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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם ברביעי, 25 נובמבר 2020 08:04
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כניסות: 259
How many clothes can you HIDE in your CLOSET
In the portion of Pinhas five holy (unmarried) sisters confront Moses -
"Why can't we get a portion in the Land of Israel when you divide it? What did (we or our deceased father) do (to deserve being left out)?"
Did they want land - or to attract husbands?
In the end - the Almighty tells Moses that they are right - and girls have a right to inherit land in Israel.
Now (from Rabeinu Nisim Gerondi - lived 14th Century Spain) - in my study group we almost finished Talmud Taanis.
It talks about the 15th day of Av - a day when girls would go out in borrowed clothes - TO FIND MATCHES
it says "all the girls went out to dance in borrowed clothes - and many marriages were arranged.."
The Talmud said all the clothes were REQUIRED to be washed in a mikva first -
and Rashi (12th Century France) and Ron (14th Century Barcelona) differ on why
with Rabbi Nissim (Ron) saying -
it was so ALL the girls - rich or poor - would pull out ALL their clothes from their closets -
TO SHARE WITH EACH OTHER BEFORE GOING OUT TO LOOK FOR A MATCH -
so that all girls had an equal chance to build a new life when they were ready -
the Promise of the Promised Land!
And the daughters of Zelophchad - they all got married - and Rabbi Carlebach said
that Moshe Rabbeinu - 120 years old - danced like fire at all their weddings!
May we be blessed to join each other at many simchas - happy occasions!
Love from Israel
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
- פרטים
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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם ברביעי, 25 נובמבר 2020 08:03
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Balak - The portion of blessings, rebellion, talking donkeys, and holy vengeance
It's a hot week in Israel - in many ways - and we read a Torah Portion I've never understood
Calls over the media for vengeance - coming from talking donkeys (Arab liars who also claimed the killing of a boy a few years ago - who got up and walked in a different video! - and was a libel case against French TV) -
and RAMADAN Riots in the name of Islam (which means "peace" supposedly) - how
fitting for the week of a Torah portion about someone who tries to curse Israel- and is reproached by his donkey
And who is forced by the Almighty to BLESS Israel instead !!
Sometimes what your mind doesn't understand - your heart can understand through music
So today on Israel radio they're playing Rabbi Carlebach's song from the Sabbath Zemirot
"to your Sanctuary return, and the Holy of Holies"
And my friend Rabbi Sholom Brodt of Yeshiva Sinchat Shlomo is explaining the part of the portion that says
"How Goodly are your Tents oh Jacob" (Bilam's blessing in resonse to Balak's request for curses)
teaching that some commentaries say it means the tents of the Israelites
but there is a view that it means the Tent of the Sanctuary in the desert
We sing to the Almighty on Shabbat to return to a state of Sanctuary
and we pray every morning "How goodly are your Tents oh Jacob" as we enter our Temples
And may we learn to forever sing of holiness
to avoid the potential curses and revenge
and to ever enter the tents of holiness - and the holiness of the Sabbath
and may the Balaks and the Bilams disappear - and the world be clear - of any evil
Shabbat Shalom from the land where everyone is TRYING to work out the issues of the world
Rabbi ANdy Eichenholz
- פרטים
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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם ברביעי, 25 נובמבר 2020 08:03
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Chukat - the great Mysteries of the World are never unlocked
That's part of what life is about
We know we're born, we can love, we can share, we can do things we never imagined we could accomplish -
and all these are a Gift from the Almighty
We can never KNOW WHY -
and Rebbe Nachman says - THERE'S NO POINT IN GUESSING - IT WASTES OUR ENERGY
But if we BELIEVE in the Almighty's GIFTS to us -
it becomes a starting point to life life on a more expansive level -
than to just be doubting everything.
In the portion of Chukat:
tHE WELL STOPS RUNNING;
the well stops running
Moses hits the rock instead of talking to it
and Israel is attacked for asking to be able to travel in peace ...
sounds familiar? the past is repeated and
Water in the desert - ISRAEL has created a modern miracle
Moses at age 120 got a little hot under the collar -
and (Based on Rabbi Moshe Neria) - is told he will some day bring all the souls of those who passed away in the desert into Israel- and look - NOW there are 6 million Jews is Israel
And if we believe the Messiah will come to fix and redeem the world-
it gives us more power to aim our efforts
first by following the laws and the mysteries of the Torah,
and then our every day lives.
Shabbat Shalom
Happy New Month of Tamiz
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
- פרטים
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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם ברביעי, 25 נובמבר 2020 08:02
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Portion of Korach - What's Smoking There? and Why do Holy People Fail Sometimes?
Portion of Korach - Based on the Kuzari by Rav Yehuda Halevy and Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach's Wisdom
The stories from the age of the Talmud tell of a great rabbi travelling in the Sinai with a guide when he saw a column of smoke - and heard voices - rising from the desert floor.
"What's that?" he asked - and was answered "That's Korach - burning way below - and repeating over and over "Moses was Right"!"
The Kuzari King asks the Rabbi - how could the generation of leaving Egypt fail in so many tests -
including the fight between Korah and his followers who fought with Moshe Rabaynu (Moses)?
So the Rabbi answered "They failed 10 times in 40 years in the desert - but MOST of US fail more than 10 times a DAY!"
But that doesn't really answer the question WHY is it that holy people sometimes fail?
WHY doesn't being holy protect you?
Rabbi Carlebach explained that there is a difference between doing everything right-
and DOING IT FROM THE INSIDE OF YOUR INSIDES - deep in your heart.
We can be holy, do the right thing - but what happens?
According to our sages "holy" people are tested over and over again - and sometimes fail ( we can call it the Murphy-o-witz rule?)
Korach did everything right - all the laws of the Almighty -
but deep inside there was maybe something that kept him from loving how he was following Hashem
from doing it from a deep love.
We need to LOVE the Almighty -
remember ALL the GOOD -
live with the difficult things as PART of a GREATER PLAN we don't understand -
and hopefully we will know ON THIS WORLD that "Moses was Right" -
and love our part in G-d's Greater Plan.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
- פרטים
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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם ברביעי, 25 נובמבר 2020 08:02
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Portion of Shelach - "Send out the Spies" or "Bring in the Clowns?"
These pearls of wisdom are based on Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach and Rabbi Shlomo Freifeld (both Of Blessed Memory)
Ever see clowns with a "long frowning face" - while others have a "painted smile"?
Why did the spies tell the Israelites that they could not conquer Israel from the evil people who lived there?
Both "Rabbis Shlomo" have suggested it was :
Because the spies (except for Joshua and Caleb) had low self esteem.
NO confidence in ourselves - or in G-d's promise and message - will bring on fears.
The Torah said Moshe Rabaynu (Moses) had a "shining" countenance.
Despite the other spies' fears Joshua and Calev said "we can do what the Almighty said we WILL do."
The spies don't believe in themselves - while we are commanded to love the Almighty with our "MEODEHA" (as it says in the SHEMA".
And IF you believe in yourself - you will give that extra effort (the word is ODE in Hebrew - "more").
We need to love Hashem with ODE, and love the Land of Israel with our ODE.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
- פרטים
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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם ברביעי, 25 נובמבר 2020 07:57
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Portion of Emor – Is. Independence Day and – Portion of Behar
What is fallibility?
So my computer wasn't working last week! Thanks for fixing it Asaf! But don't we often blame computers for problems?
Now - a lot of people like to look for fallibility of Rabbis too - but of the Almighty? and the Torah?
That is one of the reasons that last week's portion tells us not to offer crippled sacrifices, and not have (young or old or) crippled Kohains (priests) do PUBLIC service in the Holy Temple. BUT - Is this Discrimination in the Temple?
It prevented people from talking about WHO was doing the service - rather than focusing on GETTING CLOSE TO THE ALMIGHTY
People sometimes lose concentration – so it makes sense- to not present impediments to focusing on G-d.
Note: That disabled priests partook of the priesly portions - just did not do the operations in front of all.
The next section is based on WEEKLY DVAR by Shlomo Ressler which you can also order online:
As for this week's Parsha, Behar, it says G-d spoke to Moshe (Moses) on Mount Sinai,
allowing for six years of planting in Israeli fields,
but the seventh year is a Sabbath for the land.
The Sabbatical year LAW proves that only G-d could be the Author who gave the Torah on Mount Sinai.
G-d promises that the year before the Sabbatical will provide enough crops for the next three years (25:20-21). No human being would ever write this law because it would be disproved within six years!
So it MUST be a G-dly LAW and a G-dly promise.
Just as he promised we would be RETURNED TO OUR LAND - and the promise was PROVEN this week
by ISRAEL's 66 the Independence Day - a proof of G-d's promises -
like the rest of the Torah
Shabbat Shalom from Israel
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
