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Rabbi's Weekly Message

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Perashat Vayikra

Friday, March 20, 2015 Author: Rabbi Daniel Greenwald

This week, we begin reading the Book of Vayikra, which opens with the laws of the korbanot, the various sacrifices that constituted the bulk of the Divine service, first in the Mishkan, the Tabernacle, and later on in the Bet HaMikdash, the Temple. Most of these were animal sacrifices, which gives rise to the famous question, why did Boreh Olam command us to bring animal sacrifices? Rabbi Yehuda Henkin refers to the two famous approaches of Maimonides (Ha-Rambam) and Nahmanides (Ramban). Maimonides writes in his ‘Guide for the Perplexed’ [3:32] that ancient man was used to bringing sacrifices to pagan deities, so rather than stop this practice altogether, G-d redirected this practice to His own worship in order that we not sacrifice to foreign gods. ...

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Perashat Vayakhel-Pikudei

Friday, March 13, 2015 Author: Rabbi Daniel Greenwald

In this week's perasha the Torah recounts the response of B'nei Yisrael to Moshe's appeal for donations towards the construction of the Mishkan, the Tabernacle. וַיָּבֹאוּ כָּל-אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר-נְשָׂאוֹ לִבּוֹ וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר נָדְבָה רוּחוֹ אֹתוֹ, הֵבִיאוּ אֶת-תְּרוּמַת ה' לִמְלֶאכֶת אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וּלְכָל-עֲבֹדָתוֹ, וּלְבִגְדֵי, הַקֹּדֶשׁ. - "And each person whose heart raised him up, and whose spirit caused him to donate, brought a donation of G-d for the work of the Tent of Meeting and for all its service, and for the holy garments." (Shemot 35:21). The commentators elaborate upon the double-expression, "whose heart raised him up, and whose spirit caused him to donate," noting that this is an obvious reference to two types of donors. If so, what was the difference between them? ...

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Perashat Ki Tissa

Friday, March 06, 2015 Author: Rabbi Daniel Greenwald

Much ado has been made over the past few years about the "one-percent" population in this country - those who are literally rich beyond measure. Many politicians have raised a hue and a cry over the fact that the rich are a privileged class and are recipients of disproportional benefits due to their economic station in society. This week's perasha discusses the missva of bringing the half-Shekel; a missva that applies equally to everyone - rich and poor alike. Among the many reasons offered for the contribution of the half-Shekel was that it served as a "kappara" - an atonement for sin. The Torah instructs us that, "The rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less than the half-Shekel to provide atonement for your souls." [Shemot 30:15] ...

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Perashat Tessaveh

Friday, February 27, 2015 Author: Rabbi Elie Abadie

It is said: "the wishes of a righteous person come true". It is for this reason that people tend to go to Rabbis and Sages for blessings hoping that their wishes will come true. In Perashat Tessave, we do not see the name of Moshe mentioned at all. From the moment Moshe is introduced to us in Perashat Shemot until the end of the Torah, there is no Perasha that does not have Moshe's name mentioned, except Perashat Tessaveh. The Commentary on the Torah explains that this Perasha occurred after the Golden Calf episode, where G-d had wanted to obliterate the people for their grave transgression. Moshe while defending the people argues with G-d, that if G-d so wishes to obliterate the people, then Moshe wants to be obliterated with them from G-d's book. In deference of Moshe's wish as a righteous person, his name was not mentioned in Perashat Tessaveh. ...

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Perashat Terumah

Friday, February 20, 2015 Author: Rabbi Daniel Greenwald

This week’s perasha discusses the construction of the various vessels used in the Mishkan – the Tabernacle. Among these vessels was the aron – the ark, which housed the stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments. Our sages teach us that the ark fashioned by Besalel, the designer-in-chief of the Mishkan, was made of gold and wood. The ark was a wooden box on the inside, covered with gold on the outside. (Rashi, Shemot 25:11, Yoma 72). Why was the ark constructed in such a manner? From the biblical account we know that there was no shortage of gold in the desert. Would it not have been more befitting for the Ten Commandments to be housed in a pure gold box? Why then, did Besalel make the ark of both materials - wood and gold? ...

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Perashat Mishpatim

Friday, February 13, 2015 Author: Rabbi Daniel Greenwald

Buried in the midst of this week’s perasha is a well-known, if not well-observed imperative: מדבר שקר תרחק – “Keep your distance from a false matter” (Shemot 23:7). Simply put, don’t lie; be honest! Yet, one of problems impacting today’s society is lying and dishonesty. Deception is rampant – and sometimes we even tell the biggest lies to those we love most. The sorrowful state of lying in human behavior has been characterized by Leonard Saxe, Ph.D., a polygraph expert and professor of psychology at Brandeis University, who admits that, "Lying has long been a part of everyday life. We couldn't get through the day without being deceptive." ...

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Perashat Yitro

Friday, February 06, 2015 Author: Rabbi Elie Abadie

Much has been written, spoken and argued about the Ten Commandments throughout history. Even Hollywood had its share of films dealing with the Ten Commandments. The latest one “Exodus: Gods and Kings” can’t quite live up to its classic source material. As one critic said “If you re going to make a movie about a religious story then you cannot avoid the religion pat of it. If you don’t believe the story, perhaps you shouldn’t make the movie” There have been several landmark decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the constitutionality of having the Ten Commandments displayed on public or governmental property. Our Sages in the Talmud and later on in history have argued over the number of the Ten Commandments; were they really 10, 11 or 12 commandments in the Scriptures? Were they all commandments, or can we say that the first two were just statements of faith? ...

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Perashat Beshalah

Friday, January 30, 2015 Author: Rabbi Elie Abadie

In this week’s Perasha we are witness to one of the greatest miracles of all time, the parting of the Red Sea, and the demise of the Egyptian army. The event was so inspiring that it led to the famous song known as Shirat HaYam – The Song at the Sea. Moshe, as he was composing the Song, utilized the word –אז’Az’ at the beginning, which means “then”. He figured that when he complained to G-d when he went to Pharaoh and Pharaoh didn’t let go of the Israelites, Moshe said :UmeAz – ומאז, “and from then” referring that from the moment when he went to Pharaoh it became worse for Bene Israel than better. Moshe wanted to praise the A-mighty with the same word that he complained, therefore correcting his mistake in complaining. The Az became the beginning of one of the most beautiful songs of praise to G-d. ...

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Perashat Bo

Friday, January 23, 2015 Author: Rabbi Elie Abadie

After a devastating series of seven plagues that concluded last week’s Perasha, three more are to come in this week’s Perashat Bo. The last three plagues that came upon Egypt were even of greater import and devastation that overwhelmed Pharaoh to the point of expelling the Israelites from Egypt as G-d had originally assured Moshe. Where these last three plagues necessary? Weren’t the last seven distressing enough that brought Pharaoh to say “I have sinned now?” – In a sense he acknowledged his transgressions. That should have been enough for Pharaoh to let the Israelite leave! ...

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Perashat Va'Era

Friday, January 16, 2015 Author: Rabbi Elie Abadie

How often do we find ourselves not admitting to a mistake unless we are shown definitive evidence? It is human nature to believe one is “in the right”, as long as there is nothing or no one to show us we are acting to the contrary. And even then, human stubbornness can sometimes be strong enough to reject any proof brought to us. This is especially true when the proof is of a Divine Providence. When we disagree on a word, we look in the dictionary. When we disagree on a fact, we look in an encyclopedia. But what happens when we disagree on a behavior? Do we look in a book of etiquette? Or what about if we disagree on a belief, or issues of faith? Do we look in the Torah, or in a book of the Sages, or even ask a Rabbi? And even if we do ask a Rabbi, we are often challenged that he is not the Rabbi that the other person respects or trusts! Would a sign from Heaven suffice? Or, do we need G-d Himself to come and tell us? ...

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