Portion of Matos-and-Masay

פרטים

קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua

פורסם בראשון, 22 נובמבר 2020 16:33

נכתב על ידי Super User

כניסות: 1514

Portion of Matos-and-Masay

What a week – Egypt in turmoil again, the world ignoring civil war in Syria, Tunisia starting it’s own re-revolution – and the world keeps claiming ISRAEL is the problem, and ISRAEL should give half of Jerusalem to the Fatah leaders in Ramallah – etc. 

So too at the time of the Israelites coming to Canaan - Moab and Midian and Canaanites were all at war with each other - and ALL TURNED ON MOSES AND THE TRIBES - because they feared the MORALITY of Israel 

So after the wars with Balak and Og and Sichon, after 40 years wandering the desert, the Israelites are told by G-d to appoint 1000 soldiers from each tribe to conquer the Midianites who tried to help Balak destroy the Israelite people before they got to Canaan. 



Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach explained the words of the Apter Rav – 



that hidden holy people were chosen by their peers – to win the war and protect Israel’s Eastern flank when the tribes entered the Promised Land. (see below the Hebrew text). 

And who are the holy hidden people ? Their neighbors knew – because they were ALWAYS there to HELP – and asking nothing in return. 

- Rabbi Norman Lamm - retiring from Yeshiva University -wrote this week about Jewish Courage: 

Biblical Judah was big enough to admit that he was small. He confesses a mistake. He can experience guilt and confront it creatively. He does not offer any tortured rationalizations to vindicate himself. He says simply and forthrightly: tzadkah mimmeni (Gen. 38:26), she was right and I was wrong. 

And with that statement Judah is transformed into a Jewish hero, a role model - and a self-critical man of moral courage. He concedes guilt. He knows that he is guilty with regard to Joseph, and together with his brothers he says aval ashemim anachnu, "indeed, we are guilty.” 

You dont see that with the political leaders of the world who blame Israel - and the Jews - for the troubles they themselves propagate. 

So after the Torah Reading this week we have to say " Chazak Chazak v Nit Chazek -
be strong and strengthen each other" 

say YES to Israel
say NO to pressure on Israel
say "we will be there to help one another" 

WE'RE JUST SOME NOMADIC ISRAELITES TRAVELLING IN THE 
CONTINUUM OF TIME - 

- and that is what we are here for. 

Shabbat Shalom 

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz (in Israel)

Portion of Pinchas

פרטים

קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua

פורסם בראשון, 22 נובמבר 2020 16:32

נכתב על ידי Super User

כניסות: 1277

Portion of Pinchas

A late-night short Holy Thought from Rabbi Shlomo Carelbach's teaching- 

In this Torah Portion the All-mighty tells Moses our teacher 
"you must appoint a successor who will go out (to lead) in front of the people", 

and Rabbi Shlomo says 
"the Holy Vorker Rebbe says (translates) "asher yetze lifneihem" 
(going out before them) 
means he (the real Jewish leader) will mamesh (truly) 
give his life away (Yotzee Nishmato - from the same Hebrew root word) 
for every yid (follower of G-d's teachings), 

(and that) this comes from (we learn from) Pinchos 
who was moser nefesh (gave over his whole sould and life) 
to save yidden (the Israelites who had sinned in the desert), 

so Hashem gave him (Pinchas) the blessing of peace - 
(and he because the role model for Jewish leadership) 

Love and Shabbos 
and may we be blessed with truly Jewish Leaders who are not afraid to do the right thing though they may become at risk - rather than risk us all, 
so they do not suffer ... 

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz 
from New York

Mosquitos and viruses (not computer ones) attack Israel- Torah Portion of BALAK‏

פרטים

קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua

פורסם בראשון, 22 נובמבר 2020 16:32

נכתב על ידי Super User

כניסות: 1428

Mosquitos and viruses (not computer ones) attack Israel- Torah Portion of BALAK‏

Mosquitos and viruses (not computer ones) attack Israel) - 

Torah Portion of BALAK - or - 

BE NICE TO YOUR DONkey (figure out the reason that's not ALL capitalized?) 



Chesed - LovingKindness - a HEBREW word you don't see used daily in most languages - but BIG for the praying Jew ... is the KEY 



NOT TIKUN OLAM (fixing the world with a few nice gestures) 

but ACTIVELY FINDING THINGS TO HELP THOSE WHO NEED- 

and we ALL need caring - and it's MORE than "ALTRUISM" 



Tough week - a new lethal virus spreading from Saudi Arabia and Jordan 

and mosquitoes attacking in Israel (oh - and shells from the north...) 



Thank You My Friend Russel for pointing out that "Tikun Olam" is often an excuse for replacing our 4000-year-old commandments which teach CHESED - with "words" and doing a few nice gestures (arms for which Syrians?) and coming to Temple once a year 



todays Midnght Mitzva - finding a SPECIAL Kippa for a SPECIAL NEEDS kid - this morning's request from someone SPECIAL- thanks J... 



WE MUST DO THINGS TO HEAL and SAVE - NOT TO KILL 



BILAM and BALAK were G-d's gift to the OLAM - the WORLD- 

and 3500 years later - 100000 (official count) dead in Syria- 

and FORGET ABOUT iRAQ - 

where Abraham came from - south syria and northern Iraq! 



What did Bilam learn from Abraham? NOTHING ! 

What can we do today for the 29 ethnic and political groups fighting in Syria? START BY TEACHING CHESED - and stopping Arab LIES 



Bilam was so greedy and so angry and so MEAN that he 

couldn't get his donkey to go fast enough to go curse the Jews for Balak 

(his WHAT? read the Torah Portion!) - for a few gold pieces... 



BECAUSE CHESED WAS NOT HIS TOOL (Thank you Rabbi Weisz for pointing our the idea of Bilam's Anger vs. Moses' Kindness) 



BUT chesed - LOVINGKINDNESS - IT IS OUR TOOL 



WAY BACK - Abraham asked the People of Hebron to be Merciful - 

to let him buy a burial plot in Hebron to bury Sarah 



and MOSES is NOT MENTIONED in the story of Bilam/Balak 

because 

HIS WHOLE LIFE IS ASKING FOR MERCY FOR THE ISRAELITES 



I may NEVER understand this Torah Portion - 

and the Prophecies in it - well enough - 



BUT LET'S PLEASE FIND WAYS TO FULFILL 

"HOW GOODLY (and G-dly) 

ARE YOUR TENTS OH JACOB - 

and your dwelling places oh Israel" 



Shabbat Shalom from Israel at Dawn 

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion of Chukat - or "HOLY ROCKS MOSES! and WHY IS THE BBQ ALL ASHES?"

פרטים

קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua

פורסם בראשון, 22 נובמבר 2020 16:32

נכתב על ידי Super User

כניסות: 1664

Portion of Chukat - or "HOLY ROCKS MOSES! and WHY IS THE BBQ ALL ASHES?"

This portion has a lot of stories and a bunch of laws.

And this week I was praying at the Tombs of a lot of Holy Men and Women - each one with their own stories.

Tombs - usually cause "ritual impurity" and we wash our hands when leaving a cemetary (as Roy and Ann pointed out). EVEN WHEN THE TOMBS SPIRITUALLY UPLIFT YOU BECAUSE THESE WERE GREAT MEN -

but remember - any death is a sad thing and sad things cause "ritual impurity"!

AND the MOST sad thing is ANGER - because it doesn't get you or anyone else anywhere!

So there I was praying in Tiberias - and I finally(after a number of trips up north) found someone who knew how to find the 1780 Tomb of -

Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk zatza"l - in one of the old cemetaries there!!

One word about this Tzadik -who was very ill -  whenever they read in the Torah the portions of the diseases which happen if Israel deserts G-d - HE WANTED THAT ALIYA! Why ? because he was HAPPY to hear about them -because he KNEW that behind every disease there is a CURE!

You just need to know how to LOOK for it!

One spiritual cure for sadness and impurity is taught in this week's portion - that if you become inpure you make 2 (inspiring) trips to the Holy Temple, jump in a mikva, get shpritzed with the ash-water of the red heffer and -  ritual purity is yours!

WHY?  No one knows - but -

Like the Rebbe of Vitebsk said - we gotta know EVERYTHING is part of G-d's purpose - and G-d clearly states we shouldn't be sad!

But also in this portion is Moses and the rock-hittings!

ANd Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach explains:

The holy of holiest The Rebbe Reb Levi Yitzchok from Barditchev reveals the deepest depth - what was the mistake with Moshe Rabeini hitting the stone?

, he explains that as moshe got ANGRY ...   (he went) to hit the stone,

but Hashem wanted (that) we should give over Yiddishkeit with so much Ahava (LOVE) and Simcha (JOY so) that every (one) ... should know how much Hashem has Nachas (JOY) from every good deed we do, without force ...and

 then we serve Hashem with all our hearts filled with joy, ... (which we need) to go in to Eretz Yisroel and (experience) the ultimate redemption

May the World finally GET IT!

Love and Shabbos from Israel

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion of Korach - based on Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach

פרטים

קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua

פורסם בראשון, 22 נובמבר 2020 16:31

נכתב על ידי Super User

כניסות: 1268

Portion of Korach - based on Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach

Laughing is holy healthy and HIGH -
but sometimes it can run away with itself. 

Rabbi Carlebach said Korach's troubles with Moses and G-d started by laughing at the little blue fringes (Tzitzis) G-d commanded to put on a Talis. 

That got him to also laugh at Aron's leadership of the Temple - Aron's running around to make peace between angry people - instead of JUST SITTING HOLY IN THE TEMPLE 

This disdain for the commandment of tzitzis and Aron and then Moses spread to a group of people who wanted the honor of serving in the Temple of the desert - and some habitual discontents - 

causing a mini-revolt in the Israelite camp. 

So the incense burners get burned, the guy who opened up this can of worms got swallowed when the earth opened up a sink hole - 

and nobody was able to laugh for a while - 
UNTIL MOSES TAUGHT
(QUOTE FROM RABBI SHLOMO CARLEBACH ZATZAL)

" the truth is Mitsvots are not just simply daily tasks, 
mitsvots are mamesh connections to Hashem and its only when I do it correctly how Hashem taught us without compromising, 
... (AND) even a house full of holy sforim (BOOKS) needs this tiny mezuzah 
(THEN) this (IS A ) conection to Hashem. 
(then ) ...WE CAN be (TH) utmost filled with joy.

Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz