Dear Friends;

I hope that you will enjoy the following Parsha summary followed by a Dvar Torah on Chag HaPesach;

” Parsha in a Nutshell ”

G-d instructs Moshe to command Aaron and his sons regarding their duties and rights as kohanim (“priests”) who offer the korbanot (animal and meal offerings) in the Sanctuary.

The fire on the Altar must be kept burning at all times. In it are burned and consumed all kinds of offerings; peace, sin and guilt, and meal offerings. The kohanim eat the meat of the sin and guilt offerings, and the remainder of the meal offering. The peace offering is eaten by the one who brought it, except for specified portions given to the kohen. The holy meat of the offerings must be eaten by ritually pure persons, in their designated holy place and within their specified time.

Aaron and his sons remain within the Sanctuary compound for seven days, during which Moshe prepares them into the priesthood.

” Dvar Torah on Chag HaPesach ”

Out of all the Jewish Holidays marked on the calendar, preparation for Passover is by far the most difficult and time consuming!. And most of the time spent on the preparation goes to getting rid of the “Chametz”. In the Torah, it is mentioned that during the entire Pesach Holiday you shall not eat Chametz, you shall not see Chametz in your possession, you shall not own Chametz and you shall not benefit from it either. So what is this “Chametz” thing that all the fuss is all about? Well, Chametz is a product that is made from one of five types of grains (wheat, barley, spelt, rye and oats), that has been in contact with water and left to stand raw for longer than eighteen minutes. After the 18 minutes, the water makes the grain to rise which makes it into Chametz. So any product which contains any of these grains which hasn’t been supervised through its entire process by an orthodox authority is considered to be Chametz, since there is no proof if they were in contact with any water or not. A single drop of water or even a moist weather can make a grain Chametz. The punishment mentioned in the Torah for not getting rid of your Chametz is “Karet” (spiritual elimination), one of the highest levels of punishment in Jewish tradition.

So, the women of the household, start the Chametz cleaning process from weeks, even months before Pesach. They clean everywhere. From the Garage all the way to the basement. Shelves, cupboards, closets, inside the couches, under the mattresses and behind the armors are all being cleaned. Refrigerators, freezers, stoves and ovens are thoroughly cleaned and become Chametz free. They clean every hole and crack in the house, making sure that no remnant of chametz is left. And after all of these cleaning, just to be on the safe side, we nullify any remaining Chametz in our possession as ownerless and to be considered as the dust of the earth.

Wow, apparently, we take this “Chametz” thing very seriously! For no other mitzvah do we put in so much time and effort! We really go out of our ways to get rid of “Chametz”!

But, after all these cleaning, the Chachamim say that we are still not completely Chametz free!! There is still one more Chametz left that we need to get rid of?!

With all due respect to our sages, but come on now!! Why don’t you give us a break?! After six months of hard labor, working our butts off, you are telling us that we are not done yet?! What on earth is still left to clean?!

Well the Chachamim say that there is also another Chametz which is inside us. It is called the “spiritual” Chametz. This Chametz which is inside our body and soul is the ego, the pride and the haughtiness in everyone of us, known as “Ga-avah”. You see, Chametz is a grain that when it comes into contact with moist, it rises and puffs up. The same way, when we have pride in ourselves and become haughty, we also “puff up” so to speak. “Chafetz Chaim” says that for Pesach, it’s not enough to just get rid of the physical Chametz; we need to get rid of the spiritual Chametz too. Pesach is the time to remember that Hashem freed every Jew from slavery regardless of their physical, social or financial status. Everyone was treated the same. Accordingly, this is the right time to get ride of all the extra pride and ego that we might have in ourselves thinking that we might be better than others. We should realize that we are all Hashem’s children and we should not feel any superiority over our brothers. Remember that Moshe, the greatest prophet of all times was also the most humble person on the face of the earth. He never took pride in what he did! He considered himself like every other Jew, which was to be a servant of Hashem. So, if we spend so much time to get rid of all the Chametz in our possessions, let us not forget to search inside our souls and get rid of all the Chametz inside there too!

Yes my friends, Pesach is the time to get rid of ALL the Chametz around us, both inside and outside. It’s the time to clean ourselves inside out and start a fresh new life. Chag HaPesach also known as Chag HaAviv is the Festival of spring when the flowers and the trees start a new life, the birds start singing again and the sky becomes more blue. It’s time for love and renewal of friendships. No more having pride, no more hatred, no more jealousy and no more holding a grudge. Pesach is the time to reunite with our families and celebrate this Festival together. Remember that Pesach can not be celebrated individually, but it can only be celebrated in groups. While “Ga-avah” brings separation, Pesach on the other hand, brings friendship and unity. So enjoy this year’s Pesach with your family and friends and make sure you are Chametz free all over. Because only then you’ll find the true love and respect for your fellow human beings!

At this time, I would like to take this opportunity and wish you all, Happy and Kosher Passover. I hope that you’ll enjoy this fabulous Holiday together with your families. Although the message of Chametz is to not take pride in what we’ve done, but there is nothing wrong with praising others for what they’ve done! Accordingly, I would like to give a special thanks to my wife and all the ladies who have worked so hard to make this Holiday so special and Chametz free for us all. We raise our hats to you all!

Shabath Shalom, Chag Sameach, and Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

I hope that you will enjoy the following Parsha summary followed by a Dvar Torah;

” Parsha in a Nutshell ”

Parashat Vayikra begins with Hashem calling Moshe into the Mishkan where he will be taught many mitzvot, to be ultimately passed on to the Jewish people. The first half of the parsha describes the various “optional” korbanot (sacrifices) brought by individuals. They consist of the following: the korban olah (elevation offering) which is completely consumed on the altar; the korban minchah (meal offering) which, because of its inexpensive contents, is usually brought by someone of modest means; and the korban shelamim (peace offering) partially burned on the altar, with the remainder divided between the owners and the Kohanim.

The second half of the portion discusses the “required” chatat (sin) and asham (guilt) offerings to be brought in atonement for unintentional transgressions.
The sin offering is brought to atone for transgressions committed negligently by the High Priest, the entire community, the king, or the ordinary Jew.
The “guilt offering” is brought by one who is in doubt as to whether he transgressed a divine prohibition, or who has committed a “betrayal against G-d” by swearing falsely to defraud a fellow man.

” Dvar Torah ”

The main topic of discussion in this week’s parsha and the next few parashiot are the laws of sacrifices that the people used to bring to the “Mishkan” or the “Beith Hamikdash” once it was built. The Torah describes in great detail the different kinds of sacrifices. The elevation offering, the meal offering, the peace offering, the sin offering and the guilt offering. The objects that were brought for sacrifices included cattle, sheep, turtledove and fine flour. The highest form of sacrificing was slaughtering an animal. The purpose of sacrificing was mainly to atone for sins. When an animal was slaughtered, its blood had to be sprinkled on the Altar. Sacrifices had to be brought even if the High Priest sinned, if the King sinned and if the entire nation sinned.

Well, for most of us, the idea of sacrificing is very hard to understand. Why should killing of an animal be an atonement for a sin? Why does Hashem need sacrifices? And why does the Torah elaborate so much about sacrificing? Our Torah which is so careful with the use of words, dedicates nearly an entire book to sacrifices?! The mystery of “sacrificing” still bothers the commentators to this very day. Many Chachamim believe that the concept of sacrificing is beyond our understanding, but surprisingly, some Chachamim give a perfect explanation to the reason behind “sacrifices”, which I would like to share one with you.

The word “sacrifice” in Hebrew is called “Korban”, which comes from the same root as the word “Karov – to come close”. The whole idea of sacrificing is that when we do a sin, Hashem doesn’t want us to run away! On the contrary, He wants us to come close to him! Hashem is ready to forgive us, but he wants us to come close and ask for forgiveness. And sacrificing was the mean to come to the Temple and get close to the Almighty. Hashem does not need our sacrifices, but when we offer a sacrifice and we see that its been accepted by Him, we feel the satisfaction that we’ve been pardoned. The actual act of slaughtering an animal was not the atonement for the sin, but the whole idea of coming close to Hashem was! The Torah is teaching us that you can not ask for forgiveness from far; you have to be close, be sincere and be ready to sacrifice!

Yes my friends, the whole concept of sacrificing was to bring us close to the Almighty. Hashem wants to be close to us and wants us to make Him part of our lives. He wants us to come to his Sanctuary and talk to him as much as we can. In the times when the Beith Hamikdash was still erected, every Jew had to bring a sacrifice to Temple on the three High Festivals of Sukkot, Pesach and Shavuot. Again, not because Hashem needed our sacrifices, but because He wanted to see everyone on the joyous Holidays. Hashem wants to be with us in our happy and sad occasions. Hashem loves us and wants to be with us at all times, so let’s not lock Him out of our lives!

Although we don’t have our Temple and sacrifice ceremonies anymore, but we have our Kanissas and our daily prayers. Let us go to our Kanissa as much as we can and let us show some enthusiasm that we want to be with Hashem as much as He wants to be with us!

Shabbat Shalom & Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

I hope that you will enjoy the following Parashiot summaries followed by a Dvar Torah;

” Parashat Vayakhel in a Nutshell ”

Moshe advices Benei Israel to keep Shabbat once again, and requests donations for the materials for making the Mishkan–portable Sanctuary for G-d. He collects gold, silver, precious stones, skins and yarn, as well as incense and olive oil for the Menorah and for anointing. The princes of each tribe bring the precious stones for the Kohen Gadol’s breastplate and ephod- an apronlike vestment worn just underneath the breastplate.

G-d appoints Bezalel and Oholiav as the master craftsmen. Benei Israel contribute so much that Moshe begins to refuse donations. Special curtains with two different covers were designed for the Mishkan’s roof and door. Gold-covered boards in silver formed the Mishkan’s walls. Bezalel made the Holy Ark from wood covered with gold. On the Ark’s cover were two figures facing each other (Cherubim). The Menorah and the Table were also of gold. Two altars were made: a small incense altar of wood overlaid with gold, and a larger altar for sacrifices made of wood covered with copper.

” Parashat Pekudei in a Nutshell ”

After finishing all the different parts, vessels and garments used in the Mishkan, Moshe gives a complete accounting and enumeration of all the contributions and of the various clothing and vessels which had been made.

Benei Israel bring everything to Moshe. He inspects the handiwork and notes that everything was made according to G-d’s specifications. Moshe blesses the people. G-d speaks to Moshe and tells him that the Mishkan should be set up on the first day of the month of Nissan. He also tells Moshe the order of assembly for the Mishkan and its vessels. Moshe does everything in the prescribed manner. When the Mishkan is finally complete with every vessel in its place, a cloud descends upon it, indicating that G-d’s glory was resting there. Whenever the cloud moved away from the Mishkan, Benei Israel would follow it. At night the cloud was replaced by a pillar of fire.

” Dvar Torah ”

Building a Sanctuary for G-d is a very difficult task, but getting the people to donate for the cause is even more difficult! That, however, was not the case concerning the Mishkan — G-d’s mobile sanctuary in the desert. The Torah in this week’s parsha tells us that EVERYONE contributed to the cause. Men and women brought gold and silver. They brought personal items and family items. Copper mirrors were donated as well as bracelets, bangles and baubles. Those who had wool and linen came and those who had dyes donated.

The Torah triumphantly declares the generosity of the donors by announcing that the people brought more than enough contributions than were asked for by Hashem. But the wording that the Torah uses is a little ambiguous. The expression that the Torah uses is: “There was enough for the completion of the task, and there was extra,”!! If it was enough, how could there be extra?? Instead, It should have said “people brought MORE than enough….”!! Why does the Torah twists the words in order to create confusion? Does Hashem like to play with words, the same way as I do, or is there a deeper meaning to it?

The Chachamim give the following explanation: The people knew exactly how much to bring for the completion of the task, but they wanted to do more! Their love for building the Mishkan was so great that to just do what they were suppose to do wasn’t enough; they wanted to do extra!! And each and everyone did extra!!

But, before the pledges began arriving, the Nesseim (the Princes of the tribes) were so confident that the goals would not be met, that they pledged to fill the gap of any missing funds. They were shocked to learn that there was almost nothing for them to contribute! So much of every item was donated that an announcement was made, ordering the entire nation to halt their generosity. (It may have been the first and last of its kind!!)

According to Rashi, the Torah was not happy with the Princes’ offer. But you may ask yourself, what was wrong with their offer? If one were to question any fund-raiser as to whether he would be pleased or displeased to receive an offer such as the one made by the Princes, undoubtedly he would be thrilled with the offer. He would certainly jump at the opportunity to have someone guarantee any shortfall that remained after the collection effort was concluded. Yet, the Torah was upset at the attitude of the Princes. Their pledge may have been a great idea, financially, but donation-wise, it was a horrible concept. What were they thinking when they raised the issue that the Mishkan is going to have a ‘deficit’? Did they think that the Mishkan might not be built without their coming to the rescue? That was a wrong way of thinking. G-d has no deficits! G-d did not need their help to build the Mishkan. If the Princes wanted a portion of merit in the building the Mishkan, they should have enthusiastically offered their donations right at the beginning just like the rest of the nation. Unfortunately, they waited until it was too late!

Yes my friends, when it comes to donating to a sanctuary, the Torah is teaching us not to put conditions on our pledges. There should not be any “ifs” or “buts” when you want to make a pledge. When you want to make a donation to a house of G-d, you should do it for the love of G-d and not because you want to do them a favor. Remember that G-d has no deficits! When you are donating, you are not actually giving, but rather, you are gaining a lot more for yourself. Because G-d rewards everyone who helps to build a resting place for Him. So don’t feel proud when you make a donation to the house of G-d, but rather, feel honored that you have the privilege to be part of this great cause!

The Princes of the tribes missed the opportunity to donate to the Mishkan because they thought that donation is an act of giving rather than taking! Let us not repeat the same mistake. Let us be the first to make a donation and not the last, so that we don’t miss to be part of this great mitzvah!

Shabbat Shalom & Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

I hope that you will enjoy the following Parsha summary followed by a Dvar Torah;

” Parsha in a Nutshell ”

The people of Israel are told to each contribute exactly half a shekel of silver to the Sanctuary. Instructions are also given regarding the making of the Sanctuary’s water-basin, anointing oil and incense. The people are once again commanded to keep the Shabbat.

When Mohe does not return when expected from Mount Sinai, the people make a Golden Calf and worship it. G-d proposes to destroy the sinful nation, but Moshe intercedes on their behalf. Moshe descends from the mountain carrying the Tablets of stones engraved with the Ten Commandments. Seeing the people dancing around their idol, he breaks the Tablets, destroys the Golden Calf and has the primary culprits put to death. He then returns to G-d to say: “If You do not forgive them, blot me out from the book that You have written.” G-d forgives, but says that the effect of their sin will be felt for many generations. .

Moshe prepares a new set of tablets and once more ascends the mountain, where G-d reinscribes the ten commandments on these Second Tablets. On the mountain Moshe is also granted a vision of G-d’s glory! So radiant is Moses’ face upon his return, that he must cover it with a veil, which he removes only to speak with G-d and to teach His laws to the people.

” Dvar Torah ”

In this week’s parsha, we read the shocking story of the “Golden Calf”. Well, the story goes as follows. After the Benei Yisrael heard the voice of G-d declaring the ten commandments by Mount Sinai, Moshe ascends the mountain once again for 40 days, in order to learn the entire Torah and to bring down the two tablets of stones which would have the ten commandments inscribed on them. The people miscalculated somehow and they thought that the 40 days are over and Moshe is not back yet. So, they reasoned that he must have died by now. Without hesitation, the Benei Yisrael gathered their gold and brought it up to Aaron and asked/forced him to make them an object so that they can worship! Aaron throws all the gold in a fire furnace and miraculously a Golden Calf pops out. People start rejoicing around the Calf and start bringing sacrifices. Hashem tells Moshe to go down since the people have sinned a great deal. Moshe comes down, brakes the tablets, burns the Golden Calf and kills the culprits. Hashem was so mad at the people that He decided to destroy the entire nation and make a new one out of Moshe. But, Moshe intervenes and pleas to Hashem to forgive the nation. After 40 days, Moshe’s plead is finally accepted by Hashem and He forgives the nation….

Well, after learning about this disturbing episode, a few questions comes to mind. First of all, why did the Benei Yisrael astray so fast? Even if they had miscalculated Moshe’s return, why did they want to replace him immediately? Second of all, if they wanted to replace Moshe, why did the people ask Aaron to make them a “G-d” so that they can worship? Did they want a replacement for Moshe or for G-d? And finally, why was Hashem so angry at the nation that He wanted to destroy them all? The Chachamim say that they were only 3000 people out the 3,000,000 who participated in the act of idolatry and only a hand full of people who brought sacrifices for the Calf. So, why did Hashem want to punish the entire nation for the sin of the minority? We are talking about the same compassionate G-d who was ready to forgive the sin of ALL the inhabitants of the cities of “Sedom and Gemara” for the sake of ten righteous people, if found. So why in this case, Hashem could not forgive the sin of a few for the sake of the majority?

Well, Rabbi Kamanetsky has the following insight that I think would answer most of the above questions. The Benei Yisrael’s biggest sin was that they could not comprehend to the idea of having ONE “invisible” G-d! They wanted a tangible G-d! They wanted a G-d to talk to and get a response immediately; they wanted a G-d to complain to; they wanted a G-d to tell them what to do everyday and every night; they wanted a G-d to be a Judge to them whenever they have a dispute between each other; they wanted a G-d that with His stick, He could hit the water and split the sea and He could hit the rock and make water to come out!!
So, to them, unfortunately, Moshe was not just their leader; he was like a G-d to them!! That’s why when they saw that Moshe didn’t come back from the mountain after 40 days, they
panicked and immediately went to Aaron and told him: “make us a G-d, so that we can serve him”! They didn’t want a replacement for the Almighty; they wanted a replacement for their G-d, “Moshe”!!
When Moshe was at the top of the mountain and the Benei Yisrael made the Golden Calf, Hashem tells him: ” Go down – for YOUR people that YOU brought up from the land of Egypt has become corrupt…”! Hashem was being sarcastic!! Hashem was telling Moshe, that these people that they think it was “YOU” who brought them out of Egypt, have become corrupt; now, YOU go and fix it!!!! So, Hashem was not mad at the “whole congregation” for the sin of a few committing idolatry! He was mad at them, because after all these miracles that he had performed for them, majority of the Benei Israel still didn’t see him as their true and only G-d!! They believed in Moshe more than they believed in Him! And that was their ultimate sin that bothered Hashem so much!!

Yes my friends, in every generation, we have great Leaders and great Rabbis. We sometimes get so mesmerized by their words and their actions that we tend to forget about the Almighty and we start worshiping them instead. In times of distress and misfortune, we sometimes travel hundreds or even thousands of miles to see a distinguished Rabbi in order to get a blessing and ask them to perform a miracle. But we have to remember that all the blessings comes from the heaven above. They have no power to perform miracles, either. All the miracles are performed by Hashem ONLY. Yes, these Rabbis can help our prayers to get through to Hashem a little faster, but ultimately it’s Hashem who has to answer our prayers! So, let us not loose focus of who is G-d and who is the servant of G-d!

My friends, we have a G-d who is invisible. Although we cannot see him, but he can see us; Although we cannot hear him, but he can hear us; Although we cannot touch Him, but he is in touch with us; And although we might not know how to love him, but He still loves us.

Our G-d is a compassionate G-d, who is slow to anger, and abundant in kindness and truth! He will perform miracles for us, he will carry us on his shoulders, he will listen to our prayers and he will shower us with all kinds of blessings. And in return all He asks for is to “believe” in him! Do you think this is too much to ask for?

Shabath Shalom and Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

I hope that you will enjoy the following Parsha summary followed by a Dvar Torah;

” Parsha in a Nutshell ”

G-d tells Moshe to command the Jewish People to supply pure olive oil for the menorah in the Mishkan(Tent of Meeting). He also tells Moshe to organize the making of the bigdei kehuna(priestly garments): A breastplate, an ephod, a robe, a checkered tunic, a turban, a sash, a forehead-plate, and linen trousers. Upon their completion, Moshe is to perform a ceremony for seven days to consecrate Aharon and his sons. This includes offering sacrifices, dressing Aharon and his sons in their respective garments, and anointing Aharon with oil. G-d commands that every morning and afternoon a sheep be offered on the altar in the Mishkan. G-d commands that an altar for incense be built from acacia wood and covered with gold. Aharon and his descendants should burn incense on this altar every day.

” Dvar Torah ”

“Clothes”, they say, ” makes the man”! They cover our body but reveal our soul! They enhance our character, beautify our body, camouflage our deficiencies, and even tailor us to a whole new identity. Jobs have been won and lost, relationships have established and ended, all based on the clothes they wear. From a nurse’s outfit to a soldier’s uniform, from the Chassid’s long black coat to the bride’s long white dress; clothes play an important role in people’s character and identity.

In this week’s Parsha, the Torah also talks about the importance of “clothes” and the purpose of wearing them. It discusses the priestly garments worn in the Temple by both the common kohen (priest) and the Kohen Gadol (High Priest), but the main topic of discussion is about the clothes worn by the High Priest. The garments of the High Priest consisted of eight different vestments and were very complex. They needed highly skilled artisans to make them. They included, among others, a jewel-studded breastplate, a honeycomb-woven tunic, an apron-like garment and a specially designed overcoat that was adorned with gold bells and woven pomegranates. The Kohen Gadol wore these clothes once a year to perform the Yom Kippur services for the entire congregation. With all these glamorous clothing, he had to enter the “Holy of the Holies”, which is the holiest place in the Temple that no one else was ever allowed to enter.

And the Torah gives us the following reason for all these glamorous and expensive garments worn by the Kohen Gadol: “And you shall make garments of sanctity for Aaron your brother, for honor and for glory.”

Wow, did I understand this correctly? The clothes that was worn by the Highest Priest on the holiest day of the year, in the holiest place on earth, was for prestige and self-respect?! Doesn’t Judaism, particularly in a ritual sense, usually focus on the inner qualities and promote humility, rather than to encourage glory and splendor?! Shouldn’t the Torah at least say that these clothes were to bring holiness to the Kohen and the entire congregation?

Rabbi Kamenetzky gives the following interesting explanation: The glory and splendor actually helped the Kohen Gadol to feel the holiness! When the Kohen Gadol wore these beautiful and glamorous clothes, he felt the importance of his job and he stood up to his task. By dressing in special garments, the High Priest is constantly reminded of his special role, and the sanctity of his calling. The glorious garments makes the High Priest realize that he is standing on holy grounds and he should act accordingly!

But the Kohen has to remember that all the glamour and the attention that he gets is not for his own honor, but rather, its all for honoring the Almighty. As later on in the Parsha, Hashem says to Moshe, “You shall speak to the wise-hearted people whom I have invested a spirit of wisdom with them, to make for them holy vestments to sanctify and minister for ME.”!!! Which means that all the glory and splendor is ultimately for honoring the Almighty and not the Kohen Gadol.

Yes my friends, clothes may or may not make the man, but it sure makes him stand up to his task. A surgeon wearing a surgical outfit, when entering the operating room realizes the importance of his job and understands that a person’s life is depended on him. A Chassid wearing his long black outfit when goes out to the streets realizes that he’s been looked upon as G-d’s Chosen people and needs to act accordingly. The nine US Supreme Court judges wearing their black ropes, sitting in plush leather seats, are constantly reminded that they are presiding over the highest court in the land and they have to make extremely important decisions. And the bride wearing her white dress standing next to her groom under the Chupah, realizes how important of a commitment she is about to make and vows to try her best to make this union work, till death do them apart!

So my friends, when you go to Kanissas on Shabbats, put on your best clothes, because it will help you feel the sanctity of the day and the holiness of Shabbat. Yes, we do put on our best clothes for honor and glory, but we have to constantly remind ourselves that we are not honoring ourselves, but rather, we are honoring the G-d Almighty. When we enter a G-d’s sanctuary, we also have to remember that it’s a holy place and although we are encouraged to wear our best clothes, we still have to dress modestly since it’s a house of G-d. If the Kohen Gadol can wear eight layers of clothing when entering the “Holy of the Holies”, we should at least be able to wear a layer or two of modest clothing when we enter a Holy Sanctuary!

Unlike the western society which believes that the body is part of nature’s beauty, with slogans such as — If you have a nice body, why not show it off to everybody?–, we think of it as more of a holy entity, which has to be covered in modesty and respect, and with glory and splendor! When the rest of the world think of “clothes” as a tool to enhance their bodies, we, the Children of G-d, think of it as a tool to enhance our souls!

Shabath Shalom, Purim Sameach and Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

I hope that you will enjoy the following Parsha summary followed by a Dvar Torah;

” Parsha in a Nutshell ”

G-d commands Moshe to build a Mishkan (Sanctuary) which would serve as a “resting place” for Hashem’s presence amongst the Jewish people.
The Children of Israel are asked to contribute precious metals and stones, fabrics, skins, oil and spices. In the Mishkan’s outer courtyard are an altar for the offerings and a basin to wash these sacrifices. The Tent of Meeting is divided by a curtain into two chambers. The outer chamber is accessible only to the kohanim. It contains the table of showbreads (the 12 loaves of bread placed every Sabbath on a table as an offering by the priests to God), the menorah, and the golden altar for incense. The innermost chamber, the Holy of Holies, may be entered only by the Kohen Gadol, and only once a year, on Yom Kippur. In this section, the Ark is held which contains the Ten Commandments inscribed on the two tablets of stone that G-d gave to the Jewish nation on Mount Sinai.
All of the utensils and vessels, as well as the construction of the Mishkan, are described in great detail.

” Dvar Torah ”

“Mishkan”, G-d’s mobile sanctuary, is the main topic of discussion in this week’s Parsha and the following four Parashiot. The Torah describes in great details the way it was built, the way each vessel was made and the exact location of each object. The materials used in the Mishkan were of the finest quality; pure Gold, finest cloth for the curtains, best quality wood were among some of the materials used to built the glorious Mishkan. And the Torah tells us that the way they gathered all the materials were by “donations” only.

So, at the beginning of the Parsha, the Torah describes to us how everybody was welcomed to donate whatever they could to build the Mishkan. Hashem says to Moshe: ” Speak to the children of Israel and let them take for Me a portion, from every man whose heart motivates him you shall take my portion.” Once again, most commentators are puzzled by the use of the words in this verse. Why does it say “let them TAKE for me a portion”? Shouldn’t it say ” let them GIVE to me a portion”? Isn’t it true that when you are donating something, you are “giving” rather than “taking”?!

The Chachamim give the following explanation. When one gives to the Mishkan — or, when one donates to a House of Worship or a Torah institution, for that matter, — he is not really ‘giving’, but rather, he is actually ‘taking’ or benefiting himself. More precisely, he is taking more than he is giving. You see, for building a house for Hashem, or for doing any other holy tasks, G-d picks his agents. Only if you have the “Zechut” (merit) and you are worthy of the task, then you’ll become an agent of G-d. And the reward for being G-d’s agent far exceeds the amount of your donations. That’s why Hashem says “take for me a portion”, because when you give to the Mishkan, you are actually taking far more for yourself.

Later on, in Parashat Vayakhel, we read about the donations of the Princes of each tribe to the Mishkan. They, very generously, offered to make up the deficit, after everyone else brought their contributions. According to Rashi, the Torah was unhappy with this offer. But you may ask yourself, why? If one were to question any fund-raiser as to whether he would be pleased or displeased to receive an offer such as the one made by the Princes, undoubtedly he would be thrilled with the offer. He would certainly snap at the opportunity to have someone guarantee any shortfall that remained after the collection effort was concluded. Yet, the Torah was upset at the attitude of the Princes. What was wrong with their offer? Well, financially, it may have been a great idea, but ideologically, it was a horrible concept. What were they thinking when they raised the issue that the Mishkan is going to have a ‘deficit’? Did they think that the Mishkan might not be built without their coming to the rescue? That was a wrong way of thinking. G-d has no deficits. G-d did not need their help to build the Mishkan. If the Princes wanted a portion of merit in the building the Mishkan, they should have enthusiastically jumped in and offered their donations up front.

There is a story about Chafetz Chaim who once had a Yeshiva in Radin. A philanthropist came and offered to write a check for the entire expense of the Yeshiva. The Chofetz Chaim declined the offer. He said that he didn’t want to remove the merit of supporting the Yeshiva from the rest of the congregation. He said that he would rather run an institution that had to rely on $18 and $36 dollar donations because he wanted everyone to have a portion in the merit of supporting the institution. He therefore looked at a man who was willing to underwrite his entire budget and told him “Thanks, but no thanks”, since the concept of “They shall TAKE a donation” implies that G-d has no deficits, and whoever donates is the one who gains.

Yes my friends, when you donate to a house of worship or a Torah Institution, you are actually not giving, but rather, you are gaining a lot more for yourself. It’s a great privilege to be able to donate to a House of G-d. You have a great Zechut to take part in this great mitzvah. Hashem says to Moshe to take anything from anybody to build the Mishkan, whether it’s gold, silver, copper, goat hair, oil or even spices, not because they have a deficit, but in order to give EVERYONE the opportunity to take part in this great cause.

I am proud to announce that in our Mashadi community, we comply to this ideology at its best. Although we don’t have any membership fees for our Kanissas, but still, everybody tries to donate as much as they can to support the cause. It seems that everyone knows already that they are not just giving, but they are actually taking more! And as far as the affluent ones of our community, they never repeated the same mistake as the Princes of our tribes. They are always the first ones to step forward and make their generous donations. May G-d bless them all, and may all those who participate in donating to the kanissas be rewarded a thousand times more.

In English language “give” and “take” are two contradictory words which tend to oppose each other, but when it comes to donations, however, they do live in perfect harmony!

Shabbat Shalom and Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

I hope that you will enjoy the following Parsha summary followed by a Dvar Torah;

” Parsha in a Nutshell ”

The Jewish People receive a series of civil laws concerning social justice. Topics include: Proper treatment of Jewish slaves/servants; a husband’s obligations to his wife; penalties for hitting people and for cursing parents; rules governing the conduct of judges and leaders; financial responsibilities for damaging people or their property; payments for theft; for not returning an object that one accepted responsibility to safeguard; the right to self-defense of a person being robbed.

Other topics include: Prohibitions against seduction; witchcraft, relationship with animals and sacrifices to idols. The Torah warns us to treat the convert, widow and orphan with dignity, and to avoid lying. Lending money to get interest is forbidden and the rights over collateral are limited. Payment of obligations to the Temple should not be delayed, and the Jewish People must be holy, even concerning food. The Torah teaches the proper conduct for judges in court proceedings. The commandments of Shabbat and the Sabbatical year are outlined. Three times a year — Pesach, Shavuot and Succot — we are to come to the Temple. The Torah concludes this listing of laws with a law of kashrut — not to mix milk and meat.

The people of Israel promise to do and listen to everything that G-d says. Moshe ascends the mountain to remain there for 40 days in order to receive the two Tablets of the Covenant.

” Dvar Torah ”

The main topic of discussion in this week’s Parsha is the “Jewish Civil laws”, the laws between man and his fellow. Parashat Mishpatim immediately follows Parashat Yitro, where the highlight of the Parsha was the Ten Commandments, when the Benei Israel reached their highest level of spirituality, and they had their close encounter with the Almighty! The sequence of these two Parashiot bothers the Chachamim and raises the following questions. Why did the Benei Israel have to learn the civil laws immediately after they reached their spiritual peek? Why does the Torah connect spirituality with earthly matters? Shouldn’t the sequence after the Ten Commandments be about building the “Mishkan”, the Temple for G-d, where the people can continue with their spiritual bliss, rather than to teach the nation about the civil laws?
The Chachamim give the following explanation: Unlike the western society where they differentiate between “Church and State”, Judaism does exactly the opposite. In Judaism, “Religion” is our “State”!! The Torah is telling us that you cannot reach holiness without acting just and compassionate towards your fellow human beings. Spirituality or holiness shouldnot be limited to Temples or places of worship only, but rather, the ultimate closeness to G-d can only be achieved when you would bring holiness to your courtrooms, boardrooms and even to your bedrooms! Unlike the gentile nations, where they measure their level of holiness by only looking at the relationship between man and G-d, Judaism looks at the relationship between man and man to find holiness.

So, out of more than 50 civil laws given to us in this week’s parsha, which one do you think was the first law that the Torah introduce to us? The parsha starts with discussing the laws of “Eved Ivri” [Hebrew slave, or obligated servant].

A very strange choice of a law if you may ask me?! The Jews just spent the last 210 years as slaves. Judaism started when the Almighty felt compassionate towards the Hebrew slaves and decided that it is time to FREE his people. Why would the Torah even introduce the idea of taking slaves again? Shouldn’t the first laws start with teaching about compassion for other human beings and equality among people? Of all the laws dictated to a newly liberated people, shouldn’t the concepts of masters and servants be discouraged to them? Why are those laws given first?

Well, first we need to understand why is someone sold into slavery according to jewish law. The Halacha says that when a person steals and can not afford to pay back, he is sold into slavery to the plaintiff or to someone else to pay back the money he owes. So now, the question changes! Why do we need to learn first about how to treat a thief out of all other people?!

Rabbi Frand has a beautiful answer to this question. He says the following. The Torah is telling us how one must treat another human being. Which human being does the Torah choose to illustrate this point? The thief! The mere word brings up the image of a despicable character. This person, who in other societies is thrown into jail to rot away, is not to be so treated in a Jewish society. He, too, is a human being whose respect we must maintain. Although the Torah punishes a thief by taking away his freedom, but it does not take away his pride and honor!

Our Sages tell us that when one acquires an indentured servant, it is like he has acquired a master for himself. The Talmud says that if a person only has one pillow, he must give the pillow to his servant rather than take it for himself. If the Torah goes so far in the treatment of a thief to preserve his dignity and self-image, then how much more we should treat someone with respect who is not a thief but rather is our peer, our equal, and our friend?

Yes my friends, the Torah is teaching us a great lesson. Our civil laws start by teaching us to have respect for our fellow human beings. Whether it’s a president, a politician, a Rabbi, a doctor, a businessman, a housewife, a maid, a beggar in the street or even a thief, they ALL need to be respected! Because we have all been made in the image of G-d, and anyone who has an image of G-d needs to be respected. We should never look down on other people and see ourselves as superiors. The Torah is telling us that we are allowed to have employees, maids and servants, but we have to make sure to treat them with respect, dignity and honor!

Remember, that “respect” is not something hereditary but rather it’s something you have to earn. And the best way to earn your respect is by respecting others first!

Shabbat Shalom & Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

I hope you will enjoy the following Parsha summary followed by a Dvar Torah;

” Parsha in a Nutshell ”

Hearing of the miracles G-d performed for Benei Yisrael, Moshe’s father-in-law Yitro arrives with Moshe’s wife and sons, reuniting the family in the wilderness. Yitro is so impressed by Moshe’s detailing of the Exodus from Egypt that he converts to Judaism. Seeing that the only judicial authority for the entire Jewish nation is Moshe himself, Yitro suggests that subsidiary judges be appointed to judge smaller matters, leaving Moshe free to attend to larger issues. Moshe accepts his advice.

Benei Israel arrive at Mt. Sinai where G-d offers them the Torah. After they accept, G-d charges Moshe to instruct the people not to approach the mountain, and to prepare for three days. On the third day, amidst thunder and lightning, G-d’s voice emanates from the smoky mountain and He speaks to the Jewish People, giving them the Ten Commandments:

1. Believe in G-d
2. Don’t worship other “gods”
3. Don’t use G-d’s name in vain
4. Observe Shabbat
5. Honor your parents
6. Don’t murder
7. Don’t commit adultery
8. Don’t steal (kidnap)
9. Don’t testify falsely
10. Don’t covet.

After receiving the first two commandments, the Jewish People, overwhelmed by this experience of the Divine, request that Moshe relay G-d’s word to them. G-d instructs Moshe to caution the Jewish People regarding their responsibility to be faithful to the One who spoke to them.

” Dvar Torah ”

In this week’s Parsha we read about the “Ten Commandments”, which is the foundation of Jewish religion. Hashem spoke the commandments directly to the Benei Yisrael without Moshe being the intermediator, even though it was just for the first two commandments. This was the first and the last time that the entire Jewish nation heard the voice of G-d at the same time. The Chachamim say that every single Jew reached his or hers highest level of spirituality at that time and prophecised , since anyone who hears the word of G-d, is considered to be a prophet!

As I was reading through the commentaries on the Ten Commandments, I realized that each commandment is a root to so many other laws in the Torah. So much detail and specification needed to perform each commandment.
Then I said to myself, out of all these commandments, which one is the hardest one to keep?
Would it be the first one; the mitzvah to believe in G-d? Faith doesn’t come to us so easily in our generation as it did many years ago to our ancestors, when they observed G-d’s miracles on a daily basis. Or could it be the mitzvah of “Honoring your parents”? As the parents get older, they become more demanding and test our patience. Not only we cannot be disrespectful to them whatsoever, but we also need to support them physically, emotionally and financially too. Still, others would say that the fourth commandment, to keep Shabath, cramps their lifestyle more than any other!

But the most difficult commandment that made it to the top of my chart was the tenth commandment: “You shall not covet (desire) your friend’s house; or his wife, servant, ox, donkey, and everything that belongs to your friend.”
To me, this commandment is by far the most irrational one of them all. All the other commandments such as believe in G-d, honoring parents, do not kill, do not steal, etc….. are all logical things to do, but not to desire your friend’s belongings is somehow difficult to understand. It’s one thing to be asked not to steal your friend’s belongings, but not to even desire it?! It is as if you tell your child: ” Not only you are not allowed to play with your brother’s toy truck, but you are not even allowed to “dream” about it!! The child might think that you are insane!!

So, what’s wrong with desiring your friend’s belongings? It’s not as if you don’t want your friend to have it; its just that you want to have it too! What’s wrong with just wanting something in our heads without telling anyone? Is it wrong to wish to have something that you don’t have? Why is the feeling of jealousy towards your fellow man’s belongings, a sin?

The Chachamim give the following explanation. We believe that everything that we have is solely based on Hashem’s decisions. So, when we desire other people’s belongings, it means that we are not happy with what Hashem has given us and we therefore wish for other people’s belongings. And questioning Hashem’s decision shows lack of faith and is considered a sin! We should believe that Hashem knows what’s the best for us and he gives us accordingly. Also, when you desire other people’s belongings, you’ll become less appreciative of your own’s. When you desire someone else’s wife, then your own wife will look less desirable in your eyes! When you desire your neighbor’s “Ferrari”, then your own car might be less fun to drive!!

But Rabbi Frand says that the ultimate reason why we should not desire our friend’s belongings is given in the pasuk (verse) of the Torah itself. First the pasuk lists a variety of specifics — house, wife, servant, etc. — and then still finds it necessary to add the generalization, “and EVERYTHING that belongs to your friend”?
Rabbi Frand says: Don’t look at the specific belonging of your friend; but rather look at the entire picture!
Hashem gives each person a share in this life, but it comes in a package. Each one of us has a different package. We can not pick and choose what we desire from our friend; the whole package comes together!! Some have wealth and glory but our missing in health and well being. Some have the good health, but are missing in having peace and harmony at home. Some have the peace and harmony at home along with the loving spouse, but they are deprived from having healthy children!
Which package is better, we don’t know?! All we know is that we should trust in Hashem that He knows what is the best package for us! The grass always seems to be greener on the other side, but only on the surface!

Yes my friends, Hashem gives everyone of us a share in this life, but He gives it to us in a package! The whole point of this commandment is to teach us that we should appreciate what we have, and not to desire or be jealous of the things we don’t have! So, instead of occupying our minds in desiring other people’s belongings, let us enjoy our own package! Let us make the most of our lives! Let us appreciate what Hashem has given to us, and let us not waste our precious life on desiring the things that Hashem doesnot want us to have!

So my friends, enjoy your package and enjoy your life. You’ll never know; you might have the best package of them all!!

Shabath Shalom and Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

I hope that you’ll enjoy the following Parasha summary followed by a Dvar Torah;

” Parsha in a Nutshell ”

Soon after allowing the Children of Israel to depart from Egypt, Pharaoh chases after them to force their return, and the Israelites find themselves trapped between Pharaoh’s armies and the sea. G-d tells Moshe to raise his staff over the water; the sea splits to allow the Israelites to pass through, and then closes over the pursuing Egyptians. Moshe and the Benei Israel sing a song of praise and gratitude to G-d.

In the desert, the people suffer thirst and hunger and repeatedly complain to Moshe and Aaron. G-d miraculously sweetens the bitter waters of Marah, and later has Moses bring forth water from a rock by striking it with his staff; He causes manna to rain down from the heavens before dawn each morning, and quails to appear in the Israelite camp each evening.

The Children of Israel are instructed to gather a double portion of manna on Friday, as none will descend on Shabath. Aaron preserves a small quantity of manna in a jar, as a testimony for future generations.

The people of Israel are attacked by the Amaleks, who are defeated by Moshe’s prayers and an army raised by Joshua.

” Dvar Torah ”

In this week’s Parsha, we are introduced to “Manna”, the heavenly bread that Hashem provided for the Benei Israel over the period of forty years, on a daily basis (except shabbats) , when they were wondering in the desert before entering the Land of Israel. The Torah describes it as similar to coriander seed, and it tasted like a cake fried in Honey. However the Midrash says that those who had true faith in G-d, it could have tasted like anything they wanted. Some Chachamim consider the miracle of Manna to be a greater miracle than splitting of the Red Sea, since unlike the splitting of the Red Sea which was a one-shot miracle, the miracle of Manna continued for more than forty years.

The way that the Torah introduces the Manna to us, however, is somehow puzzling. After crossing the Red Sea and seeing the Egyptian corpses on the shore, the Benei Yisrael finally started to feel a sense of freedom. But their freedom celebration quickly vanished when they found themselves with no food or water in the desert. So they complained to Moshe saying: ” When we were in Egypt we had it good, we had what to eat, now you’ve brought us into the desert to let us starve to death! ” Moshe brings up their complaint to the Almighty and He responds with saying: ” Behold, I shall rain down for you food from heaven; let the people go out and pick each day’s portion on its day, so that I can “TEST” them, whether they will follow My teaching or not”!

Nearly, all the commentators are bothered by the way Hashem describes the purpose of the Manna as a “test”?! What kind of a test is this? Usually, when someone is being tested, we assume that they have to do something difficult. The classic example from the Torah is when G-d “tested” Avraham by asking him to sacrifice his son, Isaac. So, if we were to get bread from heaven, if we were able to go out every morning to our doorstep and pick up our livelihood, lacking nothing, what kind of test could that possibly be? Imagine a life in which one does not have to worry about making a living; a life that is free of aggravation and worries . A life, literally, with bread falling from the heaven! Do you call this a “blessing” or a “test”?!

Well, Rashi, the most famous commentator, who follows the simple interpretation, says that the pasuk (verse) refers to the test of fulfilling the “Halachot”(the laws) associated with the manna. One could only take so much per person, one should not go looking for any on Shabbat, one should take twice the amount on Fridays (Erev Shabbat), etc.

But, Sforno, another great commentator, has a different view on the concept of “test of manna”. He says the test of manna is to see if the Jews would still follow the Torah when they are able to easily earn their livelihood. There is a great test in ‘bread falling from heaven.’ When one has a livelihood without difficulty, he has affluence and leisure time. What will the Benei Yisrael do with their leisure time and with their affluence? Would they invest their spare time in spirituality and getting closer to the Almighty, or would they just spend their spare time complaining to Moshe and going after worshiping the forbidden idols?! With affluence and spare time, comes the great danger of forgetting about the Almighty and forgetting about where your livelihood comes from! And this was the true test of manna, says Sforno, which many of the Jews did not pass, unfortunately!

Yes my friends, the test of Manna is an ongoing test in every generation. When we have it good, when things are going wonderfully, do we remember G-d? To think about the Almighty in the times of plenty is one of the hardest tests for everyone. Yes, when we are faced with trouble, sickness or tragedy, G-d forbid, we all become religious. We all go to Kanissa. We all pray harder, read Tehillim and give Tzedaka generously! But what about the times that things are going well, B”H. How religious are we then?! How often we go to Shul? How many times a day do we thank the Almighty?! When we are blessed with earning an easy livelihood, what do we do with our spare time? Do we spend some of the time in learning Torah and try to get closer to G-d, or do we spend most of the spare time in partying, having fun and going after the forbidden?! And this is the great test of “Manna”, known as the test of “Affluence”, which many Chachamim believe that it’s even a harder to pass than the test of poverty and suffering!!

So my friends, let us try to pass the test of Manna. But keep in mind that there is a major difference between the heavenly tests and the worldly tests. In order to pass a secular test, you need to have a lot intelligence; to pass a heavenly test however, you need to have a lot of “faith”!!!

Shabath Shalom, Tu BeShvat Sameyach & Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

I hope that you’ll enjoy the following Parasha summary followed by a Dvar Torah;

” Parsha in a Nutshell ”

The last three of the Ten Plagues are visited on Egypt: a swarm of locusts devours all the crops and greenery; a thick, tangible darkness envelops the land; and all the firstborn of Egypt are killed at the stroke of midnight of the 15th of the month of Nissan.

G-d commands the first mitzvah to be given to the people of Israel: to establish a calendar based on the monthly rebirth of the moon. The Israelites are also instructed to bring a “Passover offering” to G-d: a lamb to be slaughtered and its blood sprinkled on the doorposts of every Israelite home, so that G-d should pass over these homes when He comes to kill the Egyptian firstborn. The roasted meat of the offering is to be eaten that night together with matzah and bitter herbs.

The death of the firstborn finally breaks Pharaoh’s resistance and he literally drives the Children of Israel from his land. So hastily do they depart, there is no time for their dough to rise, and the only provisions they take along are unleavened bread. Before they go, they ask their Egyptian neighbors for gold, silver and garments, draining Egypt of its wealth.

The Children of Israel are commanded to sanctify all firstborn and to observe the anniversary of the Exodus each year by removing all leaven from their possession for seven days, eating matzah, and telling the story of their redemption to their children. They are also commanded to wear tefillin on the arm and head as a reminder of the Exodus and their resultant commitment to G-d.

” Dvar Torah ”

This week’s Parsha which is the continuation of last week’s one, starts with stating the final 3 plagues that G-d brought upon the Egyptians before the Salvation of the Jewish nation. The last plague which was by far the most devastating one, was the killing of the Egyptians’ first born. The difference between the last plague and all other nine plagues is that the other nine plagues destroyed the Egyptians’ livelihood and their economy, while the last one destroyed their actual lives.

So, prior to the plague of the first born, Moshe told Pharaoh, “So says Hashem: ‘ At around midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt. Every first born in Egypt shall die,…”.
Once again, the Chachamim pick up an ambiguous word used in Torah’s text. They are bothered by Moshe’s use of the word, “around” midnight. Why did Moshe need to approximate? Of course G-d can be precise and execute his mission at exactly midnight. Why didn’t Moshe declare the exact time? Well, Rashi, the famous Torah commentator, explains that Moshe did not want to be precise in his declaration, lest the advisers of Pharaoh err in their calculation and attribute their mistake to G-d’s inaccuracy or Moshe’s inability to be exact. This was obviously before the days of clocks and certainly before the days of precise digital clocks. Telling time was usually an estimated calculation.

But you may ask yourself, what is the big deal if the Egyptians thought that Moshe wasn’t precise? What if they would have thought that the time was 12:02? Would that make the plague less significant? Hadn’t the Egyptians experienced a series of nine plagues before? Hadn’t Moshe been correct and accurate every single time about every single detail? Moshe had a flawless track record. Do you think a little inaccuracy in time would have affected Moshe’s reputation?

Rabbi Yissachar Frand has an interesting insight to answer this question. He says that Moshe wasn’t concern about his reputation, but rather, he was worried about the Honor of Hashem. If G-d said that he would be there at midnight and people were waiting and thinking that it was midnight already and G-d is not here yet, that would be a Chillul HaShem (a desecration of G-d’s Name), even though it only lasted perhaps for one minute. By now, the Egyptians knew that the G-d of Hebrews is the true G-d. They knew that He was perfect and they expected His agent, Moshe, to be perfect too. That’s why Moshe approximated the time, in order not to give them any reason for suspicion. He didn’t want the people to doubt his prediction even for a minute. Moshe knew that it’s not good enough for the people to think that he’s right most of the time; he had to be right ALL of the time, since he represents G-d. It’s like comparing it to the top A-grade student of the class getting a 98% in a test. While for others it’s consider a high score, for the top student, it’s might seem as a failure.

Yes my friends, G-d is perfect and so is expected from his agents too! G-d has chosen us to be his “Chosen People” and we act as Hashem’s representatives in the eyes of other nations. Anything we do publicly wrong is considered Chillul Hashem, a desecration of G-d’s name. The way we conduct our businesses, the way we treat other people, the way we dress, the way we eat, the way we drink and the way we socialize are all being carefully observed and judged by other people. (It makes me wonder if the way we act at the parties or on the dance floor are being observed too?!) Something which might be normal for other nations to do, might be a disgrace to be done by us Jews. For example, for the President of United States to be engaged in immoral activity might be acceptable by the nation, but if a Rabbi is involved in a sexual misconduct, it’s considered an outrage and is not acceptable by the society. We have to be at our best behavior at all times, because it’s not only our own reputation which is at stake, it’s Hashem’s honor which we are jeopardizing too ! For us Jews to be good people 98% of the time is not good enough; we have to be good at ALL times in ALL places!!

In science and mathematics, perfection and accuracy are the key elements to find the right solution; in Judaism however, perfection is the only solution to be a right Jew!!!

Shabath Shalom & Regards;

Martin

Dear friends;

I hope you’ll enjoy the following parsha summary followed by a Dvar Torah;

” Parsha in a Nutshell ”

G-d reveals Himself to Moshe. He promises to take out the Children of Israel from Egypt, deliver them from their enslavement, redeem them and acquire them as His own chosen people at Mount Sinai; He will then bring them to the Land He promised to the Patriarchs as their eternal heritage.

Moshe and Aaron repeatedly come before Pharaoh to demand in the name of G-d, “Let My people go, so that they may serve Me in the wilderness.” Pharaoh repeatedly refuses. Moshe’s staff turns into a snake and swallows the magic sticks of the Egyptian sorcerers. G-d then sends a series of plagues upon the Egyptians.

The waters of the Nile turn to blood; swarms of frogs overrun the land; lice infest all men and beasts. Hordes of wild animals invade the cities, a pestilence kills the domestic animals, painful boils afflict the Egyptians. For the seventh plague, fire and ice combine to descend from the skies as a devastating hail. Still, “the heart of Pharaoh was hardened and he would not let the children of Israel go; as G-d had said to Moshe.

” Dvar Torah ”

Miracle! Oxford dictionary defines it as: ” An extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause “. However, in Judaism it’s defined as ” a supernatural event which is an act of G-d “! From children to elderly, everyone is fascinated by miracles. Its’ effect is so powerful that it can change people’s belief, religion and ideology. Although we don’t see a lot of miracles happening these days, and we mostly read about them in fairy tale stories, but most of us Jews, we believe in miracles!

Well, the theme of this week’s Parsha is also “Miracle”. It is packed with miracles, plagues and supernatural events. Sticks transforming into snakes; water turning into blood; hail pellets with a core of fire; dreadful plagues of frogs, lice, wild beasts, pestilence and boils. G-d through Moshe, performs miracles for the Jews, for Pharaoh and all the Egyptian population. He brings plagues upon the Egyptians that have never been seen before. But as you read carefully through the text, it seems that the miracles made little impression on Pharaoh, the Egyptians and above all, on the Jewish slaves. Towards the end of last week’s parsha, Moshe was performing miracles for Pharaoh and his people and they seemed to pay no attention to his feats. And Moshe got frustrated and started to complain to Hashem: “Why have You done evil to this people… From the time I came to Pharaoh … he has harden the situation for the Jewish nation”.

Even in this week’s Parsha, Pharaoh is not impressed by the plagues because his own professional miracle makers were able to replicate the first three plagues. He therefore attributes all of the later plagues to forces of nature or superior professional magical powers that Moshe has somehow employed.
But what is so mind bugling is that the Jewish people themselves are, relatively speaking, little impressed by the miraculous plagues. You would have thought that by seeing all these miracles, the Jews should have believed in Hashem and his servant Moshe, wholeheartedly. But the Chachamim say that after the 10 plagues, at the time of the exodus, some Jews still didn’t want to leave! They needed persuasion! They still didn’t have faith in Moshe?! So the question that bothers the Chachamim is why did the greatest miracles of all times had little impact on the Jews? By seeing all these wonders, why did the Jews still have lack of faith in Hashem and Moshe? When we read the story of the 10 plagues which took place more than 3000 years ago, we still get mesmerized by it! So why didn’t it have the same effect on the Benei Yisrael? How can you explain their lack of emotions and lack of faith?!

Rabbi Berel Wein gives a beautiful explanation. He says that the Jews were too busy thinking about their slavery and their harsh living conditions that they hardly took notice of the miracles which took place around them. A slave mentality is the feeling of hopelessness, which is so hard to change even by performing supernatural miracles! When you are a slave, your work becomes your whole life. You don’t have time for anything else. That’s why when Moshe tells the Benei Yisrael that G-d had sent him to save them, they did not listen to him because of the shortness of breath and from the hard labor. In order to strengthen their belief, the Jews didn’t need miracles, but rather, they needed “time” to themselves to think, to look around them and to see the hand of G-d, but because of the hard labor, they didn’t have the luxury of spare time! And this is why the miracles had little impact on the Jews; because they were too busy being slaves!

Yes my friends, slavery can blind a person! The greatest miracle can pass right by you and you don’t even notice it. But thank G-d, we are not slaves anymore; we live as free people…… or do we?! Everyday we see miracles happening around us, but unfortunately, they have little impact on us. Most of us are so busy with work that we don’t notice the miracles around us. Unlike the Oxford dictionary, a miracle doesnot necessarily need to be a extraordinary event, but any act of G-d that we benefit from, should be a miracle! When we wake up in the morning and we are still alive, is a miracle; when we see our spouse and children being healthy, is a miracle; when we live in a luxury of a home and we have enough money to feed our family and live a comfortable life, is a miracle! But do we have the time to acknowledge all these and be grateful to the Almighty?! How many of us in the mornings, rush to put on our tefillin and take them off, and run to work?! If you ask me, we think that we live a free life, but we are slaves to the society and to our lifestyle!

So my friends, try to find the time to take off and see the miracles around you. Miracles are not just for fairy tale stories. Miracles do happen; you just need to open your eyes and see the hand of G-d. Let’s live a free life; a life that sees and appreciates “Miracles”!

Shabath Shalom & Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

I hope that you’ll enjoy the following Parasha summary followed by a Dvar Torah;

” Parsha in a Nutshell ”

The Children of Israel multiply in Egypt. Threatened by their growing numbers, Pharaoh enslaves them and orders the Hebrew midwives, Shifrah and Puah, to kill all male babies at birth. When they do not comply, he commands his people to cast the Hebrew babies into the Nile.

A child is born to Yocheved, the daughter of Levi, and her husband, Amram, and placed in a basket on the river, while the baby’s sister, Miriam, stands watch from afar. Pharaoh’s daughter discovers the boy, raises him as her son, and names him Moses.

As a young man, Moses leaves the palace and discovers the hardship of his brethren. He sees an Egyptian beating a Hebrew and kills the Egyptian. The next day he sees two Jews fighting; when he disapproves, they reveal his previous day’s murder, and Moses is forced to flee to Midian. There he rescues Jethro’s daughters, marries one of them – Zipporah – and becomes a shepherd of his father-in-law’s flocks.

One day when Moses was watching the herd, G-d appears to him in a burning bush at the foot of Mount Sinai and instructs him to go to Pharaoh and demand: “Let My people go, so that they may serve Me.” Moses’ brother, Aaron, is appointed to serve as his spokesman. In Egypt, Moses and Aaron gathered the elders of Israel to tell them that the time of their redemption has come. The people believe; but Pharaoh refuses to let them go, and even intensifies the suffering of Israel.

Moses returns to G-d to protest: “Why have You done evil to this people?” G-d promises that the redemption is close at hand.

” Dvar Torah ”

What are the qualifications to become a leader of a nation? Well, in today’s modern day democratic society, it’s quite simple. The person has to be well educated, has to be an articulate speaker, has to have prestige, has to have a pleasant appearance, has to have experience in politics, and above all, has to be popular among the people in order to get their votes.

In this week’s Parsha, Hashem also chooses a leader for his nation to take them out of Egypt! Who does He choose? He chooses Moshe Rabeinu! But Moshe’s characteristics certainly do not meet today’s leadership standards. After all, he wasn’t popular among the Jews since he was raised in Pharaoh palace and was living away from the Jews for a few decades. He wasn’t a good speaker, since he had a speech problem. And being a shepherd for decades, doesnot leave him much experience in politics nor leadership! What is more amazing is that Moshe didn’t even need to run a campaign! On the contrary, he didn’t want to take the position and tried every excuse not to be chosen.
But Hashem was so confident that he is the only one suited to lead the Benei Yisrael, that he didn’t even pick any other candidates! So, what qualities did Moshe have that Hashem was fascinated by them? There had to be something special about Moshe that Hashem couldn’t find it in others. So, what was it?

Well, we don’t need to look far. Rabbi Frand says that the answer can be found in this week’s parsha. The Torah mentions briefly four incidents that talks about Moshe’s characteristics, which may indicate his qualities for leadership.

The first incident tells us that when he grew up, he went out to his brethren to witness their suffering. Although he lived in the lap of luxury in the palace of Pharaoh, he refused to sit back in comfort but went out to empathize with the suffering of his brethren.

The next incident was when he saw an Egyptian man hitting a Jewish man. He felt the pain for his fellow Jew which forced him to kill the Egyptian.

The third incident was when he went out and saw one Jew beating another Jew. Moshe was concerned and got involved to come to the aid of the victim. The Torah is trying to tell us that Moshe was not just concerned about a situation of an Egyptian beating up a Jew; even two Jews fighting troubled his conscious.

Finally, we are taught that Moshe’s compassion is not just for his fellow Jews. He goes to Midyan and steps in to protect Yitro’s daughters who are being taken advantage of by other shepherds. He stands up for the oppressed young girls who were not able to defend themselves.

In all four incidents, Moshe demonstrates the same characteristic, and that is, compassion towards fellow human beings. In all cases, it shows that he really cares about other people. We even see that he puts his own life in danger in order to save another life! And this is what Hashem adored about Moshe so much; his love for other people!! While other leaders of the time may have demonstrated qualities such as power, superiority, prestige and pride, Moshe demonstrated feelings of compassion, empathy, affection and caring for others. Hashem knew that the only one who can lead this difficult nation is someone who has compassion and love for his people, and that would be the one and only Moshe Rabeinu!

There is a Midrash which says that Moshe was shepherding his father-in-law’s sheep one day, when one of them bolted. Moshe followed the runaway animal until it reached a body of water, where it stopped for a drink. Moshe compassionately said to the sheep, ‘If only I had known that you were thirsty, I would have carried you on my shoulders and brought you here! You must be exhausted from running . . .’ Saying this, he scooped up the animal, placed it on his shoulders and headed back to his flock.

Hashem said: ‘If this is how he cares for the sheep of another man, he is definitely fit to shepherd Mine . . .’”

Yes my friends, the greatness of a leader is not measured by his speech, accomplishments or popularity, but rather, it’s measured by how much he cares for his people! People in power, often loose sight of their goal, which is to take care of their people’s needs! Many leaders prioritize personal gain over the interest of their people. But the Torah is telling us otherwise. Moshe, the greatest leader of all times, was ready to give up his life for the sake of his people; something that we hardly see in today’s society.
In the eyes of Hashem, love, compassion, caring and humility are the greatest qualities found in a leader, not his talents, achievements or honor!

Accordingly, I’m proud to announce that the leaders of our community, both in past and present, carry the same characteristics as Moshe Rabeinu. They all became leaders because of their love and passion for the community. They’ve all put in enormous amount of their time in taking care of the community’s needs, without asking for any rewards or gratitudes, just because they love the people of our community. Those leaders who have left us, may they rest in peace, and those of them who are with us, may Hashem bless them and give them the strength to continue to do their amazing job. We raise our hats to them all!

Shabath Shalom & Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

I hope that you’ll enjoy the following Parasha summary followed by a Dvar Torah;

” Parsha in a Nutshell ”

Jacob lives the final 17 years of his life in Egypt. Before his passing, he asks Joseph to take an oath that he will bury him in the Holy Land. He blesses Joseph’s two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, elevating them to the status of his own sons to be among the twelve tribes of Israel.

Jacob desires to reveal the end of days to his children, but is prevented from doing so. Jacob blesses his sons, assigning to each his role as a tribe: Judah will produce leaders, legislators and kings; priests will come from Levi, scholars from Issachar, sea-merchants from Zebulun, schoolteachers from Shimon, soldiers from Gad, judges from Dan, olive growers from Asher. Reuben is rebuked for “confusing his father’s marriage”; Shimon and Levi for the massacre of Shechem and the plot against Joseph. Naphtali is granted the swiftness of a deer, Benjamin the ferociousness of a wolf, and Joseph is blessed with beauty and fertility.

A large funeral ceremony consisting of Jacob’s descendants, Pharaoh’s ministers and the leading citizens of Egypt accompanies Jacob on his final journey to the Holy Land, where he is buried in the Machpeilah Cave in Hebron.

Joseph, too, dies in Egypt, at the age of 110. He, too, instructs that his bones be taken out of Egypt and buried in the Holy Land. Before his passing, Joseph tells the Children of Israel not to loose hope and faith in the Almighty in the difficult years to come: “G-d will surely remember you, and bring you up out of this land to the land of which He swore to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”

” Dvar Torah ”

“Blessings” played a major role in the lives of our Patriarchs. Each one of our Forefathers had the ability to pass down powerful blessings to the next generation before their death. Their blessings were so powerful that their children would have paid any price to get it. Jacob himself had to steal his father’s blessing from his brother Eisav, risking his life. All the twelve children of Jacob, each received a blessing from their father just before he passed away. But you may ask yourself, what was so special about their deathbed blessings that their children desperately seek to get?! After all, we all know that, ultimately, ALL the blessings comes from the heaven above, from the Almighty Himself! The Chachamim explain that Hashem protects and blesses a Tzadik throughout his lifetime, and because of his merit, his children are blessed and protected too. Once the Tzadik departs from this world, his merit’s protection leaves too, and it’s only the blessings that he leaves behind which will continue to protect his children!!

In this week’s Parsha, once again, we see a fine demonstration of giving and receiving blessings from one generation to the next. When Joseph heard that his father, Jacob, is ill and his days are numbered, he immediately took his two sons, Ephraim and Menashe, and went to visit his father in order to receive his final blessing for himself and his children. Once they arrived, Jacob raises himself in his bed and after identifying the two children as Joseph’s sons, he gives them the blessing of a lifetime! He gives his most powerful blessing to his favorite grandsons, Ephraim and Menashe, and not to his favorite son, Joseph. He blesses them with the following: “With your (names) will the Jewish people bless (their children) saying: May G-d make you be like Ephraim and Menashe…”!!!
But, don’t you think that the blessing sounds a little peculiar? It doesn’t even sound like a blessing?! If you notice, the blessing does not actually bless Ephraim or Menashe! It just says that every Jew should wish their children to be like Ephraim and Menashe. It seems that Ephraim and Menashe have been blessed already, and Jacob just wants to pass on the blessing to the future generations!
So what were Ephraim and Menashe already blessed with? What was so special about them that we should all want our children to be like them? What special characteristics did they have that Jacob could not find it in his own children? After all, why didn’t Jacob want us to wish our children to be like “Shimon and Levi”, or “Joseph and Binyamin”?

After a little research, I came across a beautiful explanation given by Rabbi Yissachar Frand. He says that the answer can be found in the way Jacob blesses his grandsons.
At the time of the blessing, Jacob specifically crisscrossed his hands and put his right hand on the younger child Ephraim, giving him the preference. Joseph, noticing his father’s action, tells him that he has his right hand on the younger son by mistake. Menasheh is the older son and he should get the preferred blessing. Jacob says: ” I know my son, I know. He will be a great nation too, but the younger will be greater…”. Yet Menasheh, the older son, did not utter any words of complaint. He did not turn around and complain to his father. He did not issue any words of protest to his grandfather. And above all, he did not feel any jealousy towards his brother who was getting the preferred blessing. He accepted his brother’s superiority with a cheerful attitude. He respected his grandfather’s blessing and he accepted it wholeheartedly.

But let’s not give all the credit to Menasheh. After all, we want our children to be like Ephraim too. So what did Ephraim do that was so special? The answer is, when a person receives preferential treatment, such as a higher status than someone else, he might flaunt it. He might rub it in, he might show it off, and make the other person feel bad. He might even cut himself off from the other person since he feels that he is in a higher class! But we see that Ephraim received his blessing with humility and modesty. He didn’t take a pride in himself for his superiority. He didn’t come up with a dream that his brother is going to bow down to him! He still considered Menasheh as his older brother, and he gave him the respect that he deserved.
Given the sibling rivalry that Jacob witnessed with himself and his brother, and with his own sons, when he saw such model behavior in his grandchildren, he was thrilled that they got along so well with each other. So he blessed them that every Jew should aspire to have them as role models for their own children.

Yes my friends, ” May G-d make you like Ephraim and Menashe” is the greatest blessing we can give to our children. It means that they should not be jealous of one another, and they should get along and respect each other. No two children are the same. Each have different characters. Some are more intellectual, some are more business-minded, some are more athletic, some are more spiritual, some are more articulate and some are more beautiful. But they should learn to respect each other’s characteristics and they should learn to get along. There is no greater joy for any parents to see their children living in peace and harmony together. This is what Jacob longed for his entire life, to see his children love and respect each other, but sadly, he could only find it in his grandchildren.

King David’s famous quote which has become the Jewish slogan, I believe, says it all: ” Hinei ma tov uma na’i’m, Shevet achim gam yachad……. How wonderful and pleasant it is for brothers to dwell in peace together!

Shabath Shalom & Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

I hope that you’ll enjoy the following Parasha summary followed by a Dvar Torah;

” Parsha in a Nutshell ”

Judah approaches Joseph to plead for the release of Benjamin, offering himself as a slave to the Egyptian ruler instead of Benjamin. Upon witnessing his brothers’ loyalty and the love for one another, Joseph reveals his identity to them. “I am Joseph,” he declares. “Is my father still alive?”

The brothers are overcome by shame and remorse, but Joseph comforts them. “It was not you who sent me here,” he says to them, “but G-d. It has all been ordained from Above to save us, and the entire region, from famine.”

The brothers rush back to Canaan with the news. Jacob comes to Egypt with his sons and their families — seventy souls in all — and is reunited with his beloved son after 22 years. On his way to Egypt he receives the Divine promise: “Fear not to go down to Egypt; for I will there make of you a great nation. I will go down with you into Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again.”

Joseph gathers the wealth of Egypt by selling food and seed during the famine. Pharaoh gives Jacob’s family the fertile county of Goshen to settle, and the children of Israel prosper in their Egyptian exile.

” Dvar Torah ”

Probably, the most dramatic reunion in the history of mankind is recorded in this week’s parsha. Jacob reunites with his beloved son, Joseph! After twenty two years of living in misery and hell, thinking that his favorite son is dead, Jacob is suddenly informed that Joseph is still alive and well, so he rushes down to Egypt to meet him face to face. The scene of their close encounter is every writer’s dream to show off his or her’s writing talents by putting down this episode on paper. Any good writer has the ability to revive the scene for us by describing in detail their inner feelings, their facial expressions, their emotional reactions and their exchange of words at the time of their encounter. What did they say to each other? How loud did they cry? How long did they hug? So many things to write about….

Well, let us see what the writer of all writers, the Almighty himself, has to say about the most affectionate reunion of all times in his Holy Bible?!

Yet, strangely enough, the Torah doesn’t talk much about this dramatic scene. It just says that at the time of their close encounter, Jacob, apparently, remained emotionless and silent while Joseph wept. Rashi, the famous Torah commentator, explains that Jacob was reciting the “Shema” or was having a conversation with the Almighty at the time. He explains that since in all of the years of Jacob’s separation from Joseph, he was in a depressed mood, the Divine Spirit had departed from him and he was therefore unable to communicate with G-d. Now that he saw Joseph in front of his eyes, alive and well, the joy of the moment allowed the Holy Spirit to return to him once again and he used the opportunity to communicate with the Almighty.

Although Rashi is the most respected commentator among our sages, but his explanation is not satisfactory to me. Surely, he could have recited the Shema, and at the same time, he could have shown a sign of joy on his face, or even let a few drops of tears run down his cheeks. What is more mind bugling, is that Jacob doesn’t reveal any emotions in the rest of the Parsha either. He doesn’t even ask any questions regarding Joseph’s disappearance from Joseph himself or his brothers. So many unanswered questions needed to be asked! How did Joseph end up as ruler of all Egypt? Why didn’t Joseph come and visit his father when he was in power? And above all, how did Joseph disappear in the first place? Jacob’s emotionless raises a bigger question. Was Jacob, G-d forbid, a heartless person who didn’t care about his children??

So how can we explain Jacob’s silence? How can we explain his lack of emotions and lack of curiosity? Well, as I continued my research, I came across an explanation from Sforno, who is also another great Torah scholar, which really touched my heart. He says that Jacob was well aware of the tensions that existed between Joseph and his brothers. He also realizes that his sons misled him when they showed him Joseph’s bloody gown. And being a prophet, he probably knew what exactly had happened between Joseph and his brothers, since later on, on his deathbed he says to Joseph: ” I know, my son, I know.”
But he chose to be silence, since he saw that his sons are all reunited again, and that was all that mattered to Jacob; to see his children living in peace together, side by side! He didn’t show any emotions to Joseph, because any sign of emotions would have revealed the painful years that Jacob had to go through, which Joseph would have blamed his brothers for. He knew very well that any show of emotions or asking questions will only rip open a scab on a wound that has to healed slowly and carefully. He realized that sometimes you have to let the bygones be bygones, and you need to focus on the future rather than to concentrate on the past. He knew that his children are going to be the heads of the Jewish nation, and the secret to Jewish survival is “UNITY”. So he didn’t ask any questions, since any question would have ended up blaming one party or the other, and would have created a friction or separation between them again. He didn’t want to play the “blame game”, but rather, he wanted to play along with their “unity”!

Yes my friends, the Torah once again, emphasizes the importance of “unity”. For the sake of unity, sometimes you have to hide your emotions. For the sake of unity, sometimes you have to keep silent. And for the sake of unity, not every family secret needs to be publicly revealed nor every family dispute needs to be brought up, constantly. Sometimes you have to let go of the past in order create a better future!!

Everyone does mistakes in their lives. But if we are not willing to forgive and forget, then relationships can be very fragile. Family relationships are based on forgiveness. The Torah commands us not to hold a grudge, not because we need to be compassionate toward others, but rather, we are obligated to get along with our fellow Jews, even if they’ve done something wrong to us. Hashem wants us to forgive in order to be united. If Joseph could find it in his heart to forgive his brothers and if Jacob can let go of 22 years of misery and suffering for the sake of unity, then why can’t we??

Nothing gives more pleasure than to see your children living in peace and harmony together. But keep in mind that the parents act as role models for their children. So if you want your children to get along with each other, make sure you get along with your siblings first!

Shabath Shalom & Regards;

Martin