d wants of us THIS MOMENT?

How happy the Almighty is when we do his work in this world!

And it's written so clearly that it's easy to start:

Just remember the 2 EASIEST MITVOT for today -

say before sundown

"today is the 20th Day of countining the Omer - 2 weeks and 6 days"

and TONIGHT after dark say

"today is the 21st Day of countining the Omer - 3 whole weeks"!

Join the millions around the world counting UP to the "Torah of Sinai" on Shavuote!

Let's get holy by counting up to holiness!

We need to beome a Holy Example to a world - full of

GREEDY nations, WARRING nations, and some SCARY nations!

The Almighty said - the world is composed of many peoples -

Rav Kook wrote nations are not EVIL but they need to

all learn HOW to be Holy to G-d - from Israel!

This portion called Kedoshim has a lot of rules,

but want as Rabbi Carlebach always said:

start with a little bit

a little bit of Torah,

a little bit of shabbos,

a little bit of Holiness...

even an hour

and it will be SO SWEET

you'll want a few more hours

and then even a whole day of holiness and

that's what Shabbos is all about!

And paraphrasing Rabbi SHLOMO CARLEBACH-

HAVE A LITTLE HOLINESS - AND BE FOREVER YOUNG

Shabbat Shalom from Israel - now 67 years young!

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Leprosy and Health? Double Portion Tazria Metzora

פרטים: קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם בשישי, 27 נובמבר 2020 11:10; נכתב על ידי Super User; כניסות: 352

Leprosy and Health? Double Portion Tazria Metzora

In America they're still reading Shemini – which we read in Israel Last Shabbat

The healing and "normalizing" discussed in these portions usually end with:

"the one who brings the Offerings stands at the entrance to the Tabernacle ..."

What's so "normalizing" about that?

Should all these items - of leprosy or personal "tumah" ( spiritual impurity)

Be brought to the front of the Temple – AREN'T THEY ALL PERSONAL?

So here we should TUNE INTO the TORAH!

We are individuals –

And also part of a Social Order of Israelites – the children of G-d.

The Kohains (with help from everyone else)

are supposed to maintain the Temple to create JOY –

the JOY of BEING CONNECTED – even if

SOMETIMES we are FAR AWAY – but are ALWAYS CONNECTED!

To the TOTALITY OF ISRAEL AND THE THEME OF THE ALMIGHTY

On Passover we learned how to BECOME free

At the crossing of the Red Sea (or Black Sea) we learned how to REMAIN free

But we were given a Temple and Ceremonies to BE HAPPY TO BE FREE!

The portions say: when we have kids – we bring offerings to the temple –

and SHARE

And when we were impure or sick – we bring offerings and stand before the temple –

and we rejoice in G-d's eternity and the eternal commandments

Like: the 49 Days of Counting and Anticipation: SO

today count "the 13th day of the counting of the Omer,a week and 6 days"

And tomorrow

You just say (tonight after dark or tomorrow on SHABBAT – it's 14 days ...

And you learn to thank G-d FOR EVERY DAY

For every NEW DAY

For every chance to DO GOOD, do some Mitzvas – easy ones like counting

And some that are harder – BUT ALL ARE PART OF THE ALMIGHTY'S PLAN

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion of Shmini in Israel - Crossing the BLACK Sea? Not the RED sea?

פרטים: קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם בשישי, 27 נובמבר 2020 11:09; נכתב על ידי Super User; כניסות: 396

Passover 7th Day Torah, and

Portion of Shmini in Israel - Crossing the BLACK Sea? Not the RED sea?

Just to remind everyone – In Israel the 7 days of Pasosver end tomorrow Friday – while in the Diaspora the EIGHT days of Passover end after sundown Saturday night.

In Israel we read the Portion Shemini on Saturday while in the Diaspora the Torah reading is for the Eighth Day of Passover!

So why the difference? I won't answer it directly but I paraphrase a "vort" – Torah explanation - from Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, and a part of recent Jewish History.

What's with the Russian Jews – in Israel and the Diaspora? Liked? Disliked? Successful tycoons and/or thousands of people who took assistance years ago?

The 7^th day of Passover is the anniversary of Israelites' crossing the RED Sea.

You know how the lakes in Yosemite are drying up?

Other big water reserves are also drying up!

And what about Tsunamis that hange things?

Do you want to believe that Israel escaped across the Red Sea from Pharoah?

Can you sea (not a spelling mistake) today

how the Russian Jews who fled the modern Pahroahs-

Across the BLACK Sea – are another MIRACLE?

Don't want to believe in miracles?

Don't want to believe in history?

Find it hard to believe in G-d?

Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach explained a Rashi commentary according to the Ishbitzer Hassidic tradition:

JETHRO (Moses' father in law) came to the desert to meet with Moses –

and CONVERTED to Judaism – when he heard that the RED Sea split

and the Israelites were SAVED from his former buddy-and-boss Pharoah.

And later on his descendants (who became part of us) helped save the Israelites

(remember Moses married one of Jethros 7 daughters – so

The at least some of the others also probably converted …)

Here's another thing.

Many of the Russian immigrants (in Israel and elsewhere) are half-Jews –

With one parent Jewish by Halacha (Jewish Law) and the other not-

Yet many are officially converting.

The Israeli papers had a story last week of a Russian immigrant married to a Jewish woman who was ill – and all his past 30 years here in Israel he wanted to become an official Jew – but the trouble of making a living made the effort of going through the course with the Israeli Rabbinate too lengthy.

So he decided to convert officially – and the Rabbinate here helped him.

In the portion of Shemini 2 pf the 4 sons of Aron "offered a strange fire" on the altar – and expired. There are many possible explanations given –

But maybe (according to a Kabbalistic Explanation) they thought "it was done"-

There would be no more changes no more miracles and no more trials for Israel

So they just brought fire to the altar –

but the REAL fire had to come from HEAVEN

like all the miracles come to the world.

So may we be blessed to believe in miracles to sea miracles to love miracles –

And to be a part of the miracle of Israel Judaism and the Jewish People.

Happy Holiday and Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Why are there So Many Russian Millionaires in Israel? - This Shabbat Passover Thought of Torah

פרטים: קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם בשישי, 27 נובמבר 2020 11:09; נכתב על ידי Super User; כניסות: 362

Why are there So Many Russian Millionaires in Israel? - This Shabbat Passover Thought of Torah

By now everyone probably knows the joke about how is there an only "One Page Idiot's Guide to Jewish Holidays in a Nutshell"

One page?

They tried to Destroy us.

G-d saved us.

Let's Eat.

Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach would say :

Most people have been to seders' where uncle X tells bad jokes, and useless (to say the least ) stories - and you have to smile.

OK - SOMETIMES we're also a little Uncle X.

But tonight we can ALL BE MOSES!

(And focused like the Russian Immigrants who came to Israel 25-35 years ago -

to MAKE IT like the American Jews of the last century! BUT be FOCUSED ON OUR MISSION.

Dress up like Moses with a kittle - or at least a whilte shirt - and be PROUD to be JEWS

Proud NOT to be taken down by the Pharoahs of the world - who view everything in terms of dollars.

and Let's get up before Kiddush - AND get OUT of Egypt! Pray for eah other, and for SPIRITUALITY.

Forget the One Page Idiot's Guide - because WE HAVE A MISSION in this world full of Pharoahs-

and full of falsehoods.

Start by saying "Thank You" to G-d for protecting us from the Egyptians - and the forces of evil.

Say thank you for the miracle of crossing the Red Sea -

for every day of health - and every loved one-

Thank G-d for the Jews getting out of Russia – and Ethiopia –

And recently - more Jews got out of the Uktraine than we thought SURVIVED 60 years ago!

Make this the deepest Passover ever - each and every one at the seder should:

say what they would have been doing if they were THERE in EGYPT seder night,

a nd each person around the table can

ask 4 questions about the dash to the desert - getting away from the Egyptian culture -

as opposed to our Torah and Traditions which started our long journey home via that desert!

Have a great seder and Shabbos and Passover

Love from Israel

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

two Questions on :Portion Tzav – Shabat Hagadol (called) the "Great Shabbat" (before Passover) – Is it Really

פרטים: קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם בשישי, 27 נובמבר 2020 11:08; נכתב על ידי Super User; כניסות: 429

two Questions on :Portion Tzav – Shabat Hagadol (called) the "Great Shabbat" (before Passover) – Is it Really

Two ideas stick out when thinking about this Tzav portion (it talks mostly of sacrifices of repentance and – at the end – Moses told to bring the people close to the new Tabernacle):

What's so great about this Shabbat? Just because it's a custom to read (much of) the Hagadah the week BEFORE Passover? Doesn' that get BORING?

(and MAY YOUR SEDERS NEVER be BORING!)

Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach used to say "let this be the greatest Shabbat you ever had!"

How could he say it every week ? Well, just because that's the way it SHOULD BE! And CAN be with just a little effort – and our CUSTOMS show us the way!

From Rabbi Sholom Brodt's weekly Torah Message: (I paraphrase here) the Piascetzner Rebbe from Warsaw wrote that "when you accept G-d – you are making G-d GREAT in the world."

When you read the Hagaddah the week BEFORE Passover – and think up questions and answers for talking at the table - you should be doing it to help REALIZE how GREAT the Almighty is – taking us out of Egypt (and pulling us out of every calamity to this day) – and you are then READY to fix the world by vocalizing this greatness.

And: From talking with my professor friend who got married this morning (Mazal Tov – a very wonderful wedding you shared with us) who said this morning "why does the world make up all those lies about Israel and blame Jewish "settlements" for all the woes of the Middle East – like the new war in Yemen the old war in Iraq, and the Syrian murders of 200,000 civilians and the Iran race to atomic weaponry? Isn't it CRAZY? So he said:

Our politicians - just don't say "G-d gave us the land 3000 years ago!" "The World" could never have an answer to that one !"

The "world" can't answer an historical fact – they can lie (as they do with callousness like in World War Two) – but then it's clearly a lie and we needn't give it a thought. They're liars.

So when we realize that and get ready for Passover and remember all the "sin offerings" in the Temple were to START THINGS OVER,

And that the Tabernacle - Temple was dedicated just before Passover – we have PERSPECTIVE on this week's portion and how we make it

"The Great Great Greatest Shabbat"!

Love and Shabbos - Shabbat Shalom

, Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion of Vayakhel Pekuday Parah - Celebrate in Shul that We are ALL ONE!

פרטים: קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם בשישי, 27 נובמבר 2020 11:08; נכתב על ידי Super User; כניסות: 247

Portion of Vayakhel Pekuday Parah - Celebrate in Shul that We are ALL ONE!

(Torah thought the week before Israel Elections and for Shabbat Across America-

despite all the accusations directed from one political party to another!)

Why am I giving Kiddush in the Breslov Shul - Elad tomorrow?

The end of the Second Book of the Five Books of Moses depicts a "celebration" -

one by the Almighty - but seeingly NOT one by Am Yisroel - the People of Israel!

Moshe our Teacher finally puts up the Tabernacle in the Desert - but while

it does describe the Almighty showing us Divine Presence in the new Tabernacle -

the pillar of fire at night and the pillar of smoke in daylight -

it does NOT describe a celebration by the People of Israel!

But how could they not Celebrate?

For an answer think the WAY the Torah teaches us to THINK and APPRECIATE-

the Rules of the Almighty - think in terms of the WHOLE TORAH!

Starting with Book Number One!

Would the Almighty visit Abraham if his tent were not open to all?

Would G-d save Isaac if his tent, even in the midst of the Phillistines, was not holy ?

Would the L-rd warn Laban against attacking Jacob if Jacob's camp - the Israel family-

was not doing the will of the Almighty?

Of course not!

SO HERE IS THE TENT OF THE SPIRIT OF G-D and ISRAEL-

it MUST be full of JOY and Holiness!

So THINK like the TORAH - the page number is not important-

and the WHOLE THIRD BOOK (we start to read NEXT week) is the connection between the second and the fourth!

See ALL the 5 books as One - and the PURPOSE of the Almighty-

see the 12 tribes as One - with a message for the world-

see Israel and the Torah and the Almighty as ONE -

a Force to bring Holiness into Reality!

So from THIS portion we go to the Fourth Book - Portion of Naso

which describes the days of "setting up the Tabernacle"- Actuallythere WAS a party –

12 days the Presidents of the Tribes brought offerings to the Tabernacle –

including "Zivchay Shelamim" – a type of sacrifices that were to be eaten!

So it seems there WAS a great party for all the Israelites – a 12 day celebration

(and then preparation for (Passover!) holiday)!

G-d celebrates BECAUSE we celebraete faithfully -

(and in Breslav Elad tomorrow I celebrate the Bar Mitzva Portion

of both my brother and my son - may they live long and healthy and add to our JOY!)

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion of Vayakhel Pekuday Parah - Celebrate in Shul that We are ALL ONE!

פרטים: קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם בשישי, 27 נובמבר 2020 11:08; נכתב על ידי Super User; כניסות: 494