Parashat Hashavua

Portion of Matos- Masei

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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 00:38
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Portion of Matos- Masei
 
Based on Rav Moshe Tzvi Neriya 's works - 
 
What was the equivalence of the sin of Bilam and the Midianite women?
 
Instead of respecting the Israelites who endured 40 years in the desert to follow G-d's will -
they tried to destroy Israel 
and destroy the hope for a better world - the message of the freed slaves !!!
 
So in the war the holy Israelite soldiers had mercy on the women of Midian - but
 
Moses reprimands the army for allowing the Midianite women to be captured.
 
"It was they that caused a venereal disease! It caused 24000 Israelites to die!
 
Rav Neria about 40 years talked of the seduction of the Jews by the Midianite women -
 
and the cursing of Bilam the sorcerer 
(who STAYED OVER in Midian TO CURSE AND PLOT- against us - until he was killed)
 
Mercy and respect to the non-merciful and non-respectful was a danger then (as the Torah states in this portion)
and today? Iran? ISIS? 
 
What an important lesson this week's portion teaches.
 
The reasons we are in Israel and in the world - is
 
to teach something the world needs more of-
 
BASIC MORALITY - which MAY NEVER be COMPROMISED
 
So let us teach our children to respect - and to teach respect in the world - but not to legitimize destructive forces.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion of Pinchas- Who was that Masked Man?

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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 00:37
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Portion of Pinchas- Who was that Masked Man?

We see from Moses that we are all prisoners of inaction at times.
 
When the Moabite women lured even a President of a Tribe
to desert the camp blessed even by our enemies (Bilam the wicked wizzard - see last week) 
 
Moses did NOTHING -
 
but his GREAT nephew Pinchas
came OUT OF THE BLUE
and acted -
and it was enough to stop a plague - and earn Pinchas' family the high priesthood
(for most of history).
 
How can we defeat fear and indecisiveness? Because we MUST in order to survive.

We were given commandments to MAKE IT THROUGH THE YEAR - no matter what -

holidays and rituals and commandments to love one another -

and in this portion - Moses was told even to start to

"count the potential soldiers who may have to go to war to fulfill G-d's vision" (to enter Israel).


We fix the world by tuning in to the Torah way of life - following the Almighty's commandments -
 
and thus
taking steps to overcome the difficulties the challenges and the twists and turns of fate that confront us.

Shabbat Shalom
 
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion of Balak and July 4th - Looking Inward or Looking Outward

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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 00:36
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Portion of Balak and July 4th - Looking Inward or Looking Outward


What was the pirpose of the Declaration of Independence of the 13 American states?
Were the signers looking into themselves? Or to the world? Or both?

 American Independence Day - and the Blessing of 

 " How Goodly are
 your Tents oh Jacob - your dwelling places oh Israel"

The Torah teaches that

 Wicked Wizzard Bilam tried to curse -

 He only saw the
 tents - from outside the camp of Israel in the desert - and tried to focus on them -

 But he was FORCED
 (by the Almighty turning his attempts to curse
 into a CLEAR PROPHETIC VISION-)

to connect to the INSIDE goodness of Israel-

 whose only desire is to dwell peacefully

- and today

 Even in the (exploding) desert that is our world.

 Israel and peaceful dwelling

 is the hope for mankind -

 making the deserts bloom and helping to feed many all over the world

 America has been a major supporter of that dream -
 and
 we need to all strengthen that support of the
 prophetic vision of peace.

 The wizzard stuff and Bilam's donkey we can leave
 to Harry Potter...

 Shabbat
 Shalom

 Rabbi Andy
 Eichenholz






  we are commanded
  rav shlomo
 - the inside of the inside of what's in your
  heart



  bilam the evil sorcerer sees
 only

  How Goodly are your
 Tents oh Jacob
  dwelling plaes oh Israel

  he tried to curse - but even
 though he only saw
  the tents - from
 outside the camp of Israel in the desert -

 he was FORCED to connect to the INSIDE goodness of
 Israel-
  whose only desire is to dwell
 peacefully

  in the desert
 that is our world

  in
 Israel that is the hope for mankind

Portion of Chukas - Holy (RED) Cow, Batman!

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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 00:35
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Portion of Chukas - Holy  (RED) Cow, Batman!

 Why are  some animals not kosher,
why are there rules of ritual  purity, and why does the portion tell us of the passing of
 Aron, of Miriam,
and of capturing the first parts of the Land of Israel?

THESE ARE THINGS WHICH TEACH US A JEWISH WAY OF LIFE!

 I just came from  a Bris today,  and last night was at a Sheva Brachot
 (after a wedding), after I was at a class in the yeshiva I've been with  since the seventies.

 Judaism's Laws create a HOLINESS -
as Maimonides declares in the first part of his  compilation of all the Laws of the Torah -
Yad Hachazaka -

that our purpose is to understand and get CLOSE to the L-rd of Creation.

  This week's portion is called "laws you just have to   believe  in "- That's what "chukas" means.

It talks about laws and HISTORYwe can't really understand,
but if we just FOLLOW these laws - we will get close to the Almighty.

 Really -can we KNOW the "meaning" of any laws of the Torah - except on our level?

 At some level - the WHOLE TORAH NEEDS TO BE "UNDERSTOOD" AS UNKNOWABLE.

It's like LOVE.

We love our sisters like Miriam, we love our brothers like Aron,
we love the Land of Israel - and all the gifts from the Almighty - every minute of our lives -

and we enter a SHABBOS of holiness every week - and it gets us ABOVE THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF THE WEEK - and gives strength for the following week.

That is the Jewish way of LIFE.

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz 

Korah versus Aaron – What a (NOT) fight!

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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 00:34
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 Korah versus Aaron – What a (NOT)  fight!

  Why does the
 portion of Korach start with the rebellion of
  Korah and his followers and end with the
 Almighty   apportioning the tithes to the
 children of Aaron (the High   Priest)?

 In the Mishna it says "be  of the followers of Aaron
     seeking peace and loving peace …"

 and our  teachers explained

 he would go to two people who  had an argument,
one at a time,
 and tell the first one "You know how this  argument makes your
 friend feel so bad, that they really 
 wish  they knew how to end the argument."

 The n he would go  say
 the same thing to the other party -
And bring them together …

 so the argument would end!

 Korach was a "pragmatist" - saying
 that Aaron made the golden calf - so
  he must be disqualified from leading

 BUT THE PRIESTS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE PEACEMAKERS
 - NOT JUST LEADERS!

 the Almighty knew that Aaron only got involved in
  the golden calf thing to try to prevent
 bloodshed when the people went wild

  he WAS BRINGING PEACE - AND CERTAINLY NOT WORSHIPPING IDOLS

 he was even willing NOT TO DEBATE Korach - for the sake of peace in
 Israel-

 Aaron didn't enter into the fight here - Moses represented his side.

That’s why we learn G-d's reward for
 the staying out of this rebellion - was

 The gifts of eating some of the
 the sacrifices and redemption of the first  born -

  because when we give
 offerings it is to bring peace - and when a child or a new
 animal enters the world

 IT  IS ALL TO GIVE US A NEW CHANCE TO BRING PEACE TO THE
 WORLD.

 May we see more peace, and increase peace in the world

 Shabbat Shalom

 Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
​

Portion Shelach - The "BUT's" of the Spies

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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 00:34
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Portion Shelach - The "BUT's" of the Spies

The Israelites in the desert sent 12 spies to check out Canaan before the people of Israel were to enter the land.

10 spies misled the whole 12 tribes to revolt against the Almighty's plan for them– while only 2 spies tried to convince the tribes how GOOD the land was and how it could be won.

The 10 were the fore-runners of today's negativity in social media!

The world admits Israel has given humankind morality medicine wisdom and hope.

"BUT", they say, that Israel has to …   the Jews have to …  BUT BUT BUT –

All of those "but"s today are the work of anti-semitism justifying evil.
THE PORTION OF THE TORAH IS TRYING TO WARN US TODAY!!!

