Mosquitos and viruses (not computer ones) attack Israel- Torah Portion of BALAK‏

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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua

פורסם בראשון, 22 נובמבר 2020 16:32

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Mosquitos and viruses (not computer ones) attack Israel- Torah Portion of BALAK‏

Mosquitos and viruses (not computer ones) attack Israel) - 

Torah Portion of BALAK - or - 

BE NICE TO YOUR DONkey (figure out the reason that's not ALL capitalized?) 



Chesed - LovingKindness - a HEBREW word you don't see used daily in most languages - but BIG for the praying Jew ... is the KEY 



NOT TIKUN OLAM (fixing the world with a few nice gestures) 

but ACTIVELY FINDING THINGS TO HELP THOSE WHO NEED- 

and we ALL need caring - and it's MORE than "ALTRUISM" 



Tough week - a new lethal virus spreading from Saudi Arabia and Jordan 

and mosquitoes attacking in Israel (oh - and shells from the north...) 



Thank You My Friend Russel for pointing out that "Tikun Olam" is often an excuse for replacing our 4000-year-old commandments which teach CHESED - with "words" and doing a few nice gestures (arms for which Syrians?) and coming to Temple once a year 



todays Midnght Mitzva - finding a SPECIAL Kippa for a SPECIAL NEEDS kid - this morning's request from someone SPECIAL- thanks J... 



WE MUST DO THINGS TO HEAL and SAVE - NOT TO KILL 



BILAM and BALAK were G-d's gift to the OLAM - the WORLD- 

and 3500 years later - 100000 (official count) dead in Syria- 

and FORGET ABOUT iRAQ - 

where Abraham came from - south syria and northern Iraq! 



What did Bilam learn from Abraham? NOTHING ! 

What can we do today for the 29 ethnic and political groups fighting in Syria? START BY TEACHING CHESED - and stopping Arab LIES 



Bilam was so greedy and so angry and so MEAN that he 

couldn't get his donkey to go fast enough to go curse the Jews for Balak 

(his WHAT? read the Torah Portion!) - for a few gold pieces... 



BECAUSE CHESED WAS NOT HIS TOOL (Thank you Rabbi Weisz for pointing our the idea of Bilam's Anger vs. Moses' Kindness) 



BUT chesed - LOVINGKINDNESS - IT IS OUR TOOL 



WAY BACK - Abraham asked the People of Hebron to be Merciful - 

to let him buy a burial plot in Hebron to bury Sarah 



and MOSES is NOT MENTIONED in the story of Bilam/Balak 

because 

HIS WHOLE LIFE IS ASKING FOR MERCY FOR THE ISRAELITES 



I may NEVER understand this Torah Portion - 

and the Prophecies in it - well enough - 



BUT LET'S PLEASE FIND WAYS TO FULFILL 

"HOW GOODLY (and G-dly) 

ARE YOUR TENTS OH JACOB - 

and your dwelling places oh Israel" 



Shabbat Shalom from Israel at Dawn 

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion of Chukat - or "HOLY ROCKS MOSES! and WHY IS THE BBQ ALL ASHES?"

פרטים

קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua

פורסם בראשון, 22 נובמבר 2020 16:32

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Portion of Chukat - or "HOLY ROCKS MOSES! and WHY IS THE BBQ ALL ASHES?"

This portion has a lot of stories and a bunch of laws.

And this week I was praying at the Tombs of a lot of Holy Men and Women - each one with their own stories.

Tombs - usually cause "ritual impurity" and we wash our hands when leaving a cemetary (as Roy and Ann pointed out). EVEN WHEN THE TOMBS SPIRITUALLY UPLIFT YOU BECAUSE THESE WERE GREAT MEN -

but remember - any death is a sad thing and sad things cause "ritual impurity"!

AND the MOST sad thing is ANGER - because it doesn't get you or anyone else anywhere!

So there I was praying in Tiberias - and I finally(after a number of trips up north) found someone who knew how to find the 1780 Tomb of -

Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk zatza"l - in one of the old cemetaries there!!

One word about this Tzadik -who was very ill -  whenever they read in the Torah the portions of the diseases which happen if Israel deserts G-d - HE WANTED THAT ALIYA! Why ? because he was HAPPY to hear about them -because he KNEW that behind every disease there is a CURE!

You just need to know how to LOOK for it!

One spiritual cure for sadness and impurity is taught in this week's portion - that if you become inpure you make 2 (inspiring) trips to the Holy Temple, jump in a mikva, get shpritzed with the ash-water of the red heffer and -  ritual purity is yours!

WHY?  No one knows - but -

Like the Rebbe of Vitebsk said - we gotta know EVERYTHING is part of G-d's purpose - and G-d clearly states we shouldn't be sad!

But also in this portion is Moses and the rock-hittings!

ANd Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach explains:

The holy of holiest The Rebbe Reb Levi Yitzchok from Barditchev reveals the deepest depth - what was the mistake with Moshe Rabeini hitting the stone?

, he explains that as moshe got ANGRY ...   (he went) to hit the stone,

but Hashem wanted (that) we should give over Yiddishkeit with so much Ahava (LOVE) and Simcha (JOY so) that every (one) ... should know how much Hashem has Nachas (JOY) from every good deed we do, without force ...and

 then we serve Hashem with all our hearts filled with joy, ... (which we need) to go in to Eretz Yisroel and (experience) the ultimate redemption

May the World finally GET IT!

Love and Shabbos from Israel

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion of Korach - based on Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach

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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua

פורסם בראשון, 22 נובמבר 2020 16:31

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Portion of Korach - based on Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach

Laughing is holy healthy and HIGH -
but sometimes it can run away with itself. 

Rabbi Carlebach said Korach's troubles with Moses and G-d started by laughing at the little blue fringes (Tzitzis) G-d commanded to put on a Talis. 

That got him to also laugh at Aron's leadership of the Temple - Aron's running around to make peace between angry people - instead of JUST SITTING HOLY IN THE TEMPLE 

This disdain for the commandment of tzitzis and Aron and then Moses spread to a group of people who wanted the honor of serving in the Temple of the desert - and some habitual discontents - 

causing a mini-revolt in the Israelite camp. 

So the incense burners get burned, the guy who opened up this can of worms got swallowed when the earth opened up a sink hole - 

and nobody was able to laugh for a while - 
UNTIL MOSES TAUGHT
(QUOTE FROM RABBI SHLOMO CARLEBACH ZATZAL)

" the truth is Mitsvots are not just simply daily tasks, 
mitsvots are mamesh connections to Hashem and its only when I do it correctly how Hashem taught us without compromising, 
... (AND) even a house full of holy sforim (BOOKS) needs this tiny mezuzah 
(THEN) this (IS A ) conection to Hashem. 
(then ) ...WE CAN be (TH) utmost filled with joy.

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

"we need spies not lies!" or "2 against the Minyan!" - portion of Shlach

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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua

פורסם בראשון, 22 נובמבר 2020 16:31

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"we need spies not lies!" or "2 against the Minyan!" - portion of Shlach

Portion of Shelach: 

Lots of questions this week - with some hints at how to be an example to the world! 

Moses sends 12 spies to check out Israel - and 10 come back to sew fear into the public - while Joshua and Caleb come back enthusiastic about the beautiful Land of Israel! 

Moses KNEW who he was sending - and he CHANGED JOSHUA'S NAME - to give him G-dly Strength to protect him from being influenced by the others! 

But how did Caleb withstand the pressure of the 10 other spies who wanted to prevent the Israelites from entering Israel? 

So principle 1 this week in the Torah is:
THERE ARE 2 WAYS TO MAKE IT IF YOU KNOW YOU'RE DOING RIGHT:
EITHER WITH THE FORCE OF G-D'S BLESSING (Like Joshua)
OR WITH THE DETERMINATION OF DOING WHAT'S RIGHT (like Caleb).

And Principal 2 (from Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach Zatza"l) is - 
that even if the task is almost impossible (like resisting the corruption of the 10 spies)
we see that:
Moshe Rabeini ...gave us strength to hold out ... to continue to serve Hashem with Simcha,... (as he said in the words to the spies) " IM AYIN" - (even) if we feel we ... have no strength anymore, then "VHISCHAZKTEM" (which) means be very strong and watch the "PRI HAARETZ" (the trees who start to grow only after the seed is already rotting in the earth). 

and Principal 3- based on Rabbi Moshe Zvi Neria (Zatza"l)
who brings the Zohar's words - that Caleb went to Hebron to pray at the Tonb of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs -
and received there the spirit of Holy Leadership -
so that afterwards he withstood-
even the "whole Minyan" of 10 fearful spies!
Just as Abraham AND Sara stood up to Nimrod
Isaac AND Rebecca stood up to Avimelech
and Jacob AND Rachel and Leah stood up to Laban!
So Principal 3 in the portion is-
WE ALWAYS HAVE our HOLY ANCESTORS
to inspire us through the hard choices


Love and Shabbos from Israel

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

BeHa Ahloat-cha - about nudges and rich men and teachers‏ Leadership - somethin

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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua

פורסם בראשון, 22 נובמבר 2020 16:30

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BeHa Ahloat-cha - about nudges and rich men and teachers‏

Leadership - something so important that so few know so little about! 

In this week's Portion - Beha-Ah-loat-cha - Moses the Leader is pushed hard -
and happily branches out sharing his holy powers with 70 "elders" - but those complainers who nudged him out of ego didn't make it - their purpose was not holy 

Also on this portion, Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach Z"TZL quoted Rabbi Aron Karliner (3rd generation Hassidic founding-leader) saying Moses got EXTRA holy power from those Israelites who wanted to bring the Passover offering but could not because they were ritually impure on the 2nd Passover in the desert. They were insistent, though, for a holy purpose. 

Moses told them "your strong desire will warrant a direct response from Hashem" - which actually happened. G-d ordained the "second Passover - for those who could not participate in the first passover season. 

Rabbi Moshe Zvi Neria Z"tzl - educator and leader of Religious Zionist Youth wrote that we MUST BE WATCHFUL that leaders who start out doing public service do not become nudged or co-opted by the leaders of industry who often seek power for their own good only. 

While 
everything we are or feel today 

IS PART OF G-D's INFINITE AND ETERNAL TORAH-
actually existing in a spiritual 5th dimension (not the rock group) - 

It is best to think weather we are pushing for things that lead to the common good - and holiness or goodness - or power or greed - and may Hashem grant our prayers and wishes and protect the Holy Israelite People and its Land and Torah - 

so we may fulfill G-d's plan to make the world a holier and better place for all. 

Love and Shabbos from Israel 

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz