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

Dear Friends;

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

” Parsha in a Nutshell “

The Parshah of Nitzavim start by saying: “You stand today, all of you, before the L-rd your G-d: your heads of tribes, your elders, your officers, and every Israelite man; your young ones, your wives, the stranger in your gate; from your wood hewer to your water drawer.”

Moshe warns of the exile and desolation of the Land that will result if Israel abandons G-d’s laws, but he then prophecises that, in the end, “You will return to the Lord your G-d”.

Then Moshe says: “For the Mitzvah which I command you this day, it is not beyond you nor is it remote from you. It is not in heaven… It is not across the sea…. Rather, it is very close to you, in your mouth, in your heart, that you may do it.”

Moshe also talks about freedom of choice: “I have set before you life and goodness, and death and evil; in that I command you this day to love G-d, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments… Life and death I have set before you, blessing and curse. And you shall choose life.”

“ Dvar Torah “

Le’ Eluy nishmat “Nissan Ben Gavriel”, my late father in law, Mr. Lotfollah Hakimi;

Rosh Hashanah is the beginning of the “Aseret Yemei Teshuva”, the ten days of repentance. Although we start the Selichot prayers from a month before Rosh Hashanah, but that is only considered as a preparation for repenting. The actual “Teshuva” or repentance  process starts from Rosh Hashanah and ends at  Yom Kippur. It’s during these ten days that we reflect on the past year, recall the bad we did and the good we failed to do, apologise, confess and ask for forgiveness.

Yet, there’s almost no mention of Teshuva on the days of Rosh Hashanah. There is no confession, no selichot prayers, no “tachanun” is recited, no reference to the sins committed over the past year and no looking back. The only references to the process of Teshuva is a prayer reminding us that today our fate is being written for the next year: who will live and who will die, who will be healthy and who will be sick, etc……

Surely the beginning days of repentance should begin with repentance?! So why is there no mention of Teshuva on Rosh Hashanah?! Rabbi Jonathan Sacks summarizes the answer in one simple quote: In order to mend the past,  first we need to build our future.

This idea could be seen in the characters of the Torah such as Abraham. When Sarah died, Abraham was 137 years old. He lost the woman who had shared his life’s journey with him.  He might have been paralysed by grief. But the Torah says: “Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and wept for her….. and then Abraham rose from beside his dead”. The Torah continues by saying that Abraham did not sit idle. He immediately bought a plot of land in Israel to bury his dead and arranged for a wife for his son. So instead of grieving about the past, he started to build his future. He knew that building his future comes before honoring the past.

But the opposite could be seen in the Torah too, in the character of Noah. After the flood, Hashem tells Noah to go out of the Ark and fill up the earth once again. But it seems that instead of looking forward, Noah looked back. Overwhelmed by grief, he found refuge in wine.  Before the flood he was the only person in the whole of Bible to be called righteous, yet he ended his days drunk and ashamed in front of his children.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks says that this is precisely the reason why we don’t start the 10 days of repentance with repentance. On Rosh Hashanah, We pray that our names would be written in the book of life. We pray for prosperity and good health. We pray for peace in Israel and all over the world and we pray for our children. Only when we have finished praying for our future, only then, on the intervening days and Yom Kippur we can turn and apologise for last year. In Judaism the future comes before the past!

Yes my friends, in life, we do and sometimes we should regret the past. We should regret our sins and our mistakes. We should cry for tragedies and death. But we should always look forward to the future! We base our lives on the future. We work so hard throughout our lives, so that we can provide a better future for our children. We build great synagogues and Temples, so that our children can benefit from it. When our fathers left Iran, they did not sit back and and grieve for what they’ve left behind, but rather, immediately they started to build the future for their family and their children. And now we are enjoying the fruits of their labor. And this is what Rosh Hashanah is all about ……… building our future!

Accordingly, I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all Shanah Tovah U’Metukah. May this year be a year of health, happiness and prosperity for all of us, and peace in the land of Israel and across the world. A year that the sweet taste of honey remains in our mouths for the rest of the year. A year that we build a better future for our children and we see them grow.  And after Rosh Hashana, let us move forward towards Yom Kippur and regret the past and ask for forgiveness!

Shabbat Shalom, Shana Tova & Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

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

“ Parsha in a Nutshell “

Moshe instructs the people of Israel: When you enter the land that G-d is giving to you as your eternal heritage, and you settle it and cultivate it, bring the first-ripened fruits of your orchard to the Holy Temple, and declare your gratitude for all that G-d has done for you.

Our Parsha also includes the laws of the tithes given to the Levites and to the poor. Moshe reminds the people that they are G-d’s chosen people, and that they, in turn, have chosen G-d.

The latter part of Ki Tavo consists of the Tochachah (“Rebuke”). After listing the blessings with which G-d will reward the people when they follow the laws of the Torah, Moshe gives a long, harsh account of the bad things — illness, famine, poverty and exile — that shall befall them if they abandon G-d’s commandments.

Moshe concludes by telling the people that only today, forty years after their birth as a people, have they attained “a heart to know, eyes to see, and ears to hear.”

” Dvar Torah “

Harvest time! After months of backbreaking work, a farmer can finally enjoy the fruits of its labor. He can reap all of his crops and hopefully, it will cover his sustenance for the year to come. But before he can enjoy his freshly-harvested crop, the Torah commands in this week’s parsha that the farmer bring his “Bikurim”, or first-ripened fruits, to the Temple in Jerusalem as a gift to the Kohen. The sages describe the remarkable scene of thousands of people, rich and poor alike, come together in Jerusalem, rejoicing in song and dance with their baskets of fruit in hand, celebrating their successful harvest and offering thanks to Hashem.

Upon arriving in the Temple, the Torah commands: “The Kohen shall take the basket from your hand and leave it before the altar of the Lord your G-d”. The Talmud relates an interesting detail regarding this event. The wealthy people, would bring their fruits in exquisite gold and silver baskets and would hand them over to the Kohen. The Kohen would then remove the fruits and return the baskets to their owners. However, a different approach was used for the poor people. Unlike their wealthy counterparts, the less fortunate farmers who brought their fruits in cheap reed or straw baskets would not receive the baskets back from the Kohen; the fruits would remain inside the baskets until the Kohen took them home. The obvious question is, why does the rich get back his silver and gold basket, while the poor who might still have a need for his basket, goes home empty handed?! The Talmud comments regarding this ceremony that “The rich gets richer, while the poor gets poorer”!! Is this justice in the eyes of Hashem? The Torah who is the master in showing compassion towards the needy, seems to have missed this opportunity! Why is it so?

Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetsky gives an interesting explanation. The wealthy farmer who owns many top quality fields, may probably have a lot of produce to present to the Kohen, and his fruits are beautiful and well-formed. The poor person, on the other hand, might only have a small field, and his produce is most likely of inferior quality. As a result, the amount of fruit that he brings to the Temple will be less, both in quality and quantity. If the fruits would be removed in order to return the baskets to the owner, the poor farmer would be forced to suffer the embarrassment of having people see his inferior gift. The Jewish law therefore prescribes that the fruits should remain hidden in the basket. The Torah feels that a person’s dignity is worth more than a few dollars. Let the Kohen keep the fruit in the basket. Let it at least have the appearance of being something substantial. Even if it will cost him the price of the basket, let the poor man walk out with his dignity. A person can always make a little more money. It is much harder to recoup one’s pride!

Yes my friends, the Talmud is teaching us that every person deserves to have dignity and pride. We should try our best not the hurt other people’s feelings and avoid embarrassing them. The Almighty demands from us not to humiliate another person, not to put anyone to shame and above all, not to take away someone’s pride. Every person deserves to be respected since we are all created in the image of G-d. The whole theme of the Torah is about having compassion for your fellow human beings and to love your fellow Jew just like yourself.

Remember that Hashem accepted both fruits of the rich and the poor. Both were given the same respect to enter the holy Temple and to present their gift to G-d. Both walked in with their pride and dignity and both left with a joy in their heart. In the eyes of Hashem, all of his children are dear to him the same way, and they should be dear to us too.

Shabbat Shalom & Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

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

” Parsha in a Nutshell “

Seventy-four of the Torah’s 613 commandments are in this week’s Parsha. These include the laws of the beautiful captive woman, the inheritance rights of the first-born, capital punishment for the wayward and rebellious son, burial and dignity of the dead, returning a lost object, sending away the mother bird before taking her young, and the duty to erect a safety fence around the roof of one’s home.

Also recounted are the judicial procedures and penalties for adultery, for the rape or seduction of an unmarried girl, and for a husband who falsely accuses his wife of adultery. The following cannot marry a person of Jewish lineage: a bastard; a male of Moabite or Ammonite descent.

Our Parshah also includes laws governing the purity of the military camp; the prohibition against turning in an escaped slave; the duty to pay a worker on time; the proper treatment of a debtor and the prohibition against charging interest on a loan; the laws of divorce (from which are also derived many of the laws of marriage); and the procedures for yibbum, marriage beyween the wife of a childless deceased to her brother-in-law.

Parsha concludes with the obligation to remember “what Amalek did to you on the road, on your way out of Egypt.”

“ Dvar Torah “

Parashat Ki-Tetzei begins with the laws of  “Eshet Yefat Toar” (a woman of beautiful appearance), which deals with the case of a soldier who encounters an attractive non Jewish woman while fighting a war, and desires her. The Torah allows the soldier in such a case to marry the woman after fulfilling certain conditions. The commentators explain that the Torah allowed this provision because the soldier would otherwise be likely to engage in forbidden relations with the woman. Human nature being as it is, G-d determined that it would be preferable to permit marrying an “Eshet Yefat Toar” so that soldiers would not be tempted to cohabit with a strange woman and commit a sin.

This section is followed by another exceptional law – the law of the “Ben Sorer U’moreh”, the rebellious son. The Torah commands that under certain very rare and unusual circumstances, a child who does not listen to the voice of his parents and conducts himself in an unrestrained manner is put to death. One of the requirements for a child to be considered a “Ben Sorer U’moreh” is to be a glutton, indulging in meat and wine, excessively. The Sages explain that if a boy displays an uncontrolled lust for meat and wine, he will inevitably reach the point where he will rob and murder in order to obtain the money he needs to satisfy this lust. Therefore, he should be put to death at the early stage of his life when he is still innocent, rather than allowing him to mature to a point where he will actually commit a crime deserving of death.

The Chachamim say that there must be a reason why these two laws are placed next to each other in the Torah. Accordingly, they have come up with the following explanation. The Torah wants to warn us that if a person marries an “Eshet Yefat Toar,” he will end up having a son who is a “Ben Sorer U’moreh.” Although marrying such a woman is technically permissible, it will likely result in the disastrous outcome of having a rebellious child.

But you may ask why?! If a person marries a foreign woman, which is permitted by the Torah, why should he end up with having a rebellious child? He did not commit a sin, so why should he be punished?

Rabbi Eli Mansour gives the following explanation. The Torah commands us to be “holy”. What does it mean to be holy? According to Rambam, being holy does not mean to just restrain ourselves from the things that are not allowed to us, but rather, to be holy means that we should even have control over the things which are even permitted to us too. For example, you are allowed to drink wine and spirits, but to be holy, you have to have control over how much you drink. In the case of “Eshet Yefat Toar”, although the person has not violated any particular law, but what he did was not considered holy, since he did not have control over his desires. And this is why marrying an “Eshet Yefat Toar” can lead to a child who is “Ben Sorer U’moreh”. A child who grows up in an environment, where the parent easily surrenders to his desires and places too much focus on the physical pleasures of life, can easily become a glutton, and may eventually reach the point where he resorts to criminal behavior to satisfy his lusts. In order to teach a child to have restrained over physical pleasures, the parents have to show restrained first!

Yes my friends, the most effective way to educate children is by acting as a role model. Children learn far more effectively with their eyes than with their ears.  They learn from watching us, not by being told what to do. The expression which says, “Practice what you preach”, can easily be modified to “Practice, and then you don’t need to preach”. Actions speak louder than words, and so our greatest asset in influencing our children is the personal example we set, exhibiting the kind of behavior we want our children to emulate.

The following story may not be true and is often used for humor purposes, but there is a great lesson to be learned from:    

Junior came home from day camp one day without towel.

“Where is your towel?” asked his mom.

“I don’t know,” he sighed. “I could not find it after swimming. Maybe someone took it.”

The mother was annoyed. “Who could have taken your towel? It was a great towel! Junior you would never take someone else’s towel. You know I raised you better than that. Right?”

A few moments later, she was on the phone with the day camp director.

“Hello. There is a young thief in your camp!”

“How so?” “My son had a towel stolen from camp! He brought it in today and it was nowhere”

“Calm down,” came the voice on the line. “I am sure that no one stole it. Please describe the towel to me.”

“Sure I can! It was white and big. You could not miss it. It had the words “HILTON” emblazoned on it!”

Shabbat Shalom & Regards;

Martin