The spies tricked the public by saying "yes the fruits of the land are great – see for yourself" and

then adding a big "BUT …." – which totally negated all the good words of all 12 "scouts".

I never heard Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach (zatza"l) use the word "but". He was the most positive in public and in private.
He said "Before I say anything I ask the Almighty to help me speak in a holy way."

The spies might have waited a moment before speaking their "buts".

Today the social media and anti-Israel crowd might be honest
- and ask for the Almighty to inspire them with TRUTH – rather than negativity.

To paraphrase something Hanna Pearlberger wrote in a message from "United with Israel" – one negative half-statement after a  "BUT" can destroy all the good of many positive statements!

If only the spies had said "the land was good enough for our fathers and mothers –
Abraham Isaac and Jacob and Sarah Rebecca Leah and Rachel!" they would have saved so much travail!

They might have avoided all the troubles which afflicted our people on the 9th of Av (like the punishment of those in the desert which happened on the 9th of AV).

They said " but there are giants … and a lot of funerals …" – and the people withered in their trust in the Almighty.

Can we all try to look at the positive in all the Almighty has given us – with no buts? That would be a great step for humankind.

It might be something to practice every Shabbat – and especially THIS Shabbat of Shelach!

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Buh Hah Ah Lowt Cha - The Ark and the Father in Law?

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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 00:33
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Buh Hah Ah Lowt Cha  - The Ark and the Father in Law?

This portion has many themes – and they don't SEEM connected.But let's see ...

When the Ark of the Tablets moves and indicates the Israelites have t o move on,
Moses prays "Oh L-rd – disperse our enemies before us"
 Okay – so how is that related to the rest of the portion?

There's another small section – where Moses asks Yisro (Jethro) his father in law to stay with the Israelites. "You can be our eyes as we go through the desert "(on the way to Canaan).
Yisro answers "I need to go to my homeland" – meaning Midian.

How old was Moses' father-in-law if Moses was around 100? Pretty NOT YOUNG I would say.
Why travel alone in the desert at that advanced age?

Now remember – in a few weeks we read how Bilam the witch and Balak the hired war-king AND the Midianites – make trouble for the Israelites!
So if Jethro cares for his grandchildren – why would he go be with the source of those attacking his grandchildren?

It MAY be possible that Moses said Oh L-rd – disperse our enemies before us while Jethro was still with the Israelites, and Jethro felt "a calling".

Maybe Jethro acted publicly PURPOSELY going on alone through the Sinai desert
so he and his family in Midian (from his other 6 daughters he had more grandchildren)
could spy out the territory and help Israel –
as it says later in the prophets (Judges) that many of Jethro's descendants were at peace with Israel

So these two items can be related – and the rest of the portion – I suggest a lot of study for the long summer Shabbat afternoon.

Love and Shabbos from Israel

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion of Bamidbar

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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 00:33
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Portion of Bamidbar
Thanks for a seed of an idea shlomo ressler - and thanks for the power of the Torah from Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach
 
Where does the Torah say "raise up"?
 
In this week's portion the Almighty tells Moses to "Raise (all) the heads " of the Israelites - by counting them.
 
Where else does it use that word? IN THE PRIESTLY BLESSING
 
"yi sa hashem panav ailecha" which Rabbi Carlebach explained meaning
 
Hashem will raise you up so he can bless you face to face!
 
So in Bamidbar we see that EVERYONE COUNTS
 
and in the priestly blessinsg we see that the Almighty wants to LIFT EVERYONE UP
 
TO BE ON A SPIRITUAL LEVEL TO COMMUNE WITH Hashem.
 
As Rebbe Nachman says - that's why we're all here.
At Sinai we received the gift of MAJESTY - now we 
(ALL OF US) need to use that majesty
 
TO UPLIFT THE WORLD.
 
Shabbat Shalom - Chag Samayach - have a Happy Shavuote
 
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion Bechukotai – What's that? A "holocaust-syndrome"!

