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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 05:09
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Portion of Pekuday – Ending Book 2 of the Famous 5 - How Good is Good?
Reb Elimelech ofLizensk wrote the Hassidism/Torah Book "Noam Elimelech".
Actually, Saturday nights, his son Elozer used to write down the talks given each Shabbat, and later on show them to his father "for corrections". (These were the basis of the book.)
One time his father asked "who wrote this stuff? It's pretty Holy!" not realizing that they were his own words!
So who knows how Holy we are?
On this week's portion Reb Elimelech said: There are 3 types of Tzadikim (Holy People).
(All the great Masters remark on the fact that the portion begins with sentences repeating the word PEKUDAY – "orders" – 3 times. I try here to explain Reb Elimelech's view.)
There is a Holy person who accepts gifts only to give to others, and there is a Holy person who accepts gifts for others but also in order to personally survive.We all are ordered by Hashem in some way.
Yet there is a third type of Holy person who is always praying and living in a heavenly sphere continuously supplicating for the good and welfare of the Almighty's world and G-d's people and ALL the creations of the Holy One Blessed Be He. This is a level of orders not everyone can achieve easily.
Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach used to say, ALL of us are HOLY, and anyone can be Holy – just you have to know where to START – like with Shabbos.
You may feel you can't satisfactorily keep the Shabbos – so start with JUST ONE HOUR.
And then when you have that under your belt – try two hours. And later three hours. Etc.
The same with HOLINESS – start slow – BUT STRIVE TO ADVANCE IN G-DLINESS AS YOU CAN.
Have a wonderful and HOLY Shabbat
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 05:09
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Portion of VaYakHel – Is there a Sabbath in a cultural Desert?
"YihYeh Lachem Shabbat Kodesh – You will have a Holy Shabbat"
How could G-d tell them this after sending the Israelites to 40 years in the desert? What Shabbat does He promise them? What Holiness?
Rebbe Nachman of Breslav writes about "How you make a Shabbat Kodesh" – with a discussion from the Talmud about "If you get lost in the desert – make the seventh day your Sabbath…"
And he quotes the Kabbalah where the students say to Rebbe Shimon "you the Holy Tzadik are equivalent to the Sabbath".
Where is the spirituality of the world? Not in the great cities of the world. After you see the culture - they hold nothing of spiritual value.
I just flew home via Moscow again – Moscow of the Russians bombing in the Middle East, Moscow the "Workers' Paradise" – where in transferring planes, the workers stole 3 or 4 baby carriages from the passengers!
They left families with kids having to walk kilometers in the airport carrying screaming kids – is that culture?
Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach taught that the greatest Mitzva is to try and help – but not one of the workers responsible for transferring planes would listen to me and make a call to find out where the baby carriages were! So I ended up carrying a one-year old and a Sefer Torah through the airport to help out as my Rebbe would expect.
So here the Almighty says there is a concept of Holiness and of Sabbath.
When you are lost in a desert the Talmud teaches us to look for a Holy Tzadik -to lead and teach you out of the desert – physical or spiritual.
May G-d bless us all with a little Sabbath, a little holiness, and a little direction from Holy Righteous people.
Love and Shabbos for all
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 05:08
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Key Teesah - Raising Up - Of Moses and Modesty
Key Tisah means "when you raise up"
and ends with Moses shining "light" to the people of Israel
The Medrash explains that the "rays of light" were a reward for Moses' modesty -
because he did not even want the Almighty to write in the Torah how modest he was!
Moses did not get angry when the people created the Golden Calf - nor did he "go on strike"
but he kept on WITH HIS JOB -
to RAISE THE G-D AWARENESS AMONGTHE PEOPLE
That was why the portion ends with the rays of light emanating from Moses - showing how
he would not give up after the Golden Calf - but SPREAD LIGHT
He knew it was HIS JOB TO REJUVENATE THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF THE ISRAELITES
AND WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM THIS PORTION
(Thank you Dr Moshe Rothkopf for pointing this out- and I paraphrase here-
We learn that no matter how spiritually low we might fall-
there is always a Moshe Rabaynu soul out there - a spiritual powerhouse
to show you that you can get to "the highest closest to the Almighty"
This is the example of Moses - the light that shone - from his modesty - always uplifting
and this is the point of the world -
to have pointers on how raise each other up
have a High Shabbat -
a HEALING Shabbat-
As Rav Shlomo Carlebach said -
Let this shabbat should be the highest yet!
love and shabbos
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 05:07
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Portion of Tetzaveh - the Eternal Light - Ner Tamid - Award - or Reward?
In the USA', Scouting has an award for young Jewish members that achieve a basic understanding of Jewish values - called the Ner Tamid Award.
Howeve, in the works of Rabbi Moshe Tzvi Neriah (a great educator of youth -
who built up religious schools for the religious supporters of the EARLY years of the new State of Israel:-
he wrote a discussion of the Eternal Light in the Temple -
which was one of there candles of the Menora of the Temple
And he said
"Moses requested of the Almighty that there should be a PROOF of the eternal Holy Spirit
in the Tabernacle of the desert-
as a reward for building the Mishkan in the desert ..." - and for
INSPRATION andAN EXAMPLE to the Israelites - (and to the WORLD)
THAT G-d's HOLY SPIRIT WOULD ALWAYS BE AMONGST THE JEWISH PEOPLE -
there in the Temple - the Sanctuary in the desert - and later the one to be built in Israel -
and thus for inspiration in our Synagogues which we buit later in the exile.
That was that light of the western candle that stayed lit -
even when the others burned out and were re-kindled each day.
We need to ALL make a place for an Eternal ight -
that eternal connection to holiness and the Almighty-
And shabbat each week is a good time to remind us of this Eternal Light in our souls
Shabbat shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 05:06
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Portion of Teruma: Where does G-d live anyway?
In last week's portion we read "the sky was open and the people of Israel saw the AlMighty
and below his feet was a street of Saphire...
Thank you Eitan for lending me one of your favorite seforim (Holy Books) -where I read the Medrash
That when the sky opened and the people saw the Almighty
"The people saw the Angels encamped around the L-rd- in a holy way
and they wanted to do the same"
It is written in our POrtion that the Almighty said
"And you shall build me a sanctuary and I shall dwell amongt you"
and according to the medrash it means "the same as I dwell among my Angels on High
I can dwell among you "
The Kabbalist Masters answer "Where does G-d dwell? Wherever you let G-d in"
And so Israel built a sanctuary in the desert - and kept it also in Israel a few hundred years-
Until Solomon built the Great Temple in Jerusalem
and we maintain our synagogues wherever we go - so that
a little G-dliness can dwell within us and amongst us!
Especially on Shabbat
Love from Israel
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 05:06
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Yitro and Mishpatim: Speilberg would need 8 screens to describe these two!
What do we see from Yisro – Jethro? How you can believe in G-d in today's world?
There were no miracles like "frogs, lice, darkness and killing of Egypt's first born"
But Jethro heard Israel had escaped from Egypt – and he believed in G-d and came to Moses
"And there was thunder and lightning … and the mountain burned …" (portion of Yitro)
Jethro's heart lit up – right away – and he came to join the Israelites
So why tell the story of Mount Sinai a little differently in Mishpatim?
"And the people sacrificed and ate – and saw the L-rd the All-Mighty … and like a street of sapphire below his feet"
Jethro is the story of acceding to the quick acceptance of FAITH
And Mishpatim ("Laws") – where the Israelites sacrificed and accepted the Covenant with the Almighty -
to DO the COMMANDMENTS
That is the story of BUILDing on FAITH – and how to believe in G-d today and for always
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 05:05
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The Almighty protects Israelites from the heat with clouds over the desert
The Almighty protects Israelites from the cold with a pillar of fire in the desert
The Almighty protects Israelites from the anger of Pharoah at the Red Sea
For 40 years the Almighty fed the Israelites with Manna in the desert
The Almighty sustains us and protects all Israelites all the time -
SO WE SHOULD REMEMBER THIS SHABBAT SHIRA - THE SHABBAT OF SONG-
TO THANK THE ALMIGHTY FOR EVERY LITTLE THING
(And the big ones - that he took us out of Iraq too, that we have survived thousands of years -
and still sing about it)
Love and Shabbat from Israel
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 05:05
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.The portion says "This (Passover Season) is the HEAD of the Months"
and right away says "This is the FIRST of the months."
In Hebrew head is "Rosh" and first is "Rishon" - both words from the same root!
So what does the Torah teach us that the "Head Month" is the "First Month"?
In the Kabalah it explains that there is "chesed" - kindness from Hashem
and there is "Rav Chesed" - the GREATEST or the ESSENCE of kindness.
It explains that Moshe was the first to prove the KINDNESS of the Almighty
but (in the Purim story) Mordechai proved the ESSENCE of G-d's kindness
So I think that the HEAD month - Nisan - from the Exodus from Egypt
taught us the Almighty's kindness-
but RISHON - calling it the FIRST MONTH
the START of it ALL -
we would only learn as the People of Israel grow and develop - and LOOK BACK
and we learn TO THIS VERY DAY- every day more and more - that
the kindness of leaving Egypt and all our troubles -
follows us - the People of Israel -
into every land and into every time.
With Blessings of Shabbat and Health and seeing we are leaving all troubles behind -
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 00:52
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Vayerah – Moses and the Matrix
What did Moses have that the Matrix (and The One) did NOT have?
Okay – a LOT of things. For one though –
Moses was MORE than The One – Moses was "Moses and Aron"!
Moses is told to "appear before Pharoah" (Aron too)-
So How is it the Toughest Ruler in the World (Pharoah) didn't – or couldn't – just kill them?
And this is a metaphor for the People of Israel:
MOSES AND ARON ARE SAVING THE ISRAELITES FOR THE SAKE OF A BETTER WORLD
The Almighty says "appear here" and "appear there"
and warn Pharaoh,
and bring up frogs and lice and bring down hail and brimstone –
And the People of Israel to this day appear here and appear there and
Create medicines and help rescue victims of catastrophe
And are saved by the Almighty !!!
Whether in Egypt (or the Diaspora anywhere) or in Israel
May G-d protect the Jewish People – and send us all a Great Shabbos
Love and Shabbos from Israel
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
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פורסם בשלישי, 01 דצמבר 2020 00:51
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Vayigash – Judah Maccabee or Judah son of Jacob?
Every word in the Torah teaches things!
To remain as Jews sometimes we need to be Judah Maccabee and fight
And sometimes we need to be like this week's portion – Judah son of Jacob
He went with a sweet voice to tell the viceroy of Egypt "please don't take my brother Benjamin – take me as a slave instead."
It was not only what he said – but HOW he said it –
So honestly – isn't it worth the extra few seconds like Rabbi Carlebach taught –
Before you speak spend a second or two and PRAY that you might say the right words in the right WAY
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz
