Rabbi's Weekly Message
Perashat Shelah
Friday, June 12, 2015The central topic of this week’s perasha is the episode of the scouts sent by Moshe Rabbenu to evaluate the Land of Canaan prior to its conquest by B’nei Yisrael. Following this episode, the Torah enumerates two missvot, that of the Nesakhim; the libations that accompanied the sacrifices in the Temple, and Hafrashat Hallah; setting aside a portion of one’s bread as a gift for the Kohanim. Our Hakhamim asked what is the connection between these seemingly unrelated missvot? Several of the commentators, among them Rashi and Ramban, point out that these missvot were given to the people of Israel in order to console them in the wake of the edict issued following the sin of the scouts and to reaffirm that Boreh Olam would eventually bring them to the Land of Israel. The Torah therefore, uses the expression, “when you shall enter the land,” with regard to these missvot in order to teach us that they did not apply in the wilderness, but their obligation began only once they entered the land. ...
Read more...Perashat Beha'alotekha
Friday, June 05, 2015We all have heard the phrase “Leaders Come, Leaders Go”. It insinuates that leaders are expendable and replaceable. We have seen throughout history, although, all leaders come and go and most leaders are expendables, however only a few are replaceable. In Perashat Beha’alotekha, Moshe Rabbenu, after facing a group of complainers about their dissatisfaction with the Manna demanding meat and vegetables, appears to be in despair to the point of wanting to resign from his assignment of leading the Israelites to the Promised Land. ...
Read more...Perashat Naso
Friday, May 29, 2015We all know of the concept of being a “copy cat”. If we try to remember the many times somebody tried to copy us or we tried to copy them, we can go back to our days of childhood. When we played with a toy, our friend wanted to play exactly with that same toy. In school, when we received a good grade on a project, our friend wanted to do the same project to receive a good grade as well. As teenagers, when we bought certain clothing or a special car, again our friend wanted to copy us and buy the same thing. Even as adults, when we start a business and we are successful with certain customers, our friend will start a similar business and tries to copy us and take our customers away (mind you, they call that competition!).This is the story of humanity; one person tries to copy, duplicate or imitate others. ...
Read more...Perashat Bamidbar
Friday, May 22, 2015As the traditional Summer season begins this Memorial Day Weekend, it is also a time of year very special to us as Jews. We celebrate three beginnings on these days: The new Month of Sivan, the Holiday of Shabuot, and the beginning of the fourth Book of the Torah – Bamidbar We celebrated Rosh Hodesh Sivan - the new month of Sivan this week, representing the renewal of the moon cycle. The Jewish nation has been likened to the Moon cycle as it waxes and wanes during its life cycle. So too the Jewish Nation throughout history has had its ups and downs; at times we have been strong, and at other times we have been weak and persecuted. Through it all, we remain a proud nation with the blessings of Hashem. ...
Read more...Perashat Behar-Behukotay
Friday, May 15, 2015Among the missvot found in Perashat Behar, is the missva of Shemittah, the Sabbatical year. During the Shemittah year, the farmer has to give up ownership of his field and whatever produce grows is hefker, or free for the taking. A number of commentators explain that the reason behind this missva is so that we will come to recognize that Boreh Olam is really the true owner of all our possessions. ...
Read more...Perashat Emor
Friday, May 08, 2015Every faith has its own calendar and a cycle of holidays attached to it. Usually, the most prominent personalities involved in the observance and ceremonial part of the holiday are the Priests – Kohanim. This week’s Perasha begins speaking about the Kohanim and their special status among our People. Even their personal lives are meticulously regulated. As the Perasha concludes the admonition to the Kohanim, it moves into the topic of the Holidays and their ceremony. It outlines the details and practices of our major Holidays. ...
Read more...Perashat Ahare Mot-Kedoshim
Friday, May 01, 2015This week we read two perashiyot, Ahare Mot and Kedoshim. In both perashiyot the Torah gives differing perspectives regarding the observance of the missvot, the commandments. In perashat Ahare Mot, we are commanded not only to observe the missvot, but to actually, “live through them” – “ve’hai bahem” (Vayikra 18:5) Ramban (18:4) explains that these words provide us with a great insight as to how we should perform the missvot: the more we live to do missvot, the more the missvot will give us life. He goes on to describe four levels of missva observance. ...
Read more...Perashat Tazria-Messora
Friday, April 24, 2015Jewish Tradition does not believe in coincidence. We believe that every event and its timing has a meaning. Of course, most of the time we are not able to understand the relationship of different events happening either together or around the same time. Instead, we attempt to explain the juxtaposition of events based on our own humble understanding; not necessarily based on G-d’s understanding.Perashat Tazria-Messora almost invariably falls around the Israel Independence Day Celebrations. What is the connection between the Perasha and the celebrations? ...
Read more...Perashat Shemini
Friday, April 17, 2015Tragedies, unfortunately, abound. We hear and read on a daily basis about tragedies that we can’t explain or even understand. We turn our thoughts and prayers to the A-mighty in bewilderment in an attempt at finding a justification of the events and the reasoning behind them. Of course, we rarely receive an explanation or an understanding, since G-d does not have to give us any explanations of His actions. Our intellectual ability is very far from understanding G-d’s actions. ...
Read more...Perashat Sav - Shabbat HaGadol
Friday, March 27, 2015We always speak of the Jewish Spirit, the Jewish Soul, that burning fire that has kept us throughout the millennia. Whenever we meet a Jew, wherever we are in the world and without knowing him or her, there is an immediate connection, a sense of kinship, and a sense of oneness. This Shabbat, known as Shabbat HaGadol, marks the day of that first Shabbat that the Israelites in Egypt celebrated their first Shabbat as a free people. In a sense of defiance against their Egyptian taskmasters and enslavers, they took a lamb representing a deity of the Egyptians and tied it. ...
Read more...Apr 23 2024
Nisan 15 5784