Dear Friends;

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

” Parsha in a Nutshell “

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

The second half of the portion discusses the “required” chatat (sin) and asham (guilt) offerings to be brought in atonement for unintentional transgressions.

The sin offering is brought to atone for transgressions committed negligently by the High Priest, the entire community, the king, or the ordinary Jew.

The “guilt offering” is brought by one who is in doubt as to whether he transgressed a divine prohibition, or who has committed a “betrayal against G-d” by swearing falsely to defraud a fellow man.

“ Dvar Torah “

In this week’s Parsha and in the most parts of the book of Vayikra, the Torah talks about the sacrifice ceremonies performed in the Mishkan which would be carried out in the Holy Temple later on in time. The Torah goes into great detail describing different kinds of sacrifices. There were optional sacrifices and there were required sacrifices. The main purpose of sacrificing was to atone for our sins.

But the whole concept of sacrificing is very difficult to digest. Why should bringing a sacrifice be an atonement for our sins? Hashem does not benefit from our sacrifices, so why does He want us to bring them to him? Sacrificing was a ritual performed by idolaters before. So why did Hashem introduce the idea to Benei Israel?

The Chachamim explain that the word “Korban” [Sacrifice], comes from the same root as the word “Karov – to come close”. The whole idea of sacrificing is that when we do a sin, Hashem doesn’t want us to run away! On the contrary, He wants us to come close to him! Hashem is ready to forgive us, but he wants us to come close and ask for forgiveness. And sacrificing was the mean to come to the Temple and get close to the Almighty.

At the beginning of the parsha, the Torah talks about the laws of the Korban “Olah”, a volunteered offering with a variety of options, depending on one’s financial status. The wealthier individual could bring a cattle, a less wealthy person a sheep, and even a less fortunate individual could bring a turtledove. For the most destitute individual who would like to offer something but has no money for even a turtledove, the Torah commands: “When a nefesh, a soul, offers a meal-offering (Korban Mincha) to Hashem, his offering shall be of fine flour; he shall pour oil upon it and place incense upon it”. But in connection to animal offering, the Torah says: “When a man (adam) from among you will bring an offering to Hashem from the animals…”

The following question is asked by our sages. Why does a man who just brings some flour and oil (meal-offering) is referred to as a soul, while the one who brings an animal is just called by his physical name, the man?! For who is it that usually brings a Korban Mincha? The poor man! The Talmud says that Hashem is considering the poor man’s sacrifice as though he’s offering his very own soul. It seems that the offering of the poor man is more dear to G-d than the offering of the rich person. But why?

Rabbi Chaim Goldberger from Atlanta gives the following explanation. Although, the offering that the poor man brought, could have been at little or at no cost to him, since he probably made the flour from the grain left behind in a field. But, it can be assumed that to one who is impoverished, the act of parting with fine flour which he might otherwise eat to silence his hunger is an even greater act of sacrifice than that of the rich man giving up an expensive animal. To the poor, the flour is more than a large chunk of his possessions; his life depends on it! To the rich, however, the healthy cattle that he brought might have been one of the many that he owns….

Out of all our daily prayers, the one that is the shortest is the Mincha, the afternoon service. It contains neither the long introductory and closing segments of the morning service (Shacharit), nor the Shema and the other paragraphs of the evening service (Arvit). It is basically just the Amidah (the silent prayer), yet the afternoon service is the only one which we call by the name “mincha”. Why is that? Because, as impoverished as this service appears, it is the only one that comes right in the middle of our workday; it is the only one that asks us to drop whatever we are busy doing and remind ourselves that we are merely subjects of our great  Almighty Master. Mincha is the only prayer service that asks us to disconnect ourselves from our mundane and worldly matters and try to connect with our Creator. It may just take 10-15 minutes, but it is a mincha — a prayer which is as dear to Hashem as your soul!!

Yes my friends, whether you want to donate your time or possession to G-d, it’s the quality that matters, not the quantity.  Hashem does not assess contributions and commitments based on the volume.  As long as you put in your best effort, that’s all that matters to G-d. Remember a person who donates just a few hundred dollars to Shul, but is having a very hard time making ends meet, may be more dear to Hashem than a wealthy person who donates thousands of dollars. When Hashem wants to asses the gift of an individual, He doesn’t look at the quantity — He looks at the quality. He doesn’t look at the person — He looks at his soul!

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 “

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

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

” Dvar Torah “

In last week’s Parsha, we just read the tragic story of the Golden Calf. Unfortunately, the children of Israel committed a grave sin. They made themselves a molten imagine and began to worship it while Moses was away. When Moses came down the mountain and saw the calf, the Torah says the people were “peruah”, meaning “wild, disorderly, chaotic, unruly, lawless.” He saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control……

So what did Moshe do to restore order? How did he bring them back to worship G-d instead of an idol?

Well, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks says that the answer can be found in the beginning of this week’s Parsha. The Parsha starts by saying “Vayakhel Moshe”, “Moses gathered” the people…. Vayakhel comes from the word “Kehila”, meaning “community”. When Moses came down the mountain, he didn’t see a community, but just a crowd! So, he decided to gather them together and make them into a community again, because you can only find G-d in a community! Even to this day, community is essential for our spiritual life. Our holiest prayers require a minyan. When we celebrate or mourn we do so as a community. Even when we confess on Yom Kippur, we do so together. Judaism attaches great significance to the individual. Every life is like a universe. Each one of us are made in image of God. Although Judaism values the individual, it does not endorse individualism. Ours is a religion of community. For us the key relationship is not “I shall do”, but “We shall do”!!

But the main topic of discussion for the rest of the Parsha is about “donations” for the Mishkan. The Torah tells us that EVERYONE contributed to the cause. Men and women brought gold and silver. They brought personal items and family items. Copper mirrors were donated as well as bracelets, bangles and earrings. Those who had wool and linen came and those who had dyes donated. The Torah triumphantly declares the generosity of the donors by announcing that the people brought more than enough contributions than were supposed to.

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

The question that comes to mind is why does the Torah single out “the builders” in regards to the contributions? Didn’t EVERYONE contribute? Why to show favoritism to one group and not to others?!

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

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

Yes my friends, community and donations are the main sources of our connection to G-d. This week’s parsha is one of the few parashiot in the whole Torah that G-d, Moses and the Benei Israel lived together in perfect harmony. No more complaints from the Benei Israel; no more Moshe being angry at the people; no more Hashem being angry at them and no more Hashem calling them a “stiff neck” people! It seems that community and donations not only bring the people closer to G-d, but they also bring out the best in everyone!

So remember my friends, in order to be a Jew, you need to belong to a community. And to be part of a community, you need to donate to the House of G-d. This is what pleases G-d and should please us too!

Shabbat Shalom & Regards;

Martin

Dear Friends;

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

” Parsha in a Nutshell “

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

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

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

” Dvar Torah “

“Don’t follow the crowd, let the crowd follow you.” — is a quote from Margaret Thatcher, one of the best Prime Ministers the Great Britain ever had!

Leadership is a very difficult task. Leaders can fail for many different reasons. One of the reasons can be because a leader may simply lack the courage to lead. Sometimes leaders have to oppose the crowd. They have to say No when everyone else is crying Yes. That can be terrifying. Crowds have a will and momentum of their own. To say No may be to put your career, even your life, at risk. That is when courage is needed, and not showing it can constitute a leadership failure of the worst kind.

In this week’s Parsha, unfortunately, leadership failure was the fate of Aaron HaKohen. This is how the Torah describes to us what happened: When the people saw that Moses was taking too long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, ‘Come, make us a God who will go before us. As for this man Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.’ Aaron answered them, ‘Take off the gold earrings that your wives and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.’ So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took it from their hands, threw it into a furnace and fashioned it into a molten calf. Then they said, ‘This is your God, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.

G‑d became angry. Moses pleaded with Him to spare the people. He then descended the mountain, saw what had happened, smashed the tablets of stones he had brought down with him, burned the idol, ground it to powder, mixed it with water and made the Israelites drink it. Then he turned to Aaron his brother and said, “What have you done?!”

“Do not be angry, my lord,” Aaron answered. “You know how inclined these people are to evil. They said to me, ‘Make us a god who will go before us. As for this man Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.’ So I told them, ‘Whoever has any gold bring to me.’ Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!”

Aaron blamed the people. It was they who made the illegitimate request. He denied responsibility for making the calf. It just happened. “I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!” This is the same kind of denial of responsibility we recall from the story of Adam and Eve. The man says, “It was the woman.” The woman says, “It was the serpent.” It happened. It wasn’t me. I was the victim not the criminal! Not accepting responsibilities is a moral failure on it’s own!

The odd thing is that Aaron was not immediately punished. It seems that he was never punished for it at all.  According to the Torah he was condemned for another sin altogether when, years later, he and Moses hit the rock instead of speaking to it.

It seems that tradition dealt kindly with Aaron. He is portrayed as a man of peace. He was given the position of the highest Priest. But the question that bothers me is why did Hashem deal so kindly with Aaron? If he was at fault, why didn’t he get punished? The people who participated in worshiping the Golden Calf, they all died. Aaron was the one who made the calf….. why was he let off the hook?!

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks gives an interesting answer. He says it’s true that Aaron failed as a leader, but leadership was not his job. The fact that Aaron was not a leader in the same mold as Moses does not mean that he was a failure. It means that he was made for a different kind of role. Yes, Moses might have smashed the tablets and grinded the calf to dust, but that’s Moses character, not Aaron’s! Moses and Aaron were different types. Aaron failed when he was called on to be a Moses, but he became a great person in his own right in a different capacity. And Hashem did understand that….. Aaron was not made to be a leader; he was made to be a peacemaker!  There are times when you need someone with the courage to stand against the crowd, others when you need a peacemaker. Aaron and Moses complemented one another and both of them were successful in their own fields.

Yes my friends, the Torah is teaching us a great lesson here. If you fail at a job, it does not make you a failure! It just means that you still haven’t found the field that you are good at! Some of us are made to be great leaders, some of us are made to be Torah scholars, some are made to be doctors, some are made to be businessmen, some are made to be teachers, some of us are made for sports and some are made to be writers. If we are not succeeding in a field, it just means that we are not in the right field that we are made for. We should continue to search until we find the right field that we are good at.

The Torah does not associate the sin of the Golden Calf with Aaron, because he doesn’t want us to remember Aaron as a failed leader, since leadership was not his job. He was made for priesthood and bringing peace between the people, which he did his job at its best. And that’s how we should remember Aaron — as the greatest Priest of all times…

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 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