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 “

Parashat Tetzaveh is the only Parsha from the beginning of the book of Shemot until the book of Devarim, that does not contain the name of Moshe Rabbeinu. Several interpretations have been offered:

One explanation is that it’s related to the fact that almost every year Parashat Tetzaveh is read during the week of Moshe’s “yahrtzeit”, 7th of Adar, the day Moshe passed away. 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. 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 omitted from this one Parsha.

But Rabbi Jonathan sacks has yet another explanation. He says that this week’s parsha is dedicated to Moshe’s brother, Aaron HaKohen who was the Kohe Gadol (The high Priest) of the time. 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.

Rabbi Sacks says that the Kohanim play a very important role in Jewish life, if not as important as the prophets. 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, they differ in their tasks. These are 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 honoring 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 Kohen on the other hand had a set tasks to do everyday.

– 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.

– Hashem decided to bless the people through his beloved Kohanim. The Prophets did not have such a privilege.

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 more prophets at the present time, we still have our dear kohanim. They might not be able to perform their tasks in the Temple, but they still act as the agents of G-d. The rules of Kavod, respect and honor towards them, still applies today. They are the symbol of spirituality and our only connection to G-d. And they still have the power to bless!

‘May G-d bless you and guard you.

‘May G-d shine His face upon you and be gracious to you.

‘May G-d turn His face toward you and grant you peace.’

These are the words that utter out of the Kohanim’s mouths when they give blessing to the rest of Klal Yisrael. May Hashem bless them with the same words. Amen.

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 “

At the beginning of Parashat Terumah, G-d tells Moshe to convey the following message to Benei Yisrael: “ They shall make a sanctuary for me — so that I may dwell among them….”. The rest of the Parsha and the next four Parashiot are dedicated to building of the “Mishkan”, the temporary house of G-d. But the question that comes to mind is, how can you make a house for G-d?  He is bigger than anything we can imagine! King Solomon who built the first Temple said: “But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain You. How much less this house I have built!” Not only it’s impossible to build a house for G-d, but it should be unnecessary too. The G-d who is everywhere and can be accessed from anywhere, should not be confined to one single location. So, why did Hashem command the Benei Yisrael to build a house for him?!

Well, the simple answer that the Chachamim give is as follows. God gave the commandment of building the Mishkan, after the sin of the golden calf. The people made the golden calf after Moses had been on the mountain for forty days to receive the Torah. So long as Moses was in their midst, the people knew that he communicated with God,  and therefore God was accessible to them. But when he was absent for nearly six weeks, they panicked. Who else could bridge the gap between the people and God? How could they hear God’s instructions? Through what intermediary could they make contact with the divine presence?

That is why God said to Moses, “Let them build me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them.”  The verb “to dwell” in Hebrew is Sh-kh-n. Shakhen in Hebrew means a neighbour, the person who lives next door. What the Israelites needed and what God gave them was a way of feeling as close to God as to our next-door neighbour. From the same root as sh-kh-n, came the word Mishkan meaning a sanctuary, and Shekhinah, the divine presence. So, the whole reason to build a house for G-d, was to get close to him.

But even if we are content with the reason why we need a house for G-d, the more difficult question is, how do we come to sense the presence of G-d even if we are in the house of G-d? How can we find G-d? Yes, when wehh go to a house of worship, or even to the Western Wall, we might be inspired with awe, but do we actually feel the presence of G-d? How can we get the feeling of “Shakhen”, a close neighbor?!

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks gives a beautiful answer to this question. The way the Mishkan was built, was by contributions.  G-d said to Moses: “Tell the Israelites to take for me a contribution. You are to receive the contribution for me from every man whose heart desires.”——- The best way of encountering G-d is to give! The very act of giving is to acknowledge that what we give is part of what we were given. It is a way of giving thanks, an act of gratitude.

If G-d is present, it means that what we have is His. He created the universe. He made us. He gave us life. He breathed into us the very air we breathe. All around us is the abundance of God’s generosity. When life is a given, you acknowledge it by giving back.

But, what if G-d does not exist? What if the universe came into existence only because of a random fluctuation in the quantum field, if there is nothing in the universe that knows we exist,  if there is nothing to the human body but a string of genetic code and electrical impulses in the brain, then it is difficult to feel gratitude for the gift of life. There is no gift if there is no giver. There is only a series of meaningless accidents, and it is difficult to feel gratitude for an accident.

The Torah therefore tells us something simple and practical. Give, and you will come to see life and its’ Creator. Rabbi Sacks says that you don’t need to be able to prove G-d exists. All you need is to be thankful that you exist – and the rest will follow.

That is how God came to be close to the Israelites through the building of the sanctuary. It wasn’t the quality of the wood and metals and drapes. It wasn’t the glitter of jewels on the breastplate of the High Priest. It wasn’t the beauty of the architecture or the aroma of the sacrifices. It was the fact that it was built out of the gifts of “everyone whose heart desires to give”!

Yes my friends, the best way to encounter G-d is by donating to the house of G-d. The Torah says donate anything your heart desires, which means the value is not important. It’s the act of giving is all that matters! When you give, it means that you are giving back some of what G-d has given. A sense of gratitude always brings closeness between the two parties, and makes you feel like close neighbors.

So my friends, whenever you get an urge to encounter G-d, or to see the hand of G-d, you don’t need to climb to the top of Mount Everest, or to see Niagara Falls, The Grand Canyon or any other wonders of the world. All you need to do is to donate to the house of G-d ………. and then, G-d will find you himself!!

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 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 “

In this week’s parsha which is filled with commandments and laws concerning man and his fellow, we come across two unrelated commandments which are placed next to each other. The first one tells us about the laws of a non-kosher animal. The Torah says: “People of holiness shall you be to Me; you shall not eat flesh of an animal that was torn in the field; to the dog shall you throw it”.  The next verse tells us about carrying a false or evil reports, “Do not accept a false report, do not extend your hand with the wicked to be a venal witness”.

The Chachamim say that there is always a connection between the laws of the Torah when written in juxtaposition. But it’s very difficult to see the connection between these two. What does throwing non-kosher meat to a dog have to do with a gossip? The two seem totally unconnected.

Rabbi Kamenetsky says that the meat given to the dogs is a payback for keeping silence on the night of the Egyptian exodus. That night, despite the cries and wails of the Egyptians as their first-born were smitten, the dogs kept quiet. The Torah says: “Against all the Children of Israel, no dog shall whet its tongue, against neither man nor beast, so that you shall know that Hashem will have differentiated between Egypt and Israel”. Therefore they are rewarded with the meat that a Jew must refrain from eating. But how is their reward of reticence a lesson for Jews who slander?

The Chafetz Chaim explains the reason dogs were rewarded was because their nature is to yelp and bark at tragedy. Despite their instinct, they went against their nature and held back. They followed the command of the Almighty and held their tongues. The Torah rewarded their reserve with the spoils of our non-kosher meat. But when humans, who are supposed to control their tongues, lose control, there is no better method to learn how to mend the folly of their ways than through the very animals who mastered self-control in most trying times. How fitting is it that the two verses, one that rewards the canine for constraint be juxtaposed next to one which prohibits their mortal masters from evil talk and gossiping. We are the masters of our animals, but more so must be the masters of our desires and our tongues! Sometimes, instead of just teaching our dogs new tricks, we can learn a lesson as well.

I recently read the following story. Although amusing, yet it carries a moral lesson. I hope you like it too:  A man was going on vacation to Jamaica. He wanted a room for himself and his pet dog, and asked if the establishment, a hotel in Kingston, Jamaica, would allow an animal. A little while later he received the following reply to his email:

Dear Sir,

I’ve been in the hotel business for forty years and never had to eject a disorderly dog. Never has a dog set a mattress on fire while smoking in bed. Never has a dog stolen a towel or sneaked an unpaid guest into his room. Never has a dog acted disorderly, drunk or otherwise. Your dog is welcome. If he can vouch for you, then you can come along as well.

Sincerely;

Hotel Manager.

Shabbat Shalom & Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

I hope that you’ll enjoy the following Parsha 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, 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 Shabbat. 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 “

Music! Oxford dictionary defines it as “vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion.” There is an inner connection between music and the spirit. Words are the language of the mind, while music is the language of the soul. Religious worship cannot do without music. That’s why when we pray, we do not read; we sing. Melody inspires the soul; music connects you to G-d.

In this week’s Parsha, Moshe and the Benei Yisrael also sing a song of gratitude to Hashem; “Az yashir Moshe uvenei Yisrael….”. After Hashem saved the Israelites from the hands of Egyptians, and the Israelites saw the Egyptians dead on the shore, they believed in Hashem and His servant Moshe. So they expressed their appreciation by singing a song to the G-d Almighty. Accordingly, this week’s Shabbat is called “Shabbat Shira”, Shabbat of Song.

But Rabbi Frand has a different view of why this week’s Shabbat is called Shabbat Shira. He says that it could not merely be because the parsha contains the ‘Shirah’, for if that were the case, then Parshat Yitro, (next week) should be called Shabbat Torah, since it contains the story of the giving of the Ten Commandments. So there must be something else about  Parshat Beshalach that gives it the title of “Shabbat Shira”.

Rabbi Frand says that the word “Shira” comes from the same root as “Yashar”, meaning straight. The entire parsha contains this idea of “Straightness,” of ups and downs which eventually balance out. No other parsha has so much repetition between peaks and valleys. The Jewish people came out of Egypt mightily, with a powerful Hand. Then the balloon was deflated when their backs were against the sea and the Egyptians were bearing down on them. The whole Exodus from Egypt seemed to be in jeopardy. It seemed to dissipate and go up in a cloud. Then the sea split. That was a tremendous high. They were miraculously saved. Then what happened? They found themselves without water, and the ‘lows’ began again. Then the bitter water miraculously turned sweet and they again were on a ‘high’. Then they had no food. They complain again — another ‘low’. Then they were miraculously given Manna and they were happy again. Then Amalek attacked and the cycle continued…..

There are high points and low points in a person’s life. There are peaks and there are valleys. When a person can look back and see the straightness (Yashar) of life — that somehow, after a while, things tend to work themselves out and become straight — that is the time when a person can utter Shirah; sing a Song. That’s why this week’s Parsha is called Shabbat Shira — the Shabbat of fairness and straightness!

Yes my friends; this week’s Parsha teaches us about life. Life is all about the highs and lows, ups and downs, the peaks and valleys. When a person can look back on his life and recognize that while there have been defeats and low moments as well as the high points, and sees the straightness/fairness of it all, then he understands what life is all about. That is when he can indeed utter the Shira, song of praise to G-d which is the essence of this week’s Parsha.

Remember that there is one good thing about reaching the bottom… You can only go up! After a bitterness in life, there usually comes sweetness. There is a great example of this in this week’s Parsha. The Israelites came to a place called Marah. However, they were unable to drink the water there because it was bitter. They complained against Moshe, asking what they could drink. Moshe prayed to G-d. G-d showed Moshe a tree. Moshe threw the tree into the water and the water became sweetened. The Jews were then able to drink the water. The Talmud says that the bark of the tree that G-d showed Moshe was itself extremely bitter. The bitter water was sweetened through the addition of a bitter tree. The lesson of this incident is:  “From the bitter, sweet emerges”. Sometimes, the sweetest outcome can emerge from the bitterest pain.

Shabbat Shalom & Regards;
Martin

Dear Friends;

I hope that you’ll enjoy the following Parsha 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 (Matzah). 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, we read about the last and final plague that Hashem brought upon the Egyptians; the killing of the firstborns. This was by far the most devastating and destructive plague that the Egyptians experienced. All other nine plagues destroyed the Egyptians’ livelihood and their economy, while the last plague destroyed their actual lives!

So, prior to the plague of the firstborn, Moshe told Pharaoh, “So says Hashem: ‘ At around midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt. Every firstborn in Egypt shall die,…”.

Once again, the Chachamim pick up a strange word used in the pasuk which needs explanation. They are bothered by Moshe’s use of the word, “around” midnight. Why did Moshe need to approximate? The plague was actually executed at exactly midnight, 12:00am. 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 Moshe’s inability to be exact. This was obviously before the days of clocks and certainly before the days of calculating the exact time with minutes and seconds. 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 exactly accurate? What if they would have thought that the time was 12:05, for example? 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 damaged Moshe’s reputation?

Rabbi Yissachar Frand gives a very interesting explanation to this question. He says that Moshe wasn’t concerned about his own reputation at all, 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 a minute or two. There is no room for doubts when it comes to G-d’s reputation. 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 the G-d Almighty, who is perfect and will always be perfect!

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 this world 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. Something which might be normal for other nations to do, might be a disgrace to be done by a Jew. 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 accepted by the society. The Torah is telling us that we need 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 90% of the time is not good enough; we have to be good All of the time!!

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

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.”

“ Dvar Torah “

Moses! The Torah records for us later on, that we shall never see such a great prophet ever again. But the greatest prophet of all times, seems to have failed his mission at the beginning. Last week, we read of how Moses was sent by G-d to lead the Israelites to freedom, and how his initial efforts met with failure. Not only did Pharaoh not agree to let the people go; he made the working conditions of the Israelites even worse. They had to make the same number of bricks as before but now they had to gather their own straw. The people complained to Pharaoh, then they complained to Moses, then Moses complained to G-d. “Why have you brought trouble to this people? Why did you send me?”

Also, at the beginning of this week’s parsha G-d tells Moses that he will indeed bring the Israelites to freedom, and asks him to relay the message to the people. So Moses told this to the Israelites but the Torah says that they did not listen to him because “their spirit was broken and because the labor was harsh”.

It seems that Moses has failed. The people did not believe in him and they did not listen to his words, because Moses had brought them messages from G-d before and they had done nothing to improve their situation. Since, Moses had failed to deliver in the past, they had no reason to think he would do better in the future.

Also, Moses predicted his failure from the start. When Moses first met G-d at the burning bush, G-d told him to lead, and Moses kept refusing on the grounds that the people would not listen to him. He told G-d that he was not a man of words. He was slow of speech and tongue. He lacked eloquence. He could not sway crowds. He was not an inspirational leader.

So the fundamental question is; did Moses really fail?! Was he the wrong pick? Would the people reacted differently, if it was someone else delivering the words of G-d?!

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks says that the reason that the people did not listen to Moses had nothing to do with his leadership or his ability to speak! In fact it had nothing to do with Moses at all.  They did not listen “because their spirit was broken and because the labor was harsh.” In other words, they did not listen to him because of the shortness of breath and from the hard labor. It did not matter if they had Moses or anyone else as a leader at this point. Moses did not fail. People failed to hear the words of G-d.

Rabbi Sacks says that we can learn from here that in order to improve people’s spiritual situation, first we need to improve their physical situation. The well-being of the soul is dependant on the well-being of the body. Spiritual achievement is higher than material achievement, but we need to ensure the latter first, because a person suffering from great hunger, thirst, heat or cold, cannot grasp an idea communicated by someone else, let alone he can arrive at it on his own. In other words, if we lack basic physical needs, there is no way we can reach spiritual heights. When people’s spirits are broken by harsh labor they cannot listen to a Moses. If you want to improve people’s spiritual situation, first improve their physical conditions.

Yes my friends, in order to climb to spiritual heights, we must first have satisfied our material needs. When it comes to the poverty, Judaism is a religion of  protest, not acceptance!  God does not want people to be poor, hungry, sick, oppressed, uneducated, deprived of rights, or subject to abuse. He has made us His agents in this cause. He wants us to be His partners in the work of redemption. That is why so many Jews have become doctors fighting disease, be good lawyers like the brain injury lawyer Vegas firm expert fighting injustice or educators fighting ignorance. Helping to ease poverty, curing disease, ensuring the rule of law and respect for human rights: these are spiritual tasks no less important than prayer and Torah study.

Ultimately, We need to work in order to provide for ourselves and for our family. Sitting and learning Torah the whole day and letting our family live in poverty and hard conditions is not the best way to achieve spiritual heights.

Remember, when the physical world is harsh, the human spirit is broken, and people cannot then hear the word of G-d, even when delivered by the greatest prophet of all times……

Shabbat Shalom & Regards;

Martin

I hope that you’ll enjoy the following Parsha 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 Yitro’s daughters, marries one of them – Tzipporah – 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 “

In this week’s Parsha, we read about the birth of Moshe Rabeinu, the savior of the Benei Yisrael. After the Benei Israel have been enslaved by Pharaoh for many years, Hashem finally decides to rescue them from the hands of the Egyptians by sending Moshe to lead them out of Egypt. But there were other heroes involved in the rescue operation, who risked their lives in order to save the Jews. Two of these heroes were the two midwives who delivered the Jewish children, Shifrah and Puah. The Torah says: Now the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, and he said, “When you deliver the Hebrew women, and you see on the birth stool, if it is a son, you shall put him to death, but if it is a daughter, she may live.” The midwives, however, feared G‑d; so they did not do as the king of Egypt had spoken to them, but they enabled the boys to live. So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, that you have enabled the boys to live?” And the midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are skilled as midwives; when the midwife has not yet come to them, they have already given birth.” G‑d benefited the midwives, and the people multiplied and became very strong. Now it was because the midwives feared G‑d, that He made houses for them.

There is an obvious difficulty in understanding G-d’s reward to the midwives. The phrase “and the people multiplied and became very strong” seems totally out of place?! It appears to interrupt the description of the actual reward with which G-d benefited the midwives by making them houses. So what is the significance of this “extra” phrase?

Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetsky gives a beautiful explanation. His method of commentary is usually by telling a relevant story first: A couple had a premature child. The baby was in the hospital for a couple of months and came home after several weeks of intensive care in the hospital. The parents were very grateful to the doctors and especially to the nurses in the children’s Intensive Care Unit. The father of the baby called his Rabbi and asked him how he could show his appreciation to the staff in the hospital. The Rabbi advised the following: Every year on the child’s birthday, he should take the child back to the children’s ICU and show the nurses and the doctors how much he has grown. “See the actions of your hands. Look who you allowed to live and to grow up.” The greatest reward for the people working in that unit is seeing that their efforts paid off, that their labors resulted in a very significant accomplishment.

Accordingly, Rabbi Kamenetsky, uses the same reasoning to explain the midwives’ reward. G-d rewarded the midwives with what? And the answer is: “The people became many and very mighty.” The greatest reward for the midwives was that the Bnei Yisrael grew. Pharaoh wanted to kill off all the Jews and destroy the possibility of a future Jewish nation. The “houses” that G-d made for Shifra and Puah were only a secondary reward. Their main reward was seeing the fruits of their labor, which was: “The people became many and very mighty!”

Yes my friends, two of the heros in helping to rescue the Benei Israel from the hands of the Egyptians were Shifra and Puah, the two midwives. They risked their lives in order to save the lives of others! And because of their heroic sacrifices, we are a living nation today.

Pharaoh and the Egyptians did not succeed in killing the Jews, but unfortunately, we still have Pharaohs in our generation.  And our today’s Pharaohs are the enemies of the State of Israel, who want to destroy the Jewish nation and wipe Israel off the map. But once again, Hashem has not abandoned us. He has send us the midwives too. And our today’s heroic midwives are our dear Israeli Soldiers who risk their lives in order to protect the lives of other Jews living in Israel. Don’t think for a moment that their rewards are the medals or any other benefits that they might receive from the State of Israel. But rather, their true reward is to see the Bnei Yisrael “increase, multiply and become very strong”. May Hashem bless them, protect them and make them houses in this world and the world to come, just like he did for Shifrah and Puah.

Shabbat Shalom & Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

I hope that you’ll enjoy the following Parsha 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, and so on. 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 “

Since the beginning of creation, there has always been a special bond between grandchildren and grandparents. I don’t know about you, but I’ve witnessed it with my own eyes. My youngest son, Jeremy, is in love with my Dad. When he was 5-6 years old, every other Friday night he would go for dinner and sleepover to my parents. He didn’t want us to come with him. He just wanted to be alone with my Dad. Since Friday mornings, he was so excited to go. At Friday nights, when we got to their house, you should have seen the joy on both their faces. Just like two lovebirds which haven’t seen each other for ages! They had dinner together, they talked, they had fruits, read a book and went to sleep together. Shabbat mornings they had breakfast together and my Dad dropped him off before he went to Kanissa. When they had to separate, it was another dramatic scene! Although I envied my Dad’s relationship with my son, but I found it to be so adorable. Two generations gap, what did they talk about? Where did all these love and affection come from? Well, half-jokingly, I contribute this relationship to the fact that they have one common enemy; Me!! But the truth of the matter is that there is much less tension between grandparents and grandchildren, since the grandparents always see the fruits of their labor through their grandchildren.

