The Weekly Sedra – Eikev

This week’s section contains one of the most important paragraphs in the Torah. We are commanded to say it twice daily, and it is written in every Mezuza and every pair of Tefillin:

“If you do what I want; to love G-d and serve Him with all your heart and soul, then I will give the rain when you need it and you will gather up your grain, wine and oil and your animals will have grasses etc. (11:13)”

It is the second paragraph of the three-paragraph “MOTTO” of Judaism; “Shema Yisroel.”

But seemingly it poses a few problems:

Firstly: Isn’t it a bit disappointing that all the Torah promises for serving G-d with all your heart and soul, is grain, wine and oil?! Why not something a little more exciting like everlasting bliss or salvation?

The Weekly Sedra – Va’etchanan

This week’s Torah portion contains twelve commandments, among them: 1) Not to desire the possessions of others; 2) To unify G-d and know He is One; 3) To love G-d; 4) To learn and teach Torah; 5) To say the “ Shema Yisroel” prayer twice daily; 6) To put tefillin on the arm and 7) on the head; and 8) To affix mezuzot on all of one’s doors.

At first glance, all these commandments are understandable . . . except the one about loving G-d.

How is it possible to command us to love anything? For instance, if a person doesn’t like peanut butter or classical music, then all the commands in the world won’t make it click for him. He can pretend to love . . . like a movie actor or a con-artist does . . . but not really love.

Especially when the command is to love an intangible, infinite G-d!

The Ninth of Av – Tisha B’Av – Laws and Customs

The Fast begins at 8:06pm and Ends tommrow [Thursday] at 8:48pm [Times are for the Brooklyn Area.]

In a Nutshell

Mourning the destruction of the Temple and the exile of Israel, we abstain from eating and drinking, bathing, the wearing of leather footwear, and marital relations — for the night and day of Av 9 (this year, from sundown on August 2 to nightfall August 3, 2006). It is customary to sit on the floor or on a low seat until after mid-day. Torah study is restricted to laws of mourning, passages describing the destruction of the Temple, and the like. The tefillin are worn only during the afternoon Minchah prayers. Consult a Halachic authority for more specific guidance in observance of this day or read on for the laws in detail.

More in the Extended Article.

True Peace Around the World

During the farbrengen of Parshas Bechukosai, 19th Iyar, 5741/1981, the Lubavitcher Rebbe spoke very strongly about the world situation, “which is deteriorating, G-d forbid:”

“In the past, when someone wanted to cause great damage, he could not do it by himself. A group of people had to gather, make plans, and choose a leader. However, today events are occurring in the world that no one could ever have predicted. …We are talking about people and national leaders who have ‘human form,’ 248 limbs and 365 sinews, and they speak as if with wisdom. Yet, even so, their actual leadership is uncivilized. …And only through G-d’s kindness, where ‘the heart of kings and ministers is in the Hand of G-d,’ are matters conducted above nature!

The Weekly Sedra – Matot-Massei

This week’s double Torah portion finishes the book of Numbers. It falls in the second of the ‘Three Weeks’ of mourning for the destruction of the Temple and contains many stories, commandments and lessons in life.

But perhaps its most important message is found in its double name: “Staffs and Journeys”.

The Baal Shem Tov taught that G-d creates everything in the world constantly and with a purpose. There are no accidents and every detail in creation has a secret message…. especially when that detail is in the Torah; the blueprint of creation.

The Weekly Sedra – Pinchas

This week we read of how a Jew by the name of Pinchas jumped from obscurity, saved the entire Jewish nation and received two divine gifts from the hand of G-d!

Peace and priesthood!

Peace is perhaps the most precious thing on earth. It is the sign of the Messianic era and the goal of mankind. All strife will be reconciled and all creation will be transformed into a symphony of harmony and love. (Isaiah 11:6)

And priesthood means being able to bless others and serve in the Holy Temple!

But if we turn back a few sentences to the end of last week’s Torah portion we disappointingly find that Pinchas earned these two gems by viciously murdering two people!

Moshiach NOW!!!

The Weekly Sedra – Chukat-Balak

Near the end of this week’s first portion, Chukat, we read the strange story of the brass serpent.

When the Jews complained about the bland taste of Manna, G-d first sent serpents to kill them and then told Moses to make a statue of a serpent and raise it on a pole in order that anyone who looked at it would live.

Rashi quotes the Talmud andexplains that really it wasn’t really this statue that helped, but the fact that they raised their eyes to heaven.

This, of course, is very strange; if just looking at heaven was what saved them, then why didn’t G-d order Moses to tell the Jews to just look up? Why did he have Moshe make a serpent?

The Weekly Sedra – Korach

This week we read of the twenty four gifts that G-d allocated to the Kohanim (priests): the first born animals, the first fruits, the ‘show’ bread, tithes of produce, first shearings, redemption money of first born sons, portions of many sacrifices and more.

Rashi tells us (our portion 18:8) that these gifts are listed here because our weekly portion tells the story of how an evil genius named Korach almost succeeded in usurping Aaron and taking the Priesthood into his own hands.

But at first glance this is not understood.

These gifts have nothing to do with Korach; if he hadn’t made trouble they would still had been given to the Cohanim. Why should this entire weekly Torah portion be called on his name, especially being that he was an evil man?

The Weekly Sedra – Shlach

This week’s we again read the bizarre story of the M’raglim (spies); holy pioneers empowered by Moses and G-d Almighty to manifest the very goal of creation and pave the way for the Jews into the Promised Land… who inexplicably failed in their task.

But maybe it wasn’t so inexplicable.

In fact we see that they did exactly what they were sent to do; they reported what they saw in the land of Canaan:

‘The inhabitants are strong giants, Amalekites, Emorites in the mountains, Cannanim on the sea. The land devours its inhabitants, we were in our own eyes like little bugs and so we were in their eyes.’

The Weekly Sedra – Behaalotecha

This section begins with the commandment of lighting the Menora.

Rashi comments (8:2) that when Moses’ brother, Aaron the High Priest, felt bad because G-d did not ask him to bring an offering for the Tabernacle like the other heads of the tribes (Num. 7:1-83), G-d consoled him:

“Don’t worry, you get to light the Menora, which is even greater!”

And to this very day the Menora is undoubtedly the best known vessel in the Holy Temple.

But it is also the most misrepresented…

Harmony, Expulsion and Frustration

A man was once asked, “What is the difference between ignorance and apathy?”

“To tell you the truth,” he said, “I don’t know and I don’t care.”

The Levite family tree

Levi, one of the 12 sons of Jacob (the third of our forefathers, a grandson of the first Jew Abraham), had three sons – Gershon, Kehas and Merari – as well as a daughter, Yocheved. While Yocheved mothered Moses and Aaron, the teacher and High Priest of Israel, her three brothers fathered the Levi tribe (1) who dedicated their lives to the spiritual service of the Holy Tabernacle and at a later point the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, an abode the Jewish people erected for the manifest presence of G-d (2).

In this week’s portion (3), Naso, the Torah relates how these three Levite families were charged with the mission of carrying the Tabernacle and its accessories when the Jewish people traveled in the Sinai desert for 40 years.

The Weekly Sedra – Parshat Bamidbar & Shavuos

This week’s section Bamidbar (which means In the desert) begins the fourth book of the Torah and sets the stage for the holiday of Shavuot this coming week.

The Baal Shem Tov (who passed away on Shavuot some 250 years ago) taught that every detail of Creation and especially every word of the Torah contains deep, mystical, and personal messages.

So when the holiday of Shavuot comes in the week of Bamidbar, there must be a major message, and here it seems to be obvious: the Torah was given in the desert (Exodus 10:1).

And the Talmud explains that this comes to teach us that just as a desert is ownerless and anyone can take what’s in it for free, so also the Torah is available to everyone free for the taking.

