Torah Thought-Vayakel 5771 Friday, Feb 25 2011

This weeks Parshah is Vayakel. In the Parshah Hashem gives us an incredible opportunity. A way to separate ourselves from the lowly toil of this work and for a day become holy, closer to Him. This commandment is Shabbos.  The lesson of Shabbos is taught three places in the Torah and each one brings us a deeper understanding of the day. After understanding these we can truly appreciate what this Mitzvah is.

This first place is in the Ten Commandments. “Six days shall you work and accomplish all your work.” There are many lessons in this. Firstly that part of the rest of Shabbos is that you must work i.e. accomplish something positive during the week. Being in a constant state of rest in not elevating but on the contrary is totally apposed to a Jewish way of life. There is a second lesson as well. G-d promises that if you follow these laws the loss of work will not be a detriment but a positive. In these six days you will accomplish. When you give this seventh day to G-d he gives you strength to put into your other sixth day.

The second place is in our Parshah. “Six days work may be done, but the seventh day shall be holy to you, a day of complete rest for Hashem.” When you keep the Shabbos holy for yourself the Almighty Himself joins you in this day of rest. This incredible promise of connection allows us to turn even our work days into days of godly work and allows our spirits to have a weekly realignment better then any new age treatment.

The third place this commandment is giving is in the review of the Ten Commandments. There however the wording is different. After recounting both aspects mentioned earlier and another aspect is given. Hashem instructs us to include our entire household community and assets in the Shabbos and reminds us of our bond of slave and redeemer dating back to Egypt. He teaches that if we all keep the Shabbos this dynamic will repeat it self again on both a personal level with relief from your  troubles be it financial, physical or spiritual, and as a nation with the coming of Moshiach and the Final Redemption.

I wish you all a good Shabbos and I invite all of you to improve in your keeping of this day. Those of you who do not yet observe this mitzvah I invite you to join your people and enjoy the windfall immediate, and eventual, physical, and spiritual. And for those of you who keep and guard the Shabbos already I urge you to increase in your observance in someway be it in prayer, spirit, or by incurring someone else to join you.  And may we all join together to celebrate Shabbos together this week in Yerushlayim with Moshiach.

This week’s thought is dedicated in Honor of Tzvi Kriegsman and his Ayshes Chayal. May he have many more happy and healthy years and may he be blessed with children as incredible as him and may his home continue to be a place where to spirit of Shabbos constantly dwells until the day when Shabbos reigns eternal. Amen, Good Shabbos.

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Torah Thought-Ki Sisa 5771 Friday, Feb 18 2011

This Weeks Parshah is Ki Sisa. The Parshah starts with the counting of the Jews. G-d enjoys counting the Jews because of his affection for them. He counted them with the Half Shekel. The Half Shekel is the classic example of giving to Hashem. In fact is elevated above all the other donations.

Yet how is it that this charity is raised above all others? Surely the donations for the Mishkan when Moshe had to ask the Jews to stop giving or for the Wash Basin when the women gave up their prize possessions is a better choice. But this gift was simple Half Shekel from everyone no matter your wealth or position.

The Parshah is teaching us an important lesson. Hashems favorite offering is the not the biggest or the most expensive. Hashems most cherished gift is not from the rich or the powerful. Hashem loves our simple gifts ad simple devotion given with an open heart. All He asks is that we show the smallest genuine desire to be close to him and he will cross seas and deserts for us. So this is Hashems optimum Tezdakah and this is how He chooses to count his people.

There is a second lesson as well Hashem could have asked for a full Shekel just as well however he asked for just a half. The Almighty is reminding us that a Jews service is best accepted when given in unison with his brother. For then is the service truly complete with the full Shekel offering.

May we soon see the day when the Holy One Blessed Be He accepts our simple love and devotion and responds by crossing desert and sea to take us out of whatever exile we are in and return once again as his people separate from the world with the coming of Moshiach. Amen

This week’s thought is dedicated to my sister Sheina Bracha Litvin who truly lives up to her name. May Hashem grant her all of his Brachos openly until the day when we are all joined joyously together with the coming of Moshiach Bemhayra Veyamenu Mammash. Amen

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Torah Thought-Tetzavah 5771 Friday, Feb 11 2011

This weeks Parshah is Tetzavah. This week we continue from last weeks recounting of the building of the Mishkan with a list and description of the Kohen Gadols garments.Everything in the Torah is a lesson for every Jew but hows is the Kohens clothing a lesson for every Jew?

 

 

The Kohen Gadol was told very specifically what he was supposed to wear as Man representative to G-d. We as Hashem’s messengers to the world are also given a strict dress code to follow. This is why this narrative closely follows the description of the altar. the altar was built with a ramp so the Kohen never had to left his foot and expose his skin. And we too must follow our laws of clothing and modestly as well.

 

In the Megillah which we will soon read as well as in various places in Novi when a king wanted to elevate himself from among his officers he dressed in the garments of the Kohen Gadol. They knew that when you is dress like a Jew should the world will respect you for it. Similarly in the Tehillim I read each day it state how the enemies of Israel fought over Dovids clothing for they knew its great spiritual value.

 

The lesson for us is obvious. when we walk down the street we walk as The Almighty’s Chosen people and our dress and behavior must reflect that. we must teach our children that Tzniut is not a duty but an opportunity to be thankful for a chance to bring godliness into your day to day life.

 

May we soon see the day that the day when the Holy One Blessed Be He rewards us for our dress by garbing us in the clothes of royalty and bring us to his Palace in Yerushlayim with Moshaich.

 

This weeks thought is dedicated to Ben Cutler on the event of his engagement. may Hashem give him nothing but open Brachos and may we very soon renew our love with Hashem with the coming of Moshaich. Amen

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Terumah 5771 Friday, Feb 4 2011

This weeks Parshah is Terumah. In the Parshah we find the well known words “make me a sanctuary and I will dwell within them”. We are taught that when Jews act as they should G-d not only inhabits the temple but he dwell within His people. However the Torah does not say I will dwell among each one of you rather it simply says you as one collective.

Our people have grown into a nation with many sects and denominations. However there is one thing it is imperative that we remember. While Hashem loves each and every one of us individually The Almighty dwells among us as a nation. Only a few weeks ago we read the origin of our relationship as Gods Chosen ones with the giving of the torah. We stood at Mount Sinai and accepted the Torah together as one man with one heart. And it is in that state that we are closest with Him.

We must remember that we are not Ashkenazim and Sfardim but Children of G-d. We are not Orthodox, conservative and reform but Yidden. We are not Lubavitch or Chasidish or Litvish but Jewish. We are not Israeli and American and English but brothers whose only true home is in their Fathers dwelling place in Eretz Yisroel. It does matter who we voted for or who we are rooting for in the Super Bowl because we are all on the same team.

We must all remember that “Kol Yisroel Aravim” all Jews are connected and responsible for one another. We are all children of G-ds and must act worthy it but we are also one people and must act accordingly as well. It doesn’t matter ones views, location or attitude we must love all our fellow Jews and strive to work together. A soul could be on the earth for 80 years with the sole mission of helping another Jew. Surely we can find a way to work such deeds into our own lives as well.

May we soon see the day that the Holy On e Blessed Be He collect us from among the nations and brings as one people to our collective home and we can live together in everlasting peace and harmony with the spirit of G-ds among us with the coming of Moshiach.

This weeks Thought is dedicated to all of my fellow Jews. I love you all very much, pray you have only blessings, and am looking forward to seeing you all very soon in Yerushlayim with Moshiach.

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