Parshat Vayetze
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והעיקר לא לפחד כלל
And Yaakov went out from Beer Sheva and he went to Charan.
Leaving Eretz Yisrael is never easy. It is the home of our soul, the Land that has been created especially for our Nation. The very air exudes holiness and wisdom. Each city has its precious uniqueness. Yerushalayim is the city of fire- the capitol, seat of all Torah and justice, seat of the Sanhedrin and place of the Mikdash. The perfect city, city of completeness.
Chevron, city of earth, city of our forefathers, city of prayer and or humility.
Tzefat, city of air, center of Kabala and spiritual clarity.
Teverya, city of water, place of the well of Miriam, and of healing.
And Beer Sheva? Where does she fit in to the spiritual map? The city of Beer Sheva hosted all three of our fathers. Her name means the well of seven, and we know that all sevens mentioned in Torah must have their root in the seven Sefirot. This place refers to the ability to master the seven Midot. And from here, Yaakov Avinu left the land and had to travel to Charan.
Charan means anger. It is closely related to the word Chamas, which means violence. To leave Eretz Yisrael for another place of Torah learning might minimize, to some extent, the pain of leaving the Land. To leave the Holy Land and go to a place that respects the holiness of Israel, or that thirst for some of the Torah of the Land is understandable. But to go to Charan?! From holy tranquility to unbridled chaos… Read more
The Month of Kislev
BSD ROSH CHODESH KISLEV 5767 YERUSHALAYIM IH’K
The Shem MiShmuel brings a teaching based on the Sefer Hayitzira describing the month of Kislev with all its Kabalistic energies and tendencies.
Each month has a letter associated with it as well as a body function, a body part and a zodiac sign. Each month also has a tribe and a corresponding color from the stone of the Choshen. These elements all describe different aspects of the month, explain what specific Avoda is easier during the month and clarify the reasons for certain tendencies of people born in the month, as well as the tendencies of all people as the month enfolds.
Kislev was formed with the Hebrew letter Samech, with the element of sleep, is related to the stomach and has the constellation called Keshet, the bow and arrow.
Prayer is also called a bow and arrow, as Yaakov Avinu says in Parshat Vayechi, “I conquered the Land from the Emori with my sword and my bow”. Unkelos translates this as, “I conquered…with my wisdom and prayer.”
The Avnei Nezer remarks that the force of the arrow in the bow is enhanced, strengthened and empowered in direct proportion to the tension of the archer pulling back on the bow. The more force used to pull the bow taut, the farther the arrow will fly. So too, the more the heart contracts in intensity and in feeling, until the heart cannot contain its thoughts any longer and they burst forth, then, the prayer truly ascends.
Extending this thought helps us to understand the prayer of Chana, mother of Shmuel Hanavi. When Eli HaKohein found Chana murmuring silently to herself, flushed and agitated, he accused her of drinking too much. She responded with the words, “Lo Adoni, Isha Keshat Ruach Anochi”- “No my master, (I am not drunk, rather) I am of difficult spirit and have poured my spirit before Hashem”. The Gemara learns out from this conversation many of the laws of Tefilla, including the fact that our Amida is silent. Read more
Parshat Chayei Sara
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B’H PARSHAS CHAYEI SARA 5763 YERUSHALAYIM
The navi prophesizes that we will return to Eretz Yisrael on wings of eagles. No doubt this aroused the imagination of generations of Jewish children when they learned this and they visualized themselves hanging onto the feathers of some huge bird as they took off, dodging the arrows of the enemy below. We would do ourselves a favor and remember this excitement as we check our baggage into the El Al terminal and answer interminable questions about their contents and our intention in traveling to our Land. We are so used to the miracles that we live with daily…
We all have experienced the miracle of Kfitzas Haderech that distinguished Eliezer Eved Avraham. The journey of seventeen days was compressed into a few hours. Today, travel time from Baghdad to Jerusalem is minutes…
We don’t need to be prophets or experienced meditators to communicate with someone on the other side of the world. Just reach for your cell phone.
Water in the desert? No problem and no miracle needed. Food delivered to your door daily, a continuously illuminated home, bread with enough preservatives to last an entire week. This is how we live our daily lives in independent and Jewish Eretz Yisrael. Indeed if any of our biblical sisters and brothers were alive today and in their original mindset, they would look at our world and be very confused. It might appear to them, externally at least, that we live in Geula. Read more
Parshat Vayeira
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PARSHAT VAYEIRA 5767 YERUSHALAYIM IH’K
Rebbe Nachman taught:
The only way to see the downfall of the wicked is through the revelation of the sanctity of the Land of Israel, which corresponds to the verse,” Sit at My right hand until I make your enemies your footstool” ( Tehillim 110:1). Yamin (right hand) refers to the Land of Israel, for it is a reference to Benjamin (Ben Yamin) who was the only one of the sons of Yaakov Avinu born in Eretz Yisrael.
When the light of the merit of our Patriarchs shines, then even if we are still in exile, the holiness of the Land of Israel is revealed.
When this light is revealed, (through the merit of our forefathers and through corrected justice) then, not only is one saved from the wicked, but he also sees that the wicked suffer from the same fate that they wished for him.( Likutei Moharan 1:55)
Jewish history and Biblical history is full of stories of great people struggling with huge tests and passing (or failing) them. Yet, there is only one story that our prophets deemed necessary to recount in its entirety daily, and that is the story of the Akeidat Yitzchak- the binding of Yitzchak Avinu on the altar by his father Avraham. Read more
Lech Lecha- Winning with Words
BSD PARSHAT LECH LECHA 5767 YERUSHALAYIM IH’K
One of the great adventures of Avraham Avinu was his rescue of his nephew and brother in law Lot from captivity. The Torah tells us that a world war took place during the time that Lot had separated himself from Avraham Avinu and that Lot was captured by the victorious army headed by four kings. Despite their differences, Avraham Avinu felt compelled to rescue Lot.
Taking only 318 men, Avraham Avinu went into battle in an area that is now southern Lebanon and defeated the victors of this world war. He retrieved Lot and all his property and household along with many other people from Sodom.
The king of Sodom wanted to ‘share’ in the victory by generously granting Avraham Avinu the right to the property that Avraham Avinu had captured. To this arrogant offer, the reply was, “I will take nothing at all…so that you cannot say that the king of Sodom has made Avraham a rich man.”
The entire battle was just to rescue Lot and once that was done and Lot was given again the choice of life, Avraham Avinu departed.
Chazal say that the victory was even more spectacular and miraculous in that the 318 men that Avraham Avinu took were in reality just one man- his servant Eliezer, whose name in Gematria equals 318. (Alef=1, Lamed=30, Yod=10, Ayin=70, Zayin=7 and Reish=200). Read more