Parashat Hashavua

Portion VaYayTzay - the Mysterious Ladder

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Portion VaYayTzay - the Mysterious Ladder

The Portion describes Jacob's dream while on his way to his (evil ) uncle Lavan (Laban)

This famous dream of angels going up and down a ladder (to heaven)

And the deal between the Almighty and Jacob

Cries out for an explanation - (Non Freudian - this is Torah not Psychology).

Was it

Leaving his home or

Trouble with his brother Esau

That made him reach out - and upwards?

Or is it the Almighty talking to us? Today?

Let's look at

Mendele Vitebsker in his work Pri HaAretz, who

Gives one of many analyses.

It includes questions like:

why the ladder and not just straight prophecy?

And - if he explains the climbing angels as"Moshe and Aron,

why those 2 tzadikim - HOLY people - and isn't one not enough?

And For What were they climbing?

The two printed editions I have seen, Clearly state that the world

Seems to have LOST the last part of theRebbe's analysis - so

Those questions are not answered by that Rabbi ...

What the book did say (the part not lost) : the dream meant:

The Torah is in your guts - and in your soul -

And you can't run away

Also Adam and Eve tried - and failed - BUT...

But the Almighty gave them a beautiful Mitzva -

To light a Candle - every Erev Shabbat

However in My mind I could finish it by saying:

You can't run away from encountering G-d

Wherever life takes you, there is a HOLINESS covenant to cling to

And whether one is on the rise, or the opposite

If you look for them - You can always find angels or righteous people

And while you may not find one of them to your style - there will ALLWAYS be one other Holy Angel around

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

in Jerusalem

Portion Toledote – Brotherly Confusion – the Nice or the Good

פרטים: קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם בשישי, 25 נובמבר 2022 12:57; נכתב על ידי Super User; כניסות: 881

Portion Toledote – Brotherly Confusion – the Nice or the Good

The portion starts off with the birth of twin boys to Isaac and Rebecca. It immediately follows with their first joint business deal which goes bad later.

TWINS ain't the PROBLEM – it's the World View that the Almighty sent Abraham to fix!

Imagine having twins 3000 years before Pampers - not at all easy to deal with.

And the local ruler-madman Nimrod becomes the role-model for one (Esau), while the other brother (Jacob) is influenced by the High Priest of the Almighty (Malki-Tzedek – see in the earlier portion).

Isaac says "I am going to die, so I want to bless my children first." This causes another level of hatred between the brothers!

What's nice, and what's good.

Esau is nice to his Dad.

Jacob listens to his Mom, Respects his Dad - and tries for years to not be led into a war with his brother.

The Hidden Torah – Kabala – gives us hints – on How to Maximize the Good in a tough world.

Early Hassidic Rebbes tried to bring to us as the Inspiration Needed to Help Judaism Fix World Hatred.

When our great, great grandmother – Isaac's holy wife Rebecca'- finds a way to calm things for some years, we hope the competitiveness is resolved – but look at the world today. Competition at the World Cup sports in Qatar is a healing? So why no kosher food is allowed for 10000 Jewish sports fans?

Who bombed Ukraine to be without power for the winter? And

Look at all the mass shootings in the US last week!

So this week let's learn a little bit from Rebbe Elimelech from Lizensk (very dear to me

because this week I finished another Hebrew draft of my version of Ohel Elimelech – adapted from the Sefer Ohel Elimelech - stories of Rebbe Elimelech of Lizensk

Rebbe Elimelech talks in a number of places about physical versus spiritual needs in the world – not to denigrate either approach or need – or want.

According to the Kabala interpreted by the Rebbe – there is a SPIRITUAL value or aspect in every PHYSICAL thing or action. Esau says "who needs that – who needs to carry on the traditions from Abraham and Isaac" (until later when he missed the boat, as it were). He says "I have a lot".

Jacob says "I have everything" – even the spirituality you (Esau) need to give life-energy to your physical existence".

According to Reb Elimelech: Today: You want to win at the World Cup? How? Without spiritual energy, Russia, Ukraine, Arab countries – and also the West – will decline and disintegrate.

Imagine if the Israeli and Chabad visitors made a nice KOSHER Shabbat meal in Doha, Qatar and invited THIS SHABBAT all the world leaders to participate…

Who knows.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion ChaYay SaRah: When is LIFE and What is DEATH? (in a nutshell)

פרטים: קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם בחמישי, 17 נובמבר 2022 11:00; נכתב על ידי Super User; כניסות: 947

Portion ChaYay SaRah: When is LIFE and What is DEATH? (in a nutshell)

In this Portion: Life in Abraham's World after the Passing on of Sarah…

A friend of mine passed out last Friday Night at Kiddush. Scared his family. Went to the hospital. Thank G-d he is out – and it may not have been "much". But who knows?

A few hours ago (Tuesday morning in Israel) a terrorist stabbed a few Israeli people and shot a few people –leaving 3 murdered and 4 serious cases in the hospital. It was near a place where 5000 Arab workers and a few thousand Israelis work together in HARMONY. So ???

And mass killings in the good old USA?

What do you do If you are the new government of Israel? Do you listen to the American administration telling you to keep investigating one journalist killed in the middle of a firefight a few months ago – or find out who drove the LATEST terrorist to the scene of his crime?

And the CRYTO billionaire who crashed – bankrupt after funneling millions to politicians – some of whom ignore the Taylor Force Act which is supposed t stop "pay for slay " here?

Really, now!

Abraham teaches THE WORLD what is righteous. And he looks out for ALL his children.

Isaac (who in this Portion finally gets married) - teaches love of family.

So where in the world do we get … Okay – Babelon … NOAH … CAIN AND ABLE … SODOM…

So in the next few Portions –

We will see that Jacob teaches wisdom and tenacity in the face of – yes - hatred…

Rabbi Finkelstein spoke this week about praying for the individual – and the wider community!

He spoke at the Shiva for Dina Englander –

A wonderful woman wife mother friend –

And a lady who made over 100 matches – not asking any reward or "agency fee"!

Starting holy Jewish families in Israel! Like Abraham ' s legacy.

May we all learn the skills to finally bring HARMONY TO THE WORLD.

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion Lech Lecha

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Portion Lech Lecha - Abraham inside and outside and the Other Side

He was known as "from the other side":

"Ivri " - to G d ,

Ivri to Us (from this parsha) ,

and the Archaeologists translated papyrii talking of the "apiru".

He stood across from all the idol worshippers of the world.

So Abraham comea to Canaan - from across the river

Who was he before - and them after he arrives?

Rav Hirshler explains the word "nah tah tee " in the portion - given - to Abraham:

That Israel is ours already from the 6 days of creation - given to us by Divine Design - and just being here changes us. And Abraham?

But what did Hashem give us exactly?

According to Rabbi moshe tzvi neriya, for Avram Abinu,

The obvious Holiness was not yet clear.

But Rav Hirshler

says it dependss on US seeing

The Holiness

So what did our ancestor Avram

(Abraham in English)

see?

Only the hidden holiness

And he gloried in the secret holinesd

And built an alter to worship the Almighty

But later G-d says

"Traverse the Land"

After he travelled the Land

Its Holiness was clear - despite the challenges

so when did Abraham change - or did he

Or was Torah and G d revealed to him early on? Maybe he is our forfather because he didn't have to change.

Just open his eyes

And see the potential

For growing a Holy People

He was the First in History to do Major Kindness and Morality

Just read our Torah! Others Wage war - while Abraham teaches kindness and rescues people

He is the great Role Model of Judaism

And for humanity

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion Noah - How to Dance in Two Weddings at One Time

פרטים: קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם בשישי, 28 אוקטובר 2022 10:43; נכתב על ידי Super User; כניסות: 969

Portion Noah - How to Dance in Two Weddings at One Time

Please note the below cartoon is from my friend Ernie

- and it makes a political statement with humor-

Did Noah dance before the flood or aftr - or both?

Or did he dance on Two Sides of the Ocean that his boat crossed?

What portions of the Torah

Do you believe - or want to believe?

Here is some recent finding to validate parts of bible history !

Wed, October 26, 2022 at 2:36 PM BAGHDAD (AP) — Archaeologists in northern Iraq last week unearthed 2,700-year-old rock carvings featuring war scenes and trees from the Assyrian Empire, an archaeologist said Wednesday.

The carvings on marble slabs were discovered by a team of experts ... working to restore the site of the ancient Mashki Gate, which was bulldozed by Islamic State group militants in 2016 ..... (they were) surprised by discovering “eight murals with inscriptions, decorative drawings and writings.... in one of the largest gates of Nineveh, an ancient Assyrian city

(Remember the Jonah story as well as King Hezekiah and Isaiah stories).

The discovered carvings show, among other things, a fighter preparing to fire an arrow while others show palm trees.

“The writings show that these murals were built or made during the reign of King Sanecherib who ruled from 705 to 681 BC (and exiled the 10 tribes of Northern Israel but could not conquer Jerusalem - despite some of his claims).

The Islamic State group overran large parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014 and carried out a campaign of systematic destruction of invaluable archaeological sites in both countries. The extremists vandalized museums and destroyed major archaeological sites in their fervor to erase history across the country, where Sumerians, Babylonian and Assyrian (and JEWS) once lived - including ABRAHAM AND Mordechai and Esther and MANY EXILED JEWS

Back to Noah -

How did he dance on One wedding and Make it Look Like 2?

Or did Noah CHANGE after the flood (when he got drunk?

We need to look at ancient Medrashim, because

the medrash said he took with him on the Ark

vines to plant grapes the minute the flood would be over,

and

another medrash said he planted them only when he saw the devastation and losses after the flood Which Changed Him!

A friend of mine recalled as a child seeing waves - after a hurricane -

and being frightened for people in the water.

Things like the above should add to one's BibleBeliefQuotient...

Rabbi Carlebach said the tragedy of Noah was that he

Did Not Cry enough! Or maybe his kids just didn't listen...

Leaving us with need for the below cartoon.

As the HAFtorah we read this shabbat implies - from the prophegt Isaiah

that we need to look at the flood as a GIFT - (a teaching tool?) As

another chance after a perverse world which corrupted everything

to Start to Correct Things!

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion BeRay Sheet - point curve and Deflect

פרטים: קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם בשבת, 22 אוקטובר 2022 17:01; נכתב על ידי Super User; כניסות: 940

Portion BeRay Sheet - point curve and Deflect

(Inspired by Rabbi Moshe Tzvi Neriya

And Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach)

Tell me please -

Does this week's title sound like battle plans in the Ukraine War?

Or a fencing lesson?

So the portion starts

Everything was CHAOS

and then the Almighty said

"Let there be light".

If you were the Almighty, thinking

millions would read "The Book - the Bible" -

how would YOU re-write the Creation Story of this Portion?

Not start with LIGHT?

Would you try to re-create this CRAZY world of ours

(Or only Russia)?

Would you be

Thinking of whats important for the survival of the world past 2022?

Eliminate plastic bags?

Make every car "a Tesla"?

Give everyone a garden to grow their own food?

And - What did Adam worry about? (the "first thinking human")

In a Hidden Medrash Parable it says "Adam Saw 2 not 3 - and so he sinned."

He just saw himself and Eve.

So what?

One explanation was "he did not know he would have to invite guests". Invite

Who?

NOAH had guests - all the Animals -

But Adam was limiting his view of The Creation.

But getting back to:

Chaos!

Imagine if everyone drove their autos with their eyes closed! CHAOS!

So the Almighty creates double yellow lines, and self driving cars.

And the whole world is ALL straight lines.

And traffic rules.

BUT CROSSING THE STREETS???AND TURNS ?

CRASH!!

SO G-D CREATES CURVES

Mercifully, so that right tutns are possible.

On a Simple mathematical-personal level,

Straight is okay.

But Rabbi Neria tries to explain

how to look at Creation and respect the Almighty's perspective -

He created curves

Since we are ALL

Like bumper car drivers!

The Almighty created our world

Embued with curves

Those skills and armor to deflect conflict.

Shabbat Shalom - and Health and Blessings to All

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

תשובהתשובה לכולםהעברה

Portion Haazinu forward from Newark on the way to Israel‏‏

פרטים: קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם בחמישי, 06 אוקטובר 2022 19:29; נכתב על ידי Super User; כניסות: 986

Portion Haazinu forward from Newark on the way to Israel‏‏

When poetically describing the Jews’ rebelling against G-d, Moshe says, “And Yeshurun became fat and kicked [rebelled]…” (32:15). Why are the Jews called “Yeshurun,” and what does it mean that they became fat?

Rav S. R. Hirsch suggests that the Jews are called “Yeshurun” because its root is “Yashar,” or “straight.” This name symbolizes the idea that people think they are doing the right thing even while forsaking their responsibilities and heritage. Instead of using their G-d-given gifts to do good, they hoard them and become “fat” with resources. Taking the symbolism in the passuk one step further, we can understand why the word “kicked” is used to refer to the people’s rebelling; legs that are meant to move forward are instead used to kick away opportunities or resources to do good. The symbolism is vivid as it is poignant – when we are given gifts, rather than hoard them for ourselves, we are meant to use them to help others and spread kindness.

Shlomo Ressler

Portion vaYay Lech - Where did Moses really go - and Why?

פרטים: קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם בשישי, 30 ספטמבר 2022 14:15; נכתב על ידי Super User; כניסות: 980

Portion vaYay Lech - Where did Moses really go - and Why?

In this Portion, Moses is soon to leave this world,

and he is getting ready for his final song and final speech in front of all the Israelites.

The Torah Writes: "And Moses went" (Deut. 31:1) Question: Where did he go?

One Answer sometimes given is:

The tent of Moses was outside the camp of the Israelites. When Moses desired to gather the people, he would have the trumpets blown (see Numbers 10:7) for them to gather

BUT On this day, his last day on earth, it would not be fitting to display the trappings of royalty, so Moses simply walked into the camp to address the people.

Others explain that Moses purposely displayed his physical stamina by energetically walking in front of the people. Showing that he was physically fit at the age of 120.

Then, his next words, "I am unable to go out and come in," refer to his limits in changing Torah.

When the gates of Torah were closed, Moses had no desire to live. (The great Rabbi Boruch Ber Lebowitz of Kaminetz (in Lithuania) heard someone proclaim, "Without Torah we cannot live!" The rabbi reportedly exclaimed, "And even if we could - who would want to?!")

So - Was Moses fulfilled? Or was he maybe angry or upset about not being allowed into Israel? NO WAY!

Moses lived By Force of Dedication to Purpose

And so HE ADDS A NEW MITZVA even at this late date:

Hakhel - that every 7 years the whole people must come up to the Temple,

to hear the reading of the Torah.

May we all merit to hear the King read from His Torah!

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

Portion Nitzavim and: Impersonating the Chuka Chuka Rebbe - on Rosh Hashono?

פרטים: קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם בשישי, 23 ספטמבר 2022 10:15; נכתב על ידי Super User; כניסות: 1029

Portion Nitzavim and: Impersonating the Chuka Chuka Rebbe - on Rosh Hashono?

From my first book/first printing:

So let's try to understand this. One week Reb Shlomo Carlebach would say "let this upcoming Shabbos be the greatest Shabbat you ever had!" and

Then the next week Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach would say "let THIS UPcoming Shabbos be the greatest Shabbat you ever had!"

How could he say that every week? And really mean it yet!?!?

Well, just because that's the way it SHOULD BE! And it CAN be so.

With just a little learning and a little effort we can make every Shabbos better than the one before, and make every day better than the one before!

And In Portion Nitzavim Moses says: "everyone HAS to be there" -

That's the key- by inviting guests and talking about shabbat joy!

The Talmud talks about it – but the Talmud doesn't always make you FEEL how close it is to you.

You need a spark! And Reb Shlomo lit a lot of sparks.

(May his memory be blessed)

Sparks To help us learn to make a GREAT Shabbos

Every week

And especially to round off the year.

And yet
there are so many things and people to pray for,

and so many ways to do it,
and there's no time like the current time - and on Rosh Hashono.

Let's have a little real caring healthy New Year

Kesiva VA Chasima Tova

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

(After consulting With Doctor Garfinkle,
Based on Doctor Mosbe Rothkopfs' Version

Portion Key Tavo

פרטים: קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua; פורסם בשישי, 16 ספטמבר 2022 14:20; נכתב על ידי Super User; כניסות: 936

Portion Key Tavo

Overview of the Portion - from Lakewood -NJ:

It teaches us - Hey - the Land is

Going to be Good - so Enter Israel!!

And

give thanks when your fruits blossom!!!

And

That our forebears bought the land and worked it, and

Made peace treaties with whomever in the world would try for peace!

And later the Almighty reminds us to remind ourselves-

Putting up Stone Signs - when we Cross that River Jordan!

Remember how the Almighty helped us cross the desert to

Get to that land!

BUT forgetting brings its own Curses

if OIY!!!

if you won't believe how you got to where you are.

Just look what the Almighty did to Egypt!!

AND TODAY?

There is still the Stones of the Jordan

as a

Warning to the hashemites of Jordan - and beyond Jordan

That

The blessings and the curses are for the World to remember.

That as Rosh Hashono approaches

And we start a new year soon

Israel is the Gift of the Almighty

And the little spirit of Israel in each of us-

A little Holiness-

Is a gift to all the World

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz

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עמוד 10 מתוך 58

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Parashat Hashavua

Portion VaYayTzay - the Mysterious Ladder

Portion Toledote – Brotherly Confusion – the Nice or the Good

Portion ChaYay SaRah: When is LIFE and What is DEATH? (in a nutshell)

Portion Lech Lecha

Portion Noah - How to Dance in Two Weddings at One Time

Portion BeRay Sheet - point curve and Deflect

Portion Haazinu forward from Newark on the way to Israel‏‏

Portion Haazinu forward from Newark on the way to Israel‏‏

Portion vaYay Lech - Where did Moses really go - and Why?

Portion Nitzavim and: Impersonating the Chuka Chuka Rebbe - on Rosh Hashono?

Portion Key Tavo

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