Archive for August 2013

Men/Women Repentance Prevails

August 28, 2013 Uncategorized No comments
I’M A LOST CASE, DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME ON ME!
         One should never say that there is no hope, the power of repentance is great. It seems like there were two camps, two train of thoughts, men and women, when the Jews were in the desert.
          Dr. Goldman, Psychologist at the Yeshiva Chofetz Chaim, says that throughout history, men persecuted women and they took advantage of their softness. Women felt that they should be in the same arena as men. However, men are from Mars and Woman are from Venus. Venus, Mars, Jupiter, HEY! FACT IS THAT THERE’S A DIFFERENCE!
          There have been many changes in how men and women perceive each other. Like many things in life, there are pluses and minuses to everything. The feminist movement of the late 60′s and early 70′s certainly narrowed the gap on many issues pertaining to equal rights, however, some might argue that the movement has done a disservice and ultimately hurt women. Women had to deny that there were differences. The buzzword among the young women, at the University of California at Berkely in the heyday of the feminist movement, was that there was mandatory unisex, which meant it was politically incorrect even to mention sex differences.
          Women are sensitive in areas that men are not and the opposite is true as well. Unfortunately, many are ignorant on what to expect from a reaction from the opposite sex. Progress in understanding the differences has been demurred by the notion of “hey we’re equal”, which has hurt the nature of woman as well as men, and has hurt a woman’s true feminine natural desires.
          In the last few parshiot, we see a clearly the differences between men and women. We learned that the women did not give up their jewelry when it came to the sin of the golden calf, however they eagerly donated their mirrors for the Kiyor-lavor and readily gave up their jewelry to the MISHKAN -Tabernacle.
          WHAT ABOUT THE MEN? Well, initially they didn’t fair very well. They, unfortunately, were supportive of the golden calf. YEAH, THAT WAS A BIGGY!!. We see, clearly, a difference in behavior. It seems like the men were not as spiritual and were on a lower level.
However, Rabbi Baruch Dopelt points out from our great sages a very interesting and puzzling pasuk, which the Sages have a very hard time  explaining. It says that when they came to contribute to the Temple, “the men came on top of the women”(Va-yakhel,35,22). Some commentaries say that the men came with the women to donate. However, Rabbi Dopelt said that the men repented and were eager and enthusiastic to  participate and donate to an extent that they “were on top”, meaning, they surpassed the women in spirituality.
          There is a concept that “A person who repents exceeds all those who stand in front of him”. That’s the power of repentance. The men understood the gravity of the golden calf and had tremendous regret.
Although the women were consistently spiritual, the fact that men were able to overcome their faults, their demons, their depressions and weaknesses, G-d deemed it very commendable, to an extent that he put the men on a higher level. That’s the power of repentance.
          It’s important to have equal rights, however, we should try to strive and pursue and understanding the differences between the genders and their essence. This will avoid a lot of misunderstandings and confusion.

Parshat Vayakhel/Pekudei

August 28, 2013 G-d and Us, Highlights on the Weekly Parsha, Tefilla/ Prayer No comments

 

 

A deeper understanding of a portion of our prayers

 

The most important prayer we have is the Amida, otherwise known as the Shemonai Esrai. We stand in silence with our legs together. The Amida consists of three sections: the praising of G-d, asking for one’s needs and expressing our gratitude to HIM.

 

Unfortunately, throughout our history some of our brethren were not exactly well versed in reading our holy Hebrew siddur. In order for them to fulfill the requirement of the Amida, the Chazan-Cantor repeats the prayer and the individuals say Amen after every bracha that is recited. By answering AMEN, he fulfills his obligation. The congregation should remain silent during the repetition and concentrate on the Chazan’s pronunciation of the words as if he is saying the words himself.

          Today, where we have siddurim readily available in every language one can possibly think of, it is very easy for one to follow and pray all the prayers. It should therefore follow that the Chazzan should not be required to repeat the prayer. Nevertheless, we still repeat the Amida because the Sages’ enactment of the law still stands and cannot be changed.
          WHY DO WE STILL HAVE THE REPETITION!!?  AREN’T THE PRAYERS LONG ENOUGH?
          PERHAPS, AS COMPENSATION FOR A LONG PRAYER, WE SHOULD FOLLOW WITH A NICE KIDDUSH!!  A  RULE SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED -THE LONGER THE PRAYER THE BIGGER THE KIDDUSH!
          Interestingly, it seems like our Sages intended another more important reason for the repetition of the Amida.  Apparently, the repetition is just as important if not more so then the silent version.
          The silent Amida has its benefits; there is privacy, “do not disturb” etc. That’s what makes it special, it’s between you and G-d and a time when one can pour his/her heart out. Therefore, the silent prayer can get quite intense.
          One’s vocalization of the prayer should be low.  It’s designed that way because of privacy, which we discussed, but also because of another important reason. There are negative forces that specialize in disturbing the connection between you and G-d. Our prayers would be susceptible if they were said in a normal tone of voice.
          Although the concentration in the repetition version is not as strong as the silent one, it’s considered more powerful.
          So what makes it so powerful?
          In order to understand why, one must be aware of a number of factors. Firstly, the name of G-d is not pronounced the way its written: YUD, HAY, VOV, HAY. It is pronounced AH DOH NAI.
          Secondly, we must use the popular science of Gematriya, where one adds up the letters of the words (ALEF is 1, BET is 2 etc.). The gematriya of MAYIM-water, for example, is 90 (MEM is 40, YUD is 10 and MEM again is 40).
          The name of G-d, YUD, HEY, VOV, HAY, in gematriya = 26, and the word AH DOH NAI=65. They together equal to 91 which is equivalent to the numerical value of the word AMEN.
          The reason why the repetition of the Amida is more important is because every time one says Amen, in essence, he says both versions of G-d’s name. We say it in unison during the repetition of the Amida.       Therefore, one thereby reaches tremendous spiritual heights. There is no fear that the prayers will get intercepted by the evil forces. One does not say Amen in the silent Amida, therefore it’s not as potent.
          In parshat Pekudai, ” KA’ASHER TZIVA ET MOSHE” as Moshe was commanded, is repeated 18 times.
          Why does it repeat it so many times?
          HERE IT REPEATS THE PHRASE EIGHTEEN TIMES!!
          G-d gave a gift to Moshe for attempting to protect the Jewish people when they sinned. When defending them, he would often say “MECHENI NA”-erase me please from your book. As a reward, Moshe’s name is repeated over and over. We try to borrow from the gift by having eighteen brachot in the most powerful prayer of service. What about the nineteenth blessing, which was added latter in our history? There is a phrase specifically for that one as well, KA’ASHER TZIVA  HASHEM ET MOSHE, which is also found in the parsha.
          Another interesting note about the Amida, if one adds up the words of each signature bracha, for example,  BARUCH ATTA HASHEM MAGEN AVRAHAM, BARUCH ATTA HASHEM SHOMAIA TEFFILLA etc, one would come up with 113 words. There are also 113 words in the Tefilla of Chana, who was praying to have children and was answered. It is probably considered one of the most intense and powerful prayers we have.  All this also coincides with the 113 times it says LEV-heart in the Torah. This infers that one should and needs to pray with deep concentration and all his heart.
          The Amida has many deep meanings and should be said both with intensity and deep concentration, both in the silent and repeated version.
                              
Extracted from the shiurim of Rabbi Isaac Oelbaum
MAIN THEME
          The parshiot  describes how the Mishkan-Tabernacle was constructed.
          The Sages find an allusion to the thirty-nine categories of work prohibited on Shabbat. The Torah states:”These are the words which G-d commanded us to do” (Shemot 35:1). and Rav Yehuda Hanasi comments (Shabbat 97b):  HA DEVARIM the words EH LEH HADEVARIM -these are the words”. This refers to the thirty-nine work prohibitions handed down to Moshe at Sinai. DEVARIM being plural, implies at least two. The preflex HEY OF HADEVARIM adds one, making three. The numerical value of ELEH is thirty six, for a total of thirty nine.
          Rashi states that Vayakhel’s warning of Shabbat (35,1-3) proceeds the section of the MISHKAN to teach that the building of the MISHKAN does not take precedence over Shabbat.
          PEKUDEI-meaning account, refers to the account taken of how the donated gold, silver and copper were used in building the MISHKAN
First Portion: 
* We’re all cooped up in this body playing the game of life. One of the many aspects of this existence is to fix our mistakes whether it is transgressions done in this lifetime or in previous ones; reincarnation is an essential part of Jewish philosophy. However, if we’re able to atone for our mistakes in our lifetime, then we are very fortunate. In this week’s Parsha, we start off, “Moshe gathered the people.” This particular gathering is to fix the gathering of Aharon when the Jews sinned with the golden calf.
* Why, again, does the Torah repeat the different aspects of the Mishkan? We went through a detailed course in Parsha Teruma and Tetzave. The RAMBAN addresses the question proclaiming a theme for the book of Shemot ‘exile’. The RAMBAN explains the exile doesn’t end until the Israelites reach the spiritual level of the Patriarchs Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaacov. G-d left specific instructions about the construction of the Temple and its leaders. Only G-d picks an intermediary. He picked Moshe, as well as the Keruvim, in the Holy of Holies. The keruvim’s golden baby-faced angel-like statues, whose gestures indicated the spiritual level of the Jews. It was only picked by G-d if a human exercised the right to choose; otherwise, it would have been considered idol worship and going against G-d. The instructions were clear and should have been followed to the letter of the law; it was not. Therefore, the instructions had to be repeated.
* There are thirteen times where the topic of Shabbat is mentioned in the Torah. The Torah doesn’t repeat for any reason. There is a purpose for every mention.
* We derive from the fact that the topic of the Mishkan is found next to the topic of Shabbat, that there is a connection between the two. There are 39 melachot activities that were performed in the Temple. The term melachot is mentioned in the Shabbat context of “one should not do activities”. Therefore, these activities were prohibited on Shabbat.
* The women were extremely enthusiastic and played an important role in contributing to the Temple. Their gold and silver were given generously this time as opposed to their reluctance to give to the golden calf.

Second Portion: * Betzalel, although, a very gifted young man, enhanced his skills through Divine spirit. He was chosen because his grandfather, Chur, tried to stop the catastrophe by the golden calf.

Third Portion: * The golden menorah was made from one piece of gold to symbolize unity among the Israelites. It was Aharon who was later picked to light the Menorah. This honor was very appropriate, for it was he who was instrumental in making peace between Jews and unifying husbands and wives and man and his brethren. “Peace” is one of the main themes of the Temple.

Fourth Portion: * We mentioned earlier how the women’s contribution to the Temple was exceptional. The Sages say they brought their own personal copper mirrors for the construction of the kiyor, the laver. These mirrors were used by our mothers in Egypt to entice their husbands for the purpose of reproduction and to continue the existence of our great nation. It was an especially difficult task considering how tired the husbands were after being worked to the bone by their Egyptian persecutors. Their devotion of preserving the family made these mirrors, theses contributions, valuable. The waters that came out from the kiyor were used for the waters of sotah. Since the Jewish women of Egypt had proper intentions and used these mirrors for kedusha, therefore, the sotah women will be tested with these pure waters to determine if they were pure and holy like their mothers.
* The kiyor was a source of bracha; it brought down rain. This is the reason we should be very careful in washing our hands, especially for bread because it’s a great segula for parnasa.

Fifth Portion: * The avney shoam – stones of the breastplate, which would light up, hinting to the Kohen gadol various answers to vital questions that were asked. Each stone contains six letters to symbolize that the world was created in six days, is found upon the 12 tribes. The total of 72 letters corresponds to the 72 letter Divine names, which maintains the existence of the universe. G-d does kindness to maintain the world. In fact, the numerical value of chessed – kindness is 72. We all know that the Friday night Kiddush has a tremendous spiritual impact. If one adds all the words of the kiddush, he will come up with 72. If one says Friday night Kiddush sincerely with all his heart, he will bring down chessed to himself from G-d.

Sixth Portion: * The mitznefet or migba’at – turban is what the Kohen Gadol wore on his head. The mitznefet atones for arrogance. G-d said let it atone for the sin of holding the head to high. G-d hates arrogance. Jews, for this reason, for generations, have always, traditionally, worn a covering on their head.

Seventh Portion: * With the mishkan complete, the Israelites are now ready to atone for their sins and to get closer to G-d

Pesach Seder Guide

August 28, 2013 Achdut- Unity, Mitzvot and Traditions, Pesach No comments

Americans have their Thanksgiving, and us Jews have our Passover. Pesach is a holiday of extreme importance where we make it our business to get together with family or be part and parcel with our fellow brethren. The Seder nights are designed to seek that togetherness so that by the end of the 15th step of the Seder (starting with kadesh, urchatz), we accomplished completeness within ourselves and as a nation and are ready for the redemption.

 

Why do Jews put such importance on this holiday? Even the most secular Jew wants to connect to the Seder table. In popularity, Pesach is head to head with Yom Kippur. Rabbi Akiva Tatz, quoting the mystics, made an interesting observation. The most intense part of anything; the most concentrated, powerful, the most strongest, is the inception, the root is where everything sprouts from. A person’s childhood is crucial for his development. Any action and reaction to an accordance would most likely be magnified and indebted in his psyche and influence his adult decisions.

 
Pesach was the inception of us being a nation; it’s the root of camaraderie; it’s our birth as a people. The root is intense and the feeling of togetherness we experienced then for the first time is brought back every year. In the heavens, the concept of time is different;years are not a factor. If one experiences Pesach or Purim, it’s as if he’s experiencing it when it actually happened for the first time. G-d showered us with kindness and mercy when we left Egypt, even though we didn’t deserve it. In order to receive that Pesach experience with the same warm feeling that G-d bestowed on us, and perhaps ask Him for our wanting needs, then one has to accomplish certain steps on the Seder night. We have to reach a perfect, complete, heavenly state of Shalem in order for our requests to be granted. On this night, that reach is a lot easier because of the power of the moment in which G-d was kind to us then, or I should say then is now. The number 15 is a significant number which represents completeness. Although we try to reach that throughout the year in our prayers (15 steps in yishtabach, 15 emet veyatziv, king davids 15 shir hama’alot), the path is a lot easier on Pesach; perhaps we should take advantage of the opportunity.

 
Let us explore the 15 steps:
Kadesh

In every happy joyous occasion, we make kiddush. Kadesh means to sanctify and here we sanctify time. Kadesh also means to separate; we are separating time. Perhaps this is where we get the expression “make something out of nothing.” We elevate the time because of the beautiful occasions. Why is wine the preference for the Kiddush? Rabbi Akiva Tatz reminds us of the famous phrase that we say for wine, “nichnass yayin yatza sod” – wine goes in, the secret comes out. The most popular explanation is we can determine by one’s drinking his true nature because wine takes away the mask, the barrier. However, R’ Tatz says the secret here is something deeper. There is a very fine line in drinking in the early stage. If one drinks slightly more than he should, he makes a fool of himself. At a certain point however, the person drinking has a vision well beyond the usual state of mind, he has the ability to think clear and to develop ideas and formulate concepts; he has the ability to use creativity to the highest caliber. Perhaps the fact that wine decreases the paranoia and sadness in one’s heart, gives way for opportunity to develop and to boldly go where one could not reach before. A Jew has the ability to sanctify time through his vision and bring down happiness at kiddush time.

Urchatz

 


This washing is in preparation for eating the karpas dipped in salt water. In the times of the temple when people were able to observe the laws of ritual purity in full, they were required to wash their hands before any produce that has been dipped in water or certain other liquids. So why do we wash our hands today? There is no temple; we don’t do it throughout the year. Why all of a sudden do we wake up now and say hey let’s wash our hands, and not throughout the year? Again, one of the themes of the Seder is to pursue the goal and increase, rekindle the hope of the final redemption where we will have a temple and we will be required to do the command that’s not required today.

Karpas

 
No double dipping please, with the exception of George. The custom of karpas is to dip a vegetable into salt water. This apparently was a sign of freedom, comfort, and indulgence. Yet we dip it into the salt water to remind us of the bitterness of the bondage. Those who are meticulous and detail-oriented should be asking a fairly obvious question. If the Seder (which means order) is in its proper order, then why is karpas here and not in the section of magid telling of the story of the exile? It appears out of sequence. In order to get a clearer understanding of this, we must examine the word karpas.

 
The word karpas is also associated with clothing. Rashi, one of the main commentaries on the Chumash, associates it with one of the threads of the coat that Yaacov, our forefather, gave as a present to Yosef. One of the main ingredients of the galut (diaspora) is disunity, separation, and strife. This is the reason why throughout history, when the Jews were united, we flirted with having the Messianic time at our doorstep. It seems like the order of the haggadah is actually quite precise. You see the galut didn’t start when the Jews were in Egypt; it started way before that. When Yaacov gave only one of his sons a coat made out of karpas/wool for a present, all the other brothers got jealous and the harmony and unity among the brothers was shattered. The coronation of the disunity between the brothers was when Yehuda, the brother they looked up to, brought Yosef’s karpas coat, after selling him to the Arabs, to Yaacov, asking him if he recognizes this, referring to the ripped coat in which they dipped in animal blood.

 
The antithesis of the dipping of Yosef’s coat is the dipping of the vegetable in the salt water. We regret the sin of our ancestors and the disunity it caused. That incident was the beginning of the exile.
Yachatz

 

We are now preparing ourselves to start the telling of the story of Pesach by laying the matzoh in front of us. We take the middle of the three matzot and break it in half leaving the smaller half in between the two, and the larger is put away for the afikoman. The patriarch of the family usually does this task. There is a mystic source that when the patriarch is breaking the matzoh, he should concentrate on many brachot for his family and for Klal Yisrael. There are different opinions as to what the three matzot represent; Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaacov (our patriarchs) or Kohen, Levi and Yisrael (the three status levels of the Israelites), are two opinions of what these matzos represent. The middle of both Yitzchak and Levi represent din – harsh judgment. Symbolically, we nullify the harsh judgment on us by breaking the middle matzoh. Matzoh is called lechem oni – bread of affliction; the phrase can also be interpreted by our sages as lechem she’onim bo – bread that you answer to it. Therefore, it’s always present when we discuss the story of the redemption from Egypt. Rabbi Naftali Landau says matza represents freedom and freedom is the everyday man. A wealthy man has to many commitments and obligations. The everyday Joe has the true taste of freedom.

 

Magid

The whole Seder is orchestrated to be a kid-friendly atmosphere. The goal is to keep the children interested. We play hide and seek with the afikoman. In some communities, the participants of the Seder playfully hit each other with scallions when the prayer dayenu is recited to keep the children awake. The reason of the strong emphasis on the children is pretty obvious – they are our future. The second half of the haggadah’s primary focus is the future. Our children will carry the baton to the messianic time, although we might see him in our time period. Dealing with children is the primary agenda. There is such delicacy when dealing with the four sons. The Torah hints that every son should be approached differently. One must realize education cannot be taught the same to everyone. I excelled in the class in third grade but didn’t learn a thing in the fourth. The Rabbis’ styles of teaching were different; their personalities were different. Naturally, I gravitated to the one I was most comfortable with. The sages don’t suggest a different teacher for every student. Economically, it’s not possible; however it’s making one aware that there is a difference.

 
The importance of passing down the tradition is quite important. In the temple, in the Holy of Holies, the keruvim, which stood on top of the aron, had the image of a father and son. This relationship, if healthy, is the essence of Judaism.

 
Rachtza

 
We always wash our hands before bread. Although the health conscience advocates applaud the act because it promotes better hygiene, its main purpose, though, is to wash away spiritual impurities. The act and its blessing is associated with eating bread. The Torah says bread is the most satisfying food, more than meat, cheese and sushi, and therefore it is considered very important. By removing any spiritual impurities through washing of the hands, one can elevate an ordinary meal with bread to a highly energized spiritual experience. We are considered physical human beings with the purpose to use the physicality tools that G-d has given us to promote excellence in all worldly areas.

 
Motzi Matzoh

 
The question is asked, if chametz is so evil that one can’t even possess it during the holiday of Pesach and matzoh has such tremendous spiritual qualities, why eat chametz altogether? Perhaps one should eat the spiritual matzoh all year long. We’ll definitely score brownie points in the great adding machine in the heavens. In fact, the sages do agree it would be ideal, but find it impossible to deprive one of bread. There is a concept in the Torah involving the number seven which is defined by the Sages as being complete. There are seven days to a week; harvest occurs on the seventh year, etc. The Torah teaches us if one keeps Pesach with the utmost intensity and meticulousness during the complete seven days (8 days outside of Israel), he will fulfill his requirement of going full circle of not consuming chametz and eating matzoh.

 
Maror

 
Although some of our brothers, the Ashkenazim have a tougher time with maror then the Sefaradim, one has to taste some level of bitterness in the maror. One does not fulfill his requirement if he swallows the maror without chewing. In fact, the Gemarah says he has to bite it into pieces with 22 teeth corresponding to the 22 letters of the alef bet, which is found in the Torah. Life is bittersweet. One can find the Torah very useful and helpful in dealing with the difficulties one receives in his lifetime.

 
Korech

 
We can look at the ma nishtana as one question instead of four – why are we mixing the bitterness of matzoh and maror with the majestic royalty of dipping and leaning at the Seder night? The same paradox can be found with Hillel who combines the matzoh (freedom) with the maror (servitude).
This is the taste Hillel is left with at the end of the night. Taste is one of the senses we are given and tonight it’s a tool to connect to the feeling our ancestors had. When Adam sinned by eating from the tree, one of his punishments was that goodness which he will now experience, will be always be mixed with a degree of bad. If one notices any happy occasion in the history of the world, was interrupted by some negativity. This is the true feeling of life and is one that our ancestors realistically experienced on their way out to freedom. One should not be disillusioned and get depressed that life has turned out the way it has.

 
Shulchan Orech

 
Enjoy the meal!! After Pesach, G-d willing, we will occasionally feature recipes of various cuisines.

 
Tzafun

 
One opinion of why we eat the afikoman is in memory of the Pesach offering. The definition of afikoman means dessert. The matzoh of the afikoman was eaten at the end of the meal replacing the desert. As mentioned earlier, it represents the redemption as well as servitude .The taste of the matzoh is the last taste in out mouths before going to bed. One should have the taste of the servitude matzoh humbling him and he should also have the taste of the redemption. We play hide and seek with our kids as we try to find the afikoman. What are we trying to find? When our forefather, Yaacov, was on his deathbed, he called all his sons and apparently was ready to reveal the secret when the Moshiach will come. However, apparently G-d hid the thought and Yaacov forgot. It’s symbolic – the kids and the grown-ups trying to find afikoman and reveal the coming of the redemption. This is why we open the door of our home to usher in Eliyahu, the prophet, who will take the role of the Moshiach.

 

Barech

 


We say the grace after meal (birkat hamazon – bentching). In the last paragraph of birkat hamazon, we read “oseh shalom bim’romav” – G-d makes peace in the heavens between fire and water then He shall surely make peace among us and He’ll make peace on all of Israel and they would say amen. If we believe in G-d the way we’re supposed to, then G-d will inject in us a portion of unity that will lead to the redemption. Just like fire and water are opposites and they are able to co-exist in the heavens; so too, no matter how different people are from one another, we’ll co-exist as well. There are many couples that are opposites (fire and water), however they get along because there is a certain commitment to the one above. It’s interesting that this passage is in the benching, where one says after being satiated. My father always said, “son, never come home after a day’s work hungry.” Always put something in your mouth before walking in the door. A hungry person gets agitated quickly and a fight is imminent. After one eats and benches, then he’s able to accomplish the goal of unity.

 
Hallel

We’re close to the end or perhaps shaping up the future. One has to be at an advanced state at this juncture of the night where showing praise and appreciation to G-d comes natural. The focus is clearly the future; however to get there, one has to realize the goodness that G-d has bestowed upon us. One of the passages we say in the Hagaddah is an important praise we sing early Shabbat morning called ‘nishmat kol chai.’ In most communities, it’s the main focal of their cantorial singing. What makes it unique in its praise and appreciation is that its composer was a Jew in the highest caliber named Shimon Khafa. About 2000 years ago, an offshoot religion started called Christianity. The great Sanhedrin (71 judges great court of Israel) was concerned that Jews will abandon Judaism for this new belief. Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel, the president of the Sanhedrin, who is quoted earlier in the Haggadah, approached Shimon Khafa to perform a difficult but important task; they wanted him to infiltrate the hierarchy of this new religion and alter, make a clear distinction between Judaism and Christianity; this way Jews won’t mistaken it as part of their own and won’t be lured in off guard. Shimon accepted and became one of the most important spies we’ve had. He successfully altered their day of rest from Saturday to Sunday, as well as, dehumanized their savior. Eventually many years later Khafa was exposed and was executed. Some say he was none other than Peter. As one can imagine, a spy cannot express his feelings outwardly. In fact, a spy has to take on a different identity; play the part. What often happens in the spy world is they play their role too well where there is confusion of who is the real person inside of you. We often have an identity crisis as is could one imagine what spies go through. However, Shimon had so much love for Hakadosh Baruch Hu (G-d), His nation, and Judaism, he composed a long and eloquent praise affirming his belief and great appreciation to life and to his master. It’s a tremendously moving piece and deeply inspiring whether it be Shabbat morning or at the Seder.

 
Nirtza

 
We conclude the Seder by asking G-d to accept our prayers and for our enthusiastic loving participation in this beautiful night. Many years ago, G-d showed us tremendous kindness and took us out even though we didn’t deserve it. It’s obviously a special night of tremendous potential kindness in which G-d can continue the flow of this good. We have to take advantage of this night. On any other night to get to a spiritual height, we have to work very hard to accomplish that task. However, tonight, the connection to the heavens is strong. (4g)

 
G-d willing, our prayers will be accepted and next year we will sit in Yerushalayim in happiness with spiritual abundance and the Moshiach. Amen.

Torah is About Love and Fear

August 27, 2013 G-d and Us, Shavuot No comments

The scripture (Parshat Yitro 19:1-25) describes in detail the monumental event of the Jewish people receiving the Torah. But one may raise his eyebrow as to where our ancestors were camped when the revelation occurred. The literal translation of where they were standing was, under the mountain. We assumed the Torah is indicating they were near the mountain, but Rashi, the mainstream commentary on the Torah, seems to believe that G-d raised the mountain over the heads of the Israelites and threatened them ‘if you do not except the Torah I’m going to drop the mountain and kill you now!’

 

Presumably, this seems to be contradicting to what we were led to believe, so proudly,’NA’ASSE VE NISHMA’; meaning we will accept the Torah so blindly that we will do the commandments first, and receive the explanations later. All the other nations probed ‘what’s in it?’ and then rejected it; however, our ancestors embraced it. ‘Hey! We agreed on the conditions without even looking at the contract, so why is G- d forcing us for no reason? ‘

 

Rabbi Jay Shapiro, one of my mentors, quotes Rav Eliyahu Lapian’s parable and explanation on the contradiction. I think this parable is really cool. Back in the days, there was a king that was very popular and loved by all. He had an important meeting cross-country and the optimal form of transportation was the royal train. It was a three-day trip, with planned designated stops all throughout the country. Towards the end of his route to the meeting, the royal train pulls into this town. It seemed like the townspeople were hungrily ready for his arrival. Banners were hanging on the rafters of the train station with the words ‘WE LOVE YOU KING’; the band was playing his favorite song in between a presentation by the second grade choir of its prestigious school; the clowns were juggling; the hot dog stand was full.

 

All were waiting to see the Majesty King; the enthusiastic noise was getting more intense. After fifteen minutes, a guard emerges and made an announcement. ‘The King loves you all but he had a long day and he’s trying to get some sleep; he has a major conference tomorrow and he would appreciate some quiet.’ After he returned back to the train the crowd continued the noise. ‘WE LOVE YOU KING!’ they proclaimed showing more of their intense love. The band played louder; the juggler added another ball; more hotdogs and Marino’s ices were added. A little while later, a guard emerged from the train, this time slightly agitated and a bit more firm, ‘We ask you nicely, the King has a very important meeting tomorrow and needs his sleep. Please refrain from noise’. The guard disappeared back into the train presumably satisfied that his words made an impression. But that did not stop the crowd; they anticipated this day for a while and were eager to show their love and affection to the king.

 

Ten minutes later six guards appeared on the high platform next to the locomotive, carrying submachine guns (they had machine guns in those days? No, I actually altered the story a bit to bring home the point). The head goon with the dark sunglasses spoke up, ‘Whoever makes another sound will be shot’. As a result of these frightening words, one can hear a pin drop among the three thousand well-wishers.

 

Rav Lapian asks, ‘Do they still love their king?’ The answer is yes, but now they fear him as well as love him. If there would be no fear, the important mission would not have been accomplished properly, even though the right intentions were at heart.

 

In order for us to function as proper Jews and to adhere to his laws correctly, progressively and efficiently, one has to incorporate a little fear as well as the love that one dearly possesses for Him, or else there will be total chaos. A person may eat pig and say ‘I appreciate the food G d has giving me’. There is an expression, which is used frequently ‘I love G d in my heart and I’ll show it my way’. This is considered inappropriate; there has to be rules and they have to be followed. For example, if one violates Shabbat he will pay the consequences. Logically, it makes sense to have law and order, or religion will be a free for all.

 

This is what G-d wanted to show the Israelites by picking up the mountain and threatening them – that love and fear are part and parcel. This is also the lesson that G-d is trying to convey to us.  One needs both to be a proper Jew.

 

Shavuot- A Deeper Understanding

August 27, 2013 Shavuot No comments

          There are some pressing questions about the holiday of Shavuot and it would be wise to address and hopefully answer them.
          One of the famous statements we say/sing on Pesach in the passage of DAYENU is a very peculiar one. We say: “if we didn’t receive the Torah but just stood at Mount Sinai that would be enough”.

          Isn’t receiving the Torah the main reason the Jews, and for that matter the world, is in existence? So how would it be enough to not receive the Torah- that would be missing the whole point. It seems like a tease, close but no cigar. It’s as if someone is the best man at a wedding, but he’s not the groom!! Another puzzling problem is why do we put branches/flowers in the Synagogues?
           Another question: there is an argument in the Talmud as to how we should celebrate holidays in general. Many opine that it should be spent half for our physical enjoyment and the other half dedicated to G-d, pursuing spirituality. However, all seemingly agree that on Shavuot, the holiday should be spent entirely for us, for our physical enjoyment. This is most perplexing for out of all the holidays, the most spiritual should be Shavuot as we are commemorating the receiving of the Torah. It should be spent in a spiritual quest, after all we received the Torah, which is from Hashem. So why do indulge more in physical pleasures on Shavuot?
          In our quest to resolve these questions, some background is necessary. Many commentaries agree that before the sin of Adam, the tree’s branches tasted like the fruit itself. There was also another aspect of the tree; bread grew on it. Yes, that’s right, Adam would grab a croissant on his way to the other side of heaven!
          When the Jews reached Mount Sinai and were about to receive the Torah, they seemingly crossed one of the finish lines. It wasn’t the ultimate achievement for one more was yet to come, however it was still significant. The sin of Adam was atoned for and the outcome was that there would be no more death. In what way? It was decreed that the trees would taste like the fruit. No more hard work and food preparations, ” by the sweat of your brow” was null.
          For this reason we hang branches in the Shuls on the holiday to commemorate the high level we reached at that moment.
          In the time of the Temple, we ate special bread on Shavuot, bread that was different from any other time of the year. It was the only time that bread which was Chametz was eaten in the Temple. Symbolically, we want to bring back those precious moments where we reached that high level of before the sin of Adam, when the bread grew on the trees.
          Now we must address another question. Why should Shavuot be dedicated to our physical pleasure consisting of good foods, like chocolate cheesecake etc.?
          The answer lies in the fact that there is a constant fight raging in us humans. We are sort of in between the Angels and the animals. Well, are we animals or angels?  We know that when Moshe went up to receive the Torah on our behalf, the angels wanted to kill him. They asked, “what are you doing here?  the Torah is not for humans- it’s heavenly”.  He answered back, “can you make a bracha on a fruit and enjoy it? Can you smell and make a blessing on mints? Can you perform the commandment of honoring your parents? NO! Only man can perform these Torah commandments”.
          Torah is a guiding map of the world. The whole idea is to take the physical and elevate it to spiritual. The cheesecake, with the proper thought and  blessing of appreciation to G-d, should, not could, should be eaten!! WHY NOT!! WE ARE HERE TO ENJOY THE WORLD! The angels cannot enjoy it and the animals cannot appreciate it. We should not abstain from physical pleasures like some religions command. We should enjoy it as long as it’s in the proper guidelines of Jewish law.
    For this reason, Shavuot is for us. It’s using our hearts to direct our earthly pleasures. Incidentally, that’s also the meaning of NA’ASEH VEH NISHMA-we will do and then listen (comprehend). It should be done instinctively; all the pleasures should automatically be enjoyed, as we are human beings and that is part of our nature. Still, they must be done with G-d in mind. Thus, Shavuot is not really for us to simply gorge and indulge, rather it is for us to enjoy properly, thereby enjoying it spiritually as well. Enjoy!

Shavuot 101

August 27, 2013 Shavuot No comments

 

          BASIC INTRODUCTION:
          The word Shavuot means “weeks.” It marks the completion of the seven-week counting period between Passover and Shavuot .Agriculturally, it commemorates the time when the first fruits were harvested and brought to the Temple, and is known as Hag ha-Bikkurim (the Festival of the First Fruits).
          WHAT IS TORAH:
          The Torah is composed of two parts: the Written Law and the Oral Law. The written Torah contains the Five Books of Moses, the Prophets and the Writings. Together with the Written Torah, Moses was also given the Oral Law, which explains and clarifies the Written Law. It was transmitted orally from generation to generation, and eventually transcribed in the Mishnah, Talmud, Midrash, and the entire corpus of Torah literature that was developed over the millennia.
The word Torah means “instruction” or “guide.” The Torah guides our every step and move through its 613 mitzvahs. The word mitzvah means both “commandment” and “connection.” Through the study of Torah and fulfillment of mitzvahs, we connect ourselves and our environment to G-d. G-d’s purpose in creating the world is that we sanctify all of creation, imbuing it with holiness and spirituality.
On the holiday of Shavuot, the entire Jewish nation heard from G-d the Ten Commandments. The next day Moses went up to Mount Sinai, where he was taught by G-d the rest of the Torah-both the Written and Oral Laws-which he then transmitted to the entire nation.
          CUSTOMS:
          It is customary to eat a dairy meal at least once during Shavu’ot. There are varying opinions as to why this is done. Some say it is a reminder of the promise regarding the land of Israel, a land flowing with “milk and honey.” According to another view, it is because our ancestors had just received the Torah (and the dietary laws therein), and did not have both meat and dairy dishes available.

Parshat Bamidbar Summary

August 27, 2013 G-d and Us No comments

          Why is the 4th book of the Torah called Bamidbar – Desert? One can also ask, why is it also called the Book of Numbers?

          As one knows a bit of our history, we received the Torah, our pride and joy, and the primary reason why we survived all these years, in the desert. The Torah is the pulse of our great nation. So the desert had the privilege to host such an important event and therefore it was named Bamidbar – in the desert.

Perhaps one can ask, why? Out of all the places to receive the Torah – why the desert? Furthermore, there is an obvious question of a famous Midrash (Rabbinical teachings); that when G-d was offering the Torah to the other nations, He asked them to accept it through their biggest weakness. For example, when asked by the Arabs “what’s in it?” G-d replied “Do not steal.” He replied to Edom “do not kill.” This is the main weakness of those respective nations. It didn’t seem like He approached the Jews at their weakness. Could it be G-d didn’t play a fair game? Perhaps He shuffled the deck in favor of the Jews; after all, He was a big fan of our forefather Abraham. By the way, does anybody know our weakness? Do we have one?

This was the fourth time the Israelites were counted. Initially, the Torah records the descendants of our forefather, Yaakov, who traveled to Egypt. Then, later the Torah states that 600,000 men left Egypt, quite a jump from the seventy that left with Yaakov. After the sin of the Golden Calf, the Jews were counted a third time. Now, seven months after the last census, the people were counted again.

Why is it called the Book of Numbers?

Apparently, G-d wanted to show a lesson to the world how pure and untainted the Jewish genealogy was. Adultery was non-existent; so was marriage outside the faith. It was not for naught that the Jews of that generation were considered the best ever. Their purity was impeccable and G-d was proud of them that they had the ability to preserve the family.

Another reason for the many counts – Moshe himself waited outside each tent to greet them as they came out to be counted. Each individual explained his genealogy briefly. This was a big time moral boost, telling the leader of the Jewish people your family background. It injected a sense of well-needed pride. So the amount of ‘numbers’, number of Jews that were counted, was tallied with pride and one should be proud that he is part of the Jewish nation.

Why did they receive the Torah in the dessert?

The desert is considered no-mans-land and is pretty much desolate. Perhaps this is precisely what G-d intended. When a couple gets married, it is wise for the relatives and friends to leave them alone; they need their privacy. The couple needs time to adjust to their new environment, their new way of life. Here too, the Israelites and G-d have been fused together like newlyweds by the acceptance of the Torah. An adjustment period is needed. The most appropriate place to maintain a sense of well-needed privacy – where there will be no invasion of intimacy – is the desert.

Did G-d test our weakness before rewarding us with the Torah?

Rabbi Baruch Dopelt, who quotes the Chedushai Harim, maintains that G-d did offer the Jews the Torah testing their weakness. G-d had instructed the Jews to maintain boundaries among themselves. In many ways, this was a big test since everyone was eager to show their love for G-d. Every individual\tribe wanted to show their strong capability in serving G-d. Their competitiveness is inherited in all of us today. Although it manifests itself in different aspects of life, did you ever wait on line in Israel? You couldn’t have; a line doesn’t exist. The Jews, our ancestors in the desert, were instructed to line up with flags. Each tribe with their own flag (some opinions hold a flag was designated to three tribes each). Everything had an order and the tribes, each one, had to serve G-d in the proper time, accordingly. They didn’t have the “I did it my way attitude.” Apparently, they passed the test in controlling themselves and were rewarded with the prize – the Torah.
 

Kitniyot?

August 27, 2013 Mitzvot and Traditions, Pesach No comments

 

          One of the items that are controversial on Passover is whether kitniyot is permissible. Let’s mention some fundamental concepts before explaining what kitniyot are. The Torah forbids us to eat chametz (leaven) on Pesach. Something becomes chametz when flour and water mix together long enough for the dough to rise. The sages explicitly state and rule that chametz can be produced only from certain grains: wheat, barley, rye, spelt, and oats. The Rabbis imposed a stringency on kitniyot as a prevention to violating the Torah law of chametz. Kitniyot are also cooked in a manner similar to the way the grains are cooked and that could be confusing. In addition, in many locales, kitniyot are made into bread and people who are not well versed in Torah law might get confused.
          Another concern is that kitniyot are mixed with grains that have the ability to become chametz. For example, spelt is often mixed with rice. That is why in many communities our mothers and grandmothers clean rice before Pesach.  Much has been written about which items are included in the minhag (custom) of kitniyot. Four issues are usually explored. Is the item defined as kitniyot (legumes, such as beans, lentils, rice, soy, kidney beans, lima beans, peas, corn), or at least similar to kitniyot? Can the item be ground into flour in the same manner as grain? Does the item grow near a field of grain? Various communities have different customs and define what is and is not allowed. Some customs allow eating kitniyot; some just allow rice, and some none at all. My family custom permits rice with the exception of the first Seder night. There is no generality except what the Talmud explicitly states what is chametz which we mentioned above. Therefore, when going to a kosher supermarket for Pesach shopping, look at labels and ingredients to be in accordance with you family traditions.
The most important advice is to follow one’s rich traditions and customs, as long as they don’t violate any Jewish law. Minhag avot (the custom of our fathers) is the leading indicator to proceed in various functions of every day Jewish life. It is vital to consult with a Rabbi who is well versed in Torah and is also familiar with your family traditions.

Watershed of Knowledge

August 27, 2013 Shavuot No comments

 

          The Torah which we received at Mount Sinai, and who’s giving/receiving we commemorate with the holiday of Shavuot this coming Tuesday night, is sometimes compared to water. There are various reasons given. I guess this is as good as any time to explore the obvious, why?

          There are many Jews all over the world that participate in daily learning sessions, whether on their lunch hour brake or after morning prayers etc. Some study on the subway while others read material on the Internet (like this wonderful publication) or hear Torah lectures online. Torah is everywhere.
          STUDYING TORAH IS HIP!!
          Torah has been around a long time. It’s like an everlasting battery- it goes on and on and on….
          Our Sages teach us that after a rain storm, if one notices, the fish float to the top of the pond or sea etc. As a matter of fact, the fishermen know this little fact and cleverly rush with their fishing gear right after a rainstorm, as that’s the best time to catch fish.
          Why do the fish ascend to the top?  Don’t they have enough water where they are? The reason for this phenomenon is that they crave the fresh rain water. All living beings have an attraction for new and fresh things.
          When my son was 3 years old, I witnessed him getting excited by his first time experiences, sometimes activities as simple as running in the back yard. I was reminded of when I was a kid and got excited by the same things. My heart would start to pump and this energetic rush would fill my entire body. Unfortunately, those feeling are very remote these days. Yeah, yeah life can be dull as one gets older. So many people try new things to spice up their lives. However, the reason why Torah is so successful throughout thousands of years is because the same subject or discussion can appeal to many people on different levels. That’s what makes it unique. One can always find a new creative thought on a story in the Chumash or a novel approach to a case in the Talmud. The freshness is electrifying. Creativity is an essential part of Torah. A new thought is exciting.
          This is the reason why Torah is compared to water. It’s our thirsty nature and our relentless desire to quench our souls with fresh water, a.k.a, a creative Torah thought.

The Greatest Scheme

August 27, 2013 Achdut- Unity, Jewish Values, Sensitivity To Others, Shavuot No comments

 

 

          Trying to make a buck was difficult in Israel, back in the mid/late seventies. Nevertheless, there were those who had very good mazal. For some, however, making a small profit wasn’t enough; they had their eyes on the “gold” and their ambition knew no boundaries. Such was the case of a young entrepreneur who conceived of the scheme of a life time. He wanted to import Italian shoes for ladies to Israel. There was, however, one major obstacle: the Israeli government had imposed very high tariffs. The government wanted Israel’s shoe industry to grow and therefor imposed pricey tariffs, thereby discouraging foreign imports.

          These Italian shoes were beautiful and very stylish. It was a sure bet and he anticipated making lots of money. The demand for these name brand shoes would be astronomical. So he devised a plan. What was it? 500 “right” shoes were to be sent to the port of Haifa and 500 left shoes were to be sent to the port of Netanya with the intention of not claiming them. After the 60 day period, they automatically get placed for auction as unclaimed merchandise. He then would be the only one “crazy” enough to claim them. WHO WOULD CLAIM 500 RIGHT SHOES?!!
          A few days later, he would claim the left shoes from the other port. His workers would then match them up and….WALLA…HE HAD ITALIAN SHOES AT A INCREDIBLE PRICE. The entrepreneur figured out how to avoid the high tariff.
          His scheme continued uninterrupted for a number of years. However, human weakness is inevitable. He began to be careless and brag about how he beat the system. As time passed, his story reached the wrong ears… and the incident prompted the government to act. A new system was implemented where all imports would be reported into a central system where they would check, compare, and examine all packages and claims. He eventually was caught.
          Although his scheme was not illegal, it wasn’t morally correct.
          During the 6 week period between the holidays of Pesach and Shevuot, we read Pirkai Avot with the goal of refining one’s character. The idea is to make one sensitive to his fellow man and his needs. This is also the reason why we count the Omer. Loving one’s friend is a prerequisite for receiving the Torah.
          Our sages teach us in Parshat Bereshit that on the first day G-d created the trees and all the minerals. When iron was created, though, the trees trembled in fear, anticipating that they would be cut down by it. G-d said to them “don’t worry, the iron ax which has a wooden handle, would never harm you if all the trees are united. Since if you all are united, the wooden handle would not participate and go against its own”.
          When the Israelites received the Torah, there was tremendous camaraderie and love among them. This is the frame of mind one should be in, approaching Matan Torah-the receiving of the Torah.
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