Parashat Hashavua

today count "17th Omers today" and 18 tonight and - portion TazriaMetzora

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today count "17th Omers today" and 18 tonight and - portion TazriaMetzora

Who were outwardly good Israelite Kings – and
Which ones were inwardly sort of rotten?

The moon cycle is 15 days rising and then 14 days narrowing –
And most of our holidays are on the 15th of the Jewish months-
To remind us that our lives too are often rising and sometimes not so much.

This week we celebrated the anniversary of Joshua’s conquest of Jericho. How may times did our people circle the wall “ and the walls came tumbling down…”?

7 (after a week of 1 circle a day. – A lot of work to begin BUILDING ISRAEL – huh?

Was Joshua a King? He (and Moses) certainly acted the rulers!

The Kabbala says “Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs)
by King Solomon is the Holy of Holies” –
In synch with Solomon being the 15th Ruler of our people (starting with Abraham)-

But that after reaching the pinnacle – things went downhill –
And he was followed by 14 not-so-holy kings –
Leading to the tragedy of the Temple’s destruction.

So Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach relates that this week’s portion –
Tazria Metzora – teaches us that
WE HAVE TO BE AWARE OF BOTH DIRECTIONS –
UP AND DOWN
As they relate to
INSIDE AND OUTSIDE – of our SOULS

So with our individual soul-
And so with the soul of our nation.
We need the inside to Holy and not just look wholly holy on the outside!

HAPPY ISRAEL INDEPENDENCE DAY THIS COMING WEEK!
Let’s work on keeping us spiritually rising-
Us and the whole people of Israel

Love from Jerusalem

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

from Egypt with Love - and a little Hesitation - based on Rabbi Carlebach and Rabbi David Aron

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from Egypt with Love - and a little Hesitation - based on Rabbi Carlebach and Rabbi David Aron

What happens when you CHANGE?
Israel left Egypt - and G-d warns them to be careful "lest there be any destructions"...
What kind of "destructions" if we were riding high on the new wave of freedom?
BUT -
Were we prepared for freedom?

From this week's portion - SHMINI

Rabbi David Aron posits the Mitzva of eating only KOSHER-slaughtered meat - and the sacrifices in the Tabernacle in the dessert - were to give us the tools to become a Holy People and not to be sliding back into aggression or cruelty or paganism - traits learned in the "great civilization that was Egypt".

Commandments like KASHRUT teach us to look and act different than agressive cruel societies - and to CONTROL that "dark side" in everyone.

Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach quotes the Ishbitzer Rebbe - on WHERE that dark side comes from.

They say it's from - FEAR that we DID wrong - which makes it hard to GET OUT of bad patterns-

SO WE GET MITZVOS TO GIVE US STRENGTH AND SHOW US WE CAN DO IT!

We can become a holy person and a holy nation-
and teach the world to DROP THEIR CTUELTY-side TOO!

Love and Shabbos from Jerusalem

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

How many converted to Judaism and left Egypt with the Israelites

פרטים: קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם בראשון, 22 נובמבר 2020 16:23; נכתב על ידי Super User; כניסות: 380

How many converted to Judaism and left Egypt with the Israelites

BLESSINGS FOR SHABBOS AND FOR THE REST OF PASSOVER (especially the 7th night - the night when we Israelites CROSSED THE RED SEA!)

How may people stand at the edge of their personal "red sea" and are afraid to cross?

Yesterday I was at the Carlebach Moshav Festival - for music arts and to meditate among throngs of sweet people and some old friends
(one said "I haven't seen you in 50 years - and it was TRUE - but he recognized me from the BRONX!)

Many of these people left everything to embrace Judaism and to embrace Israel and fulfill Jewish dreams and live here!

I missed one old friend - but another miracle - I got an email this morning from him that he was coming just as I was leaving - just didn't have a chance to say hello! He moved here from Manhattan with his family.

So here's a thought for this Shabbat of friendship welcoming freedom and to help us cross our own personal "red seas".

From my friend Zev.

Why we do not say the Full Halel (THANKS) prayer on the last day of Passover- after the many Egyptian soldiers chasing us drowned in the red sea?

He quotes a Medrash he learned from a Rabbi Kroll:

When the Assyrians - a thousand years later - besieged Jerusalem - they all died suddenly.

How? The medrash said "their ears were opened by G-d - to hear the "songs of the angels" - and they died because they were not on the level to hear holiness!

The Medrash said "G-d didn't let the angels' song defeat the Egyptians - because they were the worst - they were used to drowning Jews.

So G-d Himself drowned the Egyptians in the Red Sea.

But Hashem doesn't want us to sing the WHOLE Halel (songs of joyous praise) -

because THAT IS NOT THE WAY G-D WANTS TO MANAGE THE WORLD!

The OMER offering and counting the Omer-

The Minchas Chinuch wrote - we bring the offering of BARLEY flour each year on the 2nd day of Passover to thank G-d for his mercy - each year giving us sustenance anew.

THIS IS THE PURPOSE OF our prayers and sacrifices - and G-D'S WORLD - TO BE THANKFUL AND TO MIMIC G-D'S MERCY.

And from Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach:

And you know my darling friends; it's a holy law, holy tradition, holy custom, that from Pesach till Shavuot you count the days (Counting of the Omer). Because a slave does not count his days, (only) a free person learns to count (his days).

A holy person counts his days, (which are) his blessings to (all) people.

SO COUNT THE OMER UNTIL SHAVUOTE!

We know many Egyptians joined the Jewish quest of freedom when they left Egypt.

We are not sure how many made it across the Red Sea.

But our version of freedom and passover are for the world -
to help everyone make GREAT changes -
may the world wake up and start to fulfill G-d's vision for all peoples.

Shabbat Shalom and Happy Rest of Passover

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

For the passpover seder - from Rabbi Arush and Rabbi Shlomo and the Ari zal

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For the passpover seder - from Rabbi Arush and Rabbi Shlomo and the Ari zal

Michael (here with me for the seder) says FAMILY is the most important thing about Passover - but IS IT?

WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT FAMILY?

During college I was always happy to COME HOME ...
but the slaves in Egypt - they were never sure what would happen after a day of slaving and looking for straw and baking bricks ...

I saw the pyramids - and they weren't built by happy families

And when the Israelites were in Egypt waiting to see if G-d's promise to Abraham would really happen -
COULD it really happen?
WHEN could it happen? NO ONE ever escaped from Egypt!

And the Moses Dude - when did he come back from Midian -
with all his FANCY TALK about Israel? The Promised Land of Abraham Isaac and Jacob...

WHAT was going to happen?
And the Jewsih slaves during the Holocaust! OIY!

Rabbi Arush of Israel taught this weekend that
AT YOUR SEDER YOU CAN EXPERIENCE THE HOLINESS the GREATNESS and the EXCITEMENT OF THE EXODUS from EGYPT
JUST LIKE the ISRAELITES who HELD A SEDER -
and went FREE the next morning!

He quoted from the Holy Ari (from Zefat 500 years ago)
who tought us that
THE SPIRITUAL POWER OF EVERY JEWISH HOLIDAY
(HERE on Passover the FREEDOM FROM SLAVERY)
IS IN THE AIR - WAITING FOR US TO BREATHE IT!

AND RABBI CARLEBACH TOLD US- (I paraphrase)
Who is a slave? Someone who has no home;

WHO IS THE LEAST ENSLAVED PERSON?

HE WHO CAN TASTE THE FREEDOM IN THE MATZA - the simple bread over which we tell -
THE SIMPLE STORY -
the story that
G-d took us out of slavery
gave us a homeland
gave us the Shabbat
gave us a Temple of Holiness ...

and DAYENU!!!

MAY WE BE BLESSED TO SEE IT, TO TASTE IT,

AND TO BE THANKFUL FOR IT - for
FAMILY
SHABBAT
THE MATZA AND THE SEDER WE CAN CELEBRATE IN FREEDOM

and please pray for Jonathan Pollard
and for those still enslaved in Sudan and elsewhere - etc.

Love from Israel

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

King Solomon's sink - and I'm in Ash-kell-lown - and Obama's not visiting here‏

פרטים: קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם בראשון, 22 נובמבר 2020 16:22; נכתב על ידי Super User; כניסות: 296

King Solomon's sink - and I'm in Ash-kell-lown - and Obama's not visiting here‏

Also - thank G-d no more rockets today ...

AND

NOW FOR SHABBOS-

This shabbat is called the GREAT Shabbos – a nickname for the Shabbat before Passover - and I'm in a city on the Mediterranean and no one knows whether King David got RID of the Phillistines here or just conquered them after he beat Goliath and later became King.

How could he have received all the gold that Solomon used later when he built the Temple if he didn't get rid of those sea-marauders the Phillistines - who were living here on the coast where I am for Shabbat on a religious study retreat - or TURN THEM INTO BELIEVERS and LOVERS of ISRAEL!

When Solomon his son built the Great Temple he also built a GIANT sink for Priest to wash - and the Talmud argues if it was shaped as a globe - or square on the bottom and rounded at the top.

Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach said that

ON PASSOVER AT THE SEDER WE ARE ABLE TO GIVE - TO INVITE OTHERS -

BECAUSE OF WHAT WE RECEIVED FROM G-d BEFORE

BUT WHEN WE PERFORM THE "SEARCH FOR CHOMETZ" THE NIGHT BEFORE PASSOVER

WE SHOULD SEARCH FOR WHAT WE ARE MISSING

SEARCH FOR THE GOOD IN OTHERS

AND

THEN ESPECIALLY WHEN EATING THE AFIKOMAN - WE ASK G-D FOR

ALL THAT WE REALLY NEED

Rabbi Berel Wien (originally from Chicago now in Jerusalem) wrote that

the Great Shabbat got it’s name because ALL Shabbat’s are great – only the one before Passover was the FIRST for all the about-to-be-the Jewish Nation.

AND it is customary to read the Hagada this shabbat in PREPARATION for RECEIVING - and

for GIVING - just as we receive from G-d and we GIVE BACK to him by

Living the Jewish life and Values He gave us

Shabat Shalom from Ashkelon

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Start the Seder from almost the END - Portion ofVayikra‏

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Start the Seder from almost the END - Portion ofVayikra‏

Another 9 days before the BLESSING of looking for our Chametz

Another 10 days before the Seder

and

This week's portion is Vayikra - begonning of the 3rd book of the 5 Books of Moses

Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach quoted the Ropshitzer Rebbe that THIS PORTION is traditionally where CHILDREN should START TO STUDY THE BIBLE

for 2 symbolic reasons:

The word VAYIKRA is written in the Totah with a LITTLE alef - not full sized

(reminding us to teach the children)

and

the word ALEF spelled in Hebrew alef lamed fay (אלף)

is the mystical connection to the Song of Songs which says

"open the door for me (a LITTLE) (my sister-my bride)" - starting with those very same letters!

So we OPEN the Torah for Little People with showing them this LITTLE ALEF

teaching them (AND ALL OF US)

to read the Torah with LOTS OF QUESTIONS like CHILDREN

and to

OPEN THE GATES to G-D AND HOLINESS with just a LITTLE holiness at the Seder

HOW?

When we OPEN THE door for ELIJAH THE PROPHET -

and ask G-d

SEND US A LITTLE HOLINESS THIS PASSOVER!!!

so Don't forget

KOSHER WINE FOR THE SEDER

MATZOS and CHAROSET (apples and walnuts)

AND some BITTER ROMAINE or HORSERADISH

and a NICE CUP FOR ELIJAH the PROPHET

and don't forget the HAGADA's

Love and Shabbat from Israel
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
---
Israel

What's the Temple for? for Kids Playing? - Parsha Vayakhel-Pekuday‏

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How can you do NOTHING - but Creatively

Ever watch children playing?
NOT video games - sadly that's not creative - but playing with toys or each other

It's really a miracle what they can do

In the Temple,
on top of the Box holding the 10 Commandments
there were 2 cherubim - angels in the form of CHILDREN

and
In building the Temple NO WORK was permitted on SHABBAT
because the CREATIVITY of SHABBAT (rest and meditation)
replaced and replenished and restored
the CREATIVITY of TEMPLE BUILDING and
building CONNECTIVITY to G-d nad G-dliness -

which Judaism teaches is the purpose of the whole world.

That's why the Torah says SHABBAT is the MOST CEATIVE thing - after CHILDREN and the TEMPLE that connects us all!

Adults - and children -
learn to GET BEYOND YOURSELF this shabbat-

- beyond the TV beyond the 4 walls of the house - connect to the YOUNG side of you!

Rebbe Nachman said
- never be "OLD" - ALWAYS
GIVE HEED TO THE child PART OF YOU!

Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach said of this teaching from this week's portion:
The Rabbi of Radomsk said the children on top of the Ark in Temple are there to remind us-

they must always be in the Holy of Holies of our thoughts - and we must protect them all -
and they will show us how to bring the world a time of MOshiach, of Holy of Holies - a redeemer from the world's faults.

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

of Cows and Passover and Raising the Spirit of the World‏

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Some people WORRY about getting ready FOR PASSOVER-

GOTTA SELL THE CHOMETZ

and it’s so HARD!
OIY – so much WORK
GOTTA HAVE GUESTS -

OR BE A GUEST
(THE ORIGINAL PASSOVER SACRIFICE HAD TO BE EATEN WITH GUESTS WHO WERE INVITED BEFORE HAND!!!)

CHAMETZ … MATZA - BITTER HERBS ... who can remember it all?

But – A LITTLE SEDER for Passover –
EVERYONE SHOULD GET THE MOST OUT OF IT ...

(we PRACTICED this week in my SHUL)

SO HERE'S A TIP:
THINGS Always seems harder BFORE you do it
You ARE always stronger AFTER you do it
AND REMEMBER -
IF you are DOING it, you don’t have time to think or worry
SO DON'T SWEAT THE PREPARATION - WHAT YOU DO WILL BE FINE -
JUST HAVE A SEDER which will BRING OUT THE BEST in you ALL

and - from this week's Portion - the RED HEFFER portion this shabbat remember-

quote from Rabbi Carlebach zt"zl

Reb Nosson (the main student of Rabbi Nahman of Breslov) says (quotes from the Torah)
that when Moshe Rabbenu built the Mishkan,
every Jew contributed half a shekel.
But (Reb Noson says the Torah MEANS is that) what every Jew brought was really his NeKUDaH TOVaH -- his one little point of goodness.
Every Jew has something very holy hidden inside which is especially his own.
This one point is beyond proportion in holiness. So every Jew brought his NeKUDaH TOVaH (to build up the Temple)

From me (with a little help from Rabbi Zev yesterday)
We read this week about the RED HEFFER which was burned (every 400-500 years) to PURIFY people who had been in contact with death - the most UNHOLY thing.

SOMETIMES WE DON'T SEE THE GOOD BECAUSE IT'S BLOCKED BY OTHER STUFF

So we "wash it away" with a Mikva and some Red Heffer ash -

and we can START OVER SPIRITUALLY.

Gutt Shabbos

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

the PURIM Just before the dawn - literally and figuratively!

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the PURIM Just before the dawn - literally and figuratively!

The REAL Purim story – it’s all about stories

Can you imagine – we REALLY don’t know each others’ stories

Even when we say “I’ve heard that before” – we really haven’t –

And (as Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach used to say) - we REALLY don’t know….

So when does the PURIM story – which we all know so well

Like the old joke

“they threaten the Jews, G-d saved us – let’s eat”

but really OPEN YOUR HEARTS please

PLEASE!

There is debauchery there is conflict there is EVIL -

But WHEN does it finally take a

TURN FOR THE BETTER?

Only when Mordechai and Esther “have it out”! and OPEN THEIR HEARTS to each other

And discuss their FEARS

“we’ll all be killed” he says

“I’m afraid to talk to my husband my king” she says

and Mordechai says “We only have G-d to save us and he WILL”

AND Esther says “then pray for ME to succeed”

So OPEN YOUR HEARTS this PURIM

Be glad that

“they (STILL) threaten the Jews, G-d saves us – so let’s eat”

But know – as the song goes “you know it don’t come easy ….”

And we’ll never know the WHOLE story…

Love from frozen New York

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Despite violence against Jews and Arabs and the PA Police horors -

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Despite violence against Jews and Arabs and the PA Police horors -

and the anniversary on the first of the New Month (Sunday)

when 8 teens were murdered in Yeshivat Mercaz Harav

by a crazy Arab terrorist 5 years ago

(and all the other horrors in our not-so-perfect world)

WE MUST LEARN TO OVERCOME AND OVERPOWER EVIL

and Rabbi Carlebach gives us the key - as

R Shlomo speaking :

(In the Torah ) It says VEHOYU KI YITZAK ALEI VESHOMATI,

The Holy Modzitser (Rebbe) says, Vehoyu allways means Joy,

(and) when we cry with Joy Hashem will listen,….

(CRY and SCREAM to G-d - a daily scream is good for the lungs AND)

(its Kabbalistic meaning Meaning is) the depth is that when we are filled with joy,

even though we going through hard times

(we can get) with the strength of

we believe that Hashem will help us

this Gevalt joy brings the salvation,

(and now on the beginning of the new month ADAR – the month of PURIM, we see

that)

this also happened on Purim when the Yeshua (REDEMPTION) happened

at feast of wine,

so when it comes the month of Adar we are paving the way …

mamesh (TRULY) for the ultimate redemption

(by and) with being filled with joy and hope.

Please send me an updated list of names of people who need our prayers at this time.

And don’t forget – your prayers are way above mine – I’m just another channel from Jerusalem – where G-d likes to tune in for updates ….

May Hashem heal and bless all- with a complete and speedy recovery.

Love and Shabbos

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

מאמרים נוספים...

עמוד 49 מתוך 53

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