In this week’s parsha, we can also see a fine demonstration of the love relationship between the grandfather and grandchildren. When Joseph heard that his father, Jacob, is ill and his days are numbered, he immediately takes his two sons, Ephraim and Menashe, to see his father in order to give him the final respect and to receive a blessing for his sons. Once they arrived, they informed Jacob that Joseph is here. So he raises himself in bed and after identifying the two accompanying children to be Joseph’s sons, he gives his grandchildren, Ephraim and Menasheh, the blessing of a lifetime! He gives his most powerful blessing to his favorite grandsons, 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 bit strange? The blessing actually, does not bless Ephraim nor Menasheh! It just says that every Jew should wish their children to be like Ephraim and Menasheh. It seems that Ephraim and Menasheh were blessed already, and Jacob just wants to pass on the blessing to the future generations!

So what were Ephraim and Menasheh actually blessed with already? What was so special about them that we should all want our children to be like them? What characteristic did they have that Jacob could not find 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”?

I read a beautiful explanation given by Rabbi Yissachar Frand which I would like to share with you. He says that the answer can be found in the way Jacob blessed Ephraim and Menashe. 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 preferential treatment. 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 a preferential treatment, such as a higher status, he might flaunt it. He might think that he’s a more important person now and he might look down on others. He might even think that he has got to this position because of his own strength and intelligence. He might boost his ego and become haughty (Ba-alei Ga-avah). 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 bowing down to him! He still considered Menasheh as his older brother, and he continued to give him the respect that he deserved for the rest of his life.

Given the sibling rivalry that Jacob witnessed with himself and his brother, and with his own sons, when he saw such good behavior in his grandchildren, he was thrilled that they got along so well with each other. So he could not find any better blessing to give them other than what they are blessed with already. So all he could say was that every Jew should be inspired 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. Some succeed more in life, financially. Some succeed more spirituality. Some are more intellectual and some are more athletic. Some are more beautiful and some are more charismatic. But the children must learn to respect each other for what they are. Being jealous of one another can only mean that you are not happy with what Hashem has given you! To respect one another, on the other hand, is a sign of humility and faith. It means that not only you are happy with what Hashem has given you, but you are happy with what Hashem has given to your brother too!

So tonight, after you say the kiddush on the wine, take a moment of your time and bless your sons with the greatest blessing that you can ever give them:  “Yesimcha Elokim Ke Ephraim VeChi Menashe; Yevarechecha Hashem Ve Yishmerecha…………”

Shabbat Shalom and Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

I hope that you’ll enjoy the following Parsha 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 “

The most dramatic reunion in the Bible, and probably 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 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 meeting is every writer’s dream to show off his talent. Every 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? What did they say to each other after 22 years? If only I was a writer………..

Well, let’s see what the writer of all writers, the G-d Almighty, has to say about this affectionate reunion 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 meeting, 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 depressed 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 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 some signs of joy on his face, or even let a few drops of tears run down his cheeks. I’m having a hard time controlling my tears just writing about this! How could Jacob show no signs of affection?!

What is more mind boggling, is that Jacob never reveals any emotions later on either. He never asked any questions regarding Joseph’s disappearance from Joseph or his brothers?! So many unanswered questions! 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 curiosity raises a bigger question. Was Jacob, G-d forbid, a heartless person who didn’t care about his children??

Well, once again, Rabbi Frand quoting Sforno, gives a beautiful explanation 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 go of the past in order to build a better future. 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 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 is teaching us the importance of unity. It’s so important that we have to do anything in our power to preserve it. Accordingly, 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 feud needs to be brought up, again and again.

Everyone makes 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 one another, even with those who have done us wrong. He wants us to forgive in order to be together. 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 live in peace and harmony together. David HaMelech with all his power, unfortunately, couldn’t get his children to get along, and longed for the day to see them being united. So, all he could do was to inspire the future generations by putting down his dream onto the paper:                                     הִנֵּה מַה טוֹב וּמַה נָּעִים שֶׁבֶת אָחִים גַּם יַחַד”…….. “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is, when the brothers dwell together in unity!”

Shabbat Shalom & Regards;

Martin

“ Dear Friends;

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

” Parsha in a Nutshell “

Jacob settles in Hebron with his twelve sons. His favorite is seventeen-year-old Joseph, whose brothers are jealous of the preferential treatment he receives from his father, such as a precious colorful coat that Jacob makes for him. Joseph relates to his brothers two dreams he has which foretell that he is destined to rule over them, increasing their envy and hatred towards him.

Jacob sends Joseph to check up on his brothers who are tending the flock away from home, and upon seeing him approaching they plot to kill him. Reuben convinces the brothers not to kill Joseph, but is unable to totally save him as the brothers sell Joseph into slavery in Egypt. The brothers dip Joseph’s special coat in the blood of a goat and show it to their father, leading him to believe that his most beloved son was devoured by a wild beast.

The Torah deviates from Joseph’s story to relate the story of Judah and his daughter-in-law Tamar.

The narrative then returns to Joseph in Egypt, where he becomes an extremely successful slave and is placed in charge of his master Potiphar’s household. Potiphar’s wife repeatedly tries to seduce Joseph, and when he refuses her advances, she screams and claims that he tried to rape her. Joseph is thrown into prison where he is once again placed in a position of leadership, this time being put in charge of the prisoners. Ten years later, Pharaoh’s chief butler and baker are thrown into the same prison. One night they each have a perplexing dream which Joseph accurately interprets, and the portion concludes as the butler is returned to his former post and the baker is executed, just as Joseph had predicted. But the butler forgets all about Joseph and does nothing for him.

” Dvar Torah “

“Joseph”!  Is by no doubt everyone’s favorite biblical character! The most dramatic story of the bible, if not of all times, which brings tears to everyone’s eyes, year after year after year, with no doubts, belongs to our beloved Joseph. Although, Joseph was not considered to be one of our Patriarch, yet he has more Torah portions designated to him than any of our Forefathers. Four Parashiot to be exact, does the Torah dedicate to our beloved Joseph. Although he was famous for his charm and beauty, but our sages give him the title of “Yosef HaSadik”, Joseph the righteous. Joseph earned his title of righteousness (HaSadik) because he had control over his desires, and because he was trustworthy and honest. His honesty, gained him the full trust of his master, his prison warden and the King Pharaoh himself. But the name “Yosef HaSadik” wouldn’t have been sealed, if he wouldn’t have forgiven his brothers for the cruel act of selling him into slavery and separating him from his father for so many years. Because of this unexpected act of forgiveness, not only Joseph is adored by everyone, but he became the symbol of righteousness!

But it seems that even the best of us are not flawless. The Torah reveals to us that Joseph didn’t go through life mistake free either. At the beginning of the parsha the Torah says: “Joseph at the age of seventeen, was a shepherd with his brothers, but he was a “Na-ar” among the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah,…..”

The word “Na-ar” means a young lad, a teenager, but Rashi explains that when the word Na-ar is used in the Torah, it’s a sign of immaturity. Rashi says that Joseph used to fix his hair and touch up his eyes so that he would look handsome, and that was the immature act that labeled him as a Na-ar. Although the majority of the Chachamim agree that Na-ar is a sign of immaturity, but some of them are not satisfied with Rashi’s explanation. Just because Joseph was fixing his hair, does not justify that he was an immature person! Yosef was 17 years old at the time, and fixation of hair is not unusual behavior for a 17 year old to do. For some of us, it’s a dream to be able to run that comb through our hair or use a blowdryer once in awhile! I would even do it at this age, if I had the opportunity!!

Rabbi Shimon Schwab gives a beautiful explanation to what was the reason for Joseph’s immaturity. He says that Joseph’s immature act wasn’t about looking handsome at all, but rather, it was something else. The Torah uses the term “Naar”, once before, in last week’s parashat VaYishlach in reference to Shechem, son of Chamor. “And the ‘naar’ did not delay to carry out the matter (of circumcision) because he desired Yaakov’s daughter.” At this point in time Shechem son of Chamor was not a teenager. He was in fact one of the most prestigious people in the city. So why does the Torah refer to him as a ‘naar’? Rav Schwab explains that Shechem may have been an adult, he may have been a respected individual, but he still acted immaturely because he rushed into the agreement proposed by Shimon and Levi without thinking it through. And that is the definition of a ‘naar’ or immaturity; someone who rushes into making a decision without thinking it over!

Rav Schwab says, Yosef knew that he would be a leader over his brothers. Yosef foresaw this, prophetically, in his dreams. He, rightfully, envisioned that they would bow down to him and that he would be a King one day. One of the laws of monarchy is that the King has to be physically prominent. The Talmud states that a King must groom his hair daily. He represents the people and he must have the type of handsome appearance that people can respect. So, when the Torah says that Yosef acted as a ‘naar,’ he explains that Yosef’s mistake was that he already saw himself as the King at the age 17– it was not an adolescent fixation of the hair! He saw himself as the ruler over his brothers before the proper time for that relationship has developed. He wanted to be a king so badly that he forgot that he is still a “na-ar’, a young lad who is not mature enough yet!!    

Yes my friends, the Torah is telling us that rushing into making decisions is an immature behavior, while patience and thoughtfulness is a sign of wisdom and maturity. Unfortunately, many of us still act like a “Na-ar”! We all want everything to be done for us, ‘yesterday’. We all want to get rich quickly. We all want to find our soul-mate in no time. When we are faced with problems or misfortunes in our lives, we quickly become impatient and we wonder why are these things happening to us. Remember that Joseph went through a lot of hardship in his life, until finally, he became the ruler of Egypt. We should not rush into making decisions. We should think things over and weigh things out before making a decision. Marriage relationships have been lost over a simple disagreement. Lifetime friendships have been lost over a feud.  And all because they made a quick irrational decisions!

Keep in mind that there is nothing wrong with looking handsome. Fixation of hair is not a sign of immaturity, but making quick irrational decision is! So those of you with the full set of hair, go ahead and use your brush, hairdryer and hairspray. We might be jealous of you, but we certainly won’t think of you as being childish……

Shabbat Shalom, Happy Chanukah & Regards;

Martin

Dear friends;

I hope that you’ll enjoy the following Parsha summary followed by a Dvar Torah.

” Parsha in a Nutshell “

Jacob returns to the Holy Land after more than 20 years stay in Charan, and sends messengers to Esau in hope of a reconciliation, but his messengers report that his brother is on his way with 400 armed men. Jacob prepares for war, prays, but decides to go in peace and sends Esau a large gift (consisting of hundreds of sheep and cattle) to appease him.

That night, Jacob ferries his family and possessions them across the Yabbok River; he, however, remains behind and encounters the angel, with whom he wrestles until daybreak. Jacob suffers a dislocated hip but triumphs the supernatural creature, who bestows on him the name “Yisrael”, which means “He who prevails over the Divine.”

Jacob and Esau meet, embrace and kiss, but part ways. Jacob purchases a plot of land near Shechem, whose crown prince — also called Shechem — abducts and rapes Jacob’s daughter Dinah. Dinah’s brothers Simon and Levi avenge the deed by killing all male inhabitants of the city after rendering them vulnerable by convincing them to circumcise themselves.

Jacob journeys on. Rachel dies while giving birth to her second son, Benjamin, and is buried in a roadside grave near Bethlehem. Reuben loses the birthright because he interferes with his father’s marital life. Jacob arrives in Chevron, to his father Isaac, who later dies at age 180.

Our parshah concludes with a detailed account of Esau’s wives, children and grandchildren, and the family histories of the people of Se’ir among whom Esau settled.

” Dvar Torah “

In this week’s Parsha, we learn about a very tragic story. Dina, Jacob’s one and only daughter, leaves the safety of home to go out to “look at the daughters of the land.” She is raped and abducted by a local prince called Shechem, son of the king of the town also known as Shechem. The Torah then tells us that Shechem loved Dina and asked his father, Chamor, to take Dina for him as a wife.

Jacob learns of this fact but does nothing until his sons return. Shimon and Levi, Dina’s brothers, immediately realise that they must act to rescue her. It is an almost impossible mission. The hostage-taker is no ordinary individual. As the son of the king, he cannot be confronted directly. The king is unlikely to order his son to release her. The other townspeople, if challenged, will come to the prince’s defence. It is Shimon and Levi against the town: two against many. Even if all of Jacob’s sons came to the rescue, they would still be outnumbered.

Shimon and Levi therefore came up with a plot. They agree to let Dina marry the prince but under one condition. The members of the town must all be circumcised. The Shechemites, seeing long term advantages to an alliance with Jacob’s tribe, agree. The men of the town are weakened by the obligatory surgery, and the pain is most painful on the third day. That day, Shimon and Levi enter the town and kill the entire male population. They rescue Dina and bring her home.

Jacob is horrified. “You have made me look shameful in the eyes of the people of the land,” he says. “What then were we supposed to do”, ask the two brothers? “Should we have left our sister to be treated like a prostitute?” The episode ends and the narrative moves elsewhere. But Jacob’s rage does not end there. Even on his deathbed, he criticises them and curses them: “ Simeon and Levi are brothers— their swords are weapons of violence. Let me not enter their council, let me not join their assembly, for they have killed men in their anger. Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel! “

This is an extraordinary passage. It seems to lack any kind of moral message. No one comes out of it well. Shechem, the prince, would seem to be the chief villain. It was he who abducted and raped Dina in the first place. Chamor, his father, fails to condemn his action or order Dina’s release. Shimon and Levi are guilty of a horrendous act of violence. The other brothers engage in looting the town. Jacob fails to take charge. He neither acts nor instructs his sons on how to act. Even Dina herself seems at best to have been guilty of carelessness in going out into the town in the first place.

The overall effect is a story with no indisputable villains and no obvious heroes. Why then is the story told after all? Stories are not told in the Torah just to fill up the pages. If a story appears in the Torah, it’s because it has a significant. Torah means “teaching, instruction, guidance.” So, what teaching does the Torah want us to draw from this narrative out of which no one emerges well?

Well, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks finds an interesting lesson to be learned from this story. He says that in situations where there are power and violence involved, unfortunately, all the parties involved are the losers. Because, sadly, power and violence can only be stopped by power and violence! In the case of Dina, if the brothers wouldn’t have reacted, the Shechemites would have exercise their power and would have probably raped more Israelite girls and would have became their masters. And what Shimon and Levi did ended up killing many innocent people who were not involved in the plot in the first place. What the episode of Dina tells us is not that Jacob, or Shimon and Levi, were right, but rather in situations where power and violence are involved, there is no right course of action. In these situations, whatever you do is wrong; where every option involves abandoning some moral principle!

Yes my friends, unfortunately violence can only be stopped by violence!  A successful defence mechanism against a violent aggressor, is to become violent like them. This is so apparent in the fight against terrorism across the globe. There is no way you can sit down and negotiate with the terrorist and make peace. They will continue terrorising you until you give up and bend down to their demands. The only way to stop them is to attack back! But that will involve killing innocent people. But what else can we do?! Either kill or be killed….. a lose, lose situation!  In a situation where one side seeks peace and the other power and violence, sadly, violence will eventually prevail.

May Hashem, protect us from the hands of terrorists in the Land of Israel and across the world. May Hashem help us to get rid of them all, with the least amount of casualties. We long for the day that the world will be free of violence and bloodshed, and everyone will live in peace and harmony next to one another.

Shabbat Shalom & Regards;

Martin

Dear friends;

I hope you’ll enjoy the following Parsha summary, followed by a Dvar Torah:

Jacob leaves his hometown of Bersheva and journeys to Charan. On the way, he stops at a place and sleeps there, dreaming of a ladder connecting heaven and earth, with angels climbing and descending on it; G‑d appears and promises that the land upon which he lies will be given to his descendants. In the morning, Jacob raises the stone on which he laid his head as an altar and pledging that it will be made the house of G‑d.

In Charan, Jacob stays with and works for his uncle Laban, tending Laban’s sheep. Laban agrees to give him his younger daughter, Rachel—whom Jacob loves—in marriage, in return for seven years’ of labor. But on the wedding night, Laban gives him his elder daughter, Leah, instead—a deception Jacob discovers only in the morning. Jacob marries Rachel, too, a week later, after agreeing to work another seven years for Laban.

Leah gives birth to six sons—Reuben, Simeon,Levi, Judah, Issachar and Zebulun—and a daughter, Dinah, while Rachel remains barren. Rachel gives Jacob her handmaid, Bilhah, as a wife to bear children in her stead, and two more sons, Dan and Naphtali, are born. Leah does the same with her handmaid, Zilpah, who gives birth to Gad and Asher. Finally, Rachel’s prayers are answered and she gives birth to Joseph.

Jacob has now been in Charan for fourteen years. After six more years, Jacob leaves Charan in stealth, fearing that Laban would prevent him from leaving with the family and property for which he labored. Laban pursues Jacob, but is warned by G‑d in a dream not to harm him. Laban and Jacob make a treaty on Mount Gal-Ed, and Jacob proceeds to the Holy Land, where he is met by an angel.

” Dvar Torah “

What is it that made Jacob–not Abraham or Isaac–the true father of the Jewish people? We are the “congregation of Jacob”, “the children of Israel”. Jacob/Israel is the man whose name we bear. Yet Jacob did not begin the Jewish journey; Abraham did. Jacob faced no trials like Abraham, nor was he binded on the altar like Isaac, to sacrifice his life. Abraham introduced monotheism to the world and was a symbol of kindness. Isaac too was a man of G-d and followed in his father’s footsteps. Jacob was not what Noah was: righteous, perfect in his generations, one who walked with G-d. It was Jacob who deceived his father in order to steal his brother’s blessing. Yet, it was Jacob who fathered the twelve tribes of Israel, and not Abraham or Isaac. And it was Jacob that all his children stayed within the faith, unlike Abraham or Isaac. So why did he succeed when Abraham and Isaac failed? What was so special about Jacob that Hashem chose him to be the father of “Benei Israel”?

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, gives a great answer to this question. He says that the answer lies in this week’s Parsha and the next. He says that Jacob’s greatest visions of G-d came to him, when he was fleeing from one danger to the next. First, in this week’s Parsha when he was escaping from Esau, he stopped and rested for the night with only stones to lie on, and had a dream. In his dream, Hashem appeared to him and said, “Behold, I’m with you; I will guard you wherever you go, and I will return you to the land”. In next week’s Parsha, fleeing from Laban and terrified of the likelihood of meeting Esau again, he wrestles alone at night with a stranger who was an angel of G-d. Then the man said your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with G-d and have overcome”.

Rabbi Sacks explains that this is precisely the great strength of Jacob. Jacob is the man who has his deepest spiritual experiences alone, at night, in the face of danger and far from home. He is the man who meets G-d when he least expects to, when his mind is on other things, when he is in a state of fear and possibly on the brink of despair. Jacob is the man who in the middle of the journey, discovers that “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!” And this is the reason why he became the father of the Jewish nation.

Abraham gave Jews the courage to challenge idol-worshiping. Isaac gave them the capacity for self-sacrifice. Moses taught them to be passionate fighters for justice. But Jacob gave them the knowledge that precisely when they feel most alone, God is still with them, giving them the courage to hope and the strength to dream. We learn from Jacob that the Shechina, the Divine presence, is always with us even in a strange land. The connection with G-d is never lost.

Yes my friends, we find G-d not only in holy places but also in the midst of a journey, alone at night. The most profound lesson that we learned from Jacob is the knowledge that we are not alone. God is holding us by the hand, sheltering us, lifting us when we fall, forgiving us when we fail, healing the wounds in our soul through the power of His love. God never loses faith in us.

In these difficult times, when we think that terrorism has taken over the world; when the terrorists attack with knives, machine guns and bombs, we may rightfully feel hopeless and scared. But this is exactly the time that we should find our connection to G-d and have the courage to move on and fight the enemy. Remember that G-d never abandons us and he will fight our wars for us as long as we keep his commandments.