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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
פורסם בשני, 30 נובמבר 2020 18:51
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Portion Bechukotai – What's that? A "holocaust-syndrome"!
 
Actually we've written before how great spiritual masters like the Hassidic Rebbes found Blessings even in the warnings and dire punishments in the Torah – like in the Toe-Chay-cha in this week's portion.
 
So SEE HOW THE PORTION BEGINS               
 
Chapter 26 Verse 13  (of Vayikra – THE Third Book of the Five) -
"I have broken the bars of your yoke – and made you to go upright" (Soncino Translation- Hertz Chumash).
 
The Almighty does NOT want us ro be chained and tortured like in Egypt!
 
The Almighty wants Israel and the world (nature and people) to be in harmony –
 
like it says:  "the Land will give of it's bounty … "
 
Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach would say "look into the deepest depths of your heart to understand this portion with Moshiach – Messianic – seeing" – 
 
It becomes clear that BEFORE the Almighty talks about the punishments  -
he tells us how NOT to experience them - by appreciating the gifts of the Almighty in this world -
 
And then it states the horrible things that happen when we denigrate the blessings and the bounty of our connection with the nature of Israel – the People and the Land
 
But then AFTER the "curses" – AGAIN – the Almighty indicates the SOLUTION and the PREVENTION 
of "holocaust-syndrome" – that if we will only dedicate and consecrate things –
 to enforce The Link Between Life and Nature and Humanity 
( thanks Rav Neria zatza"l and thanks Lynn P. for interesting thoughts on this aspect of this portion)
 
Man and Nature – never the twain shall be connected – except in a SPIRITUAL way! Not an abusive way!
 
And if they DO – then the world does not suffer the horrors described in the Toe-Chay-Cha.
 
The Shabbos is the weekly blessing to get us to put balance back in the world.
 
Gutt Shabbos
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion of Behar In Israel Emor in America

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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
פורסם בשני, 30 נובמבר 2020 18:51
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Portion of Behar In Israel Emor in America
I have to admit I am studying the Behar this week in New York because I heard Emor last Shabbat in Israel. So what's the difference? Listen to "Behar".
Our teachers taught us that Shabbat in the Exile is only as holy as a regular weekday in Israel. They also said Yom Kippur's holiness in the Exile is only as high as a regular Shabbat in Israel.
How can that be?
Well there is a surprise interpreting the Portion of Behar – RIGHT IN THE FIRST SENTENCE!
The Almighty says to Moses on Mount Sinai "Tell the Israelites – Daber Vuh-aMarta -
In NO UNCERTAIN TERMS - that when they come to the Land I give to you
THE LAND WILL "REST" A G-DLY SHABBAT (REST)!
Israel ITSELF will be a G-dly Shabbat!
Israel ITSELF proclaims Shabbat to the WORLD every day! If only they would get it!
May we all be connected to the Shabbat that is the seventh day, the seventh year –
And EXPERIENCE the HOLINESS  of the fiftieth year (YOVEL) – as the portion continues
"Proclaim Liberty Throughout the Land" – THE LAND DECLARES THE SABBATH!
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
 

מאמרים נוספים...

  1. Portion of Emor – What a Feeling!
  2. So many Mitzvot in this Double Portion - and they ALL point to how to be "holy" TODAY
  3. Leprosy and Health? Double Portion Tazria Metzora
  4. Portion of Shmini in Israel - Crossing the BLACK Sea? Not the RED sea?
  5. Why are there So Many Russian Millionaires in Israel? - This Shabbat Passover Thought of Torah
  6. two Questions on :Portion Tzav – Shabat Hagadol (called) the "Great Shabbat" (before Passover) – Is it Really
  7. Portion of Vayakhel Pekuday Parah - Celebrate in Shul that We are ALL ONE!
  8. Portion of Vayakhel Pekuday Parah - Celebrate in Shul that We are ALL ONE!
  9. Tetzaveh - Make Special Priestly Garments - and on Purim - wear a Mask
  10. Trumah and Adar and Purim - and who are we really