the PURIM Just before the dawn - literally and figurative​ly!

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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua

פורסם בשבת, 21 נובמבר 2020 17:35

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the PURIM Just before the dawn - literally and figurative​ly!

The REAL Purim story – it’s all about stories

Can you imagine – we REALLY don’t know each others’ stories 

Even when we say “I’ve heard that before” – we really haven’t – 

And (as Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach used to say) - we REALLY don’t know…. 


So when does the PURIM story – which we all know so well 

Like the old joke 

“they threaten the Jews, G-d saved us – let’s eat” 

but really OPEN YOUR HEARTS please 

PLEASE! 


There is debauchery there is conflict there is EVIL - 

But WHEN does it finally take a 

TURN FOR THE BETTER? 


Only when Mordechai and Esther “have it out”! and OPEN THEIR HEARTS to each other 

And discuss their FEARS 

“we’ll all be killed” he says 

“I’m afraid to talk to my husband my king” she says 

and Mordechai says “We only have G-d to save us and he WILL” 

AND Esther says “then pray for ME to succeed” 


So OPEN YOUR HEARTS this PURIM

Be glad that 

“they (STILL) threaten the Jews, G-d saves us – so let’s eat”


But know – as the song goes “you know it don’t come easy ….” 

And we’ll never know the WHOLE story… 


Love from frozen New York 

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Despite violence against Jews and Arabs and the PA Police horors -

פרטים

קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua

פורסם בשבת, 21 נובמבר 2020 17:34

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Despite violence against Jews and Arabs and the PA Police horors -

and the anniversary on the first of the New Month (Sunday)

when 8 teens were murdered in Yeshivat Mercaz Harav

by a crazy Arab terrorist 5 years ago

(and all the other horrors in our not-so-perfect world)

WE MUST LEARN TO OVERCOME AND OVERPOWER EVIL

and Rabbi Carlebach gives us the key - as

R Shlomo speaking :

(In the Torah ) It says VEHOYU KI YITZAK ALEI VESHOMATI,

The Holy Modzitser (Rebbe) says, Vehoyu allways means Joy,

(and) when we cry with Joy Hashem will listen,….

(CRY and SCREAM to G-d - a daily scream is good for the lungs AND)

(its Kabbalistic meaning Meaning is) the depth is that when we are filled with joy,

even though we going through hard times

(we can get) with the strength of

we believe that Hashem will help us

this Gevalt joy brings the salvation,

(and now on the beginning of the new month ADAR – the month of PURIM, we see

that)

this also happened on Purim when the Yeshua (REDEMPTION) happened

at feast of wine,

so when it comes the month of Adar we are paving the way …

mamesh (TRULY) for the ultimate redemption

(by and) with being filled with joy and hope.

Please send me an updated list of names of people who need our prayers at this time.

And don’t forget – your prayers are way above mine – I’m just another channel from Jerusalem – where G-d likes to tune in for updates ….

May Hashem heal and bless all- with a complete and speedy recovery.

Love and Shabbos

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Jethro and the Jews

פרטים

קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua

פורסם בשבת, 21 נובמבר 2020 17:34

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Jethro and the Jews

This week I read some beautiful thoughts on the portion of Jethro/Yitro - Moses' father-in-law - 
who came from Midian and joined the Jewish people. 

So - thank you "weekly dvar" email and David Aron from Isralight - and of course Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach zatz"l 

So why did Yitro go BACK to Midian after convering to Judaism? He was so proud of it that he wanted to tell others how beautiful it was - 

to have a concept of G-d and unity and world-holiness and Torah Scholarship within us. 

And how did he get there? To that feeling? 

He learned some mitzvahs - learned them WELL from Moses - 

and mitzvahs,( plural — mitzvah, singular) do not really mean — commandments, 

but Mitzvahreally comes from the Hebrew Tzavta - 

a word that means “to connect” or “to unite.”

They are not demands 

(threatening and self denying) but 

an invitation to commune, and join, with the 

Judaism and unifying and joyous and empowering G-d- 

not the idols of those enslaved and controlled (by greedy leaders) 

From Rabbi Carlebach 

(on the statements at Mount Sinai): 

The Torah says that the two tablets were like a heart, and the Ten Commandments were carved into them, not written on them. 

Suppose someone says, "Why do you need to hear the ten Commandments on Har Sinai? ... 

Hashem told us not to kill (or steal), didn't we know (it)? 

The holy Izbitzer Rebbe says, 

"How did Hashem carve into us not to kill?" 

Hashem (just) opened gates for us, and then we know how precious life is. If you have any taste of how precious each and every life is, you can't kill." 

When Hashem said, "Honor your father and mother," 'HE' showed us how special it is to bring children down to this world. Children realize, "My father and mother mamash brought me into this world." 

(And) it reaches the deepest, highest place in your heart. 

This is keeping (G-d and Sinai and) Shabbos. 

GUTT SHABBOS 

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

for shabes and tu bishvat - what's the difference between an apple tree and a cucumber‏

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קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua

פורסם בשבת, 21 נובמבר 2020 17:32

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for shabes and tu bishvat - what's the difference between an apple tree and a cucumber‏

based on rabbi shlomo carlebach ztz"l 


what's in this torah portion ? 

- the Israelites leave egypt - and then 3 days later are cornered again by Pharoah's approaching army army at the red sea ! 

"So they thought "redemption" means - 

being saved from Egypt for 3 days and it's all over " (so SAD) 

(but - here's the Tu Bishvat - arbor day - new year for the trees lesson) 

another quote: 

Ok, now here comes a really deep Izhbetzer (Rebbe) Torah. 

What's the difference between a cute little vegetable and a tree? 
How come a vegetable is dead when it's done? 

You can't make anything forever out of a vegetable
A tree can live for hundreds of years. He 
(The Ishbuitzer Rebbe) says the deepest Torah. 

The tree prays to G-d, please make something out of me. 
(According to our mystical masters EVERYTHING on earth has SOME soul) 

You know what's praying the most? 
How come one apple tree tastes so good and another one not? 
When the apple seed 
(and remember - OUR SOULS TOO are called "apple trees" in the Song of Songs by King Solomon) 
is praying before G-d - the very last second before it’s completely disintegrated (germinate) - it's the prayer of the 
deepest depths. 

And if its prayer is not so deep...There you have (the difference between the taste of the apples of) two trees.... 
Gevaldt, it's (like) the very last prayer we say before we leave the world... 
A vegetable prays a cute little prayer. A vegetable grows and then just stops... 
But an apple seed (and tree), it prays so much.... It can't stop. 
The apple seed's prayer is a "forever" prayer (like ours should be). 
So the tree lives forever because this seed prayed so hard. 
and Shvat is the Rosh HaShona L'Elanot, the new year-- the headquarters-- of the trees. 

Do you know what the tree is crying out? (on its New Year) The tree is at is end, each year. Listen to this. The tree 
when it reaches the end, mamash, all its prayers are rising up again. The tree prays all its prayers again. Awesome. 
I want to tell you something very very deep. Imagine I need coffee. I say, "Please G-d, give me some coffee." And 
G-d answers me, "Ok, I'll get you some coffee." But when I pray for something very deep, my prayer is all that there is. 
The more I need something from G-d, the deeper the depths my prayer touches my neshama. And that prayer 
touches all the prayers which I ever prayed in this lifetime and perhaps other lifetimes as well..." 

HAPPY TU BISHVAT
READ THIS TORAH PORTION AND REMEMBER -

WE CAN ALL GET OUT OF OUR "EGYPTS" - NOT FOR 3 DAYS
BUT FOREVER
BY PRAYING LIKE THE ISRAELITES DID AT THE RED SEA - FOR A 
FOREVER DELIVERANCE 

LOVE AND SHABBOS FROM JERUSALEM

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

vaera - why in the world would Maimonides choose to live to the end in Egypt?

פרטים

קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua

פורסם בשבת, 21 נובמבר 2020 17:32

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vaera - why in the world would Maimonides choose to live to the end in Egypt

Okay - Vaera - in this week's tora portion G- d says

"I will take you out of bondage and Egypt ... like we read in the Passover Hagadda

but why do  I write about Maimonides who lived 2600 years after the Exodus from Egypt?

The Jerusalem Talmud gives 3 sources for the Torah Prohibiting Jews from "going back to Egypt"

The theories behind the prohibition include:

1 the Israelites should not be a fraid in the desert and want to return

2 Israelites who set up their lives in Israel should never go back thinking the "grass is greener" there

3 no Jews should ever reside in that plae which (was? is?) the most debauched and inhuman of societies

4 - So why did Maimonides move there after being kicked out (with so many other Jews) of Spain, Moroco and maybe elsewhere?

Even without such a Law - after this week we read how special it is that G-d got us away from them?

So why pick the place G-d so strongly says in 4 different ways in this portion "I gotta get you outa here"?

Some say his rich brother convinced him and supported his study and writings

In my humble opinion

Maimonides was forced to.

Saladin was the ruler of much of the Middle East -

and when Maimonides went to Israel -

he probably needed protection from the constant war between Christian and Muslim armies -

so -

maybe Saladin heard about Maimonides

and accepted that only the best physician (a Jew) was what

he needed for the ruling class of Egypt

and he got Maimonides to stay there

(and write his masterpieces-

and spread the word of Hashem throughout the Jewish world).

AND MAYBE IF WE PRAY HARD ENOUGH THE WORLD WILL DO THE SAME NOW -

sponsor Jewish learning and healing

LOve and shabbos

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

In SNOWY AND BEAUTIFUL JERUSALEM