Parashat Hashavua

Portion vaYetzei : Thank youTMR and James Pfeifer

Portion vaYetzei : Thank youTMR and James Pfeifer
(And thank you stuei and Dr moshe)
 
Is James Pfeifer still on this earth?
 
What a grat guy - a fellow camper at TMR many years ago
 
I BLESS all the values I imbued as a yeshiva Bochur hobnobing with Jesuits and Catholics who couldn't understand some priests' negative VIEWS of Jews!
 
Portion "VaYayTzay " meaning "he got out" - ...
 
And the news tells us Congress has just awarded
Gold Medals to beaurocrats the world over who helped
SAVE JEWS during the Nazi persecutions
 
 Now:
 
 
How Many Forefathers of the Jews can you name or relate to?
 
First A litle current Israeli news:
 
A first-level technician course for soldiers from
 
 the charedi sector (ultra orthodox) 
 
took place Tuesday at the technical base in Haifa, according to a report by the IDF
 
  The training was led by the head of the Charedi Air Force Manpower Directorate 
 
Also 130 religious women aged 30-50 joined IDF now -
 
Including social workers amd computer programmers and nurses - stating the need is great because of the war-
 and the army accomodating them with
 a new religious female Batallion!
 
And from our Master Teachers...
 
And as Reb Shlomo taught
 
 
“There is a road, no simple highway
Between the dawn and the dark of night”
 
Reb Shlomo Carlebach on Parsha Vayetze
 
In MA’ARIV -Evening Prayer
It says
"He encountered the place". (Bereishis 28:11)
Meaning
Ya’akov instituted the evening prayer. (Rashi)
 
The evening prayer has no set time, rather its time is the whole night. 
 
Avraham Avinu brought the morning prayers down into the world, and in the morning you see a great light shining (because of prayer)
 
 Do you know when you have a (REAL) taste of the day? Just before the day is over, at sunset, you taste the day.
 
 Yitzchak was on the level of taste. When he wanted Esav to prepare him a meal, Yitzchak said, "Prepare for me tastes of food which I like"
 
But you know friends, the night is something else. Do you know what the night is about?
 
 Fragrance.
 
When you see a person in the morning, you see their light. When you take a walk with your friends at sunset you taste their souls. 
 
But at night you are connected
 
 to a higher consciousness. And here I need you to open your hearts. 
 
Fragrance has to do with the nose. Do you know what the nose is all about? The Kabbala-
 
The Zohar Hakadosh says that the nose is connected to the “life of life,” “chayei d’chayim.”
 
 The Gemara says (Yoma 85a) that a person is alive as long as his nose is breathing.
 
 Not his heart, but his nose. The heart is connected to life, but the nose is connected to...
 
 the roots of life, to the roots of my roots!
 
It says that 
God breathed life into man ... into man’s nose.
 
 When you want to take a walk, do you take a walk in the sunlight or do we
take a walk in the moonlight?
 
When you see someone at night, do you know what you see? 
 
When Ya’akov came in to tell get the blessings from his father, Yitzchak,
 it says, (Bereishis 27:27),
 
 Yitzchak SAW the fragrance of his son. 
 
He saw the deepest depths of Ya’akov Avinu.
(Our forefather)
Ya’akov Avinu’s holiness was that he connected us to something deeper - 
to the level of the unconscious, 
 
the superconscious, serving of God.
 
It says about Ya’akov Avinu, “vayifga baMakom” (Bereishis 28:11) - so to speak “grabbed” God.
 
 he touched Him, he Mamash touched God. 
 
Good Shabbos!
 
And From Dr.Moshe : Va Yay Tzay
 
Yakov goes out from his comfort zone, 
From Beayr Sheva - from the world of Shabbos where everything is provided for 
 
and he has to go to Charon, the world of challenges.
(Where he gets married?)
 
 A Yid has to be publicizing his Yiddishkeit (everywhere)
 
As Rabbi SHLOMO said the hands are the hands ( even of Jacob they are looking like) 
Eisav, but the voice 
always stays connected to the highest. 
 
On the outside it may look like I carry a weapon just like the goyim
 
 but the voice reveals that I do so only because of circumstance, 
 
I don’t want to kill anyone, I’m praying for peace, I’m praying for God’s light to shine into everyone.
 
 Chodesh Tov
 
From Rabbi Andy
 
Congress finally put out some good news
 
About saving Jews
 
And the world may finally value
All the good coming out in Israel
Even in tough times like today
 
Many BLESSINGS to all
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Parshat Toldot - and Tikun Hatzot

Parshat Toldot - and Tikun Hatzot

Prayers connect us all

ׂׂAnd I hope I wrote a correct interpretation of this one

Tikun Hatzot is supposed to be an important prayer
Said at night
TIKUN MEANS REPAIR

One great rabbi told me that this "repair" even fixes problems with contractors who do your renovations!

So I sometimes read this prayer and this morning (around 430 AM) I saw something interesting

We ask the Holy One, blessed be He, to "look from heaven and see ׁ(OUR ACTIONSׂ)...for you are our father...
Abraham we did not know...and Israel (Jacob)will not know us...
and pray for deliverance"

Complicated enough - But where is Isaac- the middle forefathers?

- his name does not appear!

So on one foot it seems to me to interpret:
that Yitzchak (ISAAC) was the true tzaddik from birth to the end
The others lived sometimes challenged lives among pretty wierd folks - even for those days
so maybe Yitzchak -Isaac- was wrong to bless Esau? who turned BAD?
My thought is:
we know there are blessings from the now, and there are blessings for generations passing
and then there are blessings for the future .
For approaching the time of redemption

We see Yitzchak in our parsha - as he tries
to give blessings to a wayward son- his blessings being for all these periods !
and he tries with all his mighty blessings to bring his son "back home"

So is it possible that he didn't see the real Esau?
He probably saw that every generation of Esau
could be coaxe a little towards

Repentance- and a return to good -
Despite influences in the wider world,
which you really can see in every generation - their blindness to the truth

May God have mercy on us all

AE

 

and from Reb Shlomo Carlebach on Parshat Toldot

When Yitzchak was praying for children it says the most beautiful thing.
It says “Vaye’aser lo Hashem” (Bereishis 25:11).

the Ropshitzer Rebbe says, “Vaye’aser lo Hashem,” Yitzchak’s praying for children so strong that even God began praying that Yitzchak should have children!


Do you know how deep this is?...
It’s the deepest depths there is.
...
Do you see here what Yitzchak is showing us? Yitzchak brought down into the world that God’s answer to my prayer for children is not just that I’m asking for children and he says, “Okay, I’ll send some orders for the merchandise.”

It mamesh (truly) becomes God’s prayer.

It's funny but-
You can ask me for a glass of water, and suddenly I truly want you to have a glass of water in the strongest way.

When this happens I taste the depths of your soul, and then we are friends forever.

Good Shabbos!

Portion pìctures from Rivka's Golan Heights and Mine

Portion pìctures from Rivka's Golan Heights and Mine
 
 
War war war
missile attacks and more
 
I just saw a picture of a soldier released from rehab with
2 prosthetic feet and one prosthetic hand
 
I started to cry
 
But we are in a war for survival - not those illegals at the southern border! 
Not the gazans refusing a 5 million dollar reward for info (plus escape from Hamasland) leading to rescue of  even 1 hostage!
 
Portion today is the
"Rescue of Rebecca from her conniving family!
 
So
From my friend Dr Moshe on this week's Portion
 
After the Akeida (binding of Isaac)
 the Torah gives us one more bit of news:
 
And Besuel gave birth to Rivka.
 
 Imagine, Abraham Avinu just passes the highest ( spititual)  test SO that even Hashem is
 
 testifying that he’s the greatest!
 
So why stay in touch with your pagan family?
 
(AE note - maybe it was for Thanksgiving??)
 
  So we see that Avraham didn’t distance himself from his previous contacts
 
 and as a result we know about Rivka Imeinu (our great great GRANDMOTHER - Abraham'S Daughter in law - from somewhere between Iraq and THE GOLAN HEIGHTS)
 
 and Mazal Tov you’re all invited to the wedding (of the Patriarchs ) this week!
 
(To pray that is, for happiness health and safety)
 
The peacock below was exercising where I exercise after droping off Leah at school nearby
 
The guy praying on his tank is in the Golan Heights!"
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

??Portion Noah – Apocalypse Then – Apocalypse Now

??Portion Noah – Apocalypse Then – Apocalypse Now

Is the flood story a parable (Noah gets drunk after not being able to deal with the destruction) or is it

A metaphor for every generation that sees perversion and corruption and does nothing

Or is it just an historical account (maybe with a little exaggeration– maybe not)

Or is it a warning to a world (as is written there) where peoples' hearts tend to the "dark side" and they need to always have their Garden of Eden portion opposite the Noah Flood?

So what’s a person to do?

We can't stop North Korea Russia Iran and the Hooties (2 drnes were shot down last night from "the East - mening Yemen)  from blowing up things – or 
can we?
 
My teacher Rabbi Zvi Yehuda Kook always taught that Torah Portions are Paired!

(Like the animals in the Ark? Like Adam and Eve?)

But ALL IS CONNECTED – and so Portion Noah ends with – against all the forces of Evil Iraq -

The birth of Abraham, his flight with Sarah to the Holy Land

 (and soon to the Holy City of Hevron)

AND THE BEGINNING OF MONOTHEISM AND BELIEF IN A G-D FOR ALL PEOPLE

The Torah is saying that those teachings of Abraham and Sarah will ALWAYS BE RELEVANT

 

So tune in next week for the Saga of Sarah and Abraham

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

 

Sukot news- and celebrations

 Sukot news- and celebrations
 
Listen to the short fun attachment recoded last night
 
Despite the war We All do the best we can on "sukot", also to
Support our troops -
But also keep up spirits!
 
Today Sunday a Druze officer died fighting for Israel - also the Druze Safe Home
 
 when his tank hit a land mìne in Gaza.
 
The Taĺmud recalls
"The most joyous holiday spirit witnessed by masses - in
Holy Temple of Jerusalem -
 
Where sacrifices were offered for
PEACE TO THE WHOLE WORLD!
 
While we witness the jets and helicopters - like now - 
Protecting us from missiles and drones sent to kill our families
 
EVEN IN Acco - a jewish city for thousands of years,
And Haifa right nearby.
 
But its all in the sukot haftoras - written by the prophets nearly
3000 years ago!
 
AND
Thanks Lyn n Mike for all the High Holiday organizing
 
Going to pray soon - especially foŕ all kinds of healings!
 
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portions of Sukot and Simchat Torah Portion ReNewal

Joy of the holiday is not  just escaping from the missiles (radio announced a few were shot up north just a bit ago)

 
But of seeing how the Almighty takes care of through it all - 
 
During the holiday massive sukkahs are planned on the Gaza border - by families of fallen soldiers and some of the hostages)
 
It's end of summer Harvest time now in Israel and Rabbi Shlomo explained the holiday joy-
 of reaching out to ALL the world to come visit our sukkah - actually the Holy Temple
 
 
 george lynne and arlene do you remember the bbq at Azi's?
He Ìnvjted us to his new enlaged sukka ... always a treat
So I am reminded of Rabbi Shlomo's Sukkos stories of this holiday – so here is one (told in short).

There was a very rich man who disliked his poor neighbors'  joyous loud singing for keeping him up every Sukkos night

Even when he asked them to keep it quiet – they could only keep it down for a few  minutes!

So one year he paid off all the merchants in town not to let that family have any wood to build their sukkah

But what happens? The first night of Sukkos – there it is again !

Noisy joyous singing from next door after midnight!

So the rich angry guy runs out in his pyjamas and bangs on the neighbors' door

When they open the door he asks "where did you get wood to build a sukkah? I thought all the wood in town  had been sold out long ago!"

The neighbor answered –"I went down to the cemetery and took what was there!"

The angry rich man said "what if the Angel of Death comes during the holiday and they need the wood for honoring the deceased?"

"Don't worry", answered the neighbor. "On the way over here I bumped into him, and the Angel of Death told me that the only dead soul in town this holiday is yours!"

 

So try to sing a little – Hallel songs? – or SING a lot this holiday!

 

WE MUST ALL CELEBRATE AND PRAY THE ABUSIVE CRAZIES STOP DESTROYING 
THE HOPE OF RENEWAL 
BY THIS SIMCHAT TORAH 
 
and maybe RE START LEARNING ANCIENT WISDOMS as we re-start the Torah Reading from the beginning!
 
 
 
 
Happy Sukot Holidag
Chag Samayach blessings to all
 
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
 

This Portion. Shabbat Yom Kippur

Part 1:This Portion. Shabbat Yom Kippur
 
First
 
Let ùs all send to hèaven 
Prayers for those suffering in the wake of the Florida hurricane
And
Prayrs for our people being attacked as I write this by another couple of hundred missiles
And
Prayers for a healthy year and for peace for all our people everywhere
 
And 
an end to aggression by Iran and Russia -
and a hold - STOP -
on all those others like North Korea and China who are smiling at us while the world is in turmoil,
STOP THE ATTACKS - May the Almighty TEACH THE TORAH of wisdom and peace
TO THE WHOLE SUFFERING EARTH
 
My prayers are with you all - and with all of Israel,
And for a Better World.
 
NEXT - SELICHOT PRAYERS AND YOM KIPPUR PREPARATION
 
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
תשובהתשובה לכולםהעברה
 
הוספת תגובה

 

New: Part  2: This Portion. Shabbat Yom Kippur - remembering Oregon
 
About 430 this morning I went to the Mikva near my home.
 
I didn't use he cold pool - just the warm one.
 
I remembered being Cantor - Hazzan - in Eugene Oregon one year - where
a few guys took me to the Wilammette River to dip - the ABSOLUTE COLDEST
I was eve rin.
 
Just remembering that made me think whether I needed to be in the Mikva today
 
Then my friend the local Rabbi showed up and said hello.
 
I once was short a few hundred dollars - and he loaned me the sum - a great guy.
 
Women Mikvas are supposed to be so no one sees you.
 
Guy Mikvas are a place - like the restored  Roman Bathhouses I was in in Hungary
 
were always places of business tranactions and the latest news
 
So I dunked 7 times and got out, and sent Part One before my Talmud study
 
May we all try to come clean and pure and get close to the Almighty - and HOLINESS
 
This Erev Yom Kippur
 
Chag Samayach
 
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
 
 

Portion Nitzavim

Portion Nitzavim Part 2 -including:"
 Darn Midnight murderers who  shot at my  area from Yemen"
 
IT IS ALL IN G-DS HANDS!  EVERYTHING
 
 
EVEN those HoutiNazis shooting Iranian 
Missile - via Egypt no less!
 
-intercepted over the water near Telaviv !
 
The portion says
 
"you are all standing before the Almighty ..."
 
So nothing is new besides weapons of mass destruction
And their assistant s the mass media.
 
so...
 
17 people were hurt running for shelters!
 
Sirens at midnight Freaked Out the kids!
 
AND
 
My Sunday flight to get in
 
For rosh hashono Which was already
Changed twice - requiring a day in London, with
 
The latest
 
may be cancelled too
But it doesn't say so on the website.
 
 
I am calling people since last night
To try to find a Rabbi A replacement in NY
For Rosh Hashono if need be
 
I. Might be able to fly to Europe on El Al -
 but even they have bumped many travellers
 
My yom kippur flights are still workable I Hope
 
 
Because the name of the second half of this double portion is
 
Va yay Lech meaning - GOING
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Rabbi  Andy Eichenholz

PORTION KEY TAYTZAY and an idea via Rav GinsburgS portìon Shoftim

 
 
PORTION KEY TAYTZAY and an idea via Rav GinsburgS portìon Shoftim
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Portion Starts by saying "when you go to war"
 
Huh?
 
Whats a war? Checking the internet all the time for news?
Or
Talking with relatives and neighbors or their kids about who is  home on leave for a week?
Or
Explaining to kids about what they hear in school or on the radio?
 
Getting reports on helicopter crashes?
 
Inside Wars and Outside Wars
 
From
 
RABBI SHLOMO CARLEBACH  
Who always flew to Israel to perform for OUR GUYS!
 
On Parshat Ki Teitzie
 
So here the Torah says 
"when you go out to battle your enemies."
 
 When the Torah talks about someone going out to war, it writes it in singular. So let me ask you friends, how can one Jew go out and conquer the world? It's crazy.
 
I want you to know, there are two struggles going on in our lifetime. One struggle is going on mamesh inside,  deep inside.
 
 The struggle is when I don't even know if I want to be a Jew, I don't know if I should keep Shabbos. I don't know if I should be married to my wife or not.
 
 I already have grown up children, but I haven't decided yet if I should have had children.
 
 These are all real inside struggles. 
 
But then there is something else. It's when my inside is already fixed. It's mamesh clear to me in two million ways that I cannot move an inch away from the Torah... I just can't, even if I wanted to....
 
(SO WHAT ABOUT THE OUTSIDE?
WHAT JEWS KNOW THEY MUST DO)
 
 It's not even a question of choice. I look at my feet, they don't move... they don't move. 
 
You know why? What's the first sign if I make a covenant with G-d? - that there are certain things inside that I don't have to struggle about anymore.
 
 I'm a Yid. Inside, inside, I don't have to struggle anymore. 
 
Sure, it's hard. You have to make decisions every minute. G-d is testing you every second of your life. 
 
So what I'm doing is only fixing the outside. ...
 
But you know something, I have choice when I am sitting by my Shabbos (or HOLIDAY) table. 
I can sit there and eat a meal, or I can mamesh keep Shabbos in the deepest depths.
 
G-d created the world in six days and on Shabbos He rested. What a sad translation!
 
 On Shabbos G-d gave the world a soul. (NAFASH)
 
On Shabbos G-d created a world of souls, of depth, of tasting that which is most real.
 
Good Shabbos!
 (From Rabbi Carlebach)
 
Now Back to this war thing:
Rabbi Yaskil quotes the Talmud Sanhedrin page 98 - about when Mishiach will fìx the worĺd
 
And Rabbi Ginsburg explains the related Noam Elimelech
 
There are personal Mitzvot
 
And there are joint and public mitzvot!
The world Needs These, and
 
Reb Elimelech explains
 
 
That the Mitzva of Tzitzis is For Our Generation
 
Because it hints that the Mashiach could come even
 
Or maybe Especially
 
In the Middle of a War
 
Where some Jewish politicians are calling for strikes to bring down the Jewish government
So they can take over
 
And it seems the world is touting lies to allow the destruction of Father Abraham's people.
 
G-d please send us strength this Shabbos
 
(And strength for Ora to study for her test this week - on the Prophets - 
Who actually fortold all the above!)
 
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion Shoftim and the Greatest Wedding Ever

Portion Shoftim and the Greatest Wedding Ever
 
The Portion - actually Moses - speaks to Israelites about to enter and conquer Israel -
about kings judges and police
so whybring in stories from the Talmud? 
 
 
From the Talmud today...
Fables and Facts from BabaBatra pages 73-4
 
The rabbis were sailing and in the water they saw a sunken treasure of jewels, so
 
One jumped in to fetch the jewels and was almost swallowed by a whale
so they hauled him in - and 
A voice rang out from heaven -
 
These jewels are for the
 
Wife of that holy man -  Chanins ben Dosa - in the future.
 
What can we learn from this?
 
What's the purpose of a wedding?
(See picture below from tonight Thursday).
 
I think it is to fix the world. By FAMILIES JOINING TOGETHER - with a couple!
 
Reb Shlomo  onoften spoke how Moshe danced at his last 5 weddings
before he left the world.
 
What? Weddings? Yes! (Bnos Tzelafchad)
And
What words  of wisdom did he share with them?
 
Let me asķ you first...
 
Is it possible that all Israel werent there - At the weddings - 
 
and to hear Moses give his last speeches
 
For the 30 last days of :
 
Moshe
And of
Exile (before coming into Canaan)
?
 
Didnt all the dancing and singing scare all the Canaanites across the River Jordan?
 
Tonight Thursday I am at a wedding
On the Abraham Side of the Jordan-
 
High above the same Jericho whose walls fell
 
Probably weakened by the Israelites dancing and singing and music!
 
But from Jericho - Rachav was saved - why?
 
She was probably dancing with us.!
 
If only the whole world would send 100 people each
 
To the Gaza Border Villages
And dance with us Israelites
 
They would learn - and all Israel would learn -
 
That 
 
HUMAITARIAN AID Is
 
It MEANS "MAKE HUMANS out of haters and killers".
 
And on that note The portion
 
teaches us - “Cause we all need each other, well you know it's true”
 
And quoted by Shlomo Ressler -
 
"We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone." — ron regan
 
Right now I need to get ready for a Great Shabbos - and you all too!
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz