abu Gamil, Bibi's Dump Truck, and the portion of the week EMOR - tell the priests

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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua

פורסם בראשון, 22 נובמבר 2020 16:25

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abu Gamil, Bibi's Dump Truck, and the portion of the week EMOR - tell the priests 

GUTT SHABBOS
and
ALMOST LAG B'OMER 


I was Just was walking with my elderly friend and his little dog
after prayers and studying Talmud and visiting my son,
and thinking how the Torah teaches us to look at BOTH sides to a story! 

The portion of EMOR says that the Priestly Jews are NOT allowed to be near dead people 
because THE PRIESTS are supposed to teach JOY to the world-
and it's pretty hard when you're sad! 

LAG B'OMER is the holiday when Rabbi Akiva's studnts stopped dieing
(a tough thing when you were fighting the Roman conquring legions)! 

BUT - turn these tora-and-talmud ideas around (as the Master Teacher Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach taught us- 

It wasn't that death ended for Akiva's students -
it was BECAUSE THEY STARTED TREATING EACH OTHER WITH MORE RESPECT!
(and that brings LIFE to the WHOLE WORLD who learn from them) 

And 

The PRIESTLY families were only allowed to go to funerals of the CLOSEST RELATIVES - but were told to TEACH OTHERS TO RESPECT LIFE
AND RESPECT FOR THE DEPARTED!!! 

Abu Gamil lost his 85-year-old mother this week;
I spoke with him a while - but could not (yet) get him to 
spend the mourning time - like SHIVA - in a positive way
- he just works 

BUT if ONLY we could teach the Jewish Values
of positive mourning, 
of POSITIVE joy,
of respect for the living - and for the souls who came before-
to all our Moslem cousins - 
maybe it would prevent tragedies,
and bring us closer to peace.

Love and Shabbos from Jerusalem 

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Acharei Mot Kedoshim - Boston Balak Bilam and Holiness

פרטים

קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua

פורסם בראשון, 22 נובמבר 2020 16:24

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Acharei Mot Kedoshim - Boston Balak Bilam and Holiness

Rabbi Simcha Bunim of P’Shischa –(I was there to pray at his tomb- a 3 hour drive from Warsaw )

- says on the portion for Yom Kippur 

(This week's Torah portion reviews the Yom Kippur service in the Temple- 

and also things to maintain the holiness of the people of Israel and the land of Israel ) 


Yom Kippur and Shabbos can share - Torah readings, Haftorahs - 

and can occur on the same day. 


Shabbos and Holidays can share – Chanuka, Passover, etc 


But Shabbos and Tisha Bav can NOT share – if that fast day falls on Shabbos 

it is delayed - "pushed off" - 

beause the sadness of destruction 

cannot interfere with the greatness and liberation and of the concepts of Shabbos 


Rabbi David Aron (of Isralight) reminds us that – 

HOLINESS is WHOLI-ness – 

the WHOLE human being- 

MORE than just MORality 


Rabbi Sholom Arush of Breslav says (from my Bar Mitzvah's Haftora)
the quote "remember what Bilam the sorcerer wanted to do"-
what does it mean? and why not say
"remember Balak the evil king who hired Bilam to curse Israel"

Because Balak openly hated the Israelites -
but Bilam covered his hatered with flowery phrases ...
but deep down he tried to curse Israel

The UN "peacekeepers" are allowing Syrian shooting at Israel from the north.

The latest "Boston Massacre" proves that the world is not ready YET
to have a SHABBOS PEACE, whole-ness or holiness.

How do we get there? Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach would always say -
"Shabbos is the Highest of the High"
"Open your Hearts"
"Bless me and I'll Bless you Back"

Love from Jerusalem 

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz 

today count "17th Omers today" and 18 tonight and - portion TazriaMetzora

פרטים

קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua

פורסם בראשון, 22 נובמבר 2020 16:24

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today count "17th Omers today" and 18 tonight and - portion TazriaMetzora

Who were outwardly good Israelite Kings – and
Which ones were inwardly sort of rotten?

The moon cycle is 15 days rising and then 14 days narrowing –
And most of our holidays are on the 15th of the Jewish months-
To remind us that our lives too are often rising and sometimes not so much.

This week we celebrated the anniversary of Joshua’s conquest of Jericho. How may times did our people circle the wall “ and the walls came tumbling down…”?

7 (after a week of 1 circle a day. – A lot of work to begin BUILDING ISRAEL – huh?

Was Joshua a King? He (and Moses) certainly acted the rulers!

The Kabbala says “Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs)
by King Solomon is the Holy of Holies” –
In synch with Solomon being the 15th Ruler of our people (starting with Abraham)-

But that after reaching the pinnacle – things went downhill –
And he was followed by 14 not-so-holy kings –
Leading to the tragedy of the Temple’s destruction.

So Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach relates that this week’s portion –
Tazria Metzora – teaches us that
WE HAVE TO BE AWARE OF BOTH DIRECTIONS –
UP AND DOWN
As they relate to
INSIDE AND OUTSIDE – of our SOULS

So with our individual soul-
And so with the soul of our nation.
We need the inside to Holy and not just look wholly holy on the outside!

HAPPY ISRAEL INDEPENDENCE DAY THIS COMING WEEK!
Let’s work on keeping us spiritually rising-
Us and the whole people of Israel

Love from Jerusalem

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

from Egypt with Love - and a little Hesitation - based on Rabbi Carlebach and Rabbi David Aron

פרטים

קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua

פורסם בראשון, 22 נובמבר 2020 16:24

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from Egypt with Love - and a little Hesitation - based on Rabbi Carlebach and Rabbi David Aron

What happens when you CHANGE?
Israel left Egypt - and G-d warns them to be careful "lest there be any destructions"...
What kind of "destructions" if we were riding high on the new wave of freedom?
BUT -
Were we prepared for freedom?

From this week's portion - SHMINI

Rabbi David Aron posits the Mitzva of eating only KOSHER-slaughtered meat - and the sacrifices in the Tabernacle in the dessert - were to give us the tools to become a Holy People and not to be sliding back into aggression or cruelty or paganism - traits learned in the "great civilization that was Egypt". 

Commandments like KASHRUT teach us to look and act different than agressive cruel societies - and to CONTROL that "dark side" in everyone. 

Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach quotes the Ishbitzer Rebbe - on WHERE that dark side comes from. 

They say it's from - FEAR that we DID wrong - which makes it hard to GET OUT of bad patterns- 

SO WE GET MITZVOS TO GIVE US STRENGTH AND SHOW US WE CAN DO IT! 

We can become a holy person and a holy nation-
and teach the world to DROP THEIR CTUELTY-side TOO!

Love and Shabbos from Jerusalem 

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

How many converted to Judaism and left Egypt with the Israelites

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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua

פורסם בראשון, 22 נובמבר 2020 16:23

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How many converted to Judaism and left Egypt with the Israelites

BLESSINGS FOR SHABBOS AND FOR THE REST OF PASSOVER (especially the 7th night - the night when we Israelites CROSSED THE RED SEA!) 

How may people stand at the edge of their personal "red sea" and are afraid to cross? 

Yesterday I was at the Carlebach Moshav Festival - for music arts and to meditate among throngs of sweet people and some old friends
(one said "I haven't seen you in 50 years - and it was TRUE - but he recognized me from the BRONX!) 

Many of these people left everything to embrace Judaism and to embrace Israel and fulfill Jewish dreams and live here! 

I missed one old friend - but another miracle - I got an email this morning from him that he was coming just as I was leaving - just didn't have a chance to say hello! He moved here from Manhattan with his family. 

So here's a thought for this Shabbat of friendship welcoming freedom and to help us cross our own personal "red seas". 

From my friend Zev. 

Why we do not say the Full Halel (THANKS) prayer on the last day of Passover- after the many Egyptian soldiers chasing us drowned in the red sea? 

He quotes a Medrash he learned from a Rabbi Kroll: 

When the Assyrians - a thousand years later - besieged Jerusalem - they all died suddenly. 

How? The medrash said "their ears were opened by G-d - to hear the "songs of the angels" - and they died because they were not on the level to hear holiness! 

The Medrash said "G-d didn't let the angels' song defeat the Egyptians - because they were the worst - they were used to drowning Jews. 

So G-d Himself drowned the Egyptians in the Red Sea. 

But Hashem doesn't want us to sing the WHOLE Halel (songs of joyous praise) - 

because THAT IS NOT THE WAY G-D WANTS TO MANAGE THE WORLD! 

The OMER offering and counting the Omer- 

The Minchas Chinuch wrote - we bring the offering of BARLEY flour each year on the 2nd day of Passover to thank G-d for his mercy - each year giving us sustenance anew. 

THIS IS THE PURPOSE OF our prayers and sacrifices - and G-D'S WORLD - TO BE THANKFUL AND TO MIMIC G-D'S MERCY.

And from Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach: 

And you know my darling friends; it's a holy law, holy tradition, holy custom, that from Pesach till Shavuot you count the days (Counting of the Omer). Because a slave does not count his days, (only) a free person learns to count (his days). 

A holy person counts his days, (which are) his blessings to (all) people. 

SO COUNT THE OMER UNTIL SHAVUOTE! 

We know many Egyptians joined the Jewish quest of freedom when they left Egypt. 

We are not sure how many made it across the Red Sea. 

But our version of freedom and passover are for the world - 
to help everyone make GREAT changes -
may the world wake up and start to fulfill G-d's vision for all peoples. 

Shabbat Shalom and Happy Rest of Passover 

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz