Parashat Hashavua
Portion HaAHZEENU AND SUKKOT
Before the final blessings in the final Torah portion
The HaAhZeeNu portion is mostly a song but with overtones of potential punishment.
.
It is fearful for the Israelites - a whole nation who are NOW moving out into a new life
- and into war
But the warnings of Moses are tempered by the blessings we read on Simchat Torah
And all our connection to the nation s on Sukkot!I
SO
What blessings befall all Israel every moment?
Right now a young Breslaver is singing and playing guitar on our 630 AM bus to yerushalayim ... With more to come the next 8 days!
So
Stay connected to G-d
As we connect the four species with the Lluulav!
And
remind yourselves that
In todays Talmud page it says
The Kohain and Levite Guards of the Temple
Made a special blessing at times:
That peace should emanate from
The Holy Temple
And so may it emanate from us and our holy places
Happy Sukkot
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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Portion Va Yay Lech: How did Moses Prepare for Shabbat?
Just Look at this week's SHORT portion - packed with Moses' meetings - THE DAY BEFORE HE DEPARTS FOR HEAVEN!
You would think the Almighty would let him TAKE IT EASY, hug the kids, Hang with the Family?
But : G-d's Time waits for NO ONE
Let him Relax One Day? As they say in Hebrew " NO and NO - Low V Low" (meaning no way)!
Anfd this portion PROVES you should Believe that Moshe was a leader 24/7!
Just look at his schedule just before he goes up the mountain for the last time!
It says "And Moses went ..."
Moshe. Moses. Goes .... Where?Tell Joshua this and that (transfer the leadership)Tell the people of The prophecy of End of Days(and not to be depressed without Moses and Aron and Miriam)Moshe you are about to leave the world - so instruct the priesthood ...Order a gathering every 8 years in JerusalemWriter a Torah and KEEP IT NEXT TO THE TEN COMMANDMENTS" BOXAnd what else?He Wrote them a Song! ( See: Next week's parsha, when I hope to be back in the Holy Land)The Torah is said to be a Guide to truth of G - d IN life and in OUR spiritsSo - never say it's TOO HARD TO GET READY FOR SHABBATor YOM KIPPURor SUKKOT -and SHARE THE WORKLOAD - DO IT TOGETHER WITH THE REST OF OUR TRIBE!!!!Our tribe is also a GIFT to each and every one of us!Shabbat ShuvaShabbat ShalomRabbi Andy Eichenholz
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Portion Nitzavim Turn Turn Turn
So the portion starts by Moses saying`Zu
Everyone is right here... Give No Excuses that you didnt hear...
Why are those guys there? For Blessings and Warnings? What's the problem?
Yesterday I got a lift to afternoon prayers but was locked out of the Shul.
Between Morning and afternoon services the locks were changed but no one was told.
Everyone was in Shul but no one knew about the changes!
Rabbi Kook the 1920-1935 first Chief Rabbi of Israel sent out a guy on Rosh Hashono
To blow shot at for Some guys -
workers in the early 1930's who were fed up with religion interfering in their work.
When they saw the emissary and heard the shofar it
Turned the whole day Around because then
they Knew G-d cared and the Rabbi cared.
Have a Great Shabbat and Rosh Hashono - because G-d cares!
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy EICHENHOLZ
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Portion Key Tavo: What - More Blessings and Curses?
This time the Israelites are asked to STAND FAST AT THE MOUNTAINS to hear
the Almighty's Promises!
And it was to be when Joshua brought the people into the LAND of ISRAEL
(within a year of the commandment told by Moses)
Right in the MIDDLE of the country - and before 7 years of wars to conquer Canaan
iIt was n the mountains of Sh chem-Nablus
Where Jacob bought his fields! (Like Abraham bought Hebron!)
And where Dina was assaulted and kidnapped despite Jacob
coming in peace and PURCHASING fields for his animals to graze!