The Weekly Sedra – Behar-Bechukotai

This week’s double section begins with a disappointment and ends with a curse.

It begins with a powerful introduction: “G-d spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai saying the following” and then goes on to explain only ONE commandment called Shmita (farmers in Israel must not work the land on the seventh year). Shmita is only relevant to farmers in Israel once every seven years.

Then, near the end of the second section, the Torah lists forty-nine depressing curses awaiting Jews who don’t keep the Torah (and later in Deuteronomy 28:15-69, the Torah lists 98 more!).

The Weekly Sedra – Emor

This week’s section contains thirty-nine negative commandments andtwenty-four positive ones, one of which is “Counting the Omer.” The Omer was a bundle of barley from the new harvest brought to the Temple altar on the day after Passover in a complicated ritual. Although today there is no Omer and no Temple (until the Moshiach builds the third and final one), counting the forty-nine days from Passover to Shavuot (“Seven COMPLETE weeks” — 23:15) still remains a commandment.

And in fact, with a bit of Chassidic soul preparation, it can become one of the most deeply personal commandments of them all.

The teachings of Chassidut explain in detail that these seven weeks correspond to the seven character aspects (or emotions) of G-d and of man (because man is made in G-d’s image) and through this commandment we can link our personalities to that of the Creator.

Beis Iyar: 172 Years to the Rebbe Maharash

The fourth Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch, Rabbi Shmuel Schneersohn (1834-1882), known by the acrynom “Maharash”, was born in the town of Lubavitch (White Russia) on the 2nd of Iyar of the year 5594 from creation (1884). His father, Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Lubavitch (the 3rd Chabad Rebbe, known as the “Tzemach Tzeddek”) once remarked that Rabbi Shmuel’s birthday, coinciding with 17th day of the Omer Count, is defined by the Kabbalistic masters as Tifferet sheb’Tifferet (“Beauty of Beauty”)

Although Rabbi Shmuel was the youngest of Rabbi Menachem Mendel’s seven sons, he was chosen to succeed his father as “rebbe” and leader of Chabad in the movement’s capitol, Lubavitch (five of his brothers established branches of Chabad Chassidism in other towns in White Russia and Ukraine). In addition to leading his Chassidim, guiding and advising their spiritual and material lives and authoring many maamarim (discourses of Chassidic teaching), Rabbi Shmuel traveled extensively to throughout Europe, meeting with government and business leaders to exert pressure on the Czarist regime to halt its instigation of pogroms against the Jews of Russia.

Rabbi Shmuel passed away at age 47 on the 13th of Tishrei, 5643 (1882).

The Weekly Sedra – Tazria Metzora

This week we read two Torah portions that cover the strange laws of Tzoraat.

Tzoraat is loosely translated as ‘leprosy’ because both are skin diseases but really there is very little similarity.

One of the outstanding differences between them is that Tzoraat is not caused by germs and it cannot be cured medically. Rather, its cause is haughtiness (i.e. false egotism) the only cure for it is humility (Rashi14:4).

Does this make sense? True, haughtiness is an ugly trait but it certainly is not a sin.

And conversely humility, as laudable as it may be, is not a commandment.

Why should they bring such exaggerated results that two entire sections of the Torah are devoted to them?

The Rebbes Plea – 1991 to the Present

Chof Ches Nissan, 15 years from the Rebbes cry “All that I can possibly do is to give the matter over to you. Now, do everything you can to bring Moshiach, here and now, immediately.”

To listen to the Sicha Click Here. (Sichos.com)

“How is it that the Redemption has not yet been attained? That despite all that has transpired and all that has been done, Moshiach has still not come?

”What more can I do? I have done all I can to bring the world to truly demand and clamor for the Redemption…. The only thing that remains for me to do is to give over the matter to you. Do all that is in your power to achieve this thing—a most sublime and transcendent light that needs to be brought down into our world with pragmatic tools….

“I have done all I can. I give it over to you. Do all that you can to bring the righteous redeemer, immediately!

“I have done my part. From this point on, all is in your hands.”