Parashat Hashavua

One More Time in Exile - Portion Emor - but Behar is the portion in Israel about a Nation of Priests and Nation of Mountains

So how does the portion of the Torah bring out Amazing and Magnificent from New Yorkers?

In Portion Emor:

The priests are told to stay away from "TUMA" - spiritual defilement.

TUMA could be described as "a withdrawal" from life (especially because it is related to dead people or things)

So what is LIFE anyway? A breath? A wonderful (Amazing) moment?

And why did the Rabbis decree that "outside Israel the land itself is a defilement?"

The Portion Behar:

It says "proclaim liberty throughout the land ..." HEY THAT'S on the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia!

It teaches about liberation and sanctity of the land of Israel

AND EVEN THE HOMES IN THE CITIES!

Think about sanctity - and what Judaism and Jews are standing for in the world.

Now coming back from Washington DC a couple of days ago some guys were standing behind me saying

"we hate Israelis ... they kill Palestinian kids" (A STUPID LIE)

Now look at this news report yesterday from the Philadelphia of the Liberty Bell:

The Muslim groups responsible for an event featuring children singing about “chopping off heads” claimed participants’ “command of Arabic [was] not advanced” enough to understand the words.

By World Israel News and AP

Muslim leaders in Philadelphia apologized Wednesday for an event last month ...

so was that a lame excuse or what? AND which is more important -

teaching the sanctity of the land and the purity of LIFE -

or teaching children to be violent and hateful?

THE TRUTH:

Israel sends doctors to Africa

Israeli medical teams built a field hospital in Haiti

THE Only safe place for Arab kids to grow up is in Israel...

So love G d and love Israel for loving you and the whole world

The Gift of Israel from the Almighty is "magnificent ... Amazing ... and HOLY!!!

Does America get it???

Love... from New York

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

פרטים: נכתב על ידי Super User; קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם ב01 דצמבר 2020; כניסות: 1711

Portion of Behar

Portion Emor and Holy celebration of a Struggling To Be Holy nation Surrounded by - OIY

How can we all be just a bit holier?

On Friday count " today is the twentieth day of counting the omer "

And after dark say " today is the twenty first day of counting the omer "

Is that so hard? ....thats what the Almighty wants. Count HOLY THINGS!

Also Count how many pleasant days have you had since Seder night!

And

Count your blessings .... AND

Count on the Jewish holidays to stay connected .... As we read about them in this week;s portion

We in Israel just celebrated Independence Day

We also just had a little HOLY war. Did you PRAY for ISRAEL? For our soldiers? For our kids running when the sirens warned them of attempted murder by evil people?

Pray a little - or not just a little - because ISRAEL IS KEEPING THE WORLD SAFE AND FREE

So ...

Read That Siddur with a little Reverence tonight and remember what

Rabbi Shlomo taught: (revised from the message of Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo founded by Reb Sholom (zatza"L)

How Israeli soldiers get so much holiness?

Imagine if I would learn Torah day and night. For two thousand years, I could not reach that level of holiness. I could not.

That is Avraham Avinu's holiness.

Everybody asks, when G-d spoke to Avraham for the first time, why didn't He tell him to keep Shabbos, to keep Kashrut?

Why did He immediately tell him, "Lech lecha - Go though from thy land, and from thy father's house?"

G-d gave over to Avraham Avinu what Israeli Soldiers know - sometimes you must leave everything behind you for G-d, for Israel, for somebody else.

Their awesome holiness comes from the deepest depths, from inside. This is what Avaham Avinu is all about.

Rabbi C taught:

When Mashiach comes it will be revealed to us how holy our children are.

You never know, sometimes you see somebody and you don't have the faintest idea of how holy they are inside. This is why we NEED to be in touch with the mystical part of the Torah, with the deepest secrets.

Love and Shabbos and Prayers from the Holy Land of Holy People of Israel

Rabbi Andy Eichebholz

פרטים: נכתב על ידי Super User; קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם ב01 דצמבר 2020; כניסות: 1606

Portion of Emor

Portion Kedoshim in Israel / double Portion in Diaspora - about Yom HaShoah

today Thursday is Yom Hashoah in Israel - holocaust remembrance day.- with special programming and political speeches.

However I saw something interesting about teaching children about the holocaust in this generation - using Ice Cream!

Kids cannot understand the horrors of the holocaust.

But there was one Italian gentile who - for a frew years - hid a number of Jewish children - and the fascists never guesed!

He was recognized by Yad Vashem as a Righteous Gentile.

What did he do ? He kept the kids in the Basement of-

you guessed it-

his Ice Cream Factory! Holy Gentile Gellato!

Tell your kids - imagine being in an ice cream factory for three years - and not being allowed to eat the ice cream!

It's a far cry from most holocaust stories - but it gets the senses working!

NOW

In the Portion Kedoshim we read the commandment to Love One Another

And with Counting the Sefirat HaOmer we are reminded that Rabbi Akita's students perished in a plague because of not respecting one another

How did that happen? We don't really know - but we DO KNOW:

All the Rabbis got together with Rabbi Akiva to fix the problem after the plague -

But we must be Specially Careful to check ourselves before we criticize other Jews

Sometimes it's hard - but talking out issues can make it easier!

Lots of Love and Shabbos from Jerusalem

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

פרטים: נכתב על ידי Super User; קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם ב01 דצמבר 2020; כניסות: 1655

Portion of Kedoshim

Portion in Iisrael Acharei & in Exile : Passover 8 th Day

Drama in the Talmud

The Ceasar in Rome used Rabbi Yehosua Ben Chananya as a wise advisor - but

what Started with their discussion of whether since the Garden of Eden story - if

The snakes are the Most Cursed ...( bring death and eat live animals too)

Ended up with Ceasar Sending him off to debate the wisest of the world - In Athens

and the Loser dies - either in Athens or Rome!

One example of the debate - the Athens Scholars asked the Rabbi to prove -

which eggs come from Balck chickens and which from White chickens!

What does a Rabbi do - showed them some goat cheeses and asked THEM

which came from a Black goat and which from a White!

Based on MaHarShah ... and Rav Kook - the debate was REALLY about the world -

Is there a holy SPIRIT that can't die! Where do we come from - and where do we "go"!

The Exodus of Israel (Passover) ... is proof there is POTENTIAL redemption of the world!

And there is Life after Death

A holy prediction - that the WORLD needs to learn!

According to Rav Abergil -

that is the kabbalistic view of the four sons and the four questions! (from the seder)

And the Answer from the Seder? That the

Wise son and Wicked son Must eventually sit at the Seder together

to Fill the Voids of Spirituality in the World!

What is the biggest "life after death" question?

This portion Acharei speaks of the passing of Aron's 2 sons in the Temple in the desert!

Like my grandfather (aged 93) asked me after his two sons passed away before him (3 daughters survived him)

Is their spirit still alive? My uncle Mo and my uncle Irving!

Based on the teachings of the four sons from the hagada

and the next 49 days of Omer Counting - our tradition and history would say

Some day we will ALL sit together at the Seder of the Moshiach and G-d

Happy Holiday and Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

פרטים: נכתב על ידי Super User; קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם ב01 דצמבר 2020; כניסות: 1592

Portion of Acharei

Portion we read this week is the Passover Portion - and what about having Passover on a deserted island?

"I am a rock I Am an Island ..."simon.n garfunkle ...

If you are shipwreked on a desert island,

And some Matzas and horseradish was airlifted on to you - a portend of maybe a rescue ....

Are you there with me?

And think about the Red Cross package my grandfather sent -

Can you imagine how my cousin Itzik in Auschwitz felt when the Nazi guard told him

"we got the Red Cross package for Passover that your uncle sent, so we are giving you a little more food forkeeping you alive a little longer."

What a little seder he must have had

Think you could have been with our Israeli soldiers -

Jewish soldiers - watching guard in Gaza to prevent terrorists from tunnels from attacking...eating their seder in the mud in the dark ?

Are you maybe with me and with the American soldiers who had a seder in WWII after conquering part of Gernany
or our soldiers in vietnam or kuwait

Tonight we are in Egypt .. ALL OF US -

the place in the desert where I was arrested and imterrogated a whole day ...

Near Where our forefathers were enslaved 100-200 years ago

but thinking "we are going free in the morning!

Tonight : We Are All in Egyot and Going Free with Rabbi Moshe and Kohain Aron And Batya the Daughter of Pharoah -

going to freedom - and to Israel - SOOOO

Read That Hagada with a littke Reverence tonight!

Love and Shabbos and Prayers from the Holy Land of Holy People of Israel

Rabbi Andy Eichebholz

פרטים: נכתב על ידי Super User; קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם ב01 דצמבר 2020; כניסות: 1673

Pesach

Portion Metzora: Cannibalism Slavery Destruction and the Passover Hagada

Last week I re-discovered Rabbi Zolti. He was the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem and gave a weekly class when I studied in yeshiva.

Actually I discovered his son where I sometimes pray ( and say Kaddish ) - at his synagogue/yeshiva in Jerusalem. His son is a genius like the father. He is always interesting, too.

It is customary to read the Hagada this Shabbat to prepare for next week-Passover-as Rabbi Zolti was teaching (mostly by explaining ideas from Maimonides ).

If you don't look at the Hagada before the Seder you miss the context of the world at the time of when Israel miraculously left Egypt - and left the world in chaos!

If Israel had not been redeemed from slavery and accepted the Torah, the world would probably still be a world of degradation slavery destruction and worse.

What's that to our portion in the Torah this week?

Purity purification and re dedication!

When coming out of a degrading disease the person is to bring offerings in the Temple - to re-dedicate themselves

and the priest is to mix some oil and some blood and put a touch:

On their

Ear ( so we will ALL listen in holiness ) and

Thumb ( to remind us to DO holy things ) and the

big Toe. (To remind us to go to holy gatherings )

So get ready for Passover and read the Hagada THIS Shabbat.

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

פרטים: נכתב על ידי Super User; קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם ב01 דצמבר 2020; כניסות: 1592

Portion Metzora

Portion Tetzaveh and Who does G-d Really Protect

In class this morning after Talmud study the Rabbi discussed whether G-d's Divine individual protections over people extends to the idea of holy protection also of diversity of life forms.

He based it on the RamBan (12th century ) at the end of this portion and the Minchat Chinuch

( probably 16th Century) view of that RamBan.

He said the question has been reigniting debate because of a Jewish Pop hit by Avraham Fried!

Divine Hashgacha means our two-way connection to G-d. How does the Almighty look out for individuals and living creatures and for preserving Nature!

Our portion describes the " Kohain as Doctor and Doctor of Spirit " role. But where is the spirituality of G-dliness here?

I believe we need to appreciate how the portion starts with childbirth - and our Connection to the holy Temple because of the miracle of birth.

Then it goes to infection-leprosy and the Priestly role in declaring a person healed.

What is more important to us than health?

Then it deals with ( the part where the RamBan chimes in ) with non human infection needing to be healed .

Childbirth and health should remind us all how important prayer can be to healing as well as our connection to the Almighty.

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

פרטים: נכתב על ידי Super User; קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם ב01 דצמבר 2020; כניסות: 2259

Portion TeTzaVeh

Portion Shemina va Yidom and Aron was Silent

In the portion we read how the older and holier two sons died during their first Temple service .

Based on question and thoughts of the Lubavitcher Rebbe with my thoughts added

How could they have made all the mistakes ascribed to them?

And if on Purim we can ALL be the highest and holiest ...

Why were they taken from us

And my further question

Why did TWO priests/sons have to be in this sad but important lesson?

So ... I think we need to answer these by asking ourselves

Are you YOU or just Half You?

Are YOU a Real Whole -

Not " potential you " but a spiritual you. ?

In brief ...

Purim we need to drop our masks

And get to be real ... see Two Sides of ourselves

By getting a little Drunk on G-d

In order to get to the Exodus of Passover

In both emotional and spiritual ...

Freedom ...

and build a holy Temple in this desert of a world

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

פרטים: נכתב על ידי Super User; קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם ב01 דצמבר 2020; כניסות: 1721

portion of Shemini

Portion Tzav Priests and Love and Order Or Jealousy and Resentment?

So how did the Relationship between Kohanim and Levites express itself over the thousands of years of our history?

And what about today?

I'm Israel today the priests bless everyone at morning prayer!

Rabbi Miller suggested that maybe in our past there was sometimes resentment against the Temple Caste who were supported by everyone else.

I believe on the other hand

that since the Priest - jobs in - was also the Doctor and maybe also the scribes (lawyers)

And also since the tithes like modern taxes were equal

and Based on how much your farm produced

and Equality was the General Rule!!!

that except under crooked rulers ...

things were probably pretty positive!

And Today what does that point to?

We need to act and Work on the side of love and order

Between Each Other!

And avoid whatever negatives are broadcast from political disputes that

Look for ways to raise our blood pressure

so that

Politicians can act on us like Media Moguls to their own enrichment!

Spread the love and order like it says of Aron the High Priest.

Question is based on an idea from Rabbi Avigdor Miller as discussed with H Baron on Purim.

Shabbat Shalom from Rainy New York

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

פרטים: נכתב על ידי Super User; קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם ב01 דצמבר 2020; כניסות: 1847

portion of Tzav

portion Vayikra - Calling to Us? To Remember to get ready for PURIM

This Shabbat in Shul we read the beginning of the third of the Five Books of Moses-

and also to "Remember (ZACHOR) Amalek (and their attacks on us)"

In my review of the portion this morning I had a lot of questions - but will toss around just three of them.

Last night waiting in the POURING rain

for the bus from Jerusalem to home -

I couldn't decide to dance - or to cry.

So what do you do ? You sing! Getting-ready-for-Shabbat-and-for Purim songs!

Fifty people crowded into this bus shelter - and everyone was making room for this older person and that baby carriage!

All the busses came late (One person complained that their 630 bus never arived at all!)

I just moved out of the shelter to make room for a baby carriage and a couple -

and the father called out to me (Vayikra means "calling out" to us - to Moshe - to the world!-

"someone just got on a bus and there's room now!"

Family lives up north in Tzefat.

Made my evening! What sweet American-Israelis!

So the portion uses the word "Nefesh" - a SOUL.

Why did the L-rd create people with SOULS?

Who uses the SOUL side of their personality?

WE DO! And it really ticked off Haman!

And it ticked off the Amalekites so bad that they attacked us in the desert. Because it

THREATENED their ABUSIVE REGIME. So Moshe and Joshua had to fight them to protect our way of life.

The third Aliya tells us when we sacrifice in the Temple we must ALWAYS HAVE SALT on the ALTER.

What does SALT remind us of? The ocean, maybe -

but on a more PERSONAL level it reminds us of TEARS!

Your sacrifices should touch your soul to the point of tears!

The end of the portion orders a leader who sins to also bring a sacrifice.

I don't see the Chinese or Korean - or most American - leaders - or Putin shedding too many tears.

Forget about the Arabs and the Europeans - and all the LACK OF SOUL they evidence.

Maybe that's why WE read "Portion Zachor (Remember)" every year -

And hopefully remind the World that it should have a little more SOUL too...

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

פרטים: נכתב על ידי Super User; קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם ב01 דצמבר 2020; כניסות: 1510

portion of Vayikra

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