The Blessings are ALWAYS within our Reach -
if we each sincerely TRY a little HARDER to do the MITZVOT -
ESPECIALLY to THANK the ALMIGHTY for all the GOOD we have - EVERY DAY
And say SHMA YISRAEL
and read EVEN ONE PASSAGE FROM THE TORAH each day!\
(and of course celebrate Rosh Hashono and the whole year with Rabbi Andy!!!!)
Shabbat Shalom Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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Portion Key Taytzay LaMil Chama - it's WAR today- and the Spanish Armada?
"When you go out to war …"
Some of us are fighting for our lives
Whether in hospitals or on battlefields
May the Almighty protect us from all ills and evils!
Remember that the Torah is meant to Protect Us!
This Torah portion says to Us All - WHEN you go out to war against our enemies...
Does everyone. Have Enemies?
Youknow, your Enemies , ALL my people and friends
Are
1
Ignorance
2
Hatred
3
Meanness of Spirit
4
Greed
Not everyone needs be a genius
But to love ignorance is Evil used by Some
Leaders who like ignorant followers because it lets them control
And not everyone can love everyone
but hatred can be and IS often Roiled Up and used against humanity
So - if
some people can be a little crotchety -
Really- it's understandable and True that
everyone deserves a little from the Bounty and even PLENTY
that we ALL see in this generation! -
But be fair - Hashem
blessed us and Commanded Us - with all these good things -
and with the capacity for Goodness and understanding
To remind the world:
Where is all the gold the Spanish stole from South America?
Half of it is still in sunken vessels at the bottom of the ocean
The rest financed the wars of the Spanish people - those who Expelled the Jews
Until the powerful Spanish Armada was defeated by the Hand of G-d
Why did they go out to
purposely hurt? It was And Is GREED!
So the portion teaches us ways we can and
must teach the World to
avoid and War Against greed and meanness of spirit
and to look for and support
The Heavenly Purposes at all times.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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Portion Key Taytzay LaMil Chama - it's WAR today- and the Spanish Armada?
"When you go out to war …"
Some of us are fighting for our lives
Whether in hospitals or on battlefields
May the Almighty protect us from all ills and evils!
Remember that the Torah is meant to Protect Us!
This Torah portion says to Us All - WHEN you go out to war against our enemies...
Does everyone. Have Enemies?
Youknow, your Enemies , ALL my people and friends
Are
1
Ignorance
2
Hatred
3
Meanness of Spirit
4
Greed
Not everyone needs be a genius
But to love ignorance is Evil used by Some
Leaders who like ignorant followers because it lets them control
And not everyone can love everyone
but hatred can be and IS often Roiled Up and used against humanity
So - if
some people can be a little crotchety -
Really- it's understandable and True that
everyone deserves a little from the Bounty and even PLENTY
that we ALL see in this generation! -
But be fair - Hashem
blessed us and Commanded Us - with all these good things -
and with the capacity for Goodness and understanding
To remind the world:
Where is all the gold the Spanish stole from South America?
Half of it is still in sunken vessels at the bottom of the ocean
The rest financed the wars of the Spanish people - those who Expelled the Jews
Until the powerful Spanish Armada was defeated by the Hand of G-d
Why did they go out to
purposely hurt? It was And Is GREED!
So the portion teaches us ways we can and
must teach the World to
avoid and War Against greed and meanness of spirit
and to look for and support
The Heavenly Purposes at all times.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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Portion Shoftim Be like the Children of Kings
This portion. Talks about appointment of Jewish KingsA Jewish King needs to own two Seder Torahs including one copy he writes for himselfIn the second book of the Torah we are commanded to be a holy KingdomAbraham is promised that Kings will be descended from him and SarahSo where are we today?Rebbe Nachman has a number of stories about kings ... Why?IOne very Timely story is on the surface is about a long who tells at his daughter .... And she Runs AwayThe chief advisories chases after her .... And eventually works out a reconciliationThere is allegory to our generation after the holocaust AND maybe Post WoodstockJewish royalty is Not Not like British Royalty!IHow do we Become Jewish Royalty before Rosh Hashono?We have to work on our Magnanimosity andOn ALL our great spiritualityAnd come together in Rosh Hashono to connect ourselvesTo the King of Kings Melech Malchei Ha MelachimShabbat ShalomRabbi Andy Eichenholz
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Portion Ruh Aiy - a month before Rosh Hashono
The portion brings us the word of G-d saying
" I set before you ... The Blessing ... and the Curse "
"! and as Rebbe NACHMAN says " the Blessings ALL come from Israel
And according to one Rabbi ( and thank you Sam for sending me his blog)
The blessing and the curse are Both – you guessed it – Israel!
Blessings for us because it was only OURS for three thousand years so far
And the Curse - that the nations of the world spend so much time and energy - and cash - trying to destroy us -
because we are the proof that they do NOT follow the ways of G –dliness (My interpretation)
They say we are a curse
Because they do Not Know How to create a world of peace and harmony
While the Torah does and says so in THIS PORTION:
"seek its Spirit " ( L shichno Tid re Shu) - and Rashi says it means the
Spirit of SHILOH- (where our Tabernacle stood 369 years!)
the Shiloh Civil War Battle certainly NOT
May we all learn to SEEK ITS WAYS of PEACE – starting this New Elul Month!
And prepare for a great new Jewish New Year in a month!
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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Portion Eiy kev : How long can I LISTEN to this?
Here we are again in Arad for a few days - one of the strongholds of Judea's monarchy -
and one of the ancient sites excavated by my Professor Yochanan Aharoni
(I also worked at his excavation of Be air Sheva not far away)
Lots of complaints in the car - until we got to the wonderful Lookout over the Dead Sea at the end of town
(Arad has a healthful climate like Arizona - but it's DESERT - rock and sand)
Why didnt they just listen when I said " follow the sign pointing to Masada by the Back Route "?
The portion this week starts out
"If you will just (eiyKev tish me oon) Listen"
What is the word EiyKev doing in the middle?
I believe one translation is " listen to the SIGNs Attentively "
(Rashi and the Bal Haturim have differing explanations - but the WORD caught their attention too!)
What can you learn from this word in this place?
What happens at the end of town
when you see the Dead Sea and the Hills of Moav (Jordan) before you
and nighty Masada is there off to the left?
You know, you can complain all your life,
or you can use All Your Prowess to Pick a few good stocks and get out quickly
OR
You can listen to Moses in the portion-
You can Follow the Signs to the beautiful Land and Life of Milk and Honey
( end of sixth Aliya? )
Shabat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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Portion VaEtCHaNan:What, the 10 Co mmandments again ? (and Tu B'Av)
What? You say you know all that stuff from before?
and WHY does the Torah repeat these commandments here?
I don't know how many readers can recite the Ten Commanments by heart,
AND
I don't know how many can recite the SCRIPT of the MOVIE (10 Commandments) either
BUT
I bet you never heard THIS teaching before
(From Rav Neria) that when it talks about NOT Murdering - What About Accidental Homicide?
The punishment ordered is the perpetrator must be exiled to one of the
Levite cities in Israel set asidefor the "Golus" (exile)
And Rav Neria brings down the Medrash that says
(Exile not being enough) the Courts MUST send this person's TEACHER/RABBI
along into EXILE WITH HIM (until the proscribed time to go home)
To teach what? OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING WAS LACKING before
and the Rebbe MUST TEACH the VALUE of LIFE etc
Okay - the Shma is also in this portion - Okay - it's the basic Statement of Faith
So what with all these 613 Mitzvot AND Rabbi Additions?
The Rambam (Maimonides) cites verses to support his argument and says
“The truth is, that every one of the 613 mitzvot is meant to either teach (5 ideas) a true idea, remove a false idea, create a just society, train people in good manners (middot), or to keep people away from bad habits.”
(Moreh Nevuchim Part 3, 31 - quoted from Yeshiva Simchat Shlomo))
So never worry about repeating a Torah Law - because
More than the Rambam's explanation -
you can find ALL those (5) reasons in most of the Commandments
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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