Parashat Hashavua

Portion Mishpatim: Who Cares if there are laws AND there are Jewish Laws?

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Portion Mishpatim: Who Cares if there are laws AND there are Jewish Laws?

Whats the difference? AND TO ME?

What country has laws DEMANDING you be HAPPY at least SOME times?

What country or town has laws that YOU MUST HELP OTHERS?

OK - Morality? WHERE DO YOU SEE MORALITY TAUGHT TODAY?

Moscow?

Iraq?

Washington?

South Africa? Saudi Arabia? FRANCE? the UN?

Do not oppress the widow or the orphan!

DO NOT BRIBE (and to judges - do not decide based on the politically correct!)

And G-d sent Moses into the clouds above Mount Sinai ... while the elders were put on hold ...

no more "that's how it has always been done" - BUT HOLY LAWS

There are laws with feeling and there is wisdom in how to apply them

NOBODY IS PERFECT - BUT STRIVE FOR PERFECTION

AND no one may hide behind the ALTAR OF HASHEM - if they commit perfidy!
(May Im Mizbe hee tekach - a murderer ... ISIS ... the UN ... the League of Nations and those who try to steal ISRAEL

by claiming YUDENREIN - the peoples who conquerred the Middle East by murder and forced conversions -

and still aspire to continue ...)

NOBODY IS PERFECT - BUT STRIVE FOR JUSTICE our portion shouts to us.

(and tells us to get ready for PURIM in 2 weeks with JOY!)

May the Almighty guude our actions and spread love of justice to the world -

and the Almighty love of JOY and THANKS

Love and Shabbos and PURIM WISHES

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion Yitro – Jethro the Judge – how Smart was he?

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Portion Yitro – Jethro the Judge – how Smart was he?

The portion of Mount Sinai (actually described in a few places) starts with Jethro the Convert to Judaism hearing about the miracles which the Almighty did for the people of Israel.

He brings to Moses the boys and the wife he left in Midian with Jethro (Yitro – the grandpa) for safety lest Pharoah punish Moses by hurting his family.

Was Jethro a smart guy? He had 7 daughters – and it seems they and their husbands joined the Israelites and helped them during the 40 years in the desert! Did that make him smart?

After getting to know Moses and Aron – Yitro starts GIVING ADVICE. Is that smart?

Why does the portion start "and Yitro heard …" – and the portion is NOT called after the first word – "Shama" (hearing) which is so important to us all?

The portion is called after the SECOND word "Yitro" (or YISRO in Ashkenazi Hebrew).

Jethro is called "the (high) priest of Midian" – and yet he gives advice to the Israelites on how to organize the 12 tribes – judicially – but also for daily functions – through the warfare needed to return Israel-Canaan to the Abrahamic peoples after 210 years of slavery!

How to pick (honest) leaders! How to bring an end to quarrels! How to bring organization to 12 tribes about to wander in the desert 40 years. AND IT WAS ACCEPTED AND IT WORKED.

Smart – and holy – and helpful. Why did he bring his family to Israelite life? Why did he help Moses and the tribes?

The Rabbis who knew his great grandchildren were to become Jewish Judges in Jerusalem said of him:

Jethro had a bit of prophecy – a great degree of holiness that he yearned for and struggled to achieve.

He was Moses' father on law – and the two achieved their greatest achievements for Israel with the help of each other.

May we be blessed to know such people, recognize such people, and may such people be among those sharing paradise in the world of the eternal Almighty.

And don't forget to study the portion and the 10 Commandments this Shabbat!

Love and Shabbos

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Beshalach - My Grandchildren Said: Don't Get Wet Moses!

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Beshalach - My Grandchildren Said: Don't Get Wet Moses!

The Torah is ALL MODELS OF LIFE - as

Every week we can gleam a G-dly model of existence -

planned to bring the world together into a state of light holiness and loving kindness -

Last night my 3-year-old granddaughter Tamar said "We went to a hotel and I stayed in the kiddie pool

but Sari (8) can swim so she went in the deeper water."

The Israelites got out of Egypt - but were chased by the army until they were facing the Red Sea -

REALLY DEEPER WATER!

and the Almighty said "why scream at me, Moses ? Tell them to just go forward!"

What a MODEL FOR LIFE

Okay - you were happy to get out of trouble (Egypt)

And now there is a NEW STEP TO TAKE

We make decisions - and sometimes scream "G-d why this? why now?"

And the wisdom of the Almighty says "JUST GO FORWARD" - to ISRAEL to JERUSALEM.

AND THE WISDOM OF THE LITTLE KIDS SAYS

LEARN TO SWIM

and we will all get to the Holy Jerusalem

and the Temple of the Almighty can be rebuilt-

one stroke at a time.

WHAT A MODEL FOR LIFE

SHABBAT SHALOM

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion BO - 10 Whacks or 10 Smacks? (I mean kisses)

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Portion BO - 10 Whacks or 10 Smacks? (I mean kisses)

Two Parts or Ten? Last week's portion told of the first 7 plagues in Egypt

while this week we read of the "last Three the Alighty sent to "fix" Egypt!

So this week we will have a two-part ten-part single message from the Torah

10 Whacks or 10 Smacks? (I mean kisses)

Rabbi Eliezer Melamed wrote this week quoting the Zohar (Kabala)

based on a prophecy in the Book of Tzefania) that

the 10 plagues were a Punishment to Egypt (for corrupting G-d's world)

but a HEALING for Israel (who had gotten too used to Egyptian ways!

So why break the 10 down into 7 and 3?

A quick answer is that 7 is the way the Almighty created and loved the world-

hence the Shabbat is the seventh -

and so many other things G-d loves.

Most of the Israelites got in tune with the Almighty by the seventh plague!

Even SOME Egyptians yelled at Pharoah

The three (as it says in Ecclesiastes by King Solomon)

"three together doesn't unwind" -

and the last three MIGHTY plagues

were a lasting reminder to Egypt - and even Pharoah "got it" - for a while

Whacks to the Wicked and Smacks (kisses) to the Israelites!

The second part of this week's message was sent me from Dr. "Mo Rothkopf"

(the holiest eye doctor in the universe)

and I quote a bit of it here:

The definition of a slave is that even his time belongs to his master.

The first mitzva that HaShem gives the Jews (in Egypt) is

"Hachodesh hazeh lochem",

that you are now becoming masters over time ...

so that when you declare the new moon

even the bais din shel maaleh the heavenly courts

abide by your decision as is seen Rosh Hashana...

May we all use our power over time to utilize it for good and to be free from the constraints of time, amen.

The parsha goes on to tell us the laws ...

"Guard the matza, it means watching it to make sure that it doesn't become chametz and...don't read matzos but mitzva

so when a mitzva comes to your hand, do it right away and don't let it become chametz....

The Torah alludes to this by preceding the laws of Pesach by the plague of darkness.

The darkness was so thick that a man could not see his friend.

Galus (exile) is when there is no sensitivity to our friends needs. That is darkness.

(Redemption) The Geula comes about by opening our hearts and hands to the need of others. ...

May HaShem bless all klal Yisroel (the people of Israel)

with abundant wealth on the level of matza,

to appreciate our freedom is based on the freedom to act on behalf of others

knowing there will always be enough matza to perform our own needs. Shabbat shalom

Love from Israel

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

VA aiy Rah on Moses the Magic Man?

פרטים: קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 13:37; נכתב על ידי Super User; כניסות: 882

VA aiy Rah on Moses the Magic Man?

Why so much Moss and Aron in the Second Book of the Five Torah Books?

RABBI CARLEBACH TAUGHT

We need to fix the Cain and Able problem - OIY was that bad! Oiy what a world!

So the Torah teaches us:
Moses and ARON taught us how to be non-jealous and non-argument!

So what about the Eve thing?

Miriam their sister is a fixing - but only partial.

Because later on the GOSSIP thing happened.

She helped save Moshe but maybe didn't like his wife?

So what? But there are vibes when we tell tales -

BUT THE TORAH teaches us:

Rachel and Leah are a fixing - no bad talk no arguments -

But Adam and Eve - how to fix the loss of respect?

SO later on Joshua and Rachav - had so much respect

That the WHOLE NATION KEPT AT PEACE FOR 14 YEARS BECAUSE OF THEM.

The Torah teaches: There is a fixing for everything.

The Israelites had no strength to listen to Moshe - they were slaves!

But when the Almighty appears and says:

I MYSELF - A DOE- NAi THE G-D OF MERCY

EH-LOH-KEEM - THE JUDGE OF THE WORLD

WILL BE MERCIFUL AND GET YOU OUTA HERE

and judge the those who abused you

and then in MERCY - ah Doe nai - will

BRING YOU TO THE LAND I PROMISED YOUR FATHERS (AND MOTHERS)

SO Pharohs magicians were dismissed

Moses and Aron channelled down the plagues on Egypt

(not magic - but Divine Acts

and the Egyptians we will see what happened to the non-believers - and how some who believed were able to survive

May we ALL see the mercy and the divine in this Shabbat of the New Month Shevat

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Moses Where are Your Feet?

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Moses Where are Your Feet?

The Almighty knows our hearts are true to our souls – but what about our feet?.

Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach often said at concerts "Chevrah (my friends)" I know your heads are in the right place – but WHERE ARE YOUR FEET – GET UP AND DANCE!"

Moses in Egypt let his feet go along with his soul – and went out to "see his brothers".

Everyone KNEW there was a JEW (Israelite) in the White House – oops – in the castle of Pharoah – but only a couple of advisors sought to get rid of him –

Until he protected another Israelite from a beating.

What really got Pharoah mad was – when a DIFFERENT Israelite ratted on Moses – which meant to Pharoah that he had lost control of his slaves and even the privileged ones!

So Moses let his FEET take him to MIDIAN where he saved a few women from abuse – and ended up marrying one of them! Who later in this portion SAVED HIM! What a gal!

The Medrash says Moses was elected GENERAL of Midian – and then KING –

But he gave it up when the Almighty called him back to EGYPT – ON THE ROAD AGAIN-

AS WE ARE ALL ON THE ROAD TO PROTECT OUR BRETHREN AND FREE THE SLAVES

And show the world that there is a burning bush out there where you are traveling –

with a flame and a MESSAGE that you can't run away from!

The world needed Moses and the world needs the Israelite feet –

To take us to Synagogue

To bring us to Israel the Holy Land

To DANCE with JOY that the ALMIGHTY gave us the Sabbath (with a little help from Moses…)

Love and Shabbos from Israel

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion VaYeeGash - or Love and Listening

פרטים: קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 13:36; נכתב על ידי Super User; כניסות: 1006

Portion VaYeeGash - or Love and Listening

If Joseph loved his father why did he not contact him when he became Viceroy in Egypt?

If Joseph loved his brothers why did he arrest them and not tell them who he was until this portion?

The WORLD could learn a lot about LOVE from Joseph - and from Maimonides!

How close are you really to those you love?

Did Adam love Eve?

How about Noah and the Mrs?

In this portion we see the love of Joseph for his brothers- despite everyrhing they did years before.
And we see the love of Jacob for Joseph - so that even an old father took the dangerous trip to Egypt to see him.
And in next weeks portion the love of Joseph for his two boys
And last week Jacob revealed his great love for his wife Rachel

So where is the Torah going with all this?

Maimonides wrote so much - including "The Book of Love!" It has many chapters but in a nutshell

Just by the Headings of the Sections we learn (I extrapolate from them):

Reciting Shema - love is listening

Holy Writing like Tefilin Mezuzas and Torahs- writing a little note can bring us close to a loved one

(Years ago I should have fired an employee but I found work for him ...

which gave him confidence to eventually get a better job and get married ...

and years later I bumped into him and he gave me a big hug to thank me - and told me how his wife would write little love notes and put them in his lunch sandwich for when he went off to work! They were a happy loving couple!)

If you love someone you do sily things to make them happy.

If you love someone you are willing to experience pain that sometimes happens in life.

Etc from Maimonides

Joseph was the genius of his generation - and he saved the world.

Maimonides was the genius of his generation - and protected his people under the Egyptian Caliphate.

All the Mitzvot are to show the love between us and the Almighty

Joseph did everything to re-set the family love between the boys and the Dad (Jacob)

The Shabbos is the Mitzva that teaches us to take time off....

Love from Israel

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion Vayeshev and Chanuka : Jealousy Dementia Depravity Hatred and - the Technicolor ELEPHANTS?

פרטים: קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 13:35; נכתב על ידי Super User; כניסות: 939

Portion Vayeshev and Chanuka : Jealousy Dementia Depravity Hatred and - the Technicolor ELEPHANTS?

Did Joseph have elephants in Egypt? Probably not.

But 8-900 years later the Syrian Greeks used elephants in the Chanuka Wars -

that the Maccabbees eventually won.

Those Syrian elephants were probably Asian elephants -

that Alexander the Great got FOR them in his wars in India-

because th Syrians were still at war with the Egyptians and probably could not get African elephants!

What's that got to do with the weekly portion and story of Joseph?

His hating jealous brothers sold him into slavery in Egypt.

Potiphar's wife tried to seduce him.

Judah had a tryst with his forMer daughter in law.

Jacob went crazy with sorrow for losing Joseph (he thought).

AND THE ELEPHANTS?

There's so much to write and study and be THANKFUL FOR THIS CHANUKA-

but in a nutshell

In Israel they caught an Arab Knesset member passing cell phones with terrorist links-

to iSRAELI-interred security prisoners this week - and he is now in jail. A MIRACLE

The US President Elect called the Egyptian President and got him to pull an anti-Israel motion out of the UN- another MIRACLE

Joseph and his brothers introduce us to the issues of Chanuka::

brothers fighting each other

A hateful crazy Syrian King bent on destroying Judaism

And who became the symbol of potential Israel victory?

Decorated elephants

who we thought were going to crash through our people-

who were tamed by the Maccabbees -

5 brothers who OVERCAME JEALOUSY and worked together

LIKE THE BROTHERS OF JOSEPH WHO LEARNED OVER TIME

NOT TO FEAR THEIR DREAMER BROTHER

Speaking of miracles:

Purim is the holiday of "upside down" -

but Chanuka is the holiday of "the light of Redemption"-

the kind that can HEAL THE WORLD-

and OUR PART IN SPREADING HOLY LIGHT!

Light some Shabbos Candles

Light some Chanuka candles

Spread some happiness to the homebound - and to ALL OUR PEOPLE

12 tribes dispersed thoughout the world

Love and Shabbos and Light from Israel

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion Vayishlach - A LITTLE evil anyone?

פרטים: קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 13:34; נכתב על ידי Super User; כניסות: 949

Portion Vayishlach - A LITTLE evil anyone?

What do this portion and Chanuka have in common? STAY AWAY even from a little evil -

Jacob sends gifts to his brother Esau hoping to calm down the guy who is after him with armed escort

And it works and Esau (the Epitamy of Evil) says

We can accompany you on the trip back to Dad and Mom - and still STAY FRIENDS

How bad can that be?

But Jacob says no thanks

In a nutshell that was the Syrian Greeks in the Chanuka story

The Syrian Greeks wanted to be "friends" with the Judeans – because they were always at war with the Egyptian Greeks and wanted allies. And to suck the Jews into their wars!

A hundred years the Syrians and the Egyptians fought back and forth and finally the Syrian Greeks who paid for schools and sports and all sorts of things in Israel won– and many of the Judeans fell for it!

Friends and allies? NO! Not friends and not allies –But the Evil of culture Controls.

The Syrians outlawed SHABBOs and a lot of Jewish things – and it took the Maccabees many years to restore the Jewishness of Judea!

Esau wanted to accompany Jacob's cool kids – and get them to be part of the Esau Gang.

Jacob was wise and watched over the kids – well most of the kids most of the time – after all there were a LOT of kids …

These few portions which show the goofs are a MESSAGE to the JEWS forever –

Watch and teach the children well and forever the Almighty will protect you eternity – and celebrate the Chanuka – the re-birth of Jewish Freedom from Greek Syrian tyranny

Live and Learn from the trials and tribulations of Jacob and the Family of Israel.

ENJOY EVERY MITZVA YOU DO BECAUSE EVERY MITZVA MAKES THE WORLD BETTER

GET READY TO CELEBRATE CHANUKA!

Buy gifts from ISRAEL!

Visit with family and the congregation – sing a little – dance a lot – and make your Shabbat a Beautiful One!

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion Toledot - Friends Friends Friends

פרטים: קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 13:33; נכתב על ידי Super User; כניסות: 968

Portion Toledot - Friends Friends Friends

BASED ON A teaching of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach

The portion says it is the story of Isaac son of Abraham and t hat Abraham was progenitor of Isaac

Rabbi Shlomo taught that they were BEST FRIENDS

Really - who else in rhose days could be best friends with such firebrand monotheists? In a world of idols?

They had "BAALEI BRIT" - people in agrement or believers or supporters of "One G-d".

But who really wanted Abraham to fulfill his dream?

And who prayed harder than reality that Isaac would be the blessing to the world hat the Almighty had promised?

So Rabbi Shlomo tauht that to be REAL FRIENDS is to want what your friend wants as badly as they want!

So that your souls are traveling together, riding the same wave,

and inked in a bond that is higher than the highest wall separating people.

And that it is possible - we learn from he opening of the portion

"Abraham and Isaac" and "Isaac and Abraham" - with the same dream to be close to theAlmighty.

May we be blesed to have such friends and be such friends

Shabbat Shalom from Rainy (thank G d) Israel

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

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עמוד 36 מתוך 58

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Parashat Hashavua

Portion Mishpatim: Who Cares if there are laws AND there are Jewish Laws?

Portion Yitro – Jethro the Judge – how Smart was he?

Beshalach - My Grandchildren Said: Don't Get Wet Moses!

Portion BO - 10 Whacks or 10 Smacks? (I mean kisses)

VA aiy Rah on Moses the Magic Man?

Moses Where are Your Feet?

Portion VaYeeGash - or Love and Listening

Portion Vayeshev and Chanuka : Jealousy Dementia Depravity Hatred and - the Technicolor ELEPHANTS?

Portion Vayishlach - A LITTLE evil anyone?

Portion Toledot - Friends Friends Friends

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