Elul 9, 5778, 8/20/2018
 Vaetchanan: The two Ten Commandment textsThere is fascinating discussion over the centuries as to what the text that was inscribed on the tablets of stone actually stated. After the fastAfter the fast day of mourning on the ninth day of Av come seven weeks of resilience and rehabilitation. We cannot choose how we will be rememberedOften in human experience, individuals, even if they live long and productive lives with many different experiences and accomplishments, are nevertheless remembered and always associated with one individual situation and life altering decision. This three-week periodToday's State of Israel is a product of this three-week period, yet there are those who say we should cease mourning the Temple now that we have our own sovereignty. They are misguided. Moses' angerMoshe was subject to becoming angry at certain occasions during his 40-year leadership of the Jewish people. Which? What happened to the Conservative Movement?What caused the decline of a movement that once was seen by many as a force, for good and for bad, in American Jewish society? Majority rules is not always the right decisionA Jewish Congressman famously stated a century ago that God and one constitute a majority. Hot summersRabbi Yisrael Lipkin of Salant said that all luxuries eventually become necessities, and this certainly has proven to be the case regarding air conditioning here in Israel. Nasso: Repetition, repetitionThe repetition of the same identical gifts that each of the 12 elders of the tribes of Israel donated to the Tabernacle is there to teach us something. Abraham described Jerusalem as a mountainIt takes great effort and patience to climb the mountain of spirituality that Jerusalem represents. Torah - The forest and the trees at one and the same timeIt would be unthinkable that the Torah would command us to be a Holy nation dedicated to the service of God and human beings without telling us how this was to be achieved. (Diaspora reading) Ever youngWe are an ever-young people whose past is ever present and that is how we are privileged to celebrate 70 years of our own country's independence. Psychological and mental healingThe connection between the outside world, human physiology and psychology is one whose mechanics we do not understand, but whose effects and therapies can be measured. Sympathy comes from the heart and not from the tongue.Aaron stayed silent when his sons died. It is interesting to note that throughout the world hospitals contain signs that ask for silence. Having the Seder at homeIt is no exaggeration to say that the Jewish world is founded on the night of the Pesach Seder. God calls out to usIt is the still small voice that is heard that rings in our mind and pricks our conscience. The logic behind Sabbath prohibitions :Vayakhel-Pikudeiif the Jewish people were prohibited from building and constructing the Mishkan/Tabernacle on Shabbat then why were they allowed and in fact commanded to operate and conduct the sacrificial service in that building on Shabbat? Purim will be celebrated eternally, even when the Messiah comesAt first glance, this seems to be a very strange observation. We are not the CrusadersOur enemies are deluded by recollections of the Crusades, where after centuries, the Christian invaders were forced to relinquish their power and territory in the Middle East. Lending money to a fellow JewLending money to others and helping them to extricate themselves from otherwise burdensome circumstances is a positive commandment of the Torah, but it sets out the rules. European countries say "not me"The late Prime Minister of Israel, Yitzchak Shamir, once said that anti-Semitism in Eastern Europe is placed into the population with its mother’s milk. For Tu Bishvat: Israel's agricultural blessingsThe infamous Peel Commission issued its learned conclusions in 1936 stating that the entire land of Israel – then Palestine under British mandate – could not support a population greater than 2 1/2 million souls. And now... Democracy is messyThe old religious – secular bugaboo has reared its head once more and as usual harsh and unnecessary invective is being employed by all sides of this debate. O! JerusalemIt is not so much that the world wants Jerusalem – after all it was a wasteland and backwater location for many centuries whether under Christian or Moslem rule – it is simply that the world does not want the Jews to have Jerusalem. Vayigash: In this world good has to be its own rewardGood deeds do not necessarily mean a tranquil and untroubled life for those who do them. PassingsEvery generation has special people that affect the lives of many of their contemporaries as well as the lives of later generations. G-d deals them out sparingly, but there is always at least one. The brotherrs who could not speak peacefully to one anotherWould that we be in the midst of a reconciliation, as took place in the story of Joseph. The UN and IsraelIt helped create Israel but has attempted numerous times to destroy it as well, while the Muslim world would have solved the 'refugee' problem had the UN not helped perpetuate it. ConfrontationsDeep down in the hearts of all concerned, there is the fear that the last chapter in this struggle has not yet been written. US Jewish leaders are fighting the wrong battleAmerican Jews may know that somehow they are the people of the book but they don't know what book is being referred to. There is little hope for their eventual survival as a vital part of the Jewish people. People of the tentsJewish existence as a reminder of spiritually and decency. Balancing today's normsExtremism rarely if ever results in the sanctification of God’s name in the world. The wreckage of empty wellsWe have always longed to be fresh, new and different than our ancestors. And we have paid dearly for it. 100 years since the start of Communist ruleHistory is a brutal teacher. It does not support false doctrines. A century of BalfourThe Balfour Declaration was an emotional impetus to the idea that the exile of Israel could and would diminish and end. The vanishing American traditional JewThe reason for the waning of the Conservative Movement. The angels that walk among usCivilization is the story of human transformation. The frist wandering JewIt wasn't just a travel experience, it was a lesson for generations to come. Sukkot: Finding a place for the soulIn a way, Sukkot is a natural continuation of Yom Kippur. Belgian chickensWe are invested in scandals, personal failures and rumors, and the great issues are ignored.What Moses said came trueSimply put, the vindication of the prophecy and words of Moshe themselves are one of the strongest pillars of faith upon which Judaism and the Jewish people rest. Ki Tetsei: TemptationUsually we do not carry out the acts that tempt us simply because of lack of opportunity and not necessarily because of our piety.Re'eh: Sight and visionThe commandments that the Torah enjoins us to observe are a form of corrective lenses to aid us in seeing things clearly and accurately. Shabbat Va'etchanan - Nachamu: Hope brings consolationThe Jewish people always believe that there are better days ahead. Fake religionThe attempt of the Moslem world to elevate their dispute with Israel into a matter of jihad and holy war has left the world vulnerable to fanaticism and unending violence. Thoughts on the haredi anti-IDF rally in New YorkThe recycling of ideas that have been proven to be mistaken blocks the chance of accepting reality. Bamidbar: Counting means loveThings of value require counting and cataloging. That is human nature. Jewish do-gooders: Naivete is worse than ignoranceBelieving in the possibility of Utopia on earth when bombs are going off in marketplaces is worse than ignorance.Achrei Mot-Kedoshim: We need the mitsvotJudaism is in the details of observance. Tazria-Metsora: In Jewish life, less is moreWhy and how tsoraat affects three categories of human life and society – the human body, clothing and houses. Deviating from Torah law leads to consequencesThe Talmud states that consuming non-kosher food stops up the hearts of otherwise good Jews.Parshat Tzav and Shabbat HagadolTthe connection between Tzav and Shabbat Hagaol explored and explained. Vayakhel-Pekudei: AccountabilityTransparency and accountability in the parsha. Stuck in the middleReal life dilemmas mirror Israel's situation all too well. Is he a little too Jewish? Is Israel?There is no question as to David Friedman’s abilities or credentials. The problem with Friedman is that he is too openly Jewish for the Reform Movement.Damage controlThe laws and consequences of human behavior. The paradigm for Jewish survivalThe entire story of the Jewish people descending into Egyptian slavery and then being extricated is essentially supernatural in detail. |
