Parashat Hashavua
Portion Vayakhel-Pekuday – the Double Whammy or a Double Dip?
This week's double portion brings us into the World of the Israelite Desert
What did they do 40 years in the Sinai?
We were ordered to be centered around our homes and the Tabernacle - so as NOT to suffer TOO much
from the doubling-down sins of the Golden Calf and the Spies convincing Israelites NOT to want to be in Israel
So we built a Holy Temple in the Desert - to keep us focused PRESENT AND FUTURE
Our sages tell us it was mainly because we had to atone for the sin of the Golden Calf
Some people contributed to building a little golden calf - OIY! So Silly!
But EVERYONE kept GIVING to build the little Mishkan – the Tabernacle in the desert
They knew they made a GOLDEN MISTAKE – and they knew they had to FIX IT, so
EVERYONE gave until Moses had to say ENOUGH!
Who doesn’t want MORE and MORE stuff, gold, silver, offerings? G-d!
The Almighty tells us EXACTLY what the Temple needs – and it’s ENOUGH - but
We Needed - and still need - To be CONNECTED to that Temple EVERY DAY!
It's how to make every day SPECIAL –SO start by saying SHEMA YISRAEL – in the AM and the PM
And it is how to make SHABBOS and HOLIDAYS SPECIAL: like
JOY ON SHABBOS IS SPECIAL
CLEANING FOR PASSOVER IS SPECIAL (yes!)
Being part of the Temple Family is special – even if you can’t go because of …well
You know, whatever these days ...
BUT DON’T FORGET TO STAY CONNECTED –
G-d Gave Us Telephones to help get us through! AND TORAH BOOKS!
So be well, follow the GOLDEN rules
Stay connected to the Holy Temple and the Almighty
And may we all SEE REDEMPTION AND HEALING SOON
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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Portion Tetzaveh - Glorious Clothes, Baby Clothes?
I was at a Bris this morning and the father spoke about why "the baby wore white"! Like a BRIDEGROOM (they do that in Israel)!
So this week's portion is why! That the child should dress like a priest in the Holy Temple - which is to show:
the Glory of G-d. The WHOLE TEMPLE was for that purpose! All Creation is for that purpose!
Okay, so the portion discusses clothes - is that the whole story?
This week we ALSO read (at the end) - PORTION ZACHOR - REMEMBER.
In this case - we are told to REMEMBER AMALEK - who attacked the Israelites FOR NO REASON!
They represent HATRED AND DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR -
And the Almighty is forever at war with Amalek, Hatred, and Destroyers!
The Temple is ALL ABOUT the OPPOSITE of these!
It is about the glory of G-dliness, holiness of children who should emulate the Priesthood that Serves the Almighty.
Not Haman, who we are told is a descendent of Amalek.
And the Purim story -that proves the Almighty gets things done the Almighty Way -
Even if it takes us a while to see it and to emulate it.
Shabbat Shalom and Good Purim
Rabb Andy Eichenholz
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Portion Key Tea Sah about golden calves and Shema Yisrael
What
It doesn't have the SHEMA in this portion?
My friend zev in Israel Sent me an idea from Kabalist book Marganite d Rav
And today we need a little Kabala to get us past the Pestilence! So
Why the letter RESH in this portion is Large
And why in the SHEMA it has a Dalet which is Large
And From the Beginning of the Torah
Bereisheet it says not listening to the Almighty will
Cause the earth to grow only Thorns ... " Koatz v dar dar"?
(Dar Dar has a dalet and a resh )
Because the Torah tells us
They didn't listen SHEMA about the golden calf and made it anyway,
And in this portion the Resh is from the sentence warning against idolatry,
And in Bereisheet it reminds us of a thorny end to the golden calf story,
And we should all learn to apologize like Moses did in the Parsha!
And pray for Deliverance from the thorny Pestilence facing the world today!
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz, praying in New York
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Portion Teruma - . Pray for ... Purim?
Purim ... and viruses?
A number of top Rabbis were at the Westrrn Wall this week praying for corona-victims and for a remedy.
Israel has a new diagnostic method and is working on a cure.
If we come up with something - will the world care?
Is it possible the Corona Virus is here to wake up the whole world to .... stop antisemitism?
Knock some sense into Iran?
Remind world leaders that we all live on the same planet?
Teruma - this week's portion - means " Raise up " ... could it mean Wake Up?
Pablo Neruda wrote his poem Levantete (Get Up ) in Chile. Did he like Jews? Did he blame the Jews for his being exiled? Ever read the poem?
Terumah. It talks about building a Holy Sanctuary in the Sinai Desert!
Get the point?
What really do we need from This World and what from The Next or Other - Spiritual World?
Such a long portion and also the next few ... All Dealing with Building a Temple
A Sanctuary ... something that starts in our hearts...not quick but important
Our world is a desert with lots of issues...
The Torah teaches us to build Holy Sanctuaries.
Noah failed.
Moses succeeded.
Got the picture?
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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Portion Mishpatim : A Clash of Ancient Rules and Modern (70's?) Feelings - or Not?
Do we evolve? Does Judaism Evolve? Is Israel as United about our Legal System as we Once Were?
And very important:
Has "the world" learned ANYTHING from SINAI and from the TORAH of MOSES -?
So what if I try to help my neighbours carry groceries up the steps - and their kids are always smiling to me?
WHO CARES?
Today on Yahoo News the latest medical discovery from Israel was :
Bar Ilan University researchers found a way to Test for the CoronaVirus in 15 seconds with lasers -
instead of the current one hour blood test!!!!!
Who else in the world is trying to put the world in perspective? Every one else is watching the stock market and virus statistics!
And Who Cares? The Torah says WE SHOULD CARE - AND IT WILL GIVE US A SATISFIED FEELING!
Mishpatim relates to the rules Moses probably learned on his Sinai trips.
Do we need to Meditate like Moses to understand what he envisioned?
Do we realise that Moses made Israel from a bunch of wild tribes -
INTO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE THE CONSCIENCE OF THE WORLD (and the greatest healers and scientists of the world).
What do SINAI rules have to do with our feelings?
Maybe most people today make up their own rules and don't think in terms of Biblical Rules?
So how often do you return lost items to people?
How often do you try not to damage others - at work, while driving,
or at parties where you offer drinks to people who need someone to tell them to stop?
What about making your workers wait for their pay or reimbursement?
The point is - we do not often think of "what is the moral" way in a situation.
And most people NEVER think "what would the Torah" way be in a certain situation.
Truth is, THINKING is NOT what usually guides our actions-
- AND THAT IS THE POINT! We Act by Gut and Not by GOTT (G-d)!
So the Portion gives us direction - AND GIVES US A WAY TO BE HAPPY about our ACTIONS.
MAKE YOUR DAY SPECIAL - THINK A LITTLE ABOUT MORAL AND TORAH WAYS TO ACT
And it will add value and meaning to your life!
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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Portion Yitro: Jethro Jews and Justice
In a nutshell - this week's portion is jam packed with great ideas - and BIG questions!
Jethro the Gentile comes to Moses (at the beginning of the portion)
and the Israelites in the desert - and sets up the Jewish Court System!
and the Israelites in the desert - and sets up the Jewish Court System!
(Yesterday in my Maimonides class the lecturer taught about the process of:
SELECTING QUALIFIED JUDGES - a BIG problem here in Israel-
and an interesting concept was Maimonides' "Three Year Probationary Period"!)
and an interesting concept was Maimonides' "Three Year Probationary Period"!)
The Big Jewish Question Is of course : "Is Justice objective or subjective?"
Depends - sadly - on the judge; we all have a LOT to learn from Maimonides,
not just medicine!
not just medicine!
So the portion ends with "Build me an ALTAR of EARTH (not stones! not cement!). (in the Temple)
Down to Earth - not egocentric! And So:
For one thing the Mizbayach ... the altar .... symbolizes PEACE on High and on EARTH.
Elsewhere the Torah relates the altar to JUDGMENT -
and the High Court sat in a chamber near the Altar!
and the High Court sat in a chamber near the Altar!
SO - Which is the Basic Functionality? Peace here on earth - or Almighty (strict) Justice?
The First Rule in Jewish Law - which Jethro the Judge (in Midian) did NOT get into
is Arbitration to Make Peace after listening to both sides. You need to be a wise and a fair judge to do that!
Let's Pray on that this Shabbat - and may we see that more often than not!
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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Portion B Shalach : Where the Women Dance the Enemy Drowns but the Wicked Leader Lives?
on the Portion where Miriam led the Ladies in Song and Dance
In Victory? But it ain't over until ...
Mount Sinai?
So
At the Red Sea our Israelites START to recover from slavery
The frightful sight of enemies advancing
Turns into a G-dly Victory and Nature's revenge on a wicked empire
But the people still dont get it
And complain
Until the Almighty shows them
G-dly Mercy with Manna from Heaven
And then the Story Continues ( next week's porton )
From Israel way before dawn ..
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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Portion Bo - Come on Now - Reality Here?
Were there really plagues in Egypt?
Were the Israelites ever in Exile?
Why am I asking these questions? Are they relevant?
Imagine a communist Chinese boss - who worked his whole life for the communist party...
and now he gets hit with the coronavirus!
What does he think ...feel ...say to his children?
Now omagine the average slave (yes there are even today in someplaces, sad to say).
Same questions!
Now read the end of the First Book of the 5 Books of Moses and
imagine Jacob the father of 12 the tribes - about to leave the world
imagine Jacob the father of 12 the tribes - about to leave the world
what does he do? He LEAVES THEM A SPIRITUAL LEGACY THAT LASTS 3000 YEARS (so far).
The Seder night is not just a time to see our relatives (like them or not)!
And this week's portion BO is not just a lead-in to the Passover story (which we will read about for the next bunch of weeks in the Torah).
Quoting from Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach (in his story of Moishele the Drunk Watercarrier)
"...Then came Avraham. He began fixing the world ... Yaakov and his twelve holy sons... (BUT) Then Pharaoh made slaves out of us, and tonight, G-d took us out from Egypt....
children, I want you to swear to me right now, that you’ll always know that the same G-d
who took us out from Egypt is still alive. It’s the same G-d.
Whenever a Jew cries to G-d, G-d always hears our prayers and takes us out from all our troubles.'...
He told his Rabbi - ” “Rebbe, I’m so sorry. I couldn’t say anything more (to my children) because I was still drunk. I turned over and I fell asleep again.”
"So the heilege (holy) Reb Tzvi Elimelech was crying bitter tears. He said to his Chassidim, “Did you hear that? Did you hear that? I wish that one time in my life, I should be privileged to give over Yiddishkeit to my children, the way Moishele the water carrier gave it over to his children Seder night.” Gevalt."
So READ THESE PORTIONS
AND READ THEM OVER AT SEDER NIGHT!
And remember:
YOU should be privileged to give over Yiddishkeit to ... (YOUR) children, the way Moishele the water carrier gave it over to his children Seder night.” Gevalt."
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz (expecting some more blessed rain here in Israel tomorrow -
the place our forfathers came to in order to bring HOLY memory
and HOLY spirit into the world!
the place our forfathers came to in order to bring HOLY memory
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Portion Shimote : Ghosts of Cain and Able?
How did those guy s from 20 generations before get into our story here?
In our portion the Family of Israel is Forged from the Tribes. What tribes? They just got to Egypt!
Who invented Family, anyway? Not the Egyptians, for sure, despite their "advanced culture"!
Early on - in the beginning - Eve and Adam have their woes !
Soon after, Cain kills Able, and then Cain's grandson kills him !
So, Is the Torah a murder mystery? It's supposed to be a Handbook for Fixing the World!
Our teachers say the saga of Moses and Aron which begins here is to fix the problem of brotherly strife
and
The dedication of Shifra and Puah who stood up to Pharaoh -
is to teach the power of good women to save the future (and allow the tribes of Israel to develop).
And the tribes... Well... We have a Nation here in Formation -
Room for every type of personality - AND FAMILIES!
Room to study and learn about how to build a
"Nation under G-d" - in the coming portions
And may we all be blessed with a great Shabbos!
Shabbat shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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Portion Va Yeh Chee - Blessings to the UPS man last night - The end of the First Book of the Five of Moses
UPS man? No he did not bring things for ME but I accepted for others …HOWEVER we TALKED A BIT
and I told him what Max and I learned in Talmud Brachot just a minute before he came
(and Max who will celebrate his bar mitzva next week got the message) - about Blessing each other - AND
About even saying Hello back when somebody says Hello (if not you are almost "stealing" from them - the grace we are here to share! )
And... What has that to do with Portion Va Yeh Chee?
Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach says - `be a Yakov person and NOT a Lavan person`? So what does that mean? And all of this?
One idea from AISH.com this week (by Yoram and Meira Raanan) explains the portion as such:
Jacob called for his sons and said, " Gather and hear, sons of Jacob, and listen to your father Israel ...
All these are the twelve tribes of Israel... He gave each one his own special blessing. (Genesis: 49:1-2, 28) ...
Jacob is on his deathbed, and his children gather around for his final words.
That;: Light seeps out of the darkness (my note: the despair of death of Jacob - and) Jacob lifts his hands to bless his sons, the twelve tribes of Israel.
He bestows upon them blessings which foretell the destiny of the Jewish People. The light of these blessings illuminates the darkness ...
SO Back to the portion: these AISH words on Aish.com are poetic and beautiful … but - Huh?
So It's like we (me and Max and Mr UPS) learned - The end of the First Book of the Five of Moses shows us :
It's all about blessing each other - that's why the Almighty created us and the world!
Blessings - Be a Yakov-man and learn to give blessings - even with your last breaths -
and it will open hearts and open the path to - THE SECOND BOOK of the Five-
The Book of Redemption of Israel - and thereby the world - from the "Oppression (and constriction) that is Egypt"
(Egypt - Mitzrayim - means "constriction")
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