Dear friends;

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

” Parashiot in a Nutshell ”

G-d warns against unauthorized entry “into the holy.” Only one person, the Kohen Gadol (“high priest”), may, but once a year, on Yom Kippur, enter the innermost chamber in the Sanctuary to offer the sacred ketoret to G-d.

Another feature of the Day of Atonement service is the casting of lots over two goats to determine which should be offered to G-d and which should be dispatched to carry off the sins of Israel to the wilderness.

The Torah warns against bringing sacrifices anywhere but in the Holy Temple, forbids the consumption of blood, and details the laws prohibiting incest and other deviant sexual relations.

The Parshah of Kedoshim begins with the statement: “You shall be holy, for I, the Lord your G-d, am holy” followed by dozens of mitzvot (commandments) through which the Jew sanctifies him or herself and relates to the holiness of G-d. These include: the prohibition against idolatry, the mitzvah of charity, Shabbat, sexual morality, honesty in business, honor and awe of one’s parents, prohibition against taking revenge and holding a grudge against another Jew; and also the ultimate principle of Torah is mentioned, which is:
— Love your fellow as yourself.

” Dvar Torah ”

Towards the end of Parashat Acharei Mot, the Torah talks about the forbidden relationships. It talks about prohibitions against sexual relationships with someone’s parents, step-parents, children, step-children, siblings, step-siblings, aunts, uncles, and the like. It even talks about the prohibition against marrying two sisters at the same time, since this will create a rivalry between the two sisters who are suppose to love each other, rather than to hate one another!

Towards the end of all these prohibitions, the Torah also condemns male homosexuality. It says the following for a man: ” Do not lie with a man as you would with a woman. It is an abomination.”

Although the Torah clearly condemns the act of homosexuality, but in today’s modern day society this prohibition is widely challenged.
The people who are pro homosexuality come up with some strong and valid arguments.
In favor of the homosexual, they say that he cannot control his sexual preference. They even bring in “genetics” to explain his preference. They continue their argument by saying that sexual preference is subjective. It is inappropriate to label heterosexual behavior as proper and homosexual behavior as a perversion. Two people study a single piece of art. The beauty of the work inspires one. The other observer finds the work boring and mediocre. Is one correct and the other mistaken? Of course not! Each is entitled to his or her individual opinion. Why should the issue of sexual preference be treated differently? How can heterosexuality be regarded as more proper than homosexual preferences?

Well, how does our Torah answer these questions? How do our Chachamim comment on this issue? Since homosexuality is a very sensitive subject, many of the Chachamim try to avoid talking about it and I couldn’t find much commentaries on this topic. But still some of the medieval commentators such as Rambam, Ramban and Ibn Ezra do reveal their opinion.

Despite all of the modern notions about homosexuality, the Torah considers it unnatural, and therefore is an abomination.  It is forbidden without exception!! Something which is a disgusting act in the eyes of Hashem, should be a disgusting act in our eyes too. All the Chachamim agree that the Torah clearly condemns the act and there is no way around it. But the question that still bothers me is how do the Chachamim explain the genetic issue?? What if a person is really genetically attracted to other men?? What if it’s not his fault and he was born like that? What if he really isn’t attracted to women at all?

Although most of the Chachamim disagree that homosexuality is a genetic or a medical issue, but for the argument’s sake,, let’s assume that it is true. Accordingly, our sages gave the following explanation for the genetic issue problem: They say that the answer to this dilemma lies in the Pasuk (verse) itself. The Torah says that “you shall not lie with another man”……… It doesnot say you should not desire another man!! The Torah is telling us that even if you desire another man, you should have control over your desires!! Just because you desire something, doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to have it!! For the same reason that if you really desire to be with a married woman but you need to have control over your desire since the Torah forbids it, so too, to be with another man, you also need to control yourself since it’s what Hashem demands from you. Hashem never gives us a commandment that is impossible to keep! Since it is written in the Torah in Parashat Nitzavim; ” The commandments that I give you today — it is not distance from you and not far from you. It is not in the heaven, nor across the sea…. Rather, it is very close to you; in your mouth and in your heart to perform it.” Yes, for some people it might be easier to keep a mitzvah, and for some it might be more difficult, but it’s never impossible!!

But the argument doesn’t end here. The homosexual person might say: ” But I’m really not attracted to women?! To me, that is a disgusting act!!” How do we answer this question now?

Well, when I was a kid, I had a friend who would never eat beef, chicken or fish. He would not even come close to them. He claimed that it made him feel nauseous. So every day and every night his Mom had to make him a separate dairy dish for lunch and for dinner. Until one day she was fed up, and she said to herself: ” I had enough! No more of this nonsense!!”. So from that day on she made sure to only make beef, chicken or fish for lunch and dinner everyday. The boy did not eat anything for a few days, but the Mom continued with her stubbornness. He cried, he moaned and he complained, but it was to no use. Until one day, he came to realize that for sure there is not going to be any food other than beef, chicken or fish any more, so he started to eat some of the dinner that the Mom prepared. At the beginning, he did feel nauseous, and he did threw up, but the Mom did not give up. Everyday he ate a little bit more and more and he felt less and less nauseous until eventually he began to like eating meat!

Same idea goes with sexual relationships. If a person knows for sure that there is no alternative than sleeping with the opposite sex, then eventually he is going to like it. Only when there is a choice that he can compare, only then he can show preference towards the forbidden relationship. Some people can only drink soda and not plain water. But if there is no soda ever, do you think that they are not going to drink water?

Yes my friends, Judaism is all about having control over our desires. Hashem wants us to overcome our desires and to be in full control. And this is what separates us from the other nations and makes us the unique nation of G-d; His “Chosen People”! Hashem wants us to have control over what we eat, what we say, what we see, what we hear, and above all, to have control over our sexual desires. All these prohibitions in the Torah is for our own good and is for making us stronger people. Being free to do whatever you want, is not freedom; it means that you are not in control; your desires are controlling you!!

So my friends, remember that Hashem never gives us a commandment which is impossible to keep. It might be challenging, but it’s never impossible!

Shabbat Shalom, Chag Sameyach & Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

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

” Parsha in a Nutshell “

The Torah describes the purification procedure for a metzora (a person afflicted with tzara’at) upon conclusion of his isolation. This process extends for a week and involves korbanot and immersions in the mikveh. Then, a kohen must pronounce the metzora pure. A metzora of limited financial means may substitute lesser offerings for the more expensive animals.

Before a kohen diagnoses that a house has tzara’at, household possessions are removed to prevent them from also being declared ritually impure. The tzara’at is removed by smashing and rebuilding that section of the house. If it reappears, the entire building must be demolished.

The Torah details those bodily secretions that render a person spiritually impure, thereby preventing his contact with holy items, and the Torah defines how one regains a state of ritual purity.

” Dvar Torah “

Parashat Metzora, which is usually read together with last week’s Parashat Tazria, is always read in the month of Nissan. Accordingly, the Chachamim say that there must be a connection between the parsha, the month of Nissan and Chag HaPesach. So, what is the connection?

Well, we all know that Pesach starts on 15th of Nissan, and from the beginning of the month, we, specially the women, are all extremely busy with final stages of house cleaning and getting rid of all the Chametz. I don’t think there is any other Mitzvah in the Torah that the Jews, especially in our community, take it so seriously and perform it at its best. Getting rid of the Chametz is so important to us that we clean our homes from top to bottom so immaculately, by cleaning behind every piece of furniture, scrubbing behind the stove and under our refrigerators, switching over the dishes, covering the countertops, cleaning our basements and much, much more. By the 14th of Nissan, there won’t even be a trace of any chametz left in our houses!

In this week’s Parsha, the Torah also talks about some kind of “house cleansing”. The Torah says: ” When you enter the land of Canaan that I give to you as a possession, and I inflict a tzara’at disease upon a house in the land you possess, the owner of the house shall come and tell the Kohen saying, “Something like an affliction has appeared upon my house.” The Kohen shall command; and they shall clear the whole house before he enters to examine the affliction, so that nothing else in the house shall become contaminated.”

As we had discussed in last week’s Parsha, according to most commentators, “Tzara’at” is a heavenly disease that falls upon people’s homes, furnitures, clothing and eventually on human skin due to committing the sin of “Lashon Ha’ra”, gossiping and negative talking about someone else. The affliction process was something as follows: The wall of the house of the person who indulged in evil talk will undergo a color change. If the person repents, the house becomes pure again; but if he persists in his evil ways, so much so that his house is demolished, then his furniture and accessories will suffer discoloration, but they will regain their purity if he repents. If he fails to abandon his bad ways, to the extent that they have to be burnt, then his garments are affected by the tzara’at. If he repents, they regain their purity…. and if he continues with his ill behavior, the affliction will eventually fall on his body.

This evaluation brings up the following question. We know that this disease was not contagious because it was brought upon a person who committed a specific sin, and could only be stopped if he repents and stops his evil ways. So, why does the torah tells the person whose house walls are afflicted by tzara’at to empty the contents of his house before the Kohen comes to examine it so that the household items won’t become contaminated? We know that if he repents and stops from his slanderous ways, the disease is going to go away and the house will become pure again?! So why to go through the hard process of cleaning the house?

Rabbi Frand gives the following beautiful explanation. The household items of the person whose walls might be afflicted by tzaraat is not going to become contaminated. The only reason the Torah is telling him to remove all the contents of the house, is to give him a warning that if he doesn’t stop from his slanderous ways, his household items are going to be afflicted by the disease too. During the process of taking out the household items, the person may come to realise that what he is doing is wrong and he needs to stop. There is no way to purify the house unless he purifies himself! House cleansing has to be accompanied by spiritual cleansing! All the effort that he has put into taking out all the contents of the house is going to go to waste, if he doesn’t stop from his evil ways. Only then, when he changes himself, does the hard labor of house cleansing become productive and the household items will remain pure!

Yes my friends, in Judaism, physical cleaning has to be accompanied by spiritual cleansing too. They go hand in hand. When you clean your house so thoroughly from any Chametz in your possession for Pessach, you have to make sure to clean the chametz inside you too! Chametz is a fermented dough that rises. The Chachamim say that the chametz within us or the “spiritual chametz” so to speak, is the “Ga’ava”– the person’s ego and the sense of superiority that he has over the others. Pessach is the time to get rid of all these. We should respect every human being for what they are and we should never look down on other people. Just because we might have more money than others, or better looks, a better looking wife or a larger family, doesnot make us superior over them. We are all children of Hashem who deserve to be respected equally. Keep in mind that all the effort and the energy that you’ve put into cleaning your house will be worthless if you don’t get rid of the chametz inside you too!

Pessach is the time to get rid of any grudges you might have towards your fellow Jew. Pessach is the time to get rid of any anger you might have toward your loved ones. Pessach is the time to forgive others and to come close to them again. Pessach is the time to love and not to hate. If we can do all these, then we can proudly say that we have got rid of ALL of the chametz in our possessions, both physically and spiritually! And then, we can be sure to have a Happy and a Kosher Passover!

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 Torah commands a woman to undergo a process of purification and to bring a korban (sacrifice) after the birth of a child. A son is to be circumcised on the eighth day of his life.

Tzara’at is a super-natural plague, which can afflict people as well as garments or homes. If white or pink patches appear on a person’s skin, a Kohen is summoned. Judging by various signs, such as an increase in size of the afflicted area after a seven-day quarantine, the Kohen pronounces it tameh (impure) or tahor (pure).

A person afflicted with tzaraat must dwell alone outside of the camp until he is healed. The afflicted area in a garment or home must be removed; if the tzara’at re occurs, the entire garment or home must be destroyed.

” Dvar Torah “

The main topic of discussion in this week’s Parsha and the week after is a disease called Tzara’at. There is no English translation for this disease, since this disease never existed in any other cultures, but it’s somehow similar to Leprosy. This disease does not have any scientific proof to it, nor any medical remedy, but rather, it is a heavenly disease brought down by Hashem and cured by Hashem. The Chachamim say that this disease is a punishment for those who have committed “Lashon Hara”, gossiping and evil talking about someone else. This disease is an affliction that discolors human skin, hair, beard, clothing, household items and even homes; but it is discussed in greater detail when it falls on the body. Tzara’at appears as a white patch on various parts of the body. If afflicted, the person is quarantined and then reevaluated; if condemned, he is sent outside the Jewish camp, isolated from the whole congregation, until he heals, which is a sign that he has repented his slanderous ways. The whole procedure was a very embarrassing event. If contaminated with the disease,the Kohen had to accompany the convict to outside of the camp in front of the whole congregation and he had to announce in loud voice that he has Tzara’at. The Chachamim say that the punishments given in the Torah are usually measure for measure. The same way that the victim of an evil gossip is avoided and disrespected by everyone else; the same way the gossiper is put to shame and forced to isolate himself from the rest of the community. They also say that the purpose that Hashem puts the convict through all these hardship wasn’t “Chasbe Shalom” to hurt him, but rather, the reason was to put him through a “Spiritual Rehab”, so that he would spend some time by himself in order to realize that what he did was wrong and to repent.

The Torah tells us then that the fate of the stricken man is totally dependent upon the will of the kohen. The kohen is shown the negah (blemish) and has complete authority to declare it “tamei” (impure) or “tahor” (pure), which determines the faith of the victim whether he could stay or leave the camp. In fact, even if all signs point to the declaration of impurity, if the kohen, for any reason deems the person tahor or refuses to declare him tamei, the man remains tahor. But the way the Torah demands from the Kohen to examine the blemish on the afflicted person before declare him impure is quite strange. The Torah says: “And the kohen shall look at the “negah” affliction on the skin and behold it has changed to white and appears deeper than the skin of the flesh – it is tzara’at and the kohen shall look at the man and declare him tamei”!

The question that is brought up by the Chachamim is quite simple. How many times does the Kohen need to look? If he looks at the blemish and it’s clearly tzara’at, then why does he need to look at the man again before publicly declaring him impure?! As the saying goes; if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, then it must be a duck!

Rabbi Kamenetzky gives a beautiful explanation to this question. The kohen who is instructed to deal with the stricken individual should not only look at the affliction, but he must look at each person individually too. The Kohen must realize what consequences his verdict will bring upon the person and what the victim has to go through! Even if the “negah” has all the attributes that should lead to a declaration of impurity, there are other factors that must be weighed. If the man is a groom, about to be wed, impurity must not be declared. If the man is expecting a new baby sometime soon; if he is moving to a new house or if it will ruin any upcoming festivities, then a declaration of contamination must be postponed. The kohen, a man of love and peace, is not expected to embarrass or humiliate the afflicted person when he is in a state of joy, but rather, he is obligated to hide the truth. A person who has committed Lashon Hara and has humiliated someone publicly, deserves to be humiliated himself. But the Torah is telling us otherwise! The Kohen is expected to show compassion towards the afflicted one! The purpose of the tzara’at is not to punish the person or “chasbe shalom” to get back at him, but rather, it’s suppose to make him realize what he did was wrong and help him to change his ways. And that’s why the Torah demands from the Kohen not to just look at the blemish, but rather, he should look at the man and his future!

Yes my friends, there is a great lesson to be learned from this scenario. When we want to announce something publically about someone else, whether it’s true or not, we should look at the man first and think of the consequences of our action! How will our announcement affect his life? It’s very easy to call someone a thief, a crook, a womanizer or an alcoholic, but we have to remember that this stain might stay with him for the rest of his life. The torah is telling us that embarrassing someone publically is so bad that sometimes we are allowed, even obligated, to hide the truth! If Hashem has so much compassion even towards a sinner and doesn’t want to embarrass him in public, then how much more we should have compassion for our fellow jews and not to humiliate them in public!

The Pirkei Avot says; “judge all of the people in a good way,” and do not look at the partial person: rather, judge all of the person — even a flaw may have a motivation or rationale behind it. That’s why when you see a flaw in a man, you should look beyond the flaw and you should look at the entire man!!

Shabbt Shalom & Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

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

” Parsha in a Nutshell “

Parshat Shemini begins by discussing the events which occurred on the eighth and final day of the inauguration service in the Mishkan (Tabernacle). After months of preparation and anticipation, Aaron and his sons are finally installed as Kohanim (priests) in an elaborate service. Aaron blesses the people, and the entire nation rejoices as Hashem’s presence rests upon them. However, the excitement comes to an abrupt halt as Aaron’s two elder sons, Nadav and Avihu, offer a “strange fire before G-d, which He commanded them not” and die before G-d. Aaron is silent in face of his tragedy.

Aaron is informed that the Kohanim are forbidden to enter the Mishkan while intoxicated, and the Torah continues to relate the events which occur immediately after Nadav and Avihu’s tragic death. The portion concludes with a listing of the kosher and non-kosher animals, and various laws about tumah, ritual contamination!

” Dvar Torah “

In this week’s parsha, we learn about a very painful tragedy. The two elder sons of Aaron, Nadav and Avihu, die together in an instant. The story goes as follows: After the completion of the construction of the “Mishkan” (G-d’s mobile Sanctuary), it was time for Mishkan’s inauguration. The excitement was filled in the air. Everyone came to watch this joyful event, somewhat similar to the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the tallest building built in the city — in this case, the house of G-d. The structure of the Mishkan was completed and all the vessels were placed in their right spots and the altar was all ready to begin the first sacrifice ceremony. Aaron and his sons have been appointed as the only Priests to do the ceremonies. For seven days Moshe, Aaron and his sons rehearsed the inauguration ceremony procedures, and finally, it was on the eighth day that G-d’s Presence would finally descend upon the Mishkan, and it was time for the ceremony to start. The joy was in the air and the whole congregation came anxiously to watch this fascinating, never-seen-before event.

But, suddenly, the celebration went terribly wrong. The Torah tells us that just before the ceremony started, the two eldest sons of Aaron, Nadav and Avihu, entered the Holy of Holies, the Kodesh HaKedoshim, without authorization. They decided to offer their own incense, something they assumed would surely bring joy to their Creator. But tragedy struck. A fire came forth from the heaven. And the fire that should have consumed their offerings, consumed them as well, and they both died! The beloved children of a beloved leader on a beloved day in a beloved service were gone in an instant, from glory to death. Aaron’s joy turned to mourning. The Torah reveals to us Aaron’s unexpected reaction;  “And Aaron was silent”. The man who had been Moses’ spokesman could no longer speak. The man of speech became speechless!!

Wow, what a tragedy! The immediate question that comes to our Chachamim’s mind and should comes to our minds too is, why?! Why did Hashem react so harshly with Nadav and Avihu?! All they did was, they brought an unwanted gift for Hashem! At the time of Golden Calf,The Benei Yisrael brought offerings for an idol and they didn’t die in an instant?! And now, Hashem’s two loyal servants, sons of Aaron Hakohen, mistakenly bring an unwanted offering to show their love for G-d, and they die in the most tragic manner?! Why, why, why?!

Well, many explanations are given. Some say that the reason for their death was that they came drunk into the sanctuary in front of G-d. Others say, they were too eager to exercise leadership, that’s why they took their own initiative which was disrespectful in the eyes of Hashem. Another opinion says that they disrespected their teachers Moshe and Aaron, by not consulting with them first before bringing their own offering. And the commentaries goes on and on and on….

But to me and maybe to Aaron too, none of these explanations justifies their tragic death. We are talking about the same compassionate G-d who forgave the nation for their despicable sin of the Golden Calf, why couldn’t he find it in his heart to forgive his two loyal servants who mistakenly might have been disobedient.

Well, Rabbi Yisachar Frand, has a wonderful insight to this episode that might explain it all. He says that although, all of the explanations for Nadav and Avihu’s death may be true, but none of the explanations should be convincing, because we should never be content with the reason of death! Hashem wants us to feel sorry for the deceased and to feel compassion towards the dead! Every dead person deserves to be mourned for! We are not here to judge people and to find a justified reason for someone’s death!! We are here to love everyone and accept that the only reason for someone’s death is because it was G-d’s will! Do we have to understand G-d’s will? No! But do we have to accept Hashem’s decisions? Yes! Nadav and Avihu should not be remembered as two drunken outcasts who committed a sin, but rather, they should be remembered as the high Priests and the loyal servants of G-d who were rightfully given a respectful funeral and mourning period. Aaron kept complete silence after this tragedy, because any show of emotions or any spoken words would have revealed lack of faith due to lack of understanding!

Yes my friends, our religion is not a religion of logic; it’s a religion of faith. In times of distress and tragedy, sometimes we search for answers but our efforts seems to be used in vain. We are not content. Nothing seems to make sense. We may even start questioning G-d’s decision, chasbe shalom, but it does not give us the right to lose faith in him. After all, if we believe that G-d is a superpower, then our lack of understanding should not bother us so much, since we believe that G-d has more power of understanding and judgment. We learn from Aaron’s silence that not being content with the reason for a tragedy is not a sin, but losing faith in Hashem, is! Remember that our G-d is a compassionate G-d, who is slow to anger and abundant in kindness and truth. He loves his people and he wants the best for us. He doesn’t want to hurt us, and if we are faced with a tragedy, we should believe that Hashem knows what is best for us and we should accept his decision.

In the Oxford dictionary, a “tragedy” is defined as a “sad event; a series of drama with an unhappy ending”! In Judaism, however, a tragedy is defined as a sad event which is an act of G-d beyond human understanding, but we have faith in Him that he surely knows what he is doing!

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 ”

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.

Dear Friends;

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

” Parsha 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.

“ Dvar Torah “

The main topic of discussion in this week’s Parsha, once again, is about building the “Mishkan” – the portable dwelling place for the divine presence. And the way this project was financed, was by donations only. The Torah tells us that EVERYONE contributed to the cause, men and women alike. They brought their gold and silver. They brought personal items and family items. Copper mirrors were donated as well as bracelets, bangles and earrings. Those who had wool and linen came and those who had dyes donated. No donations were rejected. Moshe wanted everyone to participate in this great cause.

And the Torah triumphantly declares the generosity of the donors by announcing that the people brought more than enough contributions than they were supposed to. 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,”!! “Enough” and “extra” are two contradictory words?! If it was enough, how could there be extra?? Instead, the Torah should have said that ” the people brought MORE than enough….”!! Why does the Torah like to twist the words in order to create confusion? Or, could it be that there is a deeper meaning to the phrase and the Torah wants us to investigate?

Well, one of the explanations that really touched me is as follows: The people knew exactly how much to bring which would have been sufficient for the completion of the task, but they wanted to do more! Their love for building a house for G-d was so great that to just bring the sufficient amount wasn’t enough for them; they wanted to do extra!! And each and everyone did extra!!

But what is fascinating is that one group of people is mentioned separately as contributors. The Torah says: “And all those who Hashem inspired with wisdom to do the work (the builders), they took in front of Moshe the donations that the Jews brought for the work of the Mishkan, and they brought an additional offering for themselves each morning”.

Although the action of the builders is quite praiseworthy for contributing something extra for themselves, but why does the Torah single them out in regards to the contributions for the Mishkan? Didn’t everybody bring contributions? Why just to mention and praise the builders and not any other groups?

Once again, Rabbi Kamenetsky delivers a beautiful explanation: The men and women who have put in so much time and effort in the construction of the Mishkan could have easily said that they had done their share. But no, that was not enough for them! They wanted to do something extra! The Torah tells us that they, too, gave contributions each morning! They wanted to give more than just their time and their skill; they wanted to give their possessions too!! The efforts of these individuals were crowned by their generous contributions. And that is the extraordinary action which is praiseworthy in the eyes of Hashem!!

You always get a better understanding of a concept, when you can see it with your own eyes! When we see those members of our own community who step forward to join the boards and spend so much of their time and energy to build for us beautiful Kanissas, sanctuaries, schools, social halls for our youth and the elderly, and many more projects for the community, without getting paid a single penny, you would have thought that they’ve done their share!! But no, it’s not enough for them; they also want to contribute more!!! We see that the majority of them are among the list of high-donors to our Kanissas!! For them, giving their relentless time and energy is not enough, they want to contribute their money too!! These are the people that Hashem has singled out in this week’s parsha and has praised them; so why can’t we??

Yes my friends, these are the members of the Central Board; the members of the Kanissa Boards; the members of the Sisterhood Committee, the Gabayims; the members of all other committees; and all the men and women who help in the communal affairs! May Hashem bless them all and their families with good health, happiness and prosperity. May Hashem grant them the wisdom that they need, so that they will make the right decisions for us, and give them the strength to continue with their admiring and excellent jobs. We thank them for their relentless efforts and generous contributions too! What is praiseworthy in the eyes of Hashem, is certainly delightful in our eyes too!! We raise our hats to them all!!

As you all know, this Sunday February 23rd, is the election day for the Central Board and Kanissa Boards. Let us show our support by voting for them on Sunday. We wish all the candidates the best of luck and we would like to thank them in advance for caring for other members of the community by willing to devote your precious time. To us, you are all winners already!

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 sad and disturbing story of the “Golden Calf”. Well, we all know the story by now……….. 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, somehow, miscalculated 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. So, immediately, the people gathered around Aaron and said to him, “Make us a God that will go before us, for we do not know what has happened to this man, Moshe, who brought us out of Egypt”. Aaron tells them to remove the gold and jewelry from their wives and children and bring them to him. Without any hesitation, the entire people gathered their gold and brought them up to Aaron. He took it from their hands and throws them all together in a fire furnace and miraculously a Golden Calf pops out. Aaron then called out and said, “A festival for God tomorrow”. The people arose early the next day and started rejoicing around the Calf and brought sacrifices. Hashem tells Moshe to go down since the people have committed a grievous sin. Hashem was so angry 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. Moshe then comes down, brakes the tablets, burns the Golden Calf and kills the culprits. He then goes up the mountain again to ask Hashem for forgiveness. After another 40 days, Moshe’s plead is finally accepted by Hashem and He forgives the nation….

Well, one of the questions that bothers the Chachamim is as follows: Why is Hashem so angry at the entire nation that He was ready to destroy them all? According to Chachamim, they were only 3000 people out the 3,000,000 who participated in the act of idolatry and only a handful 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, as usual, there are many different commentaries on the same topic. One of the explanations is as follows: The Benei Israel greatest sin was that they stood in silence and not protested while some people were engaged in worshiping the idol. When you witness a crime and you keep silence, you’ll become partners in the crime. Similarly, when you witness some people committing a great sin publicly and you don’t protest, it’s as if you agree with what they are doing and you are liable for punishment.

But the explanation that I liked the most is given by Rabbi Yakov Kamenetsky. He says that Benei Yisrael’s great 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, that he can go before us”! They didn’t want a replacement for the G-d Almighty; they wanted a replacement for their God, “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 think that it was “YOU” who brought them out of Egypt, and not me! So YOU go and fix it now!!!! 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 Talmid Chachams. We sometimes get so mesmerized by their words and their actions that we tend to forget about the Almighty himself and we start worshiping them instead. Yes, some of them can give powerful blessings, and some of them can even perform miracles, but we have to remember that it’s Hashem who has given them all these powers. All the blessings and miracles comes from Hashem ONLY! These people are just the mediators! Although we should have great respect for our leaders and our Chachamim, but we should only worship G-d! These great people can help our prayers to get to the heaven a little faster, but it’s ultimately Hashem who will answer our prayers! Let us not lose 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 from us is to “believe” in him! Do you think, is this 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 “

In this week’s Parsha, the commentators have noted one unusual feature: it is the only Parsha from the beginning of book of Shemot to the end of Bamidbar that does not contain the name of Moshe. Several interpretations have been offered:

One explanation is that it’s related to the fact that in most years Parashat Tetzaveh is read during the week in which the seventh of Adar falls, the day of Moshe’s death. During this week we sense the loss of the greatest leader in Jewish history—and his absence in this week’s Parsha expresses that loss.

Another explanation is that Moshe had requested of G-d, when the Benei Israel made the Golden Calf, that if He was not prepared to forgive them, then He should erase his name from his book, the Torah. Although the Jewish people were forgiven, the words of a righteous individual (tzaddik) are powerful and Moshe’s decree was realized through his name being missed out from this one Parshah.

But Rabbi Jonathan sacks has yet another explanation. He says that this week’s parsha is dedicated to Kohanim, the priests. When Hashem wants to talk about his beloved Kohanim, even the greatest prophet of all times cannot disrupt the text, and that’s why Moshe’s name is omitted.

Both the Kohanim and the prophets play very important roles in Jewish life. Judaism recognizes, not one, but two forms of religious leadership, the “navi” and the “kohen”, the prophet and the priest. No other type of religious personality has had the impact as the prophets of Israel, of whom the greatest was Moshe. The priests, by contrast, were for the most part quieter figures who served in the Sanctuary rather than in the spotlight of political debate. Yet they, no less than the prophets, sustained Israel as a holy nation. Indeed, though Israel were summoned to become “a kingdom of priests,” they were never called on to be a people of prophets. Although both figures represented G-d, but they differ in their tasks. Let us therefore consider some of the differences between a prophet and a priest:

– A prophet speaks the word of G-d, a Kohen performs it.

– The role of priest was hereditary. It passed from father to son. The role of prophet was not.    Moshe’s own sons did not succeed him.

– The task of the priest was related to his office. If a Kohen for some reason could not perform his task, he was replaced with another Kohan immediately. A prophet on the other hand couldn’t be replaced with anyone, unless appointed by G-d only.

– The priest wore robes of office. There was no official uniform for a prophet.

– There are rules of kavod (honor) towards a kohen. There are no corresponding rules for the honor due to a prophet. A prophet is honored by being listened to, not by any form of gesture or courtesy.

– The priests were removed from the people. They served in the Temple. They were not allowed to become defiled by corpse. There were restrictions on whom they might marry. The prophet, on the other hand, was usually part of the people. He might be a shepherd, like Moshe, or a farmer, like Elisha. Until the word or vision came, there was nothing special in his work or social class.

– The service of the priest never changed; that of the prophet was constantly changing.

– The service of the Kohen was done on specific date and time, while the prophet’s task was done spontaneously without any warning.

There is no way of telling whose task is more important, the Navi’s or the Kohen’s, but we know for sure that without any of them Judaism would have never survived. Without the prophet, Judaism would have never been established, but without the priest, Judaism would have never continued to exist. Moshe the prophet, dominates four out of the five books of Torah that bear his name. But in Parashat Tetzaveh for once it is Aaron, the first of the priests, who holds center stage, undiminished by the rival presence of his brother! For whereas Moshe lit the fire in the souls of the Jewish people, Aaron tended the flame and turned it into an eternal light!

Yes my friends, although we don’t have any prophets at the present time, but we still have our dear kohanim. Although they cannot perform their task in the Temple, but it doesnot take away from their honor and respect that we should have towards them. They still act as an agent of G-d and they still have the power to bless. They are the symbol of spirituality and our connection to G-d Almighty. May Hashem protect and bless our beloved Kohanim and give them the wisdom to guide the rest of the Jews in performing Torah ve Mitzvot.

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 “

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.

But you may ask yourself, why does the Torah elaborate so much about building the Mishkan? Why so much detail? After all, The Mishkan was only a temporary home for the Divine presence which eventually was replaced by the Temple in Jerusalem. The Chachamim give the following explanation. Building the Mishkan was the only time that the Benei Israel lived in total tranquility. It was the only time that they didn’t complain to Moshe! It seems that donation and building a house for G-d brings the best out of the people. When you start doing something for Hashem, it’s only then, when you start to appreciate His blessings! And that’s why the Torah devotes more airtime to building the Mishkan, since it was the only time that the Benei Israel lived in total harmony with Moshe and their Creator!

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”?!

Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetzky gives the following beautiful 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 great “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 their offer. But you may ask yourself, why? What was wrong with their offer? It seems like a great offer if you ask any fundraiser. So why doesn’t the Torah appreciate the individuals who guarantee any shortfall in collecting funds for building a House for G-d? Well, financially, it may have been a great idea, but ideologically, it was a wrong concept. When the Princes saw that they have the merit to take part in this great cause, they should have snapped at the opportunity and offered their donations up front! 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, since later on, we see that Moshe asks people to stop bringing donations because they have too much already. They never thought that they might miss the opportunity to take part in this great mitzvah. And that was their mistake, unfortunately.

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 been given the 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. Hashem wants everyone to take part in this great mitzvah, because Hashem wants to give back to all his children and not just to a few individuals. Hashem loves all his children the same.

Well, I’m proud to announce that our Mashadi Community follows the same blueprint as in the Torah when it comes to building a House for G-d. All our Synagogues are built by donations! Everyone tries their best to participate in this wonderful 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. It was only a week ago that we witnessed such an act. The Hajibay family donated generously to rename the YMJC Kanissa to Ohr Esther. May Hashem bless them a thousand times more and may their house be always lit (Ohr) with joy and happiness.

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, Rosh Chodesh Tov 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 closest 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 separate between “Church and State”, in Judaism, our “Religion” is our “State”!! To be holy, is part of our everyday lives. 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 looking at the relationship between man and G-d, Judaism looks at the relationship between man and man to find holiness.

That’s why in this week’s Parsha the Torah lists more than 50 civil laws in order to teach us that in order to stay holy, we need to treat our fellow Jews with compassion. But since the time does not allow, we shall discuss one of the laws, only.

In this week’s Parsha, the Torah says: ” im kesef talveh et Ami ………” which the “ArtScroll Edition” Torah translates it into English as follows: “When you lend money to my people, to the poor person who is within you, do not act towards him as a creditor; do not lay interest upon him”! Well, anyone who has little knowledge of Hebrew language, should know that the word “im” means “if”! So, why does one of the most famous English translation Torah, mistranslates the word “im” as “when”?! After a little study, I found out that Rashi, the most famous Torah commentator, did comment on this matter. He says, here and two other places in the Torah the word “im” should be translated as “when”. The Torah uses the word im, just to show that we have freedom of choice to do all the mitzvot of the Torah, but in reality, Hashem really wants us to do them. In this case he says, lending money to the poor should not be optional — it should be an obligation. Giving charity shouldn’t raise a doubt in your mind, as “if” you should do it or not, but rather, it should only be a matter of time, “when”!

There is no word for charity in Hebrew. Look up the word for charity in the English/Hebrew dictionary and you’ll find the word “tzedaka”.Tzedaka doesn’t mean charity. It means ‘righteousness’. We don’t give charity because we feel compassion toward the needy; we give charity because it is the “right” thing to do. The Chachamim say that a person who gives charity doesn’t deserve a pat on the back – but the one who doesn’t give ‘charity’ deserves a slap on the wrist! They go as far as to say, if the needy doesn’t come to knock on your door, you should go and knock on his shed!

The Chachamim also say that when you give Tzedaka, Hashem will pay you back a lot more. But how do they know that?! Our sages say that the answer can be found in this week’s pasuk.The verse says, “when you lend money to my people..”– “my people” refers to the nation of G-d, whose livelihood is his responsibility and not ours. But Hashem is giving us the opportunity to go in partnership with him in this case. And you can be sure that Hashem always protects his partners. Not only, he pays you back for your investment, but he will also give you a lot more for the act of kindness that you did. Besides, Hashem always treats us the same way we treat others. So when we open our hands to the needy, He will open His hands to us in the time of need!

Yes my friends, Parashat Mishpatim– the Jewish civil laws, is all about our obligations towards a fellow Jew. It talks about, obligations of a master to a slave; obligations of a child to its parents; of a pupil to his teacher; of a community to the poor; of the individual to the community. Our obligations towards an orphan, towards the sick, towards the convert; and the obligations of man to G-d. Hashem wants us to feel obligated to seek justice, and to feel obligated to help out the needy and the weak. He does not want us to see these Jewish civil laws as a set of rules and regulations, but rather, he wants us to see them as common sense.

And this is how we differ from other nations: To treat others with fairness and compassion might be an option to them, but to us, is an obligation! What reads as “if” to the rest to the world; to the people of G-d is “when”!!!

Shabbat 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.

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 to tell their father the good news of Joseph being alive. 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 is reunited with his beloved son, Joseph! After twenty two years of living in misery and sorrow, thinking that his favorite son is dead, Jacob is suddenly informed that Joseph is still alive and well. Although, he was hesitant at the beginning to believe such an unimaginable news, but after seeing all the chariots and the entourage for his honor, his spirit was revived and he said “my son Joseph is still alive. I shall go and see him before I die”. So he rushed down to Egypt to meet Joseph face to face. The scene of their close encounter is every writer’s dream to write about, in order to show off his or her writing talents. 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.  How loud did they cry? How long did they embrace? Who said the first word? Who was more happy? If only I was a writer………..

Well, let’s see what the writer of all writers, the G-d 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 in all the years of their separation, Jacob was in a depress mood and 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.

But even if we tend to accept Rashi’s commentary, it still doesn’t justify Jacob’s lack of emotions. 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. I have a hard time controlling my tears just writing about this?! How could Jacob show no signs of affection?!

What is more mind bugling, is that Jacob doesn’t reveal any emotions later on in the Parsha either. He doesn’t even ask any questions regarding Joseph’s disappearance from Joseph 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 lack of emotions raises a bigger question. Was Jacob, G-d forbid, a heartless person who didn’t care about his children??

Well, after a little research, I came across an explanation given by Rabbi Frand, quoting Sforno, 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 mislead 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 silent, 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 and harmony together! 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, once again, the Torah emphasizes the importance of “unity” among brothers, or among all the Jews for that matter. For the sake of unity, sometimes you have to hide your emotions. For the sake of unity, sometimes you have to keep quiet. 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, because holding a grudge will create separation and that’s not what Hashem wants from us. He wants us to get along with everyone, even with those who have done us wrong. He 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. David HaMelech with all his power, unfortunately, couldn’t get his children to get along with each other, and longed to see the day when they would be united. All he could do was to inspire the future generations by putting down his dream onto the paper: “Hiney matov u’manayim, shevet achim gam yachad”…….. “See, how nice and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!”

Shabbat Shalom & Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

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

” Parsha in a Nutshell ”

Joseph’s imprisonment finally ends when Pharaoh dreams of seven fat cows that are swallowed up by seven lean cows, and of seven fat ears of grain swallowed by seven lean ears. Joseph interprets the dreams to mean that seven years of plenty will be followed by seven years of hunger, and advises Pharaoh to store grain during the plentiful years. Pharaoh appoints Joseph governor of Egypt. Joseph marries Asenath, daughter of Potiphar, and they have two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.

Famine spreads throughout the region, and food can be obtained only in Egypt. Ten of Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt to purchase grain; the youngest, Benjamin, stays home, for Jacob fears for his safety. Joseph recognizes his brothers, but they do not recognize him; he accuses them of being spies, insists that they bring Benjamin to prove that they are who they say they are, and imprisons Shimon as a hostage. Later, they discover that the money they paid for their provisions has been mysteriously returned to them.

Jacob agrees to send Benjamin only after Judah takes personal and eternal responsibility for him. This time Joseph receives them kindly, releases Shimon, and invites them to an eventful dinner at his home. But then he plants his silver goblet, pretending to have magical powers, in Benjamin’s sack. When the brothers set out for home the next morning they are pursued, searched, and arrested when the goblet is found in Benjamin’s sack. Joseph offers to set them free and to keep only Benjamin as his slave.

” Chanukah, the Festival of hope! ”

The story of Chanukah took place over 2000 years ago in the 2nd century BCE, during the time of the Second Holy Temple. The Syrian-Greek empire lead by Antiochus, who was the mightiest nation of the time, took over the land of Israel, including the Temple in Jerusalem. Unlike the Nazi regime who sought to get rid of the Jewish people altogether, the Greeks sought to destroy the Jewish religion. Their aim was to pull Jews away from Judaism, with the hopes of assimilating them into Greek culture. Antiochus outlawed Jewish observance ― including circumcision, Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh and Torah study ― under penalty of death. Unfortunately, many Jews ― called Hellenists ― began to assimilate into Greek culture, taking on Greek names and marrying non-Jews. This began to decay the foundation of Jewish life and practice.

Once, a group of Greek government officials approached a group of Jewish Priests (Kohens) led by Matityahu to sacrifice a pig to the Greek gods. Matityahu not only refused to do so, but slew with his own hand the Jew who had stepped forward to do so. He also assassinated the Greek government official, who was forcing him to sacrifice. Then, Matityahu along with a few courageous Jews took to the hills of Jerusalem and started an uprising against this threat to Jewish life. Him, and later on his son, Judah the Maccabee, who had little experience in battlefield, started a guerrilla warfare against the Syrian-Greek army.

Antiochus sent thousands of well-armed troops to crush the rebellions, but after three years, the Maccabees defeated the Greek army by incredible odds and miraculously succeeded in driving away the foreigners from Jerusalem and their Holy Temple.

Once the Jewish fighters entered the Holy Temple, they found it to be desecrated with idols. The Maccabees cleansed the Temple and decided to re-light the Menorah. They searched the entire Temple, but found only one jar of pure olive oil that could only burn for a day. The group of believers lit the Menorah anyway and were rewarded with a miracle: That small jar of oil burned for eight days, until a new supply of oil could be brought.

But you may ask yourself, isn’t the victory over the Greeks, the mightiest nation of the time, by a small group of Priests, a bigger miracle than the oil lasting for eight days? Why don’t we make a parade or a feast to celebrate a major victory over the world’s greatest army? In Purim, we celebrate the victory over “Haman Harasha” who wanted to destroy all of the Jews, so why can’t we do it now?! Why is the main commemoration in Chanukah over a little oil and why is it symbolized only by Menorah and lights?

The answer is quite simple, my friends. At the time of Chanukah, the Jews almost lost everything they had. Jerusalem was taken away from them; the Greeks took over the Temple and brought many idols inside and all the holy services were stopped. But, at this very time when many people thought that it’s the end of Judaism, a small group of Kohanim never lost hope. They stood up and fought. And because they had faith in G-d, Hashem made a big miracle happen for them and they defeated the Greek army and they took possession of Beith Hamikdash once again. And then, another miracle happened; the oil enough to burn for one day, lasted for eight days. All of these miracles happened because a small group of Kohanim never lost hope! “Light” is a symbol of hope. When we say that there is light at the end of the tunnel, it means that there is “hope” for a better future. That’s why we celebrate Chanukah with lights, since all these miracles happened because a small group of people never lost “hope”!

Yes my friends, Chanukah is a festival of hope! Chanukah reminds us that even at the darkest point in our lives, when everything seems to be going wrong, Hashem never abandons us, as long as we never give up hope! Hashem will perform miracles for us, as long as we have faith in him! The halacha says that when we light the Chanukah candles, we should not benefit from them whatsoever and they are there for observation purposes only. But, what are we suppose to see? Just the flames? The answer is, no. We are suppose to see the light and be inspired by it! We should see the light in order to give us hope for a brighter future! We should see the light and remember that miracles can and do happen! And that’s what Chanukah is all about!

So my friends, never give up hope and always believe in miracles. Life is not a fairy tale. But who said that miracles can only happen in fairy tales, anyway?!

Shabath Shalom, Chanukah Sameach and Regards;

Martin