Even, Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, knows that G-d is involved in fighting terrorism, as he amusingly said in a quote recently: “To Forgive The Terrorists Is Up To God, But To Send Them To Him Is Up To Me”…….

Shabbat Shalom & Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

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

” Parasha in a Nutshell “

Isaac marries Rebecca. After twenty childless years their prayers are answered and Rebecca conceives. She experiences a difficult pregnancy; G-d tells her that “there are two nations in your womb,” and that the younger will prevail over the elder. Eisav emerges first; Jacob is born clutching Eisav’s heel. Eisav grows up to be “a hunter, a man of the field”; Jacob is “a wholesome man,” a dweller in the tents. Isaac favors Eisav; Rebecca loves Jacob.

Returning exhausted and hungry from the hunt one day, Eisav sells his birthright to Jacob for a pot of red lentil stew.

Eisav marries two Hittite women. Isaac grows old and blind, and expresses his desire to bless Eisav before he dies. While Eisav goes off to hunt for his father’s favorite food, Rebecca dresses Jacob in Eisav’s clothes, prepares a similar dish, and sends Jacob to his father. Jacob receives his fathers’ blessings for “the dew of the heaven and the fat of the land” and mastery over his brother. When Eisav returns and the deception is revealed, all Isaac can bless his weeping son with is to predict that he will live by his sword, and that only when Jacob falters, his supremacy over the him will vanish.

Jacob leaves home to flee Eisav’s wrath and to find a wife in the family of his mother’s brother, Laban. Eisav marries a third wife — Machlat, the daughter of Ishmael.

“ Dvar Torah “

In this week’s Parsha, we read about the episode of Isaac wanting to bless Esau, as he had become old and his eyes dimmed from seeing. So he tells Esau: “hunt game for me, make me a meal such as I love and bring it to me and I will eat, so that my soul bless you before I die.” Rivka was listening to their conversation and immediately tells Jacob to bring her two young goats and she will prepare a meal for Isaac the way he likes it. And he should take it to him and take the blessing instead. Hesitant at the beginning, but with his Mom’s persuasion, he disguised himself as Esau and took the meal to him. Suspicious at the beginning, but eventually Isaac ate the meal and blessed Jacob believing that it was Esau.

Was Jacob right to take Esau’s blessing in disguise? Was he right to deceive his father and to take from his brother the blessing Isaac sought to give him? Was Rivka right in conceiving the plan in the first place and encouraging her Jacob to carry it out? These are the fundamental questions that many of us want to know the answer including myself.

Well, one interpretation that the majority of commentators go with is as follows. Rivka was right to propose what she did and Jacob was right to do it. Rivka knew that it would be Jacob, not Esau, who would continue the covenant and carry the mission of Abraham into the future. She knew that because she heard it from G-d himself. Before the birth of the twins, G-d tells Rivka: “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the elder will serve the younger.” Esau was the elder, Jacob the younger. Therefore it was Jacob who would emerge with greater strength, Jacob who was chosen by G-d.

Also, she had watched the twins grow up. She knew that Esau was a hunter, a man of violence. She had seen that he was impetuous, temperamental, a man of impulse, not calm reflection. She had seen him sell his birthright for a bowl of soup. No one who despises his birthright can be the trusted guardian of a covenant intended for eternity.

The blessing had to go to Jacob. If Isaac did not understand the true nature of his sons, if he was “blind” not only physically but also psychologically, might it not be necessary to deceive him? He was by now old, and if Rivka had failed in the early years to get him to see the true nature of their children, then it was too late to make him understand now. So, if Rivka was right to deceive Isaac, then Jacob was right to follow her instructions.

But there is also another interpretation to the story. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks has a different, yet very interesting view. He says that Isaac fully understood the nature of his two sons. He loved Esau but this did not blind him to the fact that Jacob would be the heir of the covenant. Therefore Isaac prepared two sets of blessings, one for Esau, the other for Jacob. He blessed Esau with the gifts he felt he would appreciate: wealth and power: “May God give you heaven’s dew and earth’s richness – an abundance of grain and new wine” – that is, wealth. “May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you” – that is, power. These are not the covenantal blessings.

The covenantal blessings that God had given Abraham and Isaac were completely different. They were about children and the land of Israel. It is this blessing that Isaac later gave Jacob before he left home: “May God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples. May He give you and your descendants the blessing given to Abraham, so that you may take possession of the land that God gave to Abraham”. This was the blessing Isaac had intended for Jacob all along.There was no need for deceit and disguise. The blessing Isaac was about to give Esau was not the blessing of Abraham. He intended to give Esau a blessing appropriate to him.

Accordingly, Rivka and Jacob did make a mistake, but it was a forgivable and understandable one. Jacob came to realize his mistake later on in his life. He was deceived himself by his father in law, Laban, measure for measure. After 22 years of separation, Jacob finally meets with Esau. He gives Esau massive amount of gifts including sheep, cattle and other livestock. He then bows down seven times to Esau. But this was exactly the blessing that Isaac intended for Esau in the first place: “May you be blessed with heaven’s dew and earth’s richness and May the sons of your mother bow down to you…..”  Jacob finally gave the blessing back!

Yes my friends, for each of us there is a blessing that is ours. We should never seek our brother’s blessing. We should be content with our own. We should also learn from our mistakes. We live life forward, but we understand it only looking back. This is what we learn from the story of Isaac, Rivka, Esau and Jacob…..  all four people acted rightly as they understood the situation, yet still tragedy occurred.

Shabbat Shalom & Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

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

” The Parsha in a Nutshell “



Sarah dies at age 127 and is buried in the Machpeilah Cave in Hebron, which Avraham purchases from Ephron the Hittite for 400 shekels of silver.

Avraham’s servant, Eliezer, is sent with gifts to Charan, Avraham’s hometown, to find a wife for Isaac. At the village well, Eliezer asks G-d for a sign: when the maidens come to the well, he will ask for some water to drink; the woman who will offer to give his camels to drink as well, shall be the one destined for his master’s son.

Rebecca, the daughter of Avraham’s nephew, appears at the well and passes the “test”. Rebecca returns with Eliezer to the land of Canaan, where they encounter Isaac. Isaac marries Rebecca, loves her, and is comforted over the loss of his mother.

Avraham takes a new wife, Keturah (Hagar) and fathers six additional sons, but Isaac is designated as his only heir. Avraham dies at age 175 and is buried beside Sarah by his two eldest sons, Isaac and Ishmael.

” Dvar Torah “

One of the most difficult tasks in every man’s life is by no doubts, to find his soul-mate. The task seems to be so difficult that many people can not do it on their own. Some seek professional counseling, some go to seminars, some use a matchmaker and some use the modern technology by using websites and internet. Some people find their soul-mate in their own neighborhood, some move from one town to another, while some others travel across the world in search of a soul-mate. Yet, with all the help and the effort that the people put into this task, it seems that they pick the wrong choice since the divorce rate in the U.S. among the gentiles is close to 50%!

Well, being faced with such a difficult task, some people even give up. They decide to stay single! But this is not an option for a Jewish man, since it’s a direct commandment from the Torah that “every man should leave his father and his mother’s house and cling to his wife and they shall become one flesh”, which means that every Jewish man has to get married!

So, for us Jews, the question is not IF we can find the love of our life, but rather, HOW can we find the love of our life? But with such a difficult task that Hashem has put on our shoulders, don’t think that He is not going to help us. He also guides us how to find a “shiduch” (destined-match) in his holy book!

In this week’s parsha the Torah talks about how Avraham finds a “shiduch” for his son, Isaac. It discusses, in great detail, page after page after page, how he sends his servant Eliezer on a mission to find a wife for his son. The Torah doesn’t waste so much space for no reason. When it writes about something in detail, it wants us to learn from it. So let us see what we can learn from Eliezer’s mission.

The story begins with Avraham deciding to find a wife for his son Isaac. Isaac was over 37 years old at that time. He wasn’t a kid anymore! So, why couldn’t Isaac find a wife for himself?? Well, the Chachamim say that since the episode of  “Akedat Yitzchak”, Isaac entered a new spiritual level and he wasn’t allowed to leave the land of Israel for any reason, even to look for a wife. But the lesson that we can learn from here is that it’s every parent’s duty to help their children in finding a “match”, if they are unable to do so, themselves!

Then Avraham asks Eliezer to swear not to take a wife for his son from the Canaanites, among whom he dwells. Rather, to go to his birthplace and take a wife from his own people for his son Isaac. Accordingly, the Chachamim derive that every Jew should marry within his own people, which is another Jew. Some Chachamim even go as far as to say that it’s better to marry within your own community!

Then, Eliezer was left alone to make his own judgment in choosing a match for Isaac. What did he do first? He Prayed! He prayed to Hashem that He grants him success in his mission. To find your soul mate, you need the help of the Almighty, since He is the one who has designated a person to be your other half. So, praying is essential in finding a spouse, whether for yourself or for your children.

And guess what kind of characteristics was Eliezer looking in the girl for Isaac? He didn’t look for wealth nor beauty, but rather, he looked for the personal qualities of generosity and kindness. The girl who would spontaneously offer to give him water and to his ten thirsty camels, would be the one. Marriage is all about giving and forgiving, so generosity and kindness plays an important part in the union of husband and wife!

After finding Rebecca to be the suitable wife for Isaac, Eliezer seeks the approval of her father and brother, to take her back to Isaac. Once they agreed, they called Rebecca and asked her if she will go with this man? And she said: ” I will go”. From here we learn that you can never force someone to marry a person. At the end, it’s the man and the woman’s decision to marry each other.

And finally, after bringing back Rebecca to Isaac, the Torah says:” Isaac married Rebecca, she became his wife, and he loved her…” Wow, how strange is this?! Usually in any other culture, the man and the woman fall desperately in love with each other and then get married. But Isaac and Rebecca experienced the opposite; first there was marriage and then there was love! From here, our sages derive that the true love can only be achieved after you marry someone. And the love that the Torah talks about is one that lasts forever, since Isaac and Rebecca lived happily ever after!

Yes my friends, true love can only be experienced after marriage. True love is all about dedication; when you dedicate your life to someone else; when your concerns are secondary while theirs are first; and when you let go of what you want and try to meet with what she wants. You can only experience true love after you live with your spouse, when you take care of each other’s needs, when you take care of each other in sickness, when you stand by each other’s side through difficult times, when you help each other in raising the children and above all, when you still care for each other after many years of marriage. Only then you can claim that you truly love someone!

It’s very easy to say “I love you”, but you should be able to back it up with years of dedication and sacrifice. Only then, you really mean what you say.

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 Avraham three days after his circumcision at age 99; but Avraham rushes off to prepare a meal for three guests who appear in the desert heat. One of the three guests — who are angels disguised as men — announces that, in exactly one year, the barren Sarah will give birth to a son. Sarah laughs.

Avraham pleads with G-d to spare the wicked city of Sodom, but did not succeed. Two of the angels arrive in the doomed city to overturn the place, and to save Lot and his family. Lot’s wife turns into a pillar of salt when she disobeyed the command not to look back at the burning city as they flee.

While taking shelter in a cave, Lot’s two daughters get their father drunk, lie with him, and become pregnant. The two sons born from this incident father the nations of Moab and Amon.

Avraham moves to Gerar, where the Philistine king Avimelech takes Sarah — who is, once again, presented as Avraham’s sister — to his palace. In a dream, G-d warns Avimelech that he will die unless he returns the woman to her husband.

G-d remembers His promise to Sarah and gives her and Avraham a son, who is named Isaac (meaning “will laugh”). Isaac is circumcised at the age of eight days; Abraham is 100 years old, and Sarah 90, at their son’s birth.

Hagar and Ishmael are banished from Avraham’s home and wander in the desert; G-d hears the cry of the dying lad and saves his life by showing his mother a well.

G-d tests Avraham’s devotion by commanding him to sacrifice Isaac on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

The Parsha concludes with Avraham receiving the news of the birth of a daughter, Rebecca, to his nephew Bethuel.

“ Dvar Torah “

In this week’s parsha, we read about the famous story of “Akeidat Yitzchak”, the binding of Isaac. We all know the story by now: Hashem wanted to test Avraham’s faith, the tenth and the final time. So one day, G-d tells Avraham to take his only son, the one he loves, Isaac and bring him to the top of a mountain and sacrifice him to G-d Almighty. Immediately, without any hesitation, the next morning, he takes him up the mountain, binds him down, lifts the knife up and was ready to slaughter his son. At that point, an angel of G-d tells him to stop and not to harm his son, for now Hashem knows that he truly believes in him.

Wow, what a story! Every time I read the story of Akeida , it gives me the chills. What a great person Avraham was. Who can kill his own son, specially the one that he longed for more than 100 years?! How can someone do something against his own principles? Avraham was preaching others throughout his entire life about how wrong it is to bring human sacrifice for idols and gods, and now he had to do it himself! Not even once he questioned G-d for this commandment! He only did it because he believed in G-d wholeheartedly. The act of Akeida was so great that we still benefit from it to this very day. In our prayers on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, when we ask Hashem for forgiveness, we ask Him to remember what Avraham did and we use his zechut (merit) as a defense mechanism for our sins. Because what our forefather Avraham did, I don’t think anyone else would have had the heart to do it!

Justifiably, when we read about the Akeida, we all think of Avraham’s greatness. But what about Isaac? Nearly all of the commentators praise Avraham for his act of bravery, but we can hardly find any praises for Isaac. According to the majority of our Chachamim, Isaac was 37 years old at the time. He wasn’t a child anymore and he was fully aware of what was going on. He layed down on the altar and allowed his father to bind him down and raise the knife to kill him. He also went through a test at the time of Akeida and passed it by accepting G-d’s decision! Yes, killing your son can be extremely difficult, but killing yourself at a young age when you still have your whole life ahead of you is not a simple act either! So, why should Avraham get all the credit? Are there any commentators who give praise to Isaac too?!

After searching for a while, I came across a beautiful explanation given by Rabbi Frand quoting Chatam Sofer, who is another great scholar. He says, the test that Isaac had to go through was even greater than his father’s test! You see, Avraham heard it directly from G-d Himself, to sacrifice Isaac. But who told Isaac that he was to be a sacrifice? Isaac heard it from his father, Avraham! Isaac must have considered it awfully strange that G-d, who values life, wants a human sacrifice. Such ritual was against all the values and believes that his father had taught him in the past. At this point, Isaac had all the rights to question his father’s decision. Keep in mind that Avraham was quite old at the time, 137 to be exact, and could have easily made a mistake in his judgement. G-d did not appear to Avraham in clear vision. He appeared to him in a dream or trance, which is not 100% clear. Just before the Akeida, Isaac could have rightfully asked his father:  ” Are you sure father that you heard G-d telling you to sacrifice me? Maybe you just had a bad dream? Don’t you want to ask him one more time just to make sure?”  But he never questioned his father. He had full trust in his father Avraham. The respect that he had for his father didn’t allow him to doubt his decision! And this was the greatness of Isaac that stands out and makes him one of our forefathers. Avraham obeyed the word of G-d; but Isaac obeyed his father’s! Giving the same respect to your father as you give to the G-d Almighty deserves all the praises in the world! Yes, although Avraham might have got most of the credit for Akeidat Yitzchak, but the test is named after Isaac and not Avraham.

Yes my friends, from the episode of Akeida, we learn that respecting parents and listening to them is as important as respecting G-d himself. Respecting parents and respecting Hashem go hand in hand. You cannot do one and not the other. That’s why, on the two tablets of Ten Commandments, honoring parents is placed on the same side as believing in G-d. Remember that Isaac was ready to give up his life in order not disrespect his father’s decision. If Isaac was willing to do such a sacrifice, then the least we can do is to just listen to them.

As the parents get older, they tend to be more demanding and test our patience. Although this test is not as difficult as the Akeida, but nevertheless, it’s still a test. Could there be a point that we are allowed to lose our patience with our parents? The answer is obviously not! Whatever they do or whatever they say, we can never be disrespectful towards them. We should love and respect them till the end. This is what Hashem expects from us, and this is what our hearts should desire!!

Shabbat Shalom & Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

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

” Parsha in a Nutshell “

G-d speaks to Avram, commanding him to “Go from your land, from your birthplace and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you.” There, G-d says, he will make him into a great nation. Avram and his wife Sarai, accompanied by his nephew Lot, journey to the Land of Canaan, where Avram continues to spread the message of a One G-d.

A famine forces Avram to depart for Egypt, where beautiful Sarai is taken to Pharaoh’s palace; Avram escapes death because they present themselves as brother and sister. A disease prevents the Egyptian king from touching her and convinces him to return her to Avram.

Back in the Land of Canaan, Lot separates from Avram and settles in the evil city of Sodom, where he falls captive when a war breaks out in that region. Avram sets out with a small army to rescue his nephew, defeats the four kings, brings back his nephew and all his belongings, plus all the belongings of the defeated kings.

Still childless ten years after their arrival in the Land, Sarai tells Avram to marry her maidservant Hagar. Hagar conceives, becomes disrespectful toward her mistress, and then flees when Sarai treats her harshly. An angel convinces her to return and tells her that her son will father a populous nation. Ishmael is born in Abram’s 86th year.

Thirteen years later, G-d changes Avram’s name to Avraham and Sarai’s to Sarah, and promises that a son will be born to them; whom they should call Isaac (“will laugh”). Avraham is commanded to circumcise himself and his descendents as a “sign of the covenant between Me and you.”

“ Dvar Torah “

The relationship between parents and children is so interesting. At the beginning, a child is so dependent on his parents. The first and deepest terror that we all have as a very young child is separation anxiety: the absence of parents, especially the mother. Young children will play happily so long as the mother is within sight. Absent that, and there is panic. We are too young to venture into the world on our own.

But then it comes a time when we become teenagers and start to enter our adulthood life. It is when we have to learn to make our own decisions in life. At this time, we want to show that  we can stand on our own feet and hence we become rebellious. Often there is tension between parents and children at this stage of life.

However, as the years go by, we begin to realise that having spent what seems like a lifetime of running away from our parents, we find that we have become very much like them – and the further away we run, the closer we become. It needs time and distance to see how much we owe our parents and how much of them lives on in us. Towards the end, we want to be with them maybe more than they want to be with us.

In this week’s Parashat Lech Lecha, the Torah introduces us to Avraham Avinu. It begins with the words, “God said to Abraham, Go from your land, your birthplace and your father’s house to a land I will show you”. This is the strangest beginning of any account of a life I’ve ever heard! Why does the Torah start off the life of Abraham from this point in his life?! The Torah gives us no portrait of Abraham’s childhood, his youth, his relationship with the other members of his family, how he came to marry Sarah, or the qualities of character that made G-d single him out to become the founder of monotheism.

With all these questions in mind, it makes me even more curious to know what was the relationship between Abraham and his father? Well, up till now, because of the biblical silence, I used to follow the Midrash which said that Abraham broke the idols in his father’s house. I thought that he was the rebellious child. He was the man of new beginnings who overturned everything his father stood for. He was known to us as “Abraham the Revolutionary”. He was against his father and his beliefs.

But Rabbi Jonathan Sacks says that was not the case. Abraham and his father got along quite well. And the proof is given at the end of last week’s parsha. It says this: “Terach took his son Abram, his grandson Lot, son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, and together they set out from Ur Kasdim to go to Canaan. But when they came to Charan, they settled there”. It turns out, in other words, that Abraham left his father’s house long after he had left his land and his birthplace. His birthplace was in Ur, but he only separated from his father in Charan. Terach, Abraham’s father, accompanied him for the first half of his journey. He went with his son at least part of the way. The Torah says that it was Terach who took Abraham, not Abraham who took Terach, from Ur to go to the land of Canaan, which means that Abraham was actually completing a journey his father began. There was no immediate or radical break between father and son.

Indeed it is hard to imagine how it could have been otherwise. Abraham himself was chosen “so that he will instruct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord” – that is, he was chosen to be a model parent. How could a child who rejected the way of his father become a model father? Why wouldn’t his children reject his ways in turn? It makes more sense to say that Terach already had doubts about idolatry and it was he who inspired Abraham to go further, spiritually and physically. Although Terach did not complete the journey with Abraham, perhaps because of the age, but surely he was happy for him that he had followed the words of G-d!

Yes my friends, often we begin by thinking how different we are from our parents, but sooner or later, we come to realize that we are just the same. Sometimes it takes time and distance for us to appreciate how much they helped us become the people we are. Even when we thought we were running away, we were in fact continuing their journey. We often see that a charitable father has charitable children too. People who like to do communal work, probably have parents who did communal work too.

In Judaism, there is no such a thing as a rebellious child. Parents and children are never so much different. We sometimes might have different views in regards to religion, business and lifestyle, but that shouldn’t create a separation between us. Parents and children should inspire each other, and not criticize! The bond between parents and children is always there. All we need to do is to find it……

Shabbat Shalom & Regards;

Martin

ear Friends;

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

” Parasha in a Nutshell “

Parshat Noah begins by describing Noah’s righteousness, compared with the wickedness of his generation. As a result of Mankind’s evil, Hashem brings a flood to destroy every living creature, sparing only Noah, his family, and at least one pair of every animal species, who live in an ark during the lengthy flood. When the waters declined, almost a year after the rains first began, Noah sends out a raven and a dove so as to determine whether the land has dried sufficiently so that they can leave the ark to resettle the earth once again. Hashem promises that He will never again destroy all of Mankind by means of a flood, and He designates the rainbow as a sign for that eternal covenant.

Noah plants a vineyard, drinks from its produce, and becomes drunk. In his intoxicated state, he shamefully uncovers himself in his tent. While his son Cham dealt with his father inappropriately, Noah’s other two sons, Shem and Yefet, cover their father in a respectful manner. Once sober, Noah responds by blessing Shem and Yefet, and by cursing Cham and his son Canaan.

Generations pass and the world is repopulated. The people attempt to wage war against Hashem by building the Tower of Babel, and Hashem responds by mixing up their languages and dispersing them across the planet.

The Torah portion concludes on an encouraging note with Abraham’s birth and his marriage to Sarah.

“ Dvar Torah “

At the beginning of the Parsha, the Torah says: ” Noah was a righteous man, perfect in his generation…..”. So, the obvious question that comes to mind is why does the Torah mention “in his generation”, when it talks about Noah’s righteousness? Well, there are two schools of thoughts. Some Chachamim praise the greatness of Noah’s righteousness, since it is very hard to stay righteous when you are surrounded with corrupt and evil people. If he would have lived among righteous people, he would have reached a far higher level of righteousness. While others criticize him, for his righteousness is only apparent when is compared to the wicked people of his own generation. If he would have lived in the times of Avraham Avinu, for example, he would have not been considered a righteous man.

But, why should Noah’s righteousness even be in doubt?! Why wouldn’t have he been considered righteous in Avraham’s time? The Torah says that “Noah did exactly as G-d has commanded him”. In Judaism, a righteous person is described as someone who fears G-d and follows his commandments. So, why on earth is Noah even being criticized by some Chachamim? What did Noah do wrong? Why couldn’t the Torah just say, “Noah was a righteous man”, period?!

Our Chachamim explain that Noah’s failure lay in his inability to inspire his generation to change. He spent 120 years constructing an ark, and yet, throughout that period, he did not convince even one person to repent; not a single person was moved to undergo Teshuva by the knowledge that G-d would be bringing a flood because of the people’s sins. This failure compromised Noah’s stature, such that in the generation of Abraham, he would not have stood out as a righteous figure.

The question that still remains, however, is why did Noah fail in this regard? Why was he unable to inspire and lead people away from sin?

Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetsky suggests that Noah criticized the people instead of inspiring them. When people are criticized by someone, they won’t listen to that person nor to his ideology. Avraham Avinu’s door was open to everybody. He didn’t say that “because you are an idol worshiper, you can not come to my house”! On the contrary, he respected everyone and welcomed them to his house. In return, they respected him and listened to his words of wisdom. Abraham knew that in order to teach people, first you need to understand them and see what is the root cause of the problem. Once you understand their problems and show them respect instead of criticizing them, then it’s much easier to convince them to repent and change their ways. This is unfortunately what Noah was missing that prevented him from inspiring others.

Yes my friends, in order to inspire others, you don’t put people down, but rather, you lift them up! Criticizing them, will only make them to isolate themselves from you. To change people, first you need to respect them and listen to their views. If you see someone doing something wrong, you have to give him the benefit of the doubt, that he didn’t have proper education and he didn’t know better. Only with friendship, you can win their trust and influence them to repent.

We can see a good example of this in Chabad organization. They truly go out of their way to help others and inspire them. They reach out to people who are not observant at all and try to help them. Their aim is to inspire everyone to come close to Hashem. They don’t only care about themselves, but about everyone else too. They are probably considered righteous people, not only in our generation, but in many more generations to come too.

Shabbat Shalom & Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

I hope that you’ll enjoy the following parsha summary followed by a dvar torah on the first parsha of the Torah;

” Parsha in a Nutshell “

G-d creates the world in six days. On the first day He makes darkness and light. On the 2nd day He forms the heavens, dividing the “upper waters” from the “lower waters.” On the 3rd day He sets the boundaries of land and sea and calls forth trees and greenery from the earth. On the 4th day He fixes the position of the sun, moon and stars as timekeepers and illuminators of the earth. Fish, birds and reptiles are created on the fifth day; land-animals, and then the human being, on the sixth. G-d ceases work on the seventh day, and sanctifies it as a day of rest.

G-d forms the human body from the dust of the earth and blows into his nostrils a “living soul.” Originally Man is a single person, but deciding that “it is not good that man be alone,” G-d takes a “side” from the man, forms it into a woman, and marries them to each other.

Adam and Eve are placed in the Garden of Eden and commanded not to eat from the “Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.” The serpent persuades Eve to violate the command, and she shares the forbidden fruit with her husband. Because of their sin, it is decreed that man will experience death, returning to the soil from which he was formed, and that all his livelihood will come only through struggle and hardship. Man is banished from the Garden.

Eve gives birth to two sons, Cain and Abel. Cain quarrels with Abel and murders him, and becomes a rootless wanderer. A third son is born to Adam, Seth, whose tenth-generation descendant, Noah, is the only righteous man in a corrupt world!

” Dvar Torah “

When I was a teenager, I attended a Yeshiva middle/high school in London called “Hasmonean”. It was the second or the third year of me attending the school, and every friday we had a class on the weekly parsha with a great teacher called Mr. Bedil. Although he wasn’t a Rabbi, but his Torah knowledge and speech power was better than any Rabbis that I’ve ever known. His classes were always interesting because he used to interact with the students and get everyone involved by asking them questions. And his loud voice confirmed his position of authority that everyone kept quiet and listened.

One week, it happened to be Parashat Bereshit and he started his class as follows: ” In this week’s parsha after G-d created “Adam”, He realized that the man is alone and he needs a partner. So, He decided to create a partner for him. But the exact wording that Hashem uses for a partner is a little strange. Hashem said: ” It is not good that man be alone; I will make him “Ezer Kenegdo”, which means “a helper, against or opposite him”. And a few pasuks later the Torah says: ” And every man should leave his father and his mother and cling to his wife and they shall become one flesh.” From this pasuk, clearly, the Torah is commanding us that every man should get married. It’s not an optional mitzvah — it’s an obligation for every man! But now, let me ask you a question. Why does Hashem want us to get married? What if we are just happy to be left alone? For sure, there will be much more peace and quiet and much less responsibilities! So why does Hashem want us to go through the burden of marriage?! “

Well, since I was new in the field of Torah studies, I usually didn’t know the answers to Mr. Bedil’s questions, but this time I finally thought that I had the perfect answer. So, immediately I raised my hand and with Mr. Bedil’s permission, I began to talk: ” To do the mitzvah of “Pru Ve Orvu”, to increase and multiply – to have children!!” And I was so sure I had the right answer, that I could even hear the applauses  in my ears. But to my surprise, Mr. Bedil wasn’t so excited about my answer. So he said: ” Well, that is one of the mitzvahs you can perform only if you get married, but that’s not the reason that G-d wants you to get married!” So, immediately, the next person raised his hand and said: ” to become complete, since only when you are married you’ll become complete and you can fulfill all the mitzvot of the Torah!” Although he liked the answer, but again, he wasn’t thrilled by it. A few more hands went up, each one giving a valid answer, but none of them were the answer Mr. Bedil was looking for. So, finally he said: “let me give you the answer! The answer is given in the Parsha itself. When G-d wanted to create Eve, He didn’t say “let me make him a partner LIKE him?!” He said “let me make him a partner/helper against or opposite him”, which means that men and women are created differently. The woman is created in a way that might have opposing or different views than the man! The whole point of marriage is to see if you can live and get along with someone who might have different opinions than yours. G-d wants to see if you are willing to compromise and work out your differences with your spouse. And this is the whole challenge of marriage. Why do you think that Hashem demands from every man to leave his parents and cling to his wife? Because it’s very easy to get along with someone like your parents, who have loved you and taken care of you since the day you were born. The whole challenge of marriage is to see if you are willing to get along with someone new in your life, who hasn’t done anything for you in the past and who may have different views to yours! Only if you are able to get along with your new wife and are willing to spend the rest of your life with her, then you have truly fulfilled the mitzvah of marriage. So when you grow up and finally find someone who you think is the right person to marry, the question that you should ask yourself should not be, “Do I love her?”, but rather, it should be, “Am I willing to get along with this woman for the rest of my life?” And if the answer is yes, then you’ve found your partner in life!

Yes my friends, marriage is all about getting along with your spouse. It’s all about loving, respecting and understanding your spouse. It’s all about compromising and forgiving. In Judaism, marriage is the union of two people from the opposite sex who are willing to live together and work out their differences. Why do you think that Judaism is so much against same sex marriage? Not only because the sexual act is forbidden and so repulsive, but also, two people from the same gender with same ideas living together haven’t achieved anything. Two men living together, drinking beer and watching a football game is not what marriage about. The whole point of marriage is when you only own one set of television, and you want to watch a football game and your wife wants to watch a soap opera! Are you willing to compromise?! This is the challenge of marriage!

In every marriage there is always arguments and disagreements, but if you can worked them out and stay united, then you’ll become “one flesh”, which is what the Torah is talking about! Remember that G-d created for a man “Ezer Kenegdo”, a helper against him. But you may ask yourself, how can a helper be against you?! They contradict each other?! What it means is, only when you get along with someone who is different to you, only then, she will become a helper to you and the best partner in life till the end!

Remember that marriage is the union of two people from opposite sex with opposing views. But when you make it work, it’s the greatest union of all times!

Shabbat Shalom & Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

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

” Parsha in a Nutshell “

Parashat Vezot Haberacha begins by Moshe blessing the tribes of Israel before he passes away. Each tribe gets its own blessing, just like Yakov blessed each tribe individually. Reuven is blessed with life, Judah with success in battle, Levi with serving in the Temple and being teachers of Torah, Benjamin is beloved by G-d, Joseph is blessed by sweet fruits on his land, Zevulun with success in trade, Issachar with success in Torah studies, Dan with a might of a lion, Naftali with fertile land and sea and Asher with sons.

After blessing the people, Moshe goes up Mount Nebo and G-d shows him the entire “Eretz Yisrael”. Then Moshe passes away at the age of 120. He is buried by G-d, and until today, nobody knows his burial place. The Jews mourned for Moshe for 30 days, and then Joshua became the new leader, who was respected by the entire congregation, just like Moshe.

The Parsha, and the entire Torah, ends with describing Moshe’s greatness. ” There arose never again a prophet in Israel like Moshe, whom G-d knew face to face……. and the great awesome things which Moshe did before the eyes of the Egyptians and all Israel.”

” Dvar Torah “

Moses! The greatest prophet of all times! The Torah says, “Never again shall we see in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom Hashem has known face to face”. While G-d communicated with other prophets in a dream or trance, Moses on the other hand was fully conscious when he talked to G-d. The reason that the Torah has mistakenly, but rightfully, been given the name “Five books of Moses” is because four out of the five books of the Torah is dedicated to Moses’ life. The task of an average prophet was to deliver the word of G-d to his people, but Moses’ tasks were a lot more than that. He was given the roles of being a Priest, a King, a leader and a lawmaker too. He was such a special man that Hashem would consult with him his decisions regarding the Benei Yisrael and he would listen to him. So, what kind of special characteristics did Moshe have that Hashem loved so much, that earned him the title of greatest prophet of all times?!

In Parashat Vezot Haberachah, the Torah talks about the final moments of Moses’ life. The Torah says that Moses did not fade. The actual words of praise that the Torah gives him at the end of his long and eventful life is: “ Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes had not dimmed, and his vigor had not diminished”.

Somehow Moses defied the law of physics that states that all systems lose energy over time, including people. Keep in mind that Moses’ task was not easy at all. Dealing with the Benei Yisrael that the Torah calls them “stiff-necked people” can be very stressful and exhausting. There were times when Moses came close to burnout and despair. What then was the secret of his undiminished energy that lasted him till the end of his life?

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks gives an interesting explanation. He says that when the Torah says “his eyes had not dimmed, and his vigor had not diminished”, it does not mean that they are two separate descriptions, but rather, the first is an explanation of the second. Why was his energy undiminished? Because his eyes were undimmed. He never lost the vision and the enthusiasm of his youth. He was as passionate at the end as he was at the beginning. His commitment to justice, compassion, liberty and responsibility was unyielding, despite the many disappointments of his forty years as a leader. Moses never lost the vision of his first encounter with G‑d at the burning bush that burned but was not consumed. That is how Moses’ special character was developed: as the man who burned but was not consumed. So long as the vision of the burning bush stayed with him, as it did until the end of his life, he remained full of energy.

Looking back on his life, Moses must surely have asked if he had really achieved anything at all. He had led the people for forty years only to be denied the chance of reaching the destination, the promised land itself. He gave them laws they often broke. He performed miracles yet they continued to complain. Yet he did not become embittered or sad, though he had sufficient reason to be. Moses never gave up or compromised on his ideals. That is why, though he died, his words did not die. Physically old, he remained spiritually young. Moses never stopped learning, growing, teaching and leading. This was a man who never gave up the fight. And this was his special characteristic that Hashem adored so much — He never gave up! The mortal Moses achieved immortality. The good that he did lives on and never dies!

Yes my friends, you can learn a great lesson from Moses: never compromise on your ideals. If you find one way blocked, seek another way. If you find that one approach fails, there may be another. If your efforts do not meet with success, keep trying. More often than not, success comes just when you are about to believe that you have failed. So it was with Churchill. So it was with Lincoln. If achievement was easy, we would take no pride in it. Greatness demands persistence. The great leaders never give up. They keep going, inspired by a vision they refuse to lose.

Moses was not given the title of the greatest prophet of all times — he earned it! Because his compassion for achievements never died and his vision to grow never diminished!

Chag Sameach & Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

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

” Parsha in a Nutshell “

Parshat Ha’azinu is comprised primarily of Moshe’s “poem” about the horrible tragedies and supreme joy which will make up the Jewish people’s future history. Not your classic piece of rhyme and music, Moses’ “song” is nevertheless comparable to a great work of art in that it blends together otherwise disparate ideas into a beautiful symphony of thought. It expresses the recognition that every aspect of Creation and everything that Hashem does – past, present, and future – somehow fits together into a perfect harmony, although with our limited human understanding we do not always recognize it to be so. Moshe calls heaven and earth to bear witness that if the Jewish people sin and display ingratitude to Hashem for the many wonderful favors He bestowed upon us, we will be punished, while if we remain loyal to the Torah and Hashem we will receive the greatest blessings. Even though the Jewish people will stray, Hashem guarantees our survival and ultimate redemption. The parsha concludes with Hashem’s command to Moshe to ascend Mount Nebo, where he will view the land of Israel and then pass away.

” Dvar Torah “

Poetry! What a beautiful concept! It is the art of rhythmical composition, written by beautiful and imaginative thoughts. It is used in every culture, religion and society. What words cannot describe, poetry can! It’s a language for the heart and not for the mind. It is used to describe feelings of love, hatred, glory, triumph, defeat, happiness and sorrow. The beauty of poetry lies in its multiple interpretation. What the actual words say, might be totally different to what the poet meant to say. Although it’s difficult to understand poetry, but once you get it, the satisfaction is beyond belief.

This week’s Parashat Ha’azinu, also consists of a long poem, a very special one. As Moshe is about to die, he offers a poetic presentation of the history of the rocky relationship between Israel and its Creator, the present, and the future of the Benei Yisrael. The poem is very difficult to understand because even if you speak fluent Hebrew, it is not easy to get at the exact sense of the words and verses. However, Moshe does not finish the parsha with the poem. He warns them to take his words seriously and apply them to their hearts. Then he recaps the most popular theme of all his teachings by saying: ” be careful to perform all the words of this Torah, for it is not an empty thing for you, for it is your life!”

Rashi explains the verse by saying that Moshe is trying to say that every single word in the Torah is meaningful and is very relevant to our lives. Moshe tells them about this point right after the poem so that the people will know that no parts of the Torah is empty including this poem.

But you may ask yourself, how can every single word in the Torah be relevant to my life? There are many things in the Torah which seems to be outdated or irrelevant. For example, why do we need to know the male descendants of Esau and if so, why on earth do we need to know that one of the descendants with the name “Lotan” had a sister called “Timna”?! It’s very difficult to adapt to Rashi’s reasoning. How can the “entire” Torah be meaningful and relevant to us?

In order to answer a Torah question, our Chachamim sometimes tell a story so that we can get a better understanding. Accordingly, Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetsky tells the following story:

There was a tour organized for the American tourists to see the Louvre Museum in Paris. On the tour was an elderly woman, whose appreciation for art must have begun and ended with her grandchildren’s works which hung proudly on her refrigerator. As the group reached the Mona Lisa, the “wows”, the “oohs” and the “ahs” of the crowd were suddenly drowned out by the cynicism of the old woman.

“Is she smiling or not? Couldn’t DiVinci make up his mind?” she moaned in a loud voice.

The Tour Guide ignored her comment and began to explain the distinction of painting style, the differences of oils and brushstrokes and a host of other amazing facts and analysis. But the women still could not hold herself. So she let out a sigh of impatience and said: “I really don’t see what is so special about this painting! My granddaughter.…” But this time, the guide cut her short. Then, in perfect English with a French accent, he began to talk.

“My dear madam, when you come to visit the Louvre you must realize the paintings are no longer on trial. They have already been scrutinized and analyzed by those who have spent their entire lives studying art. Every stroke of the brushes have been praised and criticized. What hangs here are the best of the art that has been gathered over the centuries by the greatest of artists.

“Now, my dear Madam”, he continued, “let me reveal to you a secret. At the Louvre, the paintings are not on trial. It is you who are on trial! The paintings have passed the test. It is you who have failed.”

Rabbi Kamenetzky explains that in order to appreciate every detail of the Torah and to understand that every fact, figure, and seemingly trivial detail contain endless depth and countless meanings, one must first make the Torah his life. If one makes a serious career of Torah study, if he analyzes and commits himself to Torah knowledge, only then, he will be amazed at the never-ending lessons. But for most of us who are just taking a glance from the outside, we have no rights to criticize the Torah. The Talmud explains that the Torah is not an empty thing, and if we find it empty, the emptiness is within us and not in the Torah. It’s our lack of understanding which makes us not to appreciate all the beautiful things that the Torah has to offer!

Yes my friends, when we study the Torah, we should know that the Torah is not on trial, but we are! If we don’t understand a part, or if we think that a part is irrelevant, it’s our lack of understanding. When I was in high school I once ask my English teacher, how would we know if a book is good or not?! Should we just go with the reviews?! She said no! “First you should see who the author is. If the author is famous for writing good books, then the book must be good!” Well, the author of our Torah is the G-d Almighty himself who is perfect in every aspect. The Torah has been studied by our Chachamim who have devoted their entire lives to it. The Torah is no longer on trial. The Torah has already passed its test. It’s us who are still under the test. Whether we pass or fail depends on how much we have studied this wonderful book!

Shabbat Shalom & Regards;